Kent Hughes & Jeff Gorton General Discussion Thread - The Honeymoon Is Over

[Takeru]

Your comment is true yes. What makes me pause is that he went out of his way to say, just like Bergy, that getting C’s that have all the traits said above are almost impossible to get.

But when presented with the possibility to take the top 2 C’s, he balks? But Owen beck fits the bill though… I’m really hoping that Slaf becomes the Jagr Ovy quality that his fans say he is. Even though both of them were already a finished product that came in and dominated right away. Because we stopped short of getting that elusive 200 feet right way centerman.

I'm with you there.

Hopefully their criteria for the perfect C don't end up bitting us in the a$$ and make us pass on more than decent options cause they weren't perceived as perfect enough.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

They kept mentioning that the main profile they were looking for in this draft was players who play the right way, yet they passed on Wright, who is exactly that. I don't understand.

Also, Nick Bobrov is a very good speaker, love having him at the table. Lapointe on the other hand, feels like I'm hearing Bergevin when he speaks, it's horrible. We need to move from him IMO.

Hughes, Bobrov, MSL, Lecavalier, Slafkovsky. I love the type of people and personalities Gorton and the Habs have brought in.

 

[c3z4r]

Anecdotally, the most successful competitors I have seen (in team based stuff) are the ones who are solid between the ears. A player who can think at a high level (not even just the game, but in general) will usually have a more successful and fruitful career ... being a good teammate, being able to break out of slumps, being able to show humility to improve your weak areas, acknowledging your shortcomings so you can improve upon them etc.

I think the big reason they went Slaf over Wright had to do with something between the ears. Slaf seems very charismatic in a way I never really got from Wright. One feels like they are speaking from their heart, and the other from the hockey handguide for talking to the press. The on-ice product is only one component of a player; and you can see that the most successful stars in the NHL are ones with robust personalities, otherworldly talent, or something in between. You really need that swagger but it needs to read as confidence as opposed to conceitedness, and I think while Slaf's reads as the former, Wright clearly rubbed people the wrong way.

Counterpoint, Eichel and Laine were much more charismatic compared to their counterparts, but nobody in their right mind would have drafted either of the two first overall.

 

[Supersonic]

 

[dinodebino]

They kept mentioning that the main profile they were looking for in this draft was players who play the right way, yet they passed on Wright, who is exactly that. I don't understand.

Also, Nick Bobrov is a very good speaker, love having him at the table. Lapointe on the other hand, feels like I'm hearing Bergevin when he speaks, it's horrible. We need to move from him IMO.

Lapointe is staying according to all reports. So is Boisvert. Not sure about the rest, though.

BTW, unrelated to your comment, I think people are expecting this management team to wave the magic wand and have all of those millions gone off the books in a nano-instant. Reality check: Chest-bras left a financial mess and it will take two complete seasons to recoup from that.

So the moves made yesterday are not for short term perspective, but for long term vision. I don't expect this team to be competitive before 25-26 at the earliest. At the earliest. If they achieve that and more, then they will have succeed. Kids will have time to grow by then.

And Price keeping the suspense by delaying his decision to end-of-summer is not helping at all in shedding more cash.

View attachment 566411

Huh? Da fook is that?

 

[Supersonic]

Lapointe is staying according to all reports. So is Boisvert. Not sure about the rest, though.

BTW, unrelated to your comment, I think people are expecting this management team to wave the magic wand and have all of those millions gone off the books in a nano-instant. Reality check: Chest-bras left a financial mess and it will take two complete seasons to recoup from that.

So the moves made yesterday are not for short term perspective, but for long term vision. I don't expect this team to be competitive before 25-26 at the earliest. At the earliest. If they achieve that and more, then they will have succeed. Kids will have time to grow by then.

And Price keeping the suspense by delaying his decision to end-of-summer is not helping at all in shedding more cash.


Huh? Da fook is that?

A meme repost by Struble

 

[c3z4r]

Huh? Da fook is that?

It's a meme posted by Struble on his instagram.

 

[morhilane]

Your comment is true yes. What makes me pause is that he went out of his way to say, just like Bergy, that getting C’s that have all the traits said above are almost impossible to get.

But when presented with the possibility to take the top 2 C’s, he balks? But Owen beck fits the bill though… I’m really hoping that Slaf becomes the Jagr Ovy quality that his fans say he is. Even though both of them were already a finished product that came in and dominated right away. Because we stopped short of getting that elusive 200 feet right way centerman.

The problem here is that you believe that Wright and Cooley had "all the traits" they were looking for.

It's easy to see the problems with Wright: his lack of compete on the ice.

We don't know what the Habs had against Cooley, but Hughes knows more things about him than we do since his son played with him.

Owen Beck isn't a replacement for the 1st overall, but he showed the compete level Wright's lacked last season.

 

[dinodebino]

It's a meme posted by Struble on his instagram.

I'm on his Insta account and I can't find it.

 

[le_sean]

They kept mentioning that the main profile they were looking for in this draft was players who play the right way, yet they passed on Wright, who is exactly that. I don't understand.

Also, Nick Bobrov is a very good speaker, love having him at the table. Lapointe on the other hand, feels like I'm hearing Bergevin when he speaks, it's horrible. We need to move from him IMO.

It was quite telling when Hughes said the answer he liked the most from Slafkovsky was that his favourite time is when the team is up a goal or down a goal. He wants to be on the ice and he wants the puck on his stick.

Habs had plenty of video to show Shane that he didn’t exactly want the puck on his stick in those situations this year. Probably rubbed them the wrong way. I understand when picking 1st that you’re also selecting the right fit personality wise. You want your franchise player to want to be a franchise player.

 

[c3z4r]

I'm on his Insta account and I can't find it.

it's his most recent instagram story

 

[dinodebino]

it's his most recent instagram story

Just saw it!!! Lolol Making fun of the old man because of his son being drafted by LA.

 

[Guy Larose]

LOL why would the honeymoon be over? Because of the draft? We have no idea what we got in the draft and people claiming to know, don't know shit until a few years down the road. This place....lmao

 

[Gustave]

The problem here is that you believe that Wright and Cooley had "all the traits" they were looking for.

It's easy to see the problems with Wright: his lack of compete on the ice.

We don't know what the Habs had against Cooley, but Hughes knows more things about him than we do since his son played with him.

Owen Beck isn't a replacement for the 1st overall, but he showed the compete level Wright's lacked last season.

Yes, the problem is my perception of what Wright or Cooley bring to the table. That’s true.

So ok, no C’s were necessarily good enough to fit the bill this draft. I don’t agree but the Habs scouts feel this way.

 

[No More Subban]

Rewatching the top 5 picks right now. Man.. Montreal did put on a really fun, entertaining show last night! Might be the best draft of all time. The crowd reactions, the surprises, trades, Bettman even playing the crowd , Wright staring down Habs mgmt..

Amazing!

 

[ReHabs]

It was quite telling when Hughes said the answer he liked the most from Slafkovsky was that his favourite time is when the team is up a goal or down a goal. He wants to be on the ice and he wants the puck on his stick.

Habs had plenty of video to show Shane that he didn’t exactly want the puck on his stick in those situations this year. Probably rubbed them the wrong way. I understand when picking 1st that you’re also selecting the right fit personality wise. You want your franchise player to want to be a franchise player.

But wouldn't you want to have a decent player if he doesn't become a franchise player rather than a total, utter bust? Because the downside risk of the cool, swag Chad Slavkovsky is a 100% total bust.

Yakupov was mega confident too.

If not Yakupov then like Baker Mayfield and a billion other high pick busts.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

But wouldn't you want to have a decent player if he doesn't become a franchise player rather than a total, utter bust? Because the downside risk of the cool, swag Chad Slavkovsky is a 100% total bust.

Yakupov was mega confident too.

Brian Burke said Yakupov had the worst interview all time. One of his scouts wanted to fight Yakupov during the interview.

 

[ReHabs]

Brian Burke said Yakupov had the worst interview all time. One of his scouts wanted to fight Yakupov during the interview.

That sounds hilarious

 

[Takeru]

It was quite telling when Hughes said the answer he liked the most from Slafkovsky was that his favourite time is when the team is up a goal or down a goal. He wants to be on the ice and he wants the puck on his stick.

Habs had plenty of video to show Shane that he didn’t exactly want the puck on his stick in those situations this year. Probably rubbed them the wrong way. I understand when picking 1st that you’re also selecting the right fit personality wise. You want your franchise player to want to be a franchise player.

Hopefully he can put it in the net or make a nice setup pass.

 

[dcyhabs]

Hughes and Gorton just painted themselves and their addition in a corner at this draft and just added a ton of pressure on the players they added to this formation.

After the last 10 years, Habs fans don't have patience for maybes.....for the usual "wait 3 years before judging'' as we did with Galchenyuk, Drouin and KK.

Slafkovsky need to be better than Wright
Dach need to be better than Nazar and or Romanov.

If they don't and I mean, next year.....the pressure will keep on mounting and the pressure will crush them as it did many other prospects.

I hope it does work out, but my level of certainty of everything working out is VERY low.

There is no point in not waiting the 3-4 years. Chucking a high draft pick out before he hits 23 is bad asset management.

I agree that Hughes and Gorton had the goodwill to make a few mistakes and that is gone now, before it is known that mistakes were made. They have gone out on a limb, they know that, and we'll see how it goes.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

That sounds hilarious

 

[Takeru]

Yes, the problem is my perception of what Wright or Cooley bring to the table. That’s true.

So ok, no C’s were necessarily good enough to fit the bill this draft. I don’t agree but the Habs scouts feel this way.

Hey, there's always the next draft...
Until it turns out those guys have warts and uncertainties of their own that come to the surface upon scrutiny

 

[ReHabs]

Hopefully he can put it in the net or make a nice setup pass.

He sure did, precisely ten entire times in his Liiga season.

 

[Omar]

It’s quite simple. Shane didn’t go 2nd he went 4th so two other teams also passed on him. If you’re unsure whether we should have gone Slaf or Wright, think about that. Plus keep in mind Hughes knew he had Dach at the time. That made a big difference.

 

[dcyhabs]

Brian Burke said Yakupov had the worst interview all time. One of his scouts wanted to fight Yakupov during the interview.

Like Fischer a bust who interviewed really badly. Seems the interviews do matter.