is it worth making the playoffs?

[sharks9]

It's always worth making the playoffs, especially when we'll be up against someone like Tampa or Toronto in the first round who we have a decent chance of beating

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

Even a short, losing playoff provides value through experience, and of course there's extra revenue to be had. The way Price is playing this year, I'd walk into just about any match-up thinking there was at least a chance, as well.

 

[AllanMTL46]

It's always worth it. Even more because we have an elite goalie.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Edmonton oilers model?

 

[pezcore]

Im for trading some of our possible UFA at the end of the season but I still say we should go for it. Most fans have been asking for more ice time and bigger roles for some of the kids. It would be a beneficial experience for the them and the team.

Once, you`re in you never know. Im not saying that we have the team to win but I dont think anyone had us as contenders in 86 and 93. Playoff success is highly influenced by match ups.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Edmonton oilers model?

You can't compare the Habs with Edmonton, they don't have a Timmins to find good players outside of the 1st round and they can't spend to the maximum of the salarial cap.

 

[JLP]

It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who would give up on a season entirely in exchange for picking 5-8 spots higher in the draft.

I mean lets face it, even if we did miss the playoffs we wouldn't miss them by so much that we'd have a chance at a top-5 pick, so why not make the playoffs?

This is a site about prospects and many posters are perpetually in future mode.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

How he f%%$# is Markov dead weight?

That alone makes your post terrible.

dead weight = ufas

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

Agree totally about trading Markov, Gionta, Murray now...but it doesn't mean we will miss the playoff also. The way Price has played this year will keep us in the playoff pictures until the end of the year.

But we need to make moves for the near future also. Markov alone with get us a good young player in return plus picks so to me we need to make this move. We all love the playoffs but even better is having the Montreal Canadiens as a real contender ever year is so much sweeter.

So if we miss the playoff this year and are a better team next year because of our great trades... I have no problem with that.

I think we'd still make the playoffs by trading our ufas. I just don't see a point in making a run.

 

[TRG]

Of course it's worth it. I'm not saying the team should be buyers at the deadline. I'd even be down for them trading a few players for picks. I don't want the team to just be complacent and start losing every game though. I want to see the team win every game, even if it's a meaningless one.

This.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

Im for trading some of our possible UFA at the end of the season but I still say we should go for it. Most fans have been asking for more ice time and bigger roles for some of the kids. It would be a beneficial experience for the them and the team.

Once, you`re in you never know. Im not saying that we have the team to win but I dont think anyone had us as contenders in 86 and 93. Playoff success is highly influenced by match ups.

86 and 93 were nothing near what we have with this team. Not even in the same solar system. We are a poor team that is being propped up with great goaltending. Can that great goaltending get us deep in the playoffs? Possibly, but Price can't score goals so I doubt we do anything unless Bergy makes some moves at the deadline...which would mean that we're going for it and that Markov, Gionta, etc will hit free agency for nothing. What I really think is going to happen is Bergy does nothing of significance to improve the team and does not trade anyone besides maybe Murray. The Habs way.

I could be wrong, though....

 

[WeThreeKings]

86 and 93 were nothing near what we have with this team. Not even in the same solar system. We are a poor team that is being propped up with great goaltending. Can that great goaltending get us deep in the playoffs? Possibly, but Price can't score goals so I doubt we do anything unless Bergy makes some moves at the deadline...which would mean that we're going for it and that Markov, Gionta, etc will hit free agency for nothing. What I really think is going to happen is Bergy does nothing of significance to improve the team and does not trade anyone besides maybe Murray. The Habs way.

I could be wrong, though....

There were some great players on that 93 team. Especially on defense.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

You can't compare the Habs with Edmonton, they don't have a Timmins to find good players outside of the 1st round and they can't spend to the maximum of the salarial cap.

Does it matter? Besides 2007 they had better drafts from pick alone. Timmins or not they had better draft pick and better prospect but still on outside looking in.

Long ago are the days of Habs or oilers dynastys. Remember it takes a culture of winning and while both teams have an interesting past you don't win unless you learn how to win. Playoffs provides that experience, I'd take it.

 

[Price is Wright]

There were some great players on that 93 team. Especially on defense.

Agreed. Montreal was an excellent team in 93. Pittsburgh was the team to beat in the Wales followed by the Bruins and Canadiens. Most thought it would come down to Montreal and Boston again. At one point it looked like a spoiler year with the Sabres sweeping the Bruins and the Nordiques going up 2-0. Pittsburgh steamrolled the Devils while the Islanders got through but the Caps certainly crippled them.

Montreal then did to Buffalo what Boston was expected to have done (sweep) while the Islanders shocked the NHL by beating the Cup champions in seven without their best player. But by the time Montreal played New York it was clear that the Isles had no gas left and Montreal had plenty of gas.

The Campbell Conference was a bit more interesting because the one team that stood out to fans as a defacto powerhouse was Chicago and like Boston they got destroyed in the first round. That said the final four of St. Louis/Toronto/Vancouver/Los Angeles wasn't surprising. The Blues might have been fourth in the Norris but Brett Hull was a gamebreaker. By the end of the Conference Finals Toronto had played 21 games and Los Angeles 19. It was clear both teams would have less gas.

Montreal had a young blueline, the best goalie in the game, a solid top six and an inexperienced bottom six. Even better, they played a lot less than the Kings. Playing only 15 games by the Cup finals and only playing a truly challenging round against Quebec, Montreal was just in a much better position. But that doesn't mean they were a weak team that won. They were just full of a lot of youth. You want a bad team who won? Look at the Devils.

 

[fsdev905]

There's no guarantee finishing out of the playoffs will get you a sure fire NHL'er.

At least making the playoffs gives the young core some playoff experience to build on. Maybe Price an experience some success in the PO after the great Olympic stint.

 

[Devourers]

When the playoffs come any team can win it. So of course it's worth it to make it. We aren't built for the cup, but it doesn't mean we can't win 4/7 games 4 times. The stars can align when you have a goaltender like Carey Price and a d-man like PK Subban. Plus people don't give Plek enough credit.

Are we a serious contender? No. But keep in mind sometimes your biggest rivals lose to your easiest matchup. Other times you win an underdog series. A lot can happen in a 4 team path to the cup.

It's always worth it to make it, even if you win by a bit of skill and fluke. Carey would have to stand on his head, but who is to say he can't do it? PK would definitely need to be norris caliber, but I dare anyone to place a bet against PK in a Norris race or playoff series.

I'm by no means saying the chances are high, in fact they're slim. But a chance is a chance. I'd rather put my trust in the scouting staff and hope at #15+ they grab us a player worthy of being picked higher. Top ten picks are great and all, but it's what you do with picks that matters. I'm sure a lot of people would take plenty of guys picked 20th over a lot of guys who were picked 5th, in hindsight.

I trust Trevor and his crew to be ahead of the curve and among the top 5 scouting teams in the league. If they fail then the team has no hope anyways. You can't hope to fail to get better. You need to hope you can steal guys like Karlsson mid 1st round and PK 2nd, not tank and go for 1st overall.

Galchenyuk was a 3rd pick overall, Price a 5th, but look where Gallagher and PK were picked. PK to me is more valuable than Galchenyuk. We can win a cup while still having dignity and pride, and no, it doesn't mean we need to mortgage the future either.

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

"any team can win".

Not bad teams. Name me a bad team that has won a cup.

 

[Born in 1909]

Agreed. Montreal was an excellent team in 93. Pittsburgh was the team to beat in the Wales followed by the Bruins and Canadiens. Most thought it would come down to Montreal and Boston again. At one point it looked like a spoiler year with the Sabres sweeping the Bruins and the Nordiques going up 2-0. Pittsburgh steamrolled the Devils while the Islanders got through but the Caps certainly crippled them.

Montreal then did to Buffalo what Boston was expected to have done (sweep) while the Islanders shocked the NHL by beating the Cup champions in seven without their best player. But by the time Montreal played New York it was clear that the Isles had no gas left and Montreal had plenty of gas.

The Campbell Conference was a bit more interesting because the one team that stood out to fans as a defacto powerhouse was Chicago and like Boston they got destroyed in the first round. That said the final four of St. Louis/Toronto/Vancouver/Los Angeles wasn't surprising. The Blues might have been fourth in the Norris but Brett Hull was a gamebreaker. By the end of the Conference Finals Toronto had played 21 games and Los Angeles 19. It was clear both teams would have less gas.

Montreal had a young blueline, the best goalie in the game, a solid top six and an inexperienced bottom six. Even better, they played a lot less than the Kings. Playing only 15 games by the Cup finals and only playing a truly challenging round against Quebec, Montreal was just in a much better position. But that doesn't mean they were a weak team that won. They were just full of a lot of youth. You want a bad team who won? Look at the Devils.

That's a beautiful recap of the era.

Don't forget to mention the 10 straight OT PO victories by Roy & The Habs.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

We can win a cup while still having dignity and pride, and no, it doesn't mean we need to mortgage the future either.

Right now, there is no pride and no Stanley cup in the horizon, only 1st round exit. Every time the Habs lose good players for nothing because they want to make the playoffs they are mortgaging the future: Souray, Tanguay, Komisarek, Koivu, Kovalev, Streit, Ryder and soon Gionta and maybe Markov.

You can’t keep doing the same mistake over and over and hoping to have a different result. Bergevin goal should be to make the Habs a Stanley Cup contender the fastest way possible and not a perennial 1st round playoff loser.

 

[Devourers]

"any team can win".

Not bad teams. Name me a bad team that has won a cup.

If you make the playoffs, well obviously you aren't a last place team. You've put away enough wins to justify a playoff spot so yes, pretty much any team can win.

There are a lot of variables like who plays who and injuries, and when you have Price and Subban you aren't just any team anymore.

 

[Devourers]

Right now, there is no pride and no Stanley cup in the horizon, only 1st round exit. Every time the Habs lose good players for nothing because they want to make the playoffs they are mortgaging the future: Souray, Tanguay, Komisarek, Koivu, Kovalev, Streit, Ryder and soon Gionta and maybe Markov.

You can’t keep doing the same mistake over and over and hoping to have a different result. Bergevin goal should be to make the Habs a Stanley Cup contender the fastest way possible and not a perennial 1st round playoff loser.

I don't understand what any of that has to do with tanking though. We have enough depth that we could trade Markov and Gionta and make the playoffs still.

We can trade them but frankly, Gio will be worth more to us than we'd get for him. Markov is the only nice piece.

Keeping a player isn't mortgaging the future anyways. Mortgaging is when you give up young unestablished players and picks for a veteran established player to "go for it". We aren't doing that by keeping Markov, but I agree we can improve our team for the future by trading him now.

I don't believe trading Markov naturally means we'll miss the post season though.

 

[Team_Spirit]

I dont see how the return for those guys would put us over the top...

I dont see how you could trade those guys they all have NTC...

I dont see how you will 'get a good UFA or 2' if your team suck and miss the playoffs...

 

[fsdev905]

Desharnais will take us to the promise land!

 

[JuicyHam]

Desharnais will take us to the promise land!

You know it!i predict a hat trick tonight

 

[hockeyfan2k11]

If you make the playoffs, well obviously you aren't a last place team. You've put away enough wins to justify a playoff spot so yes, pretty much any team can win.

There are a lot of variables like who plays who and injuries, and when you have Price and Subban you aren't just any team anymore.

Price and Subban are not going to carry this team deep into the playoffs. That is too much to ask.

But really. Do you know of bad teams that have one a cup or even went deep in the playoffs?