HF Habs: 2023 Roster, Schedule & Standings Thread

[BaseballCoach]

Need two big pieces like Suzuki/Caufield quality. One up front and one on D. We need a PP QB and a top notch type.

Would be nice to get Adam Fantilli. Off to a great start in the NCAA at age 18. 8 pts in 4 games with 1 goal.

Suzuki 13th OA, Caufield 15th OA and Guhle 16th OA.

It's more important to get as many 1st round picks as we can than to obsess over our draft rank, and get upset if the team does better tha expected.

Here are the nine first round picks on our roster (Price excluded):

Guhle (own pick)
Matheson (we included a former 1st round pick in trade to acquire)
Slafkovsky (own pick)
Dach (we included a former high 2nd round pick in trade to acquire)
Drouin (we included a former 1st round pick in trade to acquire)
Monahan (took on cap dump to get him)
Suzuki (we included a former 1st round pick in trade to acquire)
Caufield (own pick)
Armia (took on cap dump to get him)

 

[Habs Halifax]

Suzuki 13th OA, Caufield 15th OA qand Guhle 16th OA.

It's more important to get as many 1st round picks as we can than to obsess over our draft rank, and get upset if the team does better tha expected.

100% agree. Too much Tank Fever going around right now.

The focus should be to improve each game and to draft/develop well. Let the pick fall where it falls and sell spare assets or expiring contracts where you can

 

[BaseballCoach]

Yup! We have better options this year on D and it will get better when Eddy and Matheson are back. Surely, there will be other injuries

* Matheson is likely better than what Petry provided last year (with Ducharme)
* Guhle is already providing more value than Romanov... in my opinion
* Savard is Savard
* Harris is one year older and improving game/game
* Xhekaj looks very mature for his age and experience. Much better than what Shu, Niku, Norlinder, etc provided last year.
* Kovacevic > Kulak

Kovacevic is a different kind of player, but not better than Kulak overall. But moving Kulak at the TDL got us the chance to draft Hutson, so even though I would prefer Kulak to Savard, I understand that at his age, Savard did not comman similar value, and the club's plans were to stockpile first and second round picks.

Kovacevic is a decent stopgap until our younger guys are ready, but I would not overvalue him just yet.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Kovacevic is a different kind of player, but not better than Kulak overall. But moving Kulak at the TDL got us the chance to draft Hutson, so even though I would prefer Kulak to Savard, I understand that at his age, Savard did not comman similar value, and the club's plans were to stockpile first and second round picks.

Kovacevic is a decent stopgap until our younger guys are ready, but I would not overvalue him just yet.

Kovacevic is going to be better than Kulak (my opinion and I did defended Kulak more than other fans). He's showing more with less NHL games played and he is younger and at that begging range of 25-30 years.

I believe Kulak came to the Habs around the same age as Kovacevic. I like Kovacevic puck management and I believe he is ahead of Kulak in that area.

 

[Lshap]

Suzuki 13th OA, Caufield 15th OA and Guhle 16th OA.

It's more important to get as many 1st round picks as we can than to obsess over our draft rank, and get upset if the team does better tha expected.

I'm thrilled the Habs' scouting has found good players and a legit star in the mid-round, but let's not ignore the transformational value of getting a true franchise player. By all accounts, a top-3 pick in 2023 could be something we haven't had in forever – a superstar. That's worth letting some air out of the tires, even if you don't want to outright crash.

Best scenario would be our kids develop well, Allen misses a couple of months, leaving poor Montembault as our sacrificial lamb.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm thrilled the Habs' scouting has found good players and a legit star in the mid-round, but let's not ignore the transformational value of getting a true franchise player. By all accounts, a top-3 pick in 2023 could be something we haven't had in forever – a superstar. That's worth letting some air out of the tires, even if you don't want to outright crash.

Best scenario would be our kids develop well, Allen misses a couple of months, leaving poor Montembault as our sacrificial lamb.

Well said. It will be interesting to see how this season unfolds. MSL wants to improve as the season moves along and Gorton/Hughes are focused on development but what actually happens is guess work in terms of who we trade, who gets injured, and what younger players rise or fall.

Allen getting injured for a few months would help a "tank". I actually thought about that last week. Monty can't sustain that level of pressure

 

[Vachon23]

Kovacevic is a different kind of player, but not better than Kulak overall. But moving Kulak at the TDL got us the chance to draft Hutson, so even though I would prefer Kulak to Savard, I understand that at his age, Savard did not comman similar value, and the club's plans were to stockpile first and second round picks.

Kovacevic is a decent stopgap until our younger guys are ready, but I would not overvalue him just yet.

Personally, I have:
Savard

Kulak
Kovacevic

Wasn't the biggest Kulak fan, far from that, but he was more valuable then Kovacevic. Savard has a step on those guys. He's not in the good chair since he's with the Habs on a 1st pair, but he's valuable when he's a #4-5

 

[Habs Halifax]

What's Ekblad's injury this time? I believe we should see an update today and if it's minor or long term.

If it's long term, Panthers are in trouble. D will be very thin

 

[26Mats]

Personally, I have:
Savard

Kulak
Kovacevic

Wasn't the biggest Kulak fan, far from that, but he was more valuable then Kovacevic. Savard has a step on those guys. He's not in the good chair since he's with the Habs on a 1st pair, but he's valuable when he's a #4-5

In the little I've been able to see this year, Savard looks a lot better with the lost weight. Have you noticed this?

 

[Vachon23]

In the little I've been able to see this year, Savard looks a lot better with the lost weight. Have you noticed this?

Yep. a full summer of training was benefit for a veteran player like Savard. I have nothing bad to say about him this season honestly (if you consider his limitation and the player he is)

What's Ekblad's injury this time? I believe we should see an update today and if it's minor or long term.

If it's long term, Panthers are in trouble. D will be very thin

Man part of me want the inury to be a long-term but the other part of me who choose Ekblad in pool (I took him late, he was an home run swing) don't want him to be injured haha

 

[Habs Halifax]

In the little I've been able to see this year, Savard looks a lot better with the lost weight. Have you noticed this?

Looks the same to me if I'm being honest. Savard is steady and what you see is what you get.

How much weight did he loose?

 

[BaseballCoach]

Personally, I have:
Savard

Kulak
Kovacevic

Wasn't the biggest Kulak fan, far from that, but he was more valuable then Kovacevic. Savard has a step on those guys. He's not in the good chair since he's with the Habs on a 1st pair, but he's valuable when he's a #4-5

Savard was #6 in TB and it's two seasons later now. His contract of $3.5M for 3 more seasons is not very tradeable, but he does seem like a good guy and low maintenance.

 

[26Mats]

Yep. a full summer of training was benefit for a veteran player like Savard. I have nothing bad to say about him this season honestly (if you consider his limitation and the player he is)


Man part of me want the inury to be a long-term but the other part of me who choose Ekblad in pool (I took him late, he was an home run swing) don't want him to be injured haha

I know we need vets, but I want to finish bottom 5 this year. Trading good players like Edmundson and/or Monahan and maybe Savard either this year or next could get us 1sts and help us get a top 5 pick. I think Hughes MAY look to do that if Dvorak and Anderson stagnate.

Savard was #6 in TB and it's two seasons later now. His contract of $3.5M for 3 more seasons is not very tradeable, but he does seem like a good guy and low maintenance.

I've only seen a little bit, but he seems this year like that big steady dman that teams loom for for a playoff run. I cou kml d see him getting us a 1st at some point like Chiarot did.

 

[HostileCapSpace]

No alarms, anyone expecting us to be the worst team again is setting unrealistic expectations.

We just need to be around the bottom 5. Gives us good lotto odds and ensures a top talent in the draft even if we get bumped back twice.

Yup, a reminder of what the odds were last year. Last place team has a bit of a statistical advantage but otherwise it basically boils down to pure luck. I mean, difference between say 9.5% and 6 or 5 is nothing. We were lucky to even win last year.

Draft Lottery Participants (Odds) ​

1. Montreal Canadiens (18.5 per cent)

2. Arizona Coyotes (13.5 per cent)

3. Seattle Kraken (11.5 per cent)

4. Philadelphia Flyers (9.5 per cent)

5. New Jersey Devils (8.5 per cent)

6. Chicago Blackhawks* (7.5 per cent)

7. Ottawa Senators (6.5 per cent)

8. Detroit Red Wings (6 per cent)

9. Buffalo Sabres (5 per cent)

10. Anaheim Ducks (3.5 per cent)

11. San Jose Sharks (3 per cent)

12. Columbus Blue Jackets (2.5 per cent)

13. New York Islanders (2 per cent)

14. Winnipeg Jets (1.5 per cent)

15. Vancouver Canucks (0.5 per cent)

16. Vegas Golden Knights** (0.5 per cent)

 

[Vachon23]

Savard was #6 in TB and it's two seasons later now. His contract of $3.5M for 3 more seasons is not very tradeable, but he does seem like a good guy and low maintenance.

I think he was more there #5 and Ruuta was their #6 but it's a minor detail and both Kulak/Kovacevic would't have been in the top 7 in that Tampa teams. I agree that I don't think he will interest that much teams with his contract but at the same time, I do think he's a keeper. Really good vet wth young kids (just look at what Werenski/Romanov/Guhle said about him), plays on the RD what is something difficult to find and he's local.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Just something that could help Montreal when it comes to Florida's unprotected 1st:

 

[Redux91]

Just something that could help Montreal when it comes to Florida's unprotected 1st:

+trading away Weegar lol
Looking like a better and better pick everyday

 

[Adam Michaels]

So he will be out for long, but not long enough where his cap relief will be beneficial to the Panthers, according to Seravalli.

 

[HostileCapSpace]

+trading away Weegar lol
Looking like a better and better pick everyday

I just want them to miss the playoffs. Go "insert any Atlantic Division team other than Florida"!

 

[WeThreeKings]

I just want them to miss the playoffs. Go "insert any Atlantic Division team other than Florida"!

Ottawa and Buffalo, get your shit together.

Tampa, too.

 

[Redux91]

Ottawa and Buffalo, get your shit together.

Tampa, too.

Buffalo looks not bad a lil bit
Ottawa finally scored 7 and the offense might of woken up

But tampa is LOL, f*** em

 

[Vachon23]

So he will be out for long, but not long enough where his cap relief will be beneficial to the Panthers, according to Seravalli.

Do they still have asset to trade though ? haha

 

[Adam Michaels]

Do they still have asset to trade though ? haha

Nick Cousins.

 

[MtlSars]

Ben Chiarot is the gift that keeps on giving! I don't wish injuries or misfortune to any of their players, just the team in general......

Let's get us another 1st in 2023 and we will be in business sooner than later.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Harris & Xhekaj are moving in together, while Slafkovsky gets a billet family.