Speculation: Defense - Who sits?

[The Gal Pals]

Bouillon and Kabs should alternate in the stands.

 

[Habskrieg]

Kaberle sits. Somehow, he's managed to play worse each game. Either we trade him for some late draft pick, somehow. Or we sit him until we buy him out, unless we really need him.

Bouillon has been playing pretty good. Sure he's had a few mistakes. But I'd easily take him over Kaberle.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Andrei Markov - Alexei Emelin
Josh Gorges - PK Subban
Francis Bouillon - Raphael Diaz
Yannick Weber

Tomas Kaberle can GTFO, Weber does the same thing as him except he's younger, more mobile and also a right hand shot plus he's much cheaper.

On the PP:
Markov - Diaz
Emelin - Subban

On the PK:
Gorges - Subban
Emelin - Bouillon

 

[EveryDay]

Damphousse think like us!!! Bouillon over Kaberle

 

[LouisJCloutier]

Kaberle was ok against Toronto but garbage after that.

If he can't be dealt, buy-out in the summer. Weber will be traded.

Markov - Emelin
Subban - Gorges
Diaz - Bouillon

Great D.

 

[Bob b smith]

Kaberle sits unless the ownership can't tolerate paying a guy in the stands that kind of money...

What's interesting to me is the new special teams pairings...
Will Markov stay with Diaz on the PP?
What will be the new PK units?

 

[Habsfan18]

I didn't realize the Kaberle hate was this bad.

He's CLEARLY not the same player anymore, and yes he's overpaid, but I still think he's a serviceable bottom pairing guy who could work as a set up guy on the 2nd PP unit.

Just my personal opinion I suppose. I've never been a big Cube fan either. I'd play Weber over him personally, as well. I think Cube is better served as a number 7 d-man at this point in his career.

 

[jrk]

Subban is most needed in pk and not in pp. Subban has to play 2nd pp and 1st pk.
Bouillon is going to sit some of the back to back games because of his age. I would prefer to let Webber in and try to raise his value. For me Kaberle is just garbage and has to go. It was a panick trade from Gauthier.

 

[Et le But]

I didn't realize the Kaberle hate was this bad.

He's CLEARLY not the same player anymore, and yes he's overpaid, but I still think he's a serviceable bottom pairing guy who could work as a set up guy on the 2nd PP unit.

Just my personal opinion I suppose. I've never been a good Cube fan either. I'd play Weber over him personally, as well. I think Cube is better served as a number 7 d-man at this point in his career.

I actually agree that the Kaberle hate is extreme, he wasn't THAT bad. And I haven't exactly loved Boullion's play so far this year, but he's been reliable on even strength when he's able to keep is simple. Boullion makes more sense as a 6th defender and an even strength partner to Diaz as he plays physical and can keep it simple. With Subban back we already have enough above average puck movers and Diaz has outplayed Kaberle so far.

Keep Boullion off special teams now, please.

 

[Bloumeister]

My reasoning is pretty much strictly for the PP, and although he's not the same player anymore, he's clearly a better puck mover than Cube.

PP units:

Markov/Subban
Kaberle/Diaz

When you have Markov and/or Subban moving the puck, you don't need Kaberle. And he's a SLOW puck mover. Transition takes forever when he gets the puck. Why do you think that people are going nuts over Markov's healthy comeback? The pace is faster with the General.

Kaberle out, Bouillon in.

 

[bipolarhabfan]

Markov Emelin
Gorges Subban
Bouillion Diaz

This. Kaberle and Weber would take turns as the seventh defensman.

 

[Bloumeister]

Bouillon is better 5 on 5 and despite his size, he brings that physical element on the back end. Which is something Kaberle OBVIOUSLY doesn't bring.

Who cares about the PP.....if it was for me, I'd have 4 forwards on PP#2 with Subban. Diaz and Markov on the first PP.

Was about to post this.

Plus, Kaberle is soff

 

[Connor McJesus]

I didn't realize the Kaberle hate was this bad.

He's CLEARLY not the same player anymore, and yes he's overpaid, but I still think he's a serviceable bottom pairing guy who could work as a set up guy on the 2nd PP unit.

Just my personal opinion I suppose. I've never been a good Cube fan either. I'd play Weber over him personally, as well. I think Cube is better served as a number 7 d-man at this point in his career.

Kaberle is completely inept. At 5 on 5 he is beyond horrible, no physicality at all, kinda slow, can't clear anything, bad at reading plays and makes his partner look awful. Whenever he's on the ice we're stuck in our zone. Even on the PP he's bad. The other team knows he will pass and even at that he's not what you could call creative. You would keep him for the SECOND PP unit ? the whole 30 seconds of it ? You don't dress a d-man to not even play him 5 minutes a game.

Kaberle is horrible.

 

[Bob b smith]

Kaberle's a passer who's slowed down. He might help a team that doesn't have a playmaker at D. Not the case with the Habs... He's Cottonelle soft in our end. I don't think that fits with the club's new identity.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Kaberle's a passer who's slowed down. He might help a team that doesn't have a playmaker at D. Not the case with the Habs... He's Cottonelle soft in our end. I don't think that fits with the club's new identity.

He pee's fabric softener.

 

[Account Terminated]

I didn't realize the Kaberle hate was this bad.

He's CLEARLY not the same player anymore, and yes he's overpaid, but I still think he's a serviceable bottom pairing guy who could work as a set up guy on the 2nd PP unit.

Just my personal opinion I suppose. I've never been a big Cube fan either. I'd play Weber over him personally, as well. I think Cube is better served as a number 7 d-man at this point in his career.

Bouillon is more serviceable as a bottom-pairing guy. Kaberle's only thing going for him is working the second PP unit, and even then he has struggled. 5-on-5 is just atrocious. He is unable to apply himself to any physical contact in corners and along the boards, he does nothing in the paint to clear the way for Price and too often, I've seen him lose his man.

With Bouillon, he's not so good on the PP, but his work on the PK has been good and his physical play 5-on-5 is something the Habs need and Therrien loves. I doubt we see Bouillon spend a night in the press box, especially with the way he's been playing lately. Now that Subban is back, Bouillon will see his ice time reduced, which may work out even better for Cube.

 

[Hannibal]

Kaberle. This guy can't play anymore.

 

[gusfring]

Kaberle is way better than Bouillon on power play and 5-on-5

This made me laugh.

 

[Dichow Stopper]

This made me laugh.

Don't worry, he also said that the Habs should sit Emelin on the main board.

The guy is likely trolling or clearly doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

[scosar]

In a previous life I was pissed when the cube played instead of Hainsey as at the time we didn't know if Ron could do the business. Now Bouillon isn't stopping the development of any young dman. I personally think Kaberle is better but if they are going to be with Diaz in the last pairing then it has to be the Cube because Diaz & Kaberle together is too soft a partnership.

 

[Kjell Dahlin]

Markov Emelin
Gorges Subban
Bouillon Diaz

Same here. Btw I had doubts regarding Emelin as a RD but so far so good!

PP1: Markov - Diaz

PP2: Emelin - Subban

However I don't know if Emelin is good at (1) finding the seams for his shot and (2) sneaking in the slot. I do know he looked good offensively during the WJC and he did put up good numbers during his last season in the KHL. In the NHL I saw some crisp "tape to tape" passes coming from his stick.


EDIT:

I just read Whitesnake's idea of 4 forwards on PP#2 with Subban and I prefer his PP2 unit!

 

[Habtchum*]

This. Kaberle and Weber would take turns as the seventh defensman.

Why not as 8th defenseman ?

 

[MXD]

The one between Weber or Kaberle that isn't already sitting.
Scratching Bouillon litterally means not icing the best possible roster as this point. Though he will certainly have a few games off (age).

 

[Tabarouette]

I heard Kaberle was the best hotdog eater in the league along with Craig Rivet, he should spend the rest of the season doing what he does best

 

[Habskrieg]

I didn't realize the Kaberle hate was this bad.

He's CLEARLY not the same player anymore, and yes he's overpaid, but I still think he's a serviceable bottom pairing guy who could work as a set up guy on the 2nd PP unit.

Just my personal opinion I suppose. I've never been a big Cube fan either. I'd play Weber over him personally, as well. I think Cube is better served as a number 7 d-man at this point in his career.

I just don't believe Kaberle will get better with us. His first game, he was mediocre at best. Didn't really do much on the PP. Second game, he saw reduced time on ice and went to the 2nd wave of the PP. Third game, he was kept off the PP, turned over the puck when under a little pressure. Fourth game, he's a healthy scratch.

He has just been playing worse and worse each game. You can't really like a player who was already disliked last season and keeps playing like ****.

I personally don't hate the guy. But I don't want him in the lineup. Let's try to trade him and have some other team revive him. Or else, buy him out, in which case he can't be in IR.