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2013 Training Camp


Trizzak

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How long do you guys think morrow will go before anyone signs him? If it got close to the deadline ( even say January) maybe by that time trading desharnais wouldn't look bad on Bergevin. Then we could sign morrow almost like a pre playoff rental player.

I actually don't dislike desharnais, he's just a TERRIBLE fit for the team. Over abundance of centres AND undersized top six. Morrow would bring size and clear room at Center. By to mention he performed pretty good in the playoffs last year.

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In regards to DD... it is crazy how fast someone can go from positive to negative in the eyes of the fans so fast.... not even a full season! I understand a bit of the frustration, but not all of it is warranted in my personal opinion. Before I start clamoring for reform I want to see him play again.... if he does not perform there are better options now. As mentioned before though I think he deserves a chance to justify the contract that just kicked in. and I personally have a feeling he is going to this season.

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In regards to DD... it is crazy how fast someone can go from positive to negative in the eyes of the fans so fast.... not even a full season! I understand a bit of the frustration, but not all of it is warranted in my personal opinion. Before I start clamoring for reform I want to see him play again.... if he does not perform there are better options now. As mentioned before though I think he deserves a chance to justify the contract that just kicked in. and I personally have a feeling he is going to this season.

It's not so negative opinion than "not-being-part-of-my-ideal-C-line"...

I'm wondering where Bergevin is going with this signing since the day he inked him.

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In regards to DD... it is crazy how fast someone can go from positive to negative in the eyes of the fans so fast.... not even a full season! I understand a bit of the frustration, but not all of it is warranted in my personal opinion. Before I start clamoring for reform I want to see him play again.... if he does not perform there are better options now. As mentioned before though I think he deserves a chance to justify the contract that just kicked in. and I personally have a feeling he is going to this season.

Welcome to the forum!

I don't think most fans hate Desharnais. I reckon it's more like everyone has their personal limit of how many >5'9" players we want on the Habs, and everyone is over that limit.

Desharnais happens to fall into the majority of fans' category of "most expendable smurf" being that a) centre is not where we like having undersized players, and b) Gallagher, Gionta and Bouillon (and Thomas) play taller than they are.

He could put up 100 points and it won't matter... to most of us his point production is only determining what he can be traded for.

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Welcome to the forum!

I don't think most fans hate Desharnais. I reckon it's more like everyone has their personal limit of how many >5'9" players we want on the Habs, and everyone is over that limit.

Desharnais happens to fall into the majority of fans' category of "most expendable smurf" being that a) centre is not where we like having undersized players, and b) Gallagher, Gionta and Bouillon (and Thomas) play taller than they are.

He could put up 100 points and it won't matter... to most of us his point production is only determining what he can be traded for.

There's a big group of fans who have a lot of emotional negativity towards Desharnais, he's become their current focus for years of being the smaller team (with Diaz the scapegoat on defense). Some of it is reasonable, some not - but I definitely feel a little hate.

And you're wrong about him having an amazing season - if he put up 70+ points (let alone a PPG or more), he'd be Jesus incarnate, and the scapegoating would transfer on to Gionta and Plekanec.

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Like Trizzak, I sense no hatred of Desharnais...just an awareness that he is extremely small and usually overmatched in the defensive zone, and therefore an expendable "placeholder" player - a prototypical candidate for an upgrade. I disagree that if he put up 100 points we'd still be wanting him gone. This is a guy who has to be an offensively productive playmaker in order to warrant a spot in the NHL. Unfortunately, his production last season was marginal considering how few other ingredients he brings.

Bashfu11 makes a fair point in noting that this was only HALF a season. True. The thing is, that half season reinforced anxieties most of us have felt about DD all along - that he is too small and slow to allow his playmaking gifts to fully express themselves at this level, and that his 2011 season was a "career year" rather than a representative sample.

This guy is on the edge. He has to produce this season. If he does, then he's a welcome part of the roster in my books; I pull for guys like him.

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The Habs updated their site with the new height/weight for the players - you can check them out there (or HW's roster page). Lines from practice:

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Briere

Bourque - Plekanec - Thomas

Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher

Prust - White - Moen

Gorges - Subban

Markov - Diaz

Bouillon - Murray

Tinordi - Drewiske

Lines from the scrimmage:

Red:

Bourque - Plekanec - Thomas

Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher

Blunden - Dumont - Bournival

Reway - Tarnasky - Leblanc

Gorges - Subban

Bouillon - Murray

Beaulieu - Pateryn

Budaj

Mayer (who allowed a goal on the first shot he faced...)

White:

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Briere

Prust - White - Moen

Hudon - St. Pierre - Andrighetto

Nystrom - MacAulay - McCarron

Markov - Diaz

Tinordi - Drewiske

Lashoff - Nygren

Price

Tokarski (he stopped Subban on a penalty shot, the first shot he faced...)

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Here's my analysis on the way in which they split the teams and what it means in terms of the "Depth Chart."

Assuming that Therrien simplified the division of the teams, the lines can be numbered as follows:

1. Bourque - Plekanec - Thomas

3. Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher

5. Blunden - Dumont - Bournival

7. Reway - Tarnasky - Leblanc

2. Pacioretty - Desharnais - Briere

4. Prust - White - Moen

6. Hudon - St. Pierre - Andrighetto

8. Nystrom - MacAulay - McCarron

Thus, the perceived Habs Depth Chart at the start of camp is:

1. Bourque - Plekanec - Thomas
2. Pacioretty - Desharnais - Briere
3. Galchenyuk - Eller - Gallagher
4. Prust - White - Moen
---------------------------------------
5. Blunden - Dumont - Bournival
6. Hudon - St. Pierre - Andrighetto
7. Reway - Tarnasky - Leblanc
8. Nystrom - MacAulay - McCarron
No, Thomas isn't a 1st line NHLer. He's merely auditioning for Gionta's spot in the lineup as the Captain recovers. Obviously there will be some movement as some prospects outperform others (e.g. Leblanc).
If I'm not totally off here, I believe this says a lot about how the team has evaluated its players and their point of development at this time.
On a final note, veterans come into camp with their jobs intact, but if they are seriously out-performed they may found themselves on the outside looking in. That said, the only vets in danger of losing their spots are really White and Moen. This suggests that if a rookie is going to make the team out of camp, it will be a player capable of 4th line duty. This falls in line with the Blunden - Dumont - Bournival line, which includes players that may flourish given an opportunity on the 4th line. Leblanc may very well work his way into this as well, but a player with Hudon's skill set may not.
The same process can be done with the defense pairings, but it's far less exciting. In either case, here it is for your viewing pleasure:

1. Gorges - Subban

2. Markov - Diaz

3. Bouillon - Murray

4. Tinordi - Drewiske

5. Beaulieu - Pateryn

6. Lashoff - Nygren

And remember folks, this isn't set in stone by any means. It's merely a Day 1 analysis: subject to change.

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I'd swap lines 1 and 2. Usually one team gets lines 1 and 4, the other 2 and 3 in these scrimmages. Given that Pacioretty was the leading scorer last year, I'm tempted to call his line #1 early on.

Yeah, I've noticed there's a debate on who would be 1st and who would be 2nd. Some believe that Pacioretty, as the Habs best offensive forward, would indicate his line is the first line. Others will say that Plekanec, as the teams #1 center, indicates that his line is the first line.

Given Plekanec's wingers, I have to side with you on Pacioretty's line filling the first slot. That said, either of the team's first three lines will serve as the "most used" line throughout the season, depending on their productivity.

As for the prospects/AHLers further down the depth chart, I'm looking forward to seeing how they'll be moved around (or if they will at all) throughout the next few days.

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Price and Waite seemed like they were in no hurry to get things started this summer - they only had their first session today.

I wonder what Waite's strategy is with Price, it seems to involve getting to know the goalie gradually. I hope Price is receptive.

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Price and Waite seemed like they were in no hurry to get things started this summer - they only had their first session today.

I wonder what Waite's strategy is with Price, it seems to involve getting to know the goalie gradually. I hope Price is receptive.

I have some concerns about this as well, but with Price's recent wedding and Team Canada's camp, I don't think he was in a rush, and Waite likely respected that.

Hoping they can build a strong professional relationship and find common ground quickly.

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I have some concerns about this as well, but with Price's recent wedding and Team Canada's camp, I don't think he was in a rush, and Waite likely respected that.

Hoping they can build a strong professional relationship and find common ground quickly.

There's also limits as to how much contact coaches can have with players in the offseason. That's part of the reason goalies often attend offseason camps, to get some coaching in even if it's not from your regular goalie instructor. For Price, he often goes to Eli Wilson's camp which is the main reason his name was out there as a candidate to replace Groulx.

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From the sounds of it, Leblanc has had a pair of strong days to start training camp which is nice to read. Reway also apparently has made an impact. Beaulieu didn't skate today after being hurt yesterday but it's believed he's day-to-day. Collberg skated as well although he didn't play in the scrimmage.

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Great to hear everything about Leblanc. He comes from a weak draft class that just so happened to be in Montreal and he's a Quebec native. The pressure is pretty insane. He's an intelligent kid who had a bad season last year and I hope he rebounds big. The talent is still there.

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Got the chance to shake hands with a dozen Habs today. More impressive than I thought it would be. Was nice from them. Got an awkward "awe-struck" moment when I saw Price. In my line I had Pacioretty, Desharnais, Briere, Reway, Prust, Hudon, Moen, White, Therrien, Daigneault, Markov and I'm missing a few others. Actually I think I had the whole White team. Pretty hilarious Markov though.. was looking at the door behind him while shaking my hand and quickly ran away as soon the signal was given. They stayed about 15-30 min. Glad I arrived early.

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