26Mats
Registered User
- Jun 23, 2018
- 32,187
- 24,666
The habs have a lot of middling talent on forward.
Despite what people say about Shaw, even he can produce in a complimentary role. Guys like Lehkonen, Hudon, Armia etc... can do the same. Danault can be added to that list even if he plays higher up the line-up.
The biggest issue the habs will have is how to give these guys opportunities to break out and/or trade them for upgrades.
I have said for a year now we have too many wingers.
Pacioretty(Still here for now)
Gallagher
Drouin(He's a winger, IDGAF what management says)
Domi
Lehkonen
Hudon
Byron
Shaw
Armia
Scherbak
Even if we'd go as far as removing Max and Drouin from the list we still have a lot of guys who can play wing well. The problem of course is that it forces guys who need more opportunities in support roles. That's good for a contending team but for a team looking to develop talent having some guys like Hudon and others playing bottom 6(if not 4th line) roles is a little counterproductive.
If habs falter I can only hope Max and Byron are traded while they have value.
Pacioretty, Byron, and Shaw should be traded. Pacioretty and Byron because they'll be too old by the time we can contend, so might as well trade them for futures. Shaw because he scored 5 goals and 13 points in 51 games when he wasn't on the power play and Gallagher was better in front of the net on the pp than Shaw anyways. He can't stick handle and apparantly is in demeand.
So that leaves 6 wingers for the top 9 roles and Armia to play with Deslauriers on the 4th:
Scherbak - Gallagher
Domi - Drouin
Hudon - Lehkonen
Armia - Deslauriers
But in the mean time, Drouin is playing center since we don't have anyone else to play center, so one of Pacioretty and Byron can stay. For now. Shaw needs to go regardless.