Question for you. Habs have - if I read things right - have seven picks in the first three rounds of 2025.
Let’s say they pick 12th.
Would you lean toward moving/bundling that
No. 12 ( with a 2nd, and/or a young D) for an established player?
I just can’t imagine they’d hang on to all seven.
It really depends on who is out there. For Zegras next year? No. I think it's always a good idea to have a full pool now and be able to have ELC contributors as more of the core takes up the cap.
Would it be more palatable if we drafted for Parekh instead?
I'd be pretty pissed if we skip on a potential superstar winger again when we need offensive power in our top 6, but getting the potential best offensive defensemen of the class is not a bad consolation prize?
I just don't know who we play on PP1. Do we just put both Hutson and Parekh? When was the last time a team had 2 really good offensive defensemen in their lineup? Preds with Josi and Subban?
I'm trying to play gymnastics in my head and convince myself it's "fine" if Demidov is skipped on, but man I just hope Hughes doesn't overthink it this year.
Parekh more palatable than Buium for sure, there's way more space for options on the right and Parekh is truly special offensively. I can't make sense of how they'd structure the PP and it gets redundant there too but at least it's the less crowded side and a guy with an actual elite quality to him.
Helenius getting overlooked. Prepare yourselves muchachos.
Thank god we aren't taking him.
The complete lack of noise about Iginla tempered my expectations significantly.
I think both Iginla and Sennecke remain in the conversation if Lindstrom and Demidov are gone.
Arpon said both the Sharks and Habs had hockey reasons to pass over Michkov. Arizona because he had no interest in meeting them.
He’s not as infallible as a lot of posters make him out to be.
He's the closest to the team we got. He of course can be wrong but I certainly don't love the change in tune after coming back from the combine. That info and change comes from somewhere somehow. Maybe it's just from the doubt of other teams.
If you want Demidov you have to be comfortable with:
A) He plays a third year in the MHL and stunts his development for a 2nd straight year.
Or
B) Signs a contract extension with SKA so he can play KHL and possibly not come over for 3-4 years.
All this while possibly passing up first a pairing defenseman like Buium, or other forwards in Sennecke or Iginla where you have almost full control of their development and get to interact with them whenever you want.
I'm comfortable. We passed up this chance before we shouldn't do it again. If I have to wait for a Kaprizov level impact I got no issues with that. Last thing I want to do is sell low on a Cutter Gauthier because every team sees me coming a mile away that I can't play all my young defenseman.
If Demidov is gone i would not be mad if we select Iggy over Lindstrom
I would be mad but it's not a consideration. Lindstrom looks to be their option A.
