Confirmed with Link: Habs invite Joel Ward to training camp

[Domenic]

Did you look at how many forwards we have? Unless the plan is to have him in Laval as a vet like Ajay Baynes and Mike Keane, yes he's gonna be competing with them as silly as it sounds given what they bring to the table.

He’s on a PTO. If the plan was for him to get a regular turn in the lineup they’d have signed him. If he plays well enough to earn a contract, whether it’s in Montreal or Laval, then good for him, but he is not here to replace Scherbak, Hudon, or Lehkonen. At most, he replaces Shaw until he comes back, and pushes a few rookies at camp.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Everyone is freaking out like he was signed.

PTO means nothing until he gets an actual contract and could be gone like Streit.

Calm down, wait until he's signed to a PTO and then have a potential (un)warranted freak out.

 

[PhysicX]

We're on a Joel run.

Joel Bouchard
Joel Armia
Joel Ward

Time to get Joel Edmundson & Joel Eriksson Ek.

 

[Kriss E]

I like the guy but I'd rather they just play the kids, unless they want to flip him at the trade deadline if he is worth something

I think that's the objective. It's definitely what I would do. Get a bunch of guys I will sell.
Plekanec, Benn, Ward, Byron, any picks added for those guys is a big plus in my book.

I have no issue with this whatsoever.

EDIT: Actually, looking at our roster, it does seem a bit redundant and will push some kids out. Didn't realize we had so many kids or youngsters around. Scherbak, Hudon, DLR, Lek, Armia, Peca all need to get some ice time. That's almost two lines already. Add in regulars like Drouin, Domi, Plek, Tatar, Byron, Danault, Gallagher, Shaw....That's 8 regulars...Add in Dlo and Ward...that's another 8 guys competing for 4 spots, most of which are youngsters..
Seems a bit much.

 

[Kriss E]

To play devil's advocate, what's the most a guy like Ward will fetch you realistically speaking (expecting an even bigger regression than his stats from last year)? A fifth? A fourth if you're lucky? I'd rather we keep DLo and Peca around since the payoff is bigger and they are younger if we decide we want to have them around when we start making some noise again.

He was consistently scoring 20 not too long ago in three back to back seasons. If he can get around the 15g-30pt mark, maybe a 2nd-3rd-4th depending on the demand.
Peca is signed for another season, I don't think they would trade him even if he has a great year and is in demand.
DLo...meh...I'd bet anything he has a bigger chance of being in the AHL by xmas than anything else.

Ward has the most upside.

 

[The Great Weal]

Bad move i don't like it at all ... Hudon and Scherbak are 5th on the depth chart LW-RW , too many players on the roster.

He is on a PTO, not a 2 year contract. Who knows if he even makes it?

 

[Lshap]

I loved Ward a few years back. Cool to see him practicing with our team, though I don't see any way he could or should become a regular here. As other have said, we're stocked to the brim with young wingers. I'm not sold on Ward having much trade value, so I don't see much point to this.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

He was consistently scoring 20 not too long ago in three back to back seasons. If he can get around the 15g-30pt mark, maybe a 2nd-3rd-4th depending on the demand.
Peca is signed for another season, I don't think they would trade him even if he has a great year and is in demand.
DLo...meh...I'd bet anything he has a bigger chance of being in the AHL by xmas than anything else.

Ward has the most upside.

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)

 

[Edgy]

Keeping veterans over waiver-exempt young kids is different than losing young players on waivers for free to keep a guy that's 37 though.

There's no indication that Bergevin would be willing to lose a player like Peca or Scherbak for free on waivers just to sign Ward.

No, it's not. Losing a young talent on waivers or burying them in the minors where they never develop any further are the same exact thing.

 

[vokiel]

We're on a Joel run.

Joel Bouchard
Joel Armia
Joel Ward

Joel Teasdale

 

[PhysicX]

Joel Teasdale

He's not NHL-ready yet, but you're right.

 

[Hostile Offer]

There is literally no downside in inviting vets to the camp. I like Ward, and I hope he still has enough gas left in the tank to be able to boost the kids at least a little. We probably don't have room in the lineup to sign him but if he plays well, maybe he can get a contract from somewhere else. PTOs are like the least harmful thing in hockey.

 

[Deluded Puck]

Got rid of Subban and DSP; it’s too late a move to mend bridges

 

[Adam Michaels]

 

[mariolemieux66]

Thank you for everything you bring to this place

 

[sergejean]

I doubt Joel Ward plays but if he does and can have some success, he could be flipped/packaged up at the trade deadline (the guy is a good veteran presence and has proven to be a solid playoff performer).

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I doubt Joel Ward plays but if he does and can have some success, he could be flipped/packaged up at the trade deadline (the guy is a good veteran presence and has proven to be a solid playoff performer).

Any value he adds by impressing at camp comes at the expense of one of the young guys. I'd rather develop our own than bring in Ward to take a spot away from one of them in order to maybe get something similar to what we already had except with a lost year of development. Bringing him in with the makeup of our roster literally makes zero sense. I don't think there is any potential upside here.

Just when you think MB is turning the corner, his old habits keep popping back up.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Any value he adds by impressing at camp comes at the expense of one of the young guys. I'd rather develop our own than bring in Ward to take a spot away from one of them in order to maybe get something similar to what we already had except with a lost year of development. Bringing him in with the makeup of our roster literally makes zero sense. I don't think there is any potential upside here.

I agree. I'm fine with Ward coming to camp to take up a veteran spot seeing as there are certain rules in place for preseason games. But that's as far as I'd like to take it with him, personally.

 

[Tighthead]

Any value he adds by impressing at camp comes at the expense of one of the young guys. I'd rather develop our own than bring in Ward to take a spot away from one of them in order to maybe get something similar to what we already had except with a lost year of development. Bringing him in with the makeup of our roster literally makes zero sense. I don't think there is any potential upside here.

Just when you think MB is turning the corner, his old habits keep popping back up.

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.

 

[Hostile Offer]

Any value he adds by impressing at camp comes at the expense of one of the young guys. I'd rather develop our own than bring in Ward to take a spot away from one of them in order to maybe get something similar to what we already had except with a lost year of development. Bringing him in with the makeup of our roster literally makes zero sense. I don't think there is any potential upside here.

Just when you think MB is turning the corner, his old habits keep popping back up.

Ward is the kind of player MB would trade a throwaway pick for at the TDL a few years ago but I will be extremely surprised if we end up signing him.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

Ward is the kind of player MB would trade a throwaway pick for at the TDL a few years ago but I will be extremely surprised if we end up signing him.

If Julien like his grindy game and has the right character and attitude for Marc, Ward will be a Hab.

 

[Hostile Offer]

If Julien like his grindy game and has the right character and attitude for Marc, Ward will be a Hab.

This is a PTO. Other teams can sign him too.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

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.

If he's here to fill a spot and nothing else, fine, but my comment was about signing him, not the PTO. MB has a history of coveting this exact type of player, so I am sorry if I have my reservations about this move and the question the true motives of MB.

 

[sharks9]

No, it's not. Losing a young talent on waivers or burying them in the minors where they never develop any further are the same exact thing.

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

 

[Stive Morgan]

Time to get Joel Edmundson & Joel Eriksson Ek.

Joel Edmundson is actually a beast. Most underrated D in the NHL.