News Article: Friedman's 31 Thoughts: Habs Draft, Pacioretty, Jack Johnson & Mark Hunter

[Habs]

I’ll still be upset about Sergachev, but a blue chip defenceman is more valuable to our team then a bluechip winger. I don’t think the talent of Zadina makes up for taking a winger over a defenceman, especially when defence is our biggest organizational need outside of center now. I guess we’ll see.

God I hate this management team

 

[CAR3YPR1CE]

Will you bother finding out how much he signs for?

What other moves happen?

Or is JJ's name on a Habs contract enough?

LD
Alzner
Benn
Schlemko
Mete
Reilly
Valiev
Bourque
Moravcik
Sklenicka

There is no LD UFA that can help that depth besides maybe deHaan. But even at that. It's a disaster dumpster fire.

 

[CAR3YPR1CE]

I’ll still be upset about Sergachev, but a blue chip defenceman is more valuable to our team then a bluechip winger. I don’t think the talent of Zadina makes up for taking a winger over a defenceman, especially when defence is our biggest organizational need outside of center now. I guess we’ll see.

I want a trade with Arizona for 5th & PO Joseph for 3rd. Then draft Quinn Hughes at 5th.

 

[LaP]

Will you bother finding out how much he signs for?

What other moves happen?

Or is JJ's name on a Habs contract enough?

The later. Jack Johnson is mostly done as a top 4 player. He can still play a role on a 3rd pairing but that's about it. Have you seen Jack Johnson play last year?

 

[Sorinth]

You know that’s not what I meant and you’re trying to bend the goal posts. But since you want to go that route, if a superstar winger was available, of coarse I’d make that trade. Drouin wasn’t that. Not even close. He had one playoffs and a season to his name and we gave him a long term deal while Galchenyuk whose been more productive got a bridge.

The point I was actually making is that how good the player is matters more then the position. So when you say you don't want Zadina because he's a winger, it's nonsensical. If you think some of the other prospects are better player, sure that's a legitimately debatable. But if you actually think Zadina is BPA and still want to pass on him, that's just dumb.

 

[nhlfan9191]

The point I was actually making is that how good the player is matters more then the position. So when you say you don't want Zadina because he's a winger, it's nonsensical. If you think some of the other prospects are better player, sure that's a legitimately debatable. But if you actually think Zadina is BPA and still want to pass on him, that's just dumb.

I never said I don’t want Zadina. I was pointing out this is a strong draft to potentially fill a much bigger and harder to fill role to fill in defence.

 

[417]

The later. Jack Johnson is mostly done as a top 4 player. He can still play a role on a 3rd pairing but that's about it. Have you seen Jack Johnson play last year?

I'm familiar with Jack Johnson.

I'm not suggesting he's someone we should sign, I'm trying to find out why his hypothetical signing would drive someone to abandon the team, which I presume he's been a fan of for awhile.

Without knowing how much, or for how long, or what other corresponding moves could happen...or the most obvious, before he even signs.

For the record, beyond being left handed, I don't know how he would fit in on this team, so I do hope this isn't an avenue they'll be exploring.

 

[Kriss E]

The point I was actually making is that how good the player is matters more then the position. So when you say you don't want Zadina because he's a winger, it's nonsensical. If you think some of the other prospects are better player, sure that's a legitimately debatable. But if you actually think Zadina is BPA and still want to pass on him, that's just dumb.

Agreed. From what I have pretty much read online, if Dahlin and Schev go in top 2, then Zadina is clear favorite for 3rd spot. We should pick him.
Now if we can package the 3rd for a later pick+prospect, well that could be different. For the draft though, Zadina should be the guy.

 

[Kriss E]

I'm familiar with Jack Johnson.

I'm not suggesting he's someone we should sign, I'm trying to find out why his hypothetical signing would drive someone to abandon the team, which I presume he's been a fan of for awhile.

Without knowing how much, or for how long, or what other corresponding moves could happen...or the most obvious, before he even signs.

For the record, beyond being left handed, I don't know how he would fit in on this team, so I do hope this isn't an avenue they'll be exploring.

Didn't you answer your question?
Targeting JJ shows the same complete lack of vision and understanding of what this team needs. Doesn't matter if he's signed for 1 year or 8, for 2M or 8M, it still shows that management going in the same wrong direction.
Terms of an hypothetical deal makes it go from horrible to bad to pointless. In any event, as i said, it shows how management still has their heads up their arses.

 

[Ezpz]

Take BPA, we're going to be bad for several years. We can get a D in a different year. We'll likely not be in the position to get another Zadina level winger. It's uncommon for the top of a draft to lack centers and dmen like this year.

 

[DaPhazz]

Yakupov was the clear 1 in 2012 and he’s busted harder than a walnut at Christmas. Zadina is even less complete game than he had

Yea and I don’t mean patch is the only piece and honestly for a guy who routinely scores 35+ with garbage Cs it’s pretty reasonable

Busts happen, but based on stats, following the overall concensus leads to better results.

If Bergevin forces Timmins to pass on Zadina for a wannabe smart**s pick and Zadina burns the league with Arizona or Ottawa , he'll certainly look like the biggest NHL failure of a GM since Milbury (hard to beat Chia though)

 

[NotProkofievian]

Busts happen, but based on stats, following the overall concensus leads to better results.

If Bergevin forces Timmins to pass on Zadina for a wannabe smart**s pick and Zadina burns the league with Arizona or Ottawa , he'll certainly look like the biggest NHL failure of a GM since Milbury (hard to beat Chia though)

And if he passes on the best center we would have had since pre-injury Koivu for a 30-30 left-handed winger on a team full of left handed wingers, then what will happen?

 

[Scintillating10]

The later. Jack Johnson is mostly done as a top 4 player. He can still play a role on a 3rd pairing but that's about it. Have you seen Jack Johnson play last year?

I would rather spend my caproom and get the 10th by acquiring Lucic rather than signing Jj

 

[417]

Didn't you answer your question?
Targeting JJ shows the same complete lack of vision and understanding of what this team needs. Doesn't matter if he's signed for 1 year or 8, for 2M or 8M, it still shows that management going in the same wrong direction.
Terms of an hypothetical deal makes it go from horrible to bad to pointless. In any event, as i said, it shows how management still has their heads up their arses.

I can see that, especially when those terms are highly speculative and based on nothing more than a guesstimate from McKenzie.

Either way, I get it...not a good time for many Habs fans.

I just don't get why a hypothetical signing of Jack Johnson is what would tip the scale over.

I mean, if you've persevered this long being a Habs fan...seems kinda odd that's what would turn you completely off.

But to each his own I suppose.

 

[DaPhazz]

And if he passes on the best center we would have had since pre-injury Koivu for a 30-30 left-handed winger on a team full of left handed wingers, then what will happen?

It'll be smoother for him if he let Timmins choose his best BPA without forcing him to fill a need.

At 3OA, you don't blind yourself with needs, you go for star talent.

 

[Flavaflav]

Desperately needs to draft a defenseman...sigh

If only we'd drafted high calibre defensement like Subban or Sergachev in previous drafts we wouldn't be in this mess...oh wait a minute...

 

[Kriss E]

I can see that, especially when those terms are highly speculative and based on nothing more than a guesstimate from McKenzie.

Either way, I get it...not a good time for many Habs fans.

I just don't get why a hypothetical signing of Jack Johnson is what would tip the scale over.

I mean, if you've persevered this long being a Habs fan...seems kinda odd that's what would turn you completely off.

But to each his own I suppose.

Everyone has their tipping point. No need to wait for a complete clusterfack of a move to sway the scale the other way.
Again, it's not so much about the player but more about what it represents. This signing would show this management hasn't learned a thing about the past. That is the issue. So for people waiting to see if those guys finally learned, well targeting JJ would show they haven't.

 

[417]

Everyone has their tipping point. No need to wait for a complete clusterfack of a move to sway the scale the other way.
Again, it's not so much about the player but more about what it represents. This signing would show this management hasn't learned a thing about the past. That is the issue. So for people waiting to see if those guys finally learned, well targeting JJ would show they haven't.

What if JJ is signed as a replacement for a traded Karl Alzner...and subsequently, signs for less money, at a shorter term.

I get what you mean, but just seems a bit dramatic to make a statement like that to me.

 

[Kriss E]

What if JJ is signed as a replacement for a traded Karl Alzner...and subsequently, signs for less money, at a shorter term.

I get what you mean, but just seems a bit dramatic to make a statement like that to me.

It would still be pointless because we should not be looking to get a cheaper similar type of Alzner.
Targeting Alzer was a problem in the first place. We would just be doing the same thing.

 

[Runner77]

It would still be pointless because we should not be looking to get a cheaper similar type of Alzner.
Targeting Alzer was a problem in the first place. We would just be doing the same thing.

JJ shouldn't even be in the conversation, if Habs's management has really learned anything. It would be a tall order to land a first pairing PMD on the left side, however, at this point, it needs to happen. Either draft one or trade for one, just don't go into the season with a parade of fillers on first pairing -- unless they want to be a lottery team again next year.

 

[jaffy27]

And if he passes on the best center we would have had since pre-injury Koivu for a 30-30 left-handed winger on a team full of left handed wingers, then what will happen?

I’d rather fail picking the higher rated player than the lower rated player.

 

[scrubadam]

The point I was actually making is that how good the player is matters more then the position. So when you say you don't want Zadina because he's a winger, it's nonsensical. If you think some of the other prospects are better player, sure that's a legitimately debatable. But if you actually think Zadina is BPA and still want to pass on him, that's just dumb.

Would be like WPG passing on Laine or NJD not wanting Hall.

an 80 point + forward is going to make a huge difference regardless if they are Winger or Center.

I don't know if Zadina is that type of guy but IMO a top 3 pick shouldn't be moved. You don't get those picks often (or at least hope you don't) so you use it and hope that the guy you draft is an elite level talent.

 

[Runner77]

I’d rather fail picking the higher rated player than the lower rated player.

I take it you mean to say that you'd rather see MB fail while taking the BPA, however, I think you can see how it could be read differently.

 

[jaffy27]

I take it you mean to say that you'd rather see MB fail while taking the BPA, however, I think you can see how it could be read differently.

Lol.....Bergevin has already failed, even I know that, but he can start making things right by selecting Zadina, go with BPA, and at 3, it’s the Zee.

If they can manage to get another top 7 pick, then go with the big Finn, or Dobson. 8 days to go....

 

[Laurentide]

I'll be in Edmonton next Friday evening so I'll let you all know about the local reaction to the Lucic trade to the Habs.