Tank vs Kids playing well. What would you rather?

[Fozz]

How is that ideal.

Ideal would be the young guys play well and we win one of the lotteries.

You don't want the team to make the post-season with Price coming back and a bunch of youthfull enthusiasm recently added? Where were you in '86?

 

[Rapala]

You don't want the team to make the post-season with Price coming back and a bunch of youthfull enthusiasm recently added? Where were you in '86?

In the playoffs man.

 

[Rapala]

We shall see. I bet you a lot of team execs. are going to be extremely wary about how their star players are being deployed and those representing National teams are mostly NHL people, so they'll do just enough to win and will manage their assets conservatively. If Pacioretty is going to risk an injury, he won't do it in September for a team with an expiry date.

You do recall every Canada Cup to date do you not?
I can only base my expectations on what happened at similar events.
Many claimed they were meaningless exhibitions but Hey so was The Summit Series.
The series that changed the way I looked at hockey forever.

 

[MaxLacoste]

I want to see the team reaching its potential aka see the kids reaching their potential or finding the right players to compliments the current core. So, I don't care if we don't draft in the top 3, if our kids get better. We don't desperately need a top 3 pick that might not reach his potential when our top 3 pick from four years ago reach his own. When you have 2/3 of first line (Pacioretty and Galchenyuk), it remove a lot of pressure on your scouting staff and GM (and I think he needs it). We might get a pick between 8 and 14 OA, and Timmins won't have to try for a homerun. With our current roster and prospect farm, we will have a lot of cheap-good players. Our bottom 6 will be fast and young. The bottom 6 is set IMO. The first line only miss a RW. The second line has a lot of option and it will benefit from Gallagher going down from the 1st. For the first time in years, we have the good people at the good place (injuries excluded). Even on defense, I'm very excited at the idea that Barberio and Pateryn could make a serviceable and cheap bottom pair. Desharnais, Emelin, Plekanek and Eller are now expendable.

It's all possible because the kids are playing good. And maybe, this summer Bergevin won't spend on stupid stop gap players that prevent young players from developping. He only needs to 1) draft the BPA on draft day. 2)Sign a UFA RW or trade (Okposo or Yakupov) 3)Decide what to do with the 2C (keep plekanek or find someone else).

 

[Lehkonen4Calder]

I hope the young guy play well but we lose everygame so we get a top 5 pick

 

[Chili]

So Dietz and Hudon get a chance.

At least this season has opened up some opportunities.

 

[jaffy27]

I agree about the future not being bleak, but it's the height of their possible successes that worries me. When price gets his big raise, one of the core pieces will be traded. Eller most likely. I do think though that therrien has to go this offseason, and bergevin needs to do 3 things with ZERO hesitation, fire therrien the sunday after the season ends, hire a competent coach REGARDLESS of prior connections, and fix the top 6. Not making a big move in the top 6 this offseason would be a joke.

I agree with your entire statement....I've always backed Bergevin, but if he stands pat, I'll have serious doubts about Bergevin's ability to GM in this league.

 

[jaffy27]

We shall see. I bet you a lot of team execs. are going to be extremely wary about how their star players are being deployed and those representing National teams are mostly NHL people, so they'll do just enough to win and will manage their assets conservatively. If Pacioretty is going to risk an injury, he won't do it in September for a team with an expiry date.



People here are well aware of that. Sure, we expect him to be better next season, but doesn't take away from the fact that you're not going to see NHLers at their best in exhibition-type games.

I think you're underestimating the heart of a European when it comes to these tournaments.

It's all for pride, and we know hockey players have tons of it

 

[JLP]

Would you rather see the kids play well and we win (pick 10-14)

OR

Just tank baby! (pick 5-10)

I know it's a prospects site but if we want to win tomorrow we have to play to win today. Can't let a losing culture rot at the team. So voted 'kids play well', and I believe draft position is more random than many seem to think.

 

[Uncle Gary]

This has been an important season I think. The team has shown what they are without Price and who Therrien is as a coach without the best goalie on the planet. Injuries have allowed many of our young players to show what they can do and gain valuable NHL experience. Probably the most important however has been Galchenyuk getting to play the role that he fits in best. If MB knows what he is doing at all then there should be some significant moves this summer.

 

[RandR]

Having the kids play well is far more important. A lot of good can still come out of the remainder of this season that carries into next year.

On top of that, even with all these injuries, the Habs are too good to drop below more than one or two of the teams below them. I could see Columbus maybe passing them, but some of the teams just below them, like Vancouver and Arizona, seem incapable of beating almost anyone these days.

The Habs will likely finish just about exactly where they are right now, which would be 10th overall.

 

[HabsCowboysOwn]

Our problem is exactly fans like you who are not patient enough and settle for mediocrity just so they can have their temporary fix like a drug addict.

In the past 7 years, 4 teams have won the cup. Both Chicago, the Kings and the Penguins built their team by tanking. They won the cup less than 5 years after finishing at the bottom of the barrel.


This year's contenders are still the Hawks, the Kings and the Caps, surprise, another team that had to tank before dominating.

I predict that the Leafs will win a cup before us.

This. Some people just can't see past the end of their nose it seems.

And to answer the question, I voted for the ''let's lose'' option but the best scenario would be to lose while our kids continue to improve. I'm happy Galchenyuk is doing well but people are kidding themselves if they think this team will be able to compete in the playoffs. MT is still the coach, our defense is decimated and a rusty Price (if he comes back at all) won't change anything. And I almost forgot : Besides #27, our offense is ****.

 

[covfefe]

I'm kind of hoping that we tank and the kids still play well

 

[smarties 1]

Why win if the vet play most of the time !
Why play Markov and Subban 30 minutes, why play the forwards vet more than 16 minutes and the youngsters around 11...
Why not experience and play the youngsters in different role! If you win be it!

If you're not preparing, evaluating, giving experience for next year what's the use!

 

[Bacchus1]

I'd love to have a high draft pick, and we still might with the lottery. But, Chucky putting things to gether is an inportant part of his development that will carry over to next season. We've all been waiting and hoping for this.

 

[Runner77]

You do recall every Canada Cup to date do you not?
I can only base my expectations on what happened at similar events.
Many claimed they were meaningless exhibitions but Hey so was The Summit Series.
The series that changed the way I looked at hockey forever.

There is far less at stake these days. And players are far more remunerated so this is just a little extra gravy for them.

Summit series, you're talking 1972 -- go see what players were making then, adjust for inflation. Laugh.

I think you're underestimating the heart of a European when it comes to these tournaments.

It's all for pride, and we know hockey players have tons of it

Could be, I'm just not as convinced that today's players are willing to pay a high price for a mostly meaningless tournament. Maybe if this were the Olympics, easier to make that argument.

 

[Rapala]

There is far less at stake these days. And players are far more remunerated so this is just a little extra gravy for them.

Summit series, you're talking 1972 -- go see what players were making then, adjust for inflation. Laugh.

My allowance was $0.25 a week I remember that.

 

[Born in 1909]

Yep!

The Leafs management know what it takes to build a winning team. I really hope the Leafs win a cup before us to show our fan base that barely making the playoffs, trading a bunch of 2nd round picks for a playoffs push and still be in mediocrity for years needs to change.

Analyzing past drafts, there sure are a lot of busts in the top 12. Probably a 45% bust rate.

Example: 12 years ago... in 2004.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2004e.html

Ovechkin and Malkin are/were the only two true "franchise" players in the entire 1st round.

So far 1 cup between them.

Leafs will be lucky to draft a player at the level of Price, Subban or Galchenyuk.

And if they do, the media coverage will be insanely suffocating for that player.

 

[Bacchus1]

Analyzing past drafts, there sure are a lot of busts in the top 12. Probably a 45% bust rate.

Example: 12 years ago... in 2004.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl2004e.html

Ovechkin and Malkin are/were the only two true "franchise" players in the entire 1st round.

So far 1 cup between them.

Leafs will be lucky to draft a player at the level of Price, Subban or Galchenyuk.

And if they do, the media coverage will be insanely suffocating for that player.

2004 was a bad year. How many other years are that bad.

Also, there are a lot of players in this draft that have had good careers. Ladd, Dubnyk, Stafford, Rudalov, Schneider.

 

[Chili]

And if they do, the media coverage will be insanely suffocating for that player.

This point isn't mentioned often enough to me.

There are positives to being a first rounder but there are expectations attached just like these mega bucks contracts.

The 1st rounders get more chances but they get hyped by fans, media and teams too.

That may be why I respect Detroit so much because they seem to get the balance right better then anyone else. Kids have to earn their way in that organization but the team also shows the patience to let them develop at their pace.

Toronto is so starved for a good hockey team, will be alot of pressure on some of their top prospects for sure.

 

[CH25]

Play well but lose games

 

[Fire Everyone]

You don't want the team to make the post-season with Price coming back and a bunch of youthfull enthusiasm recently added? Where were you in '86?

If Detroit and Pittsburgh, the only playoffs teams remotely within reach, play 0.500 hockey until the end of the season they'll finish with 92 points each. Montreal currently has 70 points with 14 games left. They'll need at the very least 22 out of a potential 28 points to make it.

It's not happening.

 

[Lshap]

Except that it's better than what the habs have for long term success. This team isn't winning a cup unless carey price carries them to one.

Do you trust bergevin to hire a good coach and make the necessary improvements over the offseason? Seriously, while this team is a playoff team with price, is it a contender? I don't think it is without more help from outside. That's why this summer is crucial for the front office.

Yeah, I do see Montreal as a contender. The D and goaltending are very strong (when healthy, obviously) and even the offence is playing a much better possession game than last year. It was a big part of why we had such an amazing October/November. PP killed us last playoffs and had continued to be weak, but I think it's more about poor usage than a lack of talent. As we're seeing, when the right players are used on the PP, we score goals. Who knew?

I agree this summer is crucial, not just for spiking the roster with more offence, but for bringing in fresh coaching.

As far as Toronto goes, I agree the principle of a total rebuild is good. But there are way too many variables between here and there to bet heavily on their success. Building a winner in hockey ain't the same as the 1-2-3 instructions for an IKEA wall unit. Especially with five guys using the same screwdriver and 10 million people telling them they're doing it wrong.

True, but the Leafs have desperately needed this tank for decades. We needed to do exactly the same things a few years back. Kinda late now as we have a number of decent pieces though.

We have pieces that are much better than decent. That said, yeah, ideally we would've sold vets for picks under the previous administration and would have another one or two stars on our current team.

 

[Habit11]

Yeah, I do see Montreal as a contender. The D and goaltending are very strong (when healthy, obviously) and even the offence is playing a much better possession game than last year. It was a big part of why we had such an amazing October/November. PP killed us last playoffs and had continued to be weak, but I think it's more about poor usage than a lack of talent. As we're seeing, when the right players are used on the PP, we score goals. Who knew?

I agree this summer is crucial, not just for spiking the roster with more offence, but for bringing in fresh coaching.

As far as Toronto goes, I agree the principle of a total rebuild is good. But there are way too many variables between here and there to bet heavily on their success. Building a winner in hockey ain't the same as the 1-2-3 instructions for an IKEA wall unit. Especially with five guys using the same screwdriver and 10 million people telling them they're doing it wrong.

That also proves to be extremely difficult. I do agree on your overall assessment of the roster though.

 

[DAChampion]

If the Habs squeak into the playoffs, their first round opponents are the mighty Washington Capitals.