There is a huge amount of drama surrounding Hab fan appreciation of the roster, present and future.
Worst case scenario, we currently have one top-6 C and a top-6 W that are getting paid around 8M.
Whether you think Dach is a top-6 C or not, he is clearly a top-6 forward.
So, Montreal is set for a very long time, with, at least three bonafide top-6 forwards, one that has the goal-scoring potential tout 40-50 goal sin the twine, one, in Dach that has shown flashes of being able to physically dominate a shift and the other that has already proven to be an effective two-way C that can produce appreciable numbers at the NHL level (60+ points).
Personally think that Anderson is a 3rd line winger. An excellent third line winger, but, nonetheless, a third line winger.
With Slafkovsky (draft 1stOA) and Newhook, Montreal should at least find a 4th quality top-6 forward. The other one, if he doesn't pan out as a good top-6 element, will become at least a good th9rd line player.
That leaves us with 6 of nine top-9 pieces, two per line.
Hopefully, we find a fifth top-6 player with a high hockey IQ in Joshua Roy, but, if we don't, along with Beck and a few other players, we should have the ability to yield the missing 3rd line element.
Monahan is another legitimate top-6 forward, whether he plays at C or on the wing, but that doesn't lean towards being a long term asset.
Montreal is a high end player, as noted by Jaynki, away from having a solid top-9.
Finishing dead last to pick at the top of the upcoming drafter the next one, is not the only way to acquire a high end forward. There's the trade front, with Montreal owning a lot of quality assets for that, the UFA front, even if overly expensive and far from guaranteed and later picks that give you elite goal scorers like Pacioretty at 22nd OA, Norris trophy winners like Subban at 43rd OA or star forwards like Pastrnak at 25th OA.
Worst case scenario, we currently have one top-6 C and a top-6 W that are getting paid around 8M.
Whether you think Dach is a top-6 C or not, he is clearly a top-6 forward.
So, Montreal is set for a very long time, with, at least three bonafide top-6 forwards, one that has the goal-scoring potential tout 40-50 goal sin the twine, one, in Dach that has shown flashes of being able to physically dominate a shift and the other that has already proven to be an effective two-way C that can produce appreciable numbers at the NHL level (60+ points).
Personally think that Anderson is a 3rd line winger. An excellent third line winger, but, nonetheless, a third line winger.
With Slafkovsky (draft 1stOA) and Newhook, Montreal should at least find a 4th quality top-6 forward. The other one, if he doesn't pan out as a good top-6 element, will become at least a good th9rd line player.
That leaves us with 6 of nine top-9 pieces, two per line.
Hopefully, we find a fifth top-6 player with a high hockey IQ in Joshua Roy, but, if we don't, along with Beck and a few other players, we should have the ability to yield the missing 3rd line element.
Monahan is another legitimate top-6 forward, whether he plays at C or on the wing, but that doesn't lean towards being a long term asset.
Montreal is a high end player, as noted by Jaynki, away from having a solid top-9.
Finishing dead last to pick at the top of the upcoming drafter the next one, is not the only way to acquire a high end forward. There's the trade front, with Montreal owning a lot of quality assets for that, the UFA front, even if overly expensive and far from guaranteed and later picks that give you elite goal scorers like Pacioretty at 22nd OA, Norris trophy winners like Subban at 43rd OA or star forwards like Pastrnak at 25th OA.
