Habs take that you were dead wrong about
- Thread starter TheHockeyGenius
- Start date
Habs Icing
Formerly Onice
To be honest I don't remember all of my reasons.
I thought he had an erratic shot from the point. Missed the net most of the time.
Would abandon his defensive position for a hit.
There was something about his personality that grated on my nerves. Yeah, I know not rational.
Those are a couple and looking back I think I was fixated on the occasion errors he would commit and blow them out of proportion. And I loved Denis Savard.
But let me tell you, lol, once he was gone I quickly realized how wrong I was. About Chelios, not Savard.
That Habs Fan
Registered User
Ducharme
I bought into the "he's good with youth!" hype that came from his being a WJC coach. One of the most stubborn and detrimental to youth coaches I've ever seen, especially with the way he handled Caufield.
Beaulieu
I thought he was going to be a top 4 PP QB, he still has all the tools, and I think he has the toolbox, just has the wrong priorities.
Kostitsyn
Much like Beaulieu, except he doesn't have the toolbox. I thought his peak would be longer, it was a nice peak while it lasted.
Primeau
Might be too early to say otherwise, but I thought he might be Price's replacement (although obviously not as good, I'm in the Price for HHOF camp).
Romanov
This one is different from the above as it was my expectations from the team and not the player that were wrong. Thought he would be a fixture on the back-end for years, I still think the trade for Dach was a mistake but time will tell.
I bought into the "he's good with youth!" hype that came from his being a WJC coach. One of the most stubborn and detrimental to youth coaches I've ever seen, especially with the way he handled Caufield.
Beaulieu
I thought he was going to be a top 4 PP QB, he still has all the tools, and I think he has the toolbox, just has the wrong priorities.
Kostitsyn
Much like Beaulieu, except he doesn't have the toolbox. I thought his peak would be longer, it was a nice peak while it lasted.
Primeau
Might be too early to say otherwise, but I thought he might be Price's replacement (although obviously not as good, I'm in the Price for HHOF camp).
Romanov
This one is different from the above as it was my expectations from the team and not the player that were wrong. Thought he would be a fixture on the back-end for years, I still think the trade for Dach was a mistake but time will tell.
HabsQC
Registered User
How awful the montreal player development is.
For my self.
Drouin - Jury is still out but I expected more
KK - I think he could still flourish.
Kovalchuk - I thought he would come be our savior for a few years.
Hoffman - oof
For my self.
Drouin - Jury is still out but I expected more
KK - I think he could still flourish.
Kovalchuk - I thought he would come be our savior for a few years.
Hoffman - oof
Ghetto Sangria
Registered User
- Apr 14, 2009
- 5,501
- 1,342
His fall from grace was devastating. His camp and start to the season in his rookie year were the stuff of legends.
Hins77
Registered User
- Apr 2, 2013
- 4,056
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Back in the days, I was in favor to get Weber vs subban, but I knew, the window were shorter (weber came in older than subban). At that time, for the next few years, I thought Bergevin would begin to trade first pick, or blue chip prospect vs guys like Ryan O’reilly . And finnally, to build something to win the stanley cup. He just, made errors on errors, not resign his best player in radulov, not keeping markov. Signed bad players like streit, semin, hemsky. Traded for players at deadline like ott, king, martinsen and cie. I didnt expected that kind of management
JHabs
HFB Partner
I thought:
Alexander Avtsin would be a top 9 NHLer
Andrei Kostitsyn would be an elite 80 Pt scorer
Sergei Kostitsyn would be a top 6 forward
Alex Galchenyuk would be the elite top C Habs needed
Dalton Thrower would be a beast top 4 D
Jarred Tinordi would find his game as a top 4 D
Jesperi Kotkaniemi would be the elite top C Habs needed
That Bergevin, when he was hired, would be the GM to bring the cup back to Montreal
That Dom Duscharme would be a good NHL coach
That Guy Boucher was the next Habs Coach (when he coached Hamilton)
That Mike Cammalleri would retire a Hab
That Shea Weber would last two more seasons than he did
That Andrei Markov would come back
That Radulov loved Montreal so much he would stay
That Kovalchuk loved Montreal so much he'd come back
etc...
Alexander Avtsin would be a top 9 NHLer
Andrei Kostitsyn would be an elite 80 Pt scorer
Sergei Kostitsyn would be a top 6 forward
Alex Galchenyuk would be the elite top C Habs needed
Dalton Thrower would be a beast top 4 D
Jarred Tinordi would find his game as a top 4 D
Jesperi Kotkaniemi would be the elite top C Habs needed
That Bergevin, when he was hired, would be the GM to bring the cup back to Montreal
That Dom Duscharme would be a good NHL coach
That Guy Boucher was the next Habs Coach (when he coached Hamilton)
That Mike Cammalleri would retire a Hab
That Shea Weber would last two more seasons than he did
That Andrei Markov would come back
That Radulov loved Montreal so much he would stay
That Kovalchuk loved Montreal so much he'd come back
etc...
BLNY
Registered User
I thought the Polish Prince was going to be a nice add. His preseason performance during his first year backed that up. And then the season actually started ...
JohnLennon
Registered User
- Mar 26, 2011
- 5,811
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I thought David Savard would actually help with the loss of Weber on that right side on defense.... WOOF
Thank you for the time capsule my friend
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Kotkaniemi. I wanted Tkachuk and got moved off it from posters I respected. I was on the full KK train near the draft, no doubt.
Poehling. I thought that kid had better potential. Wasn't expecting a 80+ center but I was expecting a solid 2C and a strong physical type.
Josh Brook. Staggering on how he has struggled. Good size with good skating and vision. Injuries derailed things but at this stage, he's on track to be a NHL journey type D (at best) but might never make it.
Domi. I expected more from him after we traded him. I know he had a rough 2nd year with us but he's got game. I do wonder sometimes if his diabetes affects his game/game energy. He will never admit it so hard to know.
Savard. I was worried this was Alzner round two. He's not as good as Eddy but he's decent for what we are paying him.
Drouin. Defended him over and over again cause I do think he has more to offer but he's too complacent. Being afraid of contact has really affected his game and I think Julien/Ducharme coached him to play a safer game which was just wrong. Focusing on "assignments" type obsession. Drouin in the last 1.5 season with Tampa and the even the first season with the Habs is a completely different player than what we have seen in recent seasons. Even with him struggling at center, he had high tempo and energy in his game and shot the puck more.
Suzuki. I really liked him but thought he would start in the AHL.
Poehling. I thought that kid had better potential. Wasn't expecting a 80+ center but I was expecting a solid 2C and a strong physical type.
Josh Brook. Staggering on how he has struggled. Good size with good skating and vision. Injuries derailed things but at this stage, he's on track to be a NHL journey type D (at best) but might never make it.
Domi. I expected more from him after we traded him. I know he had a rough 2nd year with us but he's got game. I do wonder sometimes if his diabetes affects his game/game energy. He will never admit it so hard to know.
Savard. I was worried this was Alzner round two. He's not as good as Eddy but he's decent for what we are paying him.
Drouin. Defended him over and over again cause I do think he has more to offer but he's too complacent. Being afraid of contact has really affected his game and I think Julien/Ducharme coached him to play a safer game which was just wrong. Focusing on "assignments" type obsession. Drouin in the last 1.5 season with Tampa and the even the first season with the Habs is a completely different player than what we have seen in recent seasons. Even with him struggling at center, he had high tempo and energy in his game and shot the puck more.
Suzuki. I really liked him but thought he would start in the AHL.
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Suzuki, Lehkonen, Evans, Gallagher, Emelin developed fine. I think we are using the development card too much. Development needed to be better but I think low draft power and bad picks were the bigger problems.
In order to develop better, you need better talent IMO. We have done a better job at that in recent drafts and our new management is going to spend more energy with development coaches so it stands to produce more NHL talent. But at the end of the day, Slaf develops into who he can become cause of the work he puts into it. Simple as that. The team facilitates the right road for him to follow.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
Doesn't take a hockey genius to see that we lack the horses on defense and in net to even remotely compete for a playoff spot.
Considering it took 100 points to get in the east last season and usually it's around 95 pts, we would need to get between 40 and 45 more points than last season.
When was the last time a team got up by 40 pts more than their previous season? Has it ever happened? We'd need at minimum get close to that record, if not beat it, to get into the playoffs.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
Getting around 20 more points than last season, cause that's around what it would take to be 10th last (Anaheim, 76pts), is highly optmistic.As positive as I can be. Even I don't have the balls to say that we're making the playoffs.
What I will say though is I think the majority here are underestimating the team just a little bit. The thought of a shot at another top 3 pick is very nice, I can't lie. Even with the subtractions that we've made since last season. I can't see us being anywhere near that bad. So as I've said since the beginning of the off season. We're going to finish 10th last or better
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Yeah, playoffs is a big reach. I won't jump on fans who think there is a chance. There is always a chance but it's low %. Got to win a lot of games against teams in the division and it's one of the toughest divisions.
5-10 from the bottom or at best 8-12 from the bottom. That's what I have been thinking for a while now and I'm sticking too it.
"You're never as good as your best season and your not as bad as your worse"
Hins77
Registered User
- Apr 2, 2013
- 4,056
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The moment those prospect hit a « statistic roof », we should become aware about their potential.
Poehling in 18-19 has the same ratio than 17/18. 31 pts in 36 games. None progression. At this moment, I wouldnt have a problem to trade him. Bergevin kept him until he lost all his value. fairbrother, tuch, Ylonen are another one whose Didnt progress and many others
Same for Josh Brook.
There is exceptions, but most of the time, when a player hit a roof by statistic, this is always a bad sign
On the other side, you hAve farrell/roy/guhle who progress every year of their developpement.
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Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Most prospects never reach their potential but some do. Trying to play that game where you trade the ones who don't early is risky and lets face it, you don't get the ability to trade your preferred guy to another team and steal their guy away. As always, it takes unique circumstances.
I'm not going to dwell if we have busts. It's reality of drafting players and all teams go through it. What I learned from my research is the teams that draft well, have high draft power over a span of years.
Leafs think they are a genius drafting team. Tell me what player they have that is not a top 10 pick that they drafted and developed well and is a core part of their team today? Do you know how much energy they put into development? A lot!
BJCOLLINS
Registered User
I was extremely stoked, lol, when we selected Zack Fucale in ‘13. I believed him to be the next Grant Fuhr. He was a money goalie in Jr.
In 05 I remember being here on HF scouting the upcoming draft. I liked B Pouliet but convinced he’d be gone at 5.....posters here started talking about Kopitar...&..the more I read about this kid the more I liked and then Boom shock, they pick Price.
In 05 I remember being here on HF scouting the upcoming draft. I liked B Pouliet but convinced he’d be gone at 5.....posters here started talking about Kopitar...&..the more I read about this kid the more I liked and then Boom shock, they pick Price.
Kennerback
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2021
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Most of my worst lapses of judgment concern other teams. For the Habs, my worse take was probably seeing Leblanc as having 2nd line offensive upside. Also, I thought Colberg wasn’t that far off from Forsberg.
I was lukewarm but open-minded to the KK pick. I didn’t see the high-end offensive upside. However, I thought he could be a good 2 way Center in the NHL. Maybe a blind spot but I still think he has more 2-way upside left.
I was lukewarm but open-minded to the KK pick. I didn’t see the high-end offensive upside. However, I thought he could be a good 2 way Center in the NHL. Maybe a blind spot but I still think he has more 2-way upside left.
JHabs
HFB Partner
I should probably add:I thought David Savard would actually help with the loss of Weber on that right side on defense.... WOOF
Thank you for the time capsule my friend
I thought -
Drouin would have been a PPG Superstar
Sergachev wouldn't outproduce Drouin
Collberg would make us regret the trade and do well with the Islanders
Alzner would be a serviceable #4 (WOOF)
That Gomez would turn it around at some point
That Komisarek would be a year-round Stud #2 D
That Nikita Scherbak would become Hossa-lite (Ouch)
That Lars Eller would be the #1 C or 2A we desperately needed
That Claude Julien would come in and magically make this team a cup contender
That Jaromir Jagr would sign a one year deal with Montreal to play with Plekanec
That Nathan Beaulieu would develop into a top 4 D
That Noah Juulsen would develop into a solid 2nd pairing guy
Brandon Prust.
That Charles Hudon would be a regular top 6 or top 9 forward
- Aug 22, 2006
- 60,981
- 18,740
Oh I'm not going to pretend it's not. It's being incredibly optimistic. While some are probably laughing, maybe even thinking this old guy has finally lost it. I'm trying to look at the whole picture, not just previous stats or how our goaltending or defense matches up against other teams.
1. I'm looking at how the team started to jell under MSL. He has had plenty of time to monitor what the players strengths and weaknesses are. Which makes it much easier for player placement. Then trying to do it on the fly, like he did last season.
2. Having Eddy (crosses fingers) from the beginning of training camp. He's not the best D, but he's solid and a great leader for the kids. He's also had more time to grieve, after the loss of his father. I personally don't think his mind was fully into hockey, when he came back. Hoffman, as much as we all rip him, missed all of training camp. In combination with the short summer break. I think that really had a negative effect on him.
3. The whole situation with Price has now been solved. As I mentioned earlier, not knowing when or if Price was coming back, was a negative. I think Allen will benefit the most from this. Knowing it's his ball or in this case, his puck to pick up and run with. I also expect Monty to continue to improve.
4. The biggest factor I'm looking at now though is pride. These are professional athletes, who are not used to being embarrassed. With the amount of players we have on the last year of their contracts. Or in the case of Gally, not living up to his current contract. I'm expecting these players to step up their games.
5. Every interview I've seen or read about concerning the Habs and management. Shows me that they are not interested in a bottom 3 finish. If things are not working. I fully expect that HuGo will continue to make changes.
As a business man, for me stats are important. At the same time, I like to take it a bit further. Dive deeper into the situation and find out as much information as I can. Too many things can change if you look at stats alone. Injuries, trades, players playing over or under their potential.
Am I always right....hell no. But I'm satisfied that I have gathered as much information as possible, before forming my opinion.
Kennerback
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2021
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Concerning Management, I was really excited when we picked Bergevin because of his track record, fresh ideas… When I found out he picked Therrien, I was already done with him. So the quickest upper and downer as a sports fan I’ve ever had. I was counting down the days for him to be fired. It took a decade.
