Are we really going to be better next year? Is this really a transition year?

[Nynja*]

Maybe he's not wrong, maybe we were in transition. Were transitioning our top offensive gifted skaters into offensive black holes who are only good for grinding da puck.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The Habs won't take Sprong and he wouldn't solve any of the Habs issues even if he did

 

[MXD]

I thought we were. Until we got Petry.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

A bunch of young forwards got a chance to make an impact and DLR made the cut. Beaulieu, Tinordi and Pateryn got a chance and 2 of 3 play before a vet...as a rookie...in the playoffs.

Budaj was traded to make room for Tokarski.

Sure, Galchenyuk didn't play full time C and all that but a transition did happen, just not as big as people wanted.

 

[Nynja*]

Giving Chuck 10 games as C then pulling him from C because the line went pointless for ONE game isnt transition.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Chuckie got 10 games as #1 C.

Next season, he will probably get 20-30, perhaps more if he breaks out.

Beaulieu has becomed an established NHLer.

We got rid of Bourque, Moen to free up Cap space.

We have our top core locked down.

Worst clouds are currently:

Markov diminishing play. I think he doesnt have it.in him to be a top-2 D anymore. He needs to play more consertively.

Plekanec has effectively plateau'ed, and cannot bring it as a first liner. DD is barely a 1st line plug that allows softer offensive minutes for Pleky.

- DSP needs to be more physically fit next season. I hope Subban drags him to the gym all summer long.

Its a semi-transition year. We are ajusting the team with tweaks, trades and signings. Bergevin will have the option to add more to our forwards during summer. I think Beaulieu will become our new 2D, playing alongside Subban.

 

[DAChampion]

It's not a transition if you can point to a bare minimum of attrition and see changes. Every team inevitably has small levels of attrition and change since players age by one year per year. A transition year however implies a greater amount of change, for example if Galchenyuk played 70 games at C.

 

[Habsawce]

Maybe we were transitioning into Babcock being the coach?

 

[Analyzer*]

We'll have to wait and see what sort of mess we have after Bergevin fails the off season.

 

[NLHabsFan]

We'll have to wait and see what sort of mess we have after Bergevin fails the off season.

Please let me have up until July 10th of hoping for improvements and positive change before crushing my dreams

 

[WhiskeySeven*]

We'll have to wait and see what sort of mess we have after Bergevin fails the off season.

He's never had a good offseason and he won't start now... but this is what he's been gearing toward all along: we have tons of room and there's a cap crunch looming for some teams.

We'll see.

But Therrien's here, for FOUR more years if Bergevin has his way, so we can't really expect much.

 

[InglewoodJack]

How has Gallagher plateaued? He just had his best offensive season.

 

[angry pirate]

Transition year...I'm still trying to figure out why this team can't develop young players now for over 20 years.

Are you effing kidding me?? I can't face palm this enough...

Gallagher has developed into a top 6 forward
Beaulieu has developed into a top 4 defencemen
Pacioretty has developed into a top line winger
Subban has developed into a Norris winning defencemen
Price has developed into a veizna winning goaltender.

But that's just the now.

Markov - Developed by the habs
Plekanec - Developed by the habs

And that is just this team.

Jose Theodore - Veizna and Hart
Saku Koivu
Mike Ribero
Sheldon Sourey - Drafted by the Devils but developed into an elite threat by the habs

That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure this list can go on and on.

 

[Ezpz]

Beaulieu isn't even close to a top 4 dman at this point at either ends of the ice.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Beaulieu isn't even close to a top 4 dman at this point at either ends of the ice.

We have always been a better team with Beaulieu in the line-up. People underestimate what he does out there.

 

[JayKing]

I don't buy it. It transition years you usually put the young players in the role you want them to be and live with their mistake. Like giving guys like Andrighetto some ice time, playing Galchenyuk at center and giving him prime powerplay time, playing Beaulieu in every situation and put him out there to close out games at times.

 

[habalifeok]

I can live with Price,Subban,Petry as the anchor for the backend. I like Galchenyuk and Gallagher. Pacioretty when healthy has breakaway speed from his own end if a defenseman can get him the puck in the open. I don't like him in traffic or trying to carry the puck in traffic. I want at least 2 new forwards who like to play in traffic and can score 20 goals apiece. The rest of the team has the pieces required to finish the puzzle. I suspect that Plekanec and Eller can be dangled as bait.
As far as coaching goes don't worry about the 4 year extension. Coaching shelf life is very short and every coach in the league is susceptible, Therrien will vanish sooner than later. Not worth worrying about.
Ill be watching tonight for desperation from players that may want to stick around.