Pre-Game Talk: Countdown thread to 24-25 Season (T - 10 days) - Main Cam

[Shred]

Here’s my take on a positive spin:

We are still net positive a Dach and a Hutson from last year.

That’s a 2nd line center and an offensive d man that can quarterback a PP if we let him.

We don't have Monahan anymore who was good for 60 points last year.

 

[RationalExpectations]

State of the franchise:

Worth Keeping - Dach, Slaf, CC, NS, Monty, Wifi (simple because if not him this team is butter)
MEH - Roy, Newhook, Struble.
Junk/Scrap parts - Gally, Armia, Andy, RHP, Dvo, Pezz, Evans, Savard, Pri.


Even with Demi and Rein in the org, there are too many holes to even dream this team will be in the mix in the next couple of years. 3 more yrs before this team sniffs playoffs.

I disagree with this. Your team does not have to be perfect, Panthers won with Cousins, Kulikov, Okposo… not sure any of the guys you listed as junk are worse than them. To be fair your bottom 6 / bottom pair D is not usually populated with skilled players. I think you can win a cup with a third pair of Xhekaj / Savard and a 4th line of Evans Armia Gallagher (the issue is salary rather than skill), on paper CC Suzuki Slaf offers you a good first line. Can Dach stay healthy ? If so you have a second line C, Newhook is a good complementary winger on a top 6, so you re mssing Laine. Having Roy Dvorak Anderson on a third line sucks given how Dvorak and Anderson have been playing. So you are missing 3 forwards for sure if Laine is out.
On D MTL has no first pairing D and that is an issue

 

[The Real Timo]

I disagree with this. Your team does not have to be perfect, Panthers won with Cousins, Kulikov, Okposo… not sure any of the guys you listed as junk are worse than them. To be fair your bottom 6 / bottom pair D is not usually populated with skilled players. I think you can win a cup with a third pair of Xhekaj / Savard and a 4th line of Evans Armia Gallagher (the issue is salary rather than skill), on paper CC Suzuki Slaf offers you a good first line. Can Dach stay healthy ? If so you have a second line C, Newhook is a good complementary winger on a top 6, so you re mssing Laine. Having Roy Dvorak Anderson on a third line sucks given how Dvorak and Anderson have been playing. So you are missing 3 forwards for sure if Laine is out.
On D MTL has no first pairing D and that is an issue

Hey man... we had the great Nick Cousins and we let him slide right through our fingers. Would have won the cup by now for sure.

 

[Vapaatunnus]

I went for a weekend to summer cabin and when I came back, half of the team is already dead. WTF? Any news about Slaf, it seems Laine and Reinbacher are long term anyway?

 

[Habby4Life]

Well Demidov went later than he should have. Hage probably did too HuGo likely figured he would go top 15. Hutson went 62. HuGo are better at drafting than many GM's.

Really? Better than many GM’s.

They had a 1st overall, and two #5’s. Shit pretty much anyone on here couldn’t screw that up too bad. Also, Reinbacher the jury is still out if he was a good pick. Lane was a good pick. Better no, easy to pick in the top 5.

They also drafted Mesar which looks like a wasted pick. At some point they were high on him. Who knows if Hage pans out or he is another Mesar.

 

[Habby4Life]

I disagree with this. Your team does not have to be perfect, Panthers won with Cousins, Kulikov, Okposo… not sure any of the guys you listed as junk are worse than them. To be fair your bottom 6 / bottom pair D is not usually populated with skilled players. I think you can win a cup with a third pair of Xhekaj / Savard and a 4th line of Evans Armia Gallagher (the issue is salary rather than skill), on paper CC Suzuki Slaf offers you a good first line. Can Dach stay healthy ? If so you have a second line C, Newhook is a good complementary winger on a top 6, so you re mssing Laine. Having Roy Dvorak Anderson on a third line sucks given how Dvorak and Anderson have been playing. So you are missing 3 forwards for sure if Laine is out.
On D MTL has no first pairing D and that is an issue

Panthers won because they had a great top 6, and lots of grit in the bottom six. They had a very good top 4 D and Bob in net.

Nick had a great yr but he would have been 4th in scoring on the panthers. CC and Slaf would have been like 6th or 7th.

Panthers were/are exactly what the habs arent. A team with a seriously skilled top 6, and a good bottom six that plays hard and are very tough to play against and chip in.

Habs have 4 (ok) top 6 forwards and Newhook, the rest are scrubs. If your 4 line is Gally, Evans, and Army you aren’t winning the cup, lol.

Habs are light years from being close to the panthers.