MTL's biggest need: center?

[alfredoh2009]

2 hours ago, hab29RETIRED said:

86 habs had an influx of young players stepping in on a team with with franchise holdovers in Gainey and Robinson, solid veterans in Smith, Naslund,  Walter, Green, and young studs who had a few years and playoff runs in Chelios and Carbonneau and role players like MacPhee. We don't have that veteran core as a foundation that added Roy (don't have a goalie like him), Lemieux, Skrudland, Mommesso and Richer - who were injured early in the playoffs.
 

ditto for 93 - solid PRODUCTIVE  veteran core - Roy, Carbonneau, Muller, Damphousse, Bellows, with a young D and rookie forwards that included Leclair, 

 

the current squad has a washed up Gallagher and Anderson, an unproven late blooming goalie and some young kids. This team is nothing like 86 or 93, because the Habs have NEVER done a full rebuild before. There are no parallels an all between this team and 86 or 93. Those teams were regular playoff teams. The Habs did not start missing the playoffs until after the 93 cup run.

 

i know you like big, but im more leary taking Lindstrom, because the kids already had injury issues - similar to Dach. Also questions on his hockey IQ. Biggest isn't always the best way to go if they don't have the high hockey IQ and seem to be made of glass.

Quote

There are no parallels an all between this team and 86 or 93.

 

I agree 100%

[hab29RETIRED]

40 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

a rebuild involves the acquisition of elite talent, HughGort has not added McDavid/McKinnon type of talent.

 

Slaf, Hutson and Mesar are very good picks, I am hopeful they will become elite but not convinced yet. Beck is a 3rd-liner. Dach, Newhook, Barron, Heineman, Reinbacher, Fowler are solid picks but I am almost certain they are not elite.

 

That's what I mean, filling mid-6/2nd-pair roster spots but not that many that are surefire elite players.

So you expect HuGort to wave a magic wand so that that they can magically acquire a McDavid or McKinnon in tow of talent???? Really??? Yet you seem to be thrilled with the job MB did, even though he actually had the OPPORTUNITY to draft Hughes or Tkachuk, but chose KK, than traded away Sergechev for Drouin???

 

hughes two years in a row traded for centres (Dach, Nehook - and Dach actually has the potential to be an elite centre), when MB said for 10 years that you can't trade for elite centres - you had to draft them.

 

do you expect Hughes to trade Anderson and Gallagher who MB signed to stupid contracts for McKinnon or McDavid??? Give it a rest already!

[GHT120]

53 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

a rebuild involves the acquisition of elite talent, HughGort has not added McDavid/McKinnon type of talent.

Your "definition" of a rebuild is entirely dependent on bouncing lottery balls ... out of any GH's control.

[Commandant]

9 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Your "definition" of a rebuild is entirely dependent on bouncing lottery balls ... out of any GH's control.

 

We are seeing teams like Dallas and Florida do extremely well with depth in the NHL in recent years, the Rangers, the Bruins, etc....

 

but the only way to rebuild is to get a McDavid. 

 

No one should take this poster's opinions of management seriously.  Its pretty clear he has an axe to grind and is extremely biased against the current group. 

 

 

 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

a rebuild involves the acquisition of elite talent, HughGort has not added McDavid/McKinnon type of talent.

 

 

Normally to get a player of McDavid/McKinnon/Matthews type talent you need a bit of luck or you can also absolutely destroy your team like Chicago did (not sure that would go over well in Montreal) but even if you do that you still need to  hope the lottery balls fall in your favour. You also need to hope that generational player/elite talent comes along when you do draft first. 

 

You also need to rely on your scouts  as elite talent can certainly be found after the first couple picks (ie. Pastrnak, Hughes, Makar). I think Hughes has done a terrific job so far. It takes time to put the pieces together and develop young talent. I am not sure what else you expect Hughes could have done so far. I think the future looks bright. This is a key draft to help build that secondary scoring we need. 

[xXx..CK..xXx]

Pretty sure we’re glossing over that Mackinnon’s second year = 0.59375 points per game and Slafkovsky had 0.6098 points per game in his second year. 
 

Speed is a thing so maybe that’s what’s influencing the thought but Slafkovksy has certainly been the best pick of that draft.

 

He’s only going to get better. It took Mackinnon another three years after that second year to become what he is.

[TurdBurglar]

3 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:

a rebuild involves the acquisition of elite talent, HughGort has not added McDavid/McKinnon type of talent.

 

There's a difference between elite talent and the franchise and generational talent you're using in the example.  You're expectation is to acquire talent that can only be acquired by literally winning the lottery on the right year or a diceroll on development.  Even elite talent is still a diceroll.  Look no further than Edmonton before McDavid.

[alfredoh2009]

2 hours ago, xXx..CK..xXx said:

Pretty sure we’re glossing over that Mackinnon’s second year = 0.59375 points per game and Slafkovsky had 0.6098 points per game in his second year. 
 

Speed is a thing so maybe that’s what’s influencing the thought but Slafkovksy has certainly been the best pick of that draft.

 

He’s only going to get better. It took Mackinnon another three years after that second year to become what he is.

 

I agree that Slafkovsky seems like a home run. I hope that Hutson turns out to e another home run.

 

On the topic of this thread on the Habs biggest need, I argue that they need an elite forward. I also say that so far the jury is out on this, but I also say that they may have done that in part.

Mesar is intriguing because he has such an elite shot, but I do not know much about his overall game. He is so young.

 

Let's hope or the best

[alfredoh2009]

1 hour ago, TurdBurglar said:

 

There's a difference between elite talent and the franchise and generational talent you're using in the example.  You're expectation is to acquire talent that can only be acquired by literally winning the lottery on the right year or a diceroll on development.  Even elite talent is still a diceroll.  Look no further than Edmonton before McDavid.

 

some are suggesting here and/or on other threads that Zegras may be what the Habs need. I mentioned Rossi as a trade target, neither of those is elite.

 

Although luck is part of building a winning team, I am not suggesting that the Habs need to base the rebuild on a "diceroll", but they need to show more than hope and hand-waiving this summer at the draft and the UFA market. HughGort hs had enough time to assess the needs and they have the means to start make those moves.

[Commandant]

Girly fanboy posts on owen beck.

 

Sly shots at management.   But hey lets hope for the best.

 

Wildly implausible trade proposals and then defending them.

 

 

Are we sure this isn't some elaborate troll psy-op via Chat GPT. 

[TurdBurglar]

15 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

some are suggesting here and/or on other threads that Zegras may be what the Habs need. I mentioned Rossi as a trade target, neither of those is elite.

 

Although luck is part of building a winning team, I am not suggesting that the Habs need to base the rebuild on a "diceroll", but they need to show more than hope and hand-waiving this summer at the draft and the UFA market. HughGort hs had enough time to assess the needs and they have the means to start make those moves.

"Hope and hand-waiving" is the draft in a nutshell.  I'm not sure how Montreal can approach the draft differently than every other team ever has.  I'm sure that if anyone has a way to turn the draft from "hope and hand-waiving," into a guaranteed thing, they'd be the most in-demand scout ever, in any sport. 

 

As for free agency, elite players that hit free agency aren't signing team-friendly deals to change teams.  It's not a very responsible practice to cap-strap a rebuilding team chasing elite talent through free agency. 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, alfredoh2009 said:

On the topic of this thread on the Habs biggest need, I argue that they need an elite forward.

 

I don't think there is 1 person on this board who would disagree with this.  No need to argue this point. 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

58 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

some are suggesting here and/or on other threads that Zegras may be what the Habs need. I mentioned Rossi as a trade target, neither of those is elite.

 

Although luck is part of building a winning team, I am not suggesting that the Habs need to base the rebuild on a "diceroll", but they need to show more than hope and hand-waiving this summer at the draft and the UFA market. HughGort hs had enough time to assess the needs and they have the means to start make those moves.

 

I have no doubt that Hughes has a pretty good understanding of what their needs are. Fulfilling those needs in a responsible manner is another issue. I want Hughes to build something that can compete for a number of years, not sell the farm to take a 1 or 2 year shot at it. 

[GHT120]

2 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:

Mesar is intriguing because he has such an elite shot, but I do not know much about his overall game. He is so young.

Even pro-rated to 68 games (full OHL season) he wasn't close to the Top 10 in the OHL in goals or assists (56th in g/Gm, 27th in A/Gm) ... not saying he won't make the NHL but doubt he has elite potential.

[DON]

4 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Even pro-rated to 68 games (full OHL season) he wasn't close to the Top 10 in the OHL in goals or assists (56th in g/Gm, 27th in A/Gm) ... not saying he won't make the NHL but doubt he has elite potential.

See how he does in Laval this season first, i guess.

[Commandant]

4 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Even pro-rated to 68 games (full OHL season) he wasn't close to the Top 10 in the OHL in goals or assists (56th in g/Gm, 27th in A/Gm) ... not saying he won't make the NHL but doubt he has elite potential.

 

Mesar is not looking like one of the team's top prospects right now. 

[alfredoh2009]

5 hours ago, GHT120 said:

Even pro-rated to 68 games (full OHL season) he wasn't close to the Top 10 in the OHL in goals or assists (56th in g/Gm, 27th in A/Gm) ... not saying he won't make the NHL but doubt he has elite potential.

I should have checked his stats. I remember leading in scoring over Beck at one poinr, and I also posted some of his goals where his shot was evidently elite 

but It is only MHO

[tomh009]

On 6/12/2024 at 6:18 AM, TurdBurglar said:

"Hope and hand-waiving" is the draft in a nutshell.  I'm not sure how Montreal can approach the draft differently than every other team ever has. 

One different approach is what they did with Dach and Newhook, trading for young players instead of actually using the picks. Will this be a pattern? Let’s wait and see.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

7 hours ago, tomh009 said:

One different approach is what they did with Dach and Newhook, trading for young players instead of actually using the picks. Will this be a pattern? Let’s wait and see.

 

Given the amount of smoke out there, the odds are good that the Habs will be players on draft day. Exactly what form that will take, or whether it involves the #5 pick, remain to be seen.