What would you prefer - finishing top 5 or bottom 5 in NHL standings this season?

[RealityHurts]

Three of the four foundational pieces we have now were drafted 13th to 16th.

As long as we don't overpay mediocre players like Hoffman, Armia, Byron, Savard and 30 year old Gally in our NEXT window, there will be cap room for quite a few foundational pieces.

You can look for any of Bedard, Fantilli, Michkov or Carlsson this year. They're the missing piece.

 

[HuGort]

I ain't too worried about finishing top 5. Team needs couple more core players. So, I voted bottom 5.

 

[Bacchus1]

I would prefer that we win the cup. But, honestly, it is much more likely that we end up closer to bottom 5 than top 5, and even more likely that we end up somewhere close to the middle or lower.

I just don’t want to continue mediocrity for years like we have been practicing since Serge Savard and Roy left. Another elite player could go a long way towards making the Habs an annual contender for years.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

This team is bad right now , what would be the point to have a free access to the top 5?

For the love of god don't tell me it would be ''it would help the kids'' .

Finish bottom 5 , build an actual nhl team and a good forward group which is not only Suzuki and Caufield doing everything offensively when we have to win a game.

Missing 2 top 6 wingers
1 top 6 center
atleast 2-3 players in the bottom 6.

We need atleast 2 top 4 if not 3.

and to finish a starting goalie.

A high pick in 2023 will give us a potential add in the top 6 forwards which we badly need.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

If we finish top 5 this year with 21 year old CC, first year captain Suzuki , rookie guhle and wifi , etc, we are set up for the next ten years. Who knows how deep they go in the playoffs too.

I don't see it happening, but I would much rather see that than get a top 5 pick. That would mean our core is among the best in the league

 

[smirob]

I think realistically we will be sitting around 7-12 OVR come TDL and drop to 5-10 come end of year (after moving some pieces).

Strong start, but we would need Allen to be prime Carey Price to be a top 5 team imho.

 

[KevSkillz4]

I don't care, if Habs are top 5, that's prove that the young core is very very solid and if they finish bottom 5-10, that's going to help so much the future. But I really like the future already with Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Mesar, Heineman, Farrell, Roy, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Mailloux, Hutson, Barron, and more.

I'm still a pro-tank and having a chance to drafting top 5-10 this year it's going to be a huge W.

One of Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, Michkov, Dvorsky, Yager, Sale, Ritchie, Benson or Smith... (even the RD Cam Allen looks very good)... so they all fit perfectly with young group and that would be very amazing to grab one of that type of prospect.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I don't care, if Habs are top 5, that's prove that the young core is very very solid and if they finish bottom 5-10, that's going to help so much the future. But I really like the future already with Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Mesar, Heineman, Farrell, Roy, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Mailloux, Hutson, Barron, and more.

I'm still a pro-tank and having a chance to drafting top 5-10 this year it's going to be a huge W.

One of Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, Michkov, Dvorsky, Yager, Sale, Ritchie, Benson or Smith... (even the RD Cam Allen looks very good)... so they all fit perfectly with young group and that would be very amazing to grab one of that type of prospect.

Your thinking is pretty sound.

Yes, a top 5 finish over 82 games would mean that this team is way, way ahead of a return to competitiveness than we thought. So getting a Mesar level player instead of say Dvorsky at 6OA (median result for team finishing 5th from bottom) is nowhere near enough of a downgrade to offset the HUGE positive difference from already being top-5 instead of 28th.

The only problem with any of this is that I don't think a top-5 finish is possible, but it WOULD be great if it happened.