Confirmed with Link: Habs invite Joel Ward to training camp

[OnTheRun]

So for the second time, even if the purpose in signing him is to meet the veteran minimum for exhibition games, it is your firm position that bringing him in makes “literally zero sense”.

If the signing is for utility and not for upside, it’s pointless to grade it on the basis of upside.

Let's do the math.

You have 2 goalie qualified as vet who won't be on the same squad till the very end, you need 14 more vets to run 2 squads.

1. Petry
2. Benn
3. Schlemko
4. Alzer
5. Despres
6. Ouellet
7. Reilly
8. Mete
9. Gally
10. Drouin
11. Byron
12. Hudon
13. Danault
14. Plekanec
15. Lehkonen
16. Deslauriers
17. DLR
18. Froese
19. Domi
20. Tatar
21. Armia
22. Kotkaniemi

Well that's enough "vets" to run 3 squads and that's with Ward's PTO excluded...

 

[Edgy]

How? In one scenario, they're still part of your organization and if they're waiver-exempt it means they're still young enough to be learning and improving in the AHL.

In the other scenario, they're no longer your teams property and you will never get anything from them. Completely different scenarios

Simple. If the kid is too good for the AHL, can't develop much further unless he's competing at a different level then it's a wasted talent that will eventually become an aging average AHL lifer instead of potentially an NHL caliber player. And if he's traded, and ends up developing as expected we would have lost a young NHL talent in favor of an aging one.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

perfect soldier for the attitude era

 

[Stive Morgan]

 

[Runner77]

perfect soldier for the attitude era

 

[Kriss E]

I wouldn't disagree with you if we were talking about Ward 5 years ago but he's going to be 38 pretty soon. You may be right about his value but that would speak more about how bad GMs are with managing their picks (cough Winnik & Polak)

Depends how well he does.

 

[tazsub3]

not a bad invitation anymore consider what happened to deslaurier, good to have options

 

[26Mats]

not a bad invitation anymore consider what happened to deslaurier, good to have options

I would love for him to accept to start the season in Laval. He'd be great with the young players. Or, he'd be good here as the 14th forward. (I have DLR as 12th and Plekanec as 13th, but since Julien will have Plekanec in the top 12, DLR gets bumped to 13th).

But I would rather keep 8 dmen and 13 forwards, no 14th forward role available.

And it's better to keep a veteran than a young player in the press box, and we have 3 great candidates for the #7 and #8 dmen in the press box roles: Benn, Alzner, and Schlemko. Let the competition begin.

When Weber comes back:

Mete Weber
Reilly Petry
Ouellet Juulsen

While Weber's out:

Reilly Petry
Mete Juulsen
Ouellet Schlemko

 

[David Suzuki]

People making fun of Joel Ward should get perma banned. Nicest guy in hockey. Would take him at 38 over McCaron at 23.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

People making fun of Joel Ward should get perma banned. Nicest guy in hockey. Would take him at 38 over McCaron at 23.

You're not exactly going out on a limb here. McCaron is hot garbage.

 

[Habs13]

Looks like Byron will be ready.

This roster is hilariously bad. Holy crap, how the mighty fall.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

I'd rather have a guy like Ward as the 13th/14th forward over McCarron, we are really young at forward so doesn't hurt to have a guy like him in the room.

We had plugs like Logan Shaw and Byron Froese playing on our third line, as much as Ward has regressed he's still better than those two.

 

[BLONG7]

Game action tonight for Ward.............let's see if MB's broken clock mantra works for Ward!!

 

[mariolemieux66]

Game action tonight for Ward.............let's see if MB's broken clock mantra works for Ward!!

I am seriously rooting for Ward, he will be a good add on a playoff bound team if he shows he can keep up.

 

[26Mats]

I am seriously rooting for Ward, he will be a good add on a playoff bound team if he shows he can keep up.

Im the biggest fan there is of adding vets on 1 year deals and then trading them at the deadline. Would be great to get 2nds for Plekance, ward, and Byron. But, the dilemma is playing them takes away ice time from the young guys.

I'd rather a new 2nd than giving dlr ice time to develop. But if those 3 are in the lineup, another young guy in addition to dlr needs to come out. I'd rather Scherbak, hudon and Lehtonen. Play than get a 2nd.

And of course theres no guarantee ward and or plekanec will play well enough to fetch such a price.

 

[De Montreal]

Well, on his short tenure here he did better than Peca, Deslauriers, Hudon have this season so far..

 

[1909]

Yeah. I would had kept Ward as #13 -#14 forward. Kept DLR. Not sign Peca nor Plekky. Sign UFA Antoine Vermette too to win draws.

 

[JohnLennon]

Well, on his short tenure here he did better than Peca, Deslauriers, Hudon have this season so far..

It's easier to look good in one or two pre-season hockey games as a veteran against borderline AHL players than regular season NHL hockey as a young player fighting for a spot on the team. I doubt Ward would be anywhere near these guys right now, or at least down the line as the seaosn goes on.

Plus, do we really want him taking playing time from the three players you listed? All young, all with potential, all able to solidify various roles throughout the lineup. I'd rather let the kids play and become more familiar with the league.

 

[26Mats]

Well, on his short tenure here he did better than Peca, Deslauriers, Hudon have this season so far..

I don't he's signed is he? it's not too late.

and i was pushing hard for Skinner, Duclair, and David Perron. I think we're missing them a lot more than Joel Ward.