The Rebuild : Do we have our 1st line ?

[_vivelequebec_]

It's a legit first line and to complete the top 6 we have Dach, Newhook, Roy and possibly our 1st this year. I guess 2 of them will end up being 2nd line material, so we'd have 2 summers to trade or sign the missing piece. We already have good prospects in goaltending, and one of the best prospects pool in D. HuGo rebuilt is starting to look good.

 

[JianYang]

They have the potential to be the best 1st line we had in the 2000’s but they are not at the same level then the best 1st line in the NHL. They are all very good but no one

This got me thinking. What is the best Habs line of the 2000s (on paper). I'm guessing it was tanguay-koivu-kovalev although I don't think it lasted too long, unfortunately.

 

[The Last Red]

It's a legit first line and to complete the top 6 we have Dach, Newhook, Roy and possibly our 1st this year. I guess 2 of them will end up being 2nd line material, so we'd have 2 summers to trade or sign the missing piece. We already have good prospects in goaltending, and one of the best prospects pool in D. HuGo rebuilt is starting to look good.

I don't see Newhook or Roy as top 6 forwards on a strong team. Very good 3rd liners, however.

 

[Rapala]

It's safe to say given what we have to work with right now we do have our first line.
As a Habs fan I can only hope it isn't written in stone.
A lot of Dach fans think he's going to displace Suzuki which I doubt for the next couple of season at least; if ever.
I like the idea of duo's and a lot of coaches work that philosophy.
Slaf/Suzuki and Caufield/Dach can be a very solid foundation but ideally we still need two high end bangers who can do it all well.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I don't see Newhook or Roy as top 6 forwards on a strong team. Very good 3rd liners, however.

I think Roy has the potential to be a great top six player. Newhook is borderline but has shown some ability there.

 

[The Last Red]

I think Roy has the potential to be a great top six player. Newhook is borderline but has shown some ability there.

If you could combine Newhook’s skating and Roy’s hockey sense and hands, you’d have a top a very good top 6 forward. But you can’t, unfortunately. We’ll see.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If you could combine Newhook’s skating and Roy’s hockey sense and hands, you’d have a top a very good top 6 forward. But you can’t, unfortunately. We’ll see.

Roy isn’t the best skater but he’s really smart and has great hands. I think he’s going to be a solid scorer.

Yes we have to wait and see but if he’s put with Dach or Suzuki I think he’ll do very well.

 

[Benstheman]

You lost me at Newhook.

I agree. Ultimately, i want Newhook to lead the 3rd line. Beck and Roy could make a great 3rd line with him in the future.

 

[The Last Red]

I agree. Ultimately, i want Newhook to lead the 3rd line. Beck and Roy could make a great 3rd line with him in the future.

That’s my thought too. Top 6 F should eventually be rounded out with Dach, the forward we hopefully draft in June with our higher first round pick, and a UFA or high end forward acquired via trade, and yes, I realize that’s a packed wish-list.

 

[Benstheman]

They have the potential to be the best 1st line we had in the 2000’s but they are not at the same level then the best 1st line in the NHL. They are all very good but no one is elite

I think Caufield will be an elite goal scorer (if you consider 40 goals being elite). Just turned 23.

Slaf definately has the potential to be an elite player imo.

Suzuki will be what he is right now. Entering his prime. So no elite but certainly able to compliment two elite guys.

Then i would 6thoa + Hutson for Lidstrom. It's a gamble that must be taken to fill a desperate need.

Nah.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I think Caufield will be an elite goal scorer (if you consider 40 goals being elite). Just turned 23.

Slaf definately has the potential to be an elite player imo.

Suzuki will be what he is right now. Entering his prime. So no elite but certainly able to compliment two elite guys.

Nah.

Suzuki and Dach to me are similar in that they aren’t elite themselves however they play a good two way game and together would be good enough up the middle if surrounded with strong wingers.

I will reiterate that I think Roy on the third is a waste. I want him to get every chance to get into the top six. If he doesn’t make it - no worries. But I hope he gets every chance. I think he’s going to be a solid top six player.

 

[Redux91]

Question should be more :
'How many bonafide top 6 players do we currently have exactly'
4 for sure
1 pending in Newhook
1 possibly in Roy but too early

-Top 10 pick on the way
-Ammo to make a trade this summer

We're closer than people think

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

With the emergence of Slaf, having Hutson, Reinbacher, and maybe mailloux eventually coming up, Fowler looking like a stud and a brodeur-esque team friendly type of goalie, a probable annual Hughes trade for another young player, along with the top pick this year, (also include players like Beck, Roy, etc who can be good third line contributers) what else do the Habs need in their rebuild?

Are you fine with this being the last tank?

Is development pretty much the only thing left to achieve?

 

[_vivelequebec_]

I'd development pretty much the only thing left to achieve?

Get rid of Anderson (trade asap) and Gallagher (buyout June 2025). Allen (release), Armia (release), Pearson (release), Dvorak (release) and Savard (trade next year) to gain more cap space for 2025-2026 (it's around 28.7 millions, including the cost of buyout for Gallagher).

4.1 millions average for those players, only Savard deserves such wages.

Only have to resign Xhekaj, Barron and Ylonen this summer, Guhle/Slaf/Evans/Primeau/RHP for 2025-2026. Also, this year the last season for retention on Edmundson and last season for Alzner's buyout. We'll only have Petry left on the payroll and it ends next year.

Very happy to see those bad contracts finally ending soon.

 

[The Last Red]

With the emergence of Slaf, having Hutson, Reinbacher, and maybe mailloux eventually coming up, Fowler looking like a stud and a brodeur-esque team friendly type of goalie, a probable annual Hughes trade for another young player, along with the top pick this year, (also include players like Beck, Roy, etc who can be good third line contributes) what else do the Habs need in their rebuild?

Are you fine with this being the last tank?

I'd development pretty much the only thing left to achieve?

It's probably the last time they'll have a chance to draft in top 10 for a while. Just having a Dach back next year pretty much assures that. The problem is that they don't have a true superstar F or D in the whole group so winning a Cup with that core is unlikely.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Nope. If all goes well:;
Dach returns healthy and (relatively) durable,
2024 draft pick will be a legitimate top 6 forward,
Hughes will trade picks and/or D for a top 6 forward.

Mix and match between the 6 players would give us two very solid top lines.

 

[26Mats]

Since Januray 11th
Last 15 games

Suzuki has 19pts in 15 games = 6th in the NHL for center tied with Elias Pettersen
Caufield has 18pts in 15 games = 3rd in the NHL for RW, only behind Pastrnak and Kucherov
Slafkovsky has 15pts in 15 games = 6th line the NHL for LW tied with B. Tkachuk

Considering that:
1- Slafkovsky has a tons more room to grow and will keep improving for the next couple of years
2- Addition of skills like Dach on the 2nd line will free up a that line and give another option
3- The addition of offensive minded D in a near future like Hutson or Mailloux will help everyone offensively.

Those factors should improve their offensive production or at the very least sustain it.
But right now, despites everything this line-up is missing which is a lot, they are putting 1st line offensive production.

It's a small sample size but it might just prove one thing I always believed in:
Skill need to play with skill in order to produce at top level.

Because of injuries, because of lack of skill, it's not something we saw in the last 2 years.

We saw a little Dach - Suzuki - Caufield together last year and this line this year;
Both resulted in the same 1st line level offensive production.

Do we finally have our 1st line ?
Is it just a long flash that will die down ?
Do we need a little more time or a lot more time ?

Easy answer: too soon.

But it's looking really good.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Slaf likely develops into a legit high end winger, not sold on Caufield yet and Suzuki is a low end 1C

So I guess it depends on how good we want the first line to be really

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

5'11 is generous, so he's way undersized to be a 1C. Problem is we have Suzuki also at 5'11. Cant have 2 x C sub511 as our top 6. Way too easy to contain, especially if one isn't even heavy built.

... people are underestimating the physical rigors of the NHL.. It's a real issue staying healthy in todays game. Bodies take a pounding out there, even moreso for small players.

Wait so why is our 6'3" C out for the season and our 5'11" C in the midst of an iron man streak?

 

[Milhouse40]

I don't see Newhook or Roy as top 6 forwards on a strong team. Very good 3rd liners, however.

I think it's way too early to make a call on both of these players.

Newhook played only 28 games, couple of them on the wing for the 1st time in his career, then back to center, back to wing, gets injured and back at center. Still on pace for 40-45pts. Roy is only starting in the NHL and not fully ready yet.

Although I agree we can't bank on either of them becoming top 6 players, we're not building the dream team either, even the best team in the league don't have full top 6 forward made up of PPG players.

 

[Mrb1p]

The top 6 is set, pretty much. We just need one RW upgrade for Newhook to be pushed down to 3rd line and act like that Kessel of the 2016 Pens. (Or move Dach on the RW and have a better C there).

Slaf-Suzu-Cole
Roy-Dach-XX
Newhook-XX-XX

Celebrini is ideal... Demidov will make this core unbeatable but Iginla, Catton, Lindstrom and Eiserman can all play that 2nd line IMO. The first two basically make the Dach line the first line. Lindstrom and Iggy probably make the most sense for that line, Catton and Eiserman less. Maybe Helenius could also be considered.

 

[Vachon23]

This got me thinking. What is the best Habs line of the 2000s (on paper). I'm guessing it was tanguay-koivu-kovalev although I don't think it lasted too long, unfortunately.

Or

Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev for production

I think Caufield will be an elite goal scorer (if you consider 40 goals being elite). Just turned 23.

Slaf definately has the potential to be an elite player imo.

Suzuki will be what he is right now. Entering his prime. So no elite but certainly able to compliment two elite guys

Elite for me is someone that is top 10 at his position and I don’t think any of those guys are gonna be that

 

[themilosh]

I think Caufield will be an elite goal scorer (if you consider 40 goals being elite). Just turned 23.

Slaf definately has the potential to be an elite player imo.

Suzuki will be what he is right now. Entering his prime. So no elite but certainly able to compliment two elite guys.


Nah.

Remember there is regular season elite, and then there is playoff season elite.. CC = Debrincat, basically same skillset. Neither player has the playoff jam that Patty Kane, theoren fleury, marty St.Louis played with..

 

[themilosh]

Or

Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev for production

Elite for me is someone that is top 10 at his position and I don’t think any of those guys are gonna be that

Slaf will be.. it's imperative we draft Lidstrom/Celibrini as we desperately need a 1C. Once we have that, our top 6 will be incredibly good.. everything else will fall into place. Suzuki+CC are a cup winning 2nd line.

 

[themilosh]

Wait so why is our 6'3" C out for the season and our 5'11" C in the midst of an iron man streak?

Suzuki is 5'11" 200+lbs. Built like a tank. Unless you are suggesting Catton can bulk up like that, he's not the answer to our 1C 30year drought
Dach is 1 more injury away from hanging up the skates, has nothing to do with his size - but rather his inability to properly protect himself. Hope he's learning what is required to have himself positioned for contact low to the ground from all angles.. he doesn't bend his knees to brace for impact.