The state of the Habs Rebuild - The Next step

[Kobe Armstrong]

Gorton wanted to make sure, but of course he was on the table for every team, but when you are picking top 7 and the prospect you are thinking about selecting is giving you the run around, and has the power to stay in Russia and leverage that into what they want, that does enter the equation.

What we do know is that Friedman confirmed that Michkov and his agent played the process to get to Philly as best they could.

We know that Michkov was seen as potentially the best talent in the draft outside of Bedard, yet he went all the way to Philly at 7.

We can reasonably give the edge to Carlsson and Fantilli as centers with size over Michkov. But then San Jose took Smith over Michkov. Montreal took Reinbacher. Arizona took Simashev.

We know Philly wanted 5 to get Reinbacher, so clearly felt they could get Michkov at 7 or that they valued Reinbacher higher.

We know Nashville tried to get up to 5 to take Reinbacher.

We know the noise entering the draft were teams trying to get 5 to take Reinbacher and not move up to get Michkov.

Michkov met with Philly twice, including a secretive meeting with the top parts of the organization there and he didn't do that with any other team.

The math maths here and Michkov got what he wanted. If you are to bash the Habs for making that decision, you have to also apply that same logic to the San Jose Sharks. Let's be real, in no universe, one for one, without anything else going on, that a team would take Smith over Michkov, right?

More likely the Habs purged every Russian off their team in 2022-23 and took a moral stance against drafting Russians 2022 (which you frequently repeated yourself as fact).

That probably didn't make Michkov feel very comfortable about the Habs, and I'm sure our weirdo draft interviewer didn't help either.

 

[Habs]

I think the Habs knew they wanted both a two-way big RD and a potential superstar winger and thought that at 5OA it's harder to draft the two-way big RD vs the potential superstar winger so they went with Reinbacher.

And they were right in the sense that the best 2-way RD in 2024 went 2nd overall where as Demidov fell to us.

Not defending the pick (I also would've preferred Michkov and Demidov), but I understand the logic behind it.

We lucked out with Demidov, I still don't know why the Ducks took Sennecke but he could be a stud as well.

 

[OldCraig71]

We need some creativity in the lineup. The oohs and aaws over Hutson prove how starved we have been to see a player that doesn't live off dump and chase and grine deez guys.

 

[OldCraig71]

We lucked out with Demidov, I still don't know why the Ducks took Sennecke but he could be a stud as well.

It is the order of things, we were destined to take him. The Oilers will be the Canadian team that breaks the curse and we will be next.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We lucked out with Demidov, I still don't know why the Ducks took Sennecke but he could be a stud as well.

We did. Demidov is a great pick and I don’t think they expected him to be available. But there was Lindstrom, Eiserman and a whole whack of others who where.

When the 23 draft happened, I wanted Michkov. But that’s from the perspective of a fan. We’ve been starved for offense for so long and here was this flashy player that might finally be the guy.

But Hugo’s looking at big picture. They also have an idea of what the next draft looks like… they’re planning ahead. If say, 24 was a defense heavy draft maybe they do take Michkov… They’re building the best team and looking at position scarcity.

It could turn out to be a huge mistake or maybe not… but it’s going to take years before we know this.

There’s also the other caveat: I don’t scout the minor leagues. Me wanting Michkov is meaningless. I simply liked the player profile. They know more about these guys - how they play, their personalities… it all factors in. Nobody came to Bo Callahan’s birthday party and that was enough for Kevin Costner to stay away. It’s more than just on ice that they look at.

 

[Habs]

There’s also the other caveat: I don’t scout the minor leagues. Me wanting Michkov is meaningless. I simply liked the player profile. They know more about these guys - how they play, their personalities… it all factors in. Nobody came to Bo Callahan’s birthday party and that was enough for Kevin Costner to stay away. It’s more than just on ice that they look at.

Did you really throw in a Draft Day reference? Ok now you cracked me up you bastard.

 

[Tabarouette]

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Did you really throw in a Draft Day reference? Ok now you cracked me up you bastard.

• Jeff Gorton: Got a new Michkov story for you.
• Kent Hughes: Not sure I want to hear it. You know, you hung me out to dry pretty good with the last one.
• Jeff Gorton: Just talked to Jack Tate in Washington. He said when they found out they had the number five pick, first thing they did was send a copy of their playbook to all the guys they were interested in.
• Kent Hughes: Right. We do the same thing.
• Jeff Gorton: No, no, they put a little special twist on it. They tape a $100 bill to the last page.
• Kent Hughes: Why?
• Jeff Gorton: So, when they're interviewin' the guys, and they ask 'em if they'd read the whole playbook, of course all of 'em are gonna say yes. 'Bout half of 'em, they mention the money. But the other half don't. So when they tell 'em about the $100 bill, most of the guys get embarrassed. They get flustered. They fess up that they didn't read the whole thing. But ask me what your boy Matvei Michkov did.
• Kent Hughes: You know, I really hate playing this game with you.
• Jeff Gorton: Ask.
• Kent Hughes: All right. What did Michkov do?
• Jeff Gorton: Neither. He said that he'd read it, and then he didn't say anything.
• Kent Hughes: So?
• Jeff Gorton: He didn't know about the $100 bill, Kent. He lied. He never read the whole playbook.
• Kent Hughes: So? A lot of guys don't.
• Jeff Gorton: Yes. But when they confront him about it and they tell him about the money, he lied again. He said something like "Oh-oh, yeah. Now I remember. Good one. Good one, guys." Jack said he is the only guy to tell the lie and then to have the balls to stand and stick up for the lie. Said it was the second-strangest response he had seen to the $100 bill thing. Wanna know what the first was?
• Kent Hughes: God damn it, Jeff, just tell me.
• Jeff Gorton: A kid mailed the $100 bill back to them. That kid put it in a card, and he wrote on the card "Save this for when I win you the Stanley Cup."
• Kent Hughes:Nice.
• Jeff Gorron: Don't you wanna know who that kid was?
• Kent Hughes: No!
• Jeff Gorton: It was David Reinbacher.
• Jeff Gorton: It was David Reinbacher!!!
• Carey Price: It was David Rei… umm…
• Jeff Gorton: David Reinbacher!

 

[LaP]

View attachment 915371

But he gets on base ...

 

[Heineman Mineman]

• Jeff Gorton: It was David Reinbacher!!!
• Carey Price: It was David Rei… umm…

That Carey bit killed me

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Did you really throw in a Draft Day reference? Ok now you cracked me up you bastard.

 

[salbutera]

We lucked out with Demidov, I still don't know why the Ducks took Sennecke but he could be a stud as well.

Listen to Verbeek interview on Spittin Chicklets as he details what he looks for in prospects at the draft…

 

[OneSharpMarble]

I feel like the Habs are going down the rebuild route of the Leafs where we are getting lots of skilled perimeter players and no one willing to get garbage goals or pay the price. Yeah we have Gallagher but he isnt on the top 6. Well get Demidov in here and hes another incredibly talented skill player that wont grind it out in the crease. The habs need someone like Hyman. This added to the lack of grit or tenacity in the habs culture is going to just spell failure in the playoffs when perimeter goals gets scarce.

 

[Heineman Mineman]

I feel like the Habs are going down the rebuild route of the Leafs where we are getting lots of skilled perimeter players and no one willing to get garbage goals or pay the price. Yeah we have Gallagher but he isnt on the top 6. Well get Demidov in here and hes another incredibly talented skill player that wont grind it out in the crease. The habs need someone like Hyman. This added to the lack of grit or tenacity in the habs culture is going to just spell failure in the playoffs when perimeter goals gets scarce.

Slaf doesn't seem afraid to go anywhere on the ice, Dach seems like a guy who can hold his own (how about gviing him 20 games to see if injuries had a toll on him).

They might not be building the Broad Street Bullies, but it's not the Leafs either

 

[Number 57]

I just realized we will be a running a top-9 at forward with 7 1st-round picks next year, with Hage waiting in the wings. That's pretty impressive!

Slaf/Suzi/Cole
Laine/Dach/Demidov
Newhook/

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I feel like the Habs are going down the rebuild route of the Leafs where we are getting lots of skilled perimeter players and no one willing to get garbage goals or pay the price. Yeah we have Gallagher but he isnt on the top 6. Well get Demidov in here and hes another incredibly talented skill player that wont grind it out in the crease. The habs need someone like Hyman. This added to the lack of grit or tenacity in the habs culture is going to just spell failure in the playoffs when perimeter goals gets scarce.

Jeff Gorton: You know who’s not a perimeter player?

Carey Price: David Rein… um…

Jeff Gorton: Dammit Carey!!

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Slaf doesn't seem afraid to go anywhere on the ice, Dach seems like a guy who can hold his own (how about gviing him 20 games to see if injuries had a toll on him).

They might not be building the Broad Street Bullies, but it's not the Leafs either

Kirby Dach, Slaf, Beck, Reinbacher, Guhle, Xejac… we’ve got some sandpaper. Suzuki doesn’t play soft. And with Caufield there’s a lot of fight in that little dog. I’ll take him over Marner in the playoffs any day.

 

[Riggins]

They are going to need to bring in some productive vets to push this rebuild forward. Thankfully I'm confident HuGo see that's necessary otherwise you end up in Buffalo Sabres territory. They tried for Patrick Kane and Marchessault before making the Laine deal.

The defence needs a lot of help. Rasmus Andersson has been mentioned and makes sense. If not Andersson, Weegar is another interesting target. He's signed until he's 37 but it's at a reasonable number. If you get Andersson you're probably signing him until he's 37 as well and at a higher number.

I think next summer is when HuGo are going to get aggressive in dealing out excess picks and prospects for roster help. We have way too many 2025 picks and I'm excited to see what we do next summer to add to the roster. Blowing past Detroit and Buffalo in the Atlantic shouldn't be too difficult.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

They are going to need to bring in some productive vets to push this rebuild forward. Thankfully I'm confident HuGo see that's necessary otherwise you end up in Buffalo Sabres territory. They tried for Patrick Kane and Marchessault before making the Laine deal.

The defence needs a lot of help. Rasmus Andersson has been mentioned and makes sense. If not Andersson, Weegar is another interesting target. He's signed until he's 37 but it's at a reasonable number. If you get Andersson you're probably signing him until he's 37 as well and at a higher number.

I think next summer is when HuGo are going to get aggressive in dealing out excess picks and prospects for roster help. We have way too many 2025 picks and I'm excited to see what we do next summer to add to the roster. Blowing past Detroit and Buffalo in the Atlantic shouldn't be too difficult.

I think the D needs help. They already added Laine (injury aside) so forwards are not really a pressing need. But a stud RD would be great. That takes pressure of younger players, gives them a mentor, settles things down.

 

[Heineman Mineman]

Ekblad and Theodore will both probably be hard to resign at 30 yo for their respective teams, but I don't know how much I'd prefer them or Andersson on a 7 years 7.5M+ over Savard for 2 years at 3.5

The best would be a 31 yo stud RD with 2 years left on his deal

 

[Trenbohabs]

In bold is what I question. Nobody knows what he told MTL. I can't for life of me imagine he hard balled the Habs. He said he wanted a hockey market, with good management and a chance to win. MTL slaps philly in all those categories. And MTL has been very kind to Russians - they all seem to love it here.

So I doubt he was playing mind games but that's just my opinion. You may be right in saying Michkov was f*cking with the Habs. And if that's the case I'd pass on him too.

But Bobrov is interesting. He has ties there obviously and prior to the draft if anyone had a pulse on michkov the player and also michkov the person, it would be him. You have to think there must have been more reasons deterring the Habs away than just his game (position, size, ability, character). But for some reason I doubt that. I think they just preferred having more control with Reinbacher and also fact he was RD.

Who knows maybe Habs DID want to draft him but Molson vetoed it

I wish we would've had a guy avaialble at 5 in 2023 like Clarke for example, a mobile RD that will rack up 60+ pts, but hey that year it was a more like Pietrangelo guy

 

[Trenbohabs]

If he is a number one he won’t be the day he steps on the ice for his first game. Very few players can do that.

In the meantime, it’s not a bad idea to have a vet to help bring him along. That would be the same for Mailloux/Barron as well.

exactly, its a 4 years or 5 years process for a D man to be the number one guy!

 

[Trenbohabs]

It would be incredible to draft another high end talent like Demidov in this years draft, added to another solid pick with the Monahan trade that could be 11th-25th in a Hage type! This is the last year i will accept a tanking year

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

exactly, its a 4 years or 5 years process for a D man to be the number one guy!

Thats also when coming into the league , as a 20-21-22-23 year old , so i've got nothing but time for Rein.



I think Dahlin actually did it at 18 which is super impressive....Honestly off the top of my head I can't think of anybody else in their D+1 season as a defenseman who did it.

 

[Trenbohabs]

Thats also when coming into the league , as a 20-21-22-23 year old , so i've got nothing but time for Rein.



I think Dahlin actually did it at 18 which is super impressive....Honestly off the top of my head I can't think of anybody else in their D+1 season as a defenseman who did it.

Yea Dahlin was sold as the next generational D man, he had the dekes and the hand skills to be the next generation type of number 1 D man. Unfortunaly he was in a terrible team with terrible RD to play with, he tuned his game down by quite a margin to not make too many mistakes. In sweden in his 17 years old year he would deke the shit out of forwards in the ozone to make plays.

I think Doughty at 18 was also incredible