HF Habs: 2020 Montreal Canadiens Off-Season Thread part 3

[BergevinBurner]

This is a bit of a relief at least.

 

[Obee Juan]

This is a bit of a relief at least.

Say hello to Wayne Simmonds when he arrives in Montreal

 

[KevSkillz4]

Josh Anderson is going to be a fan favorite, book it!

 

[Kents polished head]

That's not having depth. That's just having players.

The guy said we were a couple of injuries away from being a lottery team. I disagree. Quite a couple of team have way less depth than we do.

What happens with the Leafs if they lose Rielly? Hell. Even Pittsburgh was in big trouble because of injuries and were talking out of a playoffs spot before the lockdown.

Last season, if Petry got injured, our D core would be Weber, Chiarot, Mete, Kulak, Fleury and Ouellet. This season, it would be Weber, Chiarot, Edmundson, Romanov, Mete and Kulak. The raw difference is Fleury and Ouellet for Edmundson and Romanov.

This is huge. Like it or not, yes, right now we have more depth and are more ready to face injuries to key players. It's not about singing Bergevin's paises. It's a fact.

 

[Miller Time]

This is not a playoff team, tougher to play against but no offense. Anderson is injury prone. Too many small forwards and the D blows. Danault as your first line center, season will be long. So instead of finishing 12th, they will end up 10th. Great improvement.

Agree mostly...
I don't think the D "blows". It's a solid middle of the pack group unless Weber gets hurt.
If either of Romanov or Mete surprise and give us legit top-4 play, might even be a top tier group.

 

[Zorba]

This is a bit of a relief at least.

Impossible without trading someone
Right now Byron is a 4th liner

 

[Richiebottles]

With the addition of Anderson I’d be surprised if we are going after Simmonds as well. I think he was plan B if Anderson didn’t pan out, which he did.

I think he looks to get something done with Hall, and it that falls through he adds Tofolli of Hoffman via FA.

 

[Miller Time]

I personally don't see any single inkiey that would seriously doom this team except for Weber. Price and Petry would hurt, but not as much as it would on previous years.

I mean... there's depth everywhere. On D we have 7 NHL calibre Ds. We have a durable backup goalie. We have 3 very good C with Evans and Poehling who can fill in on the short term. And we have a lot of depth on the wings.

Or course, if we're plagued with injuries, we're in trouble. But so are a lot of teams.

We'll see as things go. But right now, I see us being better than Florida, Ottawa, Detroit and Buffalo. And we'll see what Boston does. But this team is getting older very quickly and might fall off a cliff soon. Tampa will be worse...

There is zero top 6 winger depth & the centre depth is entirely predicated on a 10 game sample where Suzuki & JKO looked "arrived"... Somehow that has made everyone forget that JKO was AHL bound during the season & Suzuki was getting scratched mid season... Neither are sure bets to give us a full year of playoff-level top 6 or top 9 centre play.

I appreciate your hopeful optimism... It's a regular sentiment every offseason, sadly, as in 4 of the last 5 years, the reality of our poorly built roster is that it's more likely destined to the lottery as soon as a bit of adversity pops up...

Weber, Price, Petry, Danault, Gallagher... Injuries to any one of those guys creates a hole we aren't set up to deal with (& before you rush to say Allen, keep in mind that the very reason we "had" to get him is predicated on the belief that Price with a bad backup wasn't good enough... Imagine Allen with no backup lol).

 

[waffledave]

The guy said we were a couple of injuries away from being a lottery team. I disagree. Quite a couple of team have way less depth than we do.

What happens with the Leafs if they lose Rielly? Hell. Even Pittsburgh was in big trouble because of injuries and were talking out of a playoffs spot before the lockdown.

Last season, if Petry got injured, our D core would be Weber, Chiarot, Mete, Kulak, Fleury and Ouellet. This season, it would be Weber, Chiarot, Edmundson, Romanov, Mete and Kulak. The raw difference is Fleury and Ouellet for Edmundson and Romanov.

This is huge. Like it or not, yes, right now we have more depth and are more ready to face injuries to key players. It's not about singing Bergevin's paises. It's a fact.

Teams struggle when key players get hurt. If we lost Petry or Weber for any long period of time our goose would be cooked. Don't care about this supposed depth, it's not at all impressive to me. Most teams have this.

 

[Weber Fan]

I feel like MB will sign a guy with size to play on the 4th. Simmonds, Clifford or Pitlick are my guess!

 

[Gravity]

As it stands, this will not be a playoff team next and it won't be too close. A supposed weak draft as well to be the cherry on the sundae. We have a legitimate shot to actually be worse than last year.

Of course this is subject to change but so far, not so good.

 

[Kents polished head]

There is zero top 6 winger depth & the centre depth is entirely predicated on a 10 game sample where Suzuki & JKO looked "arrived"... Somehow that has made everyone forget that JKO was AHL bound during the season & Suzuki was getting scratched mid season... Neither are sure bets to give us a full year of playoff-level top 6 or top 9 centre play.

I appreciate your hopeful optimism... It's a regular sentiment every offseason, sadly, as in 4 of the last 5 years, the reality of our poorly built roster is that it's more likely destined to the lottery as soon as a bit of adversity pops up...

Weber, Price, Petry, Danault, Gallagher... Injuries to any one of those guys creates a hole we aren't set up to deal with (& before you rush to say Allen, keep in mind that the very reason we "had" to get him is predicated on the belief that Price with a bad backup wasn't good enough... Imagine Allen with no backup lol).

What in the hell are you talking about with Suzuki being scratched mid-season? He played all 71 games of the team. As for Kotkaniemi, there's a guy named Danault who's a safe bet to keep getting around 50 points and be an efficient two-way C.

You're talking about us being in trouble if Price is injured. Now look around the league and ask yourself the same question. Hell. Teams like Edmonton and Calgary are not even sure they'll have a starter as good as Allen for next season.

This team is in no way a Cup contender. But the changes made absolutely improved the team as a whole. It might not be enough by your evaluation but we're better than we were in the bubble.

 

[Miller Time]

What in the hell are you talking about with Suzuki being scratched mid-season? He played all 71 games of the team. As for Kotkaniemi, there's a guy named Danault who's a safe bet to keep getting around 50 points and be an efficient two-way C.

You're talking about us being in trouble if Price is injured. Now look around the league and ask yourself the same question. Hell. Teams like Edmonton and Calgary are not even sure they'll have a starter as good as Allen for next season.

This team is in no way a Cup contender. But the changes made absolutely improved the team as a whole. It might not be enough by your evaluation but we're better than we were in the bubble.

Sorry, meant demoted not scratched...

We had Danault & the "coming off of 70pt season, #1C Domi" heading into last year... How'd that C depth treat us lol.

Easy to project all things going perfect for us... I get the appeal.

Just doesn't often play out that way no matter how much we hope, or MB actually believes, that things turn out that way

 

[Zorba]

What in the hell are you talking about with Suzuki being scratched mid-season? He played all 71 games of the team. As for Kotkaniemi, there's a guy named Danault who's a safe bet to keep getting around 50 points and be an efficient two-way C.

You're talking about us being in trouble if Price is injured. Now look around the league and ask yourself the same question. Hell. Teams like Edmonton and Calgary are not even sure they'll have a starter as good as Allen for next season.

This team is in no way a Cup contender. But the changes made absolutely improved the team as a whole. It might not be enough by your evaluation but we're better than we were in the bubble.

So after 9 years in the job you’re happy that Bergevin has made us a team that will compete for the last WC spot??
Wow I remember days when competing for the cup was a goal
Just so sad

 

[Captain97]

Here me out cause its bargain bin, in free agency I think the Habs go after M Granlund on a cheap 1-2 year deal. He just came off a bad season but is only one removed from 54 and two removed from back to back almost 70 point seasons (67 and 69).

I know he is small but throw him on a line with KK and Armia and they can insulate him.

He could probably be had for 3.5-4 million. And if he rebounds we have a 15g - 35a forward cheap. If not we prbly have a guy making 500k too much.

This fits in our cap and feels like a bargain bin move no?

Another idea would be to send Byron home to Ottawa for whatever they will give us then go after someone in FA like Dadonov, toffoli, or Hoffman.

 

[Miller Time]

Here me out cause its bargain bin, in free agency I think the Habs go after M Granlund on a cheap 1-2 year deal. He just came off a bad season but is only one removed from 54 and two removed from back to back almost 70 point seasons (67 and 69).

I know he is small but throw him on a line with KK and Armia and they can insulate him.

He could probably be had for 3.5-4 million. And if he rebounds we have a 15g - 35a forward cheap. If not we prbly have a guy making 500k too much.

This fits in our cap and feels like a bargain bin move no?

Another idea would be to send Byron home to Ottawa for whatever they will give us then go after someone in FA like Dadonov, toffoli, or Hoffman.

Granlund would be a very good addition, especially if he is willing to do a 1-2 year deal at a reasonable cap hit and use that as an opportunity in our talent starved top 9 W group to play himself back into the 65-75pt range and set himself up for a big multi-year pay day... wishful thinking, perhaps, but our fwd group makeup might be a great landing spot for him... and he's exactly the kind of talent it would be awesome to pair with JKO for the next few years

 

[Habssince89]

Have to think a couple of of defense prospects are available for trade

Maybe Brook can be offered up with Tatar for a bigger goal scorer?

 

[donghabs98]

Granlund would be a very good addition, especially if he is willing to do a 1-2 year deal at a reasonable cap hit and use that as an opportunity in our talent starved top 9 W group to play himself back into the 65-75pt range and set himself up for a big multi-year pay day... wishful thinking, perhaps, but our fwd group makeup might be a great landing spot for him... and he's exactly the kind of talent it would be awesome to pair with JKO for the next few years

Here's hoping the draw of playing with some fellow Finns in a European like city will help. I think he's a good fit for the team and vice versa.

 

[WatchfulElm]

My lines for next season :

Drouin - Suzuki - Armia/Anderson
Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
XXX - KK - Armia/Anderson
Byron - Evans - Lehkonen

So we still need another LW. The question is : will they go for a more offensive one, as I hope?

UFA : Hall, Kovalchuk, Athanasiou are the only options I see.

Trade bait : Gaudreau, Debrusk, Killorn, Schwartz, Johnsson, Ehlers, Palmieri

Or will they go for a 3rd/4th line guy?

UFA : Vesey, Sheary, Janmark, Maroon

Trade : Saad, Paquette, Komarov

I think the trade route is more likely.

 

[Prairie Habs]

So how do people have our lines as it stands? My guess if the season started tomorrow it would be

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Drouin - Suzuki - Anderson
Byron - Kotkaniemi - Armia
Lehkonen - Evans - Weal

Chiarot - Weber
Edmundson - Petry
Kulak - Romanov
Mete

My hopes for what they will end up as (with some un-CJ like line decisions):

Drouin - Suzuki - Anderson
Granlund - Kotkaniemi - Gallagher
Tatar - Danault - Armia
Byron - Evans - Lehkonen

Chiarot - Weber
Edmundson - Petry
Romanov - Juulsen
Mete

So I would say my sights are set sorta low as far as moves we will make, Granlund would be a solid pick-up but not unreasonable. If we don't add anyone at forward I would have Poehling at 4C and move Evans to wing, but I anticipate Poehling starting in the AHL (if the AHL is even an option?). Weal doesn't even need to show up to camp as far as I'm concerned.

The D is pretty much set it seems, just how the bottom pairing shakes out betweem Romanov, Juulsen, Mete, and Kulak (and Fluery I guess, but I believe he doesn't need waivers and so should be the easy choice to send down). I'm fine with any I guess, but with Romanov and Juulsen (or Fluery if he were to stay up) I think we would have a real physcial D that's tough to play against. The teams as a whole will actually be tough to play against. We won't have the top end talent of other teams, but hopefully we won't be the easy out we were at times last year.

 

[DAChampion]

The Habs now have 10.9 million in cap space with ten forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed.

Presumably they will sign Mete as a 7th D (1 million), two UFAs for the 4th line (3 million), and Josh Anderson (4 million?), That will leave them 3 million in cap space with Jordan Weal as the 13th forward.

The off-season is mostly over unless Bergevin can miraculously offload one of Weal, Kulak, Byron, or perhaps even Drouin.

The year after will be difficult. Hopefully Seattle takes one of Chiarot or Edmundson, Allen gets replaced by a cheaper backup, and even then the team might need to lose one of Tatar or Danault.

 

[blarneylad]

There is zero top 6 winger depth & the centre depth is entirely predicated on a 10 game sample where Suzuki & JKO looked "arrived"... Somehow that has made everyone forget that JKO was AHL bound during the season & Suzuki was getting scratched mid season... Neither are sure bets to give us a full year of playoff-level top 6 or top 9 centre play.

I appreciate your hopeful optimism... It's a regular sentiment every offseason, sadly, as in 4 of the last 5 years, the reality of our poorly built roster is that it's more likely destined to the lottery as soon as a bit of adversity pops up...

Weber, Price, Petry, Danault, Gallagher... Injuries to any one of those guys creates a hole we aren't set up to deal with (& before you rush to say Allen, keep in mind that the very reason we "had" to get him is predicated on the belief that Price with a bad backup wasn't good enough... Imagine Allen with no backup lol).

There was also a shutdown due to Covid. Which led players to train like it was an offseason. Kotkaniemi came back stronger and better on his feet. Different player.

Suzuki showed us glimpses of his game all last season had some cold spells but then shone in the playoffs. There will still be growing pains with the young guys but depth wise the Habs have a nice options to run 3 lines

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I personally don't see any single inkiey that would seriously doom this team except for Weber. Price and Petry would hurt, but not as much as it would on previous years.

I mean... there's depth everywhere. On D we have 7 NHL calibre Ds. We have a durable backup goalie. We have 3 very good C with Evans and Poehling who can fill in on the short term. And we have a lot of depth on the wings.

Or course, if we're plagued with injuries, we're in trouble. But so are a lot of teams.

We'll see as things go. But right now, I see us being better than Florida, Ottawa, Detroit and Buffalo. And we'll see what Boston does. But this team is getting older very quickly and might fall off a cliff soon. Tampa will be worse...

We have a lot of depth, but aside from goalies, the team is made-up of mostly middlemen.

Even if you ADD moar depth, the same problem resides. Playing over their stations, the defense will still be pourous. Making it bigger wonXt change much, when it was already a big defense. Its major flaw is puck movement and unless Romanov can do what Mete did while playing bigger, or Mete retakes his place where he did really good until the very last moment from being removed, the major flaw will remain. Second major flaw is also still present as we're still missing better defensive players on the top 4, again, unless Romanov breaks out early.

The entire hope of having a better defense rests on Romanov being an instant success, or Mete getting back to where he was while being better still.

It could work, but it still won't be a great D.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Agree mostly...
I don't think the D "blows". It's a solid middle of the pack group unless Weber gets hurt.
If either of Romanov or Mete surprise and give us legit top-4 play, might even be a top tier group.

If that happens, it'll only be for a very short while as Weber and Petry aren't getting any younger.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

The Habs now have 10.9 million in cap space with ten forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies signed.

Presumably they will sign Mete as a 7th D (1 million), two UFAs for the 4th line (3 million), and Josh Anderson (4 million?), That will leave them 3 million in cap space with Jordan Weal as the 13th forward.

The off-season is mostly over unless Bergevin can miraculously offload one of Weal, Kulak, Byron, or perhaps even Drouin.

The year after will be difficult. Hopefully Seattle takes one of Chiarot or Edmundson, Allen gets replaced by a cheaper backup, and even then the team might need to lose one of Tatar or Danault.

Mete won't get much lower than 2 per.