End of season press conference - April 9, 4:30pm

[jaffy27]

Price's comments tell me he has similar doubts about MB's "plan".

Patiently building with youth, yet the team MVP will be 32 when next season begins. He looks at the D in front of him and sees Mete, Folin, Benn, Kulak! Meanwhile Weber is obviously slowing down, and Petry's a perennial minus player. It appears that the biggest trading chip from the forward group (drouin) that could help fix the defense will be given more time to "develop" at age 24 - an age when he should be in his prime.

This past season - a reset year - they kept veteran players and ended up with the worst draft pick among the playoff teams.

Price, like many of us, just don't see a plan.

Price doesn’t see a plan??.....He’s not an HF poster dude, he’s the highest paid player on the team who was for sure explained what was gonna happen before signing a 80m$ contract......geez

 

[FF de Mars]

So by this type of analogy,all teams should win a cup within 5 years?how is this possible?

Dynamics change yearly and guessing whats parts are needed and fulfill the expectations are difficult to predict.

It is not difficult to predict you won't win a championship a given year when your team is far from a contender.

 

[jaffy27]

Well, the Kings finished 5th worst and then won the Cup 3 years later.
So it would be okay to have those expectations by then ?

1 example that took one extra year with a team that finished 8th......as you can see, it seldom ever ever happens, thank you for solidifying my point.

 

[jaffy27]

@jaffy27 just straight up doesn't like Poile. I honestly think that if Poile's team wins a stanley cup, jaffy would say ''lol took him long enough.''

I’d certainly say that......I wonder what posters here would say if habs won the cup?

It would get spun into a negative in regards to Bergevin when it comes to a few posters here, that I’m 100% sure.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Yes Price in Toronto doesn't change a thing for them, because they can't afford Muzzin and their defense is worse and they will only get a slight upgrade in net (Andersen had some of the best goaltending stats in the league this year in advanced goaltending stats)

Put Andersen on Montreal and give us Marner or Matthews or Tavares and we are unquestionably a better team and make the Playoffs.

This is a sleight of hand you’re pulling here though. Andersen and Marner better than Price? Sure. But that’s not what Redux was saying. you’re now comparing two players vs one. It doesn’t work that way.

Personally I pay my stars. The 10 mil is fine by me. What isn’t fine though is relying on one player to make up for an entire team. Can’t win that way.

I do believe we have enough talent that we could go in a win it now direction. But we have to go all in and we don’t do that. Price is good enough to build a cup winner around. But he can’t do it alone. The fact that we have had ten mil in cap space for TWO years is a disgrace.

Rebuild is fine too but again you have to go all the way.

The fact that we’re out of the playoffs at 9th, drafting 15th and had the cap space we did is unacceptable. Bergevin should be fired for that alone.

 

[Perrah]

you sign karlsson and figure out the rest. theres no one in the system close to his level. armia, weal, ... are all expendable. hell, half our roster is expendable.

Well in my cap projection all those guys are gone. Petry or Weber would have to go. Need significant savings for 2020-21, unless the bottoms falls out next year. Although 2021 is probably a lockout of some sorts. Petry is UFA after 2020-21 season, Kotkaniemi is RFA. he landscape on RFA's is changing now because old guys dont get retirement pay days anymore. It is a changing landscape and will be interesting to see how it is navigated by someone that hasnt been ahead of any curve so far. Regardless I dont see Karlsson here so this is most likely wasted thoughts.

 

[Perrah]

Price doesn’t see a plan??.....He’s not an HF poster dude, he’s the highest paid player on the team who was for sure explained what was gonna happen before signing a 80m$ contract......geez

He trusted everything so much he had a NMC or NTC added to the last year of his previous contract.

 

[Perrah]

If you sign Karlsson you trade Weber.

I’d sign Gardiner

I dont see Weber being traded after 1 year as Captain or ever really.

 

[Whitesnake]

I’m playing HF poster......let’s call it the way it is.....Poile has GM’d for 30 some years and has won zero cups, it’s a fact......seems like a nice man, has put together some decent teams in 30yrs but has won nothing....it’s that easy man.

If I want to attack a poster, believe me, I have no problem getting in someone’s grill, I voice my opinion here and certainly don’t let it get influenced by the narrative.

I respect most of the posters here, I can argue with Kriss E or WTK with ease but will like many of their posts in the same breath if I believe in what they post.

You want to fire Bergevin.....I don’t....deal with it

Some believe Toronto has done suuuuch a great job executing the Shanaplan......I don’t and they are on their way to losing out 3yrs in a row in the first round.....it’s my opinion man, you do t have to like it or even respect it, I frankly don’t care

And I don't feel the need to compare Bergevin with others to know if he does a good job or not. It's extremely loser to feel good about our GM 'cause he actually might not be the worst out there. Point is, in Montreal, you don't need good. You might not even need great. You need top 5. In scouting. And in management. 'Cause there are extra stuff to deal with here that you don't have to elsewhere. And now, you also need to be so great now that you have to compensate for the ineptitude of the present GM that just can't attract UFA in your city, not only because it snows, it's cold and taxes but also mostly because you don't win. To a point that our main argument is Carey Price that will say to UFAs that his window is shorter, so his desire to win is even greater now.

Then, they listen to the GM in press conference who will state that we are staying the course. Will let the kids develop. And we're counting on Price and Weber to play like Chara till 41, just to be sure our window is huge.....

Again, you should start seeing things in different colours than black and white. Yes, Bergevin is not the worst. He made some very moves. But we need MORE than that to be relevant. We need to build a complete team. Strong at every position. Would be neat to see his plan come to fruitition when Price and Weber won't be good enough to support it....but with a plan like...''well they could play till 41, see Chara...'' you know that you are not in good hands.

And don't worry, I can deal with your opinions. If not, I wouldn't answer you. Question is...can you deal with mine?

 

[Whitesnake]

It's understandable why there's a chance to not surpass their point production....they weren't hurt all year. Quite a few teams had guys that didn't play as much as our top scorers did. Our first 5 scorers might a grand total of 4 games together.

 

[teamfirst]

It's understandable why there's a chance to not surpass their point production....they weren't hurt all year. Quite a few teams had guys that didn't play as much as our top scorers did. Our first 5 scorers might a grand total of 4 games together.

Yep, there's a chance but you know what, there's also a chance that they surpass it, CP being the CP we saw from january from the get go and the PP just improve to be middle of the pack, KK having 1 season under his belt, having Weber for the full season, this could be happening too you know

 

[ahmedou]

Another 7 year plan kicking in ?

MB: "Hey anyone mind if I try this all over again"?

Montreal (1642) wasn't built in a year

 

[angusyoung]

He trusted everything so much he had a NMC or NTC added to the last year of his previous contract.

They make the contract so they get traded to WHERE they want. Can you imagine playing in some markets? The drive must be killed.

 

[jaffy27]

And I don't feel the need to compare Bergevin with others to know if he does a good job or not. It's extremely loser to feel good about our GM 'cause he actually might not be the worst out there. Point is, in Montreal, you don't need good. You might not even need great. You need top 5. In scouting. And in management. 'Cause there are extra stuff to deal with here that you don't have to elsewhere. And now, you also need to be so great now that you have to compensate for the ineptitude of the present GM that just can't attract UFA in your city, not only because it snows, it's cold and taxes but also mostly because you don't win. To a point that our main argument is Carey Price that will say to UFAs that his window is shorter, so his desire to win is even greater now.

Then, they listen to the GM in press conference who will state that we are staying the course. Will let the kids develop. And we're counting on Price and Weber to play like Chara till 41, just to be sure our window is huge.....

Again, you should start seeing things in different colours than black and white. Yes, Bergevin is not the worst. He made some very moves. But we need MORE than that to be relevant. We need to build a complete team. Strong at every position. Would be neat to see his plan come to fruitition when Price and Weber won't be good enough to support it....but with a plan like...''well they could play till 41, see Chara...'' you know that you are not in good hands.

And don't worry, I can deal with your opinions. If not, I wouldn't answer you. Question is...can you deal with mine?

Of course

 

[ahmedou]

sure but if he puts together a team better than what anyone thought he has to get credit there as well.

I think there are reasons to be optimistic. Again I'm not doing back flips but the cupboards are better than they've been in a long long long time. The team was actually fun to watch more often than not. They're quite young. There's a lot of cap space. You don't have to lick his boots for christ sake but the on ice product was much better with reasons to think it can still get even more so.

It's just the 'your a loser for accepting mediocrity' posts are a bit much. I don't think you have to be a blind sheep/MB apologist to actually think there are reasons for optimism. So in short, I guess it's not the MB hate more so the rancour towards people who actually think things might be headed in the right direction.

I drawn a red cross on being optimistic. Long time no see it.

 

[ahmedou]

7 frigging years and people still in this clown's corner. Glad I'm no longer so invested in this **** show.

Life is unfair.

 

[Perrah]

They make the contract so they get traded to WHERE they want. Can you imagine playing in some markets? The drive must be killed.

Yeah I understand that. Have you ever seen another contract where the player had a ntc added to the end of the previous contract? Seemed like a new one for me.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Dont be so angry, it's just a message board and people are entitle to their opinion on both side of the fence

That's true.

Some opinions are worth more than others, though. What matters is not the side you're on but the arguments you have to defend your position.

Some people think adding exclamation points and ''FFS'' every other message is an argument

Not saying there isn't any argument to defend MB but I've yet to see something more convincing than ''lol just wait''. It's been 7 years, I guess some people don't mind first round exits and going in circles. To each their own I guess.

 

[hockeyfan2k18]

Dude, they haven’t won a cup in 26yrs, why you still around if you get bent out of shape over 7yrs?

Is this a serious post?

 

[ECWHSWI]

So is it not a good thing that we have more chances at getting one of the good ones instead of a bust? I'm aware most 5th-round picks bust, you just can't pretend like they all will.

are you ? really ?

 

[OnTheRun]

Yeah I understand that. Have you ever seen another contract where the player had a ntc added to the end of the previous contract? Seemed like a new one for me.

He already had a NTC (partial), what happened is that NTC was changed to NMC. If I was cynical (and I am) I would say he asked for that to avoid getting Subban'ed before his NMC kick in.

...You know when you set precedent, peoples adapt.

 

[ahmedou]

Oddly enough, I think this is the single biggest factor why players don't sign with us. Build a good ****ing team for once and they will start signing in droves.

How to build a team when the architects and workers are not in the right place...

 

[BLONG7]

Sounds like Bergevin is planning an all-out spending spree on this summer's top UFAs. Which would be cool if he targets the right guys. I'd rather spend $8 to 10M on a great player than $4 to 5M on a mediocre one.

God help us, if he lands an other Alzner...

 

[waffledave]

God help us, if he lands an other Alzner...

If he f***s up with UFA this summer it will hamstring this team for many years to come. I sincerely don't understand why anyone would trust him with something so important, he's incredibly prone to bumbling things like this.

Never forget: He chose Alzner over Radulov.

 

[BLONG7]

If he ****s up with UFA this summer it will hamstring this team for many years to come. I sincerely don't understand why anyone would trust him with something so important, he's incredibly prone to bumbling things like this.

Never forget: He chose Alzner over Radulov.

This............still can't figure out why he is allowed to fix his own mess....Mol$on is a huge problem here also...