Is Dominique Ducharme over his head?

[Hostile Offer]

The team isn't doing any worse than they were towards the end of Julien's tenure. Coaching change was necessary, although it looks like Ducharme is not the right fit for this team either. Then again he's working with an interim label and the results so far certainly aren't favouring his promotion so it's quite probable he won't be the HC come next year (whether the GM is the same or not).

 

[Raze The Stray]

Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken...

You can absolutely make chicken salad out of chicken.

 

[HTTP 400]

Ducharme is trying to implement a system that many of his players, mostly dmen, can't play. You can't put a square in a round hole.

There's also been a total lack of net presence and danger zone shots. That's probably not part of his game plan, but it's been the actual result of it so far.

Also, Gallagher is everything for this team. His loss is greatly underestimated.

Anyway, Bergevin is highly to blame for this fiasco. I hope Calgary or Vancouver goes on a hot streak and save everyone from an embarrassing playoff appearance.

 

[Yackiberg8]

Julien is a very good coach that was replaced with an unknown, so the firing was probably a bad idea. That said, wasn't the team trending that way with Julien already after a hot start?

Ducharme was not an unknown.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Problem, from the start, has been the GM.

People praised him for his off season acquisitions, but, if you look at the big picture, they were very stupid. Not that he did not acquire good players. In a vaccuum, those were good adds. The problem was that it was adding complementary pieces to a rotten core. Weber and Price are too old. The young guys (Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov) are good pieces, but nothing really exciting. Drouin is a terrible player. Danault is fine, but he is what he is and he is an expiring contract. Gallagher is a piece I would take on the Pens tomorrow morning... but he is one guy. Petry is very good, but he is on the older side.

So, basically, the Habs did what they have been doing for two decades. They patched holes and tried to compete for a playoff spot. That was stupid, IMO.

Caufield, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov are all good young assets. But none of them are the franchize player type. That's what the Habs are missing and you very rarely get those by drafting 15th. They should have traded guys like Petry and Danault away and rebuild completely. They won't do that ever and that's why they will never contend for a long time.

 

[Do or Die]

Look at their roster with Julien. Look at their roster now.

 

[branch]

No, the team just isn't that good. It's Bergevin's fault and always has been.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Any coach that has to deal with expectations in Montréal is in over his head.

 

[swimmer77]

I thought they actually looked better right after Ducharme took over. IDK, between COVID in general, postponements because of COVID, games piling up, Gallagher's injury, Drouin sucking and Bergevin handcuffing the roster a lot of coaches may be in over their head.

Julien was the benefactor of two new brooms (Toffoli and Anderson) sweeping clean. But now the dustballs are starting to accumulate again.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Problem, from the start, has been the GM.

People praised him for his off season acquisitions, but, if you look at the big picture, they were very stupid. Not that he did not acquire good players. In a vaccuum, those were good adds. The problem was that it was adding complementary pieces to a rotten core. Weber and Price are too old. The young guys (Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov) are good pieces, but nothing really exciting. Drouin is a terrible player. Danault is fine, but he is what he is and he is an expiring contract. Gallagher is a piece I would take on the Pens tomorrow morning... but he is one guy. Petry is very good, but he is on the older side.

So, basically, the Habs did what they have been doing for two decades. They patched holes and tried to compete for a playoff spot. That was stupid, IMO.

Caufield, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov are all good young assets. But none of them are the franchize player type. That's what the Habs are missing and you very rarely get those by drafting 15th. They should have traded guys like Petry and Danault away and rebuild completely. They won't do that ever and that's why they will never contend for a long time.

this

 

[Scandale du Jour]

this

I did forget one important piece though: I think they have a good young goalie in Laval who could be their long time starter. Forget the name though.

 

[nilan30]

-The team has been a little unlucky in that when they've been at their worst recently and got two #3 overall draft picks, they were in drafts where there weren't a ton of gamebreakers. Galchenyuk and Kotkaniemi are decent players but certainly not elite.
-First round drafting has been pretty bad for a looooong time. Hopefully Caufield and Guhle turn that around a little bit. I have know idea how to compare with other teams early-round drafting over say the last 12-15 years but they've gotta be among the worst.
-The two highest paid players (Weber and Price) certainly don't play like it and seem like they'll be pretty big anchors for several more years.
-Gallagher is probably the worst player to be out long term for this team. He really is the straw that stirs the drink on this team
-Defence has gotten way too slow. Don't get me wrong, stay at home d-men are important, but you can't have four of them that are really only stay-at-home style. You need more than one or two that can skate and move the puck.
-The team in general is way to slow. The limited times they had success in the last few years was from being very fast. Adding Perry, Staal, Toffoli etc and now this team seems to get outskated on a regular basis
-In almost my whole life this team hasn't had any offensive superstars. I believe Kovalev was the last point per game player in 08. Damphousse the last 40 goal scorer in like 94. And I think Mats Naslund was the last 100 pt guy in probably 1986 ish. It's amazing how a team can go so long with no top end talent.
-There's so much wrong with this team, that I have basically no faith in them anymore. I'll admit they fooled me a bit at the start of the year (although not as much as they fooled others) but now they've become the same old pile of garbage

 

[Kranix]

Problem, from the start, has been the GM.

People praised him for his off season acquisitions, but, if you look at the big picture, they were very stupid. Not that he did not acquire good players. In a vaccuum, those were good adds. The problem was that it was adding complementary pieces to a rotten core. Weber and Price are too old. The young guys (Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov) are good pieces, but nothing really exciting. Drouin is a terrible player. Danault is fine, but he is what he is and he is an expiring contract. Gallagher is a piece I would take on the Pens tomorrow morning... but he is one guy. Petry is very good, but he is on the older side.

So, basically, the Habs did what they have been doing for two decades. They patched holes and tried to compete for a playoff spot. That was stupid, IMO.

Caufield, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov are all good young assets. But none of them are the franchize player type. That's what the Habs are missing and you very rarely get those by drafting 15th. They should have traded guys like Petry and Danault away and rebuild completely. They won't do that ever and that's why they will never contend for a long time.

You rarely get a franchise player, period.
Where was Gallagher, the one player on the habs everyone likes, drafted?
Where in the draft did Boston get their core players?
Kotkoniemi, nothing really exciting according to you, 3rd overall.
Galchenyuk, who's bounced around more than Mike Sillinger, 3rd overall.

 

[Treb]

I did forget one important piece though: I think they have a good young goalie in Laval who could be their long time starter. Forget the name though.

Cayden Primeau, son of Keith.

He was exceptional the years he played in the NCAA. He also has great stretches in the AHL, but has hit a few bumps as expected of a young goalie.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

You rarely get a franchise player, period.
Where was Gallagher, the one player on the habs everyone likes, drafted?
Where in the draft did Boston get their core players?

I like Gallagher, but he is not a franchise player.

Boston is the exception, not the rule. And they did have a few top picks along the way.

Chicago (Toews, Kane), Los Angeles (Kopitar), Pittsburgh (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury), Washington (Ovechkin, Backstrom), Toronto (Matthews, Marner, Reilly), Tampa Bay (Stamkos, Hedman).

Habs had two top-3 picks in the last decade and missed on both. Part of it is bad luck, part of it is very bad development. Montreal's franchise player was Price (5th overall), but they never correctly build around him.

Fact of the matter is, Habs have been very poorly managed for a long time.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

I like Gallagher, but he is not a franchise player.

Boston is the exception, not the rule. And they did have a few top picks along the way.

Chicago (Toews, Kane), Los Angeles (Kopitar), Pittsburgh (Crosby, Malkin, Fleury), Washington (Ovechkin, Backstrom), Toronto (Matthews, Marner, Reilly), Tampa Bay (Stamkos, Hedman).

Habs had two top-3 picks in the last decade and missed on both. Part of it is bad luck, part of it is very bad development. Montreal's franchise player was Price (5th overall), but they never correctly build around him.

Fact of the matter is, Habs have been very poorly managed for a long time.

idk if its pressure from the owners but habs never manage to make a proper rebuild,i dont care what some might think but Habs will go nowhere with Weber/Price,its time to move on and build around KK,Suzuki,Romanov,Caufield and Primeau

forget franchise players we havent had an elite player in years....

and our GM can thank this bad division because the Canadiens dont deserve to be in the playoffs

 

[Rafafouille]

Don't want him staying past his interim tag, he's still way too conservative just like Julien was and relies too much on vets that are past their prime and plays not to lose(Things like playing Danault Byron and co in OT). The defense still bleeds goals and our offense is dried because the players are scared to take risks.


As for the OP, he's not 64 points bad, the math is wrong. He's 10-10-5 for an 82 point pace. Still nowhere playoffs worthy.

 

[Doc5]

Problem, from the start, has been the GM.

People praised him for his off season acquisitions, but, if you look at the big picture, they were very stupid. Not that he did not acquire good players. In a vaccuum, those were good adds. The problem was that it was adding complementary pieces to a rotten core. Weber and Price are too old. The young guys (Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov) are good pieces, but nothing really exciting. Drouin is a terrible player. Danault is fine, but he is what he is and he is an expiring contract. Gallagher is a piece I would take on the Pens tomorrow morning... but he is one guy. Petry is very good, but he is on the older side.

So, basically, the Habs did what they have been doing for two decades. They patched holes and tried to compete for a playoff spot. That was stupid, IMO.

Caufield, Suzuki, Kotkaniemi and Romanov are all good young assets. But none of them are the franchize player type. That's what the Habs are missing and you very rarely get those by drafting 15th. They should have traded guys like Petry and Danault away and rebuild completely. They won't do that ever and that's why they will never contend for a long time.

I hate how accurate this is

 

[Captain97]

Our non prime players haven't been playing well (guys under 24 and over 30), it's bound to happen when most of your core isn't in its prime on one end or the other.

Our top 2 centres are 20 and 21 respectively inconsistency is to be expected.

 

[TOGuy14]

Anderson, Perry and Toffoli were scoring way off recent and historic norms at start of season.

Now that has normalized they are what they are

 

[McJC]

To be honest the team is trash, what do you want the coach to do? Suit up and play? These guys are 2nd/3rd line tweeners up front with a decent few d-men playing in front of a good goalie. Absolutely no talent at F and lacking a gamebreaker, their best option is to play chippy and they can't do that properly without being dirty.

 

[sansabri]

Ducharme isn't the one to blame. new coach can't just get guys to buy into a new system right away. that takes more than a year

 

[El Travo]

I have no idea what's going on in Montreal as I haven't paid too much attention to them, but even good coaches will have bad results if they're thrown into a less than ideal situation. Bednar for Colorado had a 48 point season in his first year and now he's challenging for the Presidents Trophy and his team is considered a favourite.

 

[Gotaf7]

Who built the team?

 

[VanillaCoke]

I have a hard time believing Montreal would be this bad if they'd just kept Julien.

Ducharme has seemed extremely underwhelming to me.