Official Tank Thread

[Kennerback]

Yes, by next year, we should be able to beat top teams now and then.

Maybe I’m unreasonable in my expectations but I think this team can make the playoffs in 2026. Perhaps not win a series but get a wild card berth absolutely.

 

[Kennerback]

How to F U your future despite being a bad team for more than a decade and amassing a buckletload of Top-10 picks 101:

#1 Owen Powers
#1 Dahlin
#2 Eichel
#2 Reinhart

Still not close to competing.

 

[DAChampion]

How to F U your future despite being a bad team for more than a decade and amassing a buckletload of Top-10 picks 101:

#1 Owen Powers
#1 Dahlin
#2 Eichel
#2 Reinhart

Still not close to competing.

In its own way, it's a remarkable achievement.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

How to F U your future despite being a bad team for more than a decade and amassing a buckletload of Top-10 picks 101:

#1 Owen Powers
#1 Dahlin
#2 Eichel
#2 Reinhart

Still not close to competing.

That's the thing about rebuilding, you have to stick with it. If you don't, you're f***ed.

The Eichel thing was bad luck. Him getting injured was such a disaster and then of course there was the conflict on how to fix it. I feel so bad for that fanbase.

 

[LaP]

How to F U your future despite being a bad team for more than a decade and amassing a buckletload of Top-10 picks 101:

#1 Owen Powers
#1 Dahlin
#2 Eichel
#2 Reinhart

Still not close to competing.

Bad management, It doesn't matter how much skills you have bad management will tank it see NYR.

That's the thing about rebuilding, you have to stick with it. If you don't, you're f***ed.

The Eichel thing was bad luck. Him getting injured was such a disaster and then of course there was the conflict on how to fix it. I feel so bad for that fanbase.

The conflict about how to fix it was terribad management though not bad luck.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The conflict about how to fix it was terribad management though not bad luck.

You are absolutely right about that.

 

[Nicko999]

They'd be more likely to be mediocre forever if they were bad enough for a top 4 pick again this year. It would mean all the infrastructure in place on the team is not very good and isn't trending well.

Big thing is how and why you are winning. We're winning because of our veterans are playing well. And honestly aside from Hutson and Heinemen, our youngsters have been underwhelming.

3 years later, Suzuki and Caufield are still the top 2 scorer, Armia/Dvorak/Gallagher/Anderson/Evans are still 5 of your bottom 6 forwards.

This team still looks too much to Bergevin's for me to really be thrilled (6 of the top 10 scorer are Bergevin era players).

 

[WeThreeKings]

Big thing is how and why you are winning. We're winning because of our veterans are playing well. And honestly aside from Hutson and Heinemen, our youngsters have been underwhelming.

3 years later, Suzuki and Caufield are still the top 2 scorer, Armia/Dvorak/Gallagher/Anderson/Evans are still 5 of your bottom 6 forwards.

This team still looks too much to Bergevin's for me to really be thrilled (6 of the top 10 scorer are Bergevin era players).

We started winning with Slafkovsky going back on the top line, and Newhook and Dach finding their game with Laine putting the PP into the upper echelon of the league.

This is with only Slafkovsky and Hutson who we have drafted in the line-up since the rebuild.

 

[junyab]

Counter-point: I believe they’re competing next season.

Competing and contending are different.

To me, competing means making the playoffs, contending is a cup favourite.

Sure we might do the former as soon as next year but we don't have the roster or the prospect pool to do the latter at any point without improving both. And being a playoffs bubble team won't help us contend.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Competing and contending are different.

To me, competing means making the playoffs, contending is a cup favourite.

Sure we might do the former as soon as next year but we don't have the roster or the prospect pool to do the latter at any point without improving both. And being a playoffs bubble team won't help us contend.

We've got likely two top 15 picks coming in this draft.

We haven't graduated Reinbacher, Demidov or Hage yet.. that's not even mentioning all of the other pieces like Beck, Engstrom, Mailloux, Fowler, etc.

This isn't a Bergevin build. This is the natural progression of a team. Being bottom 5 for 4 years in a row would be a really tough look.

 

[ghost85875]

We have to stop tanking.

It's a dangerous game, you have to put a maximum counter on it or it risks poisoning a franchise with a losing culture.

 

[junyab]

We've got likely two top 15 picks coming in this draft.

We haven't graduated Reinbacher, Demidov or Hage yet.. that's not even mentioning all of the other pieces like Beck, Engstrom, Mailloux, Fowler, etc.

This isn't a Bergevin build. This is the natural progression of a team. Being bottom 5 for 4 years in a row would be a really tough look.

We're not disagreeing by much. I've been adamant that we need 1 more year of a top 5 pick, ideally a top 4 in 2026.

Then we finally compete in 25-26.

I'd much rather have a Schaefer, Misa, Martone or Hagens than be a playoff bubble team this year. I think it's a huge difference.

 

[LaP]

Big thing is how and why you are winning. We're winning because of our veterans are playing well. And honestly aside from Hutson and Heinemen, our youngsters have been underwhelming.

3 years later, Suzuki and Caufield are still the top 2 scorer, Armia/Dvorak/Gallagher/Anderson/Evans are still 5 of your bottom 6 forwards.

The only vet (28+) who makes us win is Evans and recently Carrier. All others are depth players and if you think the team would win with those guys playing a key role in the top 6 / top 4 you're delusional imo. David Savard was atrocious before his TOI was reduced on the 3rd pairing. His stats might be as good as Guhle but he's not close to Guhle and absolutely can't play 21 minutes a night. If you find Guhle underwhelming i don't know what to say. The guy is 22 and he's solid defensively.

This team still looks too much to Bergevin's for me to really be thrilled (6 of the top 10 scorer are Bergevin era players).

Most of the guys drafted by KH are not in the NHL. It's been 3 drafts people are WAY too impatient. Most players take around 4 to 5 years to play a role in the NHL after being drafted. Out of the 7 players drafted in the 1st or 2nd round by KH only 2 are in the NHL. Hutson is doing very well and Slaf is doing okay for a 20 years old (Slaf is 6th in points for players drafted in 2022, 2023, 2024). 3rd round and later players should not be expected to play a role before d+4 at the very minimum.

 

[WeThreeKings]

We're not disagreeing by much. I've been adamant that we need 1 more year of a top 5 pick, ideally a top 4 in 2026.

Then we finally compete in 25-26.

I'd much rather have a Schaefer, Misa, Martone or Hagens than be a playoff bubble team this year. I think it's a huge difference.

Those guys are great prospects and it would not have hurt to have added them.. but the team being bottom 4 in how bad the bottom 4 this year is, would mean some serious regression and flaws to the overall outlook to the team long term.

I'm completely fine with what's happening here.. both Suzuki and Caufield have an opportunity to hit PPG. Hutson is going to be 2nd or 3rd in Calder voting. Guhle is establishing himself as a top defenseman. Heineman is showing incredible value in the bottom 6 and will be a massive advantage in the playoffs.

Slafkovsky is coming back around... as is Dach and Newhook.

These are good things. We will still get two good prospects and if our scouts do their jobs, we could find another Suzuki/Guhle/Caufield who were had outside of the top 5.

 

[Kennerback]

Competing and contending are different.

To me, competing means making the playoffs, contending is a cup favourite.

Sure we might do the former as soon as next year but we don't have the roster or the prospect pool to do the latter at any point without improving both. And being a playoffs bubble team won't help us contend.

My view is this season is the step forward. Next season is the playoffs and the season after we need to compete for the Cup. If all goes well the first season of our Cup window will be then. I think we have the roots down already. And I agree drafting is key to win the Cup, you need to draft high but that’s not enough. You need to hit in a big way. Not just with a #1. Our Toews, Bergeron, Kucherov or Rantanen is Demidov. We hit, and hit big. We were massively lucky.

 

[Nicko999]

The only vet (28+) who makes us win is Evans and recently Carrier. All others are depth players and if you think the team would win with those guys playing a key role in the top 6 / top 4 you're delusional imo. David Savard was atrocious before his TOI was reduced on the 3rd pairing. His stats might be as good as Guhle but he's not close to Guhle and absolutely can't play 21 minutes a night. If you find Guhle underwhelming i don't know what to say. The guy is 22 and he's solid defensively.



Most of the guys drafted by KH are not in the NHL It's been 3 drafts people are WAY too impatient. Most players take around 4 to 5 years to play a role in the NHL after being drafted. Out of the 7 players drafted in the 1st or 2nd round by KH only 2 are in the NHL. Hutson is doing very well and Slaf is doing okay for a 20 years old (Slaf is 6th in points for players drafted in 2022, 2023, 2024).

Suzuki and Caufield are likely at peak.
Ghule is good but he not a KH player. I judge the rebuild based on the players the current management has drafted or acquired. Slafkovsky has been underwhelming and so have Dach and Newhook. Heinemen has been a surprise and Hutson is what I expected.

We started winning with Slafkovsky going back on the top line, and Newhook and Dach finding their game with Laine putting the PP into the upper echelon of the league.

This is with only Slafkovsky and Hutson who we have drafted in the line-up since the rebuild.

If Slaf, Dach and Newhook get going and they are the reason we are winning, then I would feel better about the rebuild.

The last 3 games are a start but I need to see it consistently.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Yes, by next year, we should be able to beat top teams now and then.

Next year? We just beat 3 Stanley cup champions in their barns.

 

[Guy Larose]

Next year? We just beat 3 Stanley cup champions in their barns.

He was watching baseball instead of the Habs

 

[BaseballCoach]

Next year? We just beat 3 Stanley cup champions in their barns.

Means nothing. We didn't beat Colorado and have not won on December 23rd in decades. Bigger picture, we have lost 20 of our first 37 games, putting us far below the 1976-77 version of the team, before this 45 year rebuild started in 1980.

This year, we have given up 433 grade A scoring chances so far, and only scored a measly 113 goals, of which 87 were stoppable shots or lucky bounces.

If not for our goaltenders somehow blocking around 90% of the shots that got past our defence, we would be 0-37-0.

We need to tank for six more seasons, and trade Suzuki and Caufield for futures before their contracts need renewing, otherwise we'll just be stuck in mediocrity for another 45 years. We can't afford to emotionally cling to guys who will not be there when we are finally ready to compete.

 

[DAChampion]

Means nothing. We didn't beat Colorado and have not won on December 23rd in decades. Bigger picture, we have lost 20 of our first 37 games, putting us far below the 1976-77 version of the team, before this 45 year rebuild started in 1980.

This year, we have given up 433 grade A scoring chances so far, and only scored a measly 113 goals, of which 87 were stoppable shots or lucky bounces.

If not for our goaltenders somehow blocking around 90% of the shots that got past our defence, we would be 0-37-0.

We need to tank for six more seasons, and trade Suzuki and Caufield for futures before their contracts need renewing, otherwise we'll just be stuck in mediocrity for another 45 years. We can't afford to emotionally cling to guys who will not be there when we are finally ready to compete.

When you try too hard to be funny you risk being less funny.

 

[BaseballCoach]

When you try too hard to be funny you risk being less funny.

Humour is not the goal. Shining a light on HF negativity while giving a voice to the most common tanking arguments was my goal. There really is a lot to be negative about since 1980, no?

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Means nothing. We didn't beat Colorado and have not won on December 23rd in decades. Bigger picture, we have lost 20 of our first 37 games, putting us far below the 1976-77 version of the team, before this 45 year rebuild started in 1980.

This year, we have given up 433 grade A scoring chances so far, and only scored a measly 113 goals, of which 87 were stoppable shots or lucky bounces.

If not for our goaltenders somehow blocking around 90% of the shots that got past our defence, we would be 0-37-0.

We need to tank for six more seasons, and trade Suzuki and Caufield for futures before their contracts need renewing, otherwise we'll just be stuck in mediocrity for another 45 years. We can't afford to emotionally cling to guys who will not be there when we are finally ready to compete.

Delusional take IMO.

We started off badly, the Laine injury messed us up. Also Primeau single handedly lost us at least 4-6 points. We've been on fire since Laine's return. And the season isn't even half done yet.

Trading Suzuki and Caufield to tank for another 6 years would be insanity. Not even Bergevin would be that dumb.

This is the most insane post I've come accross here so far.

Edit: Sorry I didn’t see that was comedy lol

 

[Archijerej]

We're not disagreeing by much. I've been adamant that we need 1 more year of a top 5 pick, ideally a top 4 in 2026.

Then we finally compete in 25-26.

I'd much rather have a Schaefer, Misa, Martone or Hagens than be a playoff bubble team this year. I think it's a huge difference.

How do you flip that switch between finishing bottom 4 one year and playoffs the year after?

 

[Frankenheimer]

I like this thread. Good reading material. Can drop in on any page and find 3-4 precious posts.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

Warm it back up.