kas

Okay, more disagreement. So the real topic of this thread is... Is Mark Flood 6'5 or 6'.5?

Perreault is definitely not in this team's future. Ribiero probably the same. Also, sakiqc, you forgot Bulis. I doubt Atlanta gives up heatley for anything...

Thanks Habs77, I always mix up the sides. I do agree with most of what you said. I agree that it is most likely that the 4th line will be made up of vets and grinders-although I do think Ryder will be there.

These are always interesting as nobody can ever completely agree. Explain who you left out/put where and why: Perezhogin-Koivu-Kastitsyn Zednik-Higgins-Urquart Bulis-Lapperiere-Ward Hossa-Plekanec-Ryder Milroy Stewart Lambert Ferland Great first line with a great combination of speed/grit/skill. The second line puts two snipers with incredbile shots on the wings with a speedy skilled playmaker at center. Higgins great defensive play could help offset Urquart's weakness in his own zone. The third line has a great skating well-rounded winger across from a banging power forward. Lapperiere in the middle is another fast and physical center and he'll be our defensive specialist. Hossa's getting on my nerves with his lack of intensity. The proposed 4th line, although lack a fighter, has a great energy player (Ryder) and can contribute in the offensive zone. Milroy/Stewart could be another great energy player who scores big goals. Lambert's a little too soft for my liking. Ferland has a lot of potential and might be on line2 instead of Uquart (if his inconsistency is a bigger problem than anticipated). A goon (Devaux, Dwyer, the guy drafted this year,...) could get some time on the 4th line instead of Hossa against dirty teams. Komi-Markov Archer-Hainsey O'Byrne-Korneev Beauchemin Linhart I don't think Linhart will ever live up to his round 2 status but should be nice depth as a physical crease clearer. Archer has surprised and looks like a top 6 D-man. O'Byrne and Korneev are together because they are both great potential players but both are young and have a lot to prove. Theodore Garon

My opinion: 1)LW/RW Andre Kastitsyn Great pick. Incredible speed and skill. A guy who carried his team. I loved the reports that he worked hard even though his team would be getting killed. As long as his health checks out (which apparently it did), the Habs have a bona-fide 1st winger. He and Perezhogin are probably our future top line wingers with Koivu/Higgins. Typical AS pick but a great player who should prove to be a steal. 2a)C Cory Urquart I'm not too high on this pick. A center who's not great at faceoffs. Not a great skater either. What he does have, though, is a tremendous shot-considered the best in the draft. He progressed a lot in point production. Considered a soft player but has stepped it up in the playoffs for two consecutive years. Might develop into a scoring line forward-I'm not too sure about it though. 2b)C Maxim Laperriere I liked this pick a lot more than the previous one. Laperriere is young and fast and has decent size. Solid two way center. Physical despite lack of huge size. Excellent faceoff guy. Great penalty killer and also good on the PP (although I doubt he'll ever get much time there with the CH). I see him as our defensive specialist center-the guy you put out to win a key faceoff and play the final minute of a 2-1 game. He has a better chance than Urquart IMO. 3)D Ryan O'Bryne A high risk pick. This guy is only 17 but has tremendous size and nice skating ability. Can't find too much about this guy but he's very intriguing. We'll probably have a better idea of his skills next year, as he's attending Cornell. I love the idea. He fits the mold that the Canadiens are developing: small fast gritty forwards with big imposing defensemen. Hopefully one of him or Tomas Linhart, last year's 2nd round pick, can develop into a physical presence on the blueline as a #4-6 defense. [Edited on 21/6/2003 by kas]

I don't know why you are so down. Kastsisyn and Zherdev were considered to be the top 2 skilled players in the draft. We got him at #10. He would have went a lot higher if his Russian team didn't claim that he had epilepsy (which isn't true-he might have a lesser condition though). A guy like Jessiman just doessn't have the top skills. He'll be good because of his size and speed, but his lack of defensive awareness and hands will limit his top potential. He's a future 1st line winger as long as the epilepsy issue checks out...

We got a potential superstar. Typical AS pick. Great all-around player who fell due to concerns over epilepsy-which might not even be true. GREAT PICK!!!

Obviously guys like Parise and Higgins have to prove they can succeed in the NHL, but I don't see any reason why they can't fulfill their potential. Both have complete games and play with a lot of heart. Most important, both have fantastic work ethic and are good kids. The only thing both lack is size, but Higgins is very built and Parise isn't scrawny either-and both are still growing. Some picks are riskier and some are safer. Guys with attitude, or who lack heart or work ethic, or skills don't pan out. Guys like Daigle, Matt Higgins, Kilger,...At the very worst, I think Higgins is a 3rd line center like John Madden and Parise is a 2nd line center like Mike Fisher. I, like many, tend to get overly excited about prospects. But I do truly believe that Parise will be a top scorer in this league.

You cna't have lines like Ribiero-Perreault-Audette, they'd be -90 on the season. I have a feeling Perreault will be traded to a young team like Nashville or Columbus. My lines: Zednik-Koivu-Ward Bulis-Ribiero-Audette Sundtrum-Juneau-Hossa Dwyer/McKay-Kilger-Ryder Markov-Komisarek Hainsey-Rivet Souray/Bouillon-Dykhuis/Beauchemin When Higgins is ready, Ribiero gets bumped down to scratch status. Perezhogin will push to replace Audette and will end up as our 1st line LW with Zednik on the 2nd. If Hossa can show consistency and better intensity, he could move to 2nd line LW and Bulis could shift back to the 3rd line (where he can be an excellent checker and impact performer ala John Madden). There is also a possibility that by the end of the season Ryder might beat out Sundstrum for 3rd line duties. So, by the end of the season (assuming Perezhogin signs) Perezhogin-Koivu-Ward Bulis/Hossa-Higgins-Zednik Sundtrum/Ryder-Juneau-Hossa/Bulis Dwyer/McKay-Kilger-Ryder/Sundtrum [Edited on 14/6/2003 by kas]

First of all, many centers are converted by the Canadiens to the wing (Bulis, Hossa). Also, you have to draft going for best player available. Second of all, Parise is twice the player Ribiero is. He has similar vision and playmaking skills but much better skating ability, scoring touch, grit, defensive awareness, and heart. Koivu-Parise-Higgins down the middle would be as good as any group of top 3 centers in the league. Higgins has better hands and is stronger than Madden and is a better playmaker. I like Parise enough to say that, eventually, he'll be a more valuable player than Koivu because he has better scoring ability and equal great playmaking ability. I disagree abou Kilger being a nice 4th line center, though. I want a guy who can provide energy and grit-Kilger is soft, inconistent, and not intense enough. He'd be better on the wing where he can work the puck along the boards (one of his strengths) and play a lot of pk.

Just curious as to what everyone's ideal draft would be. Mine is: 10)C Zach Parise-future #1 center when Koivu loses a step or two. Small, but other than that the complete package of heart, grit, skating ability, and skill. 40)D Brent Seabrooke-Big strong defenseman who can clear the crease and punish opposing forwards. A less refined/skilled version of Komisarek. PHI's 2nd)G Jonathan Boutin-I'm not really that familiar with the goalies in the draft, but I would like to see one added. Hackett's gone. Theo and Garon are up with the big club. Purrula is in Finland and Tarasov in Russia. Michaud had a terrible year. The Habs will dip into the Q, as it has worked for them before, and take a goalie with nice stats to ensure quality goaltending in the organization. The first two picks both fit the AS mold of small, fast, and gritty forwards with great skill and powerful, intimidating defensemen who can protect them.

I think for the time being Julien is the right coach for this team. He's a teacher first and he's proven to be successful at developing talent. All the young guys love him and as they graduate to the big club from Hamilton, their transition will be eased by having a familiar coach/system in place. In a few years, when we're redy to contend, if CJ hasn't shown the ability to take the team to the next level then it might be time for a change.

That would be the ideal. Give AS complete control of the draft board and have Gainey deal with the player personnel. That's two great FO minds dealing with what they're best at. I've heard that AS has stepped down to a lesser role with the organization.

Yeah, I like Paetsch as well. Would consider him with the latter 2nd rounder and definitely with the 3rd round pick. With Markov/Hainsey/Paetsch on the same team, we could have an offensive defenseman on every line who can is responsible defensively.

I would love Parise at #10. He's the total package except for size. In what little I've seen of him, though, he is not afraid of rough play or the corners. He's responsible defensively (though not great) and has true superstar potential. I see him at worst as a quality second line player-at best he could be a Joe Sackic clone. Bernier would be a nice consolation prize but I think he lacks Parise's pure offensive talent and potential upside.

First time poster here, so be easy on me. I used to think Higgins would be nothing more than a quality 3rd liner. I now believe he'll become a very good 2nd line forward. While he'll have the talent to play on the first line, he'll probably find his role on the second line. I have to say that I really love his 2-way game. It will be great to have some well-rounded top lines that can score and not be a liability defensively.