Prospect Info: 2024 Montreal Canadiens Rookie Camp (September 11-17)

[SupRocket]

Going to tune in to watch the Engstrom - Reinbacher pairing

 

[Treb]

If memory serves (and it does), CC had 12pts (4 goals, 8 assists) in his only playoff appearance,, the 2021 SC run. Not exactly nothing,

And to add, this placed him 3rd on the team, behind Suzuki and Toffoli.

 

[Scintillating10]

Thats cray talk! but all the flowers are Mailloux right now

If Mailloux reports are accurate the '21 Draft going to be legendary for Habs. Considering they didn't draft until 31st. Kapanen getting rave reviews also and Roy's hockey smarts is outstanding

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

It's clearly not his top asset. When first drafted Mailloux was prone to playing a ball hockey type of defence. Instead of closing the gap, he would often try to mirror the attacking forward and adopt a blocking stance with his skates together and his stick positioned like a goaltender. While it may have worked against the teenagers in the OHL., NHL players, give the same time would go around Mailloux like he was a pillar of salt. I even suggested ( and received a level of derision) that maybe the Canadiens' management should consider moving Mallioux to forward.

He was better in his defensive approach and anticipation in the AHL as he became more aggressive in the defensive zone and closed the gap on opposing forwards more aggressively. From the limited videos that I was able to watch from the Rookie Camp, it would appear that there was more snap in Mailloux's skating and he used this improved mobility to be more aggressive in his defensive approach. But this improvement was still against rookie players. I'm interested to see how he plays against the Leafs' rookies and against true NHL competition during pre-season games.

Mailloux's effectiveness in the pre-season against superior competition will provide us with a better idea if he has recovered from the loss of development time due to COVID, suspension and injury. But his improved skating is very encouraging and, at least to this writer, hope that he is on the cusp of making the team. Ramage may well be correct in his assessment.

Awesome response to my question @ChesterNimitz . Thank you!

I agree his skating seems to looks good this year. Personally I’m not against him marinating a bit in the AHL is Barron sticks in the 3RD spot.

Does he make you think of anybody playing?

 

[Prairie Habs]

Paying your superstars and being top heavy is not the same thing.

Toronto's problem is not having superstar players, it's having 4 forwards paid like superstars. Cut one (or even two) off, replace with a 6M guy and redistribute the rest and it's a lot stronger team.

Edmonton's problems are not being superstars, it's bad contracts like Campbell and Nurse and drafting like potatoes. Since the McDavid draft (so 2016 onward), their best non-first round guys are Stuart Skinner, Ryan Mcleod and Vincent Desharnais. They had to fill their rosters with trades and UFA which is a lot pricier.


Pittsburgh got 3 Cups paying their superstars. It works, you just need to balance your roster properly.

Sort of. For their first cup malkin, staal, and letang were all still on their ELCs. Crosby was on the first year of his second contract, but that was about it.

After that they flamed out the playoffs every year including some bad losses to Philly and even to some 8th seed that no one that would even win a single game that playoffs. Other than concerns over MAF, the primary topic was always how they couldn't afford winger for Crosby and malkin.

By the time the were winning their next two cups the cap was much higher and c
Crosby was making almost 2M less that toews and kane. It's pretty easy to say "pay your stars" when one of the top 10 players of all time is willing to take less than other players he clearly better than.

 

[Treb]

Sort of. For their first cup malkin, staal, and letang were all still on their ELCs. Crosby was on the first year of his second contract, but that was about it.

After that they flamed out the playoffs every year including some bad losses to Philly and even to some 8th seed that no one that would even win a single game that playoffs. Other than concerns over MAF, the primary topic was always how they couldn't afford winger for Crosby and malkin.

By the time the were winning their next two cups the cap was much higher and c
Crosby was making almost 2M less that toews and kane. It's pretty easy to say "pay your stars" when one of the top 10 players of all time is willing to take less than other players he clearly better than.

Tampa Bay then if you prefer.

Pay your stars, get some good drafting, win Cup.

 

[Prairie Habs]

Tampa Bay then if you prefer.

Pay your stars, get some good drafting, win Cup.

Sure, but Tampa is also hard to replicate due to their tax advantage and almost all their top guys taking less to keep the team together. No one would ever argue against having high end skill on their team, it's just easier said than done to sign all your good players to good deals and then don't sign any depth players to bad deals.

 

[CaptainKirk]

Being outspoken and comfortable with the media was never a sine qua non condition for being a successful NHLer

Price and markov as examples

*2025 Home Opener Ceremony, centre ice*

“Je suis Nick Suzuki.”
“Je suis Cole Caufield.”
“David Rienbacher.”

*From the tunnel, Markov appears out of the shadows and nods*

 

[Treb]

Sure, but Tampa is also hard to replicate due to their tax advantage and almost all their top guys taking less to keep the team together. No one would ever argue against having high end skill on their team, it's just easier said than done to sign all your good players to good deals and then don't sign any depth players to bad deals.

Top guys taking less to keep the team together and good drafting....

I swear I saw that somewhere in the last 3 years...

 

[The Real Timo]

Top guys taking less to keep the team together and good drafting....

I swear I saw that somewhere in the last 3 years...

The leafs?

 

[Treb]

The leafs?

Correct country, wrong province. Try east.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Top guys taking less to keep the team together and good drafting....

I swear I saw that somewhere in the last 3 years...

Boston did the same. Without the tax advantage

 

[Harry Wong]

It's clearly not his top asset. When first drafted Mailloux was prone to playing a ball hockey type of defence. Instead of closing the gap, he would often try to mirror the attacking forward and adopt a blocking stance with his skates together and his stick positioned like a goaltender. While it may have worked against the teenagers in the OHL., NHL players, give the same time would go around Mailloux like he was a pillar of salt. I even suggested ( and received a level of derision) that maybe the Canadiens' management should consider moving Mallioux to forward.

He was better in his defensive approach and anticipation in the AHL as he became more aggressive in the defensive zone and closed the gap on opposing forwards more aggressively. From the limited videos that I was able to watch from the Rookie Camp, it would appear that there was more snap in Mailloux's skating and he used this improved mobility to be more aggressive in his defensive approach. But this improvement was still against rookie players. I'm interested to see how he plays against the Leafs' rookies and against true NHL competition during pre-season games.

Mailloux's effectiveness in the pre-season against superior competition will provide us with a better idea if he has recovered from the loss of development time due to COVID, suspension and injury. But his improved skating is very encouraging and, at least to this writer, hope that he is on the cusp of making the team. Ramage may well be correct in his assessment.

 

[Harry Wong]

Very comprehensive analysis of an intriguing prospect Chester. Well done

Even more intriguing to me is Florian X. A big 6'4"skilled centre with an edge. I tried to find your previous posts on this guy. I remeber reading some of your posts about him and would repectfully ask for you to keep an eye on this guy at prospect camp, and the main camp if he makes it, and give us your usual excellent take on him.

 

[Team_Spirit]

*2025 Home Opener Ceremony, centre ice*

“Je suis Nick Suzuki.”
“Je suis Cole Caufield.”
“David Rienbacher.”

*From the tunnel, Markov appears out of the shadows and nods*

 

[Treb]

Boston did the same. Without the tax advantage

Where did I talk about a tax advantage?

I'm not talking about Florida or any team that won the Cup in the last 30 years.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

Where did I talk about a tax advantage?

I'm not talking about Florida or any team that won the Cup in the last 30 years.

I’m referring to the thread man. Boston had the team buyin mentality with team friendly discounts to keep the core together

 

[JC Superstar]

I hate that they let Florian ar Center.

Let him create havoc on the wing.

Tuch-Beck-Xhekaj

The Legion of doom will create plenty of havoc with Florian at center.

 

[viceroy]

Toronto's problem is not having superstar players, it's having 4 forwards paid like superstars. Cut one (or even two) off, replace with a 6M guy and redistribute the rest and it's a lot stronger team.

Also the fact that their guys are all soft forwards. Imagine switching a Marner for a Brady Tkachuk and a Nylander for a Pietrangelo.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Actually, no, that's what you inferred.

No one said experinde isn't a valuable asset, but experience doesn't help win a faceoff in itself.

Its quite possible that Owen Beck is a better faceoff guy than Jake Evans or even Nick Suzuki.

So you understood what I meant? No need for the charade then.

This idea that experienced players are less likely to make mistakes vs younger players is out dated and it really only exists as such in hockey.

In soccer when there's a penalty to be taken, they don't send their most experienced, they send their best PK taker.

The Chicago Bears aren't going to sub out Caleb Williams on a game winning drive to plug in the veteran back up QB.

If we're using the example of the isolated game situation of faceoffs, coaches or most of them, prefer using veterans because it is comfortable for them (the coach), not necessarily because that veteran is a better option than a younger player (unless that young player just totally sucks at said faceoffs).

Its normal to be more at ease with trusting a task to someone you know, rather than someone you're not as familiar with.

I get it. But lets not act like its about anything else.

I don't know why you're still talking about faceoffs. We've already established that protecting a lead is much more than just winning a faceoff.

This idea that experienced players are less likely to make mistakes vs younger players is out dated and it really only exists as such in hockey.

That is complete nonsense. Humans learn and get better through experience and practice. That's not even something anyone can argue against.

You seriously think that a 20-year-old rookie Suzuki and a 25-year-old veteran Suzuki would make the same amount of mistakes? That those 5 years in the league haven't taught Suzuki what works and what doesn't? That those 373 games under his belt aren't going to keep him calmer during intense situations than when he had just started?

Experience isn't everything, but it's a major asset that helps a player deal better with difficult situations.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't know why you're still talking about faceoffs. We've already established that protecting a lead is much more than just winning a faceoff.



That is complete nonsense. Humans learn and get better through experience and practice. That's not even something anyone can argue against.

You seriously think that a 20-year-old rookie Suzuki and a 25-year-old veteran Suzuki would make the same amount of mistakes? That those 5 years in the league haven't taught Suzuki what works and what doesn't? That those 373 games under his belt aren't going to keep him calmer during intense situations than when he had just started?

Experience isn't everything, but it's a major asset that helps a player deal better with difficult situations.

I think the point being made is that a 19 year old Patric Bergeron is a better deployment than a 26 Year old Galchenyuk when trying to defend a lead.

Experience doesn't automatically make someone better than another. It helps, but there are exceptions.

As there would be when you have a talent like Demidov and you are down a goal. It doesn't matter how much experience Randulic gets, he's never gonna be a better offensive threat than a 18 year old Demidov.

 

[Doom Bot]

On a similar note I recently found out that Tony Marinaro is 5'9.5". He said so on an episode of his podcast.

Vertically?

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

I think the point being made is that a 19 year old Patric Bergeron is a better deployment than a 26 Year old Galchenyuk when trying to defend a lead.

Experience doesn't automatically make someone better than another. It helps, but there are exceptions.

As there would be when you have a talent like Demidov and you are down a goal. It doesn't matter how much experience Randulic gets, he's never gonna be a better offensive threat than a 18 year old Demidov.

Weirdly enough Demigod is already getting benched. Apparently making someone a better person is not unique to Michel Therrien...

 

[Paddyjack]

Is it me or nothing is happening? Camp started 2 days ago and nobody is reporting anything on ice. I understand the first day is physical tests but what about yesterday? I'M STARRRVED!!!! GIMME SOMETHING!

 

[Habs Halifax]

Going to tune in to watch the Engstrom - Reinbacher pairing

Prelude to the AHL pairing this season? Maybe