Silayev, Lindstrom, Catton, Iginla, Parekh, Eiserman

[Estimated_Prophet]

Interesting... With Dach and Slaf's size, we don't need to get "Moar Big" but we need better playmaking even though Dach and Suzuki's strongest offensive attributes are playmaking.

Either way, it's been strongly suggested that the management group values size and speed which is what Lindstrom brings. IMO it's much easier to acquire playmakers than it is power forwards with speed.

All teams prefer size and speed over small and slow.....Hughes prefers good hockey players who play for their teammates and who have a desire to get better.

 

[Runner77]

He appears to have a higher IQ than Lindstrom so he may very well be the better center. Iggy is so great on the boards and coming off of the wall it would be a shame to limit that area of his game. I suspect he is a winger if we take him with already having Suzuki and Dach entrenched as the top two centers with Beck and Kapanen looking to vie for the 3C role.

He is a lefty which works with both Suzuki and Dach as he could take faceoffs on his strong side if he proves to be competent in that area. Ideally I would want 12 centers at forward so I hope he has a great year at center........I am making it sound like it is a foregone conclusion that we take him lol.

I will be happy with whoever they select, I think Tij seems like a perfect fit both on and off of the ice. I think the odds are at least decent that he is among their top targets but we will not know anymore about their leanings or Tij's ability to play center before the draft so take anything that I say with a grain of salt.

I’m liking that he’s a late birthday and how there is at least some chance that he might end up a centre. He seems like a safe bet given his high floor and how closely he was mentored by his dad.

My concern is Dach. I don’t know if his future is at centre. With the extent and nature of his last injury, I wonder if he might be better served playing the wing when he returns, where it would be less demanding physically than having to play centre. And this is where a Tij Iginla gives you an option.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I’m liking that he’s late birthday and how there is at least some chance that he might end up a center. He seems like a safe bet given his high floor and how closely he was mentored by his dad.

My concern is Dach. I don’t know if his future is at centre. With the extent and nature of his last injury, I wonder if he might be better served playing the wing when he returns, where it would be less demanding physically than having to play centre. And this is where a Tij Iginla gives you an option.

I like Dach a lot at center and hopefully he can improve his faceoffs which are commonly a sore spot for young centers anyways. He was showing such great command of the middle of the ice at the end of last season and even more so before he got hurt this season. I feel that he is at his most impactful as a distributor and play driver in the middle and Iggy is at his best protecting the puck and coming of of the boards and driving the net. Until Kirby demonstrates that he has a chronic injury I don't feel the need to adjust his play-style or position as he has had unrelated freak injuries that present themselves as coincidental clustering more than any reason to believe that he is prone to injury.

I like the idea of having two opposite handed centers on a line for faceoff matchups but that would only be on the dot and wouldn't necessarily change their positional play, especially when they win the faceoff.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

How many top-tier playmakers have the Habs had since the late 90s? Zero. I don't think it's easy to acquire a top-tier playmaker.

By using the term "top tier" it would imply an exclusive and very limited group therefore all teams would find it difficult to find these players as they would have to be rare to fit in such an elite tier.

I don't think such designations are productive in evidence based discussions as the ambiguity of the term only promotes an increase in bias driven narratives.

 

[ReHabs]

By using the term "top tier" it would imply an exclusive and very limited group therefore all teams would find it difficult to find these players as they would have to be rare to fit in such an elite tier.

I don't think such designations are productive in evidence based discussions as the ambiguity of the term only promotes an increase in bias driven narratives.

There’s hardly any appetite for evidenced based discussions.

How many notable playmaking forwards have the Habs had since 2000? (In your opinion) Or even more simply: how many PPG forwards? And if so, were they (him) known for their (his) playmaking?

Given they're rare... isn't it worthwhile to try drafting them with a 5OA pick? What else are you supposed to do to acquire one? Wish upon a well...?

 

[Runner77]

I like Dach a lot at center and hopefully he can improve his faceoffs which are commonly a sore spot for young centers anyways. He was showing such great command of the middle of the ice at the end of last season and even more so before he got hurt this season. I feel that he is at his most impactful as a distributor and play driver in the middle and Iggy is at his best protecting the puck and coming of of the boards and driving the net. Until Kirby demonstrates that he has a chronic injury I don't feel the need to adjust his play-style or position as he has had unrelated freak injuries that present themselves as coincidental clustering more than any reason to believe that he is prone to injury.

I like the idea of having two opposite handed centers on a line for faceoff matchups but that would only be on the dot and wouldn't necessarily change their positional play, especially when they win the faceoff.

Absolutely not questioning how well he was faring at centre before his last injury.

He’s supposed to have a full recovery so that bodes well.

I just like the idea of insurance until Dach puts together at least one full season injury-free. All the better if it turns out that it’s not needed, that will simply offer another top 6 piece to slot on the wings.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Since you like Iginla over Lindstrom, how do you view Iginla’s chances of remaining a centre in the show? We’ve seen this past week how he’s said that he sees himself as a centre but as we know, there is always that margin to account for between what a player says and what he actually ends up doing.

I personally can't see Iginla being a center in the NHL.. frankly I don't think it lasts long even in the WHL. His toolkit does not project well there at all and most of his deficiencies would be exasperated by playing in the middle of the ice.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Give me Lindstrom, Demidov, Iginla or Sennecke and I'm walking out of this draft a happy man.

IF they draft a defenseman, I think it's because there is a move that will be made to address the Top-6 that includes defensemen. Similar to how they selected Slaf instead of the center Shane Wright, but that was because there was a move to acquire a center in Dach.

 

[Tyson]

Give me Lindstrom, Demidov, Iginla or Sennecke and I'm walking out of this draft a happy man.

IF they draft a defenseman, I think it's because there is a move that will be made to address the Top-6 that includes defensemen. Similar to how they selected Slaf instead of the center Shane Wright, but that was because there was a move to acquire a center in Dach.

I still wish we had more from Demidov such as an entire KHL season.
Many years ago Steve McNair was the consensus #1 overall pick for the NFL but the issue was that he played in a lesser college league which made it difficult to truly assess his true upside. He had a decent NFL career but not one of a #1 overall. I know it's two different sports but the concept is the same. He ended up getting drafted 3rd overall because teams shied away because Alcorn St. wasn't a big time school.

 

[Deebs]

I still wish we had more from Demidov such as an entire KHL season.
Many years ago Steve McNair was the consensus #1 overall pick for the NFL but the issue was that he played in a lesser college league which made it difficult to truly assess his true upside. He had a decent NFL career but not one of a #1 overall. I know it's two different sports but the concept is the same. He ended up getting drafted 3rd overall because teams shied away because Alcorn St. wasn't a big time school.

That 1995 draft was downright terrible

 

[le_sean]

I still wish we had more from Demidov such as an entire KHL season.
Many years ago Steve McNair was the consensus #1 overall pick for the NFL but the issue was that he played in a lesser college league which made it difficult to truly assess his true upside. He had a decent NFL career but not one of a #1 overall. I know it's two different sports but the concept is the same. He ended up getting drafted 3rd overall because teams shied away because Alcorn St. wasn't a big time school.

3 Pro Bowls, 1 MVP and a yard away from winning a Super Bowl. I think he would have been a worthy 1st overall pick in that draft.

 

[Tyson]

3 Pro Bowls, 1 MVP and a yard away from winning a Super Bowl. I think he would have been a worthy 1st overall pick in that draft.

He was good no doubt and I was a huge fan but the hype was insane around him. The hype was generational and he was far from being a generational player.

 

[26Mats]

I still wish we had more from Demidov such as an entire KHL season.
Many years ago Steve McNair was the consensus #1 overall pick for the NFL but the issue was that he played in a lesser college league which made it difficult to truly assess his true upside. He had a decent NFL career but not one of a #1 overall. I know it's two different sports but the concept is the same. He ended up getting drafted 3rd overall because teams shied away because Alcorn St. wasn't a big time school.

Cale Makar also played in a lesser league (the AJHL, Alberta Junior Hockey League, which is below the WHL), and tore it up. That's why he fell to 4th overall. It can go either way.

Some media scouts, like Steve "Snake" Boiverst, still had him 1st overall.

 

[Tyson]

Cale Makar also played in a lesser league (the AJHL, Alberta Junior Hockey League, which is below the WHL), and tore it up. That's why he fell to 4th overall. It can go either way.

Some media scouts, like Steve "Snake" Boiverst, still had him 1st overall.

Who knows, maybe Demidov becomes the next Kucherov. He didn't play but 4 games in the KHL last season which is not alot to go by. I would be a bit more weary when it comes to Russian players in this current climate.

 

[26Mats]

Who knows, maybe Demidov becomes the next Kucherov. He didn't play but 4 games in the KHL last season which is not alot to go by. I would be a bit more weary when it comes to Russian players in this current climate.

I'd love to know the answers to the questions you're raising.

All I can do is be patient until the draft and then be patient for many years to see how the player turns out. We're actually lucky Slaf turned out so good so fast. I thought he might take longer like Lafreniere and Byfield.

The patient waiting game is terribly long and boring, but I think necessary. Just waiting two and a half more weeks until the draft is killing me.

 

[CHwest]

Who's going to make space for your top-tier playmaker? Double shift Slaf? Maybe Kent should trade for Marner, he's a top-tier playmaker, and we all know how he produces when space gets tight.

Is this guy not good enough for you? lol

That guy was special.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Who knows, maybe Demidov becomes the next Kucherov. He didn't play but 4 games in the KHL last season which is not alot to go by. I would be a bit more weary when it comes to Russian players in this current climate.

KHL at its finest right there. Demidov didn't want to sign an extension with SKA, so instead, they send him to junior, not even the VHL (their version of the AHL). They bury him in the junior league.

It was the same with Romanov at CSKA. He was playing Top-4 and when he let them know he didn't want to extend with them and instead make his way to Montreal the following year, they put him in the 3rd pair, barely played him, and even scratched him.

 

[ReHabs]

KHL at its finest right there. Demidov didn't want to sign an extension with SKA, so instead, they send him to junior, not even the VHL (their version of the AHL). They bury him in the junior league.

It was the same with Romanov at CSKA. He was playing Top-4 and when he let them know he didn't want to extend with them and instead make his way to Montreal the following year, they put him in the 3rd pair, barely played him, and even scratched him.

Absent a fair transfer agreement, it serves Russian teams NADA to give ice-time and develop top prospects. They don't even get to participate in the IIHF tournaments because minnow countries like Latvia and Poland complain. If it were the Habs, would you tolerate devleoping players and getting not even a cent from them?

 

[Sorinth]

Who knows, maybe Demidov becomes the next Kucherov. He didn't play but 4 games in the KHL last season which is not alot to go by. I would be a bit more weary when it comes to Russian players in this current climate.

For sure there's legitimate concerns when drafting Russian players, teams don't get live viewings, they don't see best on best play at tournaments, their KHL teams tend to screw with the NHL bound kids which no doubt hinders development, and specifically for Demidov he's a smaller winger that isn't blazing fast which is the type of profile that drops on draft day.

So yeah there's reasons to be concerned but it's also why he might be available at #5 instead of going #2 like he probably would had he played the year in the CHL. At the end of the dau there will be factors/risks that are causes for concern with every prospect available. I can't see us passing on Demidov unless it's for Lindstrom.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Absent a fair transfer agreement, it serves Russian teams NADA to give ice-time and develop top prospects. They don't even get to participate in the IIHF tournaments because minnow countries like Latvia and Poland complain. If it were the Habs, would you tolerate devleoping players and getting not even a cent from them?

NHL teams don't punish a player because they let them know they don't plan to extend with them. They'll put them in the AHL or lower in the line-up based on their play, but not because they don't plan to sign a new contract. And if it's a prospect who is in the NCAA or junior, they look to trade them. But until then, they will invest in their development as long as they're in their system.

This was KHL's modus operandi long before Russia was banned from international play. That is not the reason they suddenly decided to "punish" their young players.

 

[salbutera]

NHL teams don't punish a player because they let them know they don't plan to extend with them. They'll put them in the AHL or lower in the line-up based on their play, but not because they don't plan to sign a new contract. And if it's a prospect who is in the NCAA or junior, they look to trade them. But until then, they will invest in their development as long as they're in their system.

This was KHL's modus operandi long before Russia was banned from international play. That is not the reason they suddenly decided to "punish" their young players.

And as Basu’s article mentions, one of the Russian concerns w Demidov is his brothers play in KHL and will they be used as pressure points to get Ivan to sign a KHL deal?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Habs did take Eiserman to dinner but the sense was that was in case they slid back or somehow got another pick around the top 10.

 

[Trabdy2]

Give me Lindstrom, Demidov, Iginla or Sennecke and I'm walking out of this draft a happy man.

IF they draft a defenseman, I think it's because there is a move that will be made to address the Top-6 that includes defensemen. Similar to how they selected Slaf instead of the center Shane Wright, but that was because there was a move to acquire a center in Dach.

I agree. I'm quite sure there will be a move to address the Top 6 if they draft a D man.

Hughes has already said they know they're missing size and skill up front. I can't see them going through this summer drafting a D man at 5 and doing nothing of note to fix the situation (or near future outlook) up front.

Almost all of our current forward prospects that appear to have a decent chance of making the NHL seem to be projected to play in the bottom 6. Mesar, Beck, and Roy appear to have some chance to taking a top 6 role, but there is uncertainty with each one of them.

 

[ReHabs]

NHL teams don't punish a player because they let them know they don't plan to extend with them.

The NHL initiated a lock out of every player twice in recent memory.

They'll put them in the AHL or lower in the line-up based on their play, but not because they don't plan to sign a new contract. And if it's a prospect who is in the NCAA or junior, they look to trade them. But until then, they will invest in their development as long as they're in their system.

This was KHL's modus operandi long before Russia was banned from international play. That is not the reason they suddenly decided to "punish" their young players.

The KHL's MO changed after the crooked Malkin transfer. From the perspective of KHL teams: of the top players in hockey was effectively stolen from the KHL. Unfortunately for all, a fair transfer agreement was not found. Russian prospects shouldn't be punished because of the greed of NHL teams.

 

[Sorinth]

The NHL initiated a lock out of every player twice in recent memory.

The KHL's MO changed after the crooked Malkin transfer. From the perspective of KHL teams: of the top players in hockey was effectively stolen from the KHL. Unfortunately for all, a fair transfer agreement was not found. Russian prospects shouldn't be punished because of the greed of NHL teams.

The only crooked thing that happened with Malkin's transfer was what his KHL team did and not what the NHL. KHL teams don't want a fair transfer agreement because of the greed/ego of the KHL owners and not the greed of NHL teams.

The KHL's screwing with it's young players pre-dates Malkin, in fact it's them screwing with him that led to the whole controversy with him in the first place. You're out to lunch on this one.