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

[WinterLion]

And what makes you think this team can't do the same thing that 2013 team did.

You look at this team on March 13 and you say it's a bad team. Aside from missing two top centers and a top pairing left d, this team has on its injury list an elite goal tender, an elite shutdown defenceman, an elite regular season scorer (and trust me it pains me to call Patches that) and an excellent 3rd line centerman. We won't even mention Mete who was providing terrific defense the last month or so. Take that away from Tampa Bay and they'll look just as bad as the Habs. Hell, last year with a couple of major pieces missing they sucked.

Next year when we get all our wounded back and if The Idiot fills those three major holes properly AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON we'll have a very good team. Good enough to make more moves at the deadline. Look at this team next year:

Goaltending: an elite goalie - Price
Defence: An elite shutdown d-man, Weber, with three other good pieces, Petry, Mete, Juulsen. Reilly might be another.
Forwards: Right now we have four pieces that can slot in on the wings on top two lines: Patches, Drouin, Galchenyuk, Gallagher. We have Danualt, Hudon, Byron and Scherback to slot into the 3rd line. Shaw is a 3rd liner but on this team he can move to the 4th line.

You don't blow up a team with those pieces. We're closer to contending than we are to demolishing. Just fill those damn holes.

Now if you tell me The Idiot can't fill those three holes without destroying the team, I have no counter for that except you may be right AND that's one of the reasons why I don't want him managing a rebuild. If he can't handle filling in three holes he sure as hell can't managea rebuild.

It might take some time to fill the holes, but I'd be ok with another mediocre season next year if it means stocking up on assets to be a true contender in 3 years... of course we will need some luck...

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Just to be clear, which exact players are you talking about?

Subban, Price, Galchenyuk, Paccioretty, Gallagher...

All were 25 or younger and on the way up. All of those players are now five years older, Subban's gone in favour of an even older Weber, Galchenyuk was badly mismanaged and Max is on his way out.

The team is a mess right now. It doesn't make sense to hang onto vets when we could just re-up with younger talent and start over.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It might take some time to fill the holes, but I'd be ok with another mediocre season next year if it means stocking up on assets to be a true contender in 3 years... of course we will need some luck...

Why waste three years of vets who are in their prime and won't be any better than they are now? Might as well re-up with youth and start over. Get the best young talent you can and build with it.

If we'd re-upped with Radulov and Markov last year? Fine... go get a center and go for it. But that's not what happened. Our D is a disaster right now and we STILL dont' have the center we need. We're STILL mismanaging Chuck and now doing the same thing with Drouin.

 

[WinterLion]

Subban, Price, Galchenyuk, Paccioretty, Gallagher...

All were 25 or younger and on the way up. All of those players are now five years older, Subban's gone in favour of an even older Weber, Galchenyuk was badly mismanaged and Max is on his way out.

The team is a mess right now. It doesn't make sense to hang onto vets when we could just re-up with younger talent and start over.

So which guys would you trade?

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

So which guys would you trade?

Price, Weber, Max for sure.

There would be no untradeables.

 

[WinterLion]

Price, Weber, Max for sure.

There would be no untradeables.

That would be exciting! I think Paccioretti makes sense.

OK so trade the older guys? Yeah it's possible, in fact likely... but I doubt it will happen now.

- I think Price's value is as low as will ever be unless he just sucks... in which case we are f***ed. I think you get more by waiting.

- Weber is actually tradeable. He is making less real money than his cap hit and is on a great contract for any team that isn't up against the cap.

- Paccioretti should definitely be traded unless he is willing to accept a 3-4 year deal, which is doubtful so he should be traded.

Who else do you trade?

 

[PaulD]

Hey PaulD,

What would a rebuild look like to you? Do you mean trading players, if so which ones? Who would you keep?

Listed this many times over the years... Pleks, Markov, Gorges, Gionta would have been traded at 013 or 014 deadlines.

Today? MB gone. If that is not part of rebuild, there is no rebuild.

I would take offers on every vet forward we have. I would be open to trade Weber and Price by next years deadline (or at it)

Benn and Alzner could stay of course.....to sell beer at home games.

I would not worry about fans not coming to see the games because some/all the big names are gone................we know that will never happen.

Entire coaching staff of farm team could be improved by replacing them by just about anyone in the business.

None of this will happen. But I would love to watch and follow it if it did.

 

[lamp9post]

Listed this many times over the years... Pleks, Markov, Gorges, Gionta would have been traded at 013 or 014 deadlines.

Today? MB gone. If that is not part of rebuild, there is no rebuild.

I would take offers on every vet forward we have. I would be open to trade Weber and Price by next years deadline (or at it)

Benn and Alzner could stay of course.....to sell beer at home games.

I would not worry about fans not coming to see the games because some/all the big names are gone................we know that will never happen.

Entire coaching staff of farm team could be improved by replacing them by just about anyone in the business.

None of this will happen. But I would love to watch and follow it if it did.

Hire this man!

 

[WinterLion]

Listed this many times over the years... Pleks, Markov, Gorges, Gionta would have been traded at 013 or 014 deadlines.

Today? MB gone. If that is not part of rebuild, there is no rebuild.

I would take offers on every vet forward we have. I would be open to trade Weber and Price by next years deadline (or at it)

Benn and Alzner could stay of course.....to sell beer at home games.

I would not worry about fans not coming to see the games because some/all the big names are gone................we know that will never happen.

Entire coaching staff of farm team could be improved by replacing them by just about anyone in the business.

None of this will happen. But I would love to watch and follow it if it did.

Who do you mean by "vet forwards"?

 

[PaulD]

Who do you mean by "vet forwards"?

established .

No untouchables.

Yes that includes Drouin, Chucky and Gallagher.

 

[Kent Nilsson]

Let's play a thought experiment. You package Patches for a young up and coming center. Let's say Glass/Suzuki. You sign Stastny. You draft Hughes. The team is completely re-shaped. It doesn't have to be those particular players. It's those holes that need to be filled. I also wouldn't be against signing Perron. You obviously have to do this before the season starts. At the deadline you re-evaluate. Two legit centers will completely transform this team even without Perron. One center completely changed the Preds. Poile just didn't go the full mile last year. He did this year.

Drouin and Galchenyuk are not playmakers. You insert two playmaking centers, and Drouin and Galchenyuk are free to play their game. Even if Weber loses a step over the summer, it won't affect what he does best. Speed was never his game. You forgot we had Markov back there last year.Price will still be Price. I don't expect him to return to his epic level but solid, consistent play is enough.

Nobody will ever trade this type of C prospect for MaxPac. Look what McDonagh got. Also, by the time Hughes/Suzuki enter their prime, Price/Weber will be done as quality NHLers.

 

[PaulD]

Hire this man!

 

[WinterLion]

established .

No untouchables.

Yes that includes Drouin, Chucky and Gallagher.

It would be very hard to make those trades and get the right return. I wouldn't be opposed, but teams would have to pony up... so it's unlikely. What would be the point of that? To try to get higher end players? The only think is that Drouin & Galchenyuk were both top 3 picks so even getting a lottery pick doesn't guarantee greatness.

 

[PaulD]

It would be very hard to make those trades and get the right return. I wouldn't be opposed, but teams would have to pony up... so it's unlikely. What would be the point of that? To try to get higher end players? The only think is that Drouin & Galchenyuk were both top 3 picks so even getting a lottery pick doesn't guarantee greatness.

Who said anything about "guaranteeing greatness". Nobody in the sports world has a plan for that.

You asked me what my idea of a rebuild would be .

You did not ask me for a plan that "guarantees greatness"

Nobody would move an inch if they waited for one of those before proceeding.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Moving price might be tricky but some teams also have bad contracts on their own and no good starter might take their chance with Price. He still has a good reputation.

Carolina/Vancouver/Edmonton/Calgary/Buffalo/Islanders/St.Louis are all teams that could be interested in Price.

The habs would have to take some dead weight from these teams but it would definately help and kickstart the rebuild.

i.e.
to Vancouver for Eriksson, Sutter, +
to Carolina for Darling,+
to Edmonton for Sekera, Lucic, +
to Calgary for Frolik, Brouwer, +
to Buffalo for Bogosian, +
to Islanders for Ladd, Greiss, +
to St.Louis for Allen, Bouwmester, Berglund, +

You could find a taker.

 

[Habs Icing]

Nobody will ever trade this type of C prospect for MaxPac. Look what McDonagh got. Also, by the time Hughes/Suzuki enter their prime, Price/Weber will be done as quality NHLers.

Really? Did you take a look at what McDonagh went for? Let's discount Namestnikov, he is a flip for Miller. Brett Howden 27th Ov, Libor Hajek 37th OV, a 2018 first-round pick, and a conditional second-round pick in the deal that could turn into a 1st. At worst that was 2 first rounds and 2 second rounders. At best that's 3 first rounders and 1 second rounder.

 

[Habs Icing]

Who said anything about "guaranteeing greatness". Nobody in the sports world has a plan for that.

You asked me what my idea of a rebuild would be .

You did not ask me for a plan that "guarantees greatness"

Nobody would move an inch if they waited for one of those before proceeding.

On the highway there are people who like to stop and watch car wrecks. I suspect you're one of them.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I hope Chia is on the hot seat and will be desperate enough to trade his 1st+ for Weber and that he makes it enticing enough that numbnut will accept.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

On the highway there are people who like to stop and watch car wrecks. I suspect you're one of them.

We call that a gawker or a rubbernecker.

The rubberneck effect.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Really? Did you take a look at what McDonagh went for? Let's discount Namestnikov, he is a flip for Miller. Brett Howden 27th Ov, Libor Hajek 37th OV, a 2018 first-round pick, and a conditional second-round pick in the deal that could turn into a 1st. At worst that was 2 first rounds and 2 second rounders. At best that's 3 first rounders and 1 second rounder.

So McDonagh didn't get a top-30 prospect in the NHL, just a couple of solid prospects, a first and a conditional 2nd?

 

[PaulD]

On the highway there are people who like to stop and watch car wrecks. I suspect you're one of them.

and you would be wrong ........again.....

 

[ECWHSWI]

He wasn't traded away. He was traded for a player who was a 3rd OV.

you argue for the sake of arguing.

he was traded away, he was not traded for a 3rd overall pick, he was traded for a player.

you can play the semantic game all you want, these are still facts and will remain that way.



now if Price being older doesnt matter, add Alzner to your list then as he was a top 5 pick...

 

[ECWHSWI]

It's been a few years but The Idiot in charge never filled the holes. I'd like to see what team we would have if he fills the holes. Blowing it up in a lottery era guarantees nothing except we'll be watching golf balls floating in a fish tank at the end of the year for the next 10 years.

not every team is as bad as the Oilers...

 

[PaulD]

On the highway there are people who like to stop and watch car wrecks. I suspect you're one of them.

wrong again Sherlock

 

[Habs Icing]

not every team is as bad as the Oilers...

Yeah, you're right. We also have the Sabres, Coyotes, Hurricanes to mention just a few.