HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

[Canadiens98]

I'm still not convinced losing to the point where we end up with a top 5 pick is what we should be aiming for but at the same time I'm aware we won't be competitive until some of the Bergevin contracts are out of MTL.

Anyways, happy new year everyone!

 

[Don D]

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

Agreed to a point. Armia was demoted to the AHL but recalled after playing well and the need for more bodies up front. Better to keep the promising youngsters with Laval this year facing pros than in NHL. Might be time to send him back down and promote other AHL vets.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'm still not convinced losing to the point where we end up with a top 5 pick is what we should be aiming for but at the same time I'm aware we won't be competitive until some of the Bergevin contracts are out of MTL.

Anyways, happy new year everyone!

It is. Don’t worry.

Bunch of guys who aren’t even on the team yet and several more who are so young. Teams gonna be good down the road.

 

[McGees]

We just hit the dizzying heights of 7th spot

 

[Gravity]

Please let the New Year bring Celebrini as the good lord knows we need a franchise 1C.

 

[Sorinth]

If we assume we will regress a bit as the season continues and finish the rest of the season at MSL's coaching record of 0.435 then we project to finish with 75 points which would put us 7th, we are currently 8th.

But it looks like that 5-9 range is going to be pretty tight. We have 3 games remaining against Ottawa and 2 against Buffalo. Those 5 games are probably the ones that will most determine where we end up. But I feel like it's kind of irrelevant since the difference in talent between who we would pick at 5th vs who we would pick at 9 isn't likely to be very big.

 

[rahad]

Brutal month for Detroit.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Brutal month for Detroit.

Yzerfraud

 

[cave troll]

Nice. We're 7th form the bottom and trending down.
I'm hoping for two Top 5 picks in next two drafts and that we finally draft a goalscorer talent cause we don't have any in our roster.

 

[Rapala]

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.

We learned a lot about games in hand last season.

 

[Rob Sense]

Nice. We're 7th form the bottom and trending down.
I'm hoping for two Top 5 picks in next two drafts and that we finally draft a goalscorer talent cause we don't have any in our roster.

and what would you call Caufield?

 

[26Mats]

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.

We've been beating mediocre teams and playing close with good teams (Tampa, Carolina, Florida).

Ideally, Hughes moves some players that help the team, like Savard. I've become attached to Monahan. But him slowing down has me open to moving him. We've had such a hard time finding good top 6 players that I don't want to move him. Our top 6 players without him are Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Dach, Newhook, and maybe Joshua Roy. Monahan is a better all around player than Newhook and we don't know if Roy will pan out. Monahan is a nice stop gap, as well as a someone who can play 3rd line. But if he slows down any more than this, he won't be good. So it seems the logical move is to move him if we get offered a 1st. But heart still says re-sign him.

 

[cave troll]

and what would you call Caufield?

What about him? He's a top class golascorer?
Almost half season is gone and these are projections for our forwards:
Suzuki 25 , Caufield 23, Monahan 21, Newhook 21, Gallagher 11, Anderson 14, Slafkofsky 9. Our Top 6 is scoring goals like bottom 6 of solid NHL teams.
We need a goalscoring talents for last 30 years and we still don't have one.
Let's hope next 2 drafts can finally fix that.

 

[ReHabs]

and what would you call Caufield?

He’s been a disappointment this year. Otherwise I feel like he’s a solid sniper, looks like he’ll top out perhaps as a 65- 70ish points winger with bad defense. Not awful, would be a top6 player on any team.

Before this season I would’ve said he has a higher ceiling but we have to adjust our analysis as we add data points. He’s a bit snakebit but as of right now I don’t see a 40g scorer hidden under there on account of his physical dimensions.

 

[FrankMTL]

What about him? He's a top class golascorer?
Almost half season is gone and these are projections for our forwards:
Suzuki 25 , Caufield 23, Monahan 21, Newhook 21, Gallagher 11, Anderson 14, Slafkofsky 9. Our Top 6 is scoring goals like bottom 6 of solid NHL teams.
We need a goalscoring talents for last 30 years and we still don't have one.
Let's hope next 2 drafts can finally fix that.

Caufield has always been a prolific goal scorer in any league he's played, saying otherwise is just silly. This season hasn't gone his way, but his shooting percentage is way lower than it normally is. (7.8%). If his shooting percentage was at his career average in the NHL (12.5%) he would have 16 goals and be on pace for 36 goals. Goal scorers are streaky so at one point i'm sure he will go on a hot streak and things will balance out.

 

[cave troll]

Caufield is a good goalscorer but certainly not a top class in the league. Let's first see if he is capable of reach 40 once in his career.
I posted projections. OFC if injury hit like they do in whole league, most of those 20+ players with be below 20 goals and this is our biggest problem.
We have no Carey Price to bail out our poorly scoring forwards.

 

[26Mats]

Caufield is a good goalscorer but certainly not a top class in the league. Let's first see if he is capable of reach 40 once in his career.
I posted projections. OFC if injury hit like they do in whole league, most of those 20+ players with be below 20 goals and this is our biggest problem.
We have no Carey Price to bail out our poorly scoring forwards.

I'm hoping 2 really good lines in the top 6 gives Caufield better looks. Plus a better pp qb will help.

Hopefully next year we see a healthy Dach, Newhook, plus someone else step up. Ylonen, Anderson, RHP, Monahan, and Roy are the top candidates. Maybe we add someone in the offseason.

 

[DAChampion]

Caufield is a good goalscorer but certainly not a top class in the league. Let's first see if he is capable of reach 40 once in his career.
I posted projections. OFC if injury hit like they do in whole league, most of those 20+ players with be below 20 goals and this is our biggest problem.
We have no Carey Price to bail out our poorly scoring forwards.

At the begining of the year we had posters saying they'd be disappointed if Caulfield didn't score 40 goals.

I don't know if he'll ever score 40 goals. I think I'll be happy if he averages 30 goals in his prime.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

At the begining of the year we had posters saying they'd be disappointed if Caulfield didn't score 40 goals.

I don't know if he'll ever score 40 goals. I think I'll be happy if he averages 30 goals in his prime.

He's gonna have some nice seasons but the free 40 goals people were putting on his shoulders were ridiculous , as if we were fans of another team or something where nice things happen , easiest over under vote of my life

 

[Sorinth]

At the begining of the year we had posters saying they'd be disappointed if Caulfield didn't score 40 goals.

I don't know if he'll ever score 40 goals. I think I'll be happy if he averages 30 goals in his prime.

He has 63 goals in 159 career games which is 32.5 goals per 82 games. So it seems pretty safe that 30 goals in his prime is the minimum we should expect. And despite the lack of goals this season, in his last 82 games he has 36 goals. So honestly he could still hit 40 this year or at least get close to it.

But honestly even with the lack of goals this season he's taken big strides in his overall game so the season is still a positive for him. A bit of bad luck and some growing pains isn't the end of the world nor does it mean he's not the goal scorer we thought he was before the season started.

 

[Garnet76]

At the begining of the year we had posters saying they'd be disappointed if Caulfield didn't score 40 goals.

I don't know if he'll ever score 40 goals. I think I'll be happy if he averages 30 goals in his prime.

I believe Cole has been playing hurt or the shoulder isn't 100% yet. Something has been off this year and I can't point my finger on it. He's still putting up points and recently starting putting the puck in the net so maybe he's starting to find his groove again.

 

[Ezpz]

At the begining of the year we had posters saying they'd be disappointed if Caulfield didn't score 40 goals.

I don't know if he'll ever score 40 goals. I think I'll be happy if he averages 30 goals in his prime.

It's pretty obvious his shoulder isn't healed completely and people who have had the surgery say it takes a full year of recovery before it's normal again despite being cleared far before that. He's just not making the shots he did last season. shooting percentage is less than half of last season and significantly below his career average.

His normal shooting percentage would have him close to 23 goals already.

 

[The Real Timo]

It's pretty obvious his shoulder isn't healed completely and people who have had the surgery say it takes a full year of recovery before it's normal again despite being cleared far before that. He's just not making the shots he did last season. shooting percentage is less than half of last season and significantly below his career average.

His normal shooting percentage would have him close to 23 goals already.

Not sure playing NHL hockey is the best way to let your shoulder heal. Perhaps they should put him on LTIR and save another 8M in cap space.

 

[cave troll]

He has 63 goals in 159 career games which is 32.5 goals per 82 games. So it seems pretty safe that 30 goals in his prime is the minimum we should expect. And despite the lack of goals this season, in his last 82 games he has 36 goals. So honestly he could still hit 40 this year or at least get close to it.

But honestly even with the lack of goals this season he's taken big strides in his overall game so the season is still a positive for him. A bit of bad luck and some growing pains isn't the end of the world nor does it mean he's not the goal scorer we thought he was before the season started.

Nothing against Caufield. He's stuggling hard through this season but will still reach 20+ and maybe even 30.
He is the only one who is trying to find the net game after game.
Everyone other is too shy to try. That's why I hope we finally draft a goalscorer in next 2 seasons.
Caufield alone as a threat is not enough.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Montreal enters 2024 having the 7th OA pick. So at this moment, the latest they can pick is 9th.