Confirmed with Link: Canadiens Will Pick 5th (Hughes Presser in OP) NO POLITICS

[River Meadow]

27 in 80 with Col, champ

Is 28 over 30 champ?

;/

 

[Redux91]

...I know we're on our way back, amigo; I just really think Michkov might be the best Russsian draft pick in a long time...

Oh he totally is.
It sucks. It does.
But I take solace in the fact that, again at least we aren't the ONLY people passing on him
We just cant get KILLED for this alone while everyone else INCLUDING Anaheim, Columbus and San Jose get this free pass from all the jokes

 

[Runner77]

I trust the consensus more than any specific team’s scouting dept — especially and particularly the Habs’ who haven’t had any notable success drafting productive forwards in a very long time.

Now some will say that HuGo deserve a clean slate but my response is simple: until the results change we cannot just assume these new bosses are better at drafting than the general consensus. It requires actual evidence.

Sure but past management contingents have zero to do with how HuGo and their appointees conduct business.

Past Habs execs. failed in securing a bevy of productive forwards for some 3 decades. Doesn’t mean the new guys will do the same.

 

[Vachon23]

another “character” player

We rarely drafted high character kid in the 1st round in the past 10-15 years..

Don't know why some says that we draft to much of those... First you never draft high character kid and 2nd it's totally the opposite

The only high character kids we draft during the past 10-15 years are:

Noah Juulsen
Cole Caufield
Kaiden Guhle

2/3 have work pretty well and the other one wasn't lucky with injuries

 

[Redux91]

Is 28 over 30 champ?

;/

So you're one of "those" people eh

Ok so help me out here, champ.
Thought experiment time.
You're gonna have to use your imagination , or draw it on a piece of paper. Whatever helps you out more.

Say I have, like, a 30 gallon tank. Right?
And I fill that tank with, let's say, 28 gallons of water.

Would the tank appear almost full to you? Or does the tank appear more empty to you.

 

[Runner77]

...I know we're on our way back, amigo; I just really think Michkov might be the best Russsian draft pick in a long time...

He also needs to be the best at escaping the KHL, which of course is at the crux of Hughes’ risk assessment.

 

[Milhouse40]

I’ve seen your comments on Michkov in recent weeks. I don’t think you apply the same strenuous approach to any other non-Russian player.

We aren’t sure anybody will succeed and we aren’t sure anybody will be in the NHL in three years. Happy now?

It got 0 to do with him being Russian but 100% to do with that 3 years deal.

Not one or two.....but 3 freaking years. He's freaking NHL ready.
If we would pick Michkov, without that contract, he's playing with the Habs next year.

If we were talking about a mid-prospect picked in the lower round, not NHLready, no problem it's fine, sign that 3 years deal.....

You guys seems so sure he will be there in 3 years.....but he just said NO to the NHL for 3 years without even letting the team that will draft him a chance to talk to him.

How can a kid with the dream of playing in the NHL, that could play next year, says no thanks for 3 more years???????????

With the bonuses , he would make even more money. I just don't get it!
That's a MAJOR red flag to me and yet, no one came up with an answer that make senses.

 

[ReHabs]

Sure but past management contingents have zero to do with how HuGo and their appointees conduct business.

Past Habs execs. failed in securing a bevy of productive forwards for some 3 decades. Doesn’t mean the new guys will do the same.

Of course this is true but changing the culture of an organization as conservative and pompous as the Habs is going to take longer than two years even IF the new guys (under the same bad owner) are full throttle into changing it.

There are many sports franchises and clubs that have awfully consistent processes and results despite various management and ownership changes. I think it’s rather optimistic to think if there is a change it’ll be reflected immediately.

All that said — let’s hope! Hope springs eternal. Hope Hutson continues to impress, Beck earns a spot, Mešar impresses in whatever league he plays, and so on.

It got 0 to do with him being Russian but 100% to do with that 3 years deal.

Not one or two.....but 3 freaking years. He's freaking NHL ready.
If we would pick Michkov, without that contract, he's playing with the Habs next year.

If we were talking about a mid-prospect picked in the lower round, not NHLready, no problem it's fine, sign that 3 years deal.....

You guys seems so sure he will be there in 3 years.....but he just said NO to the NHL for 3 years without even letting the team that will draft him a chance to talk to him.

How can a kid with the dream of playing in the NHL, that could play next year, says no thanks for 3 more years???????????

With the bonuses , he would make even more money. I just don't get it!
That's a MAJOR red flag to me and yet, no one came up with an answer that make senses.

So you’re against drafting NCAA players as well?

Three years wait for a 17/18 year old is no big deal — it is a natural impediment to rushing the player. If he can cook in the KHL as a 19/20 year olds then his odds of busting in the NHL are even smaller. I don’t see how that is a red flag at all.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Lehkonen was a ridiculous goal scorer in junior too...

TPS U20 2011-2012 - Roster, Stats & more

TPS U20 - U20 SM-liiga - hockey team page with roster, stats, transactions at eliteprospects.com

www.eliteprospects.com

Lehkonen is a good player and is definitely more skilled than ppl here gave him credit for. He simply never had and still does not have Leonard's hands, passing ability, or shot. It just doesn't fit as a comparable beyond "good two way forward that works hard" which is just extremely vague and could describe dozens and dozens of players.

The difference between their playstyle, passing ability, shot, and overall hands is evident from like a minute of highlights.

 

[ReHabs]

That article saying SJ likely taking Smith bummed me out. I just know Habs will not draft Michkov and go for another “character” player that will be a middle 6 or 4 player. Forgoing Michkov would be a massive mistake that I truly hope this management won’t make. Until shown otherwise, I have to think they’ll take Leonard as a Gally replacement and not add a Kucherov level talent in Michkov.

Why not the Canadian Kucherov, Zach Benson?

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Why not the Canadian Kucherov, Zach Benson?

...because the Russian one is better, imo...BPA...everything else is secondary...

 

[Runner77]

Of course this is true but changing the culture of an organization as conservative and pompous as the Habs is going to take longer than two years even IF the new guys (under the same bad owner) are full throttle into changing it.

There is also addition by subtraction as Geoff the fake hockey exec., is a lot less involved in the day to day hockey ops. compared to when he was Bergevin's direct overseer while prioritizing hotdog dissemination.

 

[Rapala]

Well, that settles all debates

All those threatening to leave can now depart. The exit is that way.
vvv

 

[Runner77]

All those threatening to leave can now depart. The exit is that way.
vvv

Tactic has been used on this forum since time immemorial.

However, we all know how it ends …

 

[ReHabs]

There is also addition by subtraction as Geoff the fake hockey exec., is a lot less involved in the day to day hockey ops. compared to when he was Bergevin's direct overseer while prioritizing hotdog dissemination.

Let’s hope so. We recently learned that having an Uber-professionalized back office like the MLSE do with the Leafs is just as bad as the cowboy Geoff Molson style. Whatever works… but until it works I won’t just assume it’s working well.

..because the Russian one is better, imo...BPA...everything else is secondary...

My (meta meta analysis and therefore worthless to everyone analysis) order is as follows:
Michkov
Benson
Smith

Everyone else is irrelevant at 5OA.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Let’s hope so. We recently learned that having an Uber-professionalized back office like the MLSE do with the Leafs is just as bad as the cowboy Geoff Molson style. Whatever works… but until it works I won’t just assume it’s working well.


My (meta meta analysis and therefore worthless to everyone analysis) order is as follows:
Michkov
Benson
Smith

Everyone else is irrelevant at 5OA.

...if Michkov is available at #5, everyone else is irrelevant, imo...

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Why? What guarantee do we have?
Are you 100% sure this kid is a 100+ points player in the NHL?

That's question two.....cause question one is: Are you 100% sure this kid will play in the NHL in 3 years?

Answer is both no.


And he got fired too.
Having said that, this franchise isn't an entity and although you truly believe Michkov is the next McDavid, there's equal chances he end up just being a good 60 points players, this is a fact many of you refuse to see cause you think you know and you don't

No offense, but then what's the point of any discussion at all?

Obviously we won't know how any of this truly turned out for several years. As it stands today, outside of the Russian factor everything (data, eye test, performance) points to Michkov being a can't miss prospect

 

[morhilane]

I don't know why that Dobber report is shocking. Benson has been ranked higher than Leonard and in the same tier as Smith, if not higher, all season

I don't think the shocking part of the Dobber rankings is the top 10 personally.

 

[Goldenhands]

Lehkonen is a good player and is definitely more skilled than ppl here gave him credit for. He simply never had and still does not have Leonard's hands, passing ability, or shot. It just doesn't fit as a comparable beyond "good two way forward that works hard" which is just extremely vague and could describe dozens and dozens of players.

The difference between their playstyle, passing ability, shot, and overall hands is evident from like a minute of highlights.

I think prime Dustin Brown, Adam Deadmarsh, Patrick Sharp are all good comparables for Leonard, he is in the same mold as those guys.

 

[Runner77]

Let’s hope so. We recently learned that having an Uber-professionalized back office like the MLSE do with the Leafs is just as bad as the cowboy Geoff Molson style. Whatever works… but until it works I won’t just assume it’s working well.

Isn’t MLSE a behemoth owning several sports franchises? They also seem to be extremely intrusive and are not good at delegating (based on how Leaf management has operated).

The Molsons are mostly about beer, real estate and the Habs. They don’t have another pro sports franchise to run and ownership appears to want to let their hockey people make hockey decisions by appointing two of them at the highest level.

I see a departure from past business practices but I get how you feel burned as a fan and are skeptical. I’m more trustworthy, willing to give these new guys the benefit of the doubt but if they should f*** up badly, that will erode quickly.

 

[Kennerback]

It got 0 to do with him being Russian but 100% to do with that 3 years deal.

Not one or two.....but 3 freaking years. He's freaking NHL ready.
If we would pick Michkov, without that contract, he's playing with the Habs next year.

If we were talking about a mid-prospect picked in the lower round, not NHLready, no problem it's fine, sign that 3 years deal.....

You guys seems so sure he will be there in 3 years.....but he just said NO to the NHL for 3 years without even letting the team that will draft him a chance to talk to him.

How can a kid with the dream of playing in the NHL, that could play next year, says no thanks for 3 more years???????????

With the bonuses , he would make even more money. I just don't get it!
That's a MAJOR red flag to me and yet, no one came up with an answer that make senses.

That’s not the way it went down. SKA negotiated a 5-year contract with him when he was 15 years old that he signed on the day of his 16th birthday. There’s 3 years left to the contract. What does a 15 year old kid know about NHL contracts? Now he wants to play in the NHL.

 

[yianik]

I vaguely recall that ...

In 2012, Murray, Galchenyuk, Grigorenko, and Forsberg shared the hype.

In 2016, there was a lot of discussion of Tyson Jost, Logan Brown, and Michael McLeod.

In 2018, it was Zadina, Kotkaniemi, and Tkachuk.

Last year, the debate on here was on Slafkovsky versus Wright.

But this year it seems we're discussing a larger number of names.

In 2018 I didn't want Zadina, I thought Tkachuk was a bigger version of Gallagher but I wanted KK over Tkachuk. Yeah, I didnt want Tkachuk as I thought we needed the upside that came with KK.

This year I'm wondering whether people are desperate to find the next Tkachuks and are grabbing the closest thing they can see and that's Leonard. To me Leonard's upside is not anywhere near the Tkachuks.

I remember 417 posting about which prospect will we Habs fans overwhelmingly not want, but be certain we are taking him. Lots like Leonard though.

I'm thinking we are going to screw this pick up and the only thing that may save us is Columbus going for Smith, Sharks picking Michkov and leaving us Carlsson. Otherwise , years later we look back and just wonder why we just didn't go with the obvious pick.

But then again, I liked KK.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Having said that, this franchise isn't an entity and although you truly believe Michkov is the next McDavid, there's equal chances he end up just being a good 60 points players, this is a fact many of you refuse to see cause you think you know and you don't

Not really. He outscored, in ppg terms, at 16, 17 or 18, in MHL or KHL, the likes of Ovy, Kaprisov, Kucherov and many others.

In terms of talent, he's probably the safest pick to come out of Russia in two decades.

 

[Paddyjack]

So you’re against drafting NCAA players as well?

Three years wait for a 17/18 year old is no big deal — it is a natural impediment to rushing the player. If he can cook in the KHL as a 19/20 year olds then his odds of busting in the NHL are even smaller. I don’t see how that is a red flag at all.

You should reread Milhouse's post since you completely missed his point.

 

[River Meadow]

So you're one of "those" people eh

Ok so help me out here, champ.
Thought experiment time.
You're gonna have to use your imagination , or draw it on a piece of paper. Whatever helps you out more.

Say I have, like, a 30 gallon tank. Right?
And I fill that tank with, let's say, 28 gallons of water.

Would the tank appear almost full to you? Or does the tank appear more empty to you.

Go read my original post. You missed my point entirely.

Lehkonen isn't a 'goal scorer' was my point, not to the level of Leonard.

The fact that he scored 28 or whoever many goals close to 30 years old is your argument?

Is that what we're saying Leonard is gonna be?

What are you even arguing?

Leonard could be a regular 30 maybe 40 goal scorer based on what we're seeing now.

The Lehkonen comparison is a very odd one to me.



Champ.