News Article: Leblanc's struggles in Hamilton

[Habtchum*]

the ''move DD to the wing'' is starting to irritate me. You guys explain to me how a guy this size with average speed will do at a position he's never played before in the NHL. I'm a big fan of DD but I don't see it happening.

trade plek ? like ... its a fringe player or something ? if you are going to trade plek to make room for louis leblanc, I suggest you to stop at your doctor's office and make sure all the screws are in place.

I thought Eller was the 1st choice to play in DD or Plekky's spot.

Leblanc needs to recover fully from his injuries, and need to play on a top two line in Hamilton.

Leblanc was probably a bit depressed to see the habs signing a guy like Armstrong in July. + Gallagher - a 5th ropund pick - jumped over him in the depth chart.

Very depressing.

 

[THE HOFF]

I thought Eller was the 1st choice to play in DD or Plekky's spot.

Leblanc needs to recover fully from his injuries, and need to play on a top two line in Hamilton.

Leblanc was probably a bit depressed to see the habs signing a guy like Armstrong in July. + Gallagher - a 5th ropund pick - jumped over him in the depth chart.

Very depressing.

its nothing against leblanc I wish him well and I hope he recovers, but you can't look at me with a straight face and tell me he's penciled in next year.

 

[Habtchum*]

its nothing against leblanc I wish him well and I hope he recovers, but you can't look at me with a straight face and tell me he's penciled in next year.

With Armstrong, Noke possibly gone and White always on the bubble, he can make this team as a 4th line center or RW at least.

 

[yoyo999]

I was at the Bulldogs game Friday vs. Grand Rapids.

Leblanc was a complete non-factor. He just looks completely lost out there. He's slow, looked lazy and he just didn't want to be there. That was my take.

 

[Habtchum*]

I was at the Bulldogs game Friday vs. Grand Rapids.

Leblanc was a complete non-factor. He just looks completely lost out there. He's slow, looked lazy and he just didn't want to be there. That was my take.

Time for a pep talk with Bergevin and the Habs psychologist. The guy has enough talent to play on a third line at NHL level.

Maybe he should be sent in another org farm club if he is really pissed off with Lefebvre & cie in Hamilton.

 

[Mr. Hab]

I was at the Bulldogs game Friday vs. Grand Rapids.

Leblanc was a complete non-factor. He just looks completely lost out there. He's slow, looked lazy and he just didn't want to be there. That was my take.

Huge thanks for the report...good or bad it's good to know the truth.

This doesn't sound like Leblanc at all...I'm a fan of Leblanc and hope this will be solved no matter what is really going on? Have no idea what's going on though (we're just guessing for now or speculating)...but the Leblanc we know is a guarantee for the 3rd line in NHL imo (smart/crafty, gritty, worker/hustles)...something is obviously going on and it would be great if we knew 'cause lazy and disinterested are not words that are a part of Leblanc's vocabulary...looks/sounds like he is on strike or something...like he's protesting something/someone.

Injuries happen (hope not) and we may need him in our top 9 (winger/center)...but how is he going to be called up if he is playing like a ghost?

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

Yeah Leblanc with the Junior and in the NHL, even last season in Hamilton, was always battling hard and playing with a lot of intensity. It's an injury for sure.

 

[hogtownhabsfan*]

Maybe mono?

 

[Mr. Hab]

Yeah Leblanc with the Junior and in the NHL, even last season in Hamilton, was always battling hard and playing with a lot of intensity. It's an injury for sure.

Saw Leblanc in the juniors in Montreal vs Bournival.
Saw great/fast skating from Bournival and from Lreblanc:lots of grit/leadership/hustle/willingness to go to the net from Leblanc.


Seems like there are two theories right now...:
1) Leblanc is sulking because of the way he is getting treated? (no ice-time, 3rd-4th line AHL linemates...coach and coaching staff treating Leblanc with no respect or aka being hard on him/giving him hard, tough love,etc
2) Leblanc is playing with a high ankle sprain...someone should just pull him out so he can rest his ankle instead of playing (if you can call it that) with the pain which will just make it worse, no?

 

[Danleri]

What is it with Hab fans and destroying their youth....remember how many people wanted Pacioretty outed after he didn't fair so well with the big club? Give the kid some time and let him grow. Bergevin and Co know what they're doing...

 

[Hoople]

Sounds like Leblanc has become his own worst enemy.

The way to move up to a top line in Hamilton is to play his way up. Sounds like he is pouting a bit. He needs to mature a bit and understand that a return trip to Montreal involves all out effort.

Sad story if he doesn't change his attitude.

 

[montreal]

Sounds like Leblanc has become his own worst enemy.

The way to move up to a top line in Hamilton is to play his way up. Sounds like he is pouting a bit. He needs to mature a bit and understand that a return trip to Montreal involves all out effort.

Sad story if he doesn't change his attitude.

He is currently playing on the top line in Hamilton. I don't know what's going on with him, he looked very good in Hamilton last year and this year he looks a shell of himself. But something is clearly wrong with the entire team, I have been watching almost every Hamilton game for several years and have never seen anything like this. Outside of Dumont, almost every returning player has regressed.

I haven't heard anything about Leblanc pouting or any knocks on his attitude but something is clearly not right with him either.

 

[Habtchum*]

He is currently playing on the top line in Hamilton. I don't know what's going on with him, he looked very good in Hamilton last year and this year he looks a shell of himself. But something is clearly wrong with the entire team, I have been watching almost every Hamilton game for several years and have never seen anything like this. Outside of Dumont, almost every returning player has regressed.

I haven't heard anything about Leblanc pouting or any knocks on his attitude but something is clearly not right with him either.

If the coachi g staff is the problem, Bergevin will fix it soon or at the end of the current season.

But on paper, this team is very young and has very mediocre older players to support the youth.

 

[LePoche69]

Only reason Leblanc was drafted is because the Habs felt they had to get a French guy. The probably could have picked him up in 2nd round... What a waste of a pick that was!

Before that draft, based on some scouts' observations, Bob Mac said that Leblanc could very well become the steal of the first round.

Well of course Leblanc won't be that good, we already know that. But he still brings interesting stuff to the table and has enough skill to end in the NHL. Let's give him more time. He's a good and serious kid.

 

[Mats NAslund]

Is Leblanc officially a flop of the 2009 Draft?

Drafted 18th overall

Montreal passed on guys like :

Chris Kreider
Simon Despres
Ryan O'Reilly
Kyle Clifford
Jakob Silfverberg

I know it happens in every draft to every team but had the draft not been in Montreal or had there not been so much pressure to draft a local French Canadian player by French media and fans maybe just maybe Montreal ends end with Kris Kreider......

As it stands now Leblanc is sucking it up in the AHL another wasted 1st round pick!

 

[uiCk]

He clearly showed he can compete in the NHL last year. he's far from being a wash.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Drafted 18th overall

Montreal passed on guys like :

Chris Kreider
Simon Despres
Ryan O'Reilly
Kyle Clifford
Jakob Silfverberg

I know it happens in every draft to every team but had the draft not been in Montreal or had there not been so much pressure to draft a local French Canadian player by French media and fans maybe just maybe Montreal ends end with Kris Kreider......

As it stands now Leblanc is sucking it up in the AHL another wasted 1st round pick!

he played in NHL and looked like he belonged before many of those guys. He'll be back.

 

[L4vK]

You know timmins has the most nhler per pick ratio.. right ?

 

[Dharvey33]

Only Ryan O'reilly is clearly better at this point. Others is not crystal clear.

But i wasn't a fan of the pick at that time and still not today.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Kreider has sucked this year too, guessing he's also a flop..

Pacioretty had similar struggles and look how he's ended up, Leblanc just turned 22 years old and already showed he can play in the NHL. He'll be fine.

 

[LePoche69]

Drafted 18th overall

Montreal passed on guys like :

Chris Kreider
Simon Despres
Ryan O'Reilly
Kyle Clifford
Jakob Silfverberg

I know it happens in every draft to every team but had the draft not been in Montreal or had there not been so much pressure to draft a local French Canadian player by French media and fans maybe just maybe Montreal ends end with Kris Kreider......

As it stands now Leblanc is sucking it up in the AHL another wasted 1st round pick!

Wel... Beside I would say O'Reilly, Leblanc could still very well become better or more usefull than the others. They're all still very young.

 

[hototogisu]

Drafted 18th overall

Montreal passed on guys like :

Chris Kreider
Simon Despres
Ryan O'Reilly
Kyle Clifford
Jakob Silfverberg

I know it happens in every draft to every team but had the draft not been in Montreal or had there not been so much pressure to draft a local French Canadian player by French media and fans maybe just maybe Montreal ends end with Kris Kreider......

As it stands now Leblanc is sucking it up in the AHL another wasted 1st round pick!

Just a hideously knee-jerk, ill-informed, misguided post all-around. I don't even know where to begin so I won't.

 

[FinnHab]

I think Leblanc could bounce back. Last year wasnt that bad at all.

 

[Habtchum*]

Leblanc has shown that he is NHL caliber last season.

Must had been frustrating to see the new management signs some UFA players to play on the bottom two lines as well as seing two younger guys put in the line up.

His injury + the new coaching staff in Hamilton seems to have not helped him too.

But we should never forget that he was ranked exactly where the habs drafted him (a mid-first rounder), and that he has leadership and two-way hockey skills. The guy is also intelligent.

In the last five years, he has played for seven diffrent head coaches in five different teams with numerous different teamates. Hard to adjust to that.

 

[MXD]

Drafted 18th overall

Montreal passed on guys like :

Chris Kreider
Simon Despres
Ryan O'Reilly
Kyle Clifford
Jakob Silfverberg

I know it happens in every draft to every team but had the draft not been in Montreal or had there not been so much pressure to draft a local French Canadian player by French media and fans maybe just maybe Montreal ends end with Kris Kreider......

As it stands now Leblanc is sucking it up in the AHL another wasted 1st round pick!

This is kind of the equivalent of the whole "they took Fischer instead of Giroux" posts.

But the difference is that your post doesn't make any sense.

Besides, Kreider and Leblanc looks like a wash at this point...