HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

[The Great Weal]

I think top 5 is pretty much locked and out of reach.

6 to 12 is our pocket right now.

The difference between 6-12 isn't really big, the main goal is to get the best odds for Macklin

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm telling y'all right now the same way I told y'all about Michkov. The Habs ain't taking Eiserman.

 

[26Mats]

Arizona has faded big time after a pretty good start. Montreal is only one point back of them now. Arizona does have a game in hand.

Senaturds got absolutely rolled over by the Rangers. 7-2 win by NYR. We're back to being 10 pts up on Ottawa. They play 2 games next week while Montreal is on their bye week.

The one point means we jumped over both Calgary & Minnesota. We're one point up on both. We need them to at least get a point tonight preferably 2.

Currently, we're in 8th draft spot, but we'll be back down to #6 if Flames & Wild get points.

Wild lead 2-1 early 2nd period. Flames game just started.

It's looking like 6th last is our more realistic hipe.

Would be great if we could hold off all the other teams plus the Sens could go on a run and pass, amd then we finish 5th last. But I'll take 6rh last.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

How do the tankers feel about a team like the Dallas Stars?

A team that was perpetually picking 10-14 but refused to tank. They stunk it up extra bad one year with injuries and got Miro Heiskanen 3rd overall.

After picking Miro they went back to the 10-14 range for a couple of years, but since then they have been on a crazy upswing and are now pretty easily a top-5 Cup Contender in the league.

Was tanking to pick Miro the key to their success? Or was it picking Robertson and Hintz with 2nd round picks?

They kept their veteran core together through everything and only tanked one year, made smart choices with the draft picks they kept, and now it looks like they have a very bright future even after Seguin and Benn are gone.

Just another example to counter the narrative that good teams are only built through 3-5 years of consecutive misery.

Good teams are built by adding stars. If you get them in the third round - power to you.

Our last roster we got super lucky getting the 5th on a lotto pick. Our fist top five in 25 years and he became a HOFer. We traded for a pick that became Max. Got Subban in the 2nd and had another top ten (I think) for McD who we promptly traded away. Then we got Chuck who we badly misused.

That team didn’t need much but we of course f***ed it up.

On average, better players are found higher in the draft. It’s only logical that a sustained period of drafting high will yield more stars. But if you can get a Robertson or CC mid first round? Power to you.

Personally I’m in favour of sustained high picks AND trading for prospects and picks. Kirby Dach is a good example.

Rebuilding is not the only way. And it certainly doesn’t guarantee success. But I’d argue that it’s the best way. Most cup winners have top picks leading the way. It’s repeatable and somewhat predictable. The lottery makes it less predictable than it was but great players are still commonly found in the top five.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Is this our bye week btw

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Only game today is Nashville @ Ottawa. It's a must win for Ottawa if there is any hope of them catching us.

They play 2 of their 4 games in hand this week.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Only game today is Nashville @ Ottawa. It's a must win for Ottawa if there is any hope of them catching us.

They play 2 of their 4 games in hand this week.

Those games in hand by Ott sure spread fear in the hearts of the rest of the atlantic division

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Is this our bye week btw

Yes. Team is off for 8 days. They practice on February 5th. Then play @ Washington February 6th.

Because of the bye week Gallagher will have a full 3 weeks off due to his suspension. He's not eligible to come back until February 17th.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Those games in hand by Ott sure spread fear in the hearts of the rest of the atlantic division

Oh their season is long over. Only teams they can potentially catch with their games in hand are Montreal & Buffalo.

 

[Whitesnake]

Trade Savard and/or Matheson. Sign Andrei Markov for 10 games, dress 7 D, and play him exclusively on the PP in order to give him his 1000 games.

 

[Benstheman]

I would love that

 

[NORiculous]

If the team is made up of guys who can score 50

Well… that is certainly not the Habs lol

Trade Savard and/or Matheson. Sign Andrei Markov for 10 games, dress 7 D, and play him exclusively on the PP in order to give him his 1000 games.

It’s time to move on… lol

 

[LaP]

Good teams are built by adding stars. If you get them in the third round - power to you.

Our last roster we got super lucky getting the 5th on a lotto pick. Our fist top five in 25 years and he became a HOFer. We traded for a pick that became Max. Got Subban in the 2nd and had another top ten (I think) for McD who we promptly traded away. Then we got Chuck who we badly misused.

That team didn’t need much but we of course f***ed it up.

On average, better players are found higher in the draft. It’s only logical that a sustained period of drafting high will yield more stars. But if you can get a Robertson or CC mid first round? Power to you.

Personally I’m in favour of sustained high picks AND trading for prospects and picks. Kirby Dach is a good example.

Rebuilding is not the only way. And it certainly doesn’t guarantee success. But I’d argue that it’s the best way. Most cup winners have top picks leading the way. It’s repeatable and somewhat predictable. The lottery makes it less predictable than it was but great players are still commonly found in the top five.

I've been arguing for a minimum of 20 years now that people should stop to focus on "tanking/Buffalo/Edmonton" and start talking about assets management. A sports team is a business. You've got assets and you have to make them increase in value if you want to win a cup.

1. Elite players are drafted. Most elite players in the league are playing for the team that drafted them. Kucherov drafted, BigMAc drafted, Pasternak drafted, McJesus drafted, Rantanen drafted. Pettersson drafted, ... out of the top 20 scorers 18 were drafted by the team they are playing for. Only Panarin and Miller were not.
2. Top UFA players signing for a different team usually sign for a winning team or a tax haven team or the team giving them a ridiculous contract that will become a problem sooner than later.
3. Elite players are usually drafted in the top 10. Very very rarely outside of the top 45ish.

So if you are a bubble team in a non tax haven city the best way to improve the team and make it a contender is the draft. It's as simple as that. So if you are a bubble team 3-4 years away from contention you should trade most (not all) of your 30 years old players for picks. That's just logical imo. And if you do so then obviously the bubble team you have will become a bottom 10 team and draft in the top 10.

 

[McGees]

.

1. Elite players are drafted. Most elite players in the league are playing for the team that drafted them. Kucherov drafted, BigMAc drafted, Pasternak drafted, McJesus drafted, Rantanen drafted. Pettersson drafted, ...

Including Mike McCarron in your list was a bold choice but I respect it.

 

[lamp9post]

I'm telling y'all right now the same way I told y'all about Michkov. The Habs ain't taking Eiserman.

What are the concerns with him? I see that he has dropped in recent rankings compared to pre-season rankings.

 

[WeThreeKings]

What are the concerns with him? I see that he has dropped in recent rankings compared to pre-season rankings.

One elite trait: his shot/scoring ability.

But it's shot and shot only. No diversification.. he's not in the fight or the battle.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Dallas finished 24th (which was 7th from the bottom in a 30 team league) and won a lottery to pick Heiskanen, definitely would be nice for us to get some lotto luck like that this year.

Granted Heiskanen was picked ahead of Makar and Pettersson and his career high was 36 points through the end of his D+5 season, so I'm sure we would have run him out of town anyway.

 

[salbutera]

One elite trait: his shot/scoring ability.

But it's shot and shot only. No diversification.. he's not in the fight or the battle.

Just asking… how would that be any different than Caufield?

 

[Runner77]

… I'm sure we would have run him out of town anyway.

Our stock in trade.

 

[Michelangelo]

Just asking… how would that be any different than Caufield?

Caufield is on his way out

 

[LaP]

Just asking… how would that be any different than Caufield?

Let's just say you have 1 apple and you need 1 apple (that you already have). Someone offer you an apple and you say no cause you already have one. Then that person say hey but what about the apple you already got why don't you throw it away too?

I like Caufield but you can't have 4 Caufield wingers in your top 6.

 

[salbutera]

Let's just say you have 1 apple and you need 1 apple (that you already have). Someone offer you an apple and you say no cause you already have one. Then that person say hey but what about the apple you already got why don't you throw it away too?

I like Caufield but you can't have 4 Caufield wingers in your top 6.

I agree not 4, but we’re talking potentially 2. One lefty one righty, one each on top-2 lines

I was never a huge Michel Bergeron fan but when asked if he was concerned about Michel Goulet not being a very sound player away from the puck Le Tigre said “everyone talks about playing without the puck what about playing with the puck, being able to shoot & score?”

 

[LaP]

I agree not 4, but we’re talking potentially 2. One lefty one righty, one each on top-2 lines

We have Farrell too. He's lowkey doing very well in the AHL. It's easy to forget we got him cause he finished his school and is 22 but he's a good prospect. I'd go with Lindstrom if he's available (probably not). A guy who seems to be climbing the ladder recently is Tij Iginla.

 

[salbutera]

We have Farrell too. He's lowkey doing very well in the AHL. It's wasy to forget we got him cause he finished his school but he's a good prospect.

Farrell is tiny Eiserman is 6’ 200 lbs w pace and Caufield type shot & nose for the net

 

[LaP]

Farrell is tiny Eiserman is 6’ 200 lbs w pace and Caufield type shot & nose for the net

I don't know Eiserman tbh i'm not following USHL and college hockey and he was not part of the u20. I saw him a bit but sample size is so small ... But i think we need another bigger body or at least a 6 feet guy who can play big beside Dach and Slaf.