Can you believe it has already been 15 years?

Bring Bak Damphousse

Fire Bergevin...into the Sun
May 27, 2002
7,302
2,013
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I hated the Price pick, felt like we had a real chance at landing an elite forward. And there was a real precedent for goalies picked in the 1st to bust, guys like Pascal Leclaire, Dan Blackburn, Marek Schwarz, Brian Finley etc came to mind. Of course the elite forward I wanted was Gilbert Brule, so its probably lucky I dont make those decisions. Sucks we seem to be incapable of building around our elite players, but were lucky to have been able to watch Price do his thing for so long.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
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East Coast
Therrien got the least out of this team that any coach possibly could have. He threw everything onto Price despite having a really promising young roster. He was absolute poison for us. Hiring him was the single worst decision of MB's career.

This has been widely supported through all kinds of analysis and stats over the years. MT is objectively one of the worst coaches in the league (I'd put him at the very bottom.)

This one's for you Lafleur

 
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JimboJay

Registered User
Oct 9, 2018
150
108
I hated the Price pick, felt like we had a real chance at landing an elite forward. And there was a real precedent for goalies picked in the 1st to bust, guys like Pascal Leclaire, Dan Blackburn, Marek Schwarz, Brian Finley etc came to mind. Of course the elite forward I wanted was Gilbert Brule, so its probably lucky I dont make those decisions. Sucks we seem to be incapable of building around our elite players, but were lucky to have been able to watch Price do his thing for so long.

Haha! I actually really wanted Kopitar but even at 10th he was drafted high. I thought we could trade down & snag him & someone else.

I was ok with the Price pick although i felt like we didnt really need another goalie (theodore was only a couple of years removed from the hart & vezina & was still pretty young) but i think it worked out ok. I think the price signing was fine. We squandered his best years though with safe trades and lack of fixing clear holes in our lineup.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
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East Coast
I hated the Price pick, felt like we had a real chance at landing an elite forward. And there was a real precedent for goalies picked in the 1st to bust, guys like Pascal Leclaire, Dan Blackburn, Marek Schwarz, Brian Finley etc came to mind. Of course the elite forward I wanted was Gilbert Brule, so its probably lucky I dont make those decisions. Sucks we seem to be incapable of building around our elite players, but were lucky to have been able to watch Price do his thing for so long.

Only 8 top 100 picks from 08-11 is a huge issue. Price was drafted in 2005. We did very well in 07 but traded MacDonagh for Gomez thinking we solved our center problems.

Center problems have taken decades to fix. Galchenyuk busting compounded the problem. Danault, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Poehling, Evans, Hillis, Olofsson is something to work with finally but we got to be patient
 

Draft

Registered User
Jan 23, 2013
8,368
4,885
Only 8 top 100 picks from 08-11 is a huge issue. Price was drafted in 2005. We did very well in 07 but traded MacDonagh for Gomez thinking we solved our center problems.

Center problems have taken decades to fix. Galchenyuk busting compounded the problem. Danault, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, Poehling, Evans, Hillis, Olofsson is something to work with finally but we got to be patient

Reading stuff like this makes me want to puke every time I see it. Unbelievably short-sighted and foolish during the cap era.
 

Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
38,375
33,249
Montreal
What do you expect him to do? Be a bully and try to push Julien and Muller aside? He's not dumb and he is buying his time and being a sponge in terms of gaining NHL coaching experience.

Just cause he is not vocal and on the front lines, it don't mean he's not doing things behind the scenes
I expect the Canadiens to fiddle too long with a broken violin and Ducharme to end up elsewhere.
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
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East Coast
Reading stuff like this makes me want to puke every time I see it. Unbelievably short-sighted and foolish during the cap era.

The drafting from 08-11 and then from 12-15 was just horrible. We are talking a 8 year span of misery. And this came at the worse time cause we had Price, Subban, Patch, McDonagh from 05-07 drafts.

Habs can't seem to sign UFA talent so the latest strategy of stock piling picks is the way to go. Bergevin came to his senses after year 5 and it took a while
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
25,914
East Coast
I expect the Canadiens to fiddle too long with a broken violin and Ducharme to end up elsewhere.

It would have to be a promotion over what he has with the Habs right now though. Julien has how many years left? 20/21 and 21/22? Timing might be right
 

Habs Halifax

Loyal Habs Fan
Jul 11, 2016
68,164
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East Coast
We only got 6 from 2014 to 2016 too. The 2nd round picks traded for Petry and Vanek were fine but the two 2nd round picks we traded for Shaw in 2016 has been an issue as we were not in 2016 in a position to make this kind of move anymore.

Yes. Each range has their reasons why we are who we are today

1) 08-11 was low probability to hit due to very low draft power.
2) 12 and 13 had high draft power but weak draft years. Galchenyuk busting was a huge problem
3) 14-16 had no 2nd round picks.

Imagine where the Habs would be today without those trades Bergevin won? He's no genius but man... the drafting after Price, Subban, Patch, McDonagh was horrible for almost a decade.

What do we have from 08-15? Gallagher, Domi (Galchenyuk), Lehkonen, Evans, Juulsen, Vejdemo. Gallagher was a lucky pick and Domi was a trade. :facepalm::facepalm::facepalm:
 

LaP

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
24,281
17,382
Quebec City, Canada
To put things into perspective. We had 8 top 100 picks from 2008 to 2011 (4 years) and 6 from 2014 to 2016 (3 years). We had 7 top 100 picks in 2018 alone. We had 5 in 2017. We had 4 in 2019. I think we will have 6 or 7 this year.

You can't ask for miracle from the drafting team when you draft two times in the top 100 a year for a span of 3-4 years. It leaves no room for error at all. 20018 will probably be a good year but only because we had 7 top 100 picks. If you remove all the 2nd round picks we had then the draft would stand on the shoulder of JK alone.

It's easier to take a risk in the 2nd round when you have multiple picks. Do we take a risk on Romanov if we have only one pick in the 2nd round or do we take the safe pick?
 

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
31,735
24,111
My favourite part of the 15 years was when Halak got us to the third round after beating Pittsburgh and Washington.

I liked getting to the Rangers series before Price went down. I still think we beat the Rangers with a healthy Price. Because of the current rules, was a smart play by Kreider.
 

CHwest

Talent sets the floor, character sets the ceiling.
May 24, 2011
3,446
4,511
The drafting from 08-11 and then from 12-15 was just horrible. We are talking a 8 year span of misery. And this came at the worse time cause we had Price, Subban, Patch, McDonagh from 05-07 drafts.

Habs can't seem to sign UFA talent so the latest strategy of stock piling picks is the way to go. Bergevin came to his senses after year 5 and it took a while
Stock piling 1st round picks is the way to go. Loading up 3rd round and later does nothing. Yes he has a lot of picks, it will amount to nothing.
 
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LaP

Registered User
Jun 27, 2012
24,281
17,382
Quebec City, Canada
I liked getting to the Rangers series before Price went down. I still think we beat the Rangers with a healthy Price. Because of the current rules, was a smart play by Kreider.

I formly believe we win the series with Price. We pushed it to game 6 with an AHL goalie in net. THis said we did not stand a chance in the scf against LA.
 

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
31,735
24,111
I formly believe we win the series with Price. We pushed it to game 6 with an AHL goalie in net. THis said we did not stand a chance in the scf against LA.

True, but if Jaro Halak can almost single handedly eliminate two of the top teams in the league during his run (Pens, Caps) anything was possible.
 

Canadienna

Registered User
Jan 27, 2015
11,702
15,768
Dew drops and rainforest
Not right away and maybe not at all. Think about what age Askarov would be when Price is 37/38?

Price: Age 37/38
Primeau: Age 25/26
Askarov: Age 22/23

Primeau and Askarov would be a deadly 1/2 combo. Primeau gets to play with Price for a while first.

Not saying we should draft Askarov but he might be the BPA at 9 in the end when we look back. Dreaming here but imagine trading Price with retention to the Avs for Girard, Newhook, and Grubauer drafting Askarov?



Lol I agree you are dreaming with that proposal, but with regards to drafting Askarov I kind of agree.

It will kind of depend who is there at 9 but I like askarov more than quinn or jarvis or lundell personally.
 

Lafleurs Guy

Guuuuuuuy!
Jul 20, 2007
73,920
42,976
CareyPrice by taking that mediocre Calder Cup team on his back became a curse in many respects. The expectations ballooned way out of proportion here when Gainey did hand him the reins. (too early)
I don't see how it was a curse. We had some great young talent and squandered it.

Our curse has been having a string of bad GMs. If we'd done anything with the talent we were gifted we probably would've won some cups along the way. Total disgrace.
 
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Rapala

Registered User
Mar 29, 2013
38,375
33,249
Montreal
I don't see how it was a curse. We had some great young talent and squandered it.

Our curse has been having a string of bad GMs. If we'd done anything with the talent we were gifted we probably would've won some cups along the way. Total disgrace.

I agree but Price was also put on a pedestal and we have to admit it got to his head and affected his game.
 

Non Player Canadiens

Registered User
Jan 25, 2012
10,694
9,986
Maplewood, NJ
An argument can be made about not drafting a goalie that high, as good as Price has been.
I am making that argument. :D It was stupid in hindsight. There's probably a reason no other team has done it in the last 20 years.

Goalie is just not a high-impact position in hockey anymore, relative to the other positions.

Would you rather have a team with an average #1C and a top-5 goalie, or a team with a top-5 #1C and an average goalie?
 
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peate

Smiley
Sponsor
Feb 16, 2007
20,085
14,939
The Island
I am making that argument. :D It was stupid in hindsight. There's probably a reason no other team has done it in the last 20 years.

Goalie is just not a high-impact position in hockey anymore, relative to the other positions.

Would you rather have a team with an average #1C and a top-5 goalie, or a team with a top-5 #1C and an average goalie?
In the last 20 years, 5 goalies won the Con Smythe. The last one was Quick in 2012, so it seems you're right. You don't need a superstar goalie to win a Cup, just a steady one.
 

Non Player Canadiens

Registered User
Jan 25, 2012
10,694
9,986
Maplewood, NJ
In the last 20 years, 5 goalies won the Con Smythe. The last one was Quick in 2012, so it seems you're right. You don't need a superstar goalie to win a Cup, just a steady one.
Another pattern I've noticed is very average/no-name goalies that have one very hot playoffs, then regress back into nothingness the next year.

2019 - Binnington (lolz who? I legit had to look it up just now because I forgot his name)
2016, 2017 - Matt Murray
2015 - Crawford
2011 - Thomas, was out of the league 2 years later
2010 - Niemi :laugh:
 

Cole Caulifield

Registered User
Apr 22, 2004
27,967
2,465
In 13 years in the NHL he has one incredible season, maybe 3-4 really good years aside from that.. and the rest has been very meh. Not sure what there is to fawn over here. For me to think a player is great, I would need to see more consistency, something like top performances 80% of the time. But Price is not alone in this amongst goalies. I'd be hard pressed to name you a goalie who's been very dominant the past 15 years. Lundqvist would probably be the closest to this. Lundqvist was very consistent for a long time until he hit a wall past 35. But yeah, this current crop of goalies is nothing like the golden years of Roy, Hasek, Brodeur, Belfour... now THOSE goalies were something special.
 
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