Do we already have a potential future Stanley Cup core with Nick & Cole? + Poll Question

[LaP]

Next draft will probably determine if we have a cup winning core or not. I wish we will have a good season but at the same time it's important to have a top 10 pick next draft either our pick or the Panthers one.

I know most fans disagree with me on that but i still think we should move Edmundson at the tdl if he's healthy. Moving forward Savard and Matheson will be enough as vets and a healthy Edmundson will be worth a 1st round pick. The more time you go at bat the more chance you have to hit a homerun.

 

[MarioLeMoose]

Too soon to say for sure obviously, but I mean...if Suzuki and Caufield are legit elite PPG+ players that makes our core very interesting. If Guhle is a #1D, Slaf pans out and we hit on a couple of other picks/prospects we easily have the potential to be great.

 

[Lshap]

Or we could just ignore the question like most people have been doing here and just answer with what ever ideas we wanna say.

The thread title asks if we ALREADY have a Cup-winning core. The poll question asks if we WILL win with this core, which could include any player added in the next decade.

You're asking us to speculate on two very different things, which might explain the variety of answers.

 

[Vachon23]

Our future goalie will be drafted in 2025. Gabriel D'Aigle.

Hope we have a chance to draft him even if where far from 2025

 

[Garbageyuk]

As of right now? No. We still need an elite 1C, as it always has been. Possibly an elite 1D as well, unless Guhle can become that (which is looking more possible at this point, but I still wouldn’t bet on it).

If we can get 1, or preferably both of those two missing pieces, we’ll have a chance. That’s why another high pick this year is so important. The future of this core pretty much depends on it.

 

[lamp9post]

Something quite amazing is happening to us here, for the fist time in decades we have a very young 12 player core thats exploding with talent, and we’re gonna be adding to this core with our 2023 1st round pick. We also have other good prospects already in the system.

Suzuki
Caufield
Dach
Slafkovsky
Ghule
Xhecaj
Harris
Barron
Mesar
Mailloux
Heineman
Beck

EDIT: I think some of you don’t understand the question and others chose to ignore it and answered their own. To be clear if you voted NO that says that you don’t believe we’re winning a cup in the Suzuki/Caufield era. Also some here might be on a different page about what a team’s CORE means. Votes can be changed.

This list alone won't be enough. Add a top pick in '23 and a couple shrewd UFA signings in a year or two then maybe.

 

[lamp9post]

To be a SC contender one of these things need to happen

1) Guhle develops into an all situation 1D.
2) The Habs draft Bedard or Carlsson and they are elite 1Cs.
3) Dach becomes a 1st line C.
4) Carey Price comes back and is in peak form.

Aside from this, theres no way the Habs are contender.

I'd say at least three of those things would need to happen.

 

[First Line]

If you need to name half the team when trying to identify your core it means you don’t have a core.

 

[Mrb1p]

I'd say at least three of those things would need to happen.

I think if the Habs add

A Norris D
Or
A top 10 C
Or
A hart level goaltender

With normal development curve from everyone else

Its a pretty good ticket to the cup.

 

[Sorinth]

I mean sure anything can happen but realistically we have a few pieces that look like they could form part of a true contender's core but we'll have to add a couple elite players to it and it's anyone's guess whether those guys are in the current prospect pool or can be acquired some other way.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Still need: an elite PMD / Another elite forward at C or wing / very good goalie...
and time. Team is still super young at cornerstone positions

 

[Vachon23]

We will need more grit eventually, but that will came after we will solidify our core and we will be ready to compete.

 

[Tyson]

It all depends how well these kids keep developing.
There are some strong prospects that could make this team a serious contender in a few years.

 

[Justsayin]

Next draft will probably determine if we have a cup winning core or not. I wish we will have a good season but at the same time it's important to have a top 10 pick next draft either our pick or the Panthers one.

I know most fans disagree with me on that but i still think we should move Edmundson at the tdl if he's healthy. Moving forward Savard and Matheson will be enough as vets and a healthy Edmundson will be worth a 1st round pick. The more time you go at bat the more chance you have to hit a homerun.

Completely agree re Edmundson. The time that he can be moved is running out and the Alzner/Gill zone is fast approaching.

 

[OldCraig71]

Year one of a rebuild is hardly the time to speculate about what is or what will make up the core of this team. Look around the league at other teams that have gone this route and look at how long it took for them to become elite teams, Colorado just won and Mackinnon and company have been together for a long time. This is a journey and not a sprint to the finals.

 

[NORiculous]

For instance, the Avs just won the cup and their core is MacKinnon, Landeskog, Rantanen and Makar. Maybe you can include Nichuskin and another D-man like Toews to the group. But that's a good comparison for what Montreal's trying to build to.

It is a good model too follow but the Habs don’t have a MacKinnon, Rantanen or Makar yet. Maybe Slaf can become Nichuskin.

Next draft will probably determine if we have a cup winning core or not. I wish we will have a good season but at the same time it's important to have a top 10 pick next draft either our pick or the Panthers one.

I know most fans disagree with me on that but i still think we should move Edmundson at the tdl if he's healthy. Moving forward Savard and Matheson will be enough as vets and a healthy Edmundson will be worth a 1st round pick. The more time you go at bat the more chance you have to hit a homerun.

I agree the Habs should move Edmonston if he has 1st pick value. Also they should move Hoffman, Dvorak, Dadonov and co for anything.

The sooner the better because they absolutely need to secure a top 5 pick and hopefully be lucky with the Flo pick.

 

[Habs10Habs]

Mostly Devils fan, recently Habs became a secondary team for me with Slaf and Beck. my Dad is also a huge Habs fan so I try to keep up with Habs news so I can keep him informed.

You've added some insightful posts to the Habs board. So you're definitely welcome!

 

[lamp9post]

I think if the Habs add

A Norris D
Or
A top 10 C
Or
A hart level goaltender

With normal development curve from everyone else

Its a pretty good ticket to the cup.

I think we would need some surprise diamonds to emerge from our prospect pool for that to happen. We are more than one piece away given assuming normal/projected development curves IMO.

 

[Mrb1p]

I think we would need some surprise diamonds to emerge from our prospect pool for that to happen. We are more than one piece away given assuming normal/projected development curves IMO.

Yeah, thats why its not a contending core.

 

[Tetragrammaton]

The thread title asks if we ALREADY have a Cup-winning core. The poll question asks if we WILL win with this core, which could include any player added in the next decade.

You're asking us to speculate on two very different things, which might explain the variety of answers.

You’re right, I edited it to try and clarify, it’s true the thread title and discussion is different than the poll question.

 

[Legend123]

Not yet.

Add 2 more top 5 picks and a legit goalie then sure

 

[MoneyManny]

To be a SC contender one of these things need to happen

1) Guhle develops into an all situation 1D.
2) The Habs draft Bedard or Carlsson and they are elite 1Cs.
3) Dach becomes a 1st line C.
4) Carey Price comes back and is in peak form.

Aside from this, theres no way the Habs are contender.

I say the first 2 of these things need to happen + have a miracle happen and have an elite goalie fall into our laps.

 

[BozoTheClown]

We will need to be very patient and very lucky as it took Chicago around 3-5 years after drafting Hall of Famers Keith, Toews and Kane and adding pieces like Hossa to win the cup, it took Tampa Bay about 6 years after drafting Hall of Famers Stamkos, Hedman and Kucherov, and it took Colorado around 9 years after drafting Landeskog, Mackinnon, Rantanen and 4 years after adding Makar.

All of those players mentioned are much better than anything we have on our team or in our system. We are not winning the cup until we add a dominant #1 centre, a Norris level dmen, a consistent 30+ goals scorer with size, grit and playoffs success and a number one goaltender that will step up in the playoffs.

 

[Sorinth]

It is a good model too follow but the Habs don’t have a MacKinnon, Rantanen or Makar yet. Maybe Slaf can become Nichuskin.

The thing is we don't really know what we have with our young guys. For example Suzuki's career regular season numbers over 82 games works out to 57 points, MacKinnon's numbers over his first 4 seasons was 56. So to say we don't have a MacKinnon is 100% true since there's no guarantee that Suzuki takes that next step like MacKinnon did, but it's also not a giant stretch to think it's a possibility especially since he has 39 points in his last 41 games under MSL.

Slaf could just as easily end up as a Rantanen instead of a Nichuskin. Rantanen played 9 NHL games after being drafted getting 0 points and being a -7, but he had a great AHL year after getting sent down (60 points in 52 AHL games). We will probably see Slaf getting sent down after 9 games as well, but how he does in the AHL is anyone's guess right now.

We will probably have a much better idea of our core by TDL, Suzuki/Caufield will have had enough games to see whether their production under MSL is/was just a hot streak or whether they really are ppg players. We'll have a better idea about Slaf's development curve, and whether we will be adding another high pick or not. The thread's premature though.

 

[Mrb1p]

I say the first 2 of these things need to happen + have a miracle happen and have an elite goalie fall into our laps.

Two elite Cs is usually very close to being enough to win the cup. Think of Pittsburgh.

The sheer amount of prospect talent coming up will mean that these two guys can match up with anyone and have the upper hand while the rest has the upper hand on the other teams depth.

Note that I am expecting both Bedard and Carlsson to be around Matthews/Barkov levels.

Say you were to add either of those to the current line-up, without even accounting for player growth from the likes of Guhle, Slaf (Who should see exponential growth in a matter of months, he looks like a junior player right now but a year of patience will probably propel him into calder competition.), Dach, CC, Harris, etc.

Caufield-Suzuki-Monahan
Dadonov-Barkov-Anderson
Dach-Dvorak-Gallagher
Slafkovsky-Evans-Hoffman

That top 6 can play and dominate against anyone, and that bottom 6 can do the same too and most likely match up with some 2nd lines, especially that Dach-Dvo line.

Then theres the rumoured Dubois acquisitions, fringe guys that may make it like Ylonen, Heineman, RHP...