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

[Kosseca]

You want Drouin and Thierney back that bad?

Byron playing career's is done. Monahan probably is too.
Belzile might get a contract and go back to be the Rocket captain and injury call-up guy.

The rest are AHLers who turns veterans and Habs have a bunch of kids turning pro that need a spot on the Rocket.

I think you misunderstood my comment... I certainly dont want them back, and I would have hope that they dont either and made that clear to them already. The fact that it was not done suggest that they are still considering options.

 

[phillytennis]

If anyone can tell me the french shit he's saying

Maybe learn the language...and it won't be shit for you...you would add another soul!!!

 

[sheed36]

Hughes says ultimately we'll take the most talented player available but yet if you pass on Michkov at 5 you won't be Kent so I guess that's where these "other factors" that won't be hockey related comes in huh. Just please don't go in front of a camera or mic and try to convince the fanbase you took the most talented player available if you did pass on Michkov after though. Just please don't do that.

It does seem like if Smith is on the board at 5 he'll be the Habs pick but if he's gone before 5th then Leonard will most likely be their guy @ 5. It could be a bit more interesting though who the Habs would choose between Smith and Leonard if both are still there at 5. I think they would go Smith if that scenario did happen.

 

[sampollock]

Leonard is very talented.

if he is like BT and MT in fla... that is not bad of a player

They've come out and said they are taking a center.

again "they say" now..... we will see

 

[Justin11]

It was never gonna be Reinbacher lol

It's Smith or Leonard 100%

I'm getting the same feeling. They could always surprise us, but would not bet on it.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

Oh he'd definitely smoke someone if the chance is there. Lol

He'll retaliate hit too, but he doesn't chase hits. He's more along the lines of Landeskog physically.

You know what, Landeskog is actually a very good comparison, both in terms of potential impact and playstyle.

I think he ends up on a spectrum somewhere between Debrusk and Svechnikov.

 

[SwiftyHab]

I think he dropped an inadverdent hint about getting PLD as well.
He was asked how important it was for CC to have a contract comparable but under Suzuki's AAV and he said,

"yes- in this context - coming off an ELC we thought that was important but facts can change in the future"

Its curious that he would add that additional context, essentially suggesting that other contracts for players not coming off an ELC could potentially command more than Suzuki. Given that PLD's agent Brisson has been given permission to talk to GMs, it has to be true at this point that Hugo is assessing with Brisson what a long-term PLD contract looks like. Wonder if he's getting us ready to see an $8M+ PLD contract

Ok given this quote, it’s clear they’re talking about what a long term contract is:

 

[WeThreeKings]

Maybe learn the language...and it won't be shit for you...you would add another soul!!!

I know the language (grade 9 level a long time ago) but it's pretty hard to follow the cadence of french speakers when you're not a native speaker and you only ever hear it 4-5x a year.

And to be clear, if i was a native french speaker, I would have asked the same type of question.

Est-que quel'que personne peux dit a moi qu'est-que l'anglais merde il a dit?

 

[HuGort]

Hughes says ultimately we'll take the most talented player available but yet if you pass on Michkov at 5 you won't be Kent so I guess that's where these "other factors" that won't be hockey related comes in huh. Just please don't go in front of a camera or mic and try to convince the fanbase you took the most talented player available if you did pass on Michkov after though. Just please don't do that.

It does seem like if Smith is on the board at 5 he'll be the Habs pick but if he's gone before 5th then Leonard will most likely be their guy @ 5. It could be a bit more interesting though who the Habs would choose between Smith and Leonard if both are still there at 5. I think they would go Smith if that scenario did happen.

Most talented or best player available are two different things

 

[McGees]

Reports at the combine where saying that Ryan Leonard is build like a NFL linebacker

 

[sampollock]

sounds like he is a good effort type player

 

[HABitual Fan]

The latest mock in the Athletic has Smith to Columbus, Michkov to SJ and LC falling to Montreal. I could live with that outcome if it happens.

 

[Kennerback]

So, if there's a chance to smoke someone he would, or just stick check?

Both Tkachuks will. Brady will chase a hit just because. Matthew will chase a hit if you're a star, or he just really doesn't like you.

He’ll certainly try to smoke you. But often falls, misses his check or the other player doesn’t move.

 

[sheed36]

Here's the full media availability for anyone who missed it and wants to take a listen.

 

[26Mats]

yea forget Michkov unless hes playing a mind game

i think this is the Habs board

1-Bedard
2-Fantilli
3-Carlsson
4-Smith
5-Leonard
6-Reinbacher

hopefully SJS picks MM which leaves us with the fresh prince of la belle province

Nothing he said made me think Michkov is do not draft.


I did notice his body language and facial expressions went somber when Michkov was brought up, whereas he lit up when asked about Will Smith and Leonard.

Having said that, I go somber when playing poker and am dealt a killer hand.

I did find it weird he said they have to do their homework on Michkov. They haven't done their homework yet??? Surely they have. But if you don't want to give away what you've learnt from doing the homework, saying you still have to do your homework is a good thing to say. Of course it could be that they don't like the result.

KH did say that for all they know Michkov could extend past 3 years. But he also said they haven't talked to him yet.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

2 questions that I would have like to hear:

1 - What do you think of Zach Benson ? And does the Habs already have some smaller player in the system could influence the pick ?

2 - What do you think of Dalibor Dvorsky

1. I have injury concerns as far as Zach Benson goes. He's had 2 significant injuries in 2 years. The shoulder injury he suffered this year was due to Benson beating a guy on the inside on the boards to get a puck, and getting absolutely plowed into the boards. Benson is going to get brutalized in the NHL if he doesn't change his game a little and gain some survival instincts.

Smaller guys need to let the D get in first than attack the stick & hands to gain possession of the puck. Nic Robertson is someone who has never figured this out & refuses to change. His reward is spending his almost entire pro career on IR.

Injuries beget other injuries. And players who get significant injuries in Juniors, it does tend to follow them professionally. This is actually true of Guhle, so far too.

He's definitely a player that 2 years from now I might say, Wow! Definitely wrong about him! But, I also don't think he's so far above anyone else in this range to be overly concerned about it too.

2. Dvorsky I don't see him at #5. He struggled in the Allsvenskan league, and didn't stand out in any way at all at that level. Yes, it is a men's league, but it is second tier. I didn't see anything from him at that level other than he was a really average skater with a good one timer.

By comparison, Carlsson excelled in SHL, the premier league of Sweden. Reinbacher played in a better league, and even Slafkovsky played in top tier Liiga. There's a huge drop between Carlsson & Dvorsky.

Dvorsky played much better with his own age group showing excellent puck possession skills & some quality level goal scoring and even playmaking, but nothing exceptionally above his peers. He's a smart player, who can take advantage of the young players he plays against, but can't do the same at a higher level.

Imo, he tops out as a #2C, and if he doesn't develop the way you think he will, middle 6 forward.


#5 for me is Smith, Leonard or Reinbacher (who I don't think they take), with Michkov as an outlier.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Lol Kent Hughes saying he can't talk about Carter Hart either when he was ask about PLD

This is what I like about Hughes, he doesn't prentend he doesn't know what the f*** is going on like the other bozo we had before him.

 

[Vachon23]

The latest mock in the Athletic has Smith to Columbus, Michkov to SJ and LC falling to Montreal. I could live with that outcome if it happens.

You could live with it ? That would be the best case scenario

 

[The Great Weal]

#5 for me is Smith, Leonard or Reinbacher (who I don't think they take), with Michkov as an outlier.

Why do you not think they will take Reinbacher? Big guy who fills a major need, that seems to be the type of thing they value a lot.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Smith or Leonard will be our pick.

Don't think SJ picks Mitchkov, they'll pick whoever's left of Carlsson and Smith and we'll pick Leonard.

 

[26Mats]

He was talking about players of equal talent would be the only situation where they would draft for need.

So in the case of Theo Lindstein (LD) vs Maxim Strbak (RD), both play similar games. They're strong defensively, good skaters and haven't shown a lot of offensive upside. We'd take Strbak in that case. Most teams do this.

I wasn't posting about what Hughes said. I was posting about the poster talking about certain players filling our need at 5.

I liked that kh said if there are two dmen of equal talent, they'll take the RD over the LD, but that they're looking for the most talented player.

We'll see whether that's what they actually do. We saw in the past Timmins say pre draft that they would pick BPA, but they immediately post draft say that his pre draft comments about going BPA were meant to throw off opposing scouts, and that in fact they drafted a ton of LD's because the right side was set with Weber and Petry. Sigh. Fast forward to know and Weber and Petry are gone, we have too many LD's and not enough RD's. At least Timmins knew how to draft D so we have a lot of good LD assets that can be used to trade for areas of need.

 

[The Real Timo]

Yes!!! Let’s get moar bigger!

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Why do you not think they will take Reinbacher? Big guy who fills a major need, that seems to be the type of thing they value a lot.

I just think we take a forward, although I believe Hughes did say Reinbacher was best D in the draft, which is why I left it open as a possibility.

 

[The Great Weal]

I just think we take a forward, although I believe Hughes did say Reinbacher was best D in the draft, which is why I left it open as a possibility.

I actually think they take Reinbacher because of his size. Of course, I was also convinced we would take Wright last year so I could very well be wrong, I doubt anyone can confidently guess the pick from now based on how Hughes doesn't give much info.

 

[Vachon23]

I just think we take a forward, although I believe Hughes did say Reinbacher was best D in the draft, which is why I left it open as a possibility.

He didn't had the same stars in the eyes then when he talk about Leonard/Smith

Men when he was talking about them, he had the same stars in the eyes that I would have if I was in a date with Margot Robbie