2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Jaynki]

Fair enough but this draft is loaded with top F prospects. I'd rather try to get our crown jewel.

I Agree.

This being said, depending where we draft and who is off the board.

We might be better served by going Reinbacher 1st and a forward with FLA picks. There might not be a lot of difference between the player picker 12-15 and the player picked 6-7.

 

[KevSkillz4]

No defensemen shall be drafted by the Habs in the first round.

The only D that Habs can draft after the top 6 (if pick is between 7-11), David Reinbacher would be a SOLID pick. No doubt. You like a lot Kaiden Guhle? You will like too a LOT David Reinbacher, that type of D, it's not by trade your acquire that, it's by drafting them high at draft.

 

[le_sean]

Fair enough but this draft is loaded with top F prospects. I'd rather try to get our crown jewel.

Maybe they see that there is a better chance of a good forward dropping to the FLA pick than there is a good defenceman.

 

[NewEraGM]

Brian Wilde was more specific on the radio. His "guy with size" is Reinbacher. Still calling BS on his info but food for thought

Yea he thinks Reinbacher is the habs guy but I too I’m calling BS on Brian. He has zero connections other than Grant McCagg.

What’s particularly alarming is why he’s not saying who it is. Insiders always say that team A is looking at player X, so I don’t know why he’s not doing the same. He’s not a Hab employee. He’s just a media guy for the most part who parrots whatever Grant says

 

[WeThreeKings]

I've been saying for a month now that we are going to reach for him no matter what, so our draft position doesn't really matter in top-8.

I love Reinbacher, just not over Michkov for me.

Now Brian Wilde is implying the exact same thing, that Hughes loves Reinbacher and will pick him no matter what. Seems like McCagg has implied the same thing too. Feels like it's almost a slam dunk with this management team

Wilde knows as much as you or I who Hughes will take.

 

[SlafySZN]

Wilde knows as much as you or I who Hughes will take.

Exactly, lol.

No one knows anything about the habs. Hughes keeps his moves very close. Why would Wilde, of all people know who the habs wants 4 months before the draft when we don’t even know where we’ll pick yet.

The reinbacher thing started when Hughes said he booked a trip to Switzerland and people started saying he was going to see him play. When in reality they most likely booked a trip there to go watch the U18… Wilde always goes with those kind of rumours without checking if it’s true.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Exactly, lol.

No one knows anything about the habs. Hughes keeps his moves very close. Why would Wilde, of all people know who the habs wants 4 months before the draft when we don’t even know where we’ll pick yet.

The reinbacher thing started when Hughes said he booked a trip to Switzerland and people started saying he was going to see him play. When in reality they most likely booked a trip there to go watch the U18… Wilde always goes with those kind of rumours without checking if it’s true.

To be fair I could see the Org targeting Smith & Reinbacher

 

[SlafySZN]

To be fair I could see the Org targeting Smith & Reinbacher

Oh, they very well can. I just think it’s a guessing game, Wilde doesn’t know more than us.

 

[SwiftyHab]

But if he stays in Russia he can pull a Kaprizov and sign a 2 year entry level deal at the end of his current 3 year contract. He could then play the 1st year of the contract in the KHL at a much higher salary than his ELC will pay him and only come over in the 2nd and final year of his ELC which will walk him straight to RFA status where he can leverage the KHL against his NHL club.

Kaprizov received a 45 million/5 year (9M AAV) contract after just one season in Minnesota where he put up 51 points in 55 games.......this is 100% what rival GM's will be mulling over before selecting him. This only happened 18 months ago so the same CBA is in place and Michkov has the exact same options.

It will take a big balled GM with a very trusting owner to pull the trigger and select him in the top 5 and maybe even the top 10.

This is going to be the most interesting discussion that the hAbs will have this year with the Florida pick. Too risky to take but too risky to pass on too.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

To be fair I could see the Org targeting Smith & Reinbacher

Part of the premise is that Hughes isn't going to be picking Smith -- he knows him too well from coaching him before.

If HuGo have reasons to pass on Smith and Benson, Reinbacher becomes the easy pick via process of elimination.

And since I believe that HuGo will be passing on Smith, Benson, and Michkov (hope not), there's a chance everyone in the next tier of forwards could be available with the Panthers pick

I mean I hope we come out of this draft with Reinbacher, I just have that gut feeling we're picking him a little too early. But if we do pick him I'll become his biggest fan

 

[Frozenice]

It’s starting to look like Reinbacher and Leonard for our picks.

I’d been hoping for Benson and Danielson but what can you do.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

But on the flip side I'm pretty sure every Gorton pick inside the top-12 has been atrocious

But on the flip side, none of those have been dmen.

Pretty sure anyways.

In the top 12 that is

 

[phillytennis]

I'd be ok with Reinbacher at Florida's pick (assuming 12-16). With our pick we need an impact F.

With Benson injury and his size, I expect him to drop out of the top 10...I think we should pick him if he's available with our Florida pick...though, we might decide to avoid him altogether because of Caufield, Farrell and Hudson in our future lineup...they may think that they have enough small guys.

 

[KevSkillz4]

A great consolation prize if Habs don't draft top 6!

 

[jellybeans]

It would be so foolish to pick a def with our first pick with all the good forwards available maybe with Florida's first you go for a def and even then it should be 2 forwards with our 1rst this year.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Part of the premise is that Hughes isn't going to be picking Smith -- he knows him too well from coaching him before.

If HuGo have reasons to pass on Smith and Benson, Reinbacher becomes the easy pick via process of elimination.

And since I believe that HuGo will be passing on Smith, Benson, and Michkov (hope not), there's a chance everyone in the next tier of forwards could be available with the Panthers pick

I mean I hope we come out of this draft with Reinbacher, I just have that gut feeling we're picking him a little too early. But if we do pick him I'll become his biggest fan

Constructing a premise that Hughes won't take Smith because you believe that he knows him too well make zero sense....less than zero if that was possible lol.

This sounds like a premise constructed with the sole purpose of justifying your desire to rake Reinbacher because it is entirely irrational. Hughes traded for Smilanic because he knew the kid and the family and signed Harris who he knew quite well.

Knowledge is a valuable commodity that organizations invest a lot of money in with their scouting budget...too insinuate that they could know too much is beyond asinine.

 

[le_sean]

Constructing a premise that Hughes won't take Smith because you believe that he knows him too well make zero sense....less than zero if that was possible lol.

This sounds like a premise constructed with the sole purpose of justifying your desire to rake Reinbacher because it is entirely irrational. Hughes traded for Smilanic because he knew the kid and the family and signed Harris who he knew quite well.

Knowledge is a valuable commodity that organizations invest a lot of money in with their scouting budget...too insinuate that they could know too much is beyond asinine.

I don’t think it makes zero sense. If Hughes sees that Smith hasn’t changed his bad habits since he was a kid, then what are the chances further coaching will change him? Smith will drop because of the lack of motor, elite skating and defensive play. Maybe he can fix skating on his own, but if he hasn’t been open to fixing the other two, who is to say he will ever be?

He’s known Cooley a long time and didn’t really bother considering him with the 1st pick.

 

[phillytennis]

It would be so foolish to pick a def with our first pick with all the good forwards available maybe with Florida's first you go for a def and even then it should be 2 forwards with our 1rst this year.

I agree...our strength is on defense...we need high end forward talent.

 

[le_sean]

I agree...our strength is on defense...we need high end forward talent.

Defence is not a strength. Our goalies have to make 10 bell saves on the regular and the team gives up over 30 shots a game.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I don’t think it makes zero sense. If Hughes sees that Smith hasn’t changed his bad habits since he was a kid, then what are the chances further coaching will change him? Smith will drop because of the lack of motor, elite skating and defensive play. Maybe he can fix skating on his own, but if he hasn’t been open to fixing the other two, who is to say he will ever be?

He’s known Cooley a long time and didn’t really bother considering him with the 1st pick.

He admitted that they concentrated on Slaf, Cooley and Wright for 1st OA which is backed up by the fact that they interviewed Cooley.

The original poster was insinuating that Hughes is too close to Smith.....at least that is how I read it.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Smith's skating or his motor. He is a plus skater with high end IQ, puck skills and owns an NHL caliber shot/release. The narrative about his motor is the same that was said about Suzuki, Marner, Thornton etc but it was just a conflation with players who can slow the game down and play a cerebral style. This is what separates them from guys who skate with there hair on fire but accomplish nothing.

There is always risk with any player and Smith clearly is not perfect but imo he is the best prospect outside of the consensus top 4.

 

[Jaynki]

It’s starting to look like Reinbacher and Leonard for our picks.

I’d been hoping for Benson and Danielson but what can you do.

Reinbacher and Leonard (or Moore) would be a hell of a draft !

I honestly doubt tho that both Leonard and Moore are available when we are coming on stages for FLA pick.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

He admitted that they concentrated on Slaf, Cooley and Wright for 1st OA which is backed up by the fact that they interviewed Cooley.

The original poster was insinuating that Hughes is too close to Smith.....at least that is how I read it.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Smith's skating or his motor. He is a plus skater with high end IQ, puck skills and owns an NHL caliber shot/release. The narrative about his motor is the same that was said about Suzuki, Marner, Thornton etc but it was just a conflation with players who can slow the game down and play a cerebral style. This is what separates them from guys who skate with there hair on fire but accomplish nothing.

There is always risk with any player and Smith clearly is not perfect but imo he is the best prospect outside of the consensus top 4.

I'm not saying that he's too close to Smith to pick him for fear of nepotism concerns (which is why he didn't consider picking his son last year)

I'm saying that he's known Smith's game and character for a very long time, so he has a good understanding of how he's stacked up with his peers over time.

This is a management group that picked Slafkovsky over Wright because he made them giggle, and there aren't very many 14-15 year old boys I know that impress adult men with their character and leadership abilities.

 

[Goldenhands]

Defence is not a strength. Our goalies have to make 10 bell saves on the regular and the team gives up over 30 shots a game.

Well, with Guhle, Hutson, Engstrom, Mailloux, Barron, Xhekaj, its starting to look pretty good, but there is no guarentee any of our top D prospects end up as top pairing material, I think we still need a top pairing level D who can log 20-25 mins/game and can be trusted in any situations, which I think Reinbacher can become. Guhle Reinbacher would be a sick top pairing, pretty hard to face, solid in transition and dangerous offensively.

I think it all comes to PLD, if they are confident to sign him, there is no need to draft a center early, so Reinbacher becomes a logical option, possibly the best one IMO. If they dont know what Dubois's plans really are, then I could see Dvorsky or Danielson as other options. I dont think they will pick a winger with their own pick, unless Carlsson drops.

 

[Mrb1p]

I was watching some footage of USDP and I must say that I just realized that Leonard would be a pretty seamless fit on the opposite wing of Caufield.

Im sad the Habs did not get a pick inside 10-20. Could've been a real f***ing draft with Reinbacher-Leonard-Cristall.

Hits literally every need, stud D that can pretty much mirror Guhle on any pairing and potentially pair with Hutson, high-energy "power" forward that can seemelessly fit in with the teams best winger and high octane forward that gives the Habs a shot at a top 10 C/W in the league.

 

[Mrb1p]

Well, with Guhle, Hutson, Engstrom, Mailloux, Barron, Xhekaj, its starting to look pretty good, but there is no guarentee any of our top D prospects end up as top pairing material, I think we still need a top pairing level D who can log 20-25 mins/game and can be trusted in any situations, which I think Reinbacher can become. Guhle Reinbacher would be a sick top pairing, pretty hard to face, solid in transition and dangerous offensively.

I think it all comes to PLD, if they are confident to sign him, there is no need to draft a center early, so Reinbacher becomes a logical option, possibly the best one IMO. If they dont really know what Dubois's plans really are, then I could see Dvorsky or Danielson as other options. I dont think they will pick a winger with their own pick, unless Carlsson drops.

Hutson, Mailloux and Engstrom are all pretty far from being sure thing in the NHL.

Guhle is a 1D to me so Im not too pressed for a D, but if the Habs are gonna go the "no elite forward" way again, we better have the modern PK/Markov again. Guhle+Reinbacher could both anchor their pairings for 50 minutes of the game and give the Habs top 30 D quality play.

Basically, theres four ways the Habs can compete out of this draft:
1. Draft top 4.
2. Draft a 1D and hope the supporting cast offense can allow for a win (Anaheim style.)
3. Draft a forward that will magically become elite. (I guess Benson/Cristall can be this, but I wouldn't bet the house on this.
4. Somehow get the 2nd coming of Carey Price again.