Closing on the 2/3 mark of the campaign. How would you rate Habs current season so far?

[HabsCode]

Rating the overall season can be subjective obviously. If you were to rate the Canadiens’ current season, what benchmarks would you use for evaluation?

Would a playoff spot significantly increase your rating? Or is simply staying in the race until late March enough?

How many players need to show statistical and eye-test improvement over last season for you to consider it a success?

When evaluating Kent Hughes’ roster moves, what carries the most weight?

• Cultural shift within the organization?
• Overall team performance?
• Special teams improvement?
. AHL/NHL player management and trades

Does draft positioning affect your assessment? How much importance do you place on asset management with pending UFAs?

And what about contract signings—how do they factor into your rating?

I’ve added a poll to rate the season overall.

My humble rating:

Individual player progression: B

IMO, only rating our core player, I think Suzuki, Caufield, Evans have showed progression.

Hutson and Dobes are good surprise.

Ghule, Montembault and Slafkovsky are somewhat even.

Dach and Newhook have regressed.

Roster management: B+

I think Hughes has made good aquisition in Carrier and Laine, think it added somewhat of a better support young veteran cast and depth without spending too much.

Ghule was an good signing, despite is health being a question mark.

Team improvement: B

Habs are still fighting technically for a playoff spot, in february, which is an inprovement. IMO there is improved team cohesion and chemistry seems to be good.

What is yours?

Click to read more...

 

[Naslund]

Wonder how the results of this poll would change if it would have been conducted before the last five games...

Please friends, keep your eyes on the bigger picture.

 

[vokiel]

There's a lot of room for improvement, so average at best with a C+

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Considering everything and that unexpected magical run, I'm giving this team an A for being exactly where they were projected to be.

 

[ReHabs]

First 30% of the season: 31st of 32, pathetic.
Second 30% of the season: c. 4th of 32, rolling and confident.
Third 30% of the season: hasn’t started all too well…


It’s a C+ from me and that’s not saying they’ve been bad. It’s just the players that needed to improve did not improve.
Barron, Slaf, Dach, Newhook, Primeau, and even Guhle. These guys could’ve elevated the Habs… but they largely didn’t. (Not their fault, necessarily). They’re either just as good as previously or worse.

Ah, well.

With the exception of Hutson, we are back to getting carried by Suzuki-Caufield and the bottom6 and the occasional stolen game from the goalies. Hutson might have hit the former-NCAA wall that sometimes comes midseason rookie year. Laine was a jolt to the system, in a good way, but he’s not in optimal condition or form either.

Overall: insufficient progress from too many Hughes acquisitions/young players.

Can’t level up until the roster levels up. Until that happens, C+ is the best I can do.

 

[Gillings]

There are to many “ufa” and product that isn’t going to be here long term to call the team improvement any higher than a b-.

Most of the players haven’t progressed outside of Caufield and slafkovsky has seen some during some games.

Montembault has actually progressed every year he’s been here.

As a team, it’s a c+ for me, the coaching has shown the most improvement but the team as a whole still plays like dog shit.

 

[Egresch]

R like rollercoaster