huzer

For sure, refs are the common enemy for both teams (and fans)! Overhearing that interaction between parent/grandparent and coach was refreshing. I fully expected him to agree with her.

I"m reminded of a conversation I overheard one day at a youth hockey game. (Full disclosure, my son is a ref.) A woman in her 70s was commenting to a coach/director of an association about the horrible officiating after a game. The director looked at her and calmly asked if she could skate. She said no. He asked if she had ever been a ref. She said, of course not, I can't even skate. He then said, well then, you don't have any right to tell any official or player how to do their job. It's harder than it looks out there. I will say that I used to be hard on refs until my son started reffing. Yes there are still obvious missed calls, but it's a heck of a job. It infuriates me to go to a game and hear a crowd start booing the refs during warmups. Anyway, hope the Habs can string together a few more strong performances. Sounds like this one was a step in the right direction.

Agreed. Imagine if a player was actually moping because of his role/fan feedback. "Hi Joel, we'd like to offer you a contract for 2025-2026." "Ok, but I want to make sure you won't criticize me and that you'll value my play. Could you also let your fans know they need to take it easy on me, because I don't do well when fans are mean, either. And, if you aren't going to offer me a multiyear contract, I hope me just "showing up" is good enough, because I know you don't consider me in your long term plans."

I get getting the puck to the hot hand, but Caufield was so wide, playing like it was a 5-4, that it gave Lindgren ample time to get across the crease on a few of those plays. I didn't see any of the lateral movement to open up more space.

I wasn't quite being literal with Monahan. It's more about the team missing that capable veteran presence that he brought to a young team rather than actively pursuing a replacement veteran. I guess I should've said "amongst many things, one thing the team misses is Monahan". Yes, the pick Monahan returned that yielded Hage was (hopefully) beneficial. I guess I shouldn't make offhand comments without context. Anyway, I know the product I'm watching on the ice definitely appears to be completely discombobulated. The pre-season comment of being in the mix for the playoffs seems as likely as Price suiting up this year.

Don't forget freeing on the $4M+ on retained salary, too. I agree with you. For all the folks that want Beck, Roy, and Reinbacher to take their spots, the team would then most likely be even worse next year. We need another Monahan.

He doesn't seem to put himself in a position to get blown up, at least. I'm more concerned about Guhle lasting than I am Hutson.

I'll give them a pass right now, because they have 11 ES pts and 2 PP pts. That second trio has 4 total pts and is -17, combined. Anyway, it's a struggle for the entire team right now, and while I'm sure everyone was hoping for a more cohesive start, it's still a very young and very inexperienced team.

That game was a dumpster fire in our own end for long stretches. Once Matheson went down, the team was left with 5 defenseman. Combine the total games played of 4 of them (Xhejak, Barron, Hutson, Guhle), and you still don't even get to 50% of Savard's amount of GP. Yikes. Sub in Struble if Matheson can't go next game and you STILL don't reach 400 combined NHL gp from those 5 youngsters. I don't like Newhook with Dach. I would try the season ending line last year of Armia-Newhook-Gallagher. Man, that Laine injury really stinks. Of course, we have no idea how two players that missed nearly the entirety of the last season would've meshed, but it sure would've been nice to see!

I know LTIR has been beaten to death, but I think one simple solution is a rule similar to the NFL. If a player is on IR prior to the start of the season, that player is ineligible for the season, and they do not count against the cap/roster. Not to say, for example, a player with a tweaked ankle HAS to sit out the season if they start the year injured (you just don't IR him prior to league start), but a legitimate season ending injury (Krug, Backstrom, Weber, Price, etc). LTIR and its benefits (or drawbacks) can be used for players expected to return.

Paying a one-way NHL contract that doesn't count towards the cap isn't in the CBA either. Anyway, we can agree to disagree on this one. Simply put, it should be a contract termination.

I understand the arguments behind the situation. On a human level, I get it. On a business/competitive level, I don't agree with it. Let every team slide their LTI-Retired contracts off the books, or go through with the "this looks bad" termination. Heaven forbid Vegas gets egg on their face. They already have the appearance of preferential treatment, so let's go ahead and reinforce that pubic perception.

I don't doubt at all that there are personal nuances to the situation that make it unique. However, from a business standpoint of icing the best possible product on the ice, the decision behind this unique situation is beneficial to the team. A contract just magically disappears from being counted. As a competitor, I'm pissed. Because my LTIR player doesn't have "unique circumstances", we get penalized?

Go to 4v4 preseason games for more open ice. Fewer preseason games so teams don't have to have high roster counts, which would naturally eliminate some of the scrubs. Journeyman AHL guys don't need preseason evals.

Provable career ending LTIR should come off the cap period. But yeah, precedent sent. Price and the Habs should agree to him no-showing next year, go off grid, instant no LTIR, and he gets paid.

Nor did I, but admittedly only caught 1/2 of the interview. Seems it'd be more prevalent in media articles if true. The media loves to speculate about future moves.

I wasn't arguing anything. Top players can also elevate the games of others. That doesn't mean Lehky himself isn't good. But Lehky+MacKinnon are likely a better duo than Lehky+Dvorak. Simply put, I think Colorado is a better place for Lehky than Montreal, I don't think he would've had the same opportunity here.

Drouin looks pretty solid with MacKinnon, too. Just sayin'. Lehkonen is a good player, but I don't think he would've become a 65 pt player in Montreal. I think he was destined to remain a checking third liner with some upside had he stayed here. The change of scenery has definitely benefited him. And while oft-injured himself, he's also benefitted from other players (Drouin, Landeskog, Nichushkin) being injured or off-roster as well.

Obviously the injury to RHP forced Hughes's hand here. Kidding. Pleased with the deal and hope it works out favorably. It feels strange that the Habs were linked to a player, and for once, the rumor actually plays out. Since he has worn #29, please don't take #92.

and a 2026 2nd for Jordan Harris. https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/canadiens-acquire-patrik-laine-and-a-2026-second-round-pick?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=CHCcontent&utm_content=EN-0819-LaineHarris

Goalies are voodoo unless they aren't. I place most 1st round goalie picks/prospects more in the "can't miss" category rather than "future Vezina". For every Price, there's a Pascal Leclaire lurking in the shadows. But for a team to utilize a 1st round pick on a goalie, odds are quite good he will at least become a serviceable NHLer. Sorry, Malcolm Subban. Here is where I'll agree with @Commandant as far as voodoo goes. Elite goaltending is hard to nail down. Whereas the last three Vezina winners were 4th, 5th, and 6th rounders, nearly every Hart for the past 20 years is an early 1st rounder (Kucherov and St Louis are the only exceptions I can think of). Similar for the Art Ross, only one or two exceptions there as well. Of course, I have my own theories as to why. But if you want #1, there is little to no instruction for goalies (at least in the US) until, junior age at the earliest. And the instruction they do receive is half-assed at best. For all of the youth programs that tout former NHL/NCAA D1 retired players as coaches, goalies are usually stuck with some dude that plays D level beer league.

Thanks! I've noticed a difference, and appreciate the improvement.

I'm on a mac, using Safari. Going between pages, a full page ad pops up nearly every time. I don't have an adblocker installed on this device, though.

Not gonna lie, I have found the ads here a bit more intrusive than other sites.

Fans didn't expect Slafkovsky or Reinbacher. Curious if we'll be surprised again.