HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

[Tyson]

Was a fan of the MSL hiring at first. I think he’s done well with some younger players, but I think his impact there is greatly overstated. As an X’s and Y’s coach he just doesn’t have any value.

I feel the same way. He gives too much leeway to unproductive vets. Armia has taken several lazy penalties in recent games and he will not be held accountable

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

As expected, better teams and we’re starting to lose.

Have to say, I’ve been impressed with how scrappy the team has been this year. Bodes well for the future. But I’d really like a top ten - ideally top five - pick this year. Looks like another good draft. TB will likely be another L.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

we need a top 5 pick this year and next .

However, For this team to get to the next step, Hughes needs to find someone to play with Caufield and Suzuki . Nylander would be a dream. 8 years * 11m$.

Dach should play with Slaf and CC in my opinion. That would be a great line. Nick would get Newhook and Roy which would also be great. The smarts of Roy and Suzuki would really compliment each other and Newhook has great speed to help out Roy in that dept.

Caufield-Suzuki-Nylander
Slafkovsky-Dach-Newhook/Anderson

Could be a nice top 6 to work with .

I don’t think Anderson is really a top six guy. I’d rather try Roy there. And I don’t see the point in adding Nylander now. UFAs can come later when we’re actually contending.

 

[DAChampion]

I don’t see the point in adding Nylander now. UFAs can come later when we’re actually contending.

You take your star forwards when you can get them. It's a nice idea to wait until summer 2027, but there might not be a great forward available that summer.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

You take your star forwards when you can get them. It's a nice idea to wait until summer 2027, but there might not be a great forward available that summer.

I see no reason to add him when we aren’t good enough to win anything. Let younger players establish themselves and grow organically. Adding that guy would also throw our whole pay structure out of whack just as Tavares did to the Leafs.

Dach, Newhook, Roy, CC, Nick and Slaf is good enough for now. And we’ll be adding another forward this year almost for sure.

 

[vokiel]

Maybe our strategy is to corner the D market so there are not enough on other teams then start a bidding war?

They don't have a strategy, just principles based on lousy ideology. As with most human beings.

 

[DAChampion]

Dach, Newhook, Roy, CC, Nick and Slaf is good enough for now. And we’ll be adding another forward this year almost for sure.

That's a recipe for steady-state Buffalo-style tankdom.

I think that a team needs to improve gradually, and Nylander (if available) will make the Habs take a step forward. The Habs would also not just be adding Nylander, but if he's on the first line then it pushes a first liner to the second, a second liner to the third line, and so on, increasing everybody's productivity, development, and everybody's trade value.

 

[covfefe]

I feel the same way. He gives too much leeway to unproductive vets. Armia has taken several lazy penalties in recent games and he will not be held accountable

My sense is mgmt feels handcuffed. It's quite a bit trickier to demote Armia with Newhook, Dach, Pearson, and RHP all on IR. The absence of those names is why Armia is currently on the roster in the first place.

Tonight's lines. I'm not entirely confident that a prime Scotty Bowman gets much more than ~.500 out of this group

 

[Rapala]

Why tanking properly matters.
Unless you have superstar scouts (spoiler alert…we don’t)

View attachment 793320

LOL This should actually be called the official we don't know how to tank thread.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

That's a recipe for steady-state Buffalo-style tankdom.

Not really. Buffalo would be so much further ahead now if they hadn’t of lost Eichel.

We’re packed with prospects and would have had much better scoring without those crazy injuries.

I think that a team needs to improve gradually, and Nylander (if available) will make the Habs take a step forward. The Habs would also not just be adding Nylander, but if he's on the first line then it pushes a first liner to the second, a second liner to the third line, and so on, increasing everybody's productivity, development, and everybody's trade value.

I disagree but that’s cool. I’ve always believed in growing organically as we did in 2013. Just a shame that it was so badly mismanaged.

 

[vokiel]

They should play Harris as a forward, seriously.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

That's a recipe for steady-state Buffalo-style tankdom.

I think that a team needs to improve gradually, and Nylander (if available) will make the Habs take a step forward. The Habs would also not just be adding Nylander, but if he's on the first line then it pushes a first liner to the second, a second liner to the third line, and so on, increasing everybody's productivity, development, and everybody's trade value.

We should definitely be looking through add talent whenever we can get it. This idea that we need to already be a contender is bordering on delusional. Who knows what will be available then.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We should definitely be looking through add talent whenever we can get it. This idea that we need to already be a contender is bordering on delusional. Who knows what will be available then.

Delusional? No.

Difference of opinion? Yes.

 

[Sorinth]

LOL This should actually be called the official we don't know how to tank thread.

Every tank team that managed to win the cup did it by getting star quality players outside of the top-5 picks.

So yeah most people in this thread don't know how to tank because their plan of simply getting top-5 picks because that's where stars are most commonly found will fail. You need to do much more then get some stars with top-5 picks if you are going to have a successful tank.

 

[McGees]

Good game.
Good tank.
New year.
Let’s drank.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Every tank team that managed to win the cup did it by getting star quality players outside of the top-5 picks.

So yeah most people in this thread don't know how to tank because their plan of simply getting top-5 picks because that's where stars are most commonly found will fail. You need to do much more then get some stars with top-5 picks if you are going to have a successful tank.

And they probably have so far. Beck, Hutson, Newhook (with picks), Dach with the 13th pick, likely a good goaltender.

 

[Canadiens98]

Tampa is still a strong team and for large parts of that game I felt we were the better team. All part of the process of growing. For me the team looked to have given everything they had in them, I can't complain.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Tonight's loss has dropped Montreal into the bottom 8 finally. They're only 3 pts from #5 spot, which is held by Columbus. Montreal has 2 games in hand on CBJ.

Ottawa is in #4 spot & is 7 points back, but they hold 4 games in hand. We really need Ottawa & Buffalo to pick it up.

 

[Rapala]

So 2-5 on that trip it was a fairly easy call.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Knew we’d drop those three.

Gotta say though, so many bad teams in the league all of a sudden. How’s that happen? Our schedule is packed with bad clubs.

 

[Adriatic]

Jackets, Sens and Sabres have to pick it up.

 

[vokiel]

So 2-5 on that trip it was a fairly easy call.

They still have to play Dallas to end it.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Knew we’d drop those three.

Gotta say though, so many bad teams in the league all of a sudden. How’s that happen? Our schedule is packed with bad clubs.

Was sure they would ruin things by splitting the weekend games. Either win both or lose both.

 

[Tuggy]

Tonight's loss has dropped Montreal into the bottom 8 finally. They're only 3 pts from #5 spot, which is held by Columbus. Montreal has 2 games in hand on CBJ.

Ottawa is in #4 spot & is 7 points back, but they hold 4 games in hand. We really need Ottawa & Buffalo to pick it up.

Top 5 certainly isn't out of the question.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Top 5 certainly isn't out of the question.

Neither is a lotto win. That’d be sweet