Confirmed with Link: [MTL/TB] Sergachev/Drouin II

[Ginu]

As much as I liked the Sergachev pick, I'm surprised we didn't go for Keller. He would have been the perfect pick at that spot. I guess Sergachev was really high on our board but I'm surprised Keller wasn't too. And our biggest need is C

 

[Gains]

As much as I liked the Sergachev pick, I'm surprised we didn't go for Keller. He would have been the perfect pick at that spot. I guess Sergachev was really high on our board but I'm surprised Keller wasn't too. And our biggest need is C

Well, he was drafted before our pick (7th and we were picking 9th).

 

[Habs Icing]

When you say things like

"Drouin doesn't meet any of our needs"

And

"This was a PR trade"

It's hard to take anything you say seriously.

Doesn't meet our needs?

So this team doesn't need MORE offense? More skill? More speed and creativity up front?

I'm really gonna lose sleep over that little tidbit.

I'll still be here at the end of next season reading more of your excuses on why we exited the playoffs in the first or second round. That's okay. We haven't got a #1 or #2 center but we got Drouin.

 

[Habs Icing]

Well, he was drafted before our pick (7th and we were picking 9th).

He probably meant move up two spots to get him.

 

[Roadhouse]

I'm really gonna lose sleep over that little tidbit.

I'll still be here at the end of next season reading more of your excuses on why we exited the playoffs in the first or second round. That's okay. We haven't got a #1 or #2 center but we got Drouin.

We'll probably see Drouin in a #1 or #2 C tryout during preseason... best case scenario, your sentence becomes We got a #1 or #2 center because we got Drouin. It's not impossible, especially with a Lehkonen or Patches type on his line.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

He probably meant move up two spots to get him.

I was on the Keller bandwagon hard. Just a couple of months predraft he looked like he was going to go in the teens and would be a reach at 9. But alas, Arizona made a greta pick taking him 7th. Realistically, trading up in the top 10 is very hard to do. Arizona loved Keller. Calgary loved Tkachuck. Moving to pick #5 to take Keller would have been universally ridiculed.

But at the end of the day, if you told me we could trade that #9 pick for Drouin, I'd have taken that over pretty much every other scenario.

 

[le_sean]

Yeah but Keller's potential is to become another Drouin. Except Drouin is actually established.

 

[Andrei79]

Hope we don't see Drouin at C, he's not a center.

 

[Price is Wright]

Hope we don't see Drouin at C, he's not a center.

He played centre in Halifax.

He didn't have a good relationship with Cooper and Yzerman in Tampa, and Tampa was also pretty deep at C anyway. He still played centre for a few of the last games Tampa played last season.

I think it's very possible that Julien gives him time and space to work down the middle and he breaks out as a centre. Same with Galchenyuk. If this team can stop being so obsessed with defensive first play, we could see both settle into top six centre roles. Doubtful, but possible.

 

[417]

I'm really gonna lose sleep over that little tidbit.

I'll still be here at the end of next season reading more of your excuses on why we exited the playoffs in the first or second round. That's okay. We haven't got a #1 or #2 center but we got Drouin.

I was pointing out the Habs weakness at center before it became vogue around here...so that's not likely to happen.

Not once have I said I'm ok with our depth down the middle, NOT ONCE...

You have nothing to stand on here...I'm STILL waiting for you to tell me HOW the Habs could of acquired a #1C with Sergachev as the main component.

Keep deflecting and bringing up issues that I haven't discussed, keep telling yourself that I'm good with our centers because your incapable of making an argument that passes the smell test.

 

[le_sean]

He played centre in Halifax.

He didn't have a good relationship with Cooper and Yzerman in Tampa, and Tampa was also pretty deep at C anyway. He still played centre for a few of the last games Tampa played last season.

I think it's very possible that Julien gives him time and space to work down the middle and he breaks out as a centre. Same with Galchenyuk. If this team can stop being so obsessed with defensive first play, we could see both settle into top six centre roles. Doubtful, but possible.

It's easy to play C in Junior when you're the best player in the CHL. It wouldn't have mattered if he played defence.

 

[417]

It's easy to play C in Junior when you're the best player in the CHL. It wouldn't have mattered if he played defence.

One of Drouin or Galchenyuk is going to play center.

Maybe if it's Drouin...it will be a good trade then lol

 

[Goldenhands]

He played centre in Halifax.

He didn't have a good relationship with Cooper and Yzerman in Tampa, and Tampa was also pretty deep at C anyway. He still played centre for a few of the last games Tampa played last season.

I think it's very possible that Julien gives him time and space to work down the middle and he breaks out as a centre. Same with Galchenyuk. If this team can stop being so obsessed with defensive first play, we could see both settle into top six centre roles. Doubtful, but possible.

Ducharme said he hopes the Habs uses him on the wings to maximize his potential..

 

[Andrei79]

He played centre in Halifax.

He didn't have a good relationship with Cooper and Yzerman in Tampa, and Tampa was also pretty deep at C anyway. He still played centre for a few of the last games Tampa played last season.

I think it's very possible that Julien gives him time and space to work down the middle and he breaks out as a centre. Same with Galchenyuk. If this team can stop being so obsessed with defensive first play, we could see both settle into top six centre roles. Doubtful, but possible.

He was drafted as a winger. The center experiment came after his first training camp with the Lightning, where Yzerman and Cooper wanted him to get some playing time at C.

 

[Price is Wright]

He was drafted as a winger. The center experiment came after his first training camp with the Lightning, where Yzerman and Cooper wanted him to get some playing time at C.

He played centre recently, in some of the final games of the season with the Lightning.

I'm not saying it's ideal, but I think he has the skill to do it. I'd prefer to see a Lehkonen - Galchenyuk - Drouin line being expected to score, to heck with defence. That would allow Pacioretty - Danault - Gallagher to bring scoring and backchecking while I guess Byron/Shaw - Plekanec - Hemsky work like a 2B/3A line.

 

[Habsawce]

If they aren't going to acquire someone to play in the top 6 I hope they trade Plekanec and sink or swim with Galchenyuk and Drouin up the middle. **** it, it can't be worse than last year in the playoffs.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Drouin-Shaw
Byron-Danault-Hemsky
DLR-McCarron-Mitchell

Ideally they acquire a top 6 RW if that's what they end up doing cause Shaw is much better on the 3rd, obviously. Push Hemsky out of the line up.

 

[JohnnyReb]

If they aren't going to acquire someone to play in the top 6 I hope they trade Plekanec and sink or swim with Galchenyuk and Drouin up the middle. **** it, it can't be worse than last year in the playoffs.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Drouin-Shaw
Byron-Danault-Hemsky
DLR-McCarron-Mitchell

Ideally they acquire a top 6 RW if that's what they end up doing cause Shaw is much better on the 3rd, obviously. Push Hemsky out of the line up.

Or you move Byron up to 2nd line right wing. The guy did score 22 goals last year, after all.

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Drouin- Byron
Danault - Shaw - Hemsky
DLR-McCarron-Mitchell

That second line won't win too many board battles... but it sure would be fast.

 

[Habs Halifax]

One of Drouin or Galchenyuk is going to play center.

Maybe if it's Drouin...it will be a good trade then lol

I can just imagine what some people would say. lol

 

[E82]

One of Drouin or Galchenyuk is going to play center.

Maybe if it's Drouin...it will be a good trade then lol

Well let's hope it's not Drouin since Galchenyuk has shown more promise in that role.

 

[tazsub3]

One of Drouin or Galchenyuk is going to play center.

Maybe if it's Drouin...it will be a good trade then lol

When we traded for damphouse back in the day, he was not a center, I just imagine what social media would have said during the offseason about that move back then !!

 

[DangerDave]

I think we're making a little too big of a deal with whether or not Drouin can play Center. A guy with his skill and speed can certainly learn. Not like he has NP experience either. If the team needs him to play C, I have no doubt that a coach like Julien can teach him.

 

[Andrei79]

He played centre recently, in some of the final games of the season with the Lightning.

I'm not saying it's ideal, but I think he has the skill to do it. I'd prefer to see a Lehkonen - Galchenyuk - Drouin line being expected to score, to heck with defence. That would allow Pacioretty - Danault - Gallagher to bring scoring and backchecking while I guess Byron/Shaw - Plekanec - Hemsky work like a 2B/3A line.

On second thought, you might be right, the Flyers did it with Giroux with good success. So, at least one of Galchenyuk or Drouin down the middle, or both, though that's not going to happen. Ideally, wed get someone else for that 2nd spot, an RNH or a Duchene.

Pacioretty-Drouin-Gallagher
Lehkonen-Danault-Galchenyuk

It could work.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

He played centre recently, in some of the final games of the season with the Lightning.

I'm not saying it's ideal, but I think he has the skill to do it. I'd prefer to see a Lehkonen - Galchenyuk - Drouin line being expected to score, to heck with defence. That would allow Pacioretty - Danault - Gallagher to bring scoring and backchecking while I guess Byron/Shaw - Plekanec - Hemsky work like a 2B/3A line.

I wouldn't go as far as to say to heck with defence, but I overall agree with the sentiment. Essentially what we are talking about is an offensive exploitation line. A line that you try and put in favourable matchups. Does suck Chucky is terrible at FOs though, but we have the pieces to protect such a line.

Pacioretty-Danault-Gallagher
Byron-Plekanec-Hemsky
Hudon-Mitchell-Shaw


can all handle heavy defensive duties.

 

[Kriss E]

You really think that gets it done?

Bergevin couldn't get anyone to bite on Galchenyuk this summer

And you think we can get John Tavares for Galchenyuk and Sergachev?

Yeah...with all due respect, no chance that happens.

If that trade was realistic...John Tavares would be a Hab already.

I think you get Snow to not immediately hang up on you by offering this 2, but you're still quite far off IMO

Don't you tell people not to focus on the name but more the type of player? Maybe Tavares wasn't traded because Snow didn't want to move him, or maybe Bergey didn't want to give up as much.
But if you give up a blue chip prospect + top 6 player with good upside + picks, then ya you're talking about a value that should fetch you a top center a la Tavares, not a rnh type.

 

[Kriss E]

One of Drouin or Galchenyuk is going to play center.

Maybe if it's Drouin...it will be a good trade then lol

If you're too close to the tree, you won't notice the forest.
The trade in and of itself is good, most have already said so. What some have issue with is the fact it didn't fill any need for us.
If we trade Gallagher for a slightly better top 6 winger, that trade will also be in and of itself good, but it does not really help us.

Some would have rathered use our best prospect to fill a void, instead of bulking our already strongest area. Don't skip leg day. We are running on chicken legs while our arms are jacked.