The state of the Habs Rebuild - The Next step

[ReHabs]

Dach and Newhook aren't looking good this season. Nobody can debate that. However, both have shown much greater potential than what we're seeing now – especially Dach – so the question is how long we invest in their development and recovery, and at what point we cut bait. Dach looked like a top C pre-injury; I'd give him time to work his way back because the payoff could be huge. Newhook..... still not sure if he can become as good as his flashes. At some point his body of work will make his case for him.

The team is in the process of finding its groove. Hopefully the same is true for these two guys.

"Shown potential" is one of those oxymoron thingamajigs. If they show something then it wouldn't be potential. Nothing in their body of work indicates they are top6 players for the Habs next year, though Dach certainly has the pedigree and size to have a much longer look (which he's burning through rapidly).

As the Habs try to straighten the ship and tighten up we'll have Laine's return. Hopefully it'll help them two turn the corner. So I'm not saying to cut bait on either but at this point let's call it 'rebalancing the portfolio' and putting them two on the "tradable" pile rather than "not tradable". We'll see as time goes on.

It's a rebuild after all: you don't need to stick with players who can't fulfil their potential, you're meant to churn through them to find ones who stick. Chicago got rid of Dach without a second thought and Colorado, on the other end of the competing spectrum, did the same with Newhook. Why are Habs fans so averse to the same thing?

Neither Dach nor Newhook are worth more today than the day the Habs paid to get them -- a decline in value.

Ya what could've been if we lived in La la land, lmao.


A TOP 4 RD A RARER TALENT THAN A 100 POINTS PLAYER?????

Hey let's be fair, he's a "D-2 who won't run the PP". Rare specimen indeed.

 

[Lshap]

"Shown potential" is one of those oxymoron thingamajigs. If they show something then it wouldn't be potential. Nothing in their body of work indicates they are top6 players for the Habs next year, though Dach certainly has the pedigree and size to have a much longer look (which he's burning through rapidly).

As the Habs try to straighten the ship and tighten up we'll have Laine's return. Hopefully it'll help them two turn the corner. So I'm not saying to cut bait on either but at this point let's call it 'rebalancing the portfolio' and putting them two on the "tradable" pile rather than "not tradable". We'll see as time goes on.

It's a rebuild after all: you don't need to stick with players who can't fulfil their potential, you're meant to churn through them to find ones who stick. Chicago got rid of Dach without a second thought and Colorado, on the other end of the competing spectrum, did the same with Newhook. Why are Habs fans so averse to the same thing?

Neither Dach nor Newhook are worth more today than the day the Habs paid to get them -- a decline in value.

"Potential" isn't just a theory. Dach showed plenty of concrete, high-end potential in the 60 games he played before being injured. He was a possession beast who was putting up solid points. He's been a shadow of that player the past six weeks.

The question isn't whether Dach can reach his potential – we've already seen it – the question is whether he can get back to where he was and sustain it. HuGo acquired him as a key player on our rebuilding roster; he deserves more time to prove whether he's that guy.

Newhook is a more open-ended question. He has a good shift and I think, "Yeah! That's who he can become!", but then he's a mess for two shifts and I'm less optimistic.

 

[Mrb1p]

At the draft table, you don't know what a player's going to be. Even now nobody knows what RB will be. Michkov has gotten off to a great start but again, nobody could know that for sure.

I'll ask you this: Is Victor Hedman worth a 100 point player? I think he is.

He's not f***ing Victor Hedman wth

I was his biggest fast in the first few months of the draft year, I started the HF draft hype for Reinbacher. That's ridiculous. He's never had that type of potential.

Kucherov is also probably more valuable than Hedman anyway.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

He's not f***ing Victor Hedman wth

Dude... at the draft they don't know who's going to be what. Did Tampa know Kucherov was going to be what he is? No. Otherwise he'd have gone in the first round.

You're asking me if a stud blueliner is worth a 100 point winger. I'd say yes absolutely.

 

[Naslundforever]

When will Suzuki ever get to play with good vets on his line? He must still wake up to Kovalchuk dreams.

I liked the bottom 9 last night and habs have plenty of bottom-middle 6ers coming up to fill another line. Habs need an all-star or 2;

I wonder who’s redundant and worth anything. Bunch of picks thrown in there… Get a 1C or 1RD so the new guys have someone to lean on and not all our hopes and dreams to carry. Feels like next summer and not over the season.

 

[Sorinth]

Slaf was in his D+1 and D+2.

I don't think "be patient and shut up" is the right response when commentators, correctly, identify that Newhook (D+6) and Dach (D+6) are underperforming.

We have one 1st line and three 4th lines and we're rather shit and it has partly to do with Dach and Newhook -- two players specifically acquired by Kent Hughes -- not performing well. "Be patient" is an irrelevant response to this line of discussion. Hughes spent valuable assets acquiring them.

Dach's coming back from a big injury, so there's hope he can break through that mental barrier... but he's also had many other big injuries and he's basically the archetypical glass man now only he doesn't have the history of production other unlucky, brittle players like Hall, Gaborik and Havlat had. Be patient he will... return to form? He's never had a good season in the NHL. Newhook, same thing or even worse.

Time will tell? They're underperforming today.

There are plenty of examples of players taking until their mid-20s before putting things together. Being patient is just as valid an opinion to have as yours.

But honestly it feels like you're just looking to play the victim here.

 

[digmor crusher]

If we ever want to win a playoffs series some day I think that Dach and Newhook should not be in the top 6 and that Caufield should be on the 2nd line. Reasoning being is that a team with a top 6 that plays a physical and defensive game would eat these guys up. And instead of Dach trying to be a 30 goal 70 point guy, which he probably will never be, he should model his game after Adam Lowry. He would be more valuable to us playing that role imo.

 

[LaP]

Dach and Newhook aren't looking good this season. Nobody can debate that. However, both have shown much greater potential than what we're seeing now – especially Dach – so the question is how long we invest in their development and recovery, and at what point we cut bait. Dach looked like a top C pre-injury; I'd give him time to work his way back because the payoff could be huge. Newhook..... still not sure if he can become as good as his flashes. At some point his body of work will make his case for him.

The team is in the process of finding its groove. Hopefully the same is true for these two guys.

Not much more tbh. Dach and Newhook will be 24 in january so by the end of the year they will be very close to be "as seen on TV". I always said that at 25 you can safely give up on a young player and it will very rarely come back to bite you.

They are both one year away fomr that. I'd say if they don't show more in the 2nd half of the season a decision will have to be made. Do we keep them for the bottom 6 moving forward or we try to salvage a part of what we paid for them.

 

[Miller Time]

If we ever want to win a playoffs series some day I think that Dach and Newhook should not be in the top 6 and that Caufield should be on the 2nd line. Reasoning being is that a team with a top 6 that plays a physical and defensive game would eat these guys up. And instead of Dach trying to be a 30 goal 70 point guy, which he probably will never be, he should model his game after Adam Lowry. He would be more valuable to us playing that role imo.

I'm sure similar things would've been said of a team with Reinhart, Vearhage, Bennett & M.Tkachuk before they hit their mid-late 20's...

In fact, each one was given up on by their respective teams/GMs before being assembled by a GM who saw something the others missed (yes, Tkachuk left in a major trade after a career year because he wasn't going to sign beyond UFA status.... But a year earlier when he wanted to sign long term as an RFA, his GM didn't think it worth making the commitment).

Both those guys have the potential to be top 6 players on championship caliber teams, IF, and it's a big if, they are able to hit the upper end of their respective ceilings... Wether they will or not won't be known for a few years yet, and fortunately our GM was smart enough to get them extended on very manageable cap hits taking them to 25-26 as RFAs.... By then it will be much clearer and a far safer bet as to wether or not they are worth making part of our core as we transition toward contention.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If we ever want to win a playoffs series some day I think that Dach and Newhook should not be in the top 6 and that Caufield should be on the 2nd line. Reasoning being is that a team with a top 6 that plays a physical and defensive game would eat these guys up. And instead of Dach trying to be a 30 goal 70 point guy, which he probably will never be, he should model his game after Adam Lowry. He would be more valuable to us playing that role imo.

I don't think you're giving enough credit to Caufield. He mugged Drai in the corner last night and then laid up a perfect pass for a goal. He's a lot more rugged than you think he is. That being said, you need to pair him with the right players. He's a premier goalscorer and goals are what wins games. Kane, MSL and others have shown that small guys can contribute big goals and I have no doubt Caufield will be able to do it as well. But he has to be with the right linemates.

Newhook's the kind of player who can play in the top six. Good enough to do it when he's playing to his capabilities. But he's not going to lead a second line. He'll very likely wind up being a 3rd liner here and that's a good thing.