DAChampion
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- May 28, 2011
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HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread
- Thread starter Habitant#1
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ReimanSum1908
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They had better want it since we still have no prospects in the system that project as top six forwards, let alone elite talent, and early success last year was due to unsustainable PDO and Alan playing like a top goaltender for around a month.
We were trash the entire year and have functionality the same team now, 30 point third liner Newhook notwithstanding.
"Why you haft to be so mad?"
Allen was actually trash outside one game early against the Wings. It's Monty who was a top goaltender all season.
Grate n Colorful Oz
The Hutson Hawk
hardcorehabs
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Bouboumaster
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- Jul 4, 2014
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I can't see us outside of the bottom 5 IMO
We are going to get smacked by the other Atlantic teams
We are going to get smacked by the other Atlantic teams
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Just need some lucky lottery balls.. adding Celebrini to our forward group would drastically change everything.
ReimanSum1908
Registered User
Allen was absolutely trash throughout most of the season, and Monty's underlying numbers suggest that he was among the best, but the former had an incredibly solid first month as I recall that led both to pointless victories (along with Suzuki's unsustainable shooting percentage) and his insane contract extension.
People were using the saved goal above expected stat to claim Allen was playing way too well, but he showed up high on the goalies rankings for about 10 games because of one early game. A game that the Habs lost 0-3, but based on goals expected stat it should have ended 1-6. That one game was the majority of Allen saved goal above expected stats in the first few weeks.
Last season, the Habs won the most of the games where they managed to score 3 or 4 goals. They barely won any where they scored under 3 goals. They were outscoring their dzone issues like the Oilers and Leafs.
I think it will be more competitive than this. I think NJD did very well last year but Hamilton is not known for his consistency and let s see if Severson can be replaced easily with Hughes and Nemec. NYR I could see out of playoff picture if Shesterkin gets injured, and let s see how the new coach does there. CAR has had the strongest system for a while, will some teams manage to adapt ? Will KK take another step in his career ? NYI will try to push and has a very solid defensive system too. Could CBJ surprise if they are healthy and Fantili has a great rookie season ? PHI and WSH are out in my opinion but Torts and Ovi should never be completely discarded.
In the Atlantic as you mentioned OTT and BOS are at least as good as BUF and PIT, and FLA could regress esp without Ekblad / Montour. DET could also surprise. MTL looks the weakest team.
The east is stacked and I am happy it starts soon
Lafleurs Guy
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WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Eiserman would be like adding another Caufield.. I don't know if he's the dynamic puck carrying guy we need, not that I'd say no.
I will rank Eiserman high but I think Celebrini, Demidov and even Catton would be preferable to what we need.
Lafleurs Guy
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So you’d look at drafting for need here? Or is Cellibrini the best player?
Im imagining Caufield, Eiserman, Roy… that’d be pretty fearsome on the wings, esp if Slaf pans out.
WeThreeKings
Demidov is a HAB
Right now Celebrini is the consensus 1 OA and then its Eiserman at 2, though I think Demidov is better and I'd have Demidov at 2.
Lafleurs Guy
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Bouboumaster
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OldCraig71
Juice Arse
That's not an abnormality for this franchise, I swear we get more teams with 2 games in two nights more than anyone else. I have no idea if I'm accurate with that assumption but I seem to hear it from the play-by-play guys quite often.
cave troll
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The Gr8 Dane
L'harceleur
Lets just pray we can get a forward more talented than Michkov at #5 in the next few tank years!!!! Might take 2-3 tank years to do so though
Riggins
Registered User
I'm not convinced we'll finish ahead of Philly. Could be a battle for the conference basement with them. For whatever it's worth (not much), the Athletic's model projects us at 70.8 points and 31st in the league, only above San Jose. In reality, I'd imagine it will take a lot less than 71 points for 2nd last.
Best case scenario this season would be good progress from the youth but absolute trash goaltending.
Best case scenario this season would be good progress from the youth but absolute trash goaltending.
Looking around the league, there’s no doubt we’ll be drafting top 10 again (and if that’s the case better be the highest possible.)
Chicago, Philadelphia and San Jose are most certainly finishing under us.
Anaheim could easily be in that group, but their forward group isn’t as bad. Compared to those other three teams they have one of the few real #1 goalie in the league + a defense composed of Drysdale, Fowler, Gudas and Lyubushkin (prospects like Mintyukov, Luneau and Zellweger)
Arizona will be in the same group, they will be an exciting team with those young forwards.
Columbus shouldn’t be as bad as last year. Without all those injuries, the revamped defense and elite talent up front they should be way better.
In the next tier you have Vancouver, Nashville and Washington. Anything could happen because of injuries but we should finish under them.
I think the tank is pretty much safe this year, the rest will depend on hot/cold streaks, injuries and goaltending.
Chicago, Philadelphia and San Jose are most certainly finishing under us.
Anaheim could easily be in that group, but their forward group isn’t as bad. Compared to those other three teams they have one of the few real #1 goalie in the league + a defense composed of Drysdale, Fowler, Gudas and Lyubushkin (prospects like Mintyukov, Luneau and Zellweger)
Arizona will be in the same group, they will be an exciting team with those young forwards.
Columbus shouldn’t be as bad as last year. Without all those injuries, the revamped defense and elite talent up front they should be way better.
In the next tier you have Vancouver, Nashville and Washington. Anything could happen because of injuries but we should finish under them.
I think the tank is pretty much safe this year, the rest will depend on hot/cold streaks, injuries and goaltending.
If we need to tank for 2-3 more years, that means Caufield, Suzuki, Slaf, Anderson, Guhle, Newhook, Xhekaj, Matheson are all either injury prone or flopping as prospects….either way, we’ll need to tank for the next 5yrs and trade, waive, or buyout the busts!!
I can’t envision us finishing any lower then 8th to 11th range.
HabzSauce
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- Jun 10, 2022
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Bottom 5 finish for 3rd straight year??
Only teams I see as objectively worse than us is PHI, CHI and SJS. And there's always one surprise.
CBJ, ANA and ARI should be better than last year too. We will be better too tho so we'll see how it all plays out.
I'm expecting #4-7. Somewhere in that range.
SlafySZN
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- May 21, 2022
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Totally agree.
They could over perform, it’s a possibility but as of now maybe 3-4 teams are worse than us.
Welp... athletic has us as 2nd to last (worse than the Hawks & Ducks, really?), and I'm sure more than a few other pre-season rankings will have us bottom 5.
I think we are going to surprise a lot of people, but, if we don't and finish that low, I certainly won't complain about picking top 1-2
I think we are going to surprise a lot of people, but, if we don't and finish that low, I certainly won't complain about picking top 1-2
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