I'm on the fence.
I think more and more you don't need a great goalie, but a goalie like Osgood who can make the saves when needed and the Habs might have that in Monty,.or one of their now 5 goalie prospects, or they can acquire a decent goalie.
PP sucks, but that's a combination of Burrows and personnel.
Habs have a really good d prospect group/young dmen. However, the Habs are now at the point where other prospect pools were at where the players couldn't take the next step. Habs need Xhekaj, Guhle and/or Barron to take that next step and be even more impressive. Rookie season, expectations are lower.
Barron needs to take a step offensively.
Guhle needs to take a little step offensively, but a bigger step defensively.
Xhekaj needs to take a step defensively.
Then the Habs need Hutson and Reinbacher to succeed.
A guy like Engstrom who's progressing well is icing on the cake and can be either used to replace one of the above if they don't work out. If they do, but Engstrom is better replace, or if Engstrom is good, but not good enough can be dealt.
For offense. Both the Panthers and Knights were led by a player that wasn't drafted by them, so it is possible.
Habs don't have that stud offensive prospect in the system, but Caufield is still growing and it seems Suzuki is, too. If the Habs could get a middle of the pack pp they might be able to get 40 goals from CC and a ppg from Suzuki.
Dach has been a really nice player. Need him to stay healthy and get some solid linemates if he's going to centre his own line.
Slaf needs to take a step forward. Be healthy and get 20 goals. I don't feel that's a big ask giving he should be getting top 6 minutes and pp time.
Newhook, we'll see how he does. Would be nice if his speed can turn him into another Byron, but better.
Starting this draft the Habs need to stop looking for players who are fits for the bottom 6 and just start taking swings. If you have 7 top 6 players you now have a top 6 player on your 3rd line making your team more dangerous and deep rather than drafting a guy to play there.
If there's a player, but smaller who's doing well in the CHL, take that player. Their point total might give them the value a team wants as an extra prospect in a bigger deal.
Start drafting players, mainly forwards with size. Don't just draft players with size, but look carefully and get those players. They're available and this group is doing the same where they pass up on size for smaller players and the team will just run into the same shit where they get pushed around, or a few players have to do all that battling and they're done by tbe end of the season.
Unless the player has immense skill, or the potential for it, don't acquire anymore players sub 6'1.
The team is doing things that are looking to be real good moved, but a lot I don't really like. That's not to say my way only works, or the team's way only works. There's a bunch of ways to win the cup, but the cup usually tends to go to teams that have a number 1 d, number 1 centre, skill, health/depth and size.
So, I'm in the middle. I'm hoping we see some better things next off-season thar should paint a much clearer picture for all of us.
