HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

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Harry Kakalovich

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Sep 26, 2002
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I've said all off-season that the Habs should finish last in the Atlantic, which should guarantee a top 5-7 pick. That's my floor. I think they could be really bad this season and finish dead last. They're pretty terrible.
 
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BergevinBurner

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Sep 27, 2019
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Assuming we get demolished with injuries and get sub-par goaltending, then what teams should we be in contention with?

San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, Philly and maybe Arizona?

I just hope Celebrini ends up becoming an elite player if we draft him. I can't stand having the "difficult" decision to make with a top pick.
He's not big or European, the decision has already been made.
 

WeThreeKings

Demidov is a HAB
Sep 19, 2006
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Assuming we get demolished with injuries and get sub-par goaltending, then what teams should we be in contention with?

San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim, Philly and maybe Arizona?


He's not big or European, the decision has already been made.

Anaheim and Arizona should be ahead of us without Dach.

We will be battling with SJS, Chicago and Philly.
 

EveryDay

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Jun 13, 2009
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Anaheim and Arizona should be ahead of us without Dach.

We will be battling with SJS, Chicago and Philly.
Yeah that's my guess as well. If injuries continue to pile up, I think we can beat the Flyers at the finish line and get a top3 pick.

1-SJ
2-Chicago
3-MTL
 

BergevinBurner

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Sep 27, 2019
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Anaheim and Arizona should be ahead of us without Dach.

We will be battling with SJS, Chicago and Philly.
Yea I can almost see Arizona being a bubble team. Adding a potential 1C and Dumba to an already decent team could be enough to slingshot them up the standings, almost like Seattle when they got a full season of Beniers.
 

JoelWarlord

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May 7, 2012
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At this point we're probably only ahead of the Sharks and Chicago on paper, so it's looking like it'll be a "better" tank year than expected. I was expecting around the bottom 5-8 range assuming Suzuki/Dach stayed generally healthy, but I think 28th-30th is probably the reasonable range without Dach.
 
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HabsCowboysOwn

Wak Prescott the 60M/yr scam artist, here we gooo!
Feb 28, 2008
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I was always on board for at least one more solid tank year but even a bottom 3 finish wouldn't be worth our best shot at a bonafide #1 center potentially losing a whole year of development.

I would have settled for bottom 5-7 and Dach gaining valuable experience, this is just awful.
 

JoelWarlord

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May 7, 2012
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I was always on board for at least one more solid tank year but even a bottom 3 finish wouldn't be worth our best shot at a bonafide #1 center potentially losing a whole year of development.

I would have settled for bottom 5-7 and Dach gaining valuable experience, this is just awful.
Yeah it sucks. Only real positive is that it maybe gives Newhook a chance to develop at C and/or gives us a chance to juice Monahan's numbers a bit but it's a real shame to lose Dach this year. I'm honestly not even really worried about Dach himself, I think he'll be perfectly fine and bounce back when he's healthy. It's just a real shame because he was looking like a great C to help Newhook and Slafkovsky progress. I don't think Monahan will really help those guys in the same way, and Dvorak sure as hell won't.

This doesn't change my tank outlook a whole whole lot personally as I had us in the 5-7 range and probably now in the 3-5 range, but in this draft specifically that might end up being pretty meaningful especially if one of the top 2-3 picks goes with a dman which seems to be more and more plausible.
 
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26Mats

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Jun 23, 2018
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At this point we're probably only ahead of the Sharks and Chicago on paper, so it's looking like it'll be a "better" tank year than expected. I was expecting around the bottom 5-8 range assuming Suzuki/Dach stayed generally healthy, but I think 28th-30th is probably the reasonable range without Dach.
Yeah, losing Dach is a big blow.

How bad we are will depend a lot on how well Monahan, Newhook, and Dvo can do at center.

Ylonen is looking better this year. He and RHP may be able to be competent top 9 wingers, giving us Caufield, Slafkovsky, RHP, Anderson, Ylonen, and Dvo/Newhook as our top 9 wingers - plus Pearson. Will be interesting to see who can step up.

I was always on board for at least one more solid tank year but even a bottom 3 finish wouldn't be worth our best shot at a bonafide #1 center potentially losing a whole year of development.

I would have settled for bottom 5-7 and Dach gaining valuable experience, this is just awful.
It's also a chance for Newhook, Slaf, RHP, and Ylonen to step up. As bad as it is, when one door closes, another is open.
 

Sorinth

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Jan 18, 2013
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They won't be able to withstand losing Dach.

It's our best player, he plays down the middle, he brings size.

Just not a loss this team is equipped to deal with.
It's a big loss for sure but I don't think we can conclude that the team is a bottom feeder just yet. Newhook is looking really good, if he can move to center without a drop in play then we might just be able to handle it. Alternatively Monahan moving up to the 2nd line and Dvorak coming back soon could also allow us to survive it without falling into the basement. But the playoff hopes some had are most likely dashed.
 

JoelWarlord

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May 7, 2012
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It's a big loss for sure but I don't think we can conclude that the team is a bottom feeder just yet. Newhook is looking really good, if he can move to center without a drop in play then we might just be able to handle it. Alternatively Monahan moving up to the 2nd line and Dvorak coming back soon could also allow us to survive it without falling into the basement. But the playoff hopes some had are most likely dashed.
Always room for the unexpected in sports but I think that's a big ask. I like Newhook but they just play very different games and Dach specifically was our only really effective total speed/size/playmaking/puck protection player at C especially. I don't think Newhook or Monahan can really replace those elements and I think Newhook's probably a winger.

Dvorak will stabilize things especially on the PK but he's not a driver at C, he's more of a quick touch give and go guy and won't really help a line control the cycle/possession either. It's "good" for a tank perspective but disappointing we won't get to watch Dach play this year.
 
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Twisted Sinister

Living in Your Head Rent Free
Oct 8, 2014
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I find that when you make the right decisions and plan correctly, things tend to go your way, exponentially.

Conversely, when you make dumb decisions, like prioritizing WiNniNg CuLtUrE over properly tanking or drafting talented players, things start to go wrong for you... also exponentially.

I don't know if it's karma, but it's definitely some rule of the universe related to the manufacturing of your own destiny.
 
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Sorinth

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Jan 18, 2013
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Always room for the unexpected in sports but I think that's a big ask. I like Newhook but they just play very different games and Dach specifically was our only really effective total speed/size/playmaking/puck protection player at C especially. I don't think Newhook or Monahan can really replace those elements and I think Newhook's probably a winger.

Dvorak will stabilize things especially on the PK but he's not a driver at C, he's more of a quick touch give and go guy and won't really help a line control the cycle/possession either. It's "good" for a tank perspective but disappointing we won't get to watch Dach play this year.
You of course aren't going to replace exactly what Dach brings, but that's not really the point. You don't need to replace him exactly, you just need to find a different combination that can have some success. And success in this case is basically being a close but not quite .500 team so the bar isn't exactly high. Can a 2nd line centered by Newhook be reasonably successful, ie Newhook having 55ish points, and his wingers being say 20 goal scorers? It's not replacing what Dach would bring, but it's way more then we got last year and we barely made it into the bottom 5 then.
 
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