Is everybody breaking their ankles...

[Bacchus1]

Add to the poll: Who cares about what pessimistic people think.

 

[optimus2861]

Jumping off would assume being on in the first place. I'm not an optimist or a pessimist.

It is my opinion, based on the my experience, that this is just not a very good team.

This. I genuinely never expected this team to make the playoffs this year. We might back in at #8, and promptly get smoked by the Rangers in the opening round. Wow, let me try to contain my excitement at that outcome.

Frankly I'd rather we didn't actively try to improve this roster, and just let it finish where it will - probably anywhere from #10 on down. The lower the better. Snag a lotto pick and nab another blue-chip prospect, maybe even one of the Mooseheads stars. That will set us up nicely for 2-3 years down the road. Running in place on the mediocrity treadmill is pretty freakin' old now and I'm quite tired of it.

 

[voiceofytown]

No morale?? gee no GDT started either!!!!

 

[jhjhjhjhjhjh*]

I've never seen the words pessimistic, optimistic, realist being tossed around so much in a thread before.

 

[Wats]

The draft will be our playoffs.

 

[Agnostic]

This team is as bad on paper as it is on ice.

People are entitled to feel however they choose, however polls like this are in place just to drum up cheerleading for those that need it.

Like the stadium music with the bugles that ends in the crowd half heartedly chanting "Charge!" or "Go Habs Go".

 

[Beendair Donedat]

I just don't feel that the Habs have the necessary pieces to be Cup contenders... That's more of an indictment of past management than the current product that's on the ice... And without Subban our defense is atrocious, soft and lacks a number one. Markov isn't that player anymore.

Bergevin has addressed a couple of issues, but he needs another year or two to truly put his stamp on the team. At this point I can easily identify 8 teams that are better than Montreal. I will always cheer for the Habs to succeed, watch their games on Tv and live (when possible), but don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining. This isn't a good team yet and they'll likely struggle again this year. That's just the reality of the situation.

 

[Kjell Dahlin]

Kudos to the OP for his outburst of positivism in such a period! I mean it: it is so easy to be cynical.

As for me, I think we do not have the necessary D squad to reach the playoff but I still cheer for MY Canadiens. I won’t spend money on tickets/stuff because the on ice product is definitely not on par with the price but I will keep on subscribing to RDS to watch the games in hope to see glimpses of progression.

I know it does not sound very exciting but after the puck drop... the fan in me takes control!

 

[SeriousHabs]

You aren't on the bandwagon if you expect and hope for losses but you keep on watching.

I recommend that you avoid all Montreal media and that you start looking at other teams. St-Louis/Chicago tonight is a good place to start. Watch one period of that game, and tell me that the Habs belong in the same league.

Guess what made both those teams good? Yep, you guessed right!

 

[Mats NAslund]

This is still a transition year for the Habs. My expectations are low...

New coaches
New system
New players need tolearn how toplay together
Shortened season (no room for any learning curve)

If you think about it, as much as I want them to win they will be no better then a fringe playoff team at best.

In a shortened season like this and with prospects like McKinon Jones Barkov Drouin Lindholm it's a good time to stink it up.

It would be short lived pain (short season) for high return

 

[Zeroknowledge*]

You aren't on the bandwagon if you expect and hope for losses but you keep on watching.

I recommend that you avoid all Montreal media and that you start looking at other teams. St-Louis/Chicago tonight is a good place to start. Watch one period of that game, and tell me that the Habs belong in the same league.

Guess what made both those teams good? Yep, you guessed right!

The Blues were built insanely well, Only one top 5 pick that I can think off recently (Pietrangelo) there's Johnson too but he was traded. They were able to make great late first picks (Oshie, Perron, Berglund) and in later rounds (Backes). They traded for Tarasenko which was an amazing trade for them. There's also the Halak trade which is looking good for them. Their management and scouting is top notch and IMO it's only a matter of time before they win a cup.

It's a combination of amateur and professional scouting, Any team which has an elite scout in each of these will have a chance to win. What has crippled us here is pro scouting, trading and signing the Gomez, Kaberles and Bourques of the league, and signing some vets to long term deals (Markov, Gionta) we are headed towards a decline in skill and cap problems. Bergevin has a lot on his hands to turn the negativity into positive.

 

[bib]

Come on boys.

 

[Montreal Impact FC]

I think a lot of people are seing the big picture rather than what the organisation is trying to make it look like... this team as sold and traded some of the best producers we had.. cammy kostitsyn subban and brought in enforcers.. Prust armstrong and bouillon... even tough they bring energy thwy dont bring goals... the players that can break out could potentially flat out bust as well.. no one can say for sure The 1st line could repeat the highly successful season they had... Gio could be hitting the crossroad same with Markov and Kaberle... the coach... brings new system... nothing says he really is superior to JM. From an outsider pto we could say JM brought us to conference finals... we have basically the same team with only less depth and less talented players... if a tank was in order last year, imo its still is this season... the first lose was against a bad team... and at home...

I am ready for the excuses coming in.

 

[Monctonscout]

You aren't on the bandwagon if you expect and hope for losses but you keep on watching.

I recommend that you avoid all Montreal media and that you start looking at other teams. St-Louis/Chicago tonight is a good place to start. Watch one period of that game, and tell me that the Habs belong in the same league.

Guess what made both those teams good? Yep, you guessed right!

One thing I'm sure didn't make those teams good is trading away all their veterans or trying to run the team into the ground. Notice that Chicago started improving when ownership changed and they added a few big Name UFA's.

 

[optimus2861]

One thing I'm sure didn't make those teams good is trading away all their veterans or trying to run the team into the ground. Notice that Chicago started improving when ownership changed and they added a few big Name UFA's.

I'm not sure you can invoke Chicago as some kind of "stay the course" example. That old skinflint did run the team into the ground in the 90s, but the scouts sowed the seeds of Chicago's 2010 Cup in the drafts of the 00s. They drafted Keith in 2002, Seabrook & Byfuglien in 2003, Bolland in 2004 (he was great for them in the playoffs in 2010), then of course Toews & Kane in 2006 & 2007. So the core of the Cup winner came from the draft, and they added the right pieces when the time came.

They got lucky that the old skinflint finally left this earth in 2007, just as that core was in place. His departure let better management see the rebuild through to completion.

So to sum up: the Hawks nabbed three quality defencemen and two star/superstar forwards from the draft to build around, then brought home the Cup with the right moves when that core was ready, which was three years after the last piece was drafted (Kane). If you believe the Habs have their three quality defencemen in Beaulieu, Tinordi, and Subban, and one star forward in Galchenyuk, plus a goalie in Price that the Hawks did not have, then we are still one forward short, and in any event, this core will not be ready until at least 2015 if not later; our defencemen are much earlier in their development than the Hawks comparables so it could be as late as 2017.

2013 is simply not our year, and trading veterans would be entirely consistent with that, and with building toward 2015-2017.

 

[SeriousHabs]

One thing I'm sure didn't make those teams good is trading away all their veterans or trying to run the team into the ground. Notice that Chicago started improving when ownership changed and they added a few big Name UFA's.

Young, ELC talent attracts UFAs. And to claim that Chicago won without going via the good old tank route is laughable.

Also, St-Louis traded old men for picks. We have to do the same.

 

[bib]

This team will make the playoffs.

 

[Non Player Canadiens]

so spake Gordon Bombay.

 

[DAChampion]

I think this team can make the playoffs, but only in the unlikely event that everything goes right.

Basically, when people make injury-free rosters, I see a playoff team. I agree that losing Markov, Gionta, Moen, was bad. However, there are new injuries every year.

This team's depth is pretty thin, particularly on defense. Right now it's missing Subban so that's basically equivalent to missing Markov all of last year.

 

[Hockey Joe]

When the wagon is stuck in the mud, you get off and push.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

When the wagon is stuck in the mud, you get off and push.

I love that similie <3

 

[Monctonscout]

Young, ELC talent attracts UFAs. And to claim that Chicago won without going via the good old tank route is laughable.

Also, St-Louis traded old men for picks. We have to do the same.

Chicago never tanked, they had a horrible owner that ran the team into the ground.

We already traded old men for pick. We have 3 extra 2nds in 2012 and 2013 so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Kaberle was traded at some point.

 

[Tuggy]

Chicago never tanked, they had a horrible owner that ran the team into the ground.

We already traded old men for pick. We have 3 extra 2nds in 2012 and 2013 so far. I wouldn't be surprised if Kaberle was traded at some point.

I could see him being traded once PK is back in the fold.

 

[Monctonscout]

I think this team can make the playoffs, but only in the unlikely event that everything goes right.

Basically, when people make injury-free rosters, I see a playoff team. I agree that losing Markov, Gionta, Moen, was bad. However, there are new injuries every year.

This team's depth is pretty thin, particularly on defense. Right now it's missing Subban so that's basically equivalent to missing Markov all of last year.

You can't compare losing Markov with losing White or Nokelainen. There are simply players you can't replace. If Chara misses 40 games this year, Boston will drop dramatically in the standings and struggle to make the playoffs. If they lose Chara and Krejci(25 games) they probably miss the playoffs. And if Rask struggles on top of that they might pick top 5.

I think the defense is a lot deeper than last year. Subban is out and Markov replaces him, plus Emelin and Diaz are noticeably better. Kaberle is running the #2 PP when he would be #1 on just about any other team. Ideally we would move Kaberle for a big stay at home(Gill in his prime).

 

[Monctonscout]

I could see him being traded once PK is back in the fold.

Would make sense. I heard from McKenzie that a lot of team are looking for help on defense. Phillie Ottawa and LA for sure.