Post-Game Talk: Dobby and the Habs defeat the Stars in Dallas

[Guess]

Dvorak was 10-5 in the dot tonight.

Faceoffs are good but need to be good elsewhere too. Unfortunately for us he's the only left handed center we have, even in the pipeline there's pretty much none. I guess we won't be able to take advantage of draws on one half of the ice (apparently it's more effective to take faceoffs on your backhand) once he's gone.

When I see this I get visions of a small area games with no sticks, to get players used to using their body to break plays

 

[Guess]

I'm expecting our team next year to be:

Caufield - Suzuki - Slaf
Laine - Dach - Demidov
Heineman - Evans - Newhook
Anderson - Beck - Gallagher

Hutson - Matheson
Guhle - Carrier
Xhekaj - Reinbacher

Don't like Newhook on that line, he's not great as a forechecker. Hoping we trade him for something more useful on a bottom 6 (would honestly rather wait it out until he improves since his value is probably not great, but we're running out of time on him), and resign Armia, he's much better at cycling and winning puck battles. We're in 'prep for playoffs mode', we can't keep players who don't fit their future positions. Armia should be resigned to a good (tradeable) contract that can be moved once we're sure that the prospects coming up can take his position (I see Kapanen with the team sometime next season).

Doubt we see Reinbacher on the team until late next year, he hasn't played at all and you don't use a 5th overall player on the 3rd pair when he needs to be getting minutes. At the very least he won't be there until halfway through the season. Either we resign Savard to a 1yr deal, go for another journeyman or test out Engstrom there during this season and if he's good he gets the spot (apparently he can play both sides).

 

[Habssince89]

He's very inconsistent and often looks like he doesn't give a shit, people will always call out that type of player first. Doesn't make them haters imo. Plus he was overpaid for a while, with the growing cap it's less of an issue now.

He's had good moments like the 2021 playoff run and right now but I think he's been meh at best overall if we consider the whole picture and I'm being nice. Let's just agree to disagree.

I don't disagree with him having bad stretches but the issue is the selective memory. People don't remember all the great play he's provided over the years, especially when we were a team that needed to defend a 1 goal lead all the time. I like Armia and he's an asset

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

For years? No he's had plenty of good seasons and playoffs with the habs, and bad stretches too. Overall he's been a net positive who gets shit on no matter how many times he disproves the haters

hell yeah

 

[JianYang]

I wanted him gone as recently as a month ago. He was absolutely terrible in early December. He looked lazy, disengaged and any chance he got, he repeatedly whistled the puck wide.

Huge turn around in his game.

Story of his career. He can be a fantastic player, and when he shows it, you wonder why he can't sustain it.

The one thing that has changed about him the last couple years or so is that he's alot healthier though.

 

[MasterD]

I still find it 200% crazy that our fans are willing to sign the vets and let the kids "cook" in the AHL for 3 more years It's like our fans did not learn anything from the last 30 years. Hope KH is a better GM than that. This team needs upgrade and it wont come from the UFA market and nobody will trade an elite player for guys drafted in the 2nd/3rd round unless you show them at the NHL level.

Yes, we've learnt from the past 30 years.

When's the last time the Habs let a player cook in the A for 3 years before he made an impact in the NHL?

They've brought guys up too early so often it's not even funny. Let 'em cook, 90s wings-style.

Doesn't mean Dvo or Gallagher should stay.

 

[Guess]

The way Hughes spoke at his presser, it sounds like a rookie is going to have to blow the Habs brass out of water to make the team next year.
I think Dvorak is gone but he’s liked in the room so I can’t see them trading him for a pittance in March. They’d rather let Beck cook in The A, imo.
Armia is confusing me lol. I wanted to let him walk, but he brings that size we need and id sign him for 2-3 years if he took a discount.
Same for savard, who I don’t think gets dealt. Maybe he comes back for 1 year as a depth D.
Pezz and Dvorak gone, newhook to the 3rd line. Evans signed.
Demidov and maybe Beck or tuch in (next year).
The (lack of) size of this team scares me if we make the playoffs.
I know guys like Hutson and CC can handle themselves but the research shows the bigger teams win in the playoffs.

Yeah, this lack of size is exactly why I want us to resign Armia if he takes a home discount. That way we have some balance until our bigger bottom 6 forward prospects are ready to contribute.

I still find it 200% crazy that our fans are willing to sign the vets and let the kids "cook" in the AHL for 3 more years It's like our fans did not learn anything from the last 30 years. Hope KH is a better GM than that. This team needs upgrade and it wont come from the UFA market and nobody will trade an elite player for guys drafted in the 2nd/3rd round unless you show them at the NHL level.

Huh ?!? The reason we had tons of vets and no kids contributing is because we didn't draft well and didn't develop well. In most cases it was the opposite problem, we brought up players too early and hurt their development when they should have been marinating in the AHL.

Forget about 'showcasing players' by bringing them up when they're not ready. That's a recipe for failure and will just hurt their trade value even more.

I'm hoping now that we're focused more on results we give even more room to vets and let the players marinate in the AHL like the most successful teams (i.e. Dallas, Tampa) do. As long as those vet contracts are moveable, we don't shoot ourselves in the foot and ensure our players can come up when they're ready.

 

[HabsCowboysOwn]

I don't disagree with him having bad stretches but the issue is the selective memory. People don't remember all the great play he's provided over the years, especially when we were a team that needed to defend a 1 goal lead all the time. I like Armia and he's an asset

The fact the team was a boring dumpster fire probably didn't help in that regard, I know I skipped my fair share of Bergevin era games after 2017ish so maybe I missed some great plays.

But I respect your opinion and for what it's worth, I wouldn't mind bringing him back on a short term deal. If he keeps playing like this you won't see me complaining about him. We'll see,

 

[The Real Timo]

Yoel is awesome!

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

All the people that were shitting on Marty a month ago deserve shame

 

[Archijerej]

Wow!

 

[Guess]

All the people that were shitting on Marty a month ago deserve shame

Did Marty snub Pezzetta there for a high five? LOL.

Edit: Nvm, looks like only two players passed when he did that

 

[Guess]

All the people that were shitting on Marty a month ago deserve shame

I remember everyone who did

 

[Hacketts]

funny that one of the biggest plays of the game happened without even a stick.

 

[calder candidate]

Armia is a beast like most game very valuable I definitely think we need to consider resigning, PK, great bottom 6 with size and skills.

 

[Rapala]

Or forces his way onto the first.

If I have to hazard a guess Demidov will play with Nick Suzuki at one point next season.
Suzuki has been a godsend for this team with his ability to work with young talented wingers.
I can't think of a better player to pair him with particularly if you see him as a potential center down the road.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Armia is a beast like most game very valuable I definitely think we need to consider resigning, PK, great bottom 6 with size and skills.

There is no space for him.

Caufield
Demidov
Laine
Slafkovsky
Newhook
Anderson
Gallagher
Heineman

That's 8 wingers right there that are locked to be on the team.

It doesn't even include guys like Roy, Davidson, and Tuch who could possibly be ready for the nhl.

 

[Hacketts]

There is space for him.

Caufield
Demidov
Laine
Slafkovsky
Newhook
Anderson
Gallagher
Heineman
Armia

 

[Rapala]

There is no space for him.

Caufield
Demidov
Laine
Slafkovsky
Newhook
Anderson
Gallagher
Heineman

That's 8 wingers right there that are locked to be on the team.

It doesn't even include guys like Roy, Davidson, and Tuch who could possibly be ready for the nhl.

Who will kill penalties next season Heineman? We don't have a direct replacement for Armia.
We actually have more talented prospects in Jake Evans' role.
We are at the point where Gallagher's usefulness has come to a screeching halt and he will become the highest paid 13th forward in the league. Sign Armia if he isn't over priced the narrative is changing it's about winning games now. I would argue the biggest improvement in our PK came at the end of last season with Joel Armia's game.

 

[Erika]

Who will kill penalties next season Heineman? We don't have a direct replacement for Armia.
We actually have more talented prospects in Jake Evans' role.
We are at the point where Gallagher's usefulness has come to a screeching halt and he will become the highest paid 13th forward in the league. Sign Armia if he isn't over priced the narrative is changing it's about winning games now. I would argue the biggest improvement in our PK came at the end of last season with Joel Armia's game.

Agreed, Armia before Newhook, Gallagher and Anderson any day of the week.
We already knows what playoffs Armia looks like.
We need those big bodies that can cycle and protect the puck and that's his main strenghts.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Who will kill penalties next season Heineman? We don't have a direct replacement for Armia.
We actually have more talented prospects in Jake Evans' role.
We are at the point where Gallagher's usefulness has come to a screeching halt and he will become the highest paid 13th forward in the league. Sign Armia if he isn't over priced the narrative is changing it's about winning games now. I would argue the biggest improvement in our PK came at the end of last season with Joel Armia's game.

Oh please killing penalties can be learned. Anderson was trash at it and now he does it. Even Pacioretty killed penalties. Armia needs to be traded. He was literally sent in the ahl last year and half of his goal are empty nets . Yeah we clearly need to give him 5x3m

 

[Guess]

I like this Armia but let's not forget how bad he looked for years. It's a contract year for him, still not convinced that he'll keep this up. Can look like a monster when on but like complete trash when off. Cheap short term extension sure but don't overpay for that guy.

He's been bad when the games didn't count but it seems that he rises to the occasions in big games (like the playoffs) when it matters.

 

[Guess]

Its time to call 2 forwards from Laval to see who could play on the bottom lines when we trade Dvorak and maybe Armia.

I agree that we should test players (Beck, Davidson) before the end of the season.

I think Beck is pretty much guaranteed to replace Dvorak next season (or maybe it will be Kapanen). Davidson should be sent up now to replace Pezzetta and see if he has a chance to play with us next season too. Kapanen, Beck, Davidson are probably the guys with the highest chance of breaking the bottom 6 next season, but there will only be room for 1-2 of them.

 

[Guess]

...and yet still scares the living shyte out of Habs fans on a regular basis...can we get past the fear and resign him again??...will he disappoint once he's inked...again??...

Hughes is not MB though, he won't sign him to a dumb contract.

 

[HuGort]

Excellent game, beat a Cup contender in their own barn. Habs 11-2-1 in past 14. Best record in league since Dec.17.

Dobes stood on his head again, stopping 32 of 33 shots. Hutson with another point. Paving his way to the Calder. Armia played a great game. If he has a good second half be huge for the team.