Do you really want to Habs to make the playoffs?

[WestIslander]

Think about it, do you really want the Habs to make the playoffs? I don't and here is why:

- We are not an elite team (yet)
- We will have a hard time getting through Boston and Detroit in the eastern playoffs
- We would probably lose in the first or second round and get another mid to late first round pick

I would rather see...

- Montreal get a top 12 pick and draft a Dal Colle, Ritchie or Perlini
- Flip Markov, Gionta, Moen, Bouillon, Murray and Diaz for draft picks
- Continue to build around our core and draft more McCarron's, Fucale's, Collberg's and De La Rose's next year and beyond

Discuss!

Click to read more...

 

[Dr Gonzo]

Yes. Yes I do. I thoroughly enjoy playoff hockey.

 

[habs88]

I also enjoy playoff hockey and once your in you never know who's gonna win. However I see where your coming from and if by mid season the Habs are struggling or battling for 8th, seeing them not make the playoffs and just get great draft position also wouldn't kill me. I can see Montreal doing either(playoffs or tank) and still be successful in a few years.

 

[Church]

 

[Habsfannick]

I completely agree with you, we have a chance to build a perennial contender I'm willing to lose 1-2 years of playoff hockey for that

 

[Lshap]

We've got most of the pieces. Let them grow. Remaining in a perpetual rebuild is an excuse to avoid the work it takes to become a winner.

 

[Zorro]

Short term, yes, I do want them to make the POs, cause well it's PO hockey and that rules, plus you never know...long term, no, they need a few more pieces, and perhaps getting another 1st round will help accelerate the process.

 

[beowulf]

Yes I want them to make the playoffs.

 

[yianik]

Its like this. If we are really, really bad then I would rather be dead last than be the 5th or 6th worst team. Other than that then YES , I want play-off hockey and I would be fine with the 16th or 18th pick with play-offs than 12th without. As well, though most of the time you can see the issues are with your team as well as the strengths, there is nothing like play-off hockey to really identify where you are weakest and need to improve, thus giving the GM critical information for making moves.

 

[Gally11]

Yes, the more playoff experience our young guys keep getting the better.

 

[Pierre Dagenais]

Yes.

 

[CP31]

Yes.

 

[DogsFan*]

Honestly I'm starting to hate HF Habs.

There is a saying that goes "Hell is other Habs fans" and it's totally right. The team is 3 points out of first, with injuries to key players (Prust, Pacioretty, Emelin) and still competing with the league's best teams. Lost 2-0 to SJ (bad luck), took STL to a shootout, and were competing with COL (minus the 4th line). The season is a longgggggggggg time, we are in the first week of November here.

Lets step back and take a look at things instead of wishing the team miss the playoffs. I mean really, one of your reasonings for missing the playoffs is that we can't beat teams like Boston and Detroit. WE HAVEN'T PLAYED EITHER TEAM THIS SEASON. How could you possibly say that? Furthermore, who says those 2 teams will even be our opponent?! Then you suggest to get better, we flip 4 or 5 roster players, one of which is our best defensive winger, and another who is one of the best PP d-men in the league, in order to obtain draft picks. So now we have a ton of holes to fill with little cap room. And then your final point is "draft good players form here on out". Well, if it's so easy to do, why doesn't every team do that? Further to that point, NONE of those guys have become anything yet. McCarron is struggling in the OHL, and Collberg hasn't scored in weeks. Please, THINK before you post.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

Yes? Haven't people learned the lesson from Edmonton that tanking is not a guaranteed cup? Or even any guaranteed success at all?

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

In other word, this is another "let's tank thread", which is a stupid idea.

We have a good core, let's just develop it properly and bring key pieces via trade or UFA's and we'd be good to go. We don't need top 10 picks after top 10 picks to be a good team. Watch the Oilers, they might have tons of high first round pick but still fail to build a good team.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

I would've preferred for this scenario to happen last season, during a shortened season and a year where the draft included top end prospects available in the top 12. The draft this season is supposed to be a rather weak one. A few top end prospects but we won't end up with a top 5 pick.

Also, I love playoff hockey, and I believe we can compete or at least put up a good fight against any team in the East. The playoff experience would be invaluable for our young core.

We lose 3 games and you suggest we trade away assets for picks? Also, most of our core (including our Norris winner and best goal scorer for 2 years in a row) were not drafted with top 12 picks.

 

[Adriatic]

Yes that would be the smart thing to do but it won't happen. We could really build something strong for the future with a bunch of picks but I just don't see it happening. I mean what is sacrificing 1 or 2 years to build a contender for the next 10-15 years. And I don't think we would be even that bad if we traded away all those veterans, the only one that would be hard to replace for the immediate future is Markov.

 

[coolasprICE]

We tanked 1 year and we got Galchenyuk.

For all you tanking haters, how would it feel if we traded Galchenyuk for an under achieving vet like a Briere of some sort?

Not very good right?

Well this is essentially what we have been doing by achieving mediocrity year after year. We sign vets to over inflated contracts and are too good to stink, too crap to go far in the playoffs.

 

[jaffy27]

Yes? Haven't people learned the lesson from Edmonton that tanking is not a guaranteed cup? Or even any guaranteed success at all?

If you checked the other side of that coin you'll see Pittsburg and Chicago For the record though, I wanna see the HABS playing playoff hockey, but if you gonna finish 10th...why not finish 15th

 

[WestIslander]

If you checked the other side of that coin you'll see Pittsburg and Chicago For the record though, I wanna see the HABS playing playoff hockey, but if you gonna finish 10th...why not finish 15th

Pittsburgh, Chicago, Colorado and Washington are all examples of teams that were bad for a few years and are now good and always deep in the playoffs or 1st/2nd overall in the league (Colorado).

We have Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Pacioretty, Eller, Bournival, Subban, Gorges, Emelin, Tinordi and Beaulieu to build around, we need bigger forwards, skilled wingers that can score and more defenseman for depth, why not lose another two to three years to build a power house?

 

[Smokey Thompson]

If you checked the other side of that coin you'll see Pittsburg and Chicago For the record though, I wanna see the HABS playing playoff hockey, but if you gonna finish 10th...why not finish 15th

The Pens won the 1st overall pick in 2005. They had a 6.5% chance to get that pick due to the unique lottery system that took place because of the lockout. If they happen to end up with the 2nd overall pick instead, well, Malkin - Bobby Ryan is a nice duo, but it is nothing compared to Crosby and Malkin down the middle. They Drafted Jordan Staal in 2006 with the 2nd overall pick. Is he a great player? Yes. Is he an elite player? No.

The Hawks drafted Toews 3rd overall and Kane 1st overall. But was Keith a top 5 pick? Did they draft Hossa / Sharp with top 5 picks? Keith was a 2nd rounder and the latter two were acquired not drafted.

Odds are with a top 3 pick you should be able to draft a very good to elite game breaker. But you may also end up with a Turris, JVR, Erik Johnson, Ryan, J. Staal, etc. Would you appreciate wasting an entire season to end up drafting one of these players, when, with good scouting, you can draft similar players with mid to late 1st rounders and 2nd rounders?

 

[Uber Coca]

Honestly I'm starting to hate HF Habs.

There is a saying that goes "Hell is other Habs fans" and it's totally right. The team is 3 points out of first, with injuries to key players (Prust, Pacioretty, Emelin) and still competing with the league's best teams. Lost 2-0 to SJ (bad luck), took STL to a shootout, and were competing with COL (minus the 4th line). The season is a longgggggggggg time, we are in the first week of November here.

Lets step back and take a look at things instead of wishing the team miss the playoffs. I mean really, one of your reasonings for missing the playoffs is that we can't beat teams like Boston and Detroit. WE HAVEN'T PLAYED EITHER TEAM THIS SEASON. How could you possibly say that? Furthermore, who says those 2 teams will even be our opponent?! Then you suggest to get better, we flip 4 or 5 roster players, one of which is our best defensive winger, and another who is one of the best PP d-men in the league, in order to obtain draft picks. So now we have a ton of holes to fill with little cap room. And then your final point is "draft good players form here on out". Well, if it's so easy to do, why doesn't every team do that? Further to that point, NONE of those guys have become anything yet. McCarron is struggling in the OHL, and Collberg hasn't scored in weeks. Please, THINK before you post.

Good luck with that.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

This team when healthy is too good to miss the playoffs. At the trade deadline if we are still in the run there is no way we trade anyone. We dont know what might happen, Eller and Galchenyuk getting their groove back, Brière and DD cant be this bad all season's long, Prust - White - Moen will allow us to roll four lines, Tinordi or Beaulieu could developpe well during the season and give us a solid defence or everyone could go down on LITR or just plain suck. It's too soon to call for tanking.

 

[JLP]

I like my hockey team to win is that odd?

 

[FrontierPsyCHiatrist*]

I want the Habs to make the playoffs, but sometimes it's hard when there's too many players on the team that I dislike.

Just look at our captain. I just can't imagine this guy raise the Stanley Cup with a C on his Canadiens jersey.

I only wish that we can be competitive and improve the team every seasons, and maybe one year we will be lucky enough to win the Cup.

Let's not tank right now, we will regret it next season.