PMAC
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Posts posted by PMAC
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3 hours ago, Commandant said:
Kuznetsov fell off a cliff in 2022.
It was around this time that he had the addiction issues with the cocaine.
On one hand, being 3 years older, I don't see how thats helped his game.
On the other hand, if it was the addiction that hurt his game and not aging, he could be ok.12 goals and 37 points in 38 games in the KHL is also not dominant for that league, and when i watched Demidov, he never seemed like he was moving quickly, or dominating games over there as I would expect for a guy looking for an NHL comeback.
Josh Leivo led the league in scoring, setting records with 49 goals and 80 points in 62 games. And we know he's a 3rd/4th line NHLer at best.
Still its gotta be a pto, or even a contract we can bury in Laval (1.15 million base or under, and no NMC),Doesn't really strike me as the high character/ effort player that fits the culture Montreal is building. However, he was Demidov's teammate last season so the Habs presumably have good intel on him. Can't see HuGo going more than a PTO or 1 year with incentives with this player. I get Alexander Semin vibes from this discussion.
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49 minutes ago, WildTurkeyXX said:
Laine put up 33 points in 52 games. Dach put up 22 points in 57 games. Laine was a minus 14 despite those points, Dach was a minus 29. Just let that sink in... In contrast, Xhakej was a minus 13. And for this reason, most on here and in the media sphere have him practically penciled out of the lineup. But he also only put up 6 points. So he was on the ice for considerably fewer points against than the other two. At least in Arby's defense, not of it was for a lack of effort or compete.
Replacing Dach and Liane with a couple of younglings might come with it's fair share of bumps and goals against, but at least you know that it won't be for a lack of effort.
But with all of this, I'm a reasonable man, I'd be willing to compromise. I'm happy to run it back one more time with Dach, I'm just really not interested in another year of Liane. With him it's more than just bad play, it's bad effort and a poor attitude. Maybe there are worse characters for the locker room, but that doesn't make his good. And I think we would be better off without him.
Maybe I'm alone on this, but that isn't going to change my mind. Until I see otherwise, this is my opinion.
I couldn’t care less about +/-. It’s not accurate or meaningful. Liane’s goals helped us win games. Dach was a disappointment, I’m hopeful, but not optimistic that he will reach his potential this year. Arber was in and out of the lineup because the coaches decided that was the best option because of his deft defensive inconsistency— , I didn’t necessarily agree. I don’t think Liane showed a bad attitude and I think that he will be a much better player after a full offseason to recover from his injuries.
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16 minutes ago, WildTurkeyXX said:
I hear ya, but if the experience that we are preserving is... well, (for a lack of a better way of saying it) just stinks, is it really a net positive? Again, I'm not suggesting we take a player straight out of the draft, or straight out of college, or straight out of the KHL and inserting them into the lineup... I'm talking about players who have gone through all of that, plus spent time in the AHL. All of which had very good showings while there. I'm not saying I'm against them getting extra time down there, just that they have also done enough (IMO) to get some serious time with the big club. And although it may not be perfect, I might prefer to start the season a little extra green, than with some poorly experienced, lack luster performers. Again, this isn't something that I'm taking a hard stance on, just something that I'm open to.
Liane was actually one of the main reasons we were able to make the playoffs. His 5v5 play was disappointing but he didn’t stink. And, as for Dach I’m hoping we finally get to see what he can do if he can stay healthy for a full season
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2 hours ago, WildTurkeyXX said:
Part of the reason to dump them is to make room for some of our young players to get a serious chance to perform. Another reason for dumping them is to create the cap space for when/if the opportunity does presents itself to add someone. It doesn't really do us much good if we are up against the cap. Also, we are over the cap right now. Yes, that will change once we put Price back on LTIR, but it would be better to get under the cap before that. A third reason would be that I don't actually think it would make us worse, I think it would be improvement through subtraction. Especially in Liane's case. His one dimensional play hurts more than it helps, both on the ice and off. His super sensitive psyche forces the coaching staff into a delicate situation where they have to treat him differently than the rest of the team, or they risk hurting his feelings. The number of "personal days" he took last year was a little silly (unless we really do believe he just kept getting the flu...). I also don't fully buy the idea that he was as big of a reason for our winning all of those games. Although I do appreciate the goals that he scored, in order to credit him with the wins I would have to believe that, in his absence, nobody else (Caufield or whoever) wouldn't have scored in his place. Also, how many goals against were scored while he was on the ice during that same time period, or throughout the season, for that mater? I'm not saying that he didn't help, just that it's not so cut and dry that he is the reason we got into the playoffs.
And all of this, and this was just my ultra aggressive suggestion. It may not be your cup of tea, but it is mine.
Sorry, that’s not ultra-aggressive, that’s overloading the lineup with young players who may not be ready. That is the path of Buffalo and other failed rebuilds. Every successful team needs to balance youth and experience and even with Dach and Liane, the Habs are a very young team. Am I against moving either of those two players to upgrade the roster? No. Am I opposed to moving them only in order to “ open up space for younger players”? Yes, 100%. We have already opened two forward spots by not retaining older UFA’s. With the Dobson and Bolduc moves that is enough roster churn for one off-season, barring, of course, a trade for a young 2C.
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4 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:
I’ll stop posting on this, since my point doesn’t make it across. But I e last time: “I hope HughGort stops trading their first and second draft picks starting next season now that most of the rebuild seems done. The risk having a dip in high-end prospects if they do not change strategy”
Next season is a stronger draft, but I reiterate if we keep getting good, young talent for picks I’m happy for them to be dealt. I think HuGo have demonstrated that they are looking long term to build a sustainable contender. If they were trading picks for older players I would not be happy unless we were a serious threat to win the Cup
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On 7/2/2025 at 2:33 AM, alfredoh2009 said:
For comparison, here are (in blue) the players HughGort has traded for compared to whom MB/TT drafed from the crop of players that are currently in the club:
It doesn’t matter how you rank them. Montreal simply has too many draft picks and prospects not to use them in the strategic way that they did in this draft. We need to keep in mind that there is a 50 contract limit. From getting Dobson for Heineman and two picks to giving up picks to get the player they were targeting, HuGo ran a masterclass on leveraging picks and areas of strength to make the team stronger. You say you hope they don’t continue to trade picks. I hope that they do as long as the trades continue to be measured, strategic and bringing back excellent value.
Picks are not the end goal. Using picks to build a Stanley Cup contender is the goal and picks and prospects need not always be retained to achieve it.-
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On 4/23/2025 at 7:44 PM, Commandant said:
Now where do we take advantage.
They aren't trading Miller after just acquiring him.
Zibanejad and Trocheck could fit the short term #2 C spot, but their contracts are a bit longer than I would like given their ages.
Out of the two I would prefer Trochek because he is more versatile.
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13 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:
These stat cards are just a snapshot and don’t tell the whole story.
I thought Demidov looked a bit leashed and muted last night. He was significantly more conservative in his play.
I'm not going to rail on Laine anymore because he is who he is but I wasn’t impressed by him again. Considering Demidov’s ridiculous passing ability you would think these guys would be perfect together.
Hopefully our series starts on Monday to allow some good practice time.
Slafkovsky was butter fingers to start the game but he had a tremendous game. His forecheck is truly outstanding
If he wasn't leashed and muted in a must win game with a one goal lead, I would be disappointed. I saw a mature player who was committed to getting the puck deep when he had to and played a conservative game because that's what the game in front of him demanded.
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4 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:
that is why I would go with 7D, I agree with your points on SavardThat would mess with 3 out of the four lines. Almost no one does that voluntarily and never in the playoffs except due to injury.
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On 4/15/2025 at 10:27 PM, Canajun said:
Nice welcome there to a new contributor to this forum. I thought you said you never insult people?
This is a strange response given that the OP is clearly a troll and the argument does not make any sense --which is what Commandant pointed out.
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4 hours ago, Commandant said:
No.
Need to integrate one of Beck/Kapanen. Let them fight for the spot in camp.
I agree. Although Dvorak has been playing better lately, it’s time to move on from him at the end of the season. IF we re-sign one of our veteran UFA’s it should be Armia if the deal is team friendly enough.
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10 hours ago, Commandant said:
Primeau has been absolute garbage this season, and no one will trade a legit goalie for him. He might have been the worst goalie in the league this year, either him or Silovs.
Getting anything of value for a guy who no team would give a Qualifying Offer to is a pipe dream.
I think you forgot about Georgiev.
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On 1/15/2025 at 9:02 PM, GHT120 said:
*** IF *** HuGo can get a positive report/endorsement about DeAngelo from from Demidov, and Bobrov's other sources ...
- Should the Habs consider offering a contract to finish out the season now that his KHL deal is terminated?
- Could DeAngelo could be Savard's "replacement" if he is traded (very different players, but would add some offence to the 3rd pairing, maybe a PP option)?
No, no, a 1000 times no.
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Cue the unbridled and misguided optimism:
a) what the Habs regular season record will be: wins-losses-OTL-SOL 41-25-8-8
b) in what place in the Atlantic Division the Habs will finish 5th
c) in what place in the league the Habs will finish 15d) Tiebreaker: How many 20 goal scorers will the Habs have this season. 5
e) Tiebreaker: How many points will Suzuki finish the season with. 80f) Tiebreaker: How many points will Hutson finish the season with. 42
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49 minutes ago, GNick said:
People make that stuff up to get hits
Hughes is way too smart to make a deal like that
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23 hours ago, Commandant said:
Anaheim thinks about this for two seconds and says make it your first rounder or David Reinbacher as the RHD and then we can talk.
And then, Hughes hangs up the phone and waits.
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9 hours ago, dlbalr said:
Trust me, the hype is still there. There's plenty of talk about how he is playing his best hockey in a long time (he had one whole point last month) and how he's a must-play player to start the playoffs.
I hope that Sheldon Keefe is listening to that inane bullspit. Reaves will hurt the Laughs far more than he will help them in the playoffs
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On 3/29/2024 at 1:02 PM, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
The Hurricanes have definitely been a thorn in the Habs’ flesh. Very much a “this century” thing. Whether it’s the absolute BS call that cost us the series in 2002, or the gouging out of Koivu’s eyeball that similarly turned the series (that made TWO unearned playoff wins against us!!), or the Kotkaniemi nonsense, we’ve had to put up with a whole lot of crap from that quarter. So that is a totally valid choice and probably pretty representative of a younger generation of Habs fans.
I actually think Savard’s drafting was underrated because of all the blown 1st rounders. Houle inherited a team that had a lot of strong pieces and some promising young players (Tucker, Conroy, Bure, Koivu, etc.). There was no way the period from 1995-2005 should have been as catastrophic as it was. That’s on the second worst GM in modern NHL history, i.e., Reggie Houle.
I don’t think I can be considered part of the younger generation by any metric 😎 Also, dislike Tampa. If you rank Houle as second worst, who is worse, Mike Milbury?
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22 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
I don’t hate the Flyers org in the way I hate Toronto (first with a bullet: hatred and contempt), Boston (hatred tempered with respect for a great opponent), and, a distant third, Ottawa (contempt curdling into intense dislike)…but I don’t like ‘em either.
The Broad Street Bullies were a disgrace to the game and the Habs dynasty had to thump their asses in order to save hockey itself from sheer thuggery.
Then there was the Hextall teams in the 1980s.
Then that drooling jabbernowl Houle gave them Leclair and Desjardins in a disastrous overpay for Recchi, and they owned us for years.
It’s been a pretty quiet 21st century between the two franchises, though, I’ll admit.
I too, shudder at the mere mention of Houle’s reign of Error as Habs GM but that terrible, destructive trade was the work of Serge Savard. The drooling Jabernowl did the final razing of the’93 championship team with a series of almost inconceivably bad trades, poor drafting and non-existent development. Btw, I also hate the Leafs, apparently not as much as you, the Bruins and to a much lesser degree the Flyers, but number 1 on my list for many years is the Hurricanes.
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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
That's one of the key prisms to understanding that trade, actually. Many critics are seeing Kuzmenko as a "catch" for Calgary. But from Vancouver's side, he was basically a salary dump.
On reflection, while I'm happy with the 1st and not outraged by the deal, I do think more should have been expected. Maybe not much more - e.g., an unconditional third or fourth. But something. Monahan is an excellent player who brings all those "intangibles" GMs are always having orgasms about.
Hughes probably could have done at least marginally better if he'd been patient and waited for a bidding war.
Or. more likely, Monaghan could have gotten injured again and tanked his value. As many professional commentators have noted the Monaghan deals are a masterclass in asset management. I'm happy that Hughes didn't try to overplay his hand and made the deal now.
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16 hours ago, dlbalr said:
Could you post a link to where you found it?
As for the offer itself, I'd pass. Ceci isn't that great and Borgeault's value has cratered this year. Granted, they'd keep the retention slot in this case but this feels underwhelming.
Link https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/01/canadiens-rumors-oilers-linked-to-david.html?m=1
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21 hours ago, PMAC said:
I like the EDM to MTl trade rumour I saw on several sites Savard and a 5th to EdM for Ceci, Borgault and a 2nd.Thought's?
Link https://www.nhltraderumors.me/2024/01/canadiens-rumors-oilers-linked-to-david.html?m=1
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I like the EDM to MTl trade rumour I saw on several sites Savard and a 5th to EdM for Ceci, Borgault and a 2nd.Thought's?
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16 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:
some rumblings on Savard:
Didn’t quote the right portion but some where in there was a statement that Tampa only gave up a 4th to get Savard. The return was a 1st 2021 and 3rd (2022) with a 4th going to Detroit for salary retention
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/lightning-acquire-david-savard-blue-jackets-three-team-trade/sn-amp/
Contending teams love to add guys like Savard who sacrifice their body to win. And for some teams, that reasonably priced additional year is an advantage. Given Hughes’ trade record, I don’t expect Savard to be traded this season unless the return is really good.
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2025-26 NHL discussion thread
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
Is this real? I would be shocked if Molson did not take action. Looks like copyright infringement to me. Dundon has a serious crush on all things Canadiens.