Do you think the building of the core is done?

[ThaDevilGirl]

Not yet, but I'd say that some of the core will be coming with UFA signings once the Habs shed dead weight next year. Current salary retention will be off the books, Armia, Dvorak, Savard... Maybe we find a away to get rid of Price's last year too, giving us extra flexibilty.

Obviously some of the money will be going to contract extensions to Slaf and the dmen but Habs can make a big splash in 2025 if all goes well.

 

[Mrb1p]

Ouais mais c'est pas de eux quils parlent lol tu pensent ils parlent de Matheson??

Eh, the francophone vs anglophone thing is a lot deeper than that. I was referring to other ethnic groups that are well established in Montreal, Georges Laraque, Donald Brashear, Duclair, the Josephs, Imama, etc.

Oh to be clear I voted no only because he won't be in the NHL next year and we'll likely add at least one more core or core-ish piece through another top 10 pick and/or trades, not because I don't think Demidov and our current talent is enough. I think we'd be good to go with the current core group as is since we'll have the ammo to trade for a 2C if Dach doesn't settle in there, but in simple terms I don't think the core is "done" because we probably will still add one more big name in 2025.

It's done as is, we filled every hole needed.

Demidov, Suzuki, Slaf, Dach, Guhle Reinbacher. Thats very similar to Barkov, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Bennett, Ekblad, Forsling.

Of course adding more talent is always the necessity, thats not really up for debate. There's being ready and getting greedy though.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Yes, done.

Slaf - Suzuki- Demidov
Caufield - Hage - Dach

Guhle - Reinbacher
Hutson

 

[Gally11]

I would consider Demidov la pièce du resistance for the rebuild, it feels like we’re officially on the other side. Are we going to keep adding, trading and tweaking? Of course. But today we are entering the next phase and everything else is a lot easier to get than what we’ve gotten in pieces like Slaf, Hutson, Reinbacher and Demidov.

Impressive first 2.5 years by this management team, they knew what we needed to get and chipped away at it without falling into pressure traps.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

I would consider Demidov la pièce du resistance for the rebuild, it feels like we’re officially on the other side. Are we going to keep adding, trading and tweaking? Of course. But today we are entering the next phase and everything else is a lot easier to get than what we’ve gotten in pieces like Slaf, Hutson, Reinbacher and Demidov.

Impressive first 2.5 years by this management team, they knew what we needed to get and chipped away at it without falling into pressure traps.

Agreed, really eager to see what management will do for the next phase, now that they will start slowly getting relieved of past regiment mistakes (bad albatross contracts to be precise). But so far I am satisfied with their work, we truly our in good hands.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Not really, i think we will be in a position to draft potentially one more top6/top4 player next draft but what we have already is damn sure salivating

We may even trade that 1st for a nhl player or nhl ready

Would like to add another top 4 rock à la Guhle unless Mailloux really improve in his zone im not ready to pencill him in the top 4

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Lmao

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Slaf Suzu Demi
Hage Dach Cauf
Hook Beck Roy

Guhle X
Hutson Rein
Engstrom Xhejak Mailloux

Who ever pawn in net

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Yes, done.

Slaf - Suzuki- Demidov
Caufield - Hage - Dach

Guhle - Reinbacher
Hutson

Hutson in net is crazy

 

[amnesiac]

Slaf-Suzuki-Demidov
Roy-Dach-CC
Newhook-Beck-Hage

Huston-Reinbacher
Guhle-Mailloux
Xhekaj

Fowler

 

[Ozmodiar]

Hutson in net is crazy

You underestimate him.

 

[Toene]

Yes because I believe in Dach.

We have our two top 6 centers (Suzuki & Dach), we have our 3C (Beck & Kapanen), we have our elite offensive talent up front (Demidov) and on the back end (Hutson), we have two defenseman in Guhle/Reinbacher who can match up against any type of forward in the league, we have our big power winger (Slafkovsky), we have our sniper (Caufield) and between Dobes/Fowler/Volokhin I believe we have our goalie.

And we have our bruisers (Xhekaj bros).

 

[Sorinth]

Didn't vote because the job of adding top6 F and top4 D never ends. Even when you are a contender you are looking to add those type of players.

 

[Nedved]

Likely we're still bottom 10 next year, have 2 1st rounders, and a bunch of other picks. We're headed in the right direction, no doubt, but I think 2025 we will be taking some big steps. You can see that Hughes is building a deep forward group and a solid 6 dman. We will don't have that stud #1. Just waiting for it.

 

[The Last Red]

No.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Likely we're still bottom 10 next year, have 2 1st rounders, and a bunch of other picks. We're headed in the right direction, no doubt, but I think 2025 we will be taking some big steps. You can see that Hughes is building a deep forward group and a solid 6 dman. We will don't have that stud #1. Just waiting for it.

And will probably not have a true number 1 either but its possible to win without one, Florida and Carolina comes to mind

 

[vokiel]

More than half the players people list aren't established yet. So the answer is no.

 

[Mackiaveli]

I mean the core as in : top 2 lines, top 4 defenseman, #1 goaltender.

Let's pretend all of our "top prospects" pan (which is unrealistic)

Caufield - Suzuki - Demidov
Slafkovsky - Dach - Mesar
Roy - Hage - Newhook
Xhekaj - Beck - Tuch

Guhle - Reinbacher Matheson-Reinbacher
Hutson - Mailloux Hutson - Guhle (?)
Xhekaj - Barron Xhekaj - Mailloux

Fowler
Montembeault


PP1:
Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Hutson-Demidov

Cole in the Circle - Slaf/Demidov/Suzuki all rotating between bumper/up high - Hutson at the point

PP2:
Dach-Newhook-Mesar
Guhle (Matheson)-Hage

Mesar -> I think we'd be happy if he ends up as a 3RW; we need someone to fill that hole though - a goal scoring finisher. Eiserman would have slotted in perfectly here, even Hage might be great if they put him on the wing instead of down the middle - but this is the big hole in our top 6 and I suspect that Hughes will find our 6th forward in the 2025 UFA class (Crosby, Draisaitl, Marner, Rantanen, Boeser, Ehlers, Bennett, Buchnevich) but I would love a Laine, Zegras, McGroarty - really anything here to round out the top 6.

Mailloux -> I believe that he will be a great 4D but I am not sure he will fit on this team long term unless he really rounds out his game. I would not mind him as an offensive-upside partner for Xhekaj, but either way we will desperately need a shutdown righty to play with Lane - OR - a phenomenal overall guy to play on that top pair with Guhle. If they are confident in Guhle playing RD and don't move Matheson, then our D is probably fine so long as they all pan out... again, not sure I want Guhle as an RD permanently

3rd Line -> I think Roy's ceiling has yet to be seen; he might be the 6th forward in the end. We still have no idea how good Hage can be, and with COVID development + his personal stuff, it's not a stretch to say the best is yet to come for a prospect like him. For Newhouse, I think both him and the team view him as a C, but unless Hage plays wing and Beck is the 4C, Newhook will be a winger on this team long term.

6D -> I just think Barron is not the answer here. I would like a big anchor to let Xhekaj explore the offensive upside of his game (breakout pass, joining the rush) and take bigger risks defensively to kill plays on the entry.

---

TLDR: I do not think we are done, but we found all the hard parts already - and thankfully, most of them should pan out. We have our center depth sorted (Suzuki/Dach/Hage), we have our #1RD (Reinbacher), an elite PMD (Hutson) a solid future #2 (Guhle) elite wingers (Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov) some depth D with upside (Xhekaj, Mailloux) some young future NHL potential guys (Roy, Tuch, Xhekaj, Beck, Mesar, Konyushkov, Heineman, Engstrom) ... now it's about finding one more complimentary winger (I really would pick Steven Stamkos for so many obvious reasons) and giving the time and space for these players to grow into their projections.

Did I mention the oldest Habs player listed above is Suzuki, who is turning 25 next month? Then it's 23 year old Caufield.

If everyone hits or if the Habs can add elite goaltending, this is a team that is competing for cups in 2026 onwards. If players miss, or injuries come into play, it will be up to Kent Hughes to replace pieces on the fly. As of right now, the Habs pass the Ducks and join the Sharks and Sabres in the "this team is going to be scary good one day" tier of core.

 

[gusfring]

No. We are tanking again this year, it would seem. No aggression.

 

[HabzSauce]

I want another dog for the top 6 and I'm happy. Big, skilled, physical. Think Josh Anderson type but can actually play hockey

Slaf - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Dach - xx

 

[The Last Red]

And will probably not have a true number 1 either but its possible to win without one, Florida and Carolina comes to mind

Threre probably aren’t more than a dozen actual no. 1 d-men in the league anyway. You need 3 good pairings, or two very good ones and a decent 3rd pairing.

 

[Prairie Habs]

I want another dog for the top 6 and I'm happy. Big, skilled, physical. Think Josh Anderson type but can actually play hockey

Slaf - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Dach - xx

Buchnevich is UFA next offseason. 6'3 200 lbs, scores about 30 goals 70 points the last 4 seasons, a left handed shooter, and he'd be a Russian to help demidov transition to north America when he comes over in 2025. He turns 30 a couple months before he becomes UFA, so he won't be ancient or anything.

 

[Gravity]

I'd still prefer getting an elite C and I don't see a 1D yet but it's promising so far.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Nope. No stud #1D and no elite 1C. And nobody who looks like they can become those pieces. And before anyone gets up in arms, Suzuki is a fine player and a 1C, but I don’t see him as the type of C that Cup contenders have on their top line. We’d need him to become a 100 point C or a guy who wins Selkes while simultaneously providing his current offense. There’s a slim chance it could happen because he’s still only 24, but I’d say the odds it does aren’t good.

 

[HuGo Sham]

It's also fascinating that habs kind of have 2 timelines going with newhook, dach, CC and Suzuki ,Guhle...and then a slightly younger crew with Slaf, Ivan, Hutson, Roy, Hage, Beck etc