knuck
On and off fan
I would never go back to the Bergevin era. The cup final was 100% a fluke
Official Tank Thread
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I would never go back to the Bergevin era. The cup final was 100% a fluke
Jurivan Demidovsky
Registered User
- Nov 26, 2024
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That's a bargain bin move if I've ever seen one, let's hope they are smarter than that. Maybe Molson will tell the media to shut up again soon like he did when he was protecting Bergevin. I think we could make the playoffs as early as next season, and that would be good experience for the youngsters, but I hope they are realistic in their expectations. We might be the youngest team in the league right now, and we're about to get even younger with the influx of talent we have recently acquired and will acquire through the 2025 draft. Actual contention for the Cup is still many miles away.Totally on board with that but very much doubt that Geoff Molson will stay the course that long (he’s been getting a lot of pressure from the low audience ratings from his broadcasters).
Nothing ever comes to fruition when Geoffy gets his dirty paws in the best of processes. Wouldn’t be surprised if he instructed his management to use that cap leverage next summer for quick fixes — and that would suck if it happened.
Jurivan Demidovsky
Registered User
- Nov 26, 2024
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We had no business being there, but it was fun as hell to watch them destroy the Leafs, and beat a powerhouse like Vegas. Who knows, if the Islanders beat the Lightning in game 7 the Habs might have been "covid cup champions".
"Carey can backstop us to a cup, you don't need offense"
- Bargain Bin -
Nope. I was happy they tanked last year and the two years before then. Expectations became higher this season because Dach was back, Guhle and Slafkovsky were a year older, we added Hutson and Laine, and Montembeault looked like he was becoming a solid starter.
To be crystal clear, I wasn't expecting the playoffs this season, just a marginal improvement from a young roster. So far, they haven't grown as much as hoped, but the season is still young.
You seem to think our current roster is just a placeholder while we await the real core of hypothetical players from the future. Frankly, it's the oldest illusion in the book. Yes, Demidov looks great and I'm excited about two or three other prospects, but we're not going anywhere unless our current roster improves.
I'll repeat: People are fooling themselves if they believe Demidov, Hage, and a 2025 pick will turn this team around. First and foremost, this team needs to turn itself around.
- Jan 18, 2022
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To add... Rebuilding is building
Building a culture
Building a roster
Building a prospect pool
Building a workable cap structure
Building a development staff
etc.
Rebuilding teams tank because they lack some or all of these aspects. The simple passing of time does nothing to solve problems. The actual building up of these things actually resolves them. Waiting for a brimming "asset pool" (term used by the user Oz) does what if the culture is bad and the development staff are no good etc? We know what it does, and it ain't good.
Do we have the right builders and are they building the right way? It might be too early to tell but to be told "be patient." by so many commentators and media types only makes me want to be more objective and less hopeful in my evaluation of some of these moves the HuGo cohort made. What did they see in Newhook that Newhook's own team didn't see? What did they miss in evaluating Dach's mentality? How did they decide that Reinbacher was preferred to Michkov? Why did they target Barron? What is the plan with MSL if he continues to be unable to wrangle together consistent efforts from the team? etc.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
Man don't talk of illusion when you're banking on a bunch of hopeful b grade or lower young players already on the team, yet disparaging A and double AA prospects as illusions. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Notwithstanding your moving of goalposts, you WERE predicting them outside the bottom 5 as soon as 2 summers ago. And repeated that prediction every year. Don't try to pretend otherwise. I was there, I remember. It shows you were already eager for the team to be competitive way too early and was swayed by the illusion of hopeful B and C grade prospects eventually making the team competitive, or reclamation projects from other teams like Dach and Newhook.
Say whatever you want, I'm pretty that 5 years from now, the Barrons, Strubles, Newhooks and Montys of the team will be a thing of the past and most of the names I previously listed will form the core.
True - rebuilding is building.
When asked to grade the rebuild I gave HuGo an "A" because they're attempting to build something. Hard to say how the actual moves will turn out, but so far I like the vision behind them. Dach and Newhook may prove to be mistakes, but those are the kind of calculated risks needed to build the front-end of a rebuild. For the record, I still have faith in Dach, although he – along with the rest of the team – needs to show progress.
The thing about patience is that it's a good thing, as long as it comes with markers and expectations. Rush the rebuild and you've wasted everyone's time. Wait too long, impose no expectations, and the steak is burnt, your R&D funding has run out, the girl you like has friend-zoned you, and your hockey rebuild has to rebuild.
I'm still being patient, but I'm keeping an eye on that steak.
Try to read what's actually there. Nobody's "Disparaging" our prospects. And I did want us to tank. Kindly stop making shit up.
To be clear, you're saying our current roster is filled with B-grade players... and you believe our prospects are A and AA. Certainly hope you're right but, as I said, this sounds suspiciously like the same overhyped/over-hoped faith that's gotten us nowhere over the years.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
If you can't understand the difference in pedigree between a Slaf and a Roy, or a Struble and a Hutson, there's really nothing to talk about. Our draft picks of the past were 1-done with much lesser drafting power 2-another management team. If you want to die on the hill of this false equivalency, all the power to you. It's still hypocritical to call that an illusion when you're hoping the same out of players with lesser pedigree.
Habs
It's going to be a long year
- Feb 28, 2002
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To be fair, I can't tell the difference between Slaf and Gallagher at this point.
WinterLion
Registered User
- Oct 1, 2017
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Habitant#1
Registered User
It's going to be so tempting to tank for the 2026 and 2027 drafts...
Your argument is all over the place. What do Roy and Struble have to do with anything?
Frankly, 'pedigree' is a weak argument. Here's our current core's pedigree:
• Slafkovsky: 1st overall
• Caufield: 15th OA, now definitely top-10 in a redraft.
• Suzuki: 13th OA, now definitely top-10 in a redraft.
• Dach: 3rd OA, who looked like a beast pre-injury.
• Guhle: 16th OA, becoming a prospective 1st pairing D
• Newhook: 16th OA, a buy-low opportunity.
• Hutson: A later round steal, a prospective star
Aside from Demidov, which incoming prospects project higher than the above guys? Sure, we can criticize Dach and Newhook now, but before their ups and downs in the NHL, they were highly-touted prospects with at least as much pedigree as the prospects you believe are coming to save the day.
Oh, and don't forget that Primeau once had a great pedigree. He was a highly touted All-Star goalie in NCAA and AHL. That's the problem with pedigrees – they don't directly translate into NHL success.
So much for 'pedigree'.
To be clear, I'm sure we'll be a better team with Demidov, Hage, Reinbacher, etc. I'm excited about our prospects, but they won't turn us into a winning team unless the current core can win on their own. Like them or not, the current core is the foundation of this rebuild.
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junyab
Registered User
- Jan 22, 2013
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Super excited with the successful season thus far. Props everyone. Now let us continue the tank.
Benstheman
Registered User
- Nov 20, 2014
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Hello Tankathon my old friend, i've come to schuffle you again...
Don't be surprise to see many team starting to tank in 2026. Like they did with Bedard in 2023.
For us, we need to aim for a playoff spot next season. You don't want to become the next Ottawa or red wing.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Red Wings are a team that tried to push itself out inorganically by paying a bunch of mid UFAs money.. Ottawa and Buffalo are more linked. Detroit is the model a bunch of impatient fans want to take.
Leto
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2023
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Habs
It's going to be a long year
- Feb 28, 2002
- 23,091
- 18,066
Don't worry, Pittsburgh , Washington or Edmonton has it covered, like clockwork. We only get the top pick on sus draft years lol
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
Like WTK said, Detroit tried to shorten their rebuild and look at how that went.
As for Ottawa, we are just 5 years removed from them trading away Mark Stone because they had a cheapskate owner. They didn't have the money to hold on to players. They lost a 1st pick to the league in that span too. Melnick was so cheap, he cut down on the vegan meals for whatever player i can't remember. Habs won't have those problems.
Habs aren't Buffalo either. Another team whom in their first rebuild, tried to fill the team with UFAs and failed and had to rebuild again.
You can chose to try to shorten a rebuild and live with the consequences, or you can let it grow organically and in that case, you can't chose when you start competing again. You have to wait for things to coalesce and come to a boiling point.
Ottawa also tried to shorten their rebuilt with trades and they have 3 more points than the Habs right now (same amount of games).
The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
The trade for Chychrun and Debrincat killed them
MD thaivuN
Anime Music Hipster
it's as if rushing the rebuild is bad
Leto
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2023
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Add drafting Tyler Boucher (who is in bust territory). The Sens wasted 3 top-15 picks in 3 years in a row. Plus they will forfeit either their 2025 or 2026 1st. That's 4 1st rounder wasted.
JeffreyLFC
Registered User
- Sep 29, 2017
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I am not against signing free agent but trading away prospect or draft picks should not be done unless you get a young core piece back
