It's a mistake bc he's currently the best defensive D on a cup contender, he was our second best defensive d when he was here. We're currently the worst defensive team in the league. He's also young enough to have been a long term solution on the right side for us. Other than Reinbacher we don't have any other potential top4 D on the right side.
The state of the Habs Rebuild - The Next step
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Habby4Life
First pick overall goes to the Montreal Canadiens
- Nov 12, 2008
- 4,897
- 4,916
I will settle for not getting out shot by 10 shots a game, getting schooled every night or watching them chase in their own end for minutes at a time but if that’s the hockey you enjoy, you do you.
ok, you got me, they look just fine in their own end, lol. MSL fans
In the MIX, baby!!!
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Kimota
ROY DU NORD!!!
Hughes and Marty refuse to take physicality into consideration and it has already come to bite them in the ass this season. Kovacevic sure wasn't Scott Stevens but he was a stong body out there.
Bring in Roy as President and Hartley as coach. Infuse some testosterone in this organization. Bring back Joel to be next in line. Maybe give us a new owner as well. Privileged silver spoon Molson who only think about image does not help us either.
Alright I'm gonna calm down, now.
montreal
Go Habs Go
- Mar 21, 2002
- 59,707
- 46,871
Him being here won't change the future the club, they were in a spot where everyone knew they were going to have to start trading blueliners to make room for the youth. That's what rebuilding teams do, he can go help a cup contender instead of us drafting say a few spots down the list because he helped our poor team defense some.
No matter what they have at RD and who can play there, he wasn't going to be a part of the future here.
Habs
Jake Evans will steal your wife
- Feb 28, 2002
- 23,865
- 19,690
Kovacevic is literally only 2 years older than Suzuki. He could have been part of this core. When they contend they're gonna need to go get a player like him anyway so why not just keep him. I don't believe xhekaj and barron have higher upside. Mailloux is a completely different player and I don't see him becoming a top 4 D either. Struble i don't even think is an NHL caliber player.
Habby4Life
First pick overall goes to the Montreal Canadiens
- Nov 12, 2008
- 4,897
- 4,916
their D prospects aren’t nearly as good as many on here believe. Guhle is a 3/4, so to is Lane, DR who knows, and the rest are 5/6/7. Of the rest Wifi is only keeper.
A slight disagreement for me is that Guhle will be a top pairing guy if he can stay healthy.
Habby4Life
First pick overall goes to the Montreal Canadiens
- Nov 12, 2008
- 4,897
- 4,916
I am not sure what his timeline is but one thing is becoming a concern is that he can't stay healthy.
A pint sized rookie D asked to play 25 minutes per night is a recipe for disaster
Team also started to cover him a lot more, it's not like there is anyone else to cover on the team outside of the first line anyhow.
- Jun 24, 2012
- 86,613
- 161,683
When I had last brought up on this forum that Guhle has durability concerns, I was told that he was only out for 12 games last season and that the large number of games missed in 2022-23 were not necessarily conclusive.
Then came Hughes’ negotiation for an extension which unlike others he awarded to key players, was only for 6 years in Guhle’s case and not 8. Was Hughes hedging his bets on future durability?
Boris Le Tigre
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Evidently it was too early to have moved a couple of the d with the upside of the young guys still unclear. The depth was great insurance.
It’s hard to judge it until Laine comes back as the lack of consistent secondary scoring is also a problem.
We have less depth this year and can’t sustain any success with injuries starting to pile up.
It’s hard to judge it until Laine comes back as the lack of consistent secondary scoring is also a problem.
We have less depth this year and can’t sustain any success with injuries starting to pile up.
montreal
Go Habs Go
- Mar 21, 2002
- 59,707
- 46,871
I said last season that most of the blueline would not be here if/when we are contenders again. I have said this board has been overrating Xhekaj and Barron, who have shown some good and bad in the AHL so we'll see what happens but this is what a rebuild is. Struble I think he is an NHL D but they rushed all these kids without letting them cook in the AHL first.
The Habs were highly unlikely to ever end up with Guhle, Hutson, Reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom, Xhekaj, Struble, Barron. No teams has their entire blueline made up of their own draft picks. What you have to do is collect as many of these assets that you can, hope they progress and then at times you will need to trade some for more experienced and better help in the hope of a quantity vs quality trade
Kennerback
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2021
- 5,289
- 8,661
I’m getting fed up about the tank and would prefer just taking a step forward. We don’t have a competitive 2 and 3rd line and a solid second pair. And goaltending who knows? I’ll take the flashy top pick for sure but this team doesn’t have those key middle pieces that are a team’s backbone. I really get Oilers, Hawks and other teams fans that get tanking fatigue.
There are a ton of problems with this team but I liked what Max Lapierre was saying on The Sick Podcast.
He said your third and fourth lines are supposed to be filled with "specialists" players who can do any number of things very well.
Kill penalties win face offs heavy fore check cycle the puck punish and tire out Dmen provide net front and block shots to close out games 6v5.
This of course includes the bruisers that can lay down some law when necessary.
He said what we currently have is just a third and fourth line.
It is my opinion that we would be a better team today if we had addressed some of this before ever going after Laine.
Pretty much what I was asking for heading into the off season like exactly...
He said your third and fourth lines are supposed to be filled with "specialists" players who can do any number of things very well.
Kill penalties win face offs heavy fore check cycle the puck punish and tire out Dmen provide net front and block shots to close out games 6v5.
This of course includes the bruisers that can lay down some law when necessary.
He said what we currently have is just a third and fourth line.
It is my opinion that we would be a better team today if we had addressed some of this before ever going after Laine.
Pretty much what I was asking for heading into the off season like exactly...
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River Meadow
Registered User
- Mar 29, 2016
- 7,354
- 9,915
Nevins
Registered User
- Jul 12, 2014
- 2,805
- 2,401
The Habs need elite centers and forwards, but also big and tall forwards and defenders. The Rangers model is eloquent at this level:Adam Edstrom c 6'7''Will Cuylle lw 6'3''Matt Rempe rw 6'8''K'Andre Miller ld 6'5''Branden Schneider rd 6'3''Victor Mancini rd 6'4''prospectJaroslav Chmelan rw 6'5''Kalle Vaisanen lw 6'5''Dylan Reobroeck c 6'7''etc...
You were not the only one. I didn't like the bottom 6 either. But Heineman is fine, hits a lot, got some skills and jam, should be able to PK.
It's going to look better once Tuch/Flojack are ready for the NHL.
