Inside the Habs draft - premieres August 22, 7:00 p.m. on YouTube

[HomaridII]

Great video....I could watch these guys talk for hours.

I guess this video really confirms that the Habs we're going after Hage at 21. He was really the guy they wanted and i'm assuming that it wouldn't have made a difference if Boisvert or Eiserman were there. Hage just seems like such a great kid.

Demidov is an absolute beauty of a human being. Talented as f*** but what a great personality as well with the perfect amount of confidence. A real leader.

There are videos from the game yesterday where they focus only on Demidov on the bench and how he is actually standing up on the bench going around to all the guys talking and helping out. He also made a locker room speech after the game. Kid really is a leader, he has that personality.

 

[Seb]

If we don't win a cup with this group I'll be super disappointed but at least we'll be blessed with years of great hockey.

I believe we will win it.

 

[FrankMTL]

If we don't win a cup with this group I'll be super disappointed but at least we'll be blessed with years of great hockey.

I believe we will win it.

The crazy part is that they're not even done yet. They have so many picks in the next draft including 2 first round picks, 2 second round picks, 3 third round picks and 2 fourth round picks.

Regardless if they use these picks where they are, if they trade a few to move up and grab another high end prospect or they use them to trade for a good young NHLer, this team will continue to improve rapidly in the next year or so.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

It feels so good seeing the team being managed by smart, well prepared people who actually plan things, instead of pure shoot from the hip improvisation and gut feeling bravado. This is how it should always be IMO.

 

[Scintillating10]

"Things are falling into place baby. That's how it happens." ~ Kent Hughes

Great inside look video again this year but they just never seem long enough.

Give you a taste but not full meal

 

[xX SEYF Xx]

In the post-draft interviews and press conferences, I thought KH was the most cheerful I ever saw him, he was genuinely happy and pumped up.
This video sheds more light on that.
It really went the way he wanted it to go and he couldn't dream of a better outcome.
Demidov fell into his laps, Hage too ( that trade from 26 to 21 was spot on tho)
Heck, they considered Koivu and Sawyer at 57 they got them at 70 and 78..

 

[Treb]

I was curious (on how you can reach out to an NHLer) and according to hockeydb he and Boyle were born in the same city, so probably local/family connection

They both went to St Sebastian's School so likely connections there as well.

 

[Saundies]

The trades were the most interesting, "here's a peek behind the curtain" part of the video. Obviously they're not going to show you scenes of them talking about guys we didn't take, but it was cool to see:

1) Kent had the 21 trade lined up for hours ahead of time (and they wanted Hage with it/thought there was only a 20% chance he'd be there).
2) We had a contingency trade potentially for 5 if Demidov wasn't there.
3) If Hage wasn't there at 21, we had a trade for something else. McGroarty? Someone else? Pretty neat.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Not a single new piece of information came from the video , all it did was make me tear up

 

[badfish]

If we don't win a cup with this group I'll be super disappointed but at least we'll be blessed with years of great hockey.

I believe we will win it.

It's crazy, I felt this way about individual players in the past (Price) but not a collective group.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Not a single new piece of information came from the video , all it did was make me tear up

I see you got the "early" viewing like we talked about

 

[Treb]

Not a single new piece of information came from the video , all it did was make me tear up

We already knew a lot of it regarding Demidov/Hage/Koivu/Vecvanags.

Interesting additional insight regarding Sawyer and Merrill.

The most interesting context to me was how high they were on Khanin compared to the other 31 teams. Both teams he played for the last two years have no other guys drafted in the NHL (well Shmakov played 1 game on the VHL team), so was he just underscouted by others or are our scouts imagining things?

 

[imnothere]

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Nice to see they were reading my posts about Demidov for the last year

 

[Habs10Habs]

Watching it again with my morning coffee. My only complaint is I wish it was about an hour.

 

[The Last Red]

The trades were the most interesting, "here's a peek behind the curtain" part of the video. Obviously they're not going to show you scenes of them talking about guys we didn't take, but it was cool to see:

1) Kent had the 21 trade lined up for hours ahead of time (and they wanted Hage with it/thought there was only a 20% chance he'd be there).
2) We had a contingency trade potentially for 5 if Demidov wasn't there.
3) If Hage wasn't there at 21, we had a trade for something else. McGroarty? Someone else? Pretty neat.

It’s been “reported” that Zegras was the contingency plan.

 

[Treb]

Watching it again with my morning coffee. My only complaint is I wish it was about an hour.

I'd take an hour... on each pick.

 

[LaP]

I think we learned from the video that they see Demidov as a center more than a winger.

 

[Mikah]

There probably a lot of editing but it very suspicious that every year they get the guy they target at the spot the target.

I'd go a step further, and I'd say that this was filmed after the draft. Honestly, the choices and the discussions are just too perfect for what happened.

I am really not convinced that Demidov would stilll be their pick at 5 if Levshunov or Lindstrom were available, and I would bet there probably was not such a consensus...

Same for 21... Boisvert, Connelly or Eiserman were all potential picks that were arguable above Hage. I think they were hoping for one of those to be available (including Hage). I very much doubt they were going specifically for Hage. There was just a strong group of players that were in that range, and it made a lot of sense going from 26 to 21, because it was the difference between a potential top 6 and a bottom 6 player.

 

[Habs10Habs]

I'd take an hour... on each pick.

lol I didn't want to seem greedy. But yeah, I'd be cool with that.

 

[Rapala]

If we don't win a cup with this group I'll be super disappointed but at least we'll be blessed with years of great hockey.

I believe we will win it.

I'm not sure setting those expectations are realistic just yet.
Who are the truly consistent players we have with stats to back it up?
The levels you are speaking of requires a far deeper roster than we currently have.
Could we survive a losing a Suzuki or a Dach or a Guhle or a Matheson for any length of time.

A lot has been made about teams using LTIR to benefit them in the post season.
The reallity is those teams were able to overcome the man games lost to their top players.
When our prospect pool has matured and is proven to that point is when I'll start thinking about those possibilities.

 

[Redux91]

I'd go a step further, and I'd say that this was filmed after the draft. Honestly, the choices and the discussions are just too perfect for what happened.

Surely you jest lol..

 

[Blame the referee]

We should have go with the McGroarty trade if the rumours are true. I like Hage, but you have to go with your head and not your heart in decision like this

 

[Seb]

I'm not sure setting those expectations are realistic just yet.
Who are the truly consistent players we have with stats to back it up?
The levels you are speaking of requires a far deeper roster than we currently have.
Could we survive a losing a Suzuki or a Dach or a Guhle or a Matheson for any length of time.

A lot has been made about teams using LTIR to benefit them in the post season.
The reallity is those teams were able to overcome the man games lost to their top players.
When our prospect pool has matured and is proven to that point is when I'll start thinking about those possibilities.

Of course, now it isn't at the level you're describing but give this team a few years and it will be there. I really do believe in this team, the prospects and the management. We have what it takes.

 

[Price is Wright]

The Habs valuing Makar Khakin high and him dropping to the 7th round is intriguing. He's 19 as well. I know the Habs care a lot about who you develop into instead of how fast you develop, so I wonder if they know if he has interest coming to North America by age 21.