HF Habs: Out of Town Thread: Off-Season Edition

[Frankenheimer]

It really sucks to lose players that succeed elsewhere. We had managed to avoid that trap for a few years but it’s back.

 

[LaP]

I don’t remember a lot of people hating on Kohtkaniemi. I think the turn with him happened when he signed an offer sheet for 3x what he was worth at the time. There was some salt with people over that and the fighting between the two fanbases over what happened had people just hoping for his downfall. I don’t think the majority of our fanbase had given up on him at all and would’ve been happy to have him back. It was a weird set of circumstances where he was offered money that didn’t make any sense but with hindsight, maybe we do match what was offered.

But why was there salt? I still don't get it.

I mean there's not a single person on this board that would refuse 6 millions even if they don't deserve it. Kotkaniemi was offered 6.8 millions (? can't recall he exact amount) and he signed. I would have signed it like 99.9% of people around here.

As for the Canes they offered enough to make the CH think. I can assure you Canes GM knew at this point in time that JK was not worth that money. But it was one year (something that went over the head of most of our fans). If JK blossom in that year then they can throw the money at him long term. If he doesn't blossom then he is UFA and they can talk with him before the other teams and offer him a fairer contract. If he doesn't sign then it costed a end of first round pick only. Was worth the gamble imo.

MB got played. As simple as that. He made a ridiculous offer sheet to Aho that all teams would have matched including Arizona. He had to offer 10.5 millions for the Canes to think about it. Then the Canes turned around and said okay we usually don't do offer sheets cause we are not supposed to but we'll make an exception for you (there's definitely a gentlemen agreement on offer sheets or else it would happen more often) .

 

[DAChampion]

Bergevin was wrong to lose Kotkaniemi that summer, bit of we call him an idiot or a fool for doing so then the same applies the vast majority of the fan base and media.

 

[morhilane]

Yup.
Funny how so many were so sure that "Bambi" was a bad pick and would never amount to much...

Even funnier that some of the same posters are just as sure about their Slafkovsky hot takes. Thankfully, Hughes & co. don't appear to be as short-sighted as MB or the "I want it now" fans

MB short-sightedness was his ego...

 

[DAChampion]

MB short-sightedness was his ego...

No, Bergevin was short sighted regardless of his ego, which merely exacerbated the problem.

He played chess only ever thinking one move ahead.

 

[nhlfan9191]

But why was there salt? I still don't get it.

I mean there's not a single person on this board that would refuse 6 millions even if they don't deserve it. Kotkaniemi was offered 6.8 millions (? can't recall he exact amount) and he signed. I would have signed it like 99.9% of people around here.

As for the Canes they offered enough to make the CH think. I can assure you Canes GM knew at this point in time that JK was not worth that money. But it was one year (something that went over the head of most of our fans). If JK blossom in that year then they can throw the money at him long term. If he doesn't blossom then he is UFA and they can talk with him before the other teams and offer him a fairer contract. If he doesn't sign then it costed a end of first round pick only. Was worth the gamble imo.

MB got played. As simple as that. He made a ridiculous offer sheet to Aho that all teams would have matched including Arizona. He had to offer 10.5 millions for the Canes to think about it. Then the Canes turned around and said okay we usually don't do offer sheets cause we are not supposed to but we'll make an exception for you (there's definitely a gentlemen agreement on offer sheets or else it would happen more often) .

I never understood the salt either. Anybody would take that kind of money. I thought the return was relatively fair for where he was at the time so I really didn’t care. The biggest mistake was panic trading what we got for Dvorak. And the whole reason that situation even happened was because we insulted the Canes by making an OS on a star player that we had no hope of actually not getting matched on.

 

[morhilane]

No, Bergevin was short sighted regardless of his ego, which merely exacerbated the problem.

He played chess only ever thinking one move ahead.

In the KK case, it was his ego thought.

 

[JoelWarlord]

I still can't believe they didn't find a way to bury the hatchet and give Kotkaniemi something like a 2x3.75M as a show of faith after he scored all those big playoff goals.

I still hold that not matching was the correct choice but it's insane that it ever got to that point. Just so shortsighted, especially when the entire point of letting Danualt walk is ostensibly to give Suzuki and Kotkaniemi a longer leash to develop. Guess they should have figured out how to get him signed first.

 

[Team_Spirit]

KK-gate again o lord. The pick was and still is Tkachuk. Talking about the OS fiasco is cope.

Kane went from let's not panic to I'm gonna fight and whine about ice time in ~3 games. Oilers fans say McDavid did not finish the game and he's injuried.

 

[Yasuo]

Don’t look now, but KK with 7 points in 6 games. Looks like he may have his breakout year.

Glad MB let him go and replaced him with Dvorak. Leaving him open for an offer sheet was another one of MB’s genius moves.

But for KK personaly it was probably the best decision of his career to accept that offersheet. Habs fans hating on KK just sound like angry ex.

 

[DAChampion]

But for KK personaly it was probably the best decision of his career to accept that offersheet. Habs fans hating on KK just sound like angry ex.

Quoted for truth.

 

[SlafySZN]

But for KK personaly it was probably the best decision of his career to accept that offersheet. Habs fans hating on KK just sound like angry ex.

Yes, because he couldn’t know a new management would come and change things so at the time i understand that he took the opportunity to get out of here.

 

[GrandBison]

I never understood the salt either. Anybody would take that kind of money. I thought the return was relatively fair for where he was at the time so I really didn’t care. The biggest mistake was panic trading what we got for Dvorak. And the whole reason that situation even happened was because we insulted the Canes by making an OS on a star player that we had no hope of actually not getting matched on.

Yeah, the problem was not to let him go, Habs had little leverage with the qualifying offer they would have to make, especially with Suzuki to sign the next summer. It could have mess all the contracts structure... but to trade that first round pick for Dvorak, now...

Edit: And the solution is: sign your young guys earlier than later if you don'T want to deal with OS.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I don’t remember a lot of people hating on Kohtkaniemi. I think the turn with him happened when he signed an offer sheet for 3x what he was worth at the time. There was some salt with people over that and the fighting between the two fanbases over what happened had people just hoping for his downfall. I don’t think the majority of our fanbase had given up on him at all and would’ve been happy to have him back. It was a weird set of circumstances where he was offered money that didn’t make any sense but with hindsight, maybe we do match what was offered.

That’s pretty standard for this fanbase, possibly all fanbases. Once the players are traded or lost then a certain faction of the fanbase (pro management) for every decision basically turn into an extension of the management group and act as the teams PR firm.

We almost always attack the players who are on their way out, seen it with Pacioretty, Subban, Radulov, KK etc. They concoct a narrative to substantiate the move. I remember the shit that was said about Subban on this forumn, it felt like Michel Therrien himself was posting here.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

But for KK personaly it was probably the best decision of his career to accept that offersheet. Habs fans hating on KK just sound like angry ex.

Well I mean DD was benching him in the playoffs etc. I don’t blame him at all for signing that offer sheet. It was the best thing both personally and professionally that could have happened for him.

If he was here I feel like he wouldn’t have progressed the same. This org’s track record with home grown talent is pretty terrible.

 

[Miller Time]

KK-gate again o lord. The pick was and still is Tkachuk. Talking about the OS fiasco is cope.

Kane went from let's not panic to I'm gonna fight and whine about ice time in ~3 games. Oilers fans say McDavid did not finish the game and he's injuried.

That Edm situation is on shaky grounds...

Pressure is massive this year, Holland may be ripe to get pickpocketed trying to put band aids on

 

[The Great Weal]

But for KK personaly it was probably the best decision of his career to accept that offersheet. Habs fans hating on KK just sound like angry ex.

Oh it absolutely was the best decision of his career. That being said, even if KK ends up becoming a 60 point center, I'd still be more pissed that we passed up on Tkachuk than losing him for a late 1st and 3rd.

 

[c3z4r]

Oh it absolutely was the best decision of his career. That being said, even if KK ends up becoming a 60 point center, I'd still be more pissed that we passed up on Tkachuk than losing him for a late 1st and 3rd.

Same here, except I really wanted either Hughes or Bouchard/Dobson at the draft.

I didn't like any of the top forwards available in that draft outside of Svechnikov.

 

[1909]

KK is finally having his brake out season...His SIXTH at NHL level !. And he is only 23 still. So be patient folks with Slaf. Brind'amour did not give any gift to KK. He kept him on his lower 6 for a long time and started giving him top 6 duties after mid point last season.

Lehkonen is having too a great start in Colorado. No big surprise here. Too bad he was traded , and for a guy like Barron !!!! I know that Hughes had no $$ space, but losing Toffoli and Lehkonen to keep Hoffman, Armia, Gally, Dadonov, Drouin was painful.

 

[Whitesnake]

For KK.....he always had in him to be more than he was with us. 2 huge mistakes were made. Not choosing the BPA at the time of the draft. And then, after you choose KK who still needs some time, put him in an impossible situation to succeed.

We made sure we wouldn't get the best out of him. That was the specialty of Bergevin and the crew that were working with him.

 

[morhilane]

And while people are talking about KK, Drouin is down on the 3rd line with the Avalanche and his TOI is melting away. Him and Armia were strapped to KK in his first two seasons.

 

[the]

Man The Cat is on fire, Detroit looks legit early into the season. I hope they continue playing well, it’s always good to see Hockeytown in the playoffs.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Man The Cat is on fire, Detroit looks llegit early into the season. I hope they continue playing well, it’s always good to see Hockeytown in the playoffs.

Let them rot. Hopefully they never make the playoffs again.

 

[Rapala]

That Edm situation is on shaky grounds...

Pressure is massive this year, Holland may be ripe to get pickpocketed trying to put band aids on

They won't get anywhere with Skinner and Campbell. The players know it and may have checked out.
What a ridiculous situation to be in given their talent up front.

 

[Koivu11]