Since Drouin got the F away (good for him!!), who's gonna be your next Whipping Boy?

[ReHabs]

I get (ir)rationally annoyed when I see Gallagher out there. I feel he takes selfish penalties and his strength in positioning and defensive tenacity has been lost as he's lost his stamina. For whatever reason I have some hope to see something else from Dvorak or Armia or Anderson but Gallagher, I have zero hope for him. He's been bad enough but the commentary space's non-stop. trite lyrical praise for his intangibles or his "heart-and-soul of the team" reputation is nauseating. This is a team that's been bottom-tier two years in a row, if he's the heart-and-soul of it, he damn well shouldn't be praise for it.

Many here think Slafkovsky is the whipping boy. Far from it. Many excuses will be made and we'll be told "he's very young, this was always going to be a long-term project, have patience, next year is the year" just like we heard for Glachenyuk and Kotkaniemi and Drouin and Kostitsyn before them. I don't find that Slafkovsky deserves any criticism but rather the Habs for putting him in the NHL when he wasn't ready.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Probably Slafkovsky if he doesn’t breakout, but it should be Gallagher. Gally is completely useless at this point. I want to call him a bum because his play deserves it, but he put the years in and sacrificed his body, so I will refrain. Seriously, he needs to be LTIRd or something though because he isn’t going to retire, but he’s completely washed.

 

[rahad]

Is going to be Gally. Armia is gone after next season. We are stuck with Gally for a long time. Can't believe Bergevin give him this huge contract.

 

[Runner77]

Lots of posters still love Gallagher because he works hard (before gassing out in 15 seconds). I feel like majority will vote Armia.

Why is there no poll?

 

[Sterling Archer]

I thought Gally already got that title.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Gallagher/Armia are a given. The other whipping boy(s) will be whichever of Suzuki, Dach, Newhook, or Caufield is/are slumping at any given time.

 

[Whalers Fan]

Cage match between Gallagher and Armia. Hughes saved us from Hoffman being a candidate.

Why do we need a whipping boy?

New here?

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I don't know if I look at is as my having a whipping boy.

I mean I wanted Patches traded because where we were as a team and him looking for a new big contract just didn't work. I also thought his style of play and not toughing it out in front of the net come playoffs was not good. But that means I saw him as a whipping boy ?

I want Armia gone as he is overpaid and does not bring good play on any consistent level but I am not going to drone on about the guy. MB offered him the contract and he is what he is.

Same with Gallagher. Shudder at the horrible contract but don't blame him for signing it.

All teams have these contracts , just hope to keep them down to a minimum.

I'd say it just depends on how much posting you do/did about these players. Some posters get so obsessive that it legitimately looks sad and unhealthy.

 

[Jaynki]

New here?

No, i would even argue i am one of the whipped boy, especially in the Slaf thread.

 

[Team_Spirit]

They are already bonding

 

[expy]

Burrows

 

[CristianoRonaldo]

Armia, Gallagher, Anderson, I have a lot of choices...

 

[Milhouse40]

I dont know why you'd hate Dvorak. He's vanilla and all but he's a depth player making okay money and he plays okay, doesn't say much.

He's not needed and he's making enough to be a bummer when not needed.....a little like Armia.

Wait for Roy. This fan base has a solid reputation to put high hopes in local offensive players and become very upset when realizing that they are not Jean Béliveau.

The medias has a solid reputation of building these high hopes.

 

[Tyson]

i always see Armia as the guy who gets hammered for no reason. he's a third-liner with 3.4M cap hit, not sure what people are expecting?

Desire and the appearance of giving a crap would be a start. He just looks like someone who doesn't care.

 

[bighab]

Tanner Pearson - he's stealing all of Armia's minutes

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Easily Gallagher that contract is ugly

 

[PP Subban]

Tanner Pearson

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

I think Justin Barron will quickly turn out to be a liability (as we all know he is) in his own zone so will probably be scapegoated for the team's inability to be a Playoffs contending team. People's expectations are way unrealistic with this roster.

 

[Hoochi Papa]

So many to choose from, but it's definitely quasi-leader Gallagher. His contract is the worst in league but it's not the only reason. For years he has not done anything but idiotic things on ice, getting stupid penalties, yapping at referees and trying to play like a cannonball without a direction with his worn-out body.

Maybe he tries, I don't know, but his efforts make things only worse. He's not the player he used to be, not a pest or a warrior or someone who is hard to play against. Opposing team wants him on ice cluthing and grabbing because there's no steam left in little man's engine.

Get rid of your shtick and try to reinvent yourself as a player who has something to give.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Do people really need a whipping boy on a draft lottery team?

 

[Rapala]

The player who sucks the most will get noticed it's inevitable.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Gallagher has been my main whippin boy for a few years now. Absolutely horrible player with the ego to go with it. Disguising his self-love for the love of a team is such a douche move. Can't wait to see him throw tantrums at refs and make us actively lose games because of it.

Development is also this, and poor role models like MB and MT will lead you down this road.

Armia and Allen too i guess but mainly because theyre bad/meh/overpaid.

100% Should have left him go UFA instead. He was already getting slower and more injured before his extension.

Color me surprised that a 5'7 forward with no speed is gonna age bad at 28+ .

 

[rickthegoon]

Same as last year = Armia .... except when he does show up on his 1/7 game schedule

 

[malcb33]

I think Justin Barron will quickly turn out to be a liability (as we all know he is) in his own zone so will probably be scapegoated for the team's inability to be a Playoffs contending team. People's expectations are way unrealistic with this roster.

You're talking about unrealistic expectations of the team, but then you seem to have expectations that a 21-year-old, PMD, with 46 career NHL games played is supposed to be rock solid in his own zone...

Weird post...

 

[Rapala]

Probably a french guy.

Poor Sam. I like the dude.