Hindsight Feb 2017

Laurentide

Registered User
Mar 24, 2018
3,249
3,414
Edmonton, Alberta
Was thinking a little about last year's lead-up to the trade deadline and what things might look like if Bergevin could better read the tea leaves on what the future held in store.

After a hot start, Therrien was fired on Feb 14th when the team was 31-19-8 (.545). Team held-on with Julien and finished 47-26-9 (.559) and won the Atlantic only to lose to the Rangers in the first round. Holding on to our upcoming UFA's and adding depth for a playoff run seemed like the right move at the time. However, recognizing that the team was barely playing .500 hockey since November, there was an opportunity (fans wound't have accepted it) to better manage assets:

1) Imagine had we traded UFA Markov for a late 2017 first round pick
2) Imagine had we traded UFA Radulov for a mid 2017 first round pick
3) Imagine had we not traded for Ott and kept our 2018 6th
4) Imagine had we not traded for King and kept our 2018 4th
5) Imagine had we not traded for Martisen and kept Sven Andrighetto
6) Imagine had we not traded for Benn and kept our 2017 4th and Pateryn

Our prospect depth would be way better today. But hindsight is always 20/20 and obviously things worked out much differently
What you're essentially asking is why we didn't tear it down and rebuild. Because the Habs don't rebuild. Ever.
 

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,520
11,179
Montreal
I had no problem with wanting to go for it so I would not have traded Radulov & Markov. The acquisitions of Martinsen, Ott and King ended up being pointless but that underscores MB's lack of vision. The man doesn't know how to build a winning team.

I think the more important date was the off season. MB should have traded Captain Ready then. He could have had a king's ransom in return. Today he'll be lucky to get a millionaire's chump change. Most of the league except for Tortarella didn't know that Captain Ready was made of marshmallow psychologically. Today many hockey people realize that Patches is made of jelly. Also, he should have kept Sergachev and look into getting a couple of legit top six centers. Captain Ready back then would have returned a good young center prospect. But not today.

If he would have re-signed Markov & Radulov, kept Sergachev and traded the Captain for a legit top 6 center we would have been one center away from being contenders. And I don't believe Price would have had the melt down he did have.

But with this dunce of a GM it will always be what ifs and could have beens. He thinks tinkering with 4th liners and bottom pair d-men is the way to build a winning team.
 

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,520
11,179
Montreal
No hindsight needed MB was garbage is garbage and will continue to be garbage. Anybody thinking this roster had a chance to be contenders after the subban deal were kidding themselves...Maybe we can find a better offensive center than deharnais in the next 10 years
MB just told me you play too much playstation. Come back to earth.
 
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Leon Lucius Black

Registered User
Nov 5, 2007
15,741
5,251
The biggest downfall in February 2017 was hiring another dinosaur as head coach who's system revolves on goalies putting up over a .930 save % to win games and would rather play plugs like Flynn/Froese/Benn/Logan Shaw etc. rather than letting young players have more responsibilities and play in positions they succeed..
 
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The Gr8 Dane

L'harceleur
Jan 19, 2018
10,829
20,637
Montreal
The biggest downfall in February 2017 was hiring another dinosaur as head coach who's system revolves on goalies putting up over a .930 save % to win games and would rather play plugs like Flynn/Froese/Benn/Logan Shaw etc. rather than letting young players have more responsibilities and play in positions they succeed..

Hey it didint work for the first 5 years maybe it will work now? Lmao
 
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