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

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

View attachment 719092
Michkov should do this for the Canadiens

Damn that head would make a fine chia pet.

 

[Kennerback]

Cool do you also know what are the next lottery number?

Can you do it with Bedard @1OA?

 

[OnTheRun]

Zero chance? Luke Hughes and Logan Cooley are two recent top 5 picks out of the NTDP who played (or will play) two NCAA seasons. Chances are higher than 0%.

Cooley going back to the NCAA is Cooley saying f*** off to the Yotes, he also happen to be the ever player to do that after a 60+pts D+1 season in that league.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Can you do it with Bedard @1OA?

Exactly any pick could potentially fall on it's face. Their only concern is to assertain who the BPA is. Which clearly Bedard is at 1 as Michkov would certainly be at 5 from a potential stand point.

This shouldn't be news to anyone.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Can you do it with Bedard @1OA?

Sure, I will bite, even Bedard could flop although he has less red flags.

 

[salbutera]

Smith will be a bigger star in the NHL than Michkov. He's more talented, much better on his skates and a higher compete level.

No one has any idea if that’s the case or not, but historical probability states at least 1-of top-5 picks will bust

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Cooley going back to the NCAA is Cooley saying f*** off to the Yotes, he also happen to be the ever player to do that after a 60+pts D+1 season in that league.

Yes Cooley is an exception.

Caufield did it but he was more raw than Smith/Leonard.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Cooley going back to the NCAA is Cooley saying f*** off to the Yotes, he also happen to be the ever player to do that after a 60+pts D+1 season in that league.

Would you trade 5th overall for Cooley?

View attachment 719092
Michkov should do this for the Canadiens

I don't think he idolizes Gurianov.

Ovechkin however...

 

[Kennerback]

Sure, I will bite, even Bedard could flop although he has less red flags.

Sure. I believe Michkov is more a sure bet of being BPA at 5 than Bedard is at 1.

 

[waffledave]

He has great hands no doubt, love his creativity and willingness to attempt to use it. It looks great in the usntdp, just not sure it will necessarily translate with the same success in the NHL, and if it does, I think most of that success will occur in the regular season opposed to the playoffs.. I don't find him particularly strong on his skates, and he's prone to brain farts.

I'd happily take him though at 5, because his talent is tantalizing, and we are bereft of this type of skill.

My top 4 are not only what I believe to be the better players as a whole but more importantly the ones I believe the habs would most benefit from through a organizational and team construction standpoint.

It is only my opinion, I may even be wrong, (some would say most likely) but that's just how I feel.

I mean it's very hard to convince me a team could not benefit from a guy like Smith. I am not sure where you are getting your impressions about playoffs but by all accounts Smith has a ton of heart and tenacity in his game. He is willing to go to the tough areas and unafraid to pay the price. He's extremely quick and agile, has elite level hands, good shot, probably the 2nd best playmaker in the draft, kills penalties, etc... he does it all and does it better than most. And he's a center, good on the draw.

He has all the physical tools to make it to the NHL. I don't really see much risk in terms of his style being translatable to the NHL.

 

[HabbyGuy]

I mean it's very hard to convince me a team could not benefit from a guy like Smith. I am not sure where you are getting your impressions about playoffs but by all accounts Smith has a ton of heart and tenacity in his game. He is willing to go to the tough areas and unafraid to pay the price. He's extremely quick and agile, has elite level hands, good shot, probably the 2nd best playmaker in the draft, kills penalties, etc... he does it all and does it better than most. And he's a center, good on the draw.

He has all the physical tools to make it to the NHL. I don't really see much risk in terms of his style being translatable to the NHL.

Can I just say thank you for your conviction. I truly appreciate it, I like Smith, even if I don't necessarily agree to the same extent as you do. I admire it. I mean it.

This is the same kind of conviction I feel about Michkov.

It's not your fault you're wrong about the two, lol

I jest, but I guess time will tell.

The decision it out of our hands.

 

[OnTheRun]

Would you trade 5th overall for Cooley?

Considering the direction this is heading... They will be forced to move him soon enough, I'm not super inclined to bail them out with our 5th.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

No one has any idea if that’s the case or not, but historical probability states at least 1-of top-5 picks will bust

Wow Sal, that's like the exact opposite of your own historical probability of bust-per-post ratio. Reality is strange like that.

 

[Kaladin]

Hugues is also much too smart to know that scenario could only happens in 3 years from now......and if the team is winning by then, no one will really gives a shit. If the team is not winning by then, he's probably on a hot seat anyway!


First, I was 100% sure last year Wright was their pick. Sooo.....maybe you'll get what you want in the end cause I'm 100% sure they will not take Michkov.

Michkov is 2026-2027 If EVERYTHING goes well.
Most players drafted around that spot will help their team by 2024-2025

With everything that could go wrong, from the geopolitics reasons, the contract situation, injuries or just as many many prospect do, Michkov just become a good 65-70 points NHLer.

How many scenario you see Hugues being a winner here?
ONE.

The ONLY scenario Hugues becomes a winner here is that EVERYTHING must go perfectly. From development to him coming in 3 years and not resign there AND he must become that 90+ points player, savior of this franchise.

There's a lot more scenario that could make him a loser than a winner on this one.

Plus, ask Suzuki and Caufield what they think about waiting 3 more years before getting help when they could get a Smith or Leonard or whatever helping them in 12 months most likely......Suzuki will be at the draft, right?

A) What Suzuki and Caufield think shouldn't dictate our team construction strategies. They are locked in for 7-8 years their opinions are meaningless.
B) If Leonard or Smith come in 12 months from now and within three years its clear Smith is Drouin 2.0 or Leonard is at best a second line complimentary piece then I don't think that's considered "winning" either. There are multiple ways to lose for Hughes with any prospect.
C) Even if Michkov is just a 65 - 70 points player, the impact of adding such a player on a ELC three years from now given where our team could be, how close it could be to winning and near the salary cap. That could be EXACTLY what this team needs to win.
D) I promise you the only way I forgive Hughes three years from now is if the team has won the cup already with the team' he's built. Anything less than that and Michkov comes over and is the star we think he could be I promise you "I will give a shit" and many others will as well.
E) If Hughes is making decisions for this team based on his short term job security as you allude too in your post then he's not the right person for the job anyways and should be fired.

 

[Milhouse40]

Zero chance? Luke Hughes and Logan Cooley are two recent top 5 picks out of the NTDP who played (or will play) two NCAA seasons. Chances are higher than 0%.

Hughes is a D in which case I would have agree as even Makar played 2 NCAA seasons, but Smith is a forward, which is better in my view than Cooley and in this particular case, Cooley could've made the jump this year...but the Coyote are a mess right now.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Hughes is a D in which case I would have agree as even Makar played 2 NCAA seasons, but Smith is a forward, which is better in my view than Cooley and in this particular case, Cooley could've made the jump this year...but the Coyote are a mess right now.

Cooley wasn't ready this year. It takes usually two years in the NCAA for most of them, Cooley included. We all knew he wasn't ready at the draft and things didn't change in the two months afterward. FFS the kid was just out of the USDP. Smith will not be any different. He'll need a minimum of one year, if not two, in the NCAA.

 

[Jabba11]

If Benson is the BPA at the 5th slot, so be it. The size issue will then have to be addressed otherwise.

Benson on the wing next to PLD and Dach. Problem solved. Just enjoy

 

[Jabba11]

View attachment 719092
Michkov should do this for the Canadiens

I see a ressemblance with this kid. Let's pick him!

 

[Milhouse40]

Cooley wasn't ready this year. It takes usually two years in the NCAA for most of them, Cooley included. We all knew he wasn't ready at the draft and things didn't change in the two months afterward. FFS the kid was just out of the USDP. Smith will not be any different. He'll need a minimum of one year, if not two, in the NCAA.

Maybe because of the Covid year but it doesn't take usually 2 years in the NCAA even for guys like Keller, Mittelstadts, Farabee or Larkin took 1 year in the NCAA. One year is standard, not two, not for a top 5 pick in the best draft in decades......it's standard for guys picked 15-20 like Caufield and Connor for example.

 

[NORiculous]

Maybe because of the Covid year but it doesn't take usually 2 years in the NCAA even for guys like Keller, Mittelstadts, Farabee or Larkin took 1 year in the NCAA. One year is standard, not two, not for a top 5 pick in the best draft in decades......it's standard for guys picked 15-20 like Caufield and Connor for example.

Cooley isn’t part of the best draft in decades., btw.

That said, it would seem the only reason he isn’t making the jump is because of the shit show in Arz and add to that Kellers dad asking players not to come.

 

[Milhouse40]

Cooley isn’t part of the best draft in decades., btw.

That said, it would seem the only reason he isn’t making the jump is because of the shit show in Arz and add to that Kellers dad asking players not to come.

Was talking about this year's draft......

 

[HabbyGuy]

Maybe because of the Covid year but it doesn't take usually 2 years in the NCAA even for guys like Keller, Mittelstadts, Farabee or Larkin took 1 year in the NCAA. One year is standard, not two, not for a top 5 pick in the best draft in decades......it's standard for guys picked 15-20 like Caufield and Connor for example.

It could be argued Caufield should of went top 5 anyway. You know the guy shattering goal scoring records in the same development program as your boys Smith or Leonard.

 

[NORiculous]

Was talking about this year's draft......

Yes sorry. Thought you were talking about Cooley but you were talking about #5.

 

[Andrei79]

I mean it's very hard to convince me a team could not benefit from a guy like Smith. I am not sure where you are getting your impressions about playoffs but by all accounts Smith has a ton of heart and tenacity in his game. He is willing to go to the tough areas and unafraid to pay the price. He's extremely quick and agile, has elite level hands, good shot, probably the 2nd best playmaker in the draft, kills penalties, etc... he does it all and does it better than most. And he's a center, good on the draw.

He has all the physical tools to make it to the NHL. I don't really see much risk in terms of his style being translatable to the NHL.

That part of about heart, tenacity, etc, I wouldn't say are exactly defining parts of Smiths game. There were periods during this year where all of that was in question. The rest though, definitely. He has a great mind for the game with the skills to back it up. He needs to improve his skating and pace though. He's a bit like Suzuki was, but more skilled.

 

[Mandala]

Chance are good that Smith and Leonard play two seasons in the NCAA.

We don't know. Each player is different. Will see what they say after the draft. Management will have a plan with each player. If it is Leonard, he might graduate to the NHL this year for what we know. St-Louis is developing well the young players so maybe they prefer their top 5 pick here.