Minnesota @ Montreal: 7PM EST (TVA, CityTV)

[dlbalr]

Good point. Now let's see what Eller can do without Bourqui dragging him down!

We saw a lot of it last year and we know the results there. When Eller was on the ice in 2013-14, he was with Bourque only 27.6% of the time. In other words, he was away from him for nearly 3/4 of his ice time last season with not-so-ideal production.

[Habs30/31]

We saw a lot of it last year and we know the results there. When Eller was on the ice in 2013-14, he was with Bourque only 27.6% of the time. In other words, he was away from him for nearly 3/4 of his ice time last season with not-so-ideal production.

bourque never produced when he was put on with gio and pleks either........... but then again neither did anyone

[Habs30/31]

I'm expecting in 10 games it'll be one of Prust or Weise now claimed to be dragging Eller down. That is unless Eller is out of his slump. I sure hope he is.

Lets see if Eller gets a chance to play on a line for an extended period of time. Therrien bounces him around. Like to see Eller, Sekac, Prust left together for a atleast a month solid. See what kind of chemistry the trio can create.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

There's no real clamor to keep Eller with a steady line combo because he gets thirty points a year. You can't ruin chemistry if you have none.

[Habs30/31]

There's no real clamor to keep Eller with a steady line combo because he gets thirty points a year. You can't ruin chemistry if you have none.

and DD gets fifty glued to pacs, centering first line duty, and powerplay.

i would say if dd was thrid line (like Eller), never played with pacs (like Eller) and given zero powerplay time (like Eller)....... i highly doubt he would get 30 points

[Machine of Loving Grace]

and DD gets fifty glued to pacs, centering first line duty, and powerplay.

i would say if dd was thrid line (like Eller), never played with pacs (like Eller) and given zero powerplay time (like Eller)....... i highly doubt he would get 30 points

His first season in Montreal was without Pacioretty on his wing. He had 22 points in 43 games.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Pacioretty himself has been very vocal, repeatedly over the years - in fact, since he first came up! - that he wants DD as his centreman. While that isn't the only consideration, it's a significant point in DD's favour. I don't hear the league fourth-best goal-scorer clamouring for Lars Eller. Beyond that, say what you want about Desharnais, the effort is there on a nightly basis with him. Unlike Eller.

The whole argument is a dead-end anyway. Desharnais is simply not the issue. Eller is. It's up to Eller to take charge and generate good things on the ice no matter who his linemates are. This whole logic of blaming Therrien because Eller does not reliably do that is, not to put too fine a point on it, misguided, and I don't know why people have some sort of chronic inability to ask PLAYERS to take responsibility for their own performance.

As for Eller being a victim of line mixing, while I agree that the Prust-Eller-Sekac combo should be kept together until it becomes necessary to separate them, the simple fact is that in today's NHL ALL coaches mix lines and ALL players have to be capable of dealing with that.

Stop making excuses for Lars Eller.

[DON]

Pacioretty himself has been very vocal, repeatedly over the years - in fact, since he first came up! - that he wants DD as his centreman. While that isn't the only consideration, it's a significant point in DD's favour. I don't hear the league fourth-best goal-scorer clamouring for Lars Eller. Beyond that, say what you want about Desharnais, the effort is there on a nightly basis with him. Unlike Eller.

The whole argument is a dead-end anyway. Desharnais is simply not the issue. Eller is. It's up to Eller to take charge and generate good things on the ice no matter who his linemates are. This whole logic of blaming Therrien because Eller does not reliably do that is, not to put too fine a point on it, misguided, and I don't know why people have some sort of chronic inability to ask PLAYERS to take responsibility for their own performance.

As for Eller being a victim of line mixing, while I agree that the Prust-Eller-Sekac combo should be kept together until it becomes necessary to separate them, the simple fact is that in today's NHL ALL coaches mix lines and ALL players have to be capable of dealing with that.

Stop making excuses for Lars Eller.

Well..if they flip DD & Eller spots in roster and see how DD does playing bottom six minutes, checking and playing PK (and what his offensive production is) and GLUE Pacioretty to Eller with top minutes and lots of PP time.

And then if Eller is still as bad as you claim, I would concede he is "the issue".

Till then excuses may be valid and I think Eller might do better in offensive role than DD would do defending?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

This amazing defensive powerhouse Lars Eller was -15 last season on a plus team, playing against other teams' secondary offensive players, and is already -7 in a similar role. Points? 26 in 77 games and 5 in 15. Wow, let's put him on the first line with lots of PP time.

Therein lies another difference with DD. Asked to be a point-producing playmaking C, DD delivers; not spectacularly, but solidly. Lars has delivered nothing in particular, at either end of the rink, except maybe a decent faceoff %.

The sad fact is that most of Eller's tenure with the Habs has been thoroughly, utterly mediocre. This does not give me any satisfaction and I would love to see him become the quality player he has the talent to be. But unlike a goodly number of posters on this site, I don't make endless excuses for his mediocrity. Now he is on a line that had a very impressive game. Maybe he can find his groove. If past experience is any guide, he may well go on a tear for a few weeks before reverting back to his default position of uselessness - but I hope not.

We come back yet again to the fundamental debate about whether players should actually be forced to earn what they get, or if we should just play mediocrities 30 minutes per night on the religious belief that somehow that will transmute them into stars. I'm old school and think players should have to earn what they get. Others prefer to blame Therrien, or Jacques Martin, or Desharnais, or the Ra the Sun God, or whatever. Poor Widdle Baby Lars, doesn't have to be a frigging man and deliver consistent, determined effort night after night like everyone else is expected to, laws no.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Eller had Galchenyuk for half of the season last year. For some reason revisionist history has Eller losing Galchenyuk and Gallagher when the "EGG" line broke up but it was only Gallagher leaving the line. Galchenyuk didn't move off the line until January and was injured soon after. Eller played some games with Plekanec and Gionta before being moved back to third line center. In the playoffs they moved Gionta down to the third line RW and suddenly the Bourque - Eller duo went on fire. Nobody really remembers Gionta moving to the line as being the spark.

Why is it necessary to put Pacioretty with Eller when Eller can't produce consistently with Alex Galchenyuk?

[DON]

This amazing defensive powerhouse Lars Eller was -15 last season on a plus team, playing against other teams' secondary offensive players, and is already -7 in a similar role. Points? 26 in 77 games and 5 in 15. Wow, let's put him on the first line with lots of PP time.

Therein lies another difference with DD. Asked to be a point-producing playmaking C, DD delivers; not spectacularly, but solidly. Lars has delivered nothing in particular, at either end of the rink, except maybe a decent faceoff %.

The sad fact is that most of Eller's tenure with the Habs has been thoroughly, utterly mediocre. This does not give me any satisfaction and I would love to see him become the quality player he has the talent to be. But unlike a goodly number of posters on this site, I don't make endless excuses for his mediocrity. Now he is on a line that had a very impressive game. Maybe he can find his groove. If past experience is any guide, he may well go on a tear for a few weeks before reverting back to his default position of uselessness - but I hope not.

We come back yet again to the fundamental debate about whether players should actually be forced to earn what they get, or if we should just play mediocrities 30 minutes per night on the religious belief that somehow that will transmute them into stars. I'm old school and think players should have to earn what they get. Others prefer to blame Therrien, or Jacques Martin, or Desharnais, or the Ra the Sun God, or whatever. Poor Widdle Baby Lars, doesn't have to be a frigging man and deliver consistent, determined effort night after night like everyone else is expected to, laws no.

Yes as the #1 hitting forward with most blocked shots last year and best faceoff%, he surly floated often.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Yes as the #1 hitting forward with most blocked shots last year and best faceoff%, he surly floated often.

- You can float while winning faceoffs

- You can float while blocking shots. Blocking a shot means you're doing nothing to establish position to get the puck or break out of your zone.

- You can float while hitting. Gui Latendresse hit a ton for the Habs. Nobody mistakens him for being gritty. Hits can also take you out of position and remove you from play.

[DON]

- You can float while winning faceoffs

- You can float while blocking shots. Blocking a shot means you're doing nothing to establish position to get the puck or break out of your zone.

- You can float while hitting. Gui Latendresse hit a ton for the Habs. Nobody mistakens him for being gritty. Hits can also take you out of position and remove you from play.

You would do better if you simply argued Eller's "Hockey-IQ" may not be what we expected or hoped for, but he is no floater and not sure where you get that from his play?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I don't know about Eller being "floater" - what I do know is that Eller is mostly invisible most nights. He hits, yeah, but not so anyone would really notice. He wins face-offs, OK, but he's not exceptional at that either. He doesn't make huge defensive blunders, true, but he is by no means a particularly strong defensive player. As for his offence, it's generally non-existent. Nothing he does has any impact on the game, most nights. In short, he's a less productive version of Andrei Kostitsyn. He comes off, to me anyway, as a passenger; not necessarily in the sense of being lazy but in the sense of never taking charge, never taking the initiative, never demanding excellence or demanding results. Just happy to be here. Lucky Lars. And he has a whole Greek chorus of fan-boys weeping for him.

The "kid" is 25. He is running out of road to prove himself more than a mediocrity who occasionally goes on a tear. Even Benoit Brunet amounted to more than that.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

You would do better if you simply argued Eller's "Hockey-IQ" may not be what we expected or hoped for, but he is no floater and not sure where you get that from his play?

Didn't call him one. Just making the point that hitting and blocking shots doesn't exempt you from floater status.

Eller's problem, from what I've always seen, is that he seems like a player that's tough to coach. The guys on his line will go out with a general purpose on their shift and Eller will go out just skating wherever the puck is and pretty much being a renegade on his line. It's only when Eller shows some strategy and placement on the team that he starts performing well. Eller needs a purpose and he seems to think he needs to do everything. If he simplified his game he'd be a lot better. Make plays. Have a purpose.

[DON]

Didn't call him one. Just making the point that hitting and blocking shots doesn't exempt you from floater status.

Eller's problem, from what I've always seen, is that he seems like a player that's tough to coach. The guys on his line will go out with a general purpose on their shift and Eller will go out just skating wherever the puck is and pretty much being a renegade on his line. It's only when Eller shows some strategy and placement on the team that he starts performing well. Eller needs a purpose and he seems to think he needs to do everything. If he simplified his game he'd be a lot better. Make plays. Have a purpose.

Sure, would agree.

[illWill]

I don't really get all the hate on Eller. Is there really anything wrong with what he is or will turn out to be? Yes, we all want him to be that big, scoring center prospect but if he is just a 3rd line center who can play some defense and chip in with a bit of offence, then that's great. Just because someone plays on the 3rd line and isn't putting up certain numbers doesn't mean he isn't an effective part of the team.

[JCPetit]

I don't really get all the hate on Eller. Is there really anything wrong with what he is or will turn out to be? Yes, we all want him to be that big, scoring center prospect but if he is just a 3rd line center who can play some defense and chip in with a bit of offence, then that's great. Just because someone plays on the 3rd line and isn't putting up certain numbers doesn't mean he isn't an effective part of the team.

I agree with you. Eller is at his place on the 3rd line. I suspect that the Plekanec Army is trying to derail the discussion about the no. 14 ability to centre one of the first two lines by blaming either DD or Eller. Let's face it: we are weak at centre. Eller and Malhotra are doing good at their position, but we are asking too much of DD and Plekanec.

[Habs30/31]

Pacioretty himself has been very vocal, repeatedly over the years - in fact, since he first came up! - that he wants DD as his centreman. While that isn't the only consideration, it's a significant point in DD's favour. I don't hear the league fourth-best goal-scorer clamouring for Lars Eller. Beyond that, say what you want about Desharnais, the effort is there on a nightly basis with him. Unlike Eller.

The whole argument is a dead-end anyway. Desharnais is simply not the issue. Eller is. It's up to Eller to take charge and generate good things on the ice no matter who his linemates are. This whole logic of blaming Therrien because Eller does not reliably do that is, not to put too fine a point on it, misguided, and I don't know why people have some sort of chronic inability to ask PLAYERS to take responsibility for their own performance.

As for Eller being a victim of line mixing, while I agree that the Prust-Eller-Sekac combo should be kept together until it becomes necessary to separate them, the simple fact is that in today's NHL ALL coaches mix lines and ALL players have to be capable of dealing with that.

Stop making excuses for Lars Eller.e

"its up to Eller" oh for sure i agree. having said that fact remains. but at the same time i dont see dd having that good a start to the season with the waiver bourque on his line.

"stop making excuses for Eller" well i am cutting him some slack after after being the habs best center in the play offs last season. dd included.

[Jeff Price (no relation)]

I don't really get all the hate on Eller. Is there really anything wrong with what he is or will turn out to be? Yes, we all want him to be that big, scoring center prospect but if he is just a 3rd line center who can play some defense and chip in with a bit of offence, then that's great. Just because someone plays on the 3rd line and isn't putting up certain numbers doesn't mean he isn't an effective part of the team.

Not for 3.5 million dollars.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Without context the Eller discussion can be confusing.

There's a very vocal group of Habs fans, especially last season, who wanted Lars Eller to be gifted the top center position. There are still many Habs fans who think if you just switch David Desharnais with Lars Eller that the team will be better. They think just putting Pacioretty with Eller will immediately make the team better. It ignores the fact that Pacioretty and Eller, whenever on the ice, don't play at the same wavelength (which the usual cry is, "Well we haven't seen them be forced to develop chemistry!" which is silly when Plekanec and Pacioretty play a few penalty kills and have instant chemistry) and it ignores the fact that Eller has been sheltered by Therrien.

Yep. Not Desharnais. Eller. It's hard for some to believe, but Eller always gets favourable match-ups at home while Therrien can't do anything about having second line change on the road. On the road, Desharnais still puts up points. Eller has been going cold for close to two straight years on the road. To the head coach, putting Bourque with Eller wasn't to punish him. It was because with Bourque and Gionta, Eller finally got out of his slump. Therrien was hoping they'd find their magic from the playoffs again but they haven't.

Eller hasn't played well enough to warrant top six minutes but many still want him to play in the top six "just because".

Now, if you look at Eller as a third line center who puts up 30-40 points in that role and relies on his wingers to be hot? Fantastic! I agree with you.

[Jeff Price (no relation)]

Now, if you look at Eller as a third line center who puts up 30-40 points in that role and relies on his wingers to be hot? Fantastic! I agree with you.

Not for 3.5 million dollars.

I'm cautiously optimistic he may have found some chemistry with Sekac, though.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Not for 3.5 million dollars.

I'm cautiously optimistic he may have found some chemistry with Sekac, though.

It's no different to Berglund on the Blues.

[DON]

With ancient d-core, a $9m d-man playing like Dion Phaneuf's sister and weak centres how can we expect this team to ever win.

[illWill]

Not for 3.5 million dollars.

I'm cautiously optimistic he may have found some chemistry with Sekac, though.

3.5m is actually quite comparable across the league for a third line center, and he is locked up for 3 more years at that rate which will be less % of the cap moving forward.

Some players adapt to whatever role they are assigned because they are a team player. If you tell Crosby to go out there on the 4th line to shut down the opponent, that's what he is going to do. Some rise to the occasion when they are given the opportunity because their teammates are relying on them. My opinion is that Eller is penciled in as the third line center, so that's what he gives them, third line center quality play. Hypothetically if he were given the reigns on the first line, I believe he would put up bigger numbers. No, I do not believe he should be given that role but I do think his output would increase. He stepped up big time in the playoffs showing how good he can be when it actually matters, so I'm not too worried about him.