2022 NHL Offseason Thread

[alfredoh2009]

Until I see Drouin play for St-Louis for at least 20 games, I will not throw him under the bus.

 

I honestly have seen improvements in his games for a couple of years now; but the wrist injuries have meant that he has had to change how he plays and under different coaches systems 

 

I would be patient. He is a good mid-6 winger and great at controlled zone entries 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

49 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

Yes, we have wingers. But, for perspective, consider the number of wingers on the Habs that scored at a 50-point pace last year, or better:

 

One. Caufield, of course.

 

Toffoli would have qualified, but he is now in Calgary. We may be drowning in wingers, but not in wingers capable of scoring or setting up goals.

 

And, just to be clear: I am not proposing to extend Drouin now. But depending on what happens this season, I will accept a rational decision from Hugo, whether it's to extend or trade. I don't think making player decisions based on who one likes or dislikes is the best way to build a strong team, and I expect that the Habs (especially with their new analytics team) will be in the best position to determine whether player X is worth keeping or trading.

I feel confident in HuGo to do what is best for the team whether trade or sign Drouin. 
 

As you said, I think analytics will drive much of the decisions going forward but injury history and salary cap considerations are important. 
 

Drouin needs his wrist to be 100% this year and I pray that it holds out.  I want him to get a good contract elsewhere but let’s see what happens. 

 

like @alfredoh2009posted. Perhaps Marty can have a great impact on Drouin 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

45 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

Until I see Drouin play for St-Louis for at least 20 games, I will not throw him under the bus.

 

I honestly have seen improvements in his games for a couple of years now; but the wrist injuries have meant that he has had to change how he plays and under different coaches systems 

 

I would be patient. He is a good mid-6 winger and great at controlled zone entries 

 

If the wrist injuries are having a lingering effect then that is another cause for concern. 

 

I agree about being patient as there is no other way to go since he is not in big demand.  Patient until the trade deadline anyway. 

[hockeyrealist]

Regarding Drouin:

how many times are people going to keep expecting something good from this player.

When he arrived it was his time to shine as he would be getting consistent top 6 (first line) minutes, then it was how much he would thrive under his former junior coach DD (where he’d enjoyed much success) and again be a solid top 6 player, now people expect another new coach to suddenly turn this pumpkin into a stud?   
He is soft, relatively slow and a non-threat to shoot/score for most part. He is way too easy to defend and too poor on défense and zone exits to play with Suzuki and CC on top line, they already have issues with these areas and cannot be saddled with a winger who is also small, soft and bad at zone exits.

Given the current d group the fw’s will be getting a lot of pucks in their feet, along the boards under pressure from pinching d, leading to extended time in the dzone. Drouin is not good in these situations and will therefore not stick with first unit if he even gets a chance there.

He will play himself down to third line, continue to be frustrating to watch, but a contender dealing with injuries or lack of scoring will take a flyer on him at trade deadline but he will not yield better than a 3/4 round pick.

 

The guy is what he is and continuing to expect him to evolve, improve and impress is asking for trouble.

 

Playing at a 50 point pace for 30-40 games is a lot different than actually showing up for 70 games (seems no one expects him to actually play a full season which says a lot) and actually producing consistently enough to merit 50 points.

Dude is washed up, was never really a factor in his career and shouldn’t be holding others from top 6 minutes.  Would rather see Ylonen get that kind of shot.

[huzer]

Resigning Drouin won't happen. However, I believe he's good for a 50pt pace, and can achieve that this year if healthy. 50 pt players are streaky. Drouin isn't going to pop in exactly 5 points every 10 games. Just like every mid-pack offensively minded winger, he's going to go on streaks of 8pts in 5 games, and have 5 game stretches of 0 points. If he wasn't streaky (like most mid tier offensively minded players), then he would score more, and thus be paid more. Bergevin's hope was that he would lock in Drouin at what would eventually be a below market contract. Ends up, he's mildly overpaid, but not drastically so. 

 

Hopefully, he can stay healthy, be his streaky top 6 winger self, and net the team a fair return at the deadline.

[alfredoh2009]

Drouin is better than Hoffman, but he has said that his wrist will never be the same again: so, his sh% will be less than his historical stats show.

He can still skate well and has a good vision on the ice. If he is not in a contract year, he will back check consistently and not be a liability on defense; on contract years, he usually tries to get more points because that is what teams look to him for.

 

He is not a leader or a "glue guy", just a guy that shows up to the rink, does his thing and goes home after the game. He is bland that way.

 

I would resign him to a $4.5M/2yr contract if he has a good year and if he fits in the new coach's system

 

[GHT120]

First I've seen from any credible, or even semi-credible, source about Dach's contract ... seems a tad higher than I expected but the habs get certainty for four years.
 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

First I've seen from any credible, or even semi-credible, source about Dach's contract ... seems a tad higher than I expected but the habs get certainty for four years.
 

 

Sounds like a contract that overpays a bit today to hopefully greatly underpays the next three years. 
 

lets hope

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Sounds like a contract that overpays a bit today to hopefully greatly underpays the next three years. 
 

lets hope

 

Yup, there is always risk to the team and the player when signing a long term contract.  Examples where it has worked out marvelously for the team are guys like Brad Marchand and Nathan Mackinnon.  Perhaps Brendan Gallagher not so much although Brendan's previous contract was good value for the team. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Sounds like a contract that overpays a bit today to hopefully greatly underpays the next three years. 
 

lets hope

 

Probably a risk worth taking.

 

9 hours ago, hockeyrealist said:

Regarding Drouin:

how many times are people going to keep expecting something good from this player.

When he arrived it was his time to shine as he would be getting consistent top 6 (first line) minutes, then it was how much he would thrive under his former junior coach DD (where he’d enjoyed much success) and again be a solid top 6 player, now people expect another new coach to suddenly turn this pumpkin into a stud?   
He is soft, relatively slow and a non-threat to shoot/score for most part. He is way too easy to defend and too poor on défense and zone exits to play with Suzuki and CC on top line, they already have issues with these areas and cannot be saddled with a winger who is also small, soft and bad at zone exits.

Given the current d group the fw’s will be getting a lot of pucks in their feet, along the boards under pressure from pinching d, leading to extended time in the dzone. Drouin is not good in these situations and will therefore not stick with first unit if he even gets a chance there.

He will play himself down to third line, continue to be frustrating to watch, but a contender dealing with injuries or lack of scoring will take a flyer on him at trade deadline but he will not yield better than a 3/4 round pick.

 

The guy is what he is and continuing to expect him to evolve, improve and impress is asking for trouble.

 

Playing at a 50 point pace for 30-40 games is a lot different than actually showing up for 70 games (seems no one expects him to actually play a full season which says a lot) and actually producing consistently enough to merit 50 points.

Dude is washed up, was never really a factor in his career and shouldn’t be holding others from top 6 minutes.  Would rather see Ylonen get that kind of shot.

 

There are always players like this, darlings the fans keep hoping for. Remember the religious belief that Lars Eller was a sure-fire top-6 C being held down by Therrien? Eller became a strong 3rd C, but he was no star. I detected a similar aura accruing to KK, despite the fact that he did dick all in his three seasons with us, and Drouin has some of that aura too - even though he is an 8-year NHL veteran who has consistently disappointed over those 8 years.

 

The thing with Drouin is, like Eller, he goes through these streaks where he looks great. That’s what keeps fooling people. And I’m sure that, when everything is just so, Drouin can be impactful. But then he stubs his pinkie toe or something and he’s useless for the next 30 games.

 

In Drouin’s case (not unlike AK-47’s) other fans like to point out that he’s a 50-point player, as if this is surprising information that should cause skeptics like me to rethink. But to my mind a dispensable 6th FW who can never be counted on and who is less than a complete player is nothing to be excited about. In fact he is a prime candidate to be replaced from within if your organization is strong.

 

I have less confidence in NHL GMs than some. If Drouin has a freak 70-point season, some dummy will pay him like he’s a 70-point player on a longish-term deal. And while I am cautiously optimistic about Hugo, I don’t trust Molson. If the French press starts to go orgasmic over Drouin having a good year, I still think it could prove very, very difficult for our spineless owner not to lean on management.

[GHT120]

This is not "good" enough to call a rumour ... Quebec's Eklund reports

 

 

 

"APPARENTLY" Derick Brassard has contacted Montréal and Ottawa about a PTO ...  Not as crazy as it sounds on the surface ... clearly not part of the rebuild ... but as a POSSIBLE 12/13th forward (depending who gets moved out) he could be a good veteran presence, especially for the young centres, for this coming season ... last season his Pts/Gm were just below Gallagher and just above Jake Evans. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

9 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

This is not "good" enough to call a rumour ... Quebec's Eklund reports

 

 

 

"APPARENTLY" Derick Brassard has contacted Montréal and Ottawa about a PTO ...  Not as crazy as it sounds on the surface ... clearly not part of the rebuild ... but as a POSSIBLE 12/13th forward (depending who gets moved out) he could be a good veteran presence, especially for the young centres, for this coming season ... last season his Pts/Gm were just below Gallagher and just above Jake Evans. 

 

 

The breathless three exclamations marks (!!!) epitomize what is wrong with francophone hockey media.

 

Anyway, the Habs have 5 NHL-level C. What we need is another RH D IMHO.

[tomh009]

11 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

There are always players like this, darlings the fans keep hoping for.

At this point, I think most fans (at least the more knowledgeable ones) are down on Drouin, I certainly would not call him a fan darling any more.

 

Me, sure, I'd love for Drouin to put it all together. But I'd love that for any of our players.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

41 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

Anyway, the Habs have 5 NHL-level C. What we need is another RH D IMHO.

 

Exactly, I fail to see why Montreal would have any interest in an aging 3rd/4th line center. Their young guys need to play and develop. 

[DON]

Can Norlinder defend well enough at AHL/NHL level?

Will he be rotating with Harris, Guhle, Leskinen (and Schueneman?) with Habs this year, Harris likely play some RH-d also?

 

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/top-25-under-25/2022/9/2/23325512/mattias-norlinder-2022-montreal-canadiens-top-25-under-25-prospect-profile-projection-scouting-stats

[hab29RETIRED]

1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

The breathless three exclamations marks (!!!) epitomize what is wrong with francophone hockey media.

 

Anyway, the Habs have 5 NHL-level C. What we need is another RH D IMHO.

Yeah, but there aren’t any washed up Francophone dmen available for the media to get excited about. If Subban was a Francophone, there would probably be a headline everyday on how they should bring him back on a cheap deal. 🙄

[dlbalr]

2 hours ago, GHT120 said:

"APPARENTLY" Derick Brassard has contacted Montréal and Ottawa about a PTO ...  Not as crazy as it sounds on the surface ... clearly not part of the rebuild ... but as a POSSIBLE 12/13th forward (depending who gets moved out) he could be a good veteran presence, especially for the young centres, for this coming season ... last season his Pts/Gm were just below Gallagher and just above Jake Evans. 

 

He could be a mentor to Monahan on how to try to overcome hip surgeries (he's had plenty) but in terms of an on-ice fit, I don't see one unless his goal is to be a 13th/14th forward like Perreault last season.  Brassard was rumoured to be considering retirement after the playoffs due to the cumulative wear and tear of injuries but the fact there hasn't been an announcement yet suggests he's hoping for a PTO/cheap deal somewhere.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

2 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

Yeah, but there aren’t any washed up Francophone dmen available for the media to get excited about. If Subban was a Francophone, there would probably be a headline everyday on how they should bring him back on a cheap deal. 🙄

 

I actually favour bringing back Subban on a cheap deal, but of course the supposed tension between him and Gally could preclude it. Also, the fact that he is still unsigned *may* suggest that he or his agent are in denial of his actual market value in 2022. Who knows.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

4 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

I actually favour bringing back Subban on a cheap deal, but of course the supposed tension between him and Gally could preclude it. Also, the fact that he is still unsigned *may* suggest that he or his agent are in denial of his actual market value in 2022. Who knows.

 

If they brought Subban back then maybe Gallagher would retire?  Just kidding of course, Gallagher is too much of a competitor to do that but I am surprised Subban is still unsigned, perhaps asking too much as you suggest. 

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

... Gallagher is too much of a competitor to do that ...

 

 

More importantly, Gallagher is owed WAAYYY too much money for him to retire ($43 million in real world dollars).

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, GHT120 said:

 

More importantly, Gallagher is owed WAAYYY too much money for him to retire ($43 million in real world dollars).

 

Of course, I wasn't being serious, just being incredibly optimistic. 

[GHT120]

48 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

 

Of course, I wasn't being serious, just being incredibly optimistic. 

 

I understood ... I buy lottery tickets so dreaming is common for me.

[TurdBurglar]

The last thing I read on Subban is he is expecting a deal around $3m on a short, probably 1-year contract.  Habs can’t afford that.

 

I am also one that would like to see Subban back for at least a year.  If Gallagher has a problem with it, He needs to get over it.  Gallagher isn’t a superstar and is underperforming for his contract.  Sure injuries and his play style are at play but I stand by what I said.  He doesn’t have the star power to have a say in who plays on the team.

 

Also, a little hatred in the locker room will shave points off the season and get closer to Bedard territory.  I’m only joking about this part.

[DON]

Saw one early guess, no surprise Habs should be 6th-8th atlantic range, seems make sense on paper. Like to keep hearing Florida is looking a bit weaker at least. 

https://thehockeywriters.com/atlantic-division-predictions-2022-23-season/

 

End of Season Predictions

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Florida Panthers
4. Ottawa Senators
5. Boston Bruins
6. Detroit Red Wings
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Montreal Canadiens

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Canuckleheads take JT Miller off the market: 8 mil per for 7 seasons. He’ll be 36 when the deal ends. https://nationalpost.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-signing-j-t-miller-answers-one-question-but-where-do-they-go-from-here 

 

Miller is an excellent, versatile player and quite under the radar for a 99-point guy…probably because he was such a late bloomer, only emerging as an elite offensive force in his late 20s. The deal is obviously too long and will likely be a boat anchor in the final three years or so. More alarmingly for Canucks fans, it poses the question of how they are going to be able to keep Horvat, Hughes, Pettersson, Demko, and Boeser under the cap long term.

 

Despite having drafted elite and semi-elite core players, the Canucks are a case study in what happens when you don’t have a strong development pipeline. They could not let Miller go without destroying any realistic hope of contending in the near future, because they have no impact prospect in the system. Their “rebuild” is likely to be an exercise in desperate patch-up jobs around their undeniably strong core, because they don’t have young talent to slot into the depth roles. 

 

What this signing does accomplish, though, is to buy their excellent new management group some time to rebuild the talent pipeline, so you can have impact players coming on stream in 3-4 years when Miller and Horvat hit the skids. 

 

This was a classic, very tough managerial decision…I’ll be curious to see how it all plays out.