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2022 NHL Entry Draft


Habs Fan in Edmonton

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1 hour ago, alfredoh2009 said:

Exactly, it will be hard for Hugh-Gort to do worse than Tim-Berg in that front.

I agree with the belief by lots of Habs fans that a cup winning Habs team will have to have a skilled core of French-Quebs (not 4th liners)


Not that langage makes a hockey difference, but rallying the crowd behind a « gars de chez nous » is a key ingredient in what needs to happen

 

I am NOTconvinced Hugh-Gort put as much thought to that as MB did (even if he just did the minimum) 

That’s bullshit. If we had a team of 21 Chinese players and we win the cup and a powerhouse team, I’m pretty sure MOST fans would be happy. Yeah, there are going to some who will always bring in the we need more Québécois players, but until Quebec does a better job and developing NHL players, with 32 team, you can’t expect to have the best Quebec players. This isn’t the 70’s wher you had Lafleur, Perrault, Dionne, Gilbert, Potvin, Bossy, and others being drafted high and becoming dominant players.

 

Hell, having Huberdeau top two in scoring was an anomaly- usually Quebec players aren’t even among the top 10 (Huberdeau was # 11 the last two years).  Who was the last Quebec generational player since Lemieux- no one. Lecavalier, Bergeron, Briere we’re a handful of very good Quebec born players, but they weren’t at the Uber elite generational players that entered the NHL in the 70’s. Lemieux was the only one in the 80’a that came close. Guys like Turgeon and Damphousse were good - I’d happily take those type of Quebec players if they existed now - but they were never considered top 5 , or even top 10 in the league type players . Those are the types of players I want.

 

Quebec at least used to have elite goaltending prospects, but that pipeline is also dried up. So I don’t give a rats ass where the player we get are from. I just want some friggin elite players that can get us a cup. I don’t want a draft where a Leblanc is selected because the draft is in Montreal. MOST fans loved Price, Koivu, Markov, and  Price.  I’ll take them over a Fucale/Garon, Ribeiro, or Brisbois any day of the week. The only elite French player we had in the last 20 years was Jose Theodore, and he was only able to maintain a high level of play for about 3 or 4 years.

 

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9 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

you are 100% right. It is a Hockey Quebec problem; but one where the Habs, as a customer of the HQ stream, cannot be passive. Again, it only MHO

 

So invest in grassroots hockey.

 

 

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31 minutes ago, Commandant said:

During the Timmins time with the team, the Habs drafted the 2nd most players out of the Q of any team. 

 

During the Bergevin/Timmins era they were 3rd. 

 

This is a problem of Hockey Quebec not producing as many high quality prospects as they did in the 80s and 90s, not the Habs refusing to draft them.  There just aren't the same quantity of quality French-Canadians in the NHL as their used to be. 

When Hockey Canada did the post-Nagano hockey summit, as well as the one ten years later, there was one province who didn't put in the recommendations for coaching and development.  Guess who that was?

100% agree. There are more elite USA players being developed than Quebec - which was unthinkable 30 years ago. It also doesn’t help that when we have drafted a French player it’s the wrong one (Chiounard instead of Daze). But the solution to here not being enough elite Quebec players being available, or developed. Is not having Montreal draft more Quebec players and hoping you pick the right one. The solution is to improve the development of players in Quebec. They at least used to be a goaltending factory, but have not even had a true elite Quebec goalie developed since Luongo.

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47 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

no, I am not concerned by politics at all. Zilch, Nada, Rien

 

Danault last year, Savard this year, they add to the mix a perspective that needs to be part of the team.

 

Having a French-Queb element is part of what the Habs are.

So if you had a choice of Danault and a Suzuki at this stage of their career who would you pick?  had we signed Danault. We probably would have finished 20-25. Still would have been a sucky team. He is in an ideal situation playing behind Kopitar. Are we worse without him. Definitely. Would we have been a playoff team with him? Highly unlikely. I’ll gladly take the potential of Shane Wright, than knowing we were still going to be bad team with Danault.
 

We also needed a MUCH better dman than Savard, but I guess you are happy that we got Savard because he is born in Quebec?? I’d rather have a dman that can play can like Serge Savard - irrespective of where he is from, or the language he speaks, than wanting a guy because he is French.

 

in 1980 Ken Dryden wrote (paraphrased - too lazy to go to the basement and get the book), in the future Montreal will have to make a choice being good, or being French. I’d rather have them being good. Loved growing up with the flying Frenchman, but their simply isn’t the same quantity or quality of elite French players anymore.

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1 hour ago, Commandant said:

During the Timmins time with the team, the Habs drafted the 2nd most players out of the Q of any team. 

During the Bergevin/Timmins era they were 3rd.

Are the rankings similar if you only look at the first and maybe second rounds? I don't have an easy way to find this out ...

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36 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

Are the rankings similar if you only look at the first and maybe second rounds? I don't have an easy way to find this out ...

 

I think we drop a little lower, but still are top 5, I'd have to look closer though. 

 

The biggest issue with Habs aren't drafting as many Quebec players as we used to continues to be two fold.

 

1) Quebec isn't producing as many prospects as before. 

2) In the 80s we competed with 21 teams for Quebec prospects, now all 32 teams want to draft good players regardless of where they are from. 

 

 

Add those two together and its harder to draft high quality quebec born prospects. 

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2 hours ago, Commandant said:

 

So invest in grassroots hockey.

 

 

NDP in USA

Okanagan hockey academy in BC

GTHL in Ont.

 

Does Quebec have similar?

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19 minutes ago, DON said:

NDP in USA

Okanagan hockey academy in BC

GTHL in Ont.

 

Does Quebec have similar?

Do the maratimes have something. They still produced Crosby and McKinnon., and I don’t think Quebec has produced anyone close to that level in a LONG time. And no, I don’t consider Huberdeau to be their level. Not even close to Crosby, and I’d take McKinnon over him as well.

 

one big change in hockey, is you rarely hear about someone with Guy Lafleur’s family background making it. With full year hockey schools, and t are na all having personal skills development, and skating coaches, hockey has become an increasingly elitist sport. The norm is tending more to hickey players having very affluent parents like Lindros did (father was a partner with an accounting firm). Hockey has always been more expensive than other sports because the cost of equipment. Now with the increase in individual private skills coaches, full year hockey camps, and tournaments, most families cant afford to provide their kids with that kind of opportunity. Even if you look at Carey Price, his mom was a First Nations chief - by no means rich, but comparatively a lot better off than others in the community.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Commandant said:

So invest in grassroots hockey.

 

I think they do make some sort of financial commitment on that end, for anyone wondering. 

 

There's only so much they can do realistically - it's not on them alone to magically turn the QMJHL from being the weakest CHL development league by a wide margin to a better one.  If there aren't a lot of top QMJHL players available (and most years there aren't), they're right to pick a better player from elsewhere. 

 

I agree with the 'birth certificate is irrelevant' crowd, the location of the hospital someone is born in has no bearing on their ability to play hockey (assuming it's in a hockey-playing nation, of course).  Thinking that a team needs a quota of locals to create some sort of magic intrinsic chemistry that won't exist otherwise makes no sense to me.  Plenty of Cup-winning teams don't have any local players and it doesn't hurt them any.

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I’m pretty optimistic about the future of this team with the addition of Wright alone.  We have 2 good defensive centers with offensive upside.  We have a solid goal scorer in Caufield.  Some good defence prospects in the pipelines.  Only question mark really is in net, but it’s not for lack of prospects.

 

A few years and some moves, this will be legit playoff team.

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3 hours ago, dlbalr said:

 

I think they do make some sort of financial commitment on that end, for anyone wondering. 

 

There's only so much they can do realistically - it's not on them alone to magically turn the QMJHL from being the weakest CHL development league by a wide margin to a better one.  If there aren't a lot of top QMJHL players available (and most years there aren't), they're right to pick a better player from elsewhere. 

 

I agree with the 'birth certificate is irrelevant' crowd, the location of the hospital someone is born in has no bearing on their ability to play hockey (assuming it's in a hockey-playing nation, of course).  Thinking that a team needs a quota of locals to create some sort of magic intrinsic chemistry that won't exist otherwise makes no sense to me.  Plenty of Cup-winning teams don't have any local players and it doesn't hurt them any.

 

I don't think the problem is with the QMJHL.  It happens earlier than that. 

 

The province needs to get out of this ... we know better than the other 9 provinces way of thinking that infects Hockey Quebec and adopt the concepts from program of excellence (at all ages from age 4 all the way up to 20 and beyond). 

Half ice for very young kids (more touches of the puck), skills coaching, more practices instead of games, power skating, etc... 

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The language debate really needs to go. Fans will embrace this team no matter who the stars are, as long as they win. Actually, even when they lose. I don't remember hearing too many boos for Caufield and Suzuki this year. It would be a handcuff on the development of this team if there is any weight put on players language when drafting and developing prospects. We need only to look at recent history, the drafting of Leblanc and trade for Drouin as examples of why this can't be a factor. Lets get on with a more logical debate!

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19 minutes ago, hankhab said:

The language debate really needs to go. Fans will embrace this team no matter who the stars are, as long as they win. Actually, even when they lose. I don't remember hearing too many boos for Caufield and Suzuki this year. It would be a handcuff on the development of this team if there is any weight put on players language when drafting and developing prospects. We need only to look at recent history, the drafting of Leblanc and trade for Drouin as examples of why this can't be a factor. Lets get on with a more logical debate!

 

I agree, the language debate is a non-starter. I am sorry I framed it that wya (French-Queb).

 

Thinking about it, I should have used the term "homegrown talent". The Habs need to have a core of talented homegrown talent.

 

Thanks @hankhab ! I appreciate your feedback

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I agree with Hank.  If Wright becomes the player we hope, the fact that hes from Burlington Ontario wont matter.

 

If you want to grow and help the grassroots so more players from the area become NHLers, Im good with that.  But you shouldnt be considering birth certificate, just talent when you draft.

 

Drafting is hard enough and 32 teams are competing for players, you cant handicap yourself more.

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Yup, you tend to think just need to add a Tavares to put you over the top; but does seem like need to draft and develop core players.

Point(79th) 

Kucherov (58th)

Vasilevskiy (19th)

Back to back years get these 2 key picks obviously; Stamkos (1) Hedman (2)

Even Colton (118th) 50pt in 100gms, 6pts in 8 playoff games so far.

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, hankhab said:

The language debate really needs to go. Fans will embrace this team no matter who the stars are, as long as they win. Actually, even when they lose. I don't remember hearing too many boos for Caufield and Suzuki this year. It would be a handcuff on the development of this team if there is any weight put on players language when drafting and developing prospects. We need only to look at recent history, the drafting of Leblanc and trade for Drouin as examples of why this can't be a factor. Lets get on with a more logical debate!

 

Agreed, fans in Montreal want a winner. They also love passionate players no matter where they are from.  I bet if you asked Montreal fans who they would prefer  Drouin or Caufield the answer would be obvious.  They love Caufield because of his passion for the game.  They loved Chris Nilan because of the passion he brought. 

 

It's great to have some homegrown talent on the team but not at the expense of more talented players. And as mentioned before, with 32 teams chasing players it's hard to get the best from your hometown. 

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Homegrown talent is a great thing to have on your squad.

 

Is it necessary to win, or to be embraced by the fanbase? Not at all. From Howie Morenz to PK Subban and Carey Price, Montreal fans know their hockey and have proven over and over that they will embrace any player  who delivers the goods, and any team that brings them to glory.

 

We do find that, when the team sucks, sooner or later commentators in the French media will talk about la fierté and how the team accordingly needs more Quebec francophones. It's garbage on two levels: one is that "lack of pride" is the main reason a team loses (complete bunk - the Habs lose when they ice crap teams, period); and the other is that you have to be French to take pride in the organization and your teammates. Again, total nonsense. As though Bob Gainey, Saku Koivu, and Carey Price don't have "pride" because, somehow, they lacked some mystical, inexplicable, religious connection to the CH growing up. 🙄

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The problem with homegrown talent in this particular market is the downside is so much greater than the upside. Imagine if Lafreniere had been drafted by the Habs - he'd already have been dragged through the muck for two years. 

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2 hours ago, Neech said:

The problem with homegrown talent in this particular market is the downside is so much greater than the upside. Imagine if Lafreniere had been drafted by the Habs - he'd already have been dragged through the muck for two years. 

 

That's a fair point, a lot more pressure and demands on the homegrown guy. Some can handle it, some can't. Lafleur was fortunate in that he was surrounded by Robinson, Gainey, Savard, Shutt, Lemaire, Lapointe etc.  Lafreniere wouldn't be so fortunate. 

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There have been some concerns for ver Shane Wright’s playoff performance. Apparently he was in the ice for something like 25 goals against? It’s this BS or is there a context to make it more understandable. Certainly was hoping we’d see him up his game.

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20 minutes ago, Meller93 said:

There have been some concerns for ver Shane Wright’s playoff performance. Apparently he was in the ice for something like 25 goals against? It’s this BS or is there a context to make it more understandable. Certainly was hoping we’d see him up his game.

 

His team isnt strong depth wise and they were playing him 20-25 minutes a game to make up for it.

 

It was on his back that they even made the second round.

 

Hes the best player in this draft and we shouldnt overthink this.

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20 minutes ago, Commandant said:

 

His team isnt strong depth wise and they were playing him 20-25 minutes a game to make up for it.

 

It was on his back that they even made the second round.

 

Hes the best player in this draft and we shouldnt overthink this.

Ok awesome, that does provide some context 

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