Pre-Game Talk: Countdown thread to 24-25 Season (T - 6 hours)

[bsl]

Wonder if Laine enjoys playing with Nick out there
Caufields gonna come back like 'hey..' lol

They’re sure not taking it easy on the goalies lol.

 

[overlords]

Laine was smart showing up early with the rest of the team. Cole got big league'd

 

[Redux91]

Laine was smart showing up early with the rest of the team. Cole got big league'd

Meanwhile Kirby Dach like :

 

[SwiftyHab]

When is the annual golf tournament this is taking forever.

Sept 16. See OP

 

[Rapala]

Sept 16. See OP

I never go back in case I've f***ed up something.

 

[Next Best Thing]

So what's wrong with our captain showing the new guy the ropes and getting him acclimated to the team and style? Suzuki just doing what Suzuki does and why he got chosen captain of this team

 

[rickthegoon]

Happened to Danault too. What a great two way player he was.

Danault only got love once he moved to LA and people watched Dvorak who was advertised as his replacement.

 

[HuGort]

Friedman - Slaf looks like a beast. I saw him in Europe and he looked like a beast !

"I think Laine will have a big season. Montreal really wanted to add an offensive weapon. I know Zegras is out there, but I don't think that's close."


Friedman thinks both Slaf and Laine will have big seasons, but who knows.

He doesn't think they (habs) get in, he will be disappointed if there isn't a more clear picture on the backend as to who will be here when the Habs are good.

Zegras is out there. Kind of puzzling.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Not that it means anything, but Scott Wheeler just put out his Fantasy Hockey Dynasty Rankings and there are 7 Habs on the 100 player list: Demidov, Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dach and Guhle.

 

[waitin425]

Not that it means anything, but Scott Wheeler just put out his Fantasy Hockey Dynasty Rankings and there are 7 Habs on the 100 player list: Demidov, Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dach and Guhle.

Damn paywall....do you have the complete list?

 

[Paddyjack]

Danault only got love once he moved to LA and people watched Dvorak who was advertised as his replacement.

Not true. Danault was loved here however what was disliked was the perception he was our #1 centre in a line with Gally and Tatar.

 

[LaP]

Not true. Danault was loved here however what was disliked was the perception he was our #1 centre in a line with Gally and Tatar.

Well he kind of was our number 1 center. He was our most used center in the 207-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (by a wide margin) seasons. The narrative back then was since he was not always the most used center on the PP that he was not our number 1 center but that was a stupid narrative as the number 1 center has always been the most used one. I never felt that people were against Danault he is a good modern day Carbonneau albeit not as dominant defensively but he really should not be the most used center (on average) of a team and fans were right about that.

MB was dumb to think Dvorak could replace him though. The whole thing was gross mismanagement. I mean you let Danault go to focus on JK and Suzuki which i was actually in favor of but then you don't sign JK before the end of july and you don't match the eventual OS and turn around and pay more than not matching the OS gave you to get Dvorak who is paid only 1 millions less than Danault but is significantly worse. In the land of mismanagement that was something. We basically exchanged a 2nd round pick (37th overall) + Danault for a 3rd round (92th overall) + Dvorak + 1 millions cap hit. That was terribad.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Well he kind of was our number 1 center. He was our most used center in the 207-2018, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (by a wide margin) seasons. The narrative back then was since he was not always the most used center on the PP that he was not our number 1 center but that was a stupid narrative as the number 1 center has always been the most used one. I never felt that people were against Danault he is a good modern day Carbonneau albeit not as dominant defensively but he really should not be the most used center (on average) of a team and fans were right about that.

MB was dumb to think Dvorak could replace him though. The whole thing was gross mismanagement. I mean you let Danault go to focus on JK and Suzuki which i was actually in favor of but then you don't sign JK before the end of july and you don't match the eventual OS and turn around and pay more than not matching the OS gave you to get Dvorak who is paid only 1 millions less than Danault but is significantly worse. In the land of mismanagement that was something. We basically exchanged a 2nd round pick (37th overall) + Danault for a 3rd round (92th overall) + Dvorak + 1 millions cap hit. That was terribad.

It was complete incompetence. Pay Danault what he asked, let KK go, and sign Dvorak or let Danault go and keep KK. Once 2 centres were gone it was time to give up and rebuild because there was no way to fix the centre position.

 

[LaP]

It was complete incompetence. Pay Danault what he asked, let KK go, and sign Dvorak or let Danault go and keep KK. Once 2 centres were gone it was time to give up and rebuild because there was no way to fix the centre position.

If we would have kept that 1st round pick and 2nd round pick we would have Filip Bystedt and Alfons Freij added to our pipeline. I know it doesn't mean our drafting team would have drafted those two but those are the two kids drafted with the picks we gave for Dvorak and i actually like both kids a lot. That's a lot to give for a guy like Dvorak imo. Like you said once you lose Danault and JK you rebuild. Sign a vet jersey filler center for a year or two there's always one jersey filler remaining at the end of august and rebuild. That was the only move at this point.

 

[red devil]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1832135043487297770

 

[morhilane]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1832135043487297770

The Habs will be the team with the most goofy players. Thanks Hughes!

 

[Canadienna]

Damn paywall....do you have the complete list?

I don't think we're allowed to post full lists unless things have changed since the last time I did.

But a few interesting things:

Habs have 4 players in the top 32. More than any other team but their top ranked player is Demidov at #20. Devils had 3 and most teams just had one or none.

Dach at 83 and Guhle at 99 feels low, but both guys need to stay healthy to get some respect on their name.

Cayden Lindstrom (picked one spot before Demidov) is #100 on his list.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I don't think we're allowed to post full lists unless things have changed since the last time I did.

But a few interesting things:

Habs have 4 players in the top 32. More than any other team but their top ranked player is Demidov at #20. Devils had 3 and most teams just had one or none.

Dach at 83 and Guhle at 99 feels low, but both guys need to stay healthy to get some respect on their name.

Cayden Lindstrom (picked one spot before Demidov) is #100 on his list.

Its also a fantasy list, which is mostly about points. If you think Demidov/Caufield/Suzuki/Slafkosvsky/Hutson is the main offensive core or PP1 unit, then it makes sense to not expect production from Dach and Guhle.

 

[BergevinBurner]

How does everyone see our powerplay units shaping out?

I'm guessing we'll see Matheson/Suzuki/Slaf/Caufield/Laine on the 1st unit and Hutson/Dach/Gallagher/Newhook/Anderson on the 2nd to start off.

 

[Rob Sense]

Not that it means anything, but Scott Wheeler just put out his Fantasy Hockey Dynasty Rankings and there are 7 Habs on the 100 player list: Demidov, Caufield, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dach and Guhle.

and the Leafs have one...Knies at 74. I don't agree with a lot of his picks so YMMV.

 

[morhilane]

Hutson/Dach/Gallagher/Newhook/Anderson on the 2nd to start off.

Keep Andy out of the PP please.

 

[Matteus]

I didn't know that about J.C. Tremblay. Saw him only towards the end of his stay with Montreal and would have thought he was well liked. Of course I only had French CBC to go by at the time, I didn't speak English. I remember he got the red carpet when he moved to the WHA though.

Never will happen. Once a segment of the fan base sours on a player there’s never going back.

Happened with J.C. Trembly, Rucinsky and currently Matheson. The latter could score 80 points next year and you will still hear the incessant grumblings and complaints.

 

[The Great Weal]

Apparently Slaf looks like an absolute monster right now

https://x.com/i/web/status/1832055486968967667

 

[ChesterNimitz]

I didn't know that about J.C. Tremblay. Saw him only towards the end of his stay with Montreal and would have thought he was well liked. Of course I only had French CBC to go by at the time, I didn't speak English. I remember he got the red carpet when he moved to the WHA though.

A lot of fans didn’t appreciate Tremblay’s cerebral approach to the game. But in Montreal’s epic upset of Boston in the first round of the 1971 playoffs, one of the leading factors in the Canadiens’ victory was Tremblay’s outplaying of Bobby Orr. After that thrilling win, many fans re-assessed their opinion about Tremblay.

I did.

 

[Tyson]

A lot of fans didn’t appreciate Trembly s cerebral approach to the game. But in Montreal’s epic upset of Boston in the first round of the 1971 playoffs, one of the leading factors in the Canadiens’ victory was Trembly’s outplaying of Bobby Orr. After that thrilling win, many fans re-assessed their opinion about Trembly. I did.

JC scouted and pushed hard for the Habs to draft Koivu as well.