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

[Boss Man Hughes]

Very generous of you. I won't be as charitable.

I think it would be gutless not to take him.

Even in the worst case scenario, pick him and then hope the geopolitical situation gets more favorable for him to come in the next 5 years.

It is not going to get better. The potential replacements for Putin are just as dangerous.

 

[BenchBrawl]

It is not going to get better. The potential replacements for Putin are just as crazy.

Doesn't mean they will care about the same things.

 

[Milhouse40]

Very generous of you. I won't be as charitable.

I think it would be gutless not to take him.

Even in the worst case scenario, pick him and then hope the geopolitical situation gets more favorable for him to come in the next 5 years.

I would stand with him cause there's things we don't know....in fact, we know shit.
We don't do interviews, don't talk to their coaches, don't know about his actions off-ice, don't have a single clue why he signed that dumb contract, no clue as if he intent to come to the NHL in 3 years, didn'T see him play in international competition for some times, don't talk to Russian scouts and we don't even know about his family situation.

And it's not just HuGo on this one......It's Gorton, Hugues, St-Louis, Lecavalier, Brobov, Nicholas, Boucher (analytics), Lapointe and many more, even Molson. They will ALL have their say when it comes to this pick.

It's one thing to take a dump on management when we have negative results to back it up......it's another thing to dump of them cause you think you know better! You can disagree but you need to be humble enough to at least wait for that negative results before unleashing the hate.

 

[BenchBrawl]

I would stand with him cause there's things we don't know....in fact, we know shit.
We don't do interviews, don't talk to their coaches, don't know about his actions off-ice, don't have a single clue why he signed that dumb contract, no clue as if he intent to come to the NHL in 3 years, didn'T see him play in international competition for some times, don't talk to Russian scouts and we don't even know about his family situation.

And it's not just HuGo on this one......It's Gorton, Hugues, St-Louis, Lecavalier, Brobov, Nicholas, Boucher (analytics), Lapointe and many more, even Molson. They will ALL have their say when it comes to this pick.

It's one thing to take a dump on management when we have negative results to back it up......it's another thing to dump of them cause you think you know better! You can disagree but you at least you need to be humble enough to at least wait for that negative results before unleashing the hate.

I am perfectly fine with being humble and have zero problem admitting both my mistakes and ignorance. However, this would have a strong smell of risk-aversion.

I'm still barely recovering from the embarrassing walk of genuflexions I've witnessed from the organization after the Mailloux pick.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Doesn't mean they will care about the same things.

They do. They hate the US. The only difference is that Putin is likley out of it form the drugs he is taking for his medical condition and they aren't.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

I am perfectly fine with being humble and have zero problem admitting both my mistakes and ignorance. However, this would have a strong smell of risk-aversion.

I'm still barely recovering from the embarrassing walk of genuflexions I've witnessed from the organization after the Mailloux pick.

Mailloux was a good pick. He made a mistake. I am sure there are other players on this team and in the NHL that have done worse and not been caught. Ensure he pays for hat he did and move on.

 

[SwiftyHab]

Found the link:

Blue Jackets on No. 3 Pick: ‘We will get a center’

John Davidson has made it clear how the Columbus Blue Jackets are rolling with No. 3 in the 2023 Draft. “We will get a center. I’ll tell you right now. We will get a center,” the club’s President of Hockey Operations told local radio host Beau Bishop today. “Which center it’s going to be is […]

sanjosehockeynow.com

So Portzline was right in his prediction that Columbus would take a center. Next we see if he's right that they'll take Smith over Carlsson.

That’s it. Thanks for finding it.

 

[Koivu11]

I wonder if there’s any chance Michkov uses his situation to his advantage to control where he goes. It’s been reported that’s what caused Jagr to drop to 5 in his draft year.

From FOX Sports:

According to Craig Patrick, the former Penguins general manager who drafted Jagr 26 years ago, the Czech winger did his best to manipulate the draft so that he could end up in Pittsburgh playing alongside Mario Lemieux.
…
“I found out years later that when he was interviewed by teams ahead of us, he told them all that he wasn’t coming over [to the NHL] right away,” Patrick recently told reporters at a Penguins alumni golf outing. “When we asked him that question, he said ‘I’ll be there tomorrow if you draft me.’

 

[Runner77]

Right.

A Player like Leonard should be right up there in the conversation for 5th and perhaps there is an argument he winds up better than Smith (i.e better skating, more rugged, more of a built for the playoffs type mindset).

View attachment 708265

View attachment 708266

Is Leonard that far off from Smith really?

I don’t know but I am seeing several of our posters liking Leonard.

The counterargument however is that current consensus by pundits has Leonard outside the top 5 and several are stating that there is a drop off or tier, after the top 5.

I think it’ll be a matter of seeing whether Leonard overtakes Smith in those late lists, esp. Bobby Mac’s. If Leonard doesn’t crack the top 5 just before the draft and assuming the Habs’ internal ranking has him as the best 5th prospect, then Hughes should consider trading for the 6th or 7th OA pick.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Totally agree

Yup nice to dream though. Dreaming Carlsson drops too!

 

[River Meadow]

Take Michkov at 5, and But at 32.


#RussianMachineNeverBreaks
#BobrovHasConnections

 

[River Meadow]

I don’t know but I am seeing several of our posters liking Leonard.

The counterargument however is that current consensus by pundits has Leonard outside the top 5 and several are stating that there is a drop off or tier, after the top 5.

I think it’ll be a matter of seeing whether Leonard overtakes Smith in those late lists, esp. Bobby Mac’s. If Leonard doesn’t crack the top 5 just before the draft and assuming the Habs’ internal ranking has him as the best 5th prospect, then Hughes should consider trading for the 6th or 7th OA pick.

I suppose but IMO it's just a giant crapshoot, and guesstimates for the most part.

Eliteprospects ranking in March:

Craig Button March ranking:

 

[Kennerback]

Doesn't mean they will care about the same things.

Probably. It’s a weird strand of national imperialism they have in Russia that’s dominant, but there is a currently stiffled opposition. I don’t think we can paint everything with the same brush. Look in Turkey at the elections tomorrow, it’s two vastly different ideology split down the middle among the population. If I meet a Turkish person, I can’t assume he’s one or the other.

 

[HabbyGuy]

Nightmare

I'll gladly cheer these selections if Michkov gets taken at 2-4, but otherwise, pick the best player in the draft: Michkov.

Holy shit they're really gonna bring us another 65-70 pts player instead of a multi 100+ superstar we've been waiting since Guy Lafleur, aren't they?

Gutless decision if they do that.

I honestly just don't see how they would pass. It's inconcievable to me that they would with Michkov.

I really think all the doubt we'd draft him at 5 if available are unfounded. They surely would gleefully pull the trigger, no?

If not it would be numb mindedly stupid.

 

[River Meadow]

I honestly just don't see how they would pass. It's inconcievable to me that they would with Michkov.

I really think all the doubt we'd draft him at 5 if available are unfounded. They surely would gleefully pull the trigger, no?

If not it would be numb mindedly stupid.

Come on,

You know damn well they're taking Dvorsky because "he's a great kid" and has a great interview.

 

[SlafySZN]

Take Michkov at 5, and But at 32.


#RussianMachineNeverBreaks
#BobrovHasConnections

In all seriousness i would LOVE for us to snatch But.

 

[Runner77]

I suppose but IMO it's just a giant crapshoot, and guesstimates for the most part.

Eliteprospects ranking in March:

View attachment 708284

Craig Button March ranking:

View attachment 708285

Hence, the deferment to BobbyMac’s final list since it’s the closest thing we have to actual market sentiment and preferences.

 

[Milhouse40]

I am perfectly fine with being humble and have zero problem admitting both my mistakes and ignorance. However, this would have a strong smell of risk-aversion.

I'm still barely recovering from the embarrassing walk of genuflexions I've witnessed from the organization after the Mailloux pick.

It's actually what sucks the most with Michkov....either way, it will take 3 years.

Either we pick him or not, it will take more than 3 years actually to be able to judge if they made a mistake or made the right pick.

But it's not the same as Mailloux.

If he hadn't signed that deal, we can all agree there would be no debate, but then again, he would probably not be available at 5 either. It's just that deal, screw everything up.

 

[River Meadow]

In all seriousness i would LOVE for us to snatch But.

It offsets drafting a manlet in Michkov, and gives him a playbuddy/reason to come over to play with his fellow comrade.

 

[Runner77]

Come on,

You know damn well they're taking Dvorsky because "he's a great kid" and has a great interview.

And not also because of hockey’s well-known tendency to regroup players according to the nationalities of players they already have on their roster?

“Hey guys, we can form an all-Slovak line with Slaf and Mesar! Also, bring in Tatar to mentor and to keep Slaf’s giant 50 pound head, looking up!”

 

[Kennerback]

I honestly just don't see how they would pass. It's inconcievable to me that they would with Michkov.

I really think all the doubt we'd draft him at 5 if available are unfounded. They surely would gleefully pull the trigger, no?

If not it would be numb mindedly stupid.

His stats, his accomplishment and his skill set, strongly suggest he’ll be a top-10 player once he gets in the NHL. There’s scant data that hé won’t be a superstar.

I know some clubs that pass up on him will say they never saw it coming. They totally saw it coming. 100% of their own scouts told them. He’ll play in the NHL one day and he’ll be a superstar.

 

[Runner77]

It offsets drafting a manlet in Michkov, and gives him a playbuddy/reason to come over to play with his fellow comrade.

And there it is, the fellow national regroupment post, proving my point.

 

[River Meadow]

Hence, the deferment to BobbyMac’s final list since it’s the closest thing we have to actual market sentiment and preferences.

That's a fair point, and Dvorsky is #6 on his list, right after Michkov.

 

[McGees]

Right.

A Player like Leonard should be right up there in the conversation for 5th and perhaps there is an argument he winds up better than Smith (i.e better skating, more rugged, more of a built for the playoffs type mindset).

View attachment 708265

View attachment 708266

Is Leonard that far off from Smith really?

I've seen some rankings that have Leonard over Smith.

 

[Runner77]

That's a fair point, and Dvorsky is #6 on his list, right after Michkov.

We’ll see where Dvorsky ends up. But then, there is the issue of drop off to consider.