DON

some other dude managed both, Randy Gregg i think was an oiler and doc wasnt he? Anyways, a good sized shot blocking defensive d-man like Pateryn could fit in nicely a year or 2 down the road next to Tinordi or Beaulieu.

Why arnt they playing Palushaj and Blunden more minutes? Shouldnt this be perfect opportunity to see what they can do with a regular shift vs NHL competition if given 15+minutes? And Engqvist should be a perfect 4th line centre, if he was just a bit better on faceoffs, which is fixable? but love his size and defensive smarts and am friggin tired of every year rotating in a new smallish 4th line centre like Moore/Halpern/the Finn etc . Engqvist offense has even ramped way up in just his 2nd pro year, not sure why he wouldnt fit in that 8-10 minute role and PK duty? But if he goes back to Sweden, so be it and i gues the next one i maybe will pull for to develop will be Nattenin i guess. But Bournival or White will likely step into that 4th line centre role quickly enough.

thanks, i thought there was some need to be 20 in AHL if a Canadian. I saw somewhere that Pateryn, is considering going on to Med school? So maybe he wont be a Bulldog next year like i thought?

Halak? am i on wrong website?

Too bad they wont play Leblanc, Palushaj and Blunden on a regular shift. It is just practice games happening now (or a very very early pre-seaon) and might as well see what they can do if given a regular shift. Even the top line and Plekanec are just going through the motions. But nice loss none the less.

well written sir. Even with injuries ignored, i think the lack of many top forwards gives the perception of weaker class maybe? Because there just wont be a Couturier type forward available at 8th for example. But the injury to Reilly is a perfect example of what you wrote about, he was described in the fall as the most game controlling d-man and now he is a bit of question mark due to knee, still a top ten now but likely to slip out of top ten on draft day i bet.

well, the trading away of 2nd round picks and the 1st in 2008 (my biggest beef with Gauthier-Gainey, cept Ranger trade of course), as well as making the playoffs, put the odds of high end talent at very slim.

Right on. great to hear Beaulieu dosent turn 20 till December, but he still will be old enough to play AHL next fall eh?

How is Nattenin looking, is he looking better than start of year/developing?

Ditto, i was thinking the exact same thing.

Not sure which was funnier the score by Bruins or Lucic smackin #8 around. If Gauthier is fired ( i still hope not), will Timmins be kept on to look after this draft? He has a super track record and the scouts are a bit removed from the team arnt they?

this will likely be the most one-sided opening match up in all of CHL eh and i suppose Beaulieu should be able to go end to end and put on a show when ever he feels like it. The only question with this game is whether or not Saint John will get to double digits in goals?

Big Bad Bob McKenzie seems to have the best handle on 1st round picks, year after year. I think he must draw on a good group of smart scouts from various locations/leagues to compile his ranking from. but always be exceptions; a la not many saw Beaulieu falling to 17th and who knew the Habs would trade up for Tinordi, but McKenzie had Louis L at 18th and habs took him at 17th and he had McDonaugh at 12th and Habs took him at 11th Pacioretty he had him at 24th and Habs got him at 22nd. So if draft happened right now with Habs at 4th a good bet would be Forsberg, with Dumba/ Murray as next best guess, that is strctly going by McKenzie Feb. rank. but of course the final rank after combine testing/playoffs over in June might change a bit, the slot for Habs at 4th-to- 7th will not likely change much. I think d-men tend to slip more on draft day, simply because they take so much longer (in general) to develop. just seems to be how normally plays out, where a Collberg/Faksa/Gaunce might sneak into top ten and a Reilly/Reinhart/Trouba may fall down to 15th. but again i aint an "expert" like Milbury or McQuire

i think they are doing their best by playing Campoli lots and allowing Budai to get a few more starts, but Markov seems to be making up the difference and Budai is playing fine. Maybe fate will land the Habs a better #6 pick than the #3 turns out anyways?

Now gotta pull for Minni to beat Canucks (Canucks dont need the 2 points anyways).and Ducks to beat SJ today. 3 more weeks, will be tough to hand onto top 5 slot, damn that Markov guy, haha.

Dietz and his shorthanded crew also take on Medicine Hat, and Gallagher's goal was typical, he is all around crease or accidentially/ on-purpose running over goalie every game.

I agree, and the Habs should be able with just the d-men they have now. I know the lack of an OByrne seems to be an issue, but a major upgrade up front should be priority with cash left after Price/Subban and the rest get resigned. Yemelin and Subban are both physical and although the d-core is smaller, it is much faster than was with Hammer/Spacek/Gill/Sopel/Mara, so signing a Bryan Allen may work well, you know he will clear the crease and fight; but, will also get beat to the outside as a Diaz/Markov/St.Denis wouldnt. Pick your poison. The bigger d-bodies will be coming, just likely not till 2013-14 for a couple of these dudes; Ellis/Pateryn/Tinordi/Nash/Beaulieu.

I dont disagree on Gallagher one bit; on Cammalleri though?, i watch a few Flame games and there he is every shift, floating coasting till gets puck and gives it away if anyone challanges him, wont go near a corner nor fight for a puck, etc etc. I have said before, i would stop criticizing him if he produced, but he didnt for past 2 years and i was one happy camper when he got yanked in that game and was gonzo. With both he and Spacek gone, i am Gauthier's biggest fan.

i concer with gdt comment and NHL.com is just another Toronto-centric group isnt it, so they just look strictly at Prices stats or wins to decide if he is doing well or not, cause they dont follow non-leaf canadian teams. So, just ignore likely ignorant (uninformed) views of Habs and their players as "white-noise" and i would guess you likely know more about Price's play this year than that author. Has there been a month he hasnt be the best player? Is there many other teams who wouldn't kill to have a solid steady young star netminder like him? If Price ever went down with injury, then you would see his importance, and same can be said for Subban.

No matter, cause i cant see that Habs fall lower than 7th or 8th pick and same as mid-late first rounders who will end up somewhere else. But Collberg, even though i know is older than Forsberg, was much more a stand out at world juniors and seemed like s Swedish Skinner with quick release and Aberg is a similar but bit bigger forward playing in SEL. ISS and McKenzie have em both in teens, but if discount habs need for forwards, they could be a top ten for Timmins? But is funny how few Swedes the Habs have drafted? cept with late pick or 2.

i think Gallagher has mentioned St.Louis as an inspiration, but Gionta i think is more like him and if all goes well, he will have similar #s. But i dont htink he can be near as good as Fleury, who was over point/game in NHL, so no slight there, but Gallagher does have his "fiestyness". I will likely check out some of his game tonight after Habs game. He is always entertaining and non-stop on every shift, and is like Ovechkin used to be and shoots from anywhere and often.

Bout right, i might slide in 2 swedes, Collberg/Aberg as close to top ten guys? and i might even put Maatta ahead of Reinhart/Reilly(but Reilly i havent seen play at all). I thought Maatta has looked good/smart all-round in London games. But i dont think Habs will fall that far and at worst take a Murray/Dumba/Forsberg/Girgensons at 7th or 8th. Habs just look too good lately and i think will win more than lose for next couple weeks.

I like his defensive play (better in own end than Diaz, Weber, Kaberle, Campoli) and with another club, like Oilers or Hawks, he might have a spot and is likely just a bit too good to stay in AHL, but with Hab make up he dosent fit so well, unless Kaberle and Weber are both traded, both of which i like as well. Will be interesting come July 1st to see how all shakes out.

A young Cammalleri? you have got to be joking, one thing Gallagher isnt, is a gutless floater with a huge ego (sorry i just have developed a strong unliking for that player over past 2 seasons). But i guess like Cammalleri, he is a shooter/sniper and good around the net, but Gallagher has balls, unlike the Tyrell Owens of hockey.

Not sure who oBryne is. But Ryan OByrne is a solid d-man, if that is who you meanand is the type of d-man the Habs could use till Tinordi is ready. But Bournival was a good trade-off for him. Be kind of nice to see a losing streak; but the way they are playing, is unilkely, so if finish with 7th pick, so be it and will still get a super prospect, just the options will be a little more limited than 3rd or 4th is all.. Last 2 #7 picks are both likely to turn out very well (and both would look good in a Hab jersey), Skinner and Scheifele. And the last 2 #8 picks also are very good ones with Couturier and Burmistrov, so if Habs go about 6-3-2 till game 82, wont be end of world by any means.