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

[NORiculous]

In many cases, it's hard to find 10 good ones that are real hits and not secondary talent.

That’s one of the reasons fans want Michkov. They rather go for the home run then get another dim-a-dozen guy.

Some scouts are trying to push the narrative that there is a top 8 this year, not a top 5. But if we put that into perspective with your post, there are selling baloney.

There are risks with Reinbacher, Leonard and Benson too. One, two and maybe all 3 won’t hit their ceiling. And when you weight in the upside and risk of all of them, it looks like the wrong move not to pick Michkov starting at #5. I mean, it looks like a no-brainer to me to pick Michkov.

Because I also think that the effects of geopolitical problems are way overblown when relating this to hockey in 3 year. The war would need to last 3 more years, it would need to be worse than right now and Russian from any sphere of life would be prevented from leaving. All this with technologies like VPNs that help people have access to News and information (which was not possible during the Cold War). etc. To me that has less chances of happening than Putin being assassinated.

But back to Hockey, if we compare to last year, the differences between Wright, Slaf and Cooley weren’t that obvious. They all had plus and minus. But none of them had a huge plus, like Michkov has on others. That’s why the debate was more fluid.

If I HAD to pick someone else, it would be Benson though. He seems to have the highest IQ and passing, playmaking ability. His style should be able to adapt.

 

[NORiculous]

Yeah that's cool and all, I don't think that's lost on anyone but there's a chance he isn't picked by teams 4-7 and even beyond. So do we just not discuss the merits of drafting other players because we want a star and why can ONLY Michkov be a star?

Someone else in the 2-7th round could. Sure. But the odds aren’t as good.

Same answer for Michkov vs. the other picks. I think Benson has more chances than Leonard because of IQ. Benson sometimes does stuff that I haven’t seen a lot of players do. Does that mean that Leonard has 0 chances? No. But both of them have a risk/reward that isn’t as good then Michkov, IMO.

 

[Jaynki]

People are desperate for a star in Montreal. Michkov is the closest thing they’ve ever had a chance to draft.

How has the team that just won the cup acquired their three stars? (Eichel, Stone, Pietrangelo)

How many stars did they drafted or traded to do so ?

People are indeed desperate for a star. Lets just not simplify it by saying that if they don't draft Michkov, they won't have an offensive star for another decade.

Drafting Michkov = guaranteed star
Not drafting Michkov for dubious reason =\ no more stars for a while and an obvious fail a getting one.

Its not as black or white as this.

Its still up in the air but Kirby Dach showed 1C/star upside and Hutson also displayed superstar qualities this season.

Again, people being desperate for a star is one thing. Drafting Michkov for this sole reason is a logical flaw.

 

[Jaynki]

That’s one of the reasons fans want Michkov. They rather go for the home run then get another dim-a-dozen guy.

Some scouts are trying to push the narrative that there is a top 8 this year, not a top 5. But if we put that into perspective with your post, there are selling baloney.

There are risks with Reinbacher, Leonard and Benson too. One, two annd maybe anll 3 won’t hit their ceiling. And when you weight in the upside and risk of all of them, it looks like the wrong move not to pick Michkov starting at #5. I mean, it looks like a no-brainer to me to pick Michkov.

Because I also think that the effects of geopolitical problems are way overblown when relating this to hockey in 3 year. The war would need to last 3 more years, it would need to be worse than right now and Russian from any sphere of life would be prevented from leaving. All this with technologies like VPNs that help people have accès to News and information (which was not possible durythe Cold War). etc. To me that has less chances of happening than Putin being assassinated.

But back to Hockey, if we compare to last year, the differences between Wright, Slaf and Cooley weren’t that obvious. They all had plus and minus. But none of them had a huge plus, like Michkov has on others. That’s why the debate was more fluid.

If I HAD to pick someone else, it would be Benson though. He seems to have the highest IQ and passing, playmaking ability. His style should be able to adapt.

This war is far from over. If anything, it could last for a f***ing while and probably a lot more than 3 years. And don't kid yourselves, we have our two foots in it. This being said, if its to escalate to a certain point, we may have bigger worries than hockey. We are not there yet and its stalled right now but its certainly not going the right way. Also, i am not sure in the short term if Putin being assassinated would be a good thing. It would brign a shitload of instability and the guy replacing him may be an even worst warmonger. Its a f***ed up country who has a totally different vision than us of the world and history.

There are also risk with Fantilli, Carlsson and Smith by the way.

Michkov is a unique opportunity for the context but the guy we will draft at 5 is way more than a dim-a-dozen dude. We can snag the best player there for our next decade but we can't envision it now because we don't see Dvorsky becoming a PPG, 35 goals, dominant 1C but its in the same realm of possibilities as Fantilli becoming no more than a speedy third liner. We just don't know and its full of variance.

There is no such thing as a top 5 or top 8. There is a top 1 and thats it. After them the debates open.

 

[HabsEstrie]

This thread should be renamed to "The 2023 Draft: Haters vs Fanboys".

There are a lot of unfounded, dumb and emotional takes from all sides here. I do really appreciate the passion though, it sure is fun to read.

HF Montreal Canadiens classic

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

So he suggests San Jose is a no go.......well then, Washington it is.

Huh and what about Nikolishin blasting Michkov on Russian airways?

You can't believe one rumor and then notbelieve the other, cuz I'm presuming you think the habs will pass.

 

[NORiculous]

How has the team that just won the cup acquired their three stars? (Eichel, Stone, Pietrangelo)

How many stars have the Habs signed in the last 30 years?

There are also risk with Fantilli, Carlsson and Smith by the way.

Yes but the risk/reward ratio seems to be better than Leonard/Reinbacher.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Someone else in the 2-7th round could. Sure. But the odds aren’t as good.

Same answer for Michkov vs. the other picks. I think Benson has more chances than Leonard because of IQ. Benson sometimes does stuff that I haven’t seen a lot of players do. Does that mean that Leonard has 0 chances? No. But both of them have a risk/reward that isn’t as good then Michkov, IMO.

That's just the way that you see it though.

We have to appreciate that we don't have all the information on the risks with Michkov, they may not JUST be on the Ukraine war.. especially since more and more stuff have come out about the risk of another extension, the uncertainty of him developing what he needs to while over in the KHL, the compete/defense concerns, the character concerns.

And since none of us can actually get that information an NHL team can, we can yell about the talent all day but we aren't the ones held accountable for the decision.

And if it was simply as black and white, I don't get why all of the Michkov to Habs, no other options, no concerns, just pick him and we have a guaranteed superstar in 3 years - don't also talk about how stupid the San Jose Sharks are for not just sticking and picking Michkov then? Are we really all sure the red flags in Will Smith's game don't create doubt that he'd be a superstar worth taking over Michkov? Or are you just accepting because Bob McKenzie and everyone has ranked Smith ahead of Michkov for a few times now, that it is ok that the Sharks pass on him and that's reasonable?

I don't get why the line of 'not picking Michkov is a stupid idiotic decision' starts after Will f***ing Smith, and I love Will Smith and have been pushing him for longer than pretty much anyone else on the Habs board.

 

[NORiculous]

That's just the way that you see it though.

We have to appreciate that we don't have all the information on the risks with Michkov, they may not JUST be on the Ukraine war.. especially since more and more stuff have come out about the risk of another extension, the uncertainty of him developing what he needs to while over in the KHL, the compete/defense concerns, the character concerns.

The reports haven’t been corroborated by multiple source. So they might be true but I would guess that is exactly the type of stuff that is easy to confirm or not. I’m sure if the Habs pass on Michkov, with all the noise he is making here, they will give at least parts of the reasons.

And since none of us can actually get that information an NHL team can, we can yell about the talent all day but we aren't the ones held accountable for the decision.

From a risk/reward standpoint it just seem like the best case at 5. (See lower the Smith answer. )

And if it was simply as black and white, I don't get why all of the Michkov to Habs, no other options, no concerns, just pick him and we have a guaranteed superstar in 3 years - don't also talk about how stupid the San Jose Sharks are for not just sticking and picking Michkov then?

I do think Michkov at 4 is ok. I just hope the Sharks are scared.

I don't get why the line of 'not picking Michkov is a stupid idiotic decision' starts after Will f***ing Smith, and I love Will Smith and have been pushing him for longer than pretty much anyone else on the Habs board.

The risk with Smith is considerably lower and the ceiling is only a little lower.

So it makes sense for that reason and a couple of others. (Easy talking to him and the certainty (and easier) of seeing him play in the next couple of years are the ones that popped in my mind)

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

[TABLE=collapse]
[TR]
[TH]Matvei Michkov[/TH]
[TH][/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Born[/TH]
[TD]9 December 2004 (age 18)
Perm, Russia[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Height[/TH]
[TD]6 ft 0 in (183 cm)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Weight[/TH]
[TD]175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Position[/TH]
[TD]Right wing[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Shoots[/TH]
[TD]Left[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]KHL team
Former teams[/TH]
[TD]SKA Saint Petersburg
HC Sochi[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]NHL Draft[/TH]
[TD]Eligible 2023[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TH]Playing career[/TH]
[TD]2021–present[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
He's 6 foot now ?

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

Huh and what about Nikolishin blasting Michkov on Russian airways?

You can't believe one rumor and then notbelieve the other, cuz I'm presuming you think the habs will pass.

I 100% think the Habs will pass, and it's not purely because of the bad mouthing, political situation and rumors.

My take from a few conversations suggests if SJ takes Smith, the team is going to go with Leonard or Reinbacher, leaning the former with Hughes' preferences.

 

[waffledave]

Because I also think that the effects of geopolitical problems are way overblown when relating this to hockey in 3 year. The war would need to last 3 more years, it would need to be worse than right now and Russian from any sphere of life would be prevented from leaving. All this with technologies like VPNs that help people have access to News and information (which was not possible during the Cold War). etc. To me that has less chances of happening than Putin being assassinated.

The war will last another 15 to 20 years.

 

[habsfan891]

Yeah that's cool and all, I don't think that's lost on anyone but there's a chance he isn't picked by teams 4-7 and even beyond. So do we just not discuss the merits of drafting other players because we want a star and why can ONLY Michkov be a star?

I thinks it's more that Michkov has a higher chance to be a star than the others do I understand that there's significant risk picking him of course I do I just think the gap in talent is worth betting on and taking that risk will I be disappointed if they take Leonard for example of course but I won't burn down the bell center I'll just hope that we got a 1st line winger and that Michkov doesn't come over so we don't look as foolish as I expect we will.

 

[waffledave]

Yeah that's cool and all, I don't think that's lost on anyone but there's a chance he isn't picked by teams 4-7 and even beyond. So do we just not discuss the merits of drafting other players because we want a star and why can ONLY Michkov be a star?

The worst part is I am quite confident that Leonard is going to be a star in this league. We're going to see Brady Tkachuk style regrets with him (not saying he is going to be as good as Brady, but it will be the same annoying BS having to put up with playing against this guy all the time when he's ripping it up in Philly).

 

[Saundies]

NHL Mock Draft: Corey Pronman picks all seven rounds

Corey Pronman projects every pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

theathletic.com

Pronman's got us taking Reinbacher, but to be fair he says it's a bit of a toss-up between him and Leonard and that MTL is pretty good at keeping their cards close to the vest.

I'm prepping for this to happen though simply for my sanity.

 

[Colezuki]

This may come as no surprise to some but I'm starting to see a plan crystalize in my head, I'm willing to bet that on the day of the draft if Hughes has in his mind to take Smith then Reinbacher, that the second the 4th pick is Smith. That he calls the jets and offers Barron and the Fla 1st for Dubois.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

hopefully SJS takes Michkov cuz i just have that feeling that HuGo wont and i really dont feel like hearing about it for the next 10 years

 

[ReHabs]

hopefully SJS takes Michkov cuz i just have that feeling that HuGo wont and i really dont feel like hearing about it for the next 10 years

People are still lamenting the Kostitsyn 2003 draft and that's a player who didn't exactly bust. If the Habs skip Michkov and if Michkov becomes a star, we'll never get the bitter taste out of our mouth.

A team as desperate for a sexy forward as ours should have an even larger risk appetite for a player of this calibre and this profile, not be more conservative. This organization has trained its fans to expect nothing and get even less. I hope to see some change and I hope to see it at the draft table next week.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Mentally prepared for Reinb or Leonard, it is what it is .

But yeah like ReHabs said above me , we are basically trained for dissapointment at the draft so who cares.

Hopefully we can draft at least a 50-60 point player or top 4 dman

 

[ReHabs]

Hopefully we can draft at least a 50-60 point player or top 4 dman

The problem is that we can get 60pt players on the market, we can get top4 dmen on the market. We cannot get 80pt players on the market without it being a one-time affair in terms of outgoing asset value. It is nuts to not use this 5OA on a player with PPG upside, absolutely nuts. There will be at least one, possibly two of them available at 5. Just take one - c'est simple.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

People are still lamenting the Kostitsyn 2003 draft and that's a player who didn't exactly bust. If the Habs skip Michkov and if Michkov becomes a star, we'll never get the bitter taste out of our mouth.

A team as desperate for a sexy forward as ours should have an even larger risk appetite for a player of this calibre and this profile, not be more conservative. This organization has trained its fans to expect nothing and get even less. I hope to see some change and I hope to see it at the draft table next week.

im sure HuGo will pass on Michkov

 

[ReHabs]

im sure HuGo will pass on Michkov

Well, I don't wish ill upon any young player so I won't hope Michkov busts but I hope whoever we pick instead of him is actually better than him or comparable anyway.

It's agonizing to think about this.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

The problem is that we can get 60pt players on the market, we can get top4 dmen on the market. We cannot get 80pt players on the market without it being a one-time affair in terms of outgoing asset value. It is nuts to not use this 5OA on a player with PPG upside, absolutely nuts. There will be at least one, possibly two of them available at 5. Just take one - c'est simple.

I know , that's why I'd be disappointed in rein or Leonard , then again draft is a crapshoot man , really hope they take michkov

@ReHabs it's easy for fans like us who have watched the product for so long say *just take michkov* , because if he busts/never comes over we won't even have regrets since we are never in position to draft a stud like that. Literally if we draft him and never comes over it's still worth it the kid is a monster. No regrets

For Hughes tho , what does he care that we have not been entertained for 30 years , he dosent , he's trying to build a complete team , I get it , huge risk and dosent wanna end up with egg on his face and a wasted asset

 

[SnapVirus]

Why are people disapointed in Leonard? He is a really good prospect. Like Smith and Benson.

If we dont pick Michkov, it wont be because of the war and his contract. It will be because he has problems. Bobrov’s family is working on Michkov team. They have insider info.

Id rather not draft another Drouin/Ribeiro/Galchenyuk if he really have attitude issues or more. All those 3 guys were skilled, but mentally weak.

If he has none of this issues and he is available im sure theyll pick him. And if they dont, im sure they will have done their due dilligence.

 

[xX SEYF Xx]

This management didn't give me reasons to doubt their decision making.
I'm hoping for Michkov but if they go the other way I'm assuming they know more than I do. Period