HF Habs: Flames or Panthers 1st Round Pick 2025

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
70,805
27,860
East Coast
Wow, this would indicate the Flames aren't going full rebuild.

But it sounds like Debrusk isn't a well rounded player. You wonder if players like that help you or hurt you.
Rebuilds are huge decisions to make. Very few teams can tank and win a lottery at the right time... lots of luck required to to it quickly. Rebuilding with top 5 and top 10 picks is usually what happens but look how long it's taking the Sens, Sabres, Wings, etc. Habs started our rebuild but we didn't start from scratch. It's going to be another 3-5 years before we know how good this roster is. The transition years are the hardest part IMO.

It's a business too. Easier for the Habs and Leafs to do it because the fan bases still fill the rink. Would they do that in Calgary? Probably but full rinks? Not sure. That has revenue impacts.

I know a full rebuild for the Jets might mean a franchise move. They had a hard time filling the rink this year and they had a good team.

Flames not wanting to rebuild is a good thing for the Habs. Gives us a good shot at adding a pick from 10-15 range.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 26Mats

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
33,402
25,778
Rebuilds are huge decisions to make. Very few teams can tank and win a lottery at the right time... lots of luck required to to it quickly. Rebuilding with top 5 and top 10 picks is usually what happens but look how long it's taking the Sens, Sabres, Wings, etc. Habs started our rebuild but we didn't start from scratch. It's going to be another 3-5 years before we know how good this roster is. The transition years are the hardest part IMO.

It's a business too. Easier for the Habs and Leafs to do it because the fan bases still fill the rink. Would they do that in Calgary? Probably but full rinks? Not sure. That has revenue impacts.

I know a full rebuild for the Jets might mean a franchise move. They had a hard time filling the rink this year and they had a good team.

Flames not wanting to rebuild is a good thing for the Habs. Gives us a good shot at adding a pick from 10-15 range.

Yes, because of the bolded part, I'll be watching the Flames closely this offseason and next year.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Habs Halifax

Schooner Guy

Registered User
Jun 23, 2006
13,908
13,970
Flames not wanting to rebuild is a good thing for the Habs. Gives us a good shot at adding a pick from 10-15 range.

Yes, because of the bolded part, I'll be watching the Flames closely this offseason and next year.
Odds are highly in favour of us getting the Panthers pick next year.

Here's to the Panthers losing a couple of key free agents (i.e. Reinhart, Montour), a championship hangover, a couple of key injuries, and Bobrovsky finally showing his age. It can happen.
 

Walksss

Registered User
Mar 26, 2013
664
1,264
Well Florida lost Montour, Ekman-Larsson, Stenlund, Lomberg and Anthony Stolarz to free agency. I feel like they're gonna lose Tarasenko to a team offering longer term as well but we're gonna have to wait and see. They have Lundell as an RFA left to sign with $7.2 million in cap space to do it. I feel like he'll get around half of that, $3.5 million or something, not much left for Tarasenko if they want a Dman from somewhere.

They replaced their forward depth with Tomas Nosek, Rasmus Asplund, AJ Greer, and Jesper Boqvist. I only like Boqvist as a signing but I guess these guys could surprise, they are uninspiring though. Its definitely a downgrade from Stenlung and Lomberg, those guys were great for them down the stretch and in the playoffs.

In any case they're gonna be down a top 4 RD and a bottom pairing RD and their forward depth is far worse imo. Bobrovsky will be 36 when the season starts this year. I honestly believe with the amount of hockey they've played in the last 2 years they are a serious injury or 2 away from being a bubble team and missing the playoffs.

Obviously their top end forwards are still great but this will be a different team this year for sure. The Atlantic will be tough again and the younger teams will only be better, including us. I hope they miss the playoffs cause that would be amazing for that pick next year.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
70,805
27,860
East Coast
Well Florida lost Montour, Ekman-Larsson, Stenlund, Lomberg and Anthony Stolarz to free agency. I feel like they're gonna lose Tarasenko to a team offering longer term as well but we're gonna have to wait and see. They have Lundell as an RFA left to sign with $7.2 million in cap space to do it. I feel like he'll get around half of that, $3.5 million or something, not much left for Tarasenko if they want a Dman from somewhere.

They replaced their forward depth with Tomas Nosek, Rasmus Asplund, AJ Greer, and Jesper Boqvist. I only like Boqvist as a signing but I guess these guys could surprise, they are uninspiring though. Its definitely a downgrade from Stenlung and Lomberg, those guys were great for them down the stretch and in the playoffs.

In any case they're gonna be down a top 4 RD and a bottom pairing RD and their forward depth is far worse imo. Bobrovsky will be 36 when the season starts this year. I honestly believe with the amount of hockey they've played in the last 2 years they are a serious injury or 2 away from being a bubble team and missing the playoffs.

Obviously their top end forwards are still great but this will be a different team this year for sure. The Atlantic will be tough again and the younger teams will only be better, including us. I hope they miss the playoffs cause that would be amazing for that pick next year.

Getting a pick from 10-20 range has a decent chance.

* Flames will battle but most believe they are bottom 10. However, there is an outside chance it's bottom 11-15 range. If I had to bet, I'd say the Flames pick is 5-12 range.

* Panthers should still make the playoffs. A derail beyond the guys leaving would have to happen for them to miss the playoffs. If I had to bet, I'd say the Panthers pick is 18-25 range.

So there's a chance this pick might be better than 31st overall?

Great !

Good chance it's either 11-14 or 18-25 range. I don't expect the Panthers to win the division this time. Playoffs yes but not winning the division.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DAChampion

ChesterNimitz

governed by the principle of calculated risk
Jul 4, 2002
5,850
12,723
Well Florida lost Montour, Ekman-Larsson, Stenlund, Lomberg and Anthony Stolarz to free agency. I feel like they're gonna lose Tarasenko to a team offering longer term as well but we're gonna have to wait and see. They have Lundell as an RFA left to sign with $7.2 million in cap space to do it. I feel like he'll get around half of that, $3.5 million or something, not much left for Tarasenko if they want a Dman from somewhere.

They replaced their forward depth with Tomas Nosek, Rasmus Asplund, AJ Greer, and Jesper Boqvist. I only like Boqvist as a signing but I guess these guys could surprise, they are uninspiring though. Its definitely a downgrade from Stenlung and Lomberg, those guys were great for them down the stretch and in the playoffs.

In any case they're gonna be down a top 4 RD and a bottom pairing RD and their forward depth is far worse imo. Bobrovsky will be 36 when the season starts this year. I honestly believe with the amount of hockey they've played in the last 2 years they are a serious injury or 2 away from being a bubble team and missing the playoffs.

Obviously their top end forwards are still great but this will be a different team this year for sure. The Atlantic will be tough again and the younger teams will only be better, including us. I hope they miss the playoffs cause that would be amazing for that pick next year.
If Ekblad goes down for any appreciable length of time that Panthers’ defence becomes very vulnerable. It’s an aging team, who’s overall depth has been significantly undermined.
 

ChesterNimitz

governed by the principle of calculated risk
Jul 4, 2002
5,850
12,723
Didn't sign any stupid long term contract.
Signed Slaf to a 8x$7.6m contract.
Got great vet players for Laval.
Panthers depth took a big hit.
Calgary didn't improve.

Looks like it, big winners of the free agency.
As has often been said, the best transactions are often the ones you don’t enter into.

One has to respect the steely nature that Hughes has demonstrated. First by ignoring the pressure to pass on Wright and pick Slafkovsky 1 OA and recently to resist the noise of that segment of the team’s fans who were pushing and crying for the team to enter into the free agent frenzy.

It’s hard to find a good leader in any aspect of life: politics, business or sport. In Hughes, Montreal has found a cool, calculating and bright leader. The positive results of that inspired leadership are about to become manifest to even the most jaded of our fans.
 
Last edited:

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
20,003
11,868
Montreal
If Ekblad goes down for any appreciable length of time that Panthers’ defence becomes very vulnerable. It’s an aging team, who’s overall depth has been significantly undermined.
I think Bobrovsky is the key to their season next year. If he has a bad year and with their losses so far in the offseason, I could see them falling to a non-playoff spot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Andrei79

BaseballCoach

Registered User
Dec 15, 2006
21,270
9,594
So you're suggesting that the Habs are among the biggest winners from free agency?
In a way, and not just for that tertiary reason.

The main reason is that multiple teams handcuffed themselves for years with bad contracts, and the secondary reason is that Kent will benefit as they unload some players below market value to compensate.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad