hockeyrealist
-
Posts
657 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
5
Posts posted by hockeyrealist
-
-
On 12/12/2020 at 2:49 PM, Meller93 said:
I haven't sat down and looked this up, but does any team in the league have a bottom 6 that rivals ours?
edit: On paper anyway
as said Tampa.also IMO: Wash, VGK (for now), Tor, Jets.
-
14 hours ago, zumpano21 said:
Random thought popped in my head today.
Is Josh Anderson the first true power forward we’ve had since Leclair?
I think you’re right, as is mentioned prior, assuming this means physical and productive.Armia has a better Puck protection, cycle, board game but Anderson is a whole other level of offensive skill set when it comes to ability to beat a goalie off the rush, as well as in close.
Having both on rw along with Gallagher and potentially Toffoli is a deep and balanced lineup. Considering Dale Weisse was playing rw a couple months ago.....
-
Interesting comments from Burke. I personally agree, am confident for this team, and am pumped to see them play.
but... they haven’t proven anything yet, so skepticism is warranted.
The core is still very similar to last year, so perhaps we shouldn’t be expecting big improvements after all; however, every team is starting with a clean slate.
Again, my personal view is that they’ve improved in the appropriate areas and the core will be able to flourish accordingly. So yeah, Go Habs Go! First in all CDN division. -
20 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:
With all the recent trades and signings the Habs have made, I am at a point where the way I thought of trades (how ever imperfect) to improve the team are to be thrown in the garbage.
Question to the forum: how do you improve a "play-off team" to make it a "cup contending team"?
1. Habs have prospect depth but no elite prospects
2. Habs have NHL roster depth but no elite forwards
3. Habs have no cap room
4. Habs have solid top 3 D but aging
5. Habs have a narrow "Stanley cup window"
My old tendency was to go for gradual improvements and to hope for progression from prospects. Now. trades may include core players and should improve the teams chances of winning a cup.
I look forward to reading your comments
Your use of “elite” skews the entire convo. There are not enough truly “elite” players or prospects in the league for every team to have one.
1) But by using “elite” to mean in the top 10% of the class then I’d say the Habs do have elite forwards in Gallagher, Tatar and Danault (goal production from first two, selke skills for the last and overall dominant line 5v5 has to be considered “elite”)Suzuki is on verge of being “elite” and also borderline still a prospect.
2) Again, being generous with “elite” Caulfield appears to have that potential (25-30g/80gp). Romanov looks like an impactful player with “elite” potential. Compared to many teams, Habs are lucky to have two to consider at least.
3) I’d rather have no cap room atm, particularly given the economic impacts of COVID than to have the option to complain about unused cap space again.
All in poker, because as you said the window is narrow, but still have a few good years.4) The top 4 is very strong.
aging? Yes, but Petry/Chiarot are just blossoming. Weber shows zero signs of reduced efficacy.
Add the improved Kulak, potential for Edmundson to thrive in a zone d enviro. Add Romanov, improveD Kulak, hungry Mete, Fleury, Juulsen, etc.
Lots of things to be happy about, and the aginG part is also irrelevant because
5) the Habs are a cup contender now and for the coming 2-4 seasons unless key injuries take over.
I think this team is gonna make some noise right away. -
52 minutes ago, Commandant said:
I went with #9 (no name) on mine.... as they didn't have names on the jerseys in the 1940s when it was worn.
Classy touch. -
2 hours ago, DON said:
I will help, go with #14, i think the kid will be a Hab for awhile.
I hope so, I also thought MaxPac would retire Or at least remain as a hab longer. -
1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
My advice on this is always the same: go with a retired player. (I have Harvey and Morenz jerseys at home, LOL, but that might be a bit extreme; although the Morenz one is a nice way to separate the real fans from the lightweights).
Picking a retired guy removes any danger of the guy getting traded, having scandals or battles with coach/management, suffering a career-compromising injury, etc. DO NOT go with any young player - too much risk of ending up with a jersey that just seems silly in retrospect. Who is really proud of their KOMISAREK or DOMI jersey today?
The only one from the current group that, to my mind, is absolutely risk-free is #31. No matter what happens with him going forward, he will always be a legend and a guaranteed Hall of Famer. That jersey will never lose its appeal.
Well said. -
1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
Yeah, the jersey I was praising as one of the all-time best hockey jerseys is the white jersey from 1944-47. http://hockeybydesign.com/2020/06/worst-to-first-jerseys-montreal-canadiens/
I would get rid of the Habs' current white jerseys and go with that as our full-time white road jersey. It's simply magnificent.
That’s a cool read, thanks for linking.I do like that jersey as well, a lot more than the similar one with the white “C” in the logo (seems to wash it out).
That red, green one is kind of cool too, in that it is so different than the usual. Could be a cool jersey for a St. Patrick’s day game, maybe paired with green pants and helmets or something.
could be sacrilegious to mess with the colours like that tho haha.
-
23 minutes ago, DON said:
Anyways, glad topic came up, other wise would just be crickets on here.
I still don't think any big changes needed to Habs jersey, maybe a tweek or two for the home & away versions would be fine and will happen; but, can skip on any special occasion one.
If gonna start early Jan, I imagine training camp will need to start by mid-Dec. or sooner eh?
yeah, agreed. This topic spun into some cool info and ideas.Timeline you mention makes sense and hard to see them getting to that point in time.
and after Xmas holidays, I fear the COVID situation will only be worse.
I have been wrong plenty of times so for the sake of hockey and life in general I hope I am wrong again on that one. -
11 hours ago, tomh009 said:
Hey, I was still playing with brown-leather goalie pads (and horse-hair padding!) maybe 20 years ago!
and looking amazing I’d reckon. -
1 hour ago, Commandant said:
The barber pole looks awesome in person. I love mine
They look Terrible on TV though.
Interesting point.Now that I think of that, a friend has that one and it did look cool in person. Def doesn’t translate to tv and not sure the old school brown gloves helped the look either.
-
3 hours ago, DON said:
This white one? Not a fan of it either.
In the teens they had some fugley ones as well.
Super cool, thanks for sharing.The white with diagonal stripe is growing on me, still not a fan of the barber pole though.
-
3 hours ago, Trizzak said:
BTW here's the link to the jerseys for anyone looking for a quick reference: https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-reveals-adidas-reverse-retro-jerseys/c-319633384
Thank you for sharing that.I’d only seen the Habs version originally.
Aside from Habs, I like in random:
Kings
Wild
canes
buffalo
oilers
blues
-
Yay or nay?
Personally, I am digging them.
Curious as to popular opinion though.
-
30 minutes ago, tomh009 said:
Working with a speedskating coach may have been a good idea.
Definitely.KK seems willing to put in work, although seems it may have been a little misguided in the past it is still a great trait to see in a young player.
I say that As there were reports he put a little too much emphasis on muscle-building in the past at the sake of his agility, speed.
He seems to be finding a balance, good on him.
He’s got talent so having a work ethic to match gets me excited about his future in bleu,blanc et rouge.
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, Commandant said:
Poehling should play 20 minutes a game in laval. Not on the fourth line.
Regardless of what he does in camp.
Evans has done all he can in the AHL/NCaa. Poehling is younger, with a higher ceiling, and should be developed more.
I agree he should play lots of minutes in all situations in Laval, I don’t think that should happen regardless of how he does in camp.
As in, if he doesn’t prove he wants it by making it hard to not keep him in NHL then I don’t think he should be handed anything, even in AHL.
I like Evans, agree he is likely to step up and seems to be ready for the chance. If the wingers are indeed Lehks, Byron; whomever plays centre is better off than most fourth line centres would be. So, They may end up playing more than the typical fourth line which may not end up being a big impediment to Poehling’s development, again if he surprisingly makes it impossible to send him down whether at wing or centre (of which, Centre appears to be the most likely room for him).
-
10 hours ago, IN THE HEARTS OF MEN said:
I'd argue CJ starts with Armia on the Suzuki Drouin line to open camp and an untouched TDG line for some stability to start. Hopefully an inform KK centring Toff & Josh A coming off a dominant Finnish league stint gives us a good start. It will allows us to ice a very fast and formidable 4th line as well, more so if Evans is able to progress from a successful introduction to NHL life. It will be interesting to see how Poehling shows up to camp? Is he motivated?
Interesting, KK, Toffolli, Anderson could be one dominant line indeed.All are pretty heavy players who can skate, could be terrors on opposing d.
Poehling intrigues me too, he went from having a pretty clear path to the the big leagues to seeming redundant. From rumours it seems he has contributed to that himself with poor conditioning, so agreed that I am also curious how he shows up. I wonder if his first game success made him think he didn’t have to put in the mandatory effort off-season?
kinda sucks as I had high hopes for him but seems we are better off without him in lineup given the recent level of depth at forward.
With the Toffoli, Anderson additions I love the top 9, assuming TDG line continues to be reliable, productive. It is like having 1A,1B,1C lines and a scary Quick fourth to boot. -
This has turned into a interesting conversation that I have some experience/learned about from some semi-pros/university players.
It seems largely dependent on the individual. Players with great balance, Independent hip/leg Strength, core strength and excellent edge work can constantly modify their personal position relative to the puck/play so it almost doesn’t matter where they are on the ice. This is a skill all elite players have but can vary greatly b/w players from adequate to excellent. It doesn’t matter if it means body positioning to box out/open yourself up, making/accepting passes in all three zones or unloading a vicious off-side one time a la Ovie the mechanics have to be second nature and strong.
The other side is mental, all players I know and have spoken with mentioned the additional Micro-second of time that you are less aware of your surroundings when on your off-side, simply due to blind spots that exist at all times are now coming from even more dangerous ares of the ice relative to you. Part of what makes some excel in these situations is a comfort with heightened risk/calculated risk. Some people are slightly quicker pulling in, processing the info around them that it minimizes this threat.
wow sorry to rant but got excited as have had convos about this recently.
I was lead to believe it is a great example of a player who needs strong mechanics, physical skills (puck skills), and a mental fortitude with quick processing power. The elite do this in all three zones, snipers do it offensively.
the little i know of toffolli lends it to see why he could do this well.
That leads me to wonder about lines if: Danault/Tuna/Gally trio is to remain intact.
And Drouin is given a chance to Reconnect with Suzuki since they showed chemistry and we need Drouin to produce, and if Indeed Toffoli is best option to play off side wing, he may be defaulted to playing on another line centred by KK.
If that happens I see Anderson going RW With JoDro and Suzuk. Anderson pots 20g 20a and eliminates anyone who takes a run at his line. Suz hits 60 pts, Drouin 55-60.
which leads to: Would Armia then play RW w/ KK, Toffoli on his off wing at LW to round out top 9? Tha could be a hard line to play against.4th of Lehks,Evans,Byro? Also hard to play against....
I kinda like the looks of it, assuming the Danault line continues to be a strong line.
Loving this Toffoli acquisition.-
1
-
-
5 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:
Never said no skill. But do guys that score 1 goal usually get $5.5m/7 year deals?
how many guys are getting big bumps and term in the current environment? Especially coming of a big injury and down year?
This isn’t even the correct thread for this whiner opinion, gotta complain about something.As if you have near the breadth of knowledge or research as the management team that does this for a living.
There is next to no concern about Anderson’s health and he provides exactly what Habs have been desperately missing.
The guys has wheel and can straight up beat goalies off the rush or in close, get off the negative nelly hormones or at least use the right thread to spew your negative bs. All kinds of league professionals see Anderson signing as a good move, but let’s stop and listen to some schmo who wants to shit on anything apparently.
Must suck to not even find joy in the Habs moves this past month, feel bad for ya.
-
1
-
-
41 minutes ago, Commandant said:
Even if he doesn't go to Seattle, if Primeau is ready, then trading Allen at this cap hit shouldn't be too difficult.
10 minutes ago, Blazer said:A good move by Bergevin. He could be picked up by Seattle, given that he would have 2 years left on his contract at the end this coming season. This secures our defense from losing a player. If Seattle picks another player, he provides great backup to Price for a couple more years. If Primeau is ready, Allen would be a good trade option with 2 years left on his agreement. All good options for us.
Good points, like this move more now.
-
22 minutes ago, huzer said:
Habs finally get some depth. They need to do their best to KEEP that depth.
Amen to that
-
23 minutes ago, Habsfan89 said:
Yeah or should of used the word replaced. But it's the same as expandable. A few years ago you would have to give them what they wanted. But now I don't think that's the case.
7 minutes ago, tomh009 said:Not quite the same. "Expendable" would mean "of little signficance" whereas "replaceable" means that we can find another player to take his role.
Indeed, semantics matter here.Expandable versus expendable are both very different than replaceable.
Question is, if our current 30-35 goal scorer expects a certain dollar value that aligns with market value how do you expect to replace that Without paying a similar amount?
to answer the original question, no Gallagher and Danault have not been made expendable, but like 99.9% of people they are replaceable.But to replace a quality asset with an equally quality, yet cheaper asset is asking a lot of a manager.
-
I can’t recall ever being impressed with Domi as a goal scoring threat, more of a playmaker imo.
meanwhile a review of Anderson’s goals show a legit snipe of shot (snap shot from both wings and strong backhand). Given that I think the Habs have more playmakers than goal-scorers, I think he has a strong chance to thrive and contribute more than Domi could have. Domi carrying the puck through the neutral zone or entering the o-zone reminded me of watching Gomez do the same, it would get exciting for a moment and then generally fizzle. The lack of shooting strength and skill is similar, takes away options, makes defending easy once identified.
Anderson can beat a goalie off the rush and in close.-
2
-
-
2 minutes ago, Habsfan said:
I read from Arpon Basu of the Athletic that apparently the final two years of the contract, his salary is much lower, meaning that if he does slow down alot in teh final years, he'll be easier to trade!
Noticed that too and the big dollars come on later (years 3,4,5 I believe) when cap will be rising again, hopefully/probably.
2021 World Juniors
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
Thinking Guhle will get a decent amount of ice time as one of only two left handed dmen.
looking forward to seeing how he handles the opportunity.