Post-Game Talk: Montreal & Toronto 9/24/2018

[Leon Lucius Black]

This pre-season has been a significant improvement compared to last year. The majority of players are putting in a ton of effort every game and a lot of younger guys are stepping up and making cases for spots on the roster.

 

[Colezuki]

It's hard to believe keeping the problems and letting the talent walk doesn't work.

it's hard to believe he's talented

 

[Dagistitsyn]

This pre-season has been a significant improvement compared to last year. The majority of players are putting in a ton of effort every game and a lot of younger guys are stepping up and making cases for spots on the roster.

I really believe that a ton of the guys went into the season very sour about Bergevin letting Markov go. The team loved him. Same with Radulov.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

Agreed, but the first lineI prefer to expect the worse in the coming days for Bergevinfor Kotkaniemi is inviting the media circus at this point, give him the 2nd line and 15 minutes, some PP duty, permanently!

Tatar-Domi-Gallagher
Drouin-Kotkaniemi - Lekhonen
Byron-Danault-Plekanec (Shutdown, we need to use Plekanec on the wing at this point imo)
Hudon -Peca - Armia
DLR - Sherbak (will play against bigger teams or grinding losers)
When Shaw comes back, make it about Plekanec vs. Shaw.

And BTW. we don't need a freaking "4th line to play physical" because it's not 1981.

Players will be waived, trades will have to be made.

This lineup makes no sense, and it's nothing against you, we simply have too many players, some of those who shouldn't be scratched or played on bottom lines...

I'll be pleasantly surprised if Bergevin manages the situation well. But I prudently expect the worse.

 

[yianik]

I really believe that a ton of the guys went into the season very sour about Bergevin letting Markov go. The team loved him. Same with Radulov.

No doubt. And aside from any emotional attachments I am guessing many of the players saw the coming disaster.

So you have MB prancing around talking about how the D was better , so post season etc. And the guys who were going to have to go out and actually play likely saw a long year ahead. No wonder the attitude was wrong from Go.

 

[BLONG7]

This pre-season has been a significant improvement compared to last year. The majority of players are putting in a ton of effort every game and a lot of younger guys are stepping up and making cases for spots on the roster.

The guys this year, aren't all stunned by losing Radulov, Markov, Sergachev................this crew has only lost Chucky and Max..............hard to believe the calibre of players we have lost in the last season...don't let the pre season fool ya guys, we are going to struggle to score goals when it counts...

 

[BLONG7]

We have like four 7th D-man.

And 10 bottom 6 forwards....time for MB to say he likes our depp

 

[Habs Halifax]

I really believe that a ton of the guys went into the season very sour about Bergevin letting Markov go. The team loved him. Same with Radulov.

I agree as well. The energy walking into the season was not good after how the last off season went. But I guess this year we subtracted Patch and Galchenyuk as well.

 

[Habs Halifax]

The guys this year, aren't all stunned by losing Radulov, Markov, Sergachev................this crew has only lost Chucky and Max..............hard to believe the calibre of players we have lost in the last season...don't let the pre season fool ya guys, we are going to struggle to score goals when it counts...

My thinking as well. I think we can compete with the bottom 15-20 teams in the league to some degree but we will struggle to score against the top teams for sure.

 

[Tyson]

When the games count we will see a Habs team that will not be very good. Pre season is pre season folks.

 

[WeThreeKings]

When the games count we will see a Habs team that will not be very good. Pre season is pre season folks.

The A squad struggled to beat the Ottawa Senators pre season squad. That was probably the most accurate season prediction of all the games thus far.

As far as I've seen, Kotkaniemi, Suzuki, Juulsen and Mete can all survive this year in the NHL but none of them will thrive and that says to me they need to go back

 

[Lshap]

Nice to see so many young guys with flashes of talent. Not surprised to see Kotkaniemi and Suzuki taking charge out there, but didn't expect as much from Ouellet. Even Lernout, who I didn't like, looked solid.

Nice goal by Hudon, by the way. Highlight reel hustle and spin.

But this was a game against a junior team with some crappy goaltending. Let's not get sucked into false hope.

 

[Tyson]

I have joined the Kotkaniemi bandwagon but let’s be honest...he turned 18 right before the draft, he is physically not ready for the rigors of playing against fully mature men. Send him back to Finland for one more year.

 

[CHarlie]

I have joined the Kotkaniemi bandwagon but let’s be honest...he turned 18 right before the draft, he is physically not ready for the rigors of playing against fully mature men. Send him back to Finland for one more year.

did he not just play a full year against men at 17yrs old?

 

[Adam Michaels]

I have joined the Kotkaniemi bandwagon but let’s be honest...he turned 18 right before the draft, he is physically not ready for the rigors of playing against fully mature men. Send him back to Finland for one more year.

He turned 18 after the draft.

He played with the U-20 players at 16 and then played in Liiga at 17.

Regardless of how brightly he's shining in preseason, patience is the key. But I'm all for giving him some regular season games.

 

[habs73]

The A squad struggled to beat the Ottawa Senators pre season squad. That was probably the most accurate season prediction of all the games thus far.

As far as I've seen, Kotkaniemi, Suzuki, Juulsen and Mete can all survive this year in the NHL but none of them will thrive and that says to me they need to go back

I think/hope that things will come back to earth on wednesday, the leafs will be icing close to an A lineup, a spanking hopefully smartens up management to the reality of the team this year.

Remove the kids from the lineup and let the team sink this year..

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

The guys this year, aren't all stunned by losing Radulov, Markov, Sergachev................this crew has only lost Chucky and Max..............hard to believe the calibre of players we have lost in the last season...don't let the pre season fool ya guys, we are going to struggle to score goals when it counts...

I expect the same thing, my point was more in regards to younger guys stepping their game up this year and making decisions harder on management - the only guy who did so was Mete last year. We ended up having plugs like Streit, Hemsky and Benn starting the regular season last year because no one stole their jobs, this year guys like Kotkaniemi, Peca, Ouellet, Valiev and Morvavcik for example are making cases for themselves to make the team or earn more ice time.

 

[Tyson]

did he not just play a full year against men at 17yrs old?

He is still only 18. Not nearly physically mature enough for the rigors of an NHL season

 

[Price is Wright]

This is a waste of a year and if Kotkaniemi plays more than 9 games, you are opening him up to being expansion draft eligible when Seattle enters the league. Keeping him up is a mistake.

 

[Aspirine]

Sherbak will never get claimed. Just send him down, every other team has their « could breakout anytime (but never does) » spare winger already.

 

[Rapala]

Sherbak will never get claimed. Just send him down, every other team has their « could breakout anytime (but never does) » spare winger already.

He's no better or no worse than a handful of our wingers keep him we need his size.
Give him a shot with more talent to see if that sparks him. I have a hard time believing this kid is a complete bust.
The Scherbak's and DLR's of the world were never going to star in this league but surely they can find a role with this team poor as it is.
I mean we drafted them for a reason right????

 

[Habs 4 Life]

When the games count we will see a Habs team that will not be very good. Pre season is pre season folks.

Most probably this will be the case
But watching them play with this type of effort compared to last year will already be a different and positive feeling going forward

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Sherbak will never get claimed. Just send him down, every other team has their « could breakout anytime (but never does) » spare winger already.

Are you kidding me? If guys like Frk can get claimed I am pretty damn sure so will Scherbak. The only way I see him going unclaimed is if every team has you suggested decides to send down their similar level prospect (Goldobin, Leivo). The hate Scherbak is getting on this board is nonsensical. He has been average, but he's always been a slow starter and still has two goals. If he hasn't shown that he can perform at a 30 pts pace this year while playing 12-15 mins a game, then yeah, we can pull the plug, but so far he hasn't really been given any real opportunities in the regular season to shine.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Sherbak will never get claimed. Just send him down, every other team has their « could breakout anytime (but never does) » spare winger already.

Ottawa would claim him without reservation, Arizona, hell even Tampa Bay would. There's plenty of teams who either lack NHL talent or could use cheap depth with upside. No way he doesn't get claimed.

McCarron is the one who could slide down without issue

 

[lamp9post]

14 forwards, with Shaw and Deslauriers on IR

Assuming Kotakniemi goes back to Finland

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Armia
Hudon-DLR-Lehkonen
Byron-Plekanec-Scherbak
Peca, Chaput

Waived: McCarron

Cut: Ward

That's pretty much where I am at this point as well, although Chaput is interchangeable with Agostino IMO.

Kotkaniemi is making it tough. I love watching the guy play, but I worry about him withstanding the rigors of a full NHL season at this point in his development. If we keep him up, you know at some point he'll hit a wall and then everyone will be second-guessing and going off on how we ruined another prospect.