Confirmed with Link: Habs sign Hayden Verbeek

[le_sean]

I don’t need to see him play to know he won’t be an NHL
His draft year and the 2 after that he wasn’t even .5 pts a a game now as 20year old he isn’t a PPG
I couldn’t care less if he has 25 even strength goals
I’m Getting a huge laugh at some comparing him to Gallagher
Verbeek a 2nd line player ... sure thing. Right

You’re acting like he’s 28 years old and that they gave up a draft pick for him.

He’s 20 and cost nothing.

 

[Fazkovsky]

You’re acting like he’s 28 years old and that they gave up a draft pick for him.

He’s 20 and cost nothing.

Hey I’m 28 . What do you have against old 28 year olds ?

 

[le_sean]

Hey I’m 28 . What do you have against old 28 year olds ?

I’m 32. You’re over the hill, believe me

 

[Runner77]

Could he not just be a AHL signing??

I don’t know, I’m just trying to make sense of the signing, if not for Montreal, maybe it’s more of a Laval signing. I don’t know how many contracts they have left to give.

If the kid has wheels and works hard I say why not....

But then again, I could be way off on this one. If this kids game is totally flaws, I’d like to know a posters take on why.

We don't know without having a full grasp of the market and opportunity cost.

All we know is that we're lacking in quality organizational depth, certainly lacking at key positions and that there have been free agent signings of players who are better than Verbeek. All we're hoping for is that this isn't another nudge-nudge, I'll sign your kid cause we used to be great buddies playing on the same team, à la Christian Thomas.

So before signing the Verbeeks of this world, how about aggressively pursuing and signing those who have a higher ceiling than Verbeek? Did you hear what Alex Barré-Boulet said when he was asked why he signed with the Lightning -- they were the first to contact him. Right in our backyard.

 

[Runner77]

Montreal needs all kinds of depth at every position. It's not a bad signing, but it isn't sexy. More of the "character" type player that Bergevin loves so much, so people are frustrated because we're a team dying for skill.

There need to be more skill signings and the fact that there are skilled players who went undrafted, who may be late bloomers or were wrongly evaluated, is where a team with limited quality organizational depth like the Habs, have to pounce and beat out the competition. Until that happens, signings like Verbeek are just going to reinforce a failed approach.

 

[Runner77]

And did anybody in the media ever criticize Bergevin's blatant nepotism? Not that I've heard of.

I'm hearing it more and more on RDS, but they won't label it nepotism.

 

[lo striver]

I'm hearing it more and more on RDS, but they won't label it nepotism.

may be they can't spell it or just never heard of the word

 

[Runner77]

Here's what Brock had to say about him back in January in a top 10 undrafted players worth signing.

10. Hayden Verbeek - Forward - Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds
Absolute warrior on the ice. Easily one of the hardest working players in the league. Doesn't have the world's most dynamic skill set ... Verbeek is also one of the OHL's best penalty killers. Again, not sure the offensive skill set is good enough for him to be a significant NHL player, but if the Hounds make it all the way this year, he's going to get a ton of exposure. All heart. All hustle.

Absolute warrior ... but doesn't have the world's most dynamic skill set. Great defensively but dubious offensive skill set.

The player epitomizes Bergevin's "vision".

 

[WinterLion]

Absolute warrior ... but doesn't have the world's most dynamic skill set. Great defensively but dubious offensive skill set.

The player epitomizes Bergevin's "vision".

Bergevin definitely needs to add more skill, but guys with tons of heart and hustle are great to have around!! Hope he works out!

 

[Runner77]

may be they can't spell it or just never heard of the word

Friends helping friends is what makes the Habs and their captive broadcasters go round.

 

[Runner77]

Bergevin definitely needs to add more skill, but guys with tons of heart and hustle are great to have around!! Hope he works out!

For sure, we all do. I think this player is just unfortunately caught in a crossfire of the organization doing poorly at several levels and a blatant lack of skill not being more aggressively and effectively addressed. No one's saying that he can't fill a role. Hoping the next free agent is more in line with filling a glaring need.

 

[Andrei79]

Absolute warrior ... but doesn't have the world's most dynamic skill set. Great defensively but dubious offensive skill set.

The player epitomizes Bergevin's "vision".

Hes not "great" defensively. Lundestrom is "great" defensively.

Verbeek is good on the PK. Thats a nuance that I feel is worth noting.

 

[David Suzuki]

You’re acting like he’s 28 years old and that they gave up a draft pick for him.

He’s 20 and cost nothing.

We have loads of contracts left to give out. He's a future AHL depth player who will likely never see an NHL game. Not sure why people are so upset over this other then the fact that they want to hear themselves complain.

 

[LaP]

For sure, we all do. I think this player is just unfortunately caught in a crossfire of the organization doing poorly at several levels and a blatant lack of skill not being more aggressively and effectively addressed. No one's saying that he can't fill a role. Hoping the next free agent is more in line with filling a glaring need.

Of course no one is saying that. If he's as fast and work as hard as people say he is then a 4th line of Deslauriers-DLR-Verbeek could be fun to watch. But like you said it doesn't change anything for this team. It remembers me last summer. Some people were saying we had to do something instead of doing nothing moves. People were replying just wait it will come those nothing moves don't hurt anyway. Well it is what it is ... I would not even bother replying if our management was good. I mean it would be at worst a good signature for the Rocket.

But let's be honest we are far from Will Butcher or Alex Kerfoot here imo. It would be fun to have something exciting to cheer about before next fall.

 

[Runner77]

Hes not "great" defensively. Lundestrom is "great" defensively.

Verbeek is good on the PK. Thats a nuance that I feel is worth noting.

Maybe you know the player and you've had multiple viewings? I was just drawing inferences and comparatives from the scouting report that was provided.

He's apparently one of the OHL's "best penalty killers". I have no idea if that statement is accurate, all I know is that it accurately gets Bergevin's attention.

 

[Habs76]

No points by Verbeek in an 8-0 game. lol

I've thought he looked pretty good, real fast and agile with good hands and had some decent chances. He got an assist on the 7-0 Howdeshell goal btw, announcers just let us know

 

[The Great Weal]

I've thought he looked pretty good, real fast and agile with good hands and had some decent chances. He got an assist on the 7-0 Howdeshell goal btw, announcers just let us know

Yeah I just saw that.

 

[Runner77]

Of course no one is saying that. If he's as fast and work as hard as people say he is then a 4th line of Deslauriers-DLR-Verbeek could be fun to watch. But like you said it doesn't change anything for this team. It remembers me last summer. Some people were saying we had to do something instead of doing nothing moves. People were replying just wait it will come those nothing moves don't hurt anyway. Well it is what it is ... I would not even bother replying if our management was good. I mean it would be at worst a good signature for the Rocket.

But let's be honest we are far from Will Butcher or Alex Kerfoot here imo. It would be fun to have something exciting to cheer about before next fall.

How about adding some high risk/high reward type players? I don't follow them closely enough, but aren't there some worth pursuing? When you have so many contract slots available, can't we take the chance, instead of focusing on the low-ceiling player that every organization finds and develops on the cheap.

Otherwise, you're just tempted to say "Yesssss, our organization landed the type of player every club has already in their depth chart or that they routinely sign every year with their eyes closed."

Give me the head case who has a chance to become an Evander Kane rather than almost always going for the great guy in the locker room who can't score if his life depended on it.

 

[Andrei79]

Maybe you know the player and you've had multiple viewings? I was just drawing inferences and comparatives from the scouting report that was provided.

He's apparently one of the OHL's "best penalty killers". I have no idea if that statement is accurate, all I know is that it accurately gets Bergevin's attention.

My post wasnt to call yours out fwiw, but sometimes we assume that because a player lacks talent and can play the PK, that he plays a better defensive game than he actually does. That said, yes he's very good on the PK, but he has the defensive abilities of your future 4th liners.

As a comparison, Plekanec when he went to Hamilton was what I consider great defensively. So was Chipchura.

 

[Runner77]

My post wasnt to call yours out fwiw, but sometimes we assume that because a player lacks talent and can play the PK, that he plays a better defensive game than he actually does. That said, yes he's very good on the PK, but he has the defensive abilities of your future 4th liners.

As a comparison, Plekanec when he went to Hamilton was what I consider great defensively. So was Chipchura.

I didn't take your post as an attack, just wanted to ascertain if the scouting report was accurate in the glowing description they afforded him as one of the OHL's best penalty killers.

Chipchura never had great skating ability. How's Verbeek's speed?

 

[Andrei79]

I didn't take your post as an attack, just wanted to ascertain if the scouting report was accurate in the glowing description they afforded him as one of the OHL's best penalty killers.

Chipchura never had great skating ability. How's Verbeek's speed?

Very fast, quick legs, always looks like hes bringing it, so hes fun to watch at a junior level.

 

[LaP]

Very fast, quick legs, always looks like hes bringing it, so hes fun to watch at a junior level.

Pretty much describe Christian Thomas at the junior level

 

[Mrb1p]

Yeah that's the sense I got from him in game one, also thought it looked like he was shying away from board battles. He's looked much better today but I haven't been paying 100% attention to the game

Mods you goofed on moving these posts... Verbeek is not Hayton..

 

[montreal]

Mods you goofed on moving these posts... Verbeek is not Hayton..

it's fixed, thanks for pointing it out.

 

[WinterLion]

For sure, we all do. I think this player is just unfortunately caught in a crossfire of the organization doing poorly at several levels and a blatant lack of skill not being more aggressively and effectively addressed. No one's saying that he can't fill a role. Hoping the next free agent is more in line with filling a glaring need.

For sure.
I'm hoping we can get one of the D out of college. It's a bigger need and there is a gap to fill before guys like Brook & Fleury are ready.. plus I'm a fan of college as a development route for D especially...