Both of those guys would have much better numbers this year, if Allen was traded......or waived. Would we be a bubble team? Maybe, but not likely....
Not taking anything away from Monty but that gold medal was at the World Championship that is replete with sad sack rosters, where Latvia beat the US and where Armia plays like an elite performer.
Yeah but, it’s also one of the reasons that kept Allen off the IR.
I think the difference in what we’re saying is basically all semantics at this point. Basically you’re better off with the better goalie, but not at the cost that would prevent you from having a top end forwards and D by over paying them. But if your goalie can’t stop the puck amd keep you in the game, it’s lights out and quickly.
Goaltending isn’t the number 1 worry. Not even close. Goaltending was winning us games early in both of the past few seasons inflating our record. No goalie is carrying a bottom 5 team to the playoffs much less contender status. That was a myth with Price. He carried us way above what we were in his prime but he also had help with Subban/Weber, Markov, Pacioretty, defensive system, etc. We need a lot to steer this ship right now and goaltending is the least I’m worried about. History has told us we always find a way in that category.
Not semantics when the cost of a great goalie is $10M +. You could get a good goalie for nearly half of that I imagine. Plus, it’s not just the domino effect on forwards and D, imagine how putrid the back up goalie would likely be.
See 4 million caphit for seasoned backup grossly overpayment though. Got team in mess now with his cap, Allen unmovable. hurt Primeau development. Lost a high end asset in trading Allen last year. When he was on cheap expiring contract and Habs in position to retain.
Not to be the 3rd man in but players throughout the league say the Covid playoffs were the toughest of all.
Wasn’t about that though. The rules and schedule were irregular. Why don’t we have “play-ins” now? Maybe we can sneak through the back door.
lol. I hear you, but that has to do with cap management, not tactical importance of a given position.
Rules change all the time as have playoff formats. All teams had the same rules during the Covid years.
He wasn't signed as a backup. He was the starter and cheap at the price.
Rules never change to that extent. It was a once in 100 years pandemic.
Weren't the play ins because teams had played different numbers of games when the season was stopped.
I disagree that the cost of a great goalie is $10M+. There isn’t even a goalie over $10M and only 1 $10M goalie in the NHL and he isn’t the best by a long shot.
Can’t recall exactly but it seems to me that it was on account of the compressed regular season schedule and the league wanting to find a way to expand the playoff pool on account of it.
You know where I’m getting the $10M figure. See @Vachon23 post above. Top goalies in the elite category are $10M plus.I disagree that the cost of a great goalie is $10M+. There isn’t even a goalie over $10M and only 1 $10M goalie in the NHL and he isn’t the best by a long shot.
Outside of the top 3 (including Price), no other goalie makes over $7.5M, so I don’t know where you’re getting this $10M from. It doesn’t happen anymore outside of 2 teams that are the outliers.
So given the top goalies at $7.5M or less, I’d say a team can add nearly any goalie under their cap if they were available and be a better team than another that chooses to go gamble and hope a lesser goalie can find lightening in a bottle during the playoffs. As most cup finals have shown, that’s not a recipe for success.
The Habs were in the same division as the Leafs, Oilers, Jets and Flames . All teams that have been relatively strong in recent years. The west division had a bunch of teams that bottomed out during those years. Also the Habs were the furthest east team in a division that traveled all the way to the west coast. That's a lot of time zones.
firstly, LA style is more conducive to Gally and Andy (heavy playing) energy.. Secondly their contracts will be over much sooner than PLD. Thirdly, Ego (amongst billionaires) is a thing, so long as Valardi performs as he is and Winnipeg continues to impress (while LA is faultering) it casts a HUGE black eye on management similar to DruDru and Sergachev.
Meh, I can’t continue arguing with a guy who is in the penalty box on account of being 3rd man in!
Turning Valardi into Gallagher and Anderson would look even worse for management. At least with PLD they can bet he will bounce back in the future, there is no potential in Gallagher and Anderson.
