My greater theory about Kent Hughes & 'CULTURE'

[Kennerback]

Character and team players is important but MB/Therrien had no clue what character was or really tried to assemble a character team. Hughes is. They don't want another Jets fiasco.


Character and team players is important but MB/Therrien had no clue what character was or really tried to assemble a character team. Hughes is. They don't want another Jets fiasco.

I’m less a « culture » and more a « winning Cups » type a guy. If a guy’s an asshole it’s the job of the captain and the vets to set him straight.

 

[HabbyGuy]

And win or lose we would have more fun watching Michkov and we'd be happy.

Yes we ALL want to win, but at the end of the day we want to be entertained as well.

Winning is fun, but winning entertainingly is more fun.

 

[HuGort]

This might be a stretch - and it could be the biggest cope I have ever typed in my entire life because we just passed on a potentially generational goal scorer to reach for a defenseman - BUT - hear me out.

With Bergevin, it was all about the CHaracter. With Hughes - it's CULTURE.

Inspired by wherein which Bobrov uses a specific word quite a few times - CULTURE.

Dach, Newhook, Slafkovsky, Beck and now seemingly Reinbacher (henceforth referred to as Dr/The Doctor) - all of these guys were acquired by Hughes - and they all have something in common. They're all charismatic, well spoken, mature players. They all seem like good kids - good teammates.

When you consider some of the other guys from Hughes past on our team - Farrell and Harris. It's the same thing. It's what Cole oozes in every interview. Guhle, despite being soft spoken - the same. It seems to be a recurring theme. I don't think Newhook was picked up at that price just because of his on-ice capabilities.

To really highlight where this comes from - after watching interviews with Reinbacher, there is a humbleness and eagerness to join the team. I think this pick is not just about addressing a serious need (RD) but about continuing to develop around a general philosophy; an almost Ted Lasso-ian focus on team building. I think Slaf fell into this same mold; just so much character and an eagerness to improve and be a good teammate.

Wright and Michkov will both be excellent players - hyper-competitive, skilled players who will excel in their own rights - but I think that the belief here might be that one well-oiled core is much more important than a single superstar cog.

Now - who knows if this will work out in the end - it will be interesting to see. Maybe this will all work in the end, and our doomsaying will be for nothing as we excitedly watch our team lift a cup.

Or, our team will be a perpetual bottom feeder and Michkov will become a perpetual threat to win the Rocket.

For what it's worth - agree with it or not - there is a plan here. Bergevin never really seemed to have a plan, so I will take a plan I disagree with over random over-corrections.

Yup, may be value added. Helped Bergevin get to Finals despite mistakes. Everybody tries find advantage.

I think we can play .500 hockey this coming season. Which is big step ahead. If these new trainers prove out and we stay healthy.

 

[HabbyGuy]

It's clearly something they value, but I'm not ready to lump it in with the character buzzword from the Bergevin years just yet given we're not seeing Prust/Shaw type of stuff from them and Slafkovsky was very much a talent & upside pick even if you disagreed with it. The way I see it is that to win in the NHL, you need a market efficiency somewhere, and it needs to materialize in 2-3 guys on your roster that piss off other team's fans because it's bullshit you got X guy for Y price/pick. For Tampa that was HOFers in the 2nd/3rd round. For Vegas, it was acquiring Mark Stone and Jack Eichel for Jack Shit. You need bullshit like that on your roster to win in a hard cap league with a negative feedback loop baked in to the draft format.

I think what they're doing here is trying to get that roster bullshit by going all-in on their development system, and "culture". They clearly think St. Louis is a pretty unique/special development coach, and they're trying to give him a bunch of athletic, skilled, and hard-working canvases to work with and build a tenacious, fast, and skilled team with depth and some nastiness. I think they believe in Nicholas and St. Louis to get some bullshit development out of a guy or two, and if they can't pull that off, the trade market should be pretty damn efficient for us if we can build every trade package around a big toolsy defence prospect, a surplus middle six winger, and magic beans.

I would just be very wary about drawing major overarching conclusions about "culture" and going into Bergevin talk from this draft and the Michkov decision specifically. It's a really unique situation, and I think it's a stretch to just call it "passing on skill" in a vacuum. A week ago they gave Cole Caufield 8 years and over 60 million, traded for Newhook, and a year ago traded a gritty fan favourite with character in spades for a then-underwhelming Dach (and added Matheson). They like to make bold trades for skilled players, and maybe it's copium, but I'm confident they'll be similarly aggressive at trading for star talent once we're out of the Dach/Newhook trade phase of the rebuild.

Yes we are far from a finished product, I'm still holding faith they'll get this done some how. I like Hughes, I'm just disappointed with this draft. But I'm willing to be patient on this.

 

[Miller Time]

I’m less a « culture » and more a « winning Cups » type a guy. If a guy’s an asshole it’s the job of the captain and the vets to set him straight.

funny, one might suggest that having a team where the captain & vets are effective at setting an asshole straight is the definition of a good "culture"

 

[Bring Bak Damphousse]

Well to be fair Caulfield looked like an NHLer when MB was around, he was in our playoff run.

The other 3 players you mentioned were only in the NHL under MSL and Hughes. They've never had a different NHL coach or GM. In fact, they've never even played for our AHL coach either. If you felt they didn't look good on their other teams this is a product of their college or CHL coach.https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Pl2m9exy4lU

Caufield looked good during the playoff run yes, but after some time with Ducharme, the wheels started to come off.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Culture seems to be exactly like Character and Attitude.

A strong culture would’ve been able to absorb Michkov and magnify his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. Seems to me they’re afraid Michkov wouldn’t fit even after three more years of this culture seeding.

Are they not confident in themselves or is this just another excuse and false reason to justify themselves like it was Character and Attitude

Frighteningly so. I thought moved on from that nonsense.

 

[dcyhabs]

I agree with you. Plus, HuGo exercise a lot of care to ensure harmony from a salary standpoint, with the recent Leafs tribulations serving as a cautionary tale.

Question is whether you’ll get a team that fights to win or a team that is happy to play together and lose. Bergevin assembled a bunch of foxhole buddies who were happy to lose together.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

Question is whether you’ll get a team that fights to win or a team that is happy to play together and lose. Bergevin assembled a bunch of foxhole buddies who were happy to lose together.

I don't believe that this is a losing team as it gels together and these young forwards and defensemen mature a few years. At the very least, it could be like the Preds before trading for Johanssen or Vegas before getting Eichel, both of which were competitive teams.

 

[larek]

This might be a stretch - and it could be the biggest cope I have ever typed in my entire life because we just passed on a potentially generational goal scorer to reach for a defenseman - BUT - hear me out.

With Bergevin, it was all about the CHaracter. With Hughes - it's CULTURE.

Inspired by wherein which Bobrov uses a specific word quite a few times - CULTURE.

Dach, Newhook, Slafkovsky, Beck and now seemingly Reinbacher (henceforth referred to as Dr/The Doctor) - all of these guys were acquired by Hughes - and they all have something in common. They're all charismatic, well spoken, mature players. They all seem like good kids - good teammates.

When you consider some of the other guys from Hughes past on our team - Farrell and Harris. It's the same thing. It's what Cole oozes in every interview. Guhle, despite being soft spoken - the same. It seems to be a recurring theme. I don't think Newhook was picked up at that price just because of his on-ice capabilities.

To really highlight where this comes from - after watching interviews with Reinbacher, there is a humbleness and eagerness to join the team. I think this pick is not just about addressing a serious need (RD) but about continuing to develop around a general philosophy; an almost Ted Lasso-ian focus on team building. I think Slaf fell into this same mold; just so much character and an eagerness to improve and be a good teammate.

Wright and Michkov will both be excellent players - hyper-competitive, skilled players who will excel in their own rights - but I think that the belief here might be that one well-oiled core is much more important than a single superstar cog.

Now - who knows if this will work out in the end - it will be interesting to see. Maybe this will all work in the end, and our doomsaying will be for nothing as we excitedly watch our team lift a cup.

Or, our team will be a perpetual bottom feeder and Michkov will become a perpetual threat to win the Rocket.

For what it's worth - agree with it or not - there is a plan here. Bergevin never really seemed to have a plan, so I will take a plan I disagree with over random over-corrections.

What's with this culture? Sounds a bit sketchy

Question is whether you’ll get a team that fights to win or a team that is happy to play together and lose. Bergevin assembled a bunch of foxhole buddies who were happy to lose together.

And let's see if Hugh can get this team in to a finals like Berg did

 

[BozoTheClown]

The lack of offence and size up front needs to be addressed at some point.

 

[WentWughes]

The lack of offence and size up front needs to be addressed at some point.

3 high level cracks at it in the next 2 years with our 1sts and Calgary’s. Does not look like we are lacking in any position in our organizational depth now so one would think it will be exclusively searching for an elite talent and BPA.

 

[NotProkofievian]

3 high level cracks at it in the next 2 years with our 1sts and Calgary’s. Does not look like we are lacking in any position in our organizational depth now so one would think it will be exclusively searching for an elite talent and BPA.

One might be tempted to think that.

 

[Scriptor]

I mean I agree with you, Reinbacher is still a great defenseman but until Michkov busts or Reinbacher isn't considered a more core player, a part of me just can't be happy lol. Call me bitter or petty idc.

How about bitter AND petty?

Strongly agree and disagree at the same time. You need a strong veterans presence that can command the locker room for that to happen. That veteran core is suzuki, Caufield, Guhle, etc. Unfortunately, they're a bunch of kids in their early 20s right now. So young players are less likely to follow lock and step compared to an aged vet who's been around the world. The "culture" that HuGo and the rest of management is spreading of is something their trying to create not something that materializes in 1.5 years of them being there.

Matheson, a veteran, fits that culture definition and can only help mold it in he younger kids, as does Savard.

 

[Kimota]

That's all well and fine. But you need a Claude Lemieux to win a cup. Cannot be all good school boys. Someone like Radulov for example had a similar drive and look at the good moments he brought to this team. Incredible drive that went along his abrusive personality. And it makes you win games. Imagine if Matthews/Marner had the driver of Radu.

 

[MadMslm]

That's all well and fine. But you need a Claude Lemieux to win a cup. Cannot be all good school boys. Someone like Radulov for example had a similar drive and look at the good moments he brought to this team. Incredible drive that went along his abrusive personality. And it makes you win games. Imagine if Matthews/Marner had the driver of Radu.

The team is pretty soft up front. Which is a bit worrisome.

 

[HuGort]

The lack of offence and size up front needs to be addressed at some point.

Canadiens been starving for goals for decades

 

[ChesterNimitz]

What's with this culture? Sounds a bit sketchy


And let's see if Hugh can get this team in to a finals like Berg did

Hopefully without tying us to ruinous long term contracts with fading, grossly overpriced players (see: Gallagher and Alzner).

 

[BLONG7]

Yes we are far from a finished product, I'm still holding faith they'll get this done some how. I like Hughes, I'm just disappointed with this draft. But I'm willing to be patient on this.

HuGo is building something................
Bergevin spent time plugging holes...........

Huge difference................I also understand how it is very hard to be patient at this point, because of a flawed philosophy over the previous TEN years.

 

[DrBizz4r3]

I do believe that Montreal must check the personnality of their young acquisitions. Montréal is a potential hazard with the instant fame/bad entourage/portion of stupid fans. Galchenyuk/kostitsyn may have a different career if they began their career in arizona.

 

[First Line]

That's all well and fine. But you need a Claude Lemieux to win a cup. Cannot be all good school boys. Someone like Radulov for example had a similar drive and look at the good moments he brought to this team. Incredible drive that went along his abrusive personality. And it makes you win games. Imagine if Matthews/Marner had the driver of Radu.

You are confusing being a good teammate with being soft.
Best example is Corey Perry, worst pain to play against yet he was exceptionnal for his teammates

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

How about bitter AND petty?


Matheson, a veteran, fits that culture definition and can only help mold it in he younger kids, as does Savard.

Sure. They'll help a lot until their contracts expire. Once that happens the kids should be ready to thrive on their own

 

[Whitesnake]

Culture is the new buzzword that means nothing. 'Cause in the end, EVERY TEAM would love to have what it invokes, which means, talent, skills, character and desire to win. It's just....empty.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Now - who knows if this will work out in the end - it will be interesting to see. Maybe this will all work in the end, and our doomsaying will be for nothing as we excitedly watch our team lift a cup.

Or, our team will be a perpetual bottom feeder and Michkov will become a perpetual threat to win the Rocket.

For what it's worth - agree with it or not - there is a plan here. Bergevin never really seemed to have a plan, so I will take a plan I disagree with over random over-corrections.

I really, really doubt it.

Michkov will be facing the best defences in the world. He does not have an extra gear to beat them, and he does not have the size to outmuscle determined opponenets.

Because of his great shot, and despite being at least one step slower, he might or might not rival Caufield for goal scoring. Now if he were fortunate enough to be paired with the best C in the league, he might benefit, but the stud on that team would stilll be the center feeding him.

Sure. They'll help a lot until their contracts expire. Once that happens the kids should be ready to thrive on their own

Matheson is 4 years younger than Savard with better legs. He should be good for one more contract at age 32.

 

[le_sean]

Great, another Kent Hughes thread. As if there haven't been enough...

Character and a healthy locker room culture are both great, but you know what else is great? A potential superstar like Michkov considering how starved this franchise is for scoring.

The fact is that no one knows if Michkov's "red flags" are overblown or not. The board went the safe route and drafted for need, as simple as that. Looks like the habs got a great prospect in Reinbacher, but if Michkov turns into a ppg+ player then it's inexcusable.

How can the Habs have drafted for need when you say the need is for scoring?

I think people need to accept how good of a prospect Reinbacher is and now coveted he would be across the league.

Michkov played a game. He only wanted to go to certain places. If the Habs felt he wanted to go to Montreal, I’m sure they would have taken him.