News Article: Friedman's 31 Thoughts: Habs Draft, Pacioretty, Jack Johnson & Mark Hunter

[Habaneros]

No to 31 years old Jack Johnson who hasn't played particularly well for a few years.

Bob Mac thinks 5-6 million a year for JJ

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Bob Mac thinks 5-6 million a year for JJ

He's trying to make the Alzner contract look good...

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing for a real GM

 

[Price is Wright]

Mark Hunter wants to become a GM.

If he comes to Montreal, he will be in line to be GM. If he doesn't come, we'll know why.

 

[Adam Michaels]

It could work if we give him 2 years @ 5-6M and retain on his last year. (When we eventually swap him)

If they're signing Johnson for 2 years, then he'll be a stop gap . And I'd rather they hold onto Schlemko for that instead. Schlemko has two years left at 2.1M. So he'll be cheaper and the money they'd give Johnson could go to someone else instead.

Not to mention production wise, Johnson had 11 points in 77 games last year. Schlemko had 5 in 37, which prorates to 10 points in 77 games.

The year before, Johnson has 23 points in all 82 games. Schlemko had 18 in 62, which prorates to 24 points in 82 games.

So in terms of production, Schlemko is on a similar pace to Johnson, at the fraction of the cost.

 

[Captain Mountain]

4M for 4 years. Offense dried up because they slid him down the depth chart. He asked for a trade because of it and they turned a deaf ear towards him.

Johnson is a gamble, but at 31, he's not over-the-hill. Playing with Weber would insulate him against his weaker defense. He's physical -- something we can use -- but takes himself out of the play, sometimes, to make a hit.

Johnson with Weber and DeHaan with Petry would be good. Alzner with Juulsen on the 3rd pair as Mete gets some seasoning in Laval. That only leaves Schlemko and Benn to dispose of, and getting rid of both should be quite doable.

At 27, deHaan is a good skater that can move the puck and is defensively reliable, enough to compensate for Petry's recurring brain farts and allow the RD to play an offensive role with less blowback.

It would be decent stop gap with MON picking good Ds this year and Brook, Fleury, Mete and Juulsen still developing at different levels.

I believe that a D of:

Johnson - Weber
DeHaan - Petry
Alzner - Juulsen

would be vastly better than what we had last year as soon as Weber got injured, which was almost right away at the start of the season.

Signing Johnson and DeHaan basically handcuffs Montreal into building around a below-average D-core (that is also the oldest in the league by a wide margin), with no centers and severely limits their ability to acqiure centers or rebuild. Jack Johnson has never been a great offensive D-man. He's had a couple of decent point production years by being spoon fed ideal PP time, which he shouldn't get here. And the number of players that can produce in heavy PP minutes isn't a short list. He's a poor possession defenceman and is really bad at coverage. Pairing him with Weber makes about as much sense as pairing Alzner with Weber did. JJ is a better puck mover than Alzner, but he's worse defensively and is also slow.

De Haan's a better D-man, but he's still not what Montreal really needs.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

I called signing JJ before but I was hoping for a rebound type contract.

 

[417]

He's trying to make the Alzner contract look good...

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing for a real GM

You realized he hasn't signed him...yet.

Right?

 

[Le Barron de HF]

If they're signing Johnson for 2 years, then he'll be a stop gap . And I'd rather they hold onto Schlemko for that instead. Schlemko has two years left at 2.1M. So he'll be cheaper and the money they'd give Johnson could go to someone else instead.

Not to mention production wise, Johnson had 11 points in 77 games last year. Schlemko had 5 in 37, which prorates to 10 points in 77 games.

The year before, Johnson has 23 points in all 82 games. Schlemko had 18 in 62, which prorates to 24 points in 82 games.

So in terms of production, Schlemko is on a similar pace to Johnson, at the fraction of the cost.

By reputation alone, JJ holds more value than Schlemko, a la Plekanec. There was word that he was worth a first rounder at the deadline. Play him with Weber and make him look good.

 

[habsgirl5000]

i guess MB is not finished destroying the defense yet.....signing JJ would be the cherry on top

 

[417]

By reputation alone, JJ holds more value than Schlemko, a la Plekanec. There was word that he was worth a first rounder at the deadline. Play him with Weber and make him look good.

Oddly enough, some people think the Habs can't get a 1st round pick for Pacioretty though....

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

You realized he hasn't signed him...yet.

Right?

Excuse me for being gunshy with this muppet at the helm but when Bobby Mac says its rumoured we are looking at him and there's a rumour he's looking at $5-6MM and it fits in the wheelhouse of what this guy has done I'll err on the negative side, if he can pull off an offseason of positivity I'll cut him some slack in October

 

[417]

Excuse me for being gunshy with this muppet at the helm but when Bobby Mac says its rumoured we are looking at him and there's a rumour he's looking at $5-6MM and it fits in the wheelhouse of what this guy has done I'll err on the negative side, if he can pull off an offseason of positivity I'll cut him some slack in October

If you're referring to his segment on 690 this morning - he wasn't the one to put that "rumor" out there.

He was being asked about JJ to Montreal because of Friedman's 31 thoughts article where he suggests that Montreal is a "stealth destination" for JJ.

There's nothing concrete tying the Habs to JJ beyond an obscure thought by Friedman.

 

[Habaneros]

Oddly enough, some people think the Habs can't get a 1st round pick for Pacioretty though....

Is there any rule in the NHL that limits time length on picks in a trade?

Let's say you took 2 1st rounders in a trade in 2018

1- 1st in 2019
2- 1st in 2026
Is that allowed?

In theory could you trade a player in 2018 and get a 1st round pick in 2035?

I like to try it ..lol gamble

 

[417]

Is there any rule in the NHL that limits time length on picks in a trade?

Let's say you took 2 1st rounders in a trade ...

1- 1st in 2019
2- 1st in 2026
Is that allowed?

In theory could you trade a player and get a say 1st round pick in 2035?

I like to try it ..lol gamble

Good question...I know it happens in the NBA quite a bit, but the NBA's trade system is much more complex than the NHL's.

 

[1909]

You realized he hasn't signed him...yet.

Right?

Right. Some folks on this board are projecting their "fantasies" to make up a point or denigrate MB (which he deserves for his work the last couple of years)... . When did MB did what was expected from him ? Very rarely. Who predicted that Subban and Sergachev would be traded, or Alzner signed ? NOBODY ?

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

If you're referring to his segment on 690 this morning - he wasn't the one to put that "rumor" out there.

He was being asked about JJ to Montreal because of Friedman's 31 thoughts article where he suggests that Montreal is a "stealth destination" for JJ.

There's nothing concrete tying the Habs to JJ beyond an obscure thought by Friedman.

I'll gladly eat crow to be wrong on this one, MB has used up his free passes so I'm expecting the worst at every turn until he can show me different on a consistent basis

 

[417]

I'll gladly eat crow to be wrong on this one, MB has used up his free passes so I'm expecting the worst at every turn until he can show me different on a consistent basis

Well JJ may end up signing in Montreal and it may be for the amount MacKenzie said this morning (5-6M)...if that happens, then you'd have been fully justified.

Just seems like you're getting wound up for nothing at this point. As I said, there's nothing linking the Habs and JJ together beyond an obscure thought from Elliot Friedman (who has many thoughts, few of which are coherent these days) and perhaps their need for a LHD.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Right. Some folks on this board are projecting their "fantasies" to make up a point or denigrate MB (which he deserves for his work the last couple of years)... . When did MB did what was expected from him ? Very rarely. Who predicted that Subban and Sergachev would be traded, or Alzner signed ? NOBODY ?

That happens when you lose the trust and confidence of the majority of your fanbase, I'm just hoping he's hit rock bottom and only way is up but he's got a lot to prove

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Well JJ may end up signing in Montreal and it may be for the amount MacKenzie said this morning (5-6M)...if that happens, then you'd have been fully justified.

Just seems like you're getting wound up for nothing at this point. As I said, there's nothing linking the Habs and JJ together beyond an obscure thought from Elliot Friedman (who has many thoughts, few of which are coherent these days) and perhaps their need for a LHD.

Not wound up at all, I find expecting the worst and either being validated or relieved is better than being optimistic and disappointed these days

 

[417]

Not wound up at all, I find expecting the worst and either being validated or relieved is better than being optimistic and disappointed these days

Fair enough - I suppose this is the state of the fanbase at this point.

Even I, who I think i'm a very optimistic person by nature...have set extremely low expectations for this offseason.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Man, Bergevin signing Jack Johnson, especially for what he'd likely cost, is so typical Bergevin.

#waitandsee
#itllworkthistime

 

[LyricalLyricist]

JJ asking for 6 million is fine. I could ask my boss for 500k a year too. Doesn’t mean I’ll get it.

 

[le_sean]

Can’t believe JJ sucks that much. He was one heck of a defenceman in the NCAA.

 

[417]

JJ asking for 6 million is fine. I could ask my boss for 500k a year too. Doesn’t mean I’ll get it.

I'm not even sure 5-6M is realistic...seems like MacKenzie just threw that number out there when prompted this morning, and suddenly, it's turned into gospel of what the Habs will be offering him.

 

[Habaneros]

Pierre McGuire doesn't see any reason John T goes back to NYI.

Then confirmed sightings this weekend of John T and Weber at the Grand Prix Montreal....

Remember P.A Parenteau what he said over a month ago , he bet his father JT would come to Montrea as UFA...lol