HF Habs: 2023 Schedule & Standings Thread part 3: Race for Bedard

[The Gr8 Dane]

Depending on how our draft goes I will be happy to finally start wanting improvement from the team next year been quite a few years since I could cheer for wins wanting MB gone and then high picks for the best chance at a Cup has really taken its toll on my Fandom

Same for years I hated the team because of management, our management right now seems to understand asset management which is something MB never grasped and made me hopeless for nearly a decade

 

[rahad]

We can't take these bottom finishes for granted that's why this draft is so important , top 3 would give us tankers some security because God knows we've seen some absolutely abysmal teams punch above their weight for 25 years I wouldn't be surprised if it happens again sooner than we want, fingers crossed but I'm trying to bottom out next year too boys, with a top 3 pick this year tho it wouldn't be the end of the world if we get Dubois or something that kinda makes us closer to competing soon and the team plays above their head next season.

Laugh at me all you want but making the playoffs next year would suck we need to keep stockpiling valuable assets.

And yeah I get it , we suck I shouldn't be scared of us making the playoffs next year , of course, but I just recently seen a AHL team destroy the western conference and make the finals so yeah I'm afraid of them playing above their head , they nearly always do

We won't make the playoff next year. Don't be fool by the way those AHL plugs have been playing. They are playing with 0 pressure. It would be different next year. At worst, we would be fight for a playoff spot like Florida/Nashville.

2024: #12-16.

Have you seen the way Calgary is playing? That's another top 5 pick in 2025.

Hopefully, we will found our #1 forward, D-man and goalie in the next 3 draft(23,24 and 25).

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

We won't make the playoff next year. Don't be fool by the way those AHL plugs have been playing. They are playing with 0 pressure. It would be different next year. At worst, we would be fight for a playoff spot like Florida/Nashville.

2024: #12-16.

Have you seen the way Calgary is playing? That's another top 5 pick in 2025.

Hopefully, we will found our #1 forward, D-man and goalie in the next 3 draft(23,24 and 25).

Calgary is an absolute mess , plus I don't think the West is very strong, it is likely that the entire conference gets a bit better next year , I don't see how Calgary gets better tho. Good for us

 

[NewEraGM]

They're essentially tied. They're both playing the exact same "easy" teams an equal amount of games, with one exception: Florida plays Montreal. Pittsburgh plays Chicago.

On the difficult side, Florida is given more points due to having to play Toronto 3 times & Carolina once. Two top 5 teams. Pens only have 2 games left versus top 5 teams: Boston & NJD.

But, Pens make up it for having to play more top 10 teams than Florida.

Overall, the difference is neglible: 1.111 (Florida) vs 1.108 (Pittsburgh). A 0.003 difference in opponent quality.

Technically, as per the FACTS, Pittsburghs is easier.

 

[WatchfulElm]

We won't make the playoff next year. Don't be fool by the way those AHL plugs have been playing. They are playing with 0 pressure. It would be different next year. At worst, we would be fight for a playoff spot like Florida/Nashville.

2024: #12-16.

Have you seen the way Calgary is playing? That's another top 5 pick in 2025.

Hopefully, we will found our #1 forward, D-man and goalie in the next 3 draft(23,24 and 25).

Goalies take so much time to develop. I wouldn't count on the draft to find a #1 before 2030, unless we really grab a stud (Gabriel D'Aigle?). But trading for an already established goalie might be more fruitful.

 

[Sorinth]

We won't make the playoff next year. Don't be fool by the way those AHL plugs have been playing. They are playing with 0 pressure. It would be different next year. At worst, we would be fight for a playoff spot like Florida/Nashville.

2024: #12-16.

Have you seen the way Calgary is playing? That's another top 5 pick in 2025.

Hopefully, we will found our #1 forward, D-man and goalie in the next 3 draft(23,24 and 25).

The hope for a playoff spot next year doesn't really have anything to do with how we are playing right now, it's about what the team can do when healthy when those AHL plugs are back in the AHL. We were a bubble team to start this year before the injuries became too much to handle.

If we are relatively healthy next year and spend the 10m post Caufield's deal in capspace wisely then there's no reason to think the playoffs aren't possible next year.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Goalies take so much time to develop. I wouldn't count on the draft to find a #1 before 2030, unless we really grab a stud (Gabriel D'Aigle?). But trading for an already established goalie might be more fruitful.

2024 FA is where HuGo need to hit. Specifically on someone like Ilya sorokin

 

[CHwest]

The hope for a playoff spot next year doesn't really have anything to do with how we are playing right now, it's about what the team can do when healthy when those AHL plugs are back in the AHL. We were a bubble team to start this year before the injuries became too much to handle.

If we are relatively healthy next year and spend the 10m post Caufield's deal in capspace wisely then there's no reason to think the playoffs aren't possible next year.

The team is better with those AHL "plugs", they are ruining the tank.

 

[Sorinth]

The team is better with those AHL "plugs", they are ruining the tank.

You're living in a fantasy land.
In our first 35 games we were 15-17-3 which was the 8th worst record
In the last 35 games we are 12-20-3 and are tied for 2nd worst record

 

[Milhouse40]

Goalies take so much time to develop. I wouldn't count on the draft to find a #1 before 2030, unless we really grab a stud (Gabriel D'Aigle?). But trading for an already established goalie might be more fruitful.

It's the hardest position to project and most of them, even those expected to be very good, takes a good 4-5 years to really get there. Draft some and keep as much as you can until they get to that point and hope for the best.

Hoping for the best is only one of the tools, we shouldn't just do that, if there's an opportunity out there, you take it.

 

[Simarino]

Buffalo collapsing as usual!! They've been lacking good goaltending forever, they can't wait for Levi to be ready, they have to acquire a real no1 this summer.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The team is better with those AHL "plugs", they are ruining the tank.

No, they aren't. What a completely absurd statement.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

We won't make the playoff next year. Don't be fool by the way those AHL plugs have been playing. They are playing with 0 pressure. It would be different next year. At worst, we would be fight for a playoff spot like Florida/Nashville.

2024: #12-16.

Have you seen the way Calgary is playing? That's another top 5 pick in 2025.

Hopefully, we will found our #1 forward, D-man and goalie in the next 3 draft(23,24 and 25).

It's not the plugs that give people hope. It's the young players. We have not had a single game this season where we've played our actual lineup.

Our D with Matheson, Savard, Guhle, Xhekaj, Barron and any one of Harris, Kovacevic or Edmundson, is actually going to be better than a lot of teams. Barron, Matheson & Guhle really push the pace offensively and are big reasons why the plugs are able to get out of our zone.

Goaltending is decent, and better than Detroit's, Buffalo's, Ottawa's, Pittsburgh's, and Columbus's, although we'll see if these teams can improve their positions next year.

Those 2 areas alone could push us close to a playoff spot by themselves.

The forwards are more a work in progress with a mix of young players rising (Caufield, Dach, etc) to older players not able to keep up (Gallagher, Armia).

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Buffalo collapsing as usual!! They've been lacking good goaltending forever, they can't wait for Levi to be ready, they have to acquire a real no1 this summer.

Sabres are done. Like Detroit they added nobody at the TDL, and team took it to heart. Team had wanted the G.M to add to help them push, and he did nothing despite having draft picks, and a deep prospect pool.

Like Detroit, they've given up.

Goaltending is an issue, but so is overall defensive play. Their D is not good beyond the top 3.

 

[Simarino]

Sabres are done. Like Detroit they added nobody at the TDL, and team took it to heart. Team had wanted the G.M to add to help them push, and he did nothing despite having draft picks, and a deep prospect pool.

Like Detroit, they've given up.

Goaltending is an issue, but so is overall defensive play. Their D is not good beyond the top 3.

I still prefer Buffalo's situation to Detroit. Buffalo is one or 2 stable dmens and a no1 goalie away from being a playoff team maybe even a contender, Detroit is pretty much in no mans land, their missing important pieces and they have a few bad contracts with terms to older players.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If we get a top 3 pick, I’m done tanking and only want wins…if not, we may need 1 more tank year tbh.

You can’t really decide when the rebuild is over. It’s over when you organically start winning games.

I don’t think we make the playoffs next year either….

 

[Team_Spirit]

1-7-2 in the last 10 games in a lost season filled with disappointment and injuries.

Habs fans on HF boards;

Rejean Trembaly, Joel Bouchard, Guy Boucher, Jici and the French media;

 

[Revansky]

Sabres are done. Like Detroit they added nobody at the TDL, and team took it to heart. Team had wanted the G.M to add to help them push, and he did nothing despite having draft picks, and a deep prospect pool.

Like Detroit, they've given up.

Goaltending is an issue, but so is overall defensive play. Their D is not good beyond the top 3.

They signed Levi so maybe he'll be able to play a couple games which could give them a boost. But yeah both Stillman and Clague in your top 6 and not a lot of good defensive forwards is a recipe for disaster.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Buffalo had no excuse to not use some resources to reward the team. Especially for someone like Dahlin who's sat in the basement of the NHL for years.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I still prefer Buffalo's situation to Detroit. Buffalo is one or 2 stable dmens and a no1 goalie away from being a playoff team maybe even a contender, Detroit is pretty much in no mans land, their missing important pieces and they have a few bad contracts with terms to older players.

Buffalo is 2-6-2 in last 10 game. Detroit is 2-7-1. San Jose & Montreal are the only teams with worse records over that time span. Philadelphia has the same record as Buffalo, 2-6-2.

Both are bottom 5 teams since TDL. It's been 12 years for Buffalo. 12!

It's been 7 years for Detroit.

 

[McGees]

Buffalo to themselves after game:

 

[sandviper]

Sabres down 4-0 heading into the third. They‘re done.

Minny is up with the worst lead, 2-0. That said, don’t think Washington is climbing out of this one.

 

[Rapala]

You can’t really decide when the rebuild is over. It’s over when you organically start winning games.

I don’t think we make the playoffs next year either….

I think we can play NHL .500 next season and then be competing for a spot or bubbling the following year. This seems like reasonable and realistic progress.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

You can’t really decide when the rebuild is over. It’s over when you organically start winning games.

I don’t think we make the playoffs next year either….

The result might end up the same, but the expectations going into the season should be different.

 

[CHwest]

No, they aren't. What a completely absurd statement.

What are you saying no to? The team is better with those plugs or they are ruining the tank?