Although the division looks like the easier route, you have to think at some point, tampa gets their act together, and join boston as a divisional seed, and the leafs as well. They've actually been making a move since the coaching change, as teams often do.
That leaves the WC spot, where habs are clearly behind, and the WC bar is actually even higher than last year right now. The habs are also pacing below their own mark from last year as it stands.
There were a couple things that had to happen IMO for the habs to enter playoffs this year. The isles and jackets had to take a step back. The jackets have done so, but the isles are still rolling. Not only that, but the flyers have also roared into the picture with a new coaching staff.
So, who exactly are the habs taking out in order to get a spot? I just don't see it.
I don't see it either. This as-is roster can't go anywhere; can't make the playoffs, nor go far into them if they somehow get in. On Dec 3rd I posted this in pre-game talk, where
@Adam Michaels said he would only accept that conclusion if the gap to a playoff spot actually widened by the end of the trip across Western Canada.
As for the standings, I'm not sure I feel comfortable in the 5th (out of 10) position for the WC race with Tampa and Columbus at #6-7 and Toronto, Pittsburgh and Carolina fighting out for the two available spots. It's early December and I think we're done based on the above. Done done done.
Now the competition "in range" of the Habs is PIT, CAR, FLA, BUF, CBJ and NYR. With the Habs, that's seven (7) teams fighting for
two (2) playoff spots given that BOS, TOR and TBL
will be the Atlantic seeds at the end of the year, let's not kid ourselves.
This as-is roster + Bergevin's inaction when it comes to acquiring high end talent will kill all hope for a Cup.
We don't have the horses to compete with the rest of the Atlantic on the basis of high end talent, the team won't tank to draft high end talent and Bergevin won't trade for high end talent (asking price, "not available").
To make things worse (a lot worse), summer of 2022 brings a massive cap increase to the NHL with the renewed tv contract. That's when BOS, TBL, TOR and several teams in the Metro will acquire
more high end talent and sign them to hefty contracts.
Bergevin will of course miss the boat and sign a few extensions for the current roster, that's it. We're toast until 2-3 generations of players from now, think 2030+ in the second next tv contract era.
Trying to win a Cup for Price & Weber before 2022 when other teams get (a lot) better?
Ha.
I got heresy from Habs fans on the trade board for even
suggesting that it would be a good idea for the franchise. Kings fans settled on
either a 1st or Poehling for Jeff Carter's contract, which ends..... you guessed it, summer 2022. Perfect timing. And he's back to doing Jeff Carter things from a few years ago, he's not dead.
.....nah man, let's just wait until Price & Weber fade for good and enjoy something like a yearly $32M chunk in cap space ~2.5 years from now when the new tv contract kicks in, that's a lot better. Yay.
Go Team.