Line Combos: HABS 2024 LINE UP

[Treb]

Condotta is not a center and Maillet has 2 games in the NHL as a 30 year old player so I wouldn't consider either NHL depth at center at this point. Mitchell was good in Laval and has a full season in the NHL under his belt including playoff experience and is a true center with strong faceoff abilities.

Condotta has played C before.

Mitchell spent half the year being bad in Laval and ended up better when the better players were called up so he got prime minutes. I predict something similar will happen this year.

 

[Milhouse40]

Sure there is chemistry there. But believing they would continue on a 9-7-2 pace (which my post was alluding to) if they kept that line together through the season (or into this season) presents false hope imo. If they are going to contend they are going to need an above average top 6 which starts with two solid centres (Suzuki as one and Dach as the other). The problem of course is who is the RW on the top line.

That was not really my point.

9-7-2 was to show the team wasn't only losing which is good for development of the kids but the point wasn't about making the PO or continue on that pace. It's more about the other part.

The kids were producing.
That's what we want more than anything.
More than seeing this or that player being develop in one position or another......we want to develop confidence and point producers.

We want Dach at 60+ points either it's on the wing or center, we want Suzuki at 82+ pts and we want Caufield to score 50 goals. Let's not overthink this one. I don't care about the L/W records, but those points are confidence for our kids and trade value for our vets and that will move the team forward.

 

[1909]

Management has said they want Dach at center so that’s where I penciled him in.

We’ll have to see how things work out in camp and the lines shake out.

Maybe they gonna use Dach on PP - RW with Suzuki and Caufield , and use him at C, 5vs5, when not on PP. Newhook and him will switch often between wing and C. Monahan, might too, depending of game situations.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Maybe they gonna use Dach on PP - RW with Suzuki and Caufield , and use him at C, 5vs5, when not on PP. Newhook and him will switch often between wing and C. Monahan, might too, depending of game situations.

I think it’s pretty clear Habs see this as a building/learning and establishing a clear winning mentality. I think they let Dach play center all year and learn the role so they have confidence in him next year when they load up and start to compete.

It doesn’t make sense to play him at wing when they’ve said multiple times he’s a center and player very will in the second half of last year in that role. Let him develop now in the middle and see where it goes. 6’4” centres don’t grow on trees and he has the best lineage of any player on the team, safe for Slaf.

 

[LaP]

I'm not sure where people got the idea losing is bad for development. You don't learn anything when you dominate. You learn when it's hard and you play against stronger competition. Winners will win and learn eventually. The biggest obstacle to development is impatience, an environment where mistakes are not part of the learning process and an environment where players are asked to figure it out by themselves.

Got to give the kids enough time to figure it out. Got to let kids do mistakes as long as they eventually learn from them. Got to give the kids proper vets (not Prust) and coaches (not MT) to surround them. Guys who are willing to work with them. Show them what it takes to be a pro. If you do that the kids who got what it takes will eventually develop even if they lose for 2-3 years before that.

 

[EveryDay]

Caufield-Suzuki-Dach
RHP-Monahan-Anderson
Slafkovski-Newhook-Ylonen/Roy
Pezzetta-Evans-Gallagher
Armia

Injured: Dvo

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Condotta has played C before.

Mitchell spent half the year being bad in Laval and ended up better when the better players were called up so he got prime minutes. I predict something similar will happen this year.

Condotta is a terrible center and will never play there in the NHL. Mitchell is a legitimate center and is absolutely a possibility in Montreal if injuries get out of hand.

 

[Habricot]

Caufield-Suzuki-Dach
RHP-Monahan-Anderson
Slafkovski-Newhook-Ylonen/Roy
Pezzetta-Evans-Gallagher
Armia

Injured: Dvo

Dach will be a center this year. He is ready for that and we have the right supporting cast for him. There is no reason to put him on the first line. He will not be there long term. To get him out of a slump...yeah but not more then that.

Suzuki/Dach will be our 1a 1b centers in the future. I feel like Newhook will be a winger. That 3rd center position will be fulfilled by Beck when he is ready and for Now at least I think it can be Dvorak when he is back, Monahan, Newhook there are options.

 

[MasterMatt25]

Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Newhook - Monahan - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Gallager
Harvey-Pinard - Evans - Armia
Ex: Pezzetta

Dvorak should be cleared by end of training camp. From what they said, I doubt he'll be out much longer.

Matheson - Savard
Guhle - Barron
Xhekaj - Harris
Ex: Kovacevic

Banking on Barron continuing where he left off at the end of last season.

Montembeault
Allen

 

[1909]

I think it’s pretty clear Habs see this as a building/learning and establishing a clear winning mentality. I think they let Dach play center all year and learn the role so they have confidence in him next year when they load up and start to compete.

It doesn’t make sense to play him at wing when they’ve said multiple times he’s a center and player very will in the second half of last year in that role. Let him develop now in the middle and see where it goes. 6’4” centres don’t grow on trees and he has the best lineage of any player on the team, safe for Slaf.

McDavid and Draisaitl - both centermen - are playing PP together
Crosby and Malkin, too.

So Dach and Suzuki can certainly do that.

 

[Sterling Archer]

McDavid and Draisaitl - both centermen - are playing PP together
Crosby and Malkin, too.

So Dach and Suzuki can certainly do that.

On the PP, 100%.

 

[Treb]

Condotta is a terrible center and will never play there in the NHL. Mitchell is a legitimate center and is absolutely a possibility in Montreal if injuries get out of hand.

Like they were last year?

He's part of high rounds draft picks that get a big shot to making it and then are rapidly thrown away.

TB tried him half a year in the regular season and as a spare part in the PO then the next year threw him on the taxi squad to rot. After that, they gave him away for a 6th to Detroit who also used him as a spare part before not qualifying him as a RFA. We picked him up and he struggled to produce in the AHL until the good players got called up and he was hand-fed opportunities.

Wouldn't surprise me if he gets traded if either Kidney or Davidson show they are ready a top9 AHL C. Or if Mysak takes a big step in development.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm not sure where people got the idea losing is bad for development. You don't learn anything when you dominate. You learn when it's hard and you play against stronger competition. Winners will win and learn eventually. The biggest obstacle to development is impatience, an environment where mistakes are not part of the learning process and an environment where players are asked to figure it out by themselves.

Got to give the kids enough time to figure it out. Got to let kids do mistakes as long as they eventually learn from them. Got to give the kids proper vets (not Prust) and coaches (not MT) to surround them. Guys who are willing to work with them. Show them what it takes to be a pro. If you do that the kids who got what it takes will eventually develop even if they lose for 2-3 years before that.

Consistent losing is bad for development because it hampers confidence. Confidence is a big ingredient in development and success. It also fractures teams and causes problems in the dressing room.

It's not a death knell but there are reasons why it isn't good to be losing for a long long time.

 

[DAChampion]

Consistent losing is bad for development because it hampers confidence. Confidence is a big ingredient in development and success. It also fractures teams and causes problems in the dressing room.

It's not a death knell but there are reasons why it isn't good to be losing for a long long time.

Tis is well documented in psychology.

For learning to take place, a situation should be neither too easy nor too hard.

 

[LaP]

Consistent losing is bad for development because it hampers confidence. Confidence is a big ingredient in development and success. It also fractures teams and causes problems in the dressing room.
It's not a death knell but there are reasons why it isn't good to be losing for a long long time.

It's been one year since most of our kids were here. And the others were here for the cup run. I think it's totally ludicrous to say one or two years of loosing can hamper anything. Those kids would need to be mentally weak. If we were talking about 6+ years of loosing then yeah but let's cross the bridge when we get to it. I would agree that this must be the last year of not fighting for a playoffs spot.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Gorton already said he sees Dach has a center so idk why you guys keep putting him on the wing hes for sure starting the year at C

Caufield - Suzuki - X
X - Dach - Newhook

Will be our top 6

 

[KevSkillz4]

Thanks god Habs don't drafted Wright. Great build management to acquire instead a big C like Dach and draft a very good powerforward with Slafkovsky. So it's Slaf and Dach or Wright and Romanov... Xhekaj replace perfectly Romanov. I really like more that bulding roster.

 

[Rapala]

It's amazing how Evans has fallen from favor here. We were collectively thrilled with him with how smart he played in the Covid playoffs, etc. He got a well deserved 1.7 million payday. But now people largely hope he gets replaced soon.

I hope he trained hard this summer.

I don't know man. Last year he like Pitlick had a horrible start and didn't seem content on a fourth line.
Jake was able to turn it around and Pitlick wasn't. Consider he had more points in March than he did from Oct-Dec 31st. How much of that was because he was bumped after Dvorak and Dach went out. Is he an ideal guy for a fourth line role? I laughed last season when Pezzetta got on his horse and decided to hit anything that moved. The problem was the reciprication was often delivered on Belzile when he played with him. Alex wasn't impressed on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately that is the reality of typical fourth line play some players just won't be able to enjoy or stand up to it.

 

[Rapala]

Call it the EA Sports effect.

People think the fourth line and bottom pairing should have veritable studs on it. Just not the reality.

Evans is a quality 4C and doesn't need replacing.

Evans struggled mightly on the fourth line for three months. He did much better once Dach and Dvorak were out of the lineup. For me it's still a question mark? How much was just his head space feeling he was demoted neither he nor Pitlick seemed to be very happy in that role to start the season. One guy was able to pick up his play and we all saw what happened to the other guy. Maybe he gets third line reps to start the season if Dvo is unable to go.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Gorton already said he sees Dach has a center so idk why you guys keep putting him on the wing hes for sure starting the year at C

Caufield - Suzuki - X
X - Dach - Newhook

Will be our top 6

Agree, I think everyone should be hype with that building center depth with Habs, Suzuki, Dach and soon Beck. That's very ecouraging for many years to come!

 

[Scintillating10]

Caufield-Suzuki-Dach
RHP-Monahan-Anderson
Slafkovski-Newhook-Ylonen/Roy
Pezzetta-Evans-Gallagher
Armia

Injured: Dvo

I got Armia and Pezetta our 13/14th forwards.

If Dvorak can't start season Suzuki/Dach/Monahan/Evans done the middle. What to play Dach ton at center. Give him amble time for experience.

Anderson with Slaf makes big line. With either Monahan or Dach. Newhook and Ylonen on other line. I think Ylonen may make it because he out of options. Evans centering RHP and Gallagher on 4th line

 

[lakai17]

not much talk on Justin Barron the underrated defenceman.

 

[KevSkillz4]

not much talk on Justin Barron the underrated defenceman.

Agree with you that he is underrated !

 

[26Mats]

I got Armia and Pezetta our 13/14th forwards.

If Dvorak can't start season Suzuki/Dach/Monahan/Evans done the middle. What to play Dach ton at center. Give him amble time for experience.

Anderson with Slaf makes big line. With either Monahan or Dach. Newhook and Ylonen on other line. I think Ylonen may make it because he out of options. Evans centering RHP and Gallagher on 4th line

I like Ylonen, but I have RHP ahead of Ylonen and it's not even close.

 

[TT1]

RHP - Suzuki - Caufield
Slaf - Monahan - Dach
Anderson - Newhook - Gallagher
Ylonen/Armia - Evans - Armia/Ylonen
Pezz/Dvo

or

RHP - Suzuki - Caufield
Newhook - Dach - Anderson
Slaf - Monahan - Gallagher
Ylonen/Armia - Evans - Armia/Ylonen
Pezz/Dvo