HF Habs: Montreal Canadiens Training Camp (Roster & Pre-Season Schedule in OP)

[snakeye]

What is he attempting to do here? Lol

 

[dcyhabs]

Good article for those that have access.

One of the key questions is what is the Habs top priority this season. The top answer was the Habs priority should be develop players like Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Guhle, Barron, Harris, which I absolutely agree with.

Ownership has been clueless for years and interpreted disgust with their incompetence and cheapness as impatience with a rebuild.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I think Slaf surprise many...............9 games and we will know.
If not, no biggie, he goes to the AHL and we see him later in the year, or next season.

I think he will too. How far away he is will be the surprise Lolol.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

I have a better feeling of Monahan bouncing back than Gallagher. Gally is gonna be LTIRetired soon. Only 4 more years after this year, I'm crying for a different reason than MB did when he signed him.

Gally has 10 x the chance of bouncing back. I think it’s probable he bounces back. Monahan has almost no chance of every returning to form.

 

[BLONG7]

Gally has 10 x the chance of bouncing back. I think it’s probable he bounces back. Monahan has almost no chance of every returning to form.

If Gally's legs, can work half as well as his mouth, he should be good to go. A muzzle would work very well.
He has a long way to go.......let's hope he can rebound from an awful season....his salary in the bottom six makes no sense....

 

[ChesterNimitz]

If Gally's legs, can work half as well as his mouth, he should be good to go. A muzzle would work very well.
He has a long way to go.......let's hope he can rebound from an awful season....his salary in the bottom six makes no sense....

Regrettably its not Gallagher’s legs that are the problem, but what they’re attached to. Gallagher has always been a one and done guy. Once up the ice and he’s spent. Now, with age and injury, he’s barely a half and done guy. Gallagher unfortunately is a shell of what he was. There’s no rebound or renaissance coming. His contract, like the foolish one given to Alzner, will be a burden on the team for the next half decade.

 

[NewEraGM]

I think Monahan is really going to thrive here. Just my spidey senses.
I think Dadonov will do okay. Like 40 points
Gallagher bounces back to 25G and 25A
Drouin still can’t figure it out
Dach has so-so first year but does develop nicely in future years
Armia will bounce back to 15G and 20A
Suzuki 70pts
Caufield 35G
Slafkovsky most of year in AHL
Barron/Guhle same thing
Hoffman traded at some point this year

 

[rochab]

Gallagher reminds me of a running back who’s had too many carries… The heart and the mind say yes but the body says something else.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I think Monahan is really going to thrive here. Just my spidey senses.
I think Dadonov will do okay. Like 40 points
Gallagher bounces back to 25G and 25A
Drouin still can’t figure it out
Dach has so-so first year but does develop nicely in future years
Armia will bounce back to 15G and 20A
Suzuki 70pts
Caufield 35G
Slafkovsky most of year in AHL
Barron/Guhle same thing
Hoffman traded at some point this year

While I am perfectly ok with Slafkovsky playing on the Habs if he is good enough, in your scenario, with Caufield, Anderson, Gallagher, Dadonov, Monahan and Armia playing WELL on the wing in the top 9, and Pitlick and Pezzetta on an energy line, and as long as Hoffman and Drouin are not playing while not deserving to do so, I can be patient.

Even in your scenario, if Hoffman and Drouin are waived, traded or hot-dogged, Slafkovsky if better than Pezzetta, Ylonen, RHP and Heineman, could easily be on a "fourth" line if the coach rolls four lines, and he is not just gettng rusty out there. I can see a line of Slafkovsky-Evans-Armia rotating 3rd/4th status with Pitlick-Dach-Gallagher/Anderson.

The answer is in Slaf's hands. If he can show he deserves and can handle 12+ minutes and can produce on the PP, then keep him on the team.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Gally has 10 x the chance of bouncing back. I think it’s probable he bounces back. Monahan has almost no chance of every returning to form.

Monahan being top 9 worthy would be a fantastic surprise. He will get us a useful asset at the TDL in that case.

Gallagher's season would count as bounceback for me if he can get to about 22 goals, mostly at ES. He won't get 30 anymore with the amount of minutes he has in him per game, but if he trained for stamina this summer, he might have a revival to a degree.

Personally, I think that if Gally can't play without pain and/or severe limitations, he will consider retirement, and perhaps we can encourage that and soften the blow by giving him a job in the organization if and when that day comes.

 

[Adam Michaels]

What is he attempting to do here? Lol

He's Pitlicking.

 

[HABitual Fan]

Monahan got us a 1st already, he is probably now worth more on LTIR than he would be semi healthy. If all of Price, Monahan and Byron are on LTIR it gives something like 7.5M just to reach the cap, which is very valuable this offseason.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I have a better feeling of Monahan bouncing back than Gallagher. Gally is gonna be LTIRetired soon. Only 4 more years after this year, I'm crying for a different reason than MB did when he signed him.

I'll wait for Gallagher. Because in 2019-20 & 2020-21, he was still scoring at a 30+ goal and 50+ point pace. Last season was really the first time he struggled offensively.

He's had injury issues the last few seasons so health is really the main concern. But at this moment, I will go with last year being an outlier especially with the very short off-season. If this season, he struggles offensively the way he did last year, then I can look at it as a trend.

 

[FrankMTL]

I guess it's the time of the year where we start seeing videos of players working out....should be fun.

 

[MasterD]

I think Monahan is really going to thrive here. Just my spidey senses.
I think Dadonov will do okay. Like 40 points
Gallagher bounces back to 25G and 25A
Drouin still can’t figure it out
Dach has so-so first year but does develop nicely in future years
Armia will bounce back to 15G and 20A
Suzuki 70pts
Caufield 35G
Slafkovsky most of year in AHL
Barron/Guhle same thing
Hoffman traded at some point this year

That'd be surprising. He's only reached 15G once and never 20A.

 

[Adam Michaels]

On Monday at the golf tournament, HuGo and Marty will have a roundtable and fans can ask their questions.

 

[NewEraGM]

While I am perfectly ok with Slafkovsky playing on the Habs if he is good enough, in your scenario, with Caufield, Anderson, Gallagher, Dadonov, Monahan and Armia playing WELL on the wing in the top 9, and Pitlick and Pezzetta on an energy line, and as long as Hoffman and Drouin are not playing while not deserving to do so, I can be patient.

Even in your scenario, if Hoffman and Drouin are waived, traded or hot-dogged, Slafkovsky if better than Pezzetta, Ylonen, RHP and Heineman, could easily be on a "fourth" line if the coach rolls four lines, and he is not just gettng rusty out there. I can see a line of Slafkovsky-Evans-Armia rotating 3rd/4th status with Pitlick-Dach-Gallagher/Anderson.

The answer is in Slaf's hands. If he can show he deserves and can handle 12+ minutes and can produce on the PP, then keep him on the team.

I have no doubt that Slafkovsky will be better than some players this year. That being said, this isn’t about him being the 8th best forward on the team this year and therefore we need to keep him….it’s about what is best for him so in 2-3 years he has maximized his potential. If that means playing in the AHL even if he may be ready, then keep him there. How the habs perform next year as a team shouldn’t really matter, it should really all still be about player development

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I have no doubt that Slafkovsky will be better than some players this year. That being said, this isn’t about him being the 8th best forward on the team this year and therefore we need to keep him….it’s about what is best for him so in 2-3 years he has maximized his potential. If that means playing in the AHL even if he may be ready, then keep him there. How the habs perform next year as a team shouldn’t really matter, it should really all still be about player development

You also have to consider that playing with better coaches, trainers and teammates in the NHL with no pressure to win may be better than playing in the AHL.

I think it is more likely that he spends more time in the NHL than AHL but both are clearly on the table. Anyone making absolute statements that one option is definitively the correct answer simply doesn't understand the game or the process at all.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I have no doubt that Slafkovsky will be better than some players this year. That being said, this isn’t about him being the 8th best forward on the team this year and therefore we need to keep him….it’s about what is best for him so in 2-3 years he has maximized his potential. If that means playing in the AHL even if he may be ready, then keep him there. How the habs perform next year as a team shouldn’t really matter, it should really all still be about player development

Players develop better in the NHL than AHL unless they have defensive deficiencies and can't be trusted in the NHL.

If it were true that playing lesser opponents and gaining false confidence actually worked, then many of these top players would have played Junior AAA or Midget AAA at 16 instead of Major Junior. They should develop their offence in lower leagues, right?

 

[Runner77]

I guess it's the time of the year where we start seeing videos of players working out....should be fun.

Brought to mind that gym episode from Ces gars-là with creepy personal trainer Alain. « Check le body!!!”

If you’ve never seen it, Simon and Sugar Sammy are at their usual best but personal trainer Alain just kills it.

 

[Scintillating10]

I am not so sure about Gallagher being done just yet.
He has had an entire summer to recover and train. He has always been a gym rat and I wouldn't bet against him.

Gallagher is hardest worker on team. Overcame tremendous odds to make NHL. Never bet against him

 

[Habricot]

While I am perfectly ok with Slafkovsky playing on the Habs if he is good enough, in your scenario, with Caufield, Anderson, Gallagher, Dadonov, Monahan and Armia playing WELL on the wing in the top 9, and Pitlick and Pezzetta on an energy line, and as long as Hoffman and Drouin are not playing while not deserving to do so, I can be patient.

Even in your scenario, if Hoffman and Drouin are waived, traded or hot-dogged, Slafkovsky if better than Pezzetta, Ylonen, RHP and Heineman, could easily be on a "fourth" line if the coach rolls four lines, and he is not just gettng rusty out there. I can see a line of Slafkovsky-Evans-Armia rotating 3rd/4th status with Pitlick-Dach-Gallagher/Anderson.

The answer is in Slaf's hands. If he can show he deserves and can handle 12+ minutes and can produce on the PP, then keep him on the team.

I would prefer a 4th line of Slaf, Dach and pezzetta or Armia. We have a good Duo in suzuki and Caufield.. Dach and Slaf could be a second one. I see Monahan with Drouin and Evens or Dadonov.

 

[NewEraGM]

Players develop better in the NHL than AHL unless they have defensive deficiencies and can't be trusted in the NHL.

If it were true that playing lesser opponents and gaining false confidence actually worked, then many of these top players would have played Junior AAA or Midget AAA at 16 instead of Major Junior. They should develop their offence in lower leagues, right?

Not if they play on the 4th line as the previous poster suggested.

And playing well in the AHL and gaining confidence, why would that be fake confidence?? And to be clear, the jump from AAA to major junior for an all star, NHL bound player, is not the same as the jump from LIIGA to NHL for an 18 year old (nhl bound)
Those are 2 very different things

 

[dcyhabs]

Players develop better in the NHL than AHL unless they have defensive deficiencies and can't be trusted in the NHL.

If it were true that playing lesser opponents and gaining false confidence actually worked, then many of these top players would have played Junior AAA or Midget AAA at 16 instead of Major Junior. They should develop their offence in lower leagues, right?

It’s not about crushing inferior players it’s about finding a level where the player can be challenged without stunting his game. It’s common for players who hit the NHL early and are not major stars to become specialists. They can cope on offense or defense but not both and the level is sufficiently high they get owned when they leave their comfort zone.

The best players don’t spend much time in lower leagues because they are good enough. Non-stars benefit from growing their game at a level they can play. Some players take longer, too. I haven’t seen anyone suffer from too much AHL time, but lots of players lower their ceiling and damage their confidence in the NHL too soon.

 

[Hins77]

Players develop better in the NHL than AHL unless they have defensive deficiencies and can't be trusted in the NHL.

If it were true that playing lesser opponents and gaining false confidence actually worked, then many of these top players would have played Junior AAA or Midget AAA at 16 instead of Major Junior. They should develop their offence in lower leagues, right?

The moment a player is physically ready, able to keep the pace and remain an effective player in the NHL, there is no reason to send him back AHL. Slaf is the first oversll pick and we are thinking he is gonna play in the AHL? I don’t believe it, unless he is clearly not ready.