GDT: Leafs at Habs (Now, Saturday)

[PaulD]

Leafs had their top 3 dmen (Reilly, Brodie and McCabe) suited for the game.

The leafs top 3 . Yep and wiith a top three like that, the are no Cup contender

Habs are a Lottery team again this year.

 

[tinyzombies]

The Habs didn’t play well at the end of last season, they went 5-14-2 from the trade deadline on. Armia scored 3 goals during that time (a hat trick against Washington). They only won 1 of their last 8 games.

Before that I mean we went on a run when we should have been steering the submarine to the ocean floor like the Hawks did. Nobody wins Cups by being a choirboy in this league. Not slagging anyone, I like our management and coach.

 

[The Real Timo]

Has Savard played any games? Is he injured? Don’t remember his name mentioned in a long while.

 

[Agalloch]

Has Savard played any games? Is he injured? Don’t remember his name mentioned in a long while.

Yes. On September 27th. I guess he plays the last 2 preseason games.

 

[The Real Timo]

Just saw on LJM that DR has been returned to Europe.

Also

Kent Hughes et Gorton ont retranché quatre autres joueurs après le revers de 3 à 1 contre les Leafs. Les attaquants Sean Farrell et Riley Kidney, le défenseur William Trudeau et le gardien Jakub Dobes se rapporteront au camp du Rocket de Laval.

Can the next one be “Juraj Slafkovsky cede a Laval”?

 

[tinyzombies]

So, pretty much this then. Esp with Roy and Reinbacher gone. Heineman hasn't stolen a job. Barron or Mailloux I guess could sneak in last minute? Lots of red dependent players who don't do much of anything elite, and RHP is probably gonna lose that green status unless he keeps his shooting percentage up. That right side has a serious lack of footspeed with Savard, Kovacevic, Armia. I'll give Gally the benefit of the doubt for now. Maybe a good idea to put him with Slaf to light a fire under both of them. And I'll assume Dach stays at center. If that's true, Money is on the first line, and Anderson/Newhook showed chemistry. Pearson can move up if he's healthy and anyone falls off. That fourth line isn't that feisty tho lol...

 

[The Real Timo]

So basically pretty much the same team as last season going to be another looong season. Le sigh.

 

[abo9]

I think our D is pretty much set. And our top 4 core of Slaf/Dach/Caufield/Suzuki ain't too shabby.

As is that's not good enough and I don't feel confident our current crop of forward prospects can elevate us to contender, even with a stacked D.

We do have assets galore though and I'd like to see Hugo make at least 1 big trade for an elite winger. Preferably two.

1-2 elite wingers, when the time is right and id say we're ready to contend.

You summarized my feeling pretty well, a few exceptions aside (I'm not exactly sold on the D yet for example).

Im curious to see what happens with all those assets. After all, other teams wont be interested in a bunch of expendable pieces for even one elite. My bet is that we take the "bug number" approach: hopefully a few of these promising youngsters pop out and become elite/borderline elite.

 

[MasterD]

the media sucks so much lol, after a game like that they are praising reinbacker, and asking about ghules A on his sweater to St Louis, ask him some tough questions please!

It's not even about tough questions, they just need to ask real hockey questions. "You have been trying the drop pass forever and PP is putrid. Why is this the strategy you choose over and over, what so you see in it?"

The thing is, the Habs "journalists" for the most part are tabloid writers and really don't know shit about hockey. They remember than one time Philippe Cantin asked MB why they played defensively and how he was made to look like the f***ing idiot he is. None of them are gonna go in that direction again.

So basically pretty much the same team as last season going to be another looong season. Le sigh.

That's pretty much the definition of a rebuild. Long painful seasons while the youngsters develop in the minors, AHL and Europe.

We still don't have any high end offense guys, and no real #1, neither in the NHL or coming up soon.

The most we can do is wait for the dead weight to fall off. Hoffman is gone, Armia next, then Gallagher. It'll take a while.

 

[HabzSauce]

You summarized my feeling pretty well, a few exceptions aside (I'm not exactly sold on the D yet for example).

Im curious to see what happens with all those assets. After all, other teams wont be interested in a bunch of expendable pieces for even one elite. My bet is that we take the "bug number" approach: hopefully a few of these promising youngsters pop out and become elite/borderline elite.

If one of our own can pop off that would be ideal.

The good assets we have include 1sts+2nds, any roster forward/prospect forward not named dach, Slaf, Caufield and Suzuki. And since we have so many D, we can afford to trade one of them too.

And if we need any extra add ons, we got PLENTY of those. So all in all were in good shape to acquire talent. And Hugo has shown to be creative so I'm confident we can find the right team and deal the right combination of assets to get what we want.

It would sting to have to trade a guy like Roy, or Huston/Mailloux, or anyone of quality really. But for you and me, this crop ain't it so who gives a damn haha. Go get talent!

 

[abo9]

If one of our own can pop off that would be ideal.

The good assets we have include 1sts+2nds, any roster forward/prospect forward not named dach, Slaf, Caufield and Suzuki. And since we have so many D, we can afford to trade one of them too.

And if we need any extra add ons, we got PLENTY of those. So all in all were in good shape to acquire talent. And Hugo has shown to be creative so I'm confident we can find the right team and deal the right combination of assets to get what we want.

It would sting to have to trade a guy like Roy, or Huston/Mailloux, or anyone of quality really. But for you and me, this crop ain't it so who gives a damn haha. Go get talent!

Who are the "plenty" of add ons though? Beside the core 4 forwards you mentioned... the rest is pretty garbage (assuming those add ons aren't under 23). Same with D, besides Matheson, we have nothing of value (I'd trade Matheson in a heartbeat for an elite piece).

Roy is one I really hope he continues to show progress. Local talent, 5th round, major offensive potential... all the making of a GREAT story (not that he's untoucbable, but if I could choose one guy to explode... him please!! )

Curious to follow laval from afar

 

[calder candidate]

MTL dominated most of the game Jones made some saves hit posts or miss the net…

 

[HabzSauce]

Who are the "plenty" of add ons though? Beside the core 4 forwards you mentioned... the rest is pretty garbage (assuming those add ons aren't under 23). Same with D, besides Matheson, we have nothing of value (I'd trade Matheson in a heartbeat for an elite piece).

Roy is one I really hope he continues to show progress. Local talent, 5th round, major offensive potential... all the making of a GREAT story (not that he's untoucbable, but if I could choose one guy to explode... him please!! )

Curious to follow laval from afar

Monahan has good value as long as he can stay healthy this year. Newhook also good value, and then Roy is probably most value we have for a forward prospect.

On D we have Matheson with the most value currently. Then Savard, Harris and Barron also have decent value.

Even after that, we will still have 7 quality damn! (Hopefully). Guhle, reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux, Engstrom, Trudeau and Xhekaj. We can trade one of these guys depending how everything works out. I wouldnt touch guhle or reinbacher but everyone else is on the table for me.

The add ons are guys like Ylonen, Farrell, Kovacevic, mesar, mysak, kidney, etc.

And man I like Roy a lot too. I'm excited to watch him play.

 

[ReimanSum1908]

Cowen looks to be an absolutely beautiful player for the leafs. I wouldn't be surprised if, in two years and from then on, he'll be taken ten to twenty spots above Reinbacher in 2023 re-drafts.

 

[MasterD]

Newhook also good value, and then Roy is probably most value we have for a forward prospect.

I'm fairly sure you get more in a trade for Slafkovsky than for Roy, today.

I, too, feel that Roy is closer to making a real NHL offensive contribution than Slaf. Especially in terms of PP production. But he's also older, and a completely different player.

 

[HabsCowboysOwn]

I can barely remember what a good PP looks like at this point and apparently we'll get more of the same weak crap this season, I miss that dominant mid 00's/early 10's stretch.

It feels like an eternity ago.

 

[HabzSauce]

I'm fairly sure you get more in a trade for Slafkovsky than for Roy, today.

I, too, feel that Roy is closer to making a real NHL offensive contribution than Slaf. Especially in terms of PP production. But he's also older, and a completely different player.

Slaf isn't a prospect anymore but I agree he has more value than Roy does today. And Roy is more NHL ready.

It'll be easier to compare the two in 2-3 years after some maturity

 

[MasterD]

Slaf isn't a prospect anymore but I agree he has more value than Roy does today. And Roy is more NHL ready.

It'll be easier to compare the two in 2-3 years after some maturity

I'm not going to argue this all day, but Slaf is 100% a prospect to me. He's still trying to find his chair in the NHL, and a majority of this board want him in the AHL. I'd say most wanted him in the AHL last year.

He's far from a sure fire NHLer long term, at this point in time.

 

[HabzSauce]

I'm not going to argue this all day, but Slaf is 100% a prospect to me. He's still trying to find his chair in the NHL, and a majority of this board want him in the AHL. I'd say most wanted him in the AHL last year.

He's far from a sure fire NHLer long term, at this point in time.

I hear what you're saying lol that's fair but he played 40 games last year and looking like he's going to make the team again this year. That's not a prospect anymore

 

[RationalExpectations]

I can barely remember what a good PP looks like at this point and apparently we'll get more of the same weak crap this season, I miss that dominant mid 00's/early 10's stretch.

It feels like an eternity ago.

Seems like it indeed. The decision to keep Burrows shows they don t intend to really improve that side this year. If they extend him, this will be bad…

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Seems like it indeed. The decision to keep Burrows shows they don t intend to really improve that side this year. If they extend him, this will be bad…

Well, we do want a high pick this year…

 

[Enga Olly]

The leafs top 3 . Yep and wiith a top three like that, the are no Cup contender

Habs are a Lottery team again this year.

Yeah for sure - Leafs 5th place in goals against last year doesn't impress anyone

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Fair but the games I have watched (Habs) it seems our prospects are outclassed.

You’re correct. After Slafkovsky and Beck, there is little to be excited about with respect to our forward prospects. As I earlier noted, while some here dismissed the Leafs’ prospect pool, Knies clearly demonstrated that he has more upside than most of our forward prospects. As for tonight, I thought Guhle was clearly our best defenceman. It wasn't close. Though I am not a huge fan, Kovacevic played well (he skated well and played physical) and I think he easily makes the team. Newhook was our most effective forward showing a level of speed and drive that will make him a mainstay of this team going forward. It will prove to be one of our better trades of recent years. Dach had a much better game and controlled the play in the offensive zone for extended periods of time. He should have a big offensive year. Heineman had his best game of the preseason. He played a fast, physical game and was strong on the penalty kill. I would play him before a lot of the other players we have remaining in camp as he showed ( at least to this writer) that he is ready for the NHL. I don't quite understand the hate for Slafkovsky. He plays with size, speed and physicality and, unlike so many of our other forwards, is noticeable on the ice. The team is what it is: in the midst of a re-build. It will be a long year, but our young players will continue their development while we continue to eat several of our declining veterans' contracts. The accumulated incompetence of previous management will continue to be addressed.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

It was the best Habs game in my opinion. Especially in the first period, it was the first time they managed to set plays in the O zone. Suzuki made a lot of questionnable decisions, same with Slaf and Dach but overall they played better than last night and better than vs OTT

1st period was definitely the best period. D gave up the puck a lot. Our breakouts were generally terrible and the PP is pathetic.

Not a good game by Suzuki at all, but pre-season so not overly concerned. Caufield was good.

Forwards overall were ineffective offensively, and didn't support the wall at all defensively. We're going to have issues again with teams pressing up the boards in our zone. We don't have the puck support to alleviate it, which means turnovers and a lot of time chasing the puck back into our zone.

Glad to hear Reinbacher was sent back to Switzerland. Impressive camp, but he shouldn't be in North America this year.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Slaf isn't a prospect anymore but I agree he has more value than Roy does today. And Roy is more NHL ready.

It'll be easier to compare the two in 2-3 years after some maturity

How is he not a prospect when he's only played 36 NHL games, & is only 19. That's ridiculous. Of course, he is.