Pre-Game Talk: Kent Hughes Presser, Thursday morning, June 8th 2023 9:30 am

[Runner77]

Is this to announce that Habs hired Michael Therrien as a head coach and move MSL to the PP coaching duty? I like.

Nope. Habs are announcing that they’re monetizing Hughes’ sexy, shiny scalp for a sponsor to feature its logo.

 

[Miller Time]

Irrelevant to what the discussion was at the time. Many of our most knowledgeable posters HATED idea of tkachuk because KK seemed more of an offensive talent. That was a big mistake clearly.

and there were a fair share of posters that wanted Zadina ahead of both... and I don't recall many, if any? that wanted Hughes at #3.


bottom line. the mistake remains in how the player was handled after the draft, rather than the decision to draft him in the first place. Of the players drafted in 2018, JKO remains a top 5-10 player thus far based on performance and output in the first 5 years post-draft, and is well positioned to maintain or improve on that through the next 5 years.

 

[The Great Weal]

Word on street; Arizona are hard at work trying to get another pick in the top 5 and secure the whole line.

Top5 Smith, 6 Leonard, 12 Perreault

Don't see why they want Smith. Arizona is going to draft Reinbacher. I'm sure they would also love Leonard to play with Cooley.

 

[nhlfan9191]

and there were a fair share of posters that wanted Zadina ahead of both... and I don't recall many, if any? that wanted Hughes at #3.


bottom line. the mistake remains in how the player was handled after the draft, rather than the decision to draft him in the first place. Of the players drafted in 2018, JKO remains a top 5-10 player thus far based on performance and output in the first 5 years post-draft, and is well positioned to maintain or improve on that through the next 5 years.

Tkachuk was the safe pick. Limited upside (Proven wrong). Zadina was the sexy pick. Hughes was never an option.

 

[GrandBison]

Tkachuk was the safe pick. Limited upside (Proven wrong). Zadina was the sexy pick. Hughes was never an option.

Zadina was the early faller of that draft... Who will it be this year?

 

[nhlfan9191]

Zadina was the early faller of that draft... Who will it be this year?

Ask me a few years from now. Lol there was no Smith/Michkov available in that draft.

 

[Miller Time]

Tkachuk was the safe pick. Limited upside (Proven wrong). Zadina was the sexy pick. Hughes was never an option.

exactly... and at this point, certainly a case to be made that Hughes is the 3rd best player from that draft class (some prefer Tkachuk, but functionally a case could be made for either).

Miller, Farabee and Dobson also would've been considered reaches in top-10, let alone top-5, yet both are in the conversation, if not locks, as top 5-10 players from that class.

the hindsight takes making the JKO pick out to have been a big mistake are silly. It wasn't a bad pick at the time, of all the things MB did wrong during his tenure, that pick in and of itself remains on the positive side of the ledger IMO.

The nice thing, now, is that we can have a lot more confidence in both the decision-making process going into the draft and the development environment and culture the player we get this summer will be stepping into.

The Future is Bright.

 

[sheed36]

Nope. Habs are announcing that they’re monetizing Hughes’ sexy, shiny scalp for a sponsor to feature its logo.

And we all know the perfect choice for that new sponsor logo would be Mr Clean of course. They need to contact the NHL pronto here.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Nobody asked about Jojo Drouin and Denis Gurianov???

 

[morhilane]

Zadina was the early faller of that draft... Who will it be this year?

Michkov...

 

[DiglettDangles]

Word on street; Arizona are hard at work trying to get another pick in the top 5 and secure the whole line.

Top5 Smith, 6 Leonard, 12 Perreault

CHI Bedard
ANA Fantilli
CBJ Carlsson
ARI Smith (SJ's 4oa for Cooley + Maccelli/Geekie + other, we don't have to care)
MTL Michkov
ARI Leonard

As Creed Bratton once said, I like it!

 

[Vachon23]

Bergevin and Timmins would have picked him over Bedard!!!

The same guys that pass on Brady Tkachuk For Kotkaniemi?

 

[sampollock]

The same guys that pass on Brady Tkachuk For Kotkaniemi?

what a huge fail

 

[skidcells]

So who are they taking to dinner? My guess it will be 2/3 guys so we can get the shortlist once the media find out.

 

[Vachon23]

You're not wrong, and that's kind of where I have some questions about Leonard since his play style is likely not durable, especially at his size

At the same time, Dustin Brown played close to 1300 games + 90 playoff games with that style of play and with the same size.

 

[sampollock]

So who are they taking to dinner? My guess it will be 2/3 guys so we can get the shortlist once the media find out.

I could use a free steak dinner and a old fasion to sip on

 

[JeffreyLFC]

At the same time, Dustin Brown played close to 1300 games + 90 playoff games with that style of play and with the same size.

Iginla too. He was a top power forward at that size.

 

[The Great Weal]

At the same time, Dustin Brown played close to 1300 games + 90 playoff games with that style of play and with the same size.

Dustin Brown has had 2 50+ point seasons from 27-38 years old. That's not good for a 5th OA pick.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Brady Tkachuk is at least 4 inches bigger than Leonard and his assists usually matched or surpassed his goals.

He could top out at 6ft1, 200 lbs. That's plenty big for what he needs to do. He's probably not that far off, we'll know for sure when they do the official measurements.

 

[Canadienna]

but look how much better off we would be right now if we had Brady Tkachuk instead of drafting Bambi.

Many of our most knowledgeable posters HATED idea of tkachuk because KK seemed more of an offensive talent. That was a big mistake clearly.

The same guys that pass on Brady Tkachuk For Kotkaniemi?

The Gap between Kotkaniemi and Tkachuk is much smaller than the gap between Kotkaniemi and Dvorak.

Picking Brady would have been nice, but the real issue is what happened after we picked KK.

 

[HabzSauce]

. Hughes has spent decades negotiating, so I personally am not putting much stock into the interviews/rumours on guys he like or doesn't like over the next couple weeks.

Yea me neither. These guys love to play mind games and use the media as their vessel. These interviews from Hughes should not be taken as seriously as they are lol.

I remember last year Hughes gave an interview saying they're most definitely not going to select their guy based off a small sample size (aka the Olympics for Slaf). This implied to me at least they weren't buying all that hype on Slaf but we all know how that all played out.

 

[Vachon23]

Dustin Brown has had 2 50+ point seasons from 27-38 years old. That's not good for a 5th OA pick.

Comparing the size and style of play, not the skills level all though I would have take Dustin Brown in my team at any time of the week

 

[The Great Weal]

Comparing the size and style of play, not the skills level all though I would have take Dustin Brown in my team at any time of the week

Yes and the size and play style clearly had an effect on him to not be as good as his 6 consecutive 50+ point seasons and PPG playoff performance. I would take Brown on my team too, but if it's between him and a player that is more durable, I take the more durable player without any question.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Not sure about your Lmao here.....

I dont disagree that he needs to play games, but that is not what he's doing with Mitchkov right now. He's 100% managing expectation.

No he's not. It's completely ridiculous and shows the insecurity and trauma of the fanbase. It's not even his job and that would overstep and undermine his duties.

I don't even believe CLB's GM (Davidson iirc) when he says they'll be picking a center.

It's all posturing.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yea me neither. These guys love to play mind games and use the media as their vessel. These interviews from Hughes should not be taken as seriously as they are lol.

I remember last year Hughes gave an interview saying they're most definitely not going to select their guy based off a small sample size (aka the Olympics for Slaf). This implied to me at least they weren't buying all that hype on Slaf but we all know how that all played out.

Because they selected him off everything he did all year. He wasn't lying, people just interpreted it the way that fit their biases.