2024-25 Montreal Canadiens discussion thread

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

9 minutes ago, Sir_Boagalott said:

 

I believe his strength has a lot to do with it.  If you see him in a pic with his shirt off he has an impressive lat muscle.

 

re Dach, is he injury prone or has he just been super unlucky?  I'm thinking its the later but either way we will find out this this season.  

 

Speaking of injuries, this will sound sorta crazy but I almost want the Habs to get Gioradno.  Yes, he's 40, but thats a reason to get him.  Not many play until they are 40, especially dmen that aren't crazy large super strong guys.  Giordano also has his own personal training regime that he created.  Plus, he's got a ton of experience and if not as a player he'd be a good idea as a trainer or D coach.  He'd be able to help all the young guys prepare for playing a full 82 game season.  

Giordano could be a good mentor but I think he wants to go to a team where he will get playing time. The Habs need their young D to play. He would just be in the way.

[Commandant]

Giordano was god awful in toronto last year and hes a LHD who would only add to our log jam there.

 

Hell no.

[DON]

12 hours ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Giordano could be a good mentor but I think he wants to go to a team where he will get playing time. The Habs need their young D to play. He would just be in the way.

Savard is in that role already isnt he, in particular i assume with Hutson.

 

Assume Barron will start on 3rd pairing.

2024 Montreal Canadiens Top 25 Under 25: #18 Justin Barron (habseyesontheprize.com)

[dlbalr]

The Habs have elected to deny permission for Juraj Slafkovsky to play for Slovakia later this month in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.  They have, however, given the green light for David Reinbacher and Vincenz Rohrer to participate for Austria.

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

The Habs have elected to deny permission for Juraj Slafkovsky to play for Slovakia later this month in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.  They have, however, given the green light for David Reinbacher and Vincenz Rohrer to participate for Austria.

I agree with their decisions ... Slaf is a key piece of the NHL team ... Reinbacher s/b in the AHL all season and needs the ice-time anywhere and everywhere for development ... Rohrer is a longshot prospect.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

12 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

I agree with their decisions ... Slaf is a key piece of the NHL team ... Reinbacher s/b in the AHL all season and needs the ice-time anywhere and everywhere for development ... Rohrer is a longshot prospect.

100%, they have a lot of money invested in Slaf now, they need to protect their investment. 

[Sir_Boagalott]

On 8/13/2024 at 9:43 PM, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

Giordano could be a good mentor but I think he wants to go to a team where he will get playing time. The Habs need their young D to play. He would just be in the way.

 

I disagree about Giordano wanting significant minutes.  After all, he is 40 so I believe he would rather be on any team in any capacity vs retire.  The Habs do have a log jam of dmen, but Giordano would be a better mentor than Savard or Matheson.  i.e. he's played for longer and was the Flames PP QB at one point. 

 

Plus, my suggestion is more about having access to his unique training regime that he created.  Savard and Matheson don't help the youngsters in that regard at all.    It would make more sense to move Matheson than Savard to potentially make room for Giordano.  Also, now that Harris is gone the log jam is 1 dmen less.

 

Giordano would be similar to when the Habs had Wideman, who understood, accepted, and was grateful for his limited role on the team and he's vastly superior to Wideman. 

 

 

[Sir_Boagalott]

52 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

100%, they have a lot of money invested in Slaf now, they need to protect their investment. 

 

I'm somewhat on the fence about that.  The last time Slaf played for Slovakia I liked how they were using him.  i.e. he wasn't on their PP but was on their PK - which seemed somewhat odd.  However, that is definitely an area where Slaf could improve significantly and that would vastly help the Habs.   Yes, injuries can happen, but that isn't the only possible outcome.  

 

 

 

[IN THE HEARTS OF MEN]

i would of let him play as well. thats a training camp on its own...

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

3 minutes ago, IN THE HEARTS OF MEN said:

i would of let him play as well. thats a training camp on its own...

You would let him go if it was your 60 million invested in the player? An easy no for me.

[Commandant]

There are hundreds of trainers who can give you giordano's training regime and hundreds of nutritionists who can give you his diet.  Heck he didnt come up with this on his own, he went to a pro to get it originally too.  You could just hire them and not add a defenceman who was a train wreck last year to the roster.

 

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Suzuki has increased his production every single season and I expect this trend to continue. 
 

Can Suzuki hit 90 points this season?

 

 

[dlbalr]

3 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Can Suzuki hit 90 points this season?

 

I'll say no.  His shooting percentage (and xGF if you want a more modern stat) suggest he's due to have a drop-off in that category so he'd need a big uptick in assists to get there.  I don't see him getting a big jump in shots on goal with Slafkovsky likely to command the puck more so I expect that goal total to drop back to the 20s.  I haven't written his Fantasy Focus piece yet but I know I won't have him at 90 points.  I think he can go up a bit but not that much.

[hab29RETIRED]

3 hours ago, dlbalr said:

 

I'll say no.  His shooting percentage (and xGF if you want a more modern stat) suggest he's due to have a drop-off in that category so he'd need a big uptick in assists to get there.  I don't see him getting a big jump in shots on goal with Slafkovsky likely to command the puck more so I expect that goal total to drop back to the 20s.  I haven't written his Fantasy Focus piece yet but I know I won't have him at 90 points.  I think he can go up a bit but not that much.

I think he hit gets 86. I think that's what I had him down for last year. I think if they didn't end up being a one line team, he could have hit that/ if Dach is healthy and we have a productive 2nd line into o he'll be better then a PPG player.

[DON]

12 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

Suzuki has increased his production every single season and I expect this trend to continue. 
 

Can Suzuki hit 90 points this season?

I would guess No, but hope so.

How about 80.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

11 hours ago, dlbalr said:

 

I'll say no.  His shooting percentage (and xGF if you want a more modern stat) suggest he's due to have a drop-off in that category so he'd need a big uptick in assists to get there.  I don't see him getting a big jump in shots on goal with Slafkovsky likely to command the puck more so I expect that goal total to drop back to the 20s.  I haven't written his Fantasy Focus piece yet but I know I won't have him at 90 points.  I think he can go up a bit but not that much.

I actually thought that having Slafkovsky on his line for a full season would increase the amount of goals that line scores. Hopefully it also means more PP goals. 
 

Wouldn't Suzuki benefit with more points if his line scores more? I mean it’s not necessarily so but I think it’s likely. 
 

Still 80 something points is pretty good 

[dlbalr]

2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said:

I actually thought that having Slafkovsky on his line for a full season would increase the amount of goals that line scores. Hopefully it also means more PP goals. 
 

Wouldn't Suzuki benefit with more points if his line scores more? I mean it’s not necessarily so but I think it’s likely. 
 

Still 80 something points is pretty good 

 

There's more assist potential, sure, but it's probably coming at a drop-off in goals.  If he drops to, say, 25 goals (lower shooting percentage and likely lower shooting volume), he'd need 65 assists to get to 90.  Is he really going to gain 21 assists in a single season?  That might be too much to ask.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Slafkovsky is only 20 and is going to add muscle for a while yet. 
 

 

[tomh009]

On 8/25/2024 at 8:34 PM, dlbalr said:

I'll say no.  His shooting percentage (and xGF if you want a more modern stat) suggest he's due to have a drop-off in that category so he'd need a big uptick in assists to get there.  I don't see him getting a big jump in shots on goal with Slafkovsky likely to command the puck more so I expect that goal total to drop back to the 20s.  I haven't written his Fantasy Focus piece yet but I know I won't have him at 90 points.  I think he can go up a bit but not that much.

I agree that 80-85 points is a reasonable expectation at this point.

[DON]

Is Mailloux done in Laval?

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/logan-mailloux-2024-montreal-canadiens-top-25-under-25-prospect-profile-projection-scouting-stats/

 

"Strengths
Few hockey players can shoot the puck the way Mailloux does. Possessing a veritable cannon, it is the kind of offering that makes opponents not want to stand in front of it. Shea Weber lite, if you will. Where things get even more interesting is when he foregoes the slapshot for his snapshot, which he gets away with a lightning-quick release, and still with velocity that make it incredibly difficult to see or stop. A variety of releases, and elite velocity on them, all make him a constant threat whenever he’s on the ice."

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

3 hours ago, DON said:

Is Mailloux done in Laval?

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/logan-mailloux-2024-montreal-canadiens-top-25-under-25-prospect-profile-projection-scouting-stats/

 

"Strengths
Few hockey players can shoot the puck the way Mailloux does. Possessing a veritable cannon, it is the kind of offering that makes opponents not want to stand in front of it. Shea Weber lite, if you will. Where things get even more interesting is when he foregoes the slapshot for his snapshot, which he gets away with a lightning-quick release, and still with velocity that make it incredibly difficult to see or stop. A variety of releases, and elite velocity on them, all make him a constant threat whenever he’s on the ice."

 

He may be done in Laval, his shooting is elite. I don't think there is anybody on the Habs that shoots it better. 

[GHT120]

42 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

He may be done in Laval, his shooting is elite. I don't think there is anybody on the Habs that shoots it better. 

But as a defenceman, I-M-O the question is whether he needs more time in Laval to improve his defensive game or is it advanced enough that it can be polished in the NHL.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

15 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

But as a defenceman, I-M-O the question is whether he needs more time in Laval to improve his defensive game or is it advanced enough that it can be polished in the NHL.

 

True, but you could say the same thing about pretty much all the other young Habs defensemen. They all have some warts. 

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

8 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

 

True, but you could say the same thing about pretty much all the other young Habs defensemen. They all have some warts. 

 

The exception might be Guhle, who is heading into his third season. He'll still have lots of learning - there's an old theory that it takes D-men five years to really solidify at this level - but perhaps we can start thinking of him as past the 'neophyte' stage.

 

Re: Mailloux, it's a balancing act. He may have an absolute howitzer, but if he can't cope with the other aspects of the game, then he can't take a regular shift. 

 

Let's keep in mind that the Habs actually want to be competitive this year. That doesn't mean stapling kids to the bench, but we're unlikely to see a repeat of 2022, when raw rookies were thrown out there night after night irrespective of how many mistakes they might have been making.

[DON]

I guess there isnt a waiver issue as is with Barron.

So, Savard/Barron are 2 of RH-d and Guhle?

Or Barron is the 7th/8th-d and Reinbacher or Mailloux also suit up opening night.

 

But is nice both Mailloux & Xhekaj have strong point shots, cant hurt.

I think Reinbacher said one fucus for him this summer was a stronger shot.