Kojo
Registered User
- Nov 22, 2013
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Habs are a contender for next season as of today. Agree or disagree?
- Thread starter bobholly39
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Lebowski
El Duderino
- Dec 5, 2010
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Far from it. Our top 6 will take a huge hit with Vanek's departure. Our center group is still average. Our defense could go either way, depending on how Markov and Emelin play.
We're slowly getting there, but we're barely a first tier team as of right now, let alone a contender.
We're slowly getting there, but we're barely a first tier team as of right now, let alone a contender.
We need to wait til half the season has passed until we make such a statement. But without a player such as Vanek being a clear cut contender is almost unimaginable unless Galchenyuk really pushes the pace and stays healthy.
Lafleurs Guy
Guuuuuuuy!
- Jul 20, 2007
- 75,018
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One thing you can't forget when having this discussion is the fact that we're in a very weak Eastern Conference. I can't remember it ever being this weak.
Seriously, even without Vanek who is better? Boston maybe? Pittsburgh doesn't scare me and neither does anyone else. If we were in the West, totally different story as I think we'd struggle to make the playoffs without Vanek. In the East though? There's not really a team that scares me.
Now that we've lost Vanek, we've got a lot of work to do (esp on the wings) before we can be considered a legit contender. But we've got a good core group of players that we can really be positive about. I'm really interested in seeing what happens this summer.
Seriously, even without Vanek who is better? Boston maybe? Pittsburgh doesn't scare me and neither does anyone else. If we were in the West, totally different story as I think we'd struggle to make the playoffs without Vanek. In the East though? There's not really a team that scares me.
Now that we've lost Vanek, we've got a lot of work to do (esp on the wings) before we can be considered a legit contender. But we've got a good core group of players that we can really be positive about. I'm really interested in seeing what happens this summer.
Mike Mike Caron
Registered User
- Aug 29, 2010
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without Vanek I doubt that Gionta patrolling the right side of Thomas Plekanec get us to the PO, no way DD-Plek is a legit 1-2 punch.
When DD is our 1st line centre, sorry we need a legit 1st line centre. We need a 3-4 defenceman, who can clear the crease for Pricer. A stay at home type, think of Murray but he can skate...lol! We lose too many faceoffs and collapse back on Price way too much. We are still a work in progress like Bergy said.
macavoy
Registered User
DD has nothing to do with us being a contender. If we had a replacement for Vanek that was equally as good, we would be a contender even with DD.
We sucked this year without a true top 6 because we never replaced Ryder's production / Cole's the year before. But once you have a top 3 winger, it makes a world of difference.
Unfortunately there isn't a top 3 player outside of Vanek in this years UFA crop. So, given that, we likely aren't contenders because we can't replace him.
It don't matter if we lose face offs or rely on Price because we can rely on Price. But unless we can score or have a scoring threat, it don't matter.
Therrien gave a really good summation, he realized that it will be a struggle to make the playoffs next year. But he also realized, that we should have made the finals last year. Everyone says he sucks at communicating but I disagree, MB has brought out a different side of MT that we haven't seen before. He isn't the baffoon that he was in Pittsburg, he has actually grown as a coach.
Just wanted to point out that Bishop is also coming off an injury. Tampa - like most teams with top goalies - is just as dependant on the health of Bishop as we are on Price. Your point about Price will be worth revisiting if he has chronic injury issues, but so far (from what I know), it's been a small number of one-off injuries that healed completely - ankle, groin, knee. No need to send out the Tokarski-signal just yet.
TennisMenace
Registered User
As of now, no.
Look at our top two lines assuming Vanek gone. Not very scary is it. Plus, I still don't know Tins and Beaulieu are NHL redy.
Look at our top two lines assuming Vanek gone. Not very scary is it. Plus, I still don't know Tins and Beaulieu are NHL redy.
The issues that Plague this team remain.
Lack of balance.
We are screwed on D with our left handedness.
We need to find Two BIG bodies to play Gallagher with or his career will be a short one.
We need to address our C disaster.
We need to look hard and long at players who are ineffective and can't execute in the playoffs.
A long list but no worries we have depth???
Lack of balance.
We are screwed on D with our left handedness.
We need to find Two BIG bodies to play Gallagher with or his career will be a short one.
We need to address our C disaster.
We need to look hard and long at players who are ineffective and can't execute in the playoffs.
A long list but no worries we have depth???
A a real first line center
Two skilled top six forwards
One legit right handed 2nd pair d man or a first paid d man should one become available.
Two skilled top six forwards
One legit right handed 2nd pair d man or a first paid d man should one become available.
calder candidate
Registered User
He is a good "press conference" communicator . His problem is coaching , that hard hard head and his EGO. I would have fired him right after our last loss to the Rangers.
Forlando
Registered User
- Nov 14, 2007
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umm no....we need more pieces and not necessarily a generational talent kind of player....with that said...getting a guy like that would not hurt.
Forlando
Registered User
- Nov 14, 2007
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I was shocked the coaching staff allowed him to continue after that sequence. It was ugly and I was reasonably sure he was done for the moment it happened.
Hopefully there is no long-term negative impact from that sequence.
Ego whatchu talkin about dude????
I was trying to be kind ,take the edge off the comment. The only other word option was stupidity so I opted for ego to be more polite.
When it is more important for a coach to make his point publically than to win a conference final series, that is stupidity/ego at work, and a out of control coach. If he can not handle players like PK and TV one on one, in a closed room, and motivate them that is poor people skills. Our coach likes the public rod. (a fatal flaw)These are not children. He plays TV under 13 min in all of those loses to the Rangers and as low as 11 in some. He reduces his pp and offensive zone time . Most of his 5x5 play is on the fourth line. He is just a loaner, and never going to sign, so the coach rather than sitting down with TV one on one to motivate him and then creating the game situations to get the puck on his stick when he is in scoring position instead decides , big man that he is, that HE is going to make his rep by publically disciplining a top tier player to feed his EGO. All it cost him was the conference final. Not one fan noticed. Then those less than smart fans say a guy who got 11-12 min a game on the 4th line and took four shots over those four games underperformed. lol The guy who was our second leading pts guy btw. Then the GM extends him.lol FYI other UFAs notice this crap.
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habsrule22
Registered User
Boston will need to make some cuts to fill out there roster, they will be no where near as good as last year. N Lurch is aging, did you see him at the end of our play off round. He looked dead on his skates
Raimu
That weird Dragon girl
And the Kings are out in the first round if they lose one more game to San Jose.
Cole Caulifield
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- Apr 22, 2004
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As it stands right now we're not a contender.
We have huge holes on the wing, and Gorges has to go so we have some cap room to acquire a dman better than Gorges while freeing up space on the bottom pairing for the kids.
I haven't voted and won't, not until the roster is set because that will change everything.
If we make no changes and go back with the statu quo we aren't a contender at all. We're another decent team that is likely to make the playoffs if things unfold the way they are supposed to, and who could make noise in the playoffs with a bit of luck but who are extremely unlikely to win it all.
I'll withhold my vote a while longer. We'll have a much clearer picture in 2-3 days.
We have huge holes on the wing, and Gorges has to go so we have some cap room to acquire a dman better than Gorges while freeing up space on the bottom pairing for the kids.
I haven't voted and won't, not until the roster is set because that will change everything.
If we make no changes and go back with the statu quo we aren't a contender at all. We're another decent team that is likely to make the playoffs if things unfold the way they are supposed to, and who could make noise in the playoffs with a bit of luck but who are extremely unlikely to win it all.
I'll withhold my vote a while longer. We'll have a much clearer picture in 2-3 days.
