Where are they now? News on past Habs prospects and players

[dlbalr]

8 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Agreed, surely he would be a big help to the organization in some capacity.  Perhaps he is still holding out hope on playing again. Would he still be able to collect his player's salary if he held another position?  There might be some issues there. 

 

I think Weber served as an unofficial scout last season so it wouldn't be unprecedented.  I think Chris Pronger worked for the league while under contract still.  That said, Price is leaving Montreal after this season and will stay out West for the duration of his deal.

[huzer]

Went to watch the Colorado/Ontario AHL playoff game tonight. Galchenyuk and Hudon (big time fan favorite) move on after sweeping Ontario. Nate Thompson played for the Reign. I have to wonder if that was his last game. He was the last Ontario player off the ice, gave all the players a very heartfelt handshake/hug in the handshake line, seeked out each ref, and looked up in the stands as he circled the ice. Definitely looked like he was soaking it all in.

 

Chucky had a pair of assists and was the third star.

[dlbalr]

9 hours ago, huzer said:

Nate Thompson played for the Reign. I have to wonder if that was his last game. He was the last Ontario player off the ice, gave all the players a very heartfelt handshake/hug in the handshake line, seeked out each ref, and looked up in the stands as he circled the ice. Definitely looked like he was soaking it all in.

 

He hasn't decided yet but acknowledged the possibility that this was it for him: https://lakingsinsider.com/2023/04/21/reign-r1-g2-final-reign-4-eagles-6-sturm-dudas-thompson/

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Bergevin is the ideal candidate to build upon Pittsburg’s aging core. 
 

Pens need a warrior, a guy that knows how to play the right way, a blood and guts player that oozes character - a guy like Gallagher. 
 

You know you miss him bergy….

[hab29RETIRED]

49 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Bergevin is the ideal candidate to build upon Pittsburg’s aging core. 
 

Pens need a warrior, a guy that knows how to play the right way, a blood and guts player that oozes character - a guy like Gallagher. 
 

You know you miss him bergy….

I want him taking over the leafs or bruins.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

5 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

I want him taking over the leafs or bruins.

Wow - imagine the leafs lol. Talk about gaslighting an old rivalry. 
 

I wonder what Bergevin would actually do in leaf land 🤔? For sure Bergevin would add size and toughness to the Dmen. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

10 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Wow - imagine the leafs lol. Talk about gaslighting an old rivalry. 
 

I wonder what Bergevin would actually do in leaf land 🤔? For sure Bergevin would add size and toughness to the Dmen. 

 

Honestly, we are underestimating Bergevin. 

 

His drafting and development were catastrophic, and he was a horrible organization-builder, prioritizing buddies and personal loyalty to him over excellence. He also threw logic out the window when it came to contract terms. BUT, with the one disastrous exception of the Drouin deal, he was an absolute ace at the trade table. His wheeling and dealing was the single biggest reason for the Run of 21. 

 

Put him in charge of the Leafs, and he will slowly rot out the organization from within. But here’s the thing. Drafting and development are not relevant there. All he has to do is bring his great strength - making bold, franchise-shaking deals that work to his team’s advantage.

 

In other words, he just has to do for them what he did for the Habs in 2021.

 

For a team with a ton of talent, in need of playoff success, he’d be an excellent short-term choice IMHO.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

2 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Honestly, we are underestimating Bergevin. 

 

His drafting and development were catastrophic, and he was a horrible organization-builder, prioritizing buddies and personal loyalty to him over excellence. He also threw logic out the window when it came to contract terms. BUT, with the one disastrous exception of the Drouin deal, he was an absolute ace at the trade table. His wheeling and dealing was the single biggest reason for the Run of 21. 

 

Put him in charge of the Leafs, and he will slowly rot out the organization from within. But here’s the thing. Drafting and development are not relevant there. All he has to do is bring his great strength - making bold, franchise-shaking deals that work to his team’s advantage.

 

In other words, he just has to do for them what he did for the Habs in 2021.

 

For a team with a ton of talent, in need of playoff success, he’d be an excellent short-term choice IMHO.

Bergevin believes in the old school way of winning. Using size, grit, character as his template. Unless his philosophy has changed I expect Bergevin to move in that direction. 
 

Add in the upcoming Mathews contract negotiations which would be disastrous under Bergevin IMO. 
 

The leafs are a hollow team with too much cap spent on too few players. Leafs have little in reserve assets, picks/prospects. 
 

Bergevin most often completes hockey trades. One struggling player for another or a charismatic leader who happened to be black for a mountain man. 

 

There is no question that Bergevin was very good on the trade front but I can’t see a huge, bold trade such as the Florida/Calgary trade. Bergevin will scour the dumpsters looking for a big win. 
 

I think Bergevin would set the leafs back the same way that Mr Truckulence AKA Brian Burke did because they think the same way. 

[hab29RETIRED]

11 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Wow - imagine the leafs lol. Talk about gaslighting an old rivalry. 
 

I wonder what Bergevin would actually do in leaf land 🤔? For sure Bergevin would add size and toughness to the Dmen. 

Move Nylander for Gallagher😝

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

11 minutes ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Bergevin believes in the old school way of winning. Using size, grit, character as his template. Unless his philosophy has changed I expect Bergevin to move in that direction. 
 

Add in the upcoming Mathews contract negotiations which would be disastrous under Bergevin IMO. 
 

The leafs are a hollow team with too much cap spent on too few players. Leafs have little in reserve assets, picks/prospects. 
 

Bergevin most often completes hockey trades. One struggling player for another or a charismatic leader who happened to be black for a mountain man. 

 

There is no question that Bergevin was very good on the trade front but I can’t see a huge, bold trade such as the Florida/Calgary trade. Bergevin will scour the dumpsters looking for a big win. 
 

I think Bergevin would set the leafs back the same way that Mr Truckulence AKA Brian Burke did because they think the same way. 

 

Well, if they do hire him, obviously I hope you’re right.

 

Here’s another thought that has often occurred to me. GMs get rehashed based on their prior track record, usually with the idea that “they did X in that market, the will do the same here.” That’s exactly my own logic in the post above.

 

How often does this actually work out, though? Gainey won a Cup in Dallas, never came close here. Holland was hailed as a genius in Detroit, has been at best hit-and-miss in Edmonton. Dale Tallon build the Hawks powerhouse but floundered around for a decade in Florida. And there are probably lots of other examples.

 

When a GM has multiple tenures, there often appears to be little connection between them. The continuities are probably below the surface: how he treats people, overall organizational and hiring philosophy, etc. (In MB’s case he was terrible at all of these things). But there doesn’t seem to be a straight line between doing X in one city and replicating that in another.

[BCHabnut]

6 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Well, if they do hire him, obviously I hope you’re right.

 

Here’s another thought that has often occurred to me. GMs get rehashed based on their prior track record, usually with the idea that “they did X in that market, the will do the same here.” That’s exactly my own logic in the post above.

 

How often does this actually work out, though? Gainey won a Cup in Dallas, never came close here. Holland was hailed as a genius in Detroit, has been at best hit-and-miss in Edmonton. Dale Tallon build the Hawks powerhouse but floundered around for a decade in Florida. And there are probably lots of other examples.

 

When a GM has multiple tenures, there often appears to be little connection between them. The continuities are probably below the surface: how he treats people, overall organizational and hiring philosophy, etc. (In MB’s case he was terrible at all of these things). But there doesn’t seem to be a straight line between doing X in one city and replicating that in another.

Good observation. Add Chiarelli to that list

[GHT120]

Former NHL player, 76, receives honorary diploma from Cathedral (chch.com)

 

Peter Mahovlich, 76, dropped out of high school at Cathedral high school in Hamilton in his final year to play for the Detroit Red Wings ... He spoke with students on Wednesday ahead of graduation and said, “That’s what I’m here for today to explain to the kids how important it is to make the right decisions because as we get older we’re responsible for all our decisions ... This is going to be the biggest honour I have ever received. I know my mother and father are going to be so proud where ever they might be.”

[GHT120]

Per Kevin Weeks (crediting Eliotte Friedman's speculation yesterday), Flames will be naming Ryan Huska their head coach ... formal announcement Monday.

 

So ... Kirk Muller is passed over again ... I wonder if he'll be kept on or find work elsewhere.

 

 

[DON]

UGGGgggggggrrrr...

Mikhail Sergachev (ninth overall) 2016

 

The 24-year-old Russian has become one of the best young defencemen in the NHL. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, that has happened with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who acquired Sergachev in exchange for Jonathan Drouin on June 15, 2017.

 

Sergachev has won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning and had 10-54-64 totals in 79 games last season, plus three points in six playoff games.

 

https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/stu-cowan-ten-years-of-canadiens-first-round-draft-failures

 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

On 6/9/2023 at 3:31 PM, GHT120 said:

Per Kevin Weeks (crediting Eliotte Friedman's speculation yesterday), Flames will be naming Ryan Huska their head coach ... formal announcement Monday.

 

So ... Kirk Muller is passed over again ... I wonder if he'll be kept on or find work elsewhere.

 

 

 

There are few former Habs I respect more than Muller, but he just doesn't seem to be a top-tier coach 🤷‍♂️

[huzer]

This morning, I get a text from a goalie coach and asked if my son could fill in this afternoon for an hour. I wasn't able to take him, but my wife did. It ended up basically being a 1-1 lesson with Peter Budaj. Pretty neat, and a fun little tie in to this former Habs thread. My son was thrilled, and called me on the drive home.

 

[BCHabnut]

1 hour ago, huzer said:

This morning, I get a text from a goalie coach and asked if my son could fill in this afternoon for an hour. I wasn't able to take him, but my wife did. It ended up basically being a 1-1 lesson with Peter Budaj. Pretty neat, and a fun little tie in to this former Habs thread. My son was thrilled, and called me on the drive home.

 

That is so cool. I liked Budaj. He was the ultimate backup. Seems like the sort of dude I'd enjoy having a beer with and shooting the breeze.

[alfredoh2009]

Gustav news!

 

The #SeaKraken announce they've signed Gustav Olofsson to a two-year, two-way contract carrying a $775,000 AAV at the NHL level.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 27, 2023

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

2.25 per season

 

Didn't expect anything for daddy

[alfredoh2009]

3 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

2.25 per season

 

Didn't expect anything for daddy

This reinforced my belief that some veterans were misused last season in MTL driving down their production.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

26 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

This reinforced my belief that some veterans were misused last season in MTL driving down their production.

 

His production was on the downslide long before he came here, though. The contract isn’t a back breaker, but if they’re expecting more than (say) 40 points from him, I think they’ll be disappointed.

[alfredoh2009]

43 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

His production was on the downslide long before he came here, though. The contract isn’t a back breaker, but if they’re expecting more than (say) 40 points from him, I think they’ll be disappointed.

I think he is a 3rd liner that has more point production potential than Armia, for example, or Gurianov as another underperforming bottom-6 option 

He’ll score the odd points 

[dlbalr]

1 hour ago, alfredoh2009 said:

This reinforced my belief that some veterans were misused last season in MTL driving down their production.

 

It's not as if Dadonov lit it up in Dallas either, they just have a vacancy on the third line that they think he can fill.  Montreal had a surplus of wingers for most of the year and it was pretty evident early on that Dadonov didn't exactly want to be with the Habs.  (Going from a playoff contender in a state with no income tax to a lottery contender with one of the highest tax rates in the league had to sting after he vetoed the Anaheim trade the season before in part due to the tax difference between Nevada and California.) 

 

Could they have played him more?  Yeah.  Would he have done so much better to drive up his value?  Probably not.  This was, after all, a player that Vegas had to pay a 2nd-round pick to give away for free in the original Anaheim swap.  And who would you have played less to give Dadonov the extra time?

[alfredoh2009]

38 minutes ago, dlbalr said:

 

It's not as if Dadonov lit it up in Dallas either, they just have a vacancy on the third line that they think he can fill.  Montreal had a surplus of wingers for most of the year and it was pretty evident early on that Dadonov didn't exactly want to be with the Habs.  (Going from a playoff contender in a state with no income tax to a lottery contender with one of the highest tax rates in the league had to sting after he vetoed the Anaheim trade the season before in part due to the tax difference between Nevada and California.) 

 

Could they have played him more?  Yeah.  Would he have done so much better to drive up his value?  Probably not.  This was, after all, a player that Vegas had to pay a 2nd-round pick to give away for free in the original Anaheim swap.  And who would you have played less to give Dadonov the extra time?

I would have sent down Slaf and rejigger the top six to give Dadonov more time

Water under the bridge now

[Prime Minister Koivu]

The hope that Habs fans had for this guy!