Is this the youngest Habs team you have seen in your lifetime?

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Left them out because Lehkonen/Scherback/DLR have combined 25 points in 104 games. I don't think it's fair to suggest they are playing as important roles on this roster as the other names.

Too soon to judge Juulsen IMO. When 20 year old Jared Tinordi was +5 in 8 games with Montreal in 12/13, people were raving about him too believe it or not. Not saying he'll bust but people seem too eager to throw him as an example of how the core is young. Deslauriers I agree, overlooked him. He's been a solid 4th liner.

We had Markov playing great and a need for a center. Should've sold high on Tinordi.

 

[Belial]

Ryan, please be amazing!!!

 

[brianp1950]

Our YOUNG crap!!

Yougest habs team? how about most inept from the top down. I do not blame the players but what they are given to work with is disgraceful. Laval probably out of the playoffs again, 5 out of 6 years out of the playoffs. The last great team from Hamilton which won it all had some great players and a great coach, now its a circus.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

Youngest? Maybe.

Worst? Maybe.

Least inspiring? Yup.

Least likeable? Hands down.

 

[Chili]

The stated objective is to get younger, but with this group on the roster?

How do they plan to get younger next season? With the players already drafted? Trades? The stork?

To me, getting younger requires drafting and signing good young talent, cultivating them at the pro level, letting them grow at their pace.

But that`s the way it should be for all teams, free agency and the cap require a constant stream of young talent.

Buzzwords sound nice but what is behind them? Haley`s comet , Casper`s shadow? Or a real plan to make it happen?

 

[WinterLion]

The stated objective is to get younger, but with this group on the roster?

How do they plan to get younger next season? With the players already drafted? Trades? The stork?

To me, getting younger requires drafting and signing good young talent, cultivating them at the pro level, letting them grow at their pace.

But that`s the way it should be for all teams, free agency and the cap require a constant stream of young talent.

Buzzwords sound nice but what is behind them? Haley`s comet , Casper`s shadow? Or a real plan to make it happen?

10 picks including 5 in the top 60 seems like one way.

 

[Chili]

10 picks including 5 in the top 60 seems like one way.

There is a possibility that the top pick will be on the team next season but I wouldn`t hold my breath on the rest.

They had multiple 2nd rounders in 2013 and 5 years later what is their current impact?

In other words, even if some of those 2nd rounders work out, it could be several years before they have any impact if they ever do (historically 70% of 2nd rounders `have little or no impact).

The goal is to get younger which is good, the question is their plan to get there. I think the integration of young players into the lineup should be an ongoing priority.

 

[MaxDummy]

But that`s the way it should be for all

Exactly. Every teams want young talent.. It's not a plan or anything. MB is so clueless it's sickening

 

[Habs Icing]

I'm really not sure what it is that you're trying to prove here. Yes, we're icing a young team right now. We're also icing a **** team.

As for comparing it to previous editions, our core as Bergevin walked in was 10 times better than what we have right now, so you don't have to look all that far to see a better young core than we have at the moment.

You say we don't have to blow it up, and it the same breath you say we lack superstar level talent. How do you propose we acquire such talent, if not with lottery picks?

Since 2005 we picked at 5th overall, 3rd , 9th and this year probably somewhere around 5th. Those are 4 high picks and probably the best any team can do in a lottery system. You still want to blow it up? Blowing it up is a guarantee of one thing and one thing only : you finish at the bottom of the standings. Oilers, Sabres, Hurricanes, Coyotes have been bottom feeders for a decade and guess what: if you look at the standings today they're still bottom feeders.

To win you need a GM with vision and talent or at the very least years of hard knocks experience (Rutherford and Poile). A very good GM can win without blowing it up and especially with this team. The problem is we're saddled with an Idiot and you can blow it up every year for the next decade, he'll still make trades like Sergachev for Drouin.

 

[lamp9post]

There is a possibility that the top pick will be on the team next season but I wouldn`t hold my breath on the rest.

They had multiple 2nd rounders in 2013 and 5 years later what is their current impact?

In other words, even if some of those 2nd rounders work out, it could be several years before they have any impact if they ever do (historically 70% of 2nd rounders `have little or no impact).

The goal is to get younger which is good, the question is their plan to get there. I think the integration of young players into the lineup should be an ongoing priority.

Two are regular forwards, so I don't think you can discount them completely, even though they are not top line players.

 

[ECWHSWI]

Since 2005 we picked at 5th overall, 3rd , 9th and this year probably somewhere around 5th. Those are 4 high picks and probably the best any team can do in a lottery system. You still want to blow it up? Blowing it up is a guarantee of one thing and one thing only : you finish at the bottom of the standings. Oilers, Sabres, Hurricanes, Coyotes have been bottom feeders for a decade and guess what: if you look at the standings today they're still bottom feeders.

To win you need a GM with vision and talent or at the very least years of hard knocks experience (Rutherford and Poile). A very good GM can win without blowing it up and especially with this team. The problem is we're saddled with an Idiot and you can blow it up every year for the next decade, he'll still make trades like Sergachev for Drouin.

the 5th overalkl is already 30 years old, not the same as those who are in their mid-20 or less.

in the last few years, it's basically a 3rd OA and a #9 that Habs traded away...

 

[Kent Nilsson]

I think the only teams with a worse youth pool are all legit cup contenders like Pittsburgh, Washington etc.

 

[Habs Icing]

the 5th overalkl is already 30 years old, not the same as those who are in their mid-20 or less.

in the last few years, it's basically a 3rd OA and a #9 that Habs traded away...

WTF does Price's age have to do with anything? He is still considered one of the elite goaltenders in the league. The 9th OV wasn't traded away as you tried to spin it . He was traded for a 3rd OV so I should have said we have one 5th, two 3rds and at the very least a 6th.

 

[Brainiac]

WTF does Price's age have to do with anything. He is still considered one of the elite goaltenders in the league. The 9th OV wasn't traded away as you tried to spin it . He was traded for a 3rd OV so I should have said we have one 5th, two 3rds and at the very least a 6th.

We have two 5th OV...

 

[Habs Icing]

We have two 5th OV...

Price was a 5th OV
Galchenyuk 3rd
Sergachev 9th traded for Drouin a 3rd.
We're presently holding 5th spot but there's a lottery and we can fall one spot in the lottery. I took the worse case scenario. 6th.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Price was a 5th OV
Galchenyuk 3rd
Sergachev 9th traded for Drouin a 3rd.
We're presently holding 5th spot but there's a lottery and we can fall one spot in the lottery. I took the worse case scenario. 6th.

Montreal can fall 3 spots. 3 Teams ahead of them in the standings can win the lottery.

If they finish 5th, then 8th is the worst case scenario.

 

[badi]

Most boring for sure

 

[Habs Icing]

The team needs at least 6 players to get to the next level and if our GM realized that from the get go we would not be here today, this is the most unnecessary position we are in right now . We cannot continue to go on what ifs, you do not build a team that way.

I agree with the 2nd part of your post. The GM has no vision.

As for the first part...no I don't agree. We don't need 6 players. Half that will make this team a contender. Two top six centers and a top left d. If we had a GM with half a brain he could accomplish it this off season.

Package The Patch for a young up and coming center. Sign a UFA 2nd center (my preference Stastny). Draft your left d-man.

Galchenyuk Top Center Gallagher
Drouin Second Center Lehkonen
Hudon Danault Scherback
DesLo DLR Shaw

Top Draft Weber
Mete Petry
Alzner Juulsen

Price
Niemi

Notice I made no mention of the "JT" name. And if you want you can sign Perron also.

 

[Captain Mountain]

I agree with the 2nd part of your post. The GM has no vision.

As for the first part...no I don't agree. We don't need 6 players. Half that will make this team a contender. Two top six centers and a top left d. If we had a GM with half a brain he could accomplish it this off season.

Package The Patch for a young up and coming center. Sign a UFA 2nd center (my preference Stastny). Draft your left d-man.

Galchenyuk Top Center Gallagher
Drouin Second Center Lehkonen
Hudon Danault Scherback
DesLo DLR Shaw

Top Draft Weber
Mete Petry
Alzner Juulsen

Price
Niemi

Notice I made no mention of the "JT" name. And if you want you can sign Perron also.

You really think a team with that little high end talent on the wings and a 20 year old playing in the top-4 makes this team a contender. That Top Draft better be Dahlin and he better be better immediately than any D drafted in the last decade.That Top C better be a real top center. And Price needs to have a hell of bounce back year. Even in that scenario, you're relying on a lot of ifs.

 

[Habs Icing]

You really think a team with that little high end talent on the wings and a 20 year old playing in the top-4 makes this team a contender. That Top Draft better be Dahlin and he better be better immediately than any D drafted in the last decade.That Top C better be a real top center. And Price needs to have a hell of bounce back year. Even in that scenario, you're relying on a lot of ifs.

Have you heard of the Vegas Golden Knights? From your post I would assume you haven't.

Have you heard of McAvoy and Chychrun? Ds draft 14th and 16th.

 

[Chili]

Two are regular forwards, so I don't think you can discount them completely, even though they are not top line players.

That`s not what I said.

If you read the post I replied to, it made reference to the stock of picks the Habs currently have for this year`s draft.

The point was that beyond the high first rounder, personally, wouldn`t be counting on seeing any of the upcoming picks making an impact anytime soon. (barring a trade that nets another first rounder).

The Habs are saying they want to get younger, if it`s anytime soon with any impact wondering where that young talent is coming from.

 

[OldCraig71]

I agree with the 2nd part of your post. The GM has no vision.

As for the first part...no I don't agree. We don't need 6 players. Half that will make this team a contender. Two top six centers and a top left d. If we had a GM with half a brain he could accomplish it this off season.

Package The Patch for a young up and coming center. Sign a UFA 2nd center (my preference Stastny). Draft your left d-man.

Galchenyuk Top Center Gallagher
Drouin Second Center Lehkonen
Hudon Danault Scherback
DesLo DLR Shaw

Top Draft Weber
Mete Petry
Alzner Juulsen

Price
Niemi

Notice I made no mention of the "JT" name. And if you want you can sign Perron also.

We definitely need a 1-2 center duo, we simply cannot continue to go on like this any longer. I think that Lehkonen is not a top 6 winger and tbh neither is Drouin based on what I have seen from him, his game will really need to get better. I would still maintain that we need at least 5 players and tbh I cant see us achieving all of that in one off season. There is also a big question mark concerning the mobility of Weber after surgery, he might not have the same type of game post injury. Are you assuming we draft Dahlin as a partner for Weber?

 

[Captain Mountain]

Have you heard of the Vegas Golden Knights? From your post I would assume you haven't.

Have you heard of McAvoy and Chychrun? Ds draft 14th and 16th.

Oh, so all Montreal needs to is rely on some players shooting at incredibly unsustainable rates and go out and get a bunch of players with excellent underlying metrics that the hockey world at large undervalued. Sound plan, and definitely one that Bergevin would follow.

You think McAvoy and Chychrun where first pair NHL D-men at 18?

 

[Habs Icing]

We definitely need a 1-2 center duo, we simply cannot continue to go on like this any longer. I think that Lehkonen is not a top 6 winger and tbh neither is Drouin based on what I have seen from him, his game will really need to get better. I would still maintain that we need at least 5 players and tbh I cant see us achieving all of that in one off season. There is also a big question mark concerning the mobility of Weber after surgery, he might not have the same type of game post injury. Are you assuming we draft Dahlin as a partner for Weber?

I was the biggest detractor of the DRouin trade and I've slammed him even harder after seeing his pathetic display but I think moved to the wing and playing with a top center Drouin will be a good winger. Not a go to player or a game changer.

As for Weber you're just humoring your pessimistic side.

Dahlin would be great but there are other d-men in this draft - not franchise players but excellent top pairing d-men. McAvoy was drafted 14th. Chychurn 16th. Those are just the latest but you can go down the draft years and see d-men that were picked in the middle of the round and made an impact. And that's not mentioning that this year is packed with excellent d-men and we may draft no lower than 8th.

 

[S Bah]

When one considers the output made by 19yrs.old 100th OV pick Victor Mete this season, fans should realize that NHL level players are available after the first round picks. The Habs having many such picks (Within the Top 100 in the 2018 Entry Draft.) which our Scouts can use to acquire more young gems this year. There is also many more seasons after next year, for these prospects to become valuable Habs players for the next decade. The win now mode has ruined many prospects careers, with the team of talent evaluators the Habs have, fans should be extremely happy after the upcoming draft. This draft has depth, unlike most when the Habs have a high(Top Ten pick) in those first few rounds + other teams picks. I for one see a great future coming with the multiple prospects already drafted last year, along with the 2018 picks and the many good young prospects vying for regular roles this year.
Too many yrs. since the Habs have developed players in the AHL properly, as is now the case since Bergevin became the GM. The payoff in providing AHL /European seasoning will soon become apparent to our fans. After watching the Habs either trading top picks or rushing players into the NHL for two + decades. Patience is a necessary evil, if Habs fans ever want to see a truly Elite Championship level Habs team again, IMHO!!!... Of course it couldn't hurt the team to have the #1 OV pick in 2018, every NHL team will envy the team that wins the right to pick Rasmus Dahlin. Getting Boqvist, Zadina or Svechnikov isn't anything to cry about though IMHO.
Habs fans need to relax and let the Hired Hands build this team, as those before have done, instead of constantly crying for new management every 5yrs. Most businesses that succeed in the long term, stay with a program that ensures long term success, which requires having stability at the top level, which I believe the Habs have. Only time will prove this to be true, Molson's are aware of these facts, they have a lifetime involvement with success & the Habs Success, IMHO!!!... Go Habs Go!!!...