The state of the Habs Rebuild - The Next step

[HabsMD97]

don't see why it's a mistake, this was a bottom 5 team last year, they are a few years away from being good unless a few young players really take off like Slaf has.

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.

 

[morhilane]

I likely picked a bad game last night to have it be the game I planned on actually watching the full game for the first time in a long time as they looked like total shit.

The Ranger game wasn't their worst game of the season...

 

[Habby4Life]

We've cut our GAs every year of the rebuild so far so I very much doubt you would settle for anything less then good defensively.

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!!!

 

[Kimota]

Trading Kovacevic was such an obvious mistake, the team looks a 10x better with him in the lineup

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]

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.

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]

It's a legit concern. He's spent his whole life being good at avoiding big hits but if somebody connects, it could be devastating. I wanted him to spend some time in Laval to shelter him because he's so small... but honestly, he's just too good not to be in the NHL. It's a really weird situation because he looks way too light to be in the league right now but he's also dominating out there.

Dominating in one direction anyways

 

[HabsMD97]

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.

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]

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.

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.

 

[Tyson]

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]

A slight disagreement for me is that Guhle will be a top pairing guy if he can stay healthy.

Yeah, time will tell. Did they say what’s up with him?

 

[Tyson]

Yeah, time will tell. Did they say what’s up with him?

I am not sure what his timeline is but one thing is becoming a concern is that he can't stay healthy.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

Hutson started hot but -8 and pointless in his 4 last game.

 

[Tyson]

Hutson started hot but -8 and pointless in his 4 last game.

A pint sized rookie D asked to play 25 minutes per night is a recipe for disaster

 

[morhilane]

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.

 

[Runner77]

A slight disagreement for me is that Guhle will be a top pairing guy if he can stay healthy.

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?

 

[Tyson]

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?

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.

Exactly