HF Habs: The official 2023-2024 tank thread

[WeThreeKings]

So who is Top 1 pick next year?

Macklin Celebrini is the current favorite.

Next year is shaping up to be good.

Celebrini, Eiserman, Demidov, Levshunov, Parekh, Jiricek.

 

[NORiculous]

Only way this board redeems itself is if Reinbacher becomes a clear top pairing defensemen because I feel like we'll regret this one.

I don’t doubt Reinbacher will be a good hockey player.

Even if he does become a clear top pair, it was a strategic mistake on many accounts.

 

[xposbrad]

I expected a 3rd tanking season (top 10 pick) so I'm all good with this thread.

Since the beginning I've said it will take between 5-7 years before we become competitive thanks to Bergevin.

Year 3 would give us a better indication on how long the rebuild would take.

We definitely need more quality prospects. This will take awhile and it's fine. No shortcuts needed.

With everyone back healthy next year, Slaf/Dach/CC we aren't going to be a bottom 5 anymore. We will probably hover around that 10th to bottom spot, but I don't think we'll get a special player there. This was the last year to take a difference maker and potential superstar, and we went with the safe Molson pick.

 

[Wats]

With everyone back healthy next year, Slaf/Dach/CC we aren't going to be a bottom 5 anymore. We will probably hover around that 10th to bottom spot, but I don't think we'll get a special player there. This was the last year to take a difference maker and potential superstar, and we went with the safe Molson pick.

Hopefully next year at 8-12 there will be another faller like Michkov. The draft does look pretty good, maybe no Bedard but 2 legit guys that can be 1st overall.

 

[rahad]

I shat on the bobrov hire immediately and was told it was a development problem in new York. He is just the worst head scout in the league. The rangers would be a dynasty with a real head scout because all the free agents go there and top guys force their way there.

Taking a guy like Slaf first overall was a massive red flag. There's no way we're building a contender with these scouts. Hughes may be a great gm but this isn't a league you can trade and sign your way into a cup.

I'm ok with Slaf. He could become a unicorn. Shane Wright is a bust. 2022 has also a weak draft. Kinda like 2012. But this year, it has absurde.... Michkov has still available at #5. I would have 0 problem with Reinbacher at #8-12,

 

[Colezuki]

I think people who are fully onboard team tank are going to be disappointed next season I see us finishing around 10-12 not in the bottom 5 again.

OTT, DET and MTL will be battling for 6-8 in the division but the metro is starting to fall apart, Pitt is getting old, Philly will be the worst team in the east followed by washington. Out west I think we'll be better then CHI, ANA, SJ, ARI, STL, WPG and CGY

that's 11th, and then there's usually some random team that gets trainwrecked by injuries

 

[Frank Drebin]

I think people who are fully onboard team tank are going to be disappointed next season I see us finishing around 10-12 not in the bottom 5 again.

OTT, DET and MTL will be battling for 6-8 in the division but the metro is starting to fall apart, Pitt is getting old, Philly will be the worst team in the east followed by washington. Out west I think we'll be better then CHI, ANA, SJ, ARI, STL, WPG and CGY

that's 11th, and then there's usually some random team that gets trainwrecked by injuries

we're just as well drafting in the teens anyways it seems.

14 Caufield vs 1 Slaf
18 Guhle vs 5 Reden

 

[WeThreeKings]

I think people who are fully onboard team tank are going to be disappointed next season I see us finishing around 10-12 not in the bottom 5 again.

OTT, DET and MTL will be battling for 6-8 in the division but the metro is starting to fall apart, Pitt is getting old, Philly will be the worst team in the east followed by washington. Out west I think we'll be better then CHI, ANA, SJ, ARI, STL, WPG and CGY

that's 11th, and then there's usually some random team that gets trainwrecked by injuries

I don't think anyone expects us to be bottom 5 again and if we are, either we got hit by injuries again which would be f***ing insane.. or our key components didn't take a step forward, which is bad.

We should be picking around where Detroit picked this year.

 

[Gravity]

We're on the way up with no elite talent. Mediocrity we've missed you.

 

[StCaufield]

Nobody knows how good or bad this team is as they practically had to open their own hospital last year with injuries. If even half of our D core evolves as they should then I could see is being a bubble team but it could easily be another awful season. Glass half full

 

[Miller Time]

Odds are extremely low that this will be a bottom 5 roster next year...

I'll be surprised if we finish in the bottom 10.

Far more likely that we make the playoffs than end up with a top 5 pick, unless we trade for one.

 

[Ezpz]

I'm ok with Slaf. He could become a unicorn. Shane Wright is a bust. 2022 has also a weak draft. Kinda like 2012. But this year, it has absurde.... Michkov has still available at #5. I would have 0 problem with Reinbacher at #8-12,

I just don't like the philosophy of 'we can fix him' with top ten picks. For a guy like Hutson in the second round that is a no brainer, nobody else was remotely as skilled.

I'm mostly fine with reinbacher.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

The sheer confidence to just casually be able to declare Reinbacher as a bust on draft day is almost enviable

Nowhere in that did he say he was a bust. He said he's a 30-40 pt defenseman which I agree with.

 

[Bouboumaster]

I'm all in for that shit yet again

 

[SwiftyHab]

Two tanking seasons have produced Slafkovsky and Reinbacher.

Looks like the Habs are still looking for an elite gamebreaking talent!

Time to start "tankin' for Macklin" (Celebrini)?

please no! I cant do a 3rd tank season

 

[CHfan1]

I’m hoping this team takes the next step this upcoming season. If they are going to show they can contend in the future this is necessary. I expect players like Caufield, Suzuki, Dach, Slafkovsky, Guhle, and maybe Newhook to get a lot better.

In saying that, looking at rosters in the Eastern Conference I think the Habs are 15th out of 16 teams, ahead of only Philadelphia. If Montembeault’s play isn’t as good as last season they could definitely picking within the top 7.

 

[Number 57]

Players born in 1998 or later:

F: Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, Slafkovsky, Newhook, Farrell, Heineman, Beck, Harvey-Pinard, Roy, Kidney, Ylonen, Tuch, Mesar, Kapanen, Mysak

D: Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Barron, Hutson, Reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom

G: Primeau, Dobes

I think we need to stop tanking and go for it. We pretty much have a full NHL team of youngsters already. They passed on Michkov, and I dont think we'll get another top-5 pick, so we're going for it with what we have. It is what it is. They're not gonna tank again

 

[Riggins]

I don't think anyone expects us to be bottom 5 again and if we are, either we got hit by injuries again which would be f***ing insane.. or our key components didn't take a step forward, which is bad.

We should be picking around where Detroit picked this year.

Agreed and I fear we're taking the exact Detroit Red Wings path, coming out of a rebuild with no elite forward talent. They were in the dumpster for longer though.

Teams who should definitely be worse than us next year:

Chicago
Anaheim
San Jose
Arizona
Philly

Bottom 5 will be very difficult. We should hover around 6-12 with the likes of Columbus, maybe Detroit... and who knows what happens with the likes of Winnipeg, Calgary, Washington and Nashville.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Players born in 1998 or later:

F: Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, Slafkovsky, Newhook, Farrell, Heineman, Beck, Harvey-Pinard, Roy, Kidney, Ylonen, Tuch, Mesar, Kapanen, Mysak

D: Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Barron, Hutson, Reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom

G: Primeau, Dobes

I think we need to stop tanking and go for it. We pretty much have a full NHL team of youngsters already. They passed on Michkov, and I dont think we'll get another top-5 pick, so we're going for it with what we have. It is what it is. They're not gonna tank again

I think that's the org's goal unfortunately. Rushing a rebuild is almost never the right option, I don't think this team has the talent up front (or even potential talent up front) to compete, but soon we're going to be a bubble team without any means of acquiring that talent.

 

[Omar]

None of this matters, as we are headed by buffoons. We can tank all we want, but we are going to be Buffalo 2.0 . Good luck to all of us.

Who is ranking our draft board? We need to clean house.

 

[Kennerback]

It’s pointless to Tank, if the corporate head office should be running nothing more than a bowling alley.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

please no! I cant do a 3rd tank season

I hope we're decent this year but back to tanking in 2024-25

 

[Naslundforever]

Two tanking seasons have produced Slafkovsky and Reinbacher.

Looks like the Habs are still looking for an elite gamebreaking talent!

Time to start "tankin' for Macklin" (Celebrini)?

No stop it all you keyboard excel sheet loving losers start giving me hockey I can actually enjoy watching.

Also these 2 are great adds.

no-one cares it’s not the team you imagined in 2028

 

[Omar]

I think people who are fully onboard team tank are going to be disappointed next season I see us finishing around 10-12 not in the bottom 5 again.

OTT, DET and MTL will be battling for 6-8 in the division but the metro is starting to fall apart, Pitt is getting old, Philly will be the worst team in the east followed by washington. Out west I think we'll be better then CHI, ANA, SJ, ARI, STL, WPG and CGY

that's 11th, and then there's usually some random team that gets trainwrecked by injuries

Best to come back in a decade and see where we are. This has depression written all over it.

 

[RationalExpectations]

Man. Ive been wanting for a real rebuild for 30years.

Happy me : 4 first round picks in 2 years….
But no.

After all this pain, we ended with the worst first overall pick since Yakupov. Then we pick a bust with our 2nd first round pick.

The year after? We reach for a 30-40pts defenceman in one of the best draft for offensive players. And we traded our 2nd first rounder for an undersized 3rd line player in Newhook.

Ohhh yeah fefans will say : « Newhook is full of potential. 70pts player incoming » and « Reinbacher is Josi #2 » and « Slafkovsky is Rantanen » and « Mesar is Suzuki lite ». f*** that.

Can we just draft offensive players? We need a PPG forward. Alex Kovalev is the last one. Its been what? 15 years?

You can say that about any player at the draft. I was not on the Slaf train at all but maybe one season is too short to be sure of what he is. What guarantee do you have that Leonard or Wright are going to be better than the Habs 1st rounders.

HuGo took a shot at Newhook maybe he busts but have late 1st rounders like Poehling Sherback Juulsen been more successful ?