HF Habs: Current Standings Thread: Wrong Way for Wright (mid-season edition)

[McGees]

Seattle is an absolute trash team!!
(And somehow we are worse lol)

 

[WeThreeKings]

Not a great night for the tank

 

[MasterD]

It’s amazing how bad teams are this season. In the last 6 seasons they were a total of 6 teams that finished below a points % of .400. This season alone there is 5 teams below that mark. Any other season a top 5 pick wouldn’t be in doubt with how bad the Habs have been.

People look at NHL teams and completely disregard the effect of COVID, the bubbles, restrictions, etc... Bet a bunch of players are freaking out/scared...

 

[SlyIslands]

My only concern is getting ourselves out of the range of Cooley/Savoie. I think that's who we need and they're at the top end of Bob's list now.

And it's not because of the Habs going on a run, it's because Arizona, Ottawa, Buffalo and Seattle aboslutely f***ing suck.

We need a top 5 pick, I think it's safe. I wouldn't be surprised if Savoie drops because of his size even if you think it's a bad reason. DeBrincat, Caufield, Rossi they all were drafted below their expected position.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Team	Points in relation to Habs	Games in Hand
Montreal	-	-
Arizona	+2	-
Ottawa	+2	+6
Seattle	+6	-1
Buffalo	+9	-1
New Jersey	+11	+1
Philadelphia	+12	-1
Islanders	+12	+6
Chicago	+14	-1
Columbus	+15	+1
Edmonton	+16	+3

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Since the last update, we've been gaining ground on everyone. Need to drop our next 2 games and hope for some help in the standings.

Tonight:
Buffalo OTW vs. Philly (2 pts to at least one of these tank competitors)
Habs L vs. Colorado
Devils W vs. Carolina
Coyotes W vs. Rangers
Senators W vs. Washington
Islanders W vs. Toronto
Chicago W vs. Minnesota
Oilers W vs. Calgary

 

[Mandala]

Not sure about which player to pick top 5. Not even sure about Wright. As long as we get a good NHL player we can move on. No saviour in this draft.

 

[xposbrad]

Seattle is an absolute trash team!!
(And somehow we are worse lol)

There's still half the season left. I am scared of ARI/Seattle. I doubt we can keep pace, so realistically we end up 3rd to last and then pray the lotto gods do their magic. Every win now is a loss, even ties are points we can't afford to have.

 

[The Great Weal]

I really hope Wright sees everyone doubting him it and it lights a flame inside him and he goes crazy for the 2nd half. That would be awesome.

If he didn't, it would still be hard to look past what he did at 15 where he was more productive than he currently is

 

[FrankMTL]

We won't drop out of the bottom 5....but we have to stay in that bottom 3 or max 4.

 

[CHfan1]

A top 5 pick isn't in doubt now either.

You don’t think it’s possible the Habs play better in the 2nd half of the season passing Arizona, Ottawa, Seattle, and Buffalo finishing 5th last. They’d have a 61.2 % chance of picking lower than 5th then. As a note they play those 4 teams a total of 8 times.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Not sure about which player to pick top 5. Not even sure abou=t Wright. As long as we get a good NHL player we can move on. No saviour in this draft.

Just picking a piece like Suzuki, Caufield, Romanov or Guhle in that top 5, it's going to be a really good thing for the future. Hughes say Suzuki, Caufield and Romanov are all good young players for Habs. Guhle is certainly on that conversation too. Just picking another young player like that.

The dream scenario it's that in 2023 we picking at top 2. Bedard or Michkov will change the franchise.

 

[JoelWarlord]

You don’t think it’s possible the Habs play better in the 2nd half of the season passing Arizona, Ottawa, Seattle, and Buffalo finishing 5th last. They’d have a 61.2 % chance of picking lower than 5th then. As a note they play those 4 teams a total of 8 times.

I just want to make clear that Buffalo is playing at a 63.6 point pace, so optimistically we'd need 64 points to pass them. We would have to immediately begin playing at a .488 clip and maintain that pace for the rest of the season to hit even 64 points. This is a team that has not won two games in a row all season and will be running Sam Montembeault as a starting goalie until late March.

 

[Miller Time]

You don’t think it’s possible the Habs play better in the 2nd half of the season passing Arizona, Ottawa, Seattle, and Buffalo finishing 5th last. They’d have a 61.2 % chance of picking lower than 5th then. As a note they play those 4 teams a total of 8 times.

Possible, yeah... likely? Not really.

We know that Chiarot & probably a few other vets are going to get moved before the deadline.

Ottawa & Buffalo are already comfortably ahead, so we'd need them to crater on top of us playing way better to finish ahead.

Arizona & Seattle are the more risky threats, but I like our chances of keeping at least 1 of them ahead of us

 

[JoelWarlord]

I just want to make clear that Buffalo is playing at a 63.6 point pace, so optimistically we'd need 64 points to pass them. We would have to immediately begin playing at a .488 clip and maintain that pace for the rest of the season to hit even 64 points.

Buffalo is leading 5-2 with 9 minutes left in the 2nd. If they hold on to win this game they improve to a .403/66 point pace.

For us to get to 67 points on the season we'd have to start playing at a .523 pace (86P/82GP) from tonight onwards and maintain that pace for 43 games. Lose tonight and that number becomes .549. Think we can probably relax about the potential of Sam Montembeault carrying this team out of the bottom five.

 

[JianYang]

I just can't get past how sad it is that this isn't 2023.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

You don’t think it’s possible the Habs play better in the 2nd half of the season passing Arizona, Ottawa, Seattle, and Buffalo finishing 5th last. They’d have a 61.2 % chance of picking lower than 5th then. As a note they play those 4 teams a total of 8 times.

I think that the Habs leapfrogging over 4 teams by the end of the season is very unlikely, yes. Ottawa has six games on us. The Sabres are ahead by nine points. Seattle is six points ahead. Arizona's the only one who are really within the same ballpark as us. Seattle ish as well, but sorta, not really. And what stops any of teams from playing better too, you know?

 

[KevSkillz4]

I just can't get past how sad it is that this isn't 2023.

I'm not sad. This year we have a chance to draft a another good young player like Suzuki, Caufield, Romanov or Guhle and if we trade more than Chiarot (Trading Price will be huge)... maybe we are going to be bad next year too. We have solid chance to draft top 10 next year.

 

[Riggins]

Yeah I don't see us passing Ottawa or Buffalo. Seattle and Arizona are a toss up for me even if we have the edge now.

I hope Gorton and Hughes are plotting right now how they can make moves to make sure we can finish bottom 3 again next year, while accumulating a bunch of picks in the process.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah I don't see us passing Ottawa or Buffalo. Seattle and Arizona are a toss up for me even if we have the edge now.

I hope Gorton and Hughes are plotting right now how they can make moves to make sure we can finish bottom 3 again next year, while accumulating a bunch of picks in the process.

For me, they have to put the team in a position where next year they are finishing in the bottom or they're further along because of the young players.

What I mean is, it can't be Price, Gallagher and Toffoli etc playing just well enough to make us a fringe team. Get rid of them and if Suzuki plus Caufield take such a huge leap forward that they're leading the team, then you're further along than you thought.

 

[Runner77]

Where is the thread we’re supposed to use to discuss proposed roster changes and strategies? We were having a pretty interesting discussion in the just closed Hughes thread. Is it supposed to continue here?

 

[Legend123]

damn we're so obsessed with the tank and finishing bottom last, myself included, but the draft this year esp at 1OA seems so meh. Would it really matter if we draft 1OA or 3OA??

I compare this draft year to that of 2017. The winners were clearly not the first two teams... It was 3, 4, 5, not even considering other picks outside the top 5 like 12 and 19

 

[KevSkillz4]

damn we're so obsessed with the tank and finishing bottom last, myself included, but the draft this year esp at 1OA seems so meh. Would it really matter if we draft 1OA or 3OA??

I compare this draft year to that of 2017. The winners were clearly not the first two teams... It was 3, 4, 5, not even considering other picks outside the top 5 like 12 and 19

I just want Habs finish bottom 3 to secure the top 5 pick. I don't care if we pick #1, #2, #3, #4 or #5. Just want a top 5 pick and lock Wright, Savoie, Cooley, Nemec or Jiricek. (Even good players like Slafkovsky, Kemell, Miro). But the players i really want is between these 3 top C and 2 RD defenseman.

 

[LaP]

For me, they have to put the team in a position where next year they are finishing in the bottom or they're further along because of the young players.

What I mean is, it can't be Price, Gallagher and Toffoli etc playing just well enough to make us a fringe team. Get rid of them and if Suzuki plus Caufield take such a huge leap forward that they're leading the team, then you're further along than you thought.

Fully agree with this. We need to avoid being carried by guys over the hill or getting close to. Toffoli should be traded before the beginning of next season for sure. I'd retain to trade Gallagher too. Loved him when he was younger but i think the success inflated his head a lot. Don't think he's a good leader personally atm. Will be harder for Price but i'd go next season with Allen and Monty as goalie in the NHL and give a last season to Primeau in the AHL. If Price returns KH will have to find a solution.

 

[KevSkillz4]

I just want Habs finish bottom 3 to secure the top 5 pick. I don't care if we pick #1, #2, #3, #4 or #5. Just want a top 5 pick and lock Wright, Savoie, Cooley, Nemec or Jiricek. (Even good players like Slafkovsky, Kemell, Miro). But the players i really want is between these 3 top C and 2 RD defenseman.

Because having one of Wright, Cooley and Savoie will make the C depth really good for long time and if we select one of Nemec or Jiricek, that will make defense depth really impressive. Romanov who already show that he can be at least a really good top 4 defenseman, Guhle show that the tools are all there to become at least a top 4 defenseman (i see much more, but we never know with young players, but Guhle looks like a stud), Mailloux a very talented defenseman and add a top RD like Jiricek or Nemec... that's a foundation of a futur dominate top 4. With all prospects D we have like Struble, Harris (if he sign), Norlinder, Fairbrother, Xhekaj, Brook, Kostenko, Trudeau.

 

[Legend123]

Because having one of Wright, Cooley and Savoie will make the C depth really good for long time and if we select one of Nemec or Jiricek, that will make defense depth really impressive. Romanov who already show that he can be at least a really good top 4 defenseman, Guhle show that the tools are all there to become at least a top 4 defenseman (i see much more, but we never know with young players, but Guhle looks like a stud), Mailloux a very talented defenseman and add a top RD like Jiricek or Nemec... that's a foundation of a futur dominate top 4. With all prospects D we have like Struble, Harris (if he sign), Norlinder, Fairbrother, Xhekaj, Brook, Kostenko, Trudeau.

we need that true #1D. I have hope for Maillouix but its unlikely. If we don't draft top 3 we should get the BPA whos prob the Czech D