Confirmed with Link: Nate Thompson re-signs (one-year, one-way contract)

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

everyone wanted him in finland or the AHL. They played him the entire season and he lost his legs halfway through the season. They squeezed every drop of sweat out of that kid. Glad people assume he will have increased pressure and top 6 minutes next year.

Ya he played on a 3rd line on his first season which i agreed, but now he should be on an offensive line and have a chance to play with better players.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Ya he played on a 3rd line on his first season which i agreed, but now he should be on an offensive line and have a chance to play with better players.

If he earns it, put him there. Not really complicated. If he's not ready, he's not. If he's ready at game 20, perfect. Game 65? Perfect.

 

[HuGo Sham]

meh, depth signing brought about i think, by bergevin watching the smaller, skilled teams get a bit manhandled these playoffs

 

[THE HOFF]

Ya he played on a 3rd line on his first season which i agreed, but now he should be on an offensive line and have a chance to play with better players.

Is drouin and/or byron sufficient ? Armia and KK have complementary skills. Chemistry is also important and KK playing the year in MTL has a lot to do with his countrymen taking him under their wings. I prefer to give those guys credit as well than to say we are ''holding him back''. Its a ridiculous angle, the treatment he got here on draft year is the polar opposite of slowing development down. He's closer to being rushed than held back imho.

 

[Runner77]

Seasons 1-7 may be about winning the throne but everyone knows season 8 has the night king.

Big reveal in Season 8 ...

 

[Kotkaniemi15]

Nate Thompson sucks. We don’t need him. I don’t get it. Not the way I would do things over there.

He’s well-liked by everyone in the dressing room, a great face-off specialist and an elite PKer. Even if he does “suck”, it’s a cheap contract so we can bury it or just ship him off. Ask Max Domi how he feels about the signing. Everyone on the team loves him for a reason.

 

[Doxinoctae]

Not sure what we'd do if we happen to sign Duchene on top of that.

domi on the wing drouin for a lhd !

Domi Duchene Shaw
Tatar Danault Gallagher
Byron Kotkaniemi Armia
Lehkonen Thompson Weal
D-Lo

 

[Habs]

An awful hockey player that only Montreal would sign. Yeah bergy , can you get Dwight king back too?

 

[admiralcadillac]

In well after all the needless criticism.

Bergy you f***ing suck

Thompson also f***ing sucks

Etc.

Bravo well done guys. Gotta make the chodes bigger somehow.

 

[Treb]

Well, I mean, now where does Poehling play? On the wing? I don’t get it..

Players back (or RFA) for next year:

Drouin - Domi- Gallagher
Tatar-Danault/KK- Shaw
Byron -Danault/KK-Armia
Lehkonen -Thompson- XXXX
Peca, Deslauriers

Unless you think Poehling can bump down either Danault/KK or Shaw/Armia, he's on the 4th line at best at C. I don't see any benefit starting him on the 4th line. 4th line at the end of the season/PO time sure, but he'll learn more playing 18+ mins in the AHL with PP+PK than 10-12 mins in the NHL for 60 games.

1. Play Thompson 4C for most of the year
2. Bring up Poehling after TDL
3. ???
4. Profit!

What we need the most fwd wise is a top 6 LW replacing Drouin with less gutless/perimeter play and a 2nd line RW bumping Shaw down. Poehling is not the asnwer to either of those.

 

[Stive Morgan]

An awful hockey player that only Montreal would sign. Yeah bergy , can you get Dwight king back too?

Thompson is way better than King.

 

[Stive Morgan]

He’s well-liked by everyone in the dressing room, a great face-off specialist and an elite PKer. Even if he does “suck”, it’s a cheap contract so we can bury it or just ship him off. Ask Max Domi how he feels about the signing. Everyone on the team loves him for a reason.

Exactly. Good for the team's morale and attitude.

 

[Kriss E]

If he earns it, put him there. Not really complicated. If he's not ready, he's not. If he's ready at game 20, perfect. Game 65? Perfect.

You had that same laid back casual approach to using Galch. It failed.
I agree, you don't force it if hes not ready. That said, you dont freestyle either.

They should have a goal and plan as to where they view KK next year. If they want to give him more offensive time then they need to look at wingers for him.

 

[BaseballCoach]

You had that same laid back casual approach to using Galch. It failed.
I agree, you don't force it if hes not ready. That said, you dont freestyle either.

They should have a goal and plan as to where they view KK next year. If they want to give him more offensive time then they need to look at wingers for him.

Even if Danault and Gallagher play well together, I think we an afford to move Tatar to KK's line.

Assuming no trades of Fs,

Byron-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Shaw
Tatar-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Lehkonen-Thompson/Poehling-Weal

Three really good second lines/borderline first lines, plus a 3rd line.

 

[Kimota]

That is good but we better keep Weal if you Will.

 

[Kriss E]

Even if Danault and Gallagher play well together, I think we an afford to move Tatar to KK's line.

Assuming no trades of Fs,

Byron-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Domi-Shaw
Tatar-Kotkaniemi-Armia
Lehkonen-Thompson/Poehling-Weal

Three really good second lines/borderline first lines, plus a 3rd line.

I don't want Tatar playing with KK, I'm not sure what he will bring to him. I want KK to have mentors on his line. Give him Gallagher, he'll get to play first hand with someone that grinds and is constantly in the face of opponents. Sure, he can see that from the bench, but it's different when you play with these players. There is something about playing with talent that is just not teachable. Not matter how much you watch, playing with talent is arguably the best thing for your development (given you can follow).

I don't mind Armia, bigger brother type who's 6'4 210, no worries there, but I want someone talented on the other side that can help KK improve. I want a skillful winger on the other side, Tatar is just not at the level I want. Also, I want us to trade Tatar so, rather we get a guy that will stick with KK.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

You had that same laid back casual approach to using Galch. It failed.
I agree, you don't force it if hes not ready. That said, you dont freestyle either.

They should have a goal and plan as to where they view KK next year. If they want to give him more offensive time then they need to look at wingers for him.

We have no evidence to suggest they do or don’t have a plan. It’s a different coaching staff. I just don’t have a plan either. When he’s ready I hope he gets the time.

As for galchenyuk. I was always iffy on him and you know it. My only wish is they try him longer at C later on but he was a rather incomplete winger...which should’ve been easier. Domi didn’t need to play C since he was 18 to get it. Some got it, some don’t.

 

[The Great Weal]

I don't want Tatar playing with KK, I'm not sure what he will bring to him. I want KK to have mentors on his line. Give him Gallagher, he'll get to play first hand with someone that grinds and is constantly in the face of opponents. Sure, he can see that from the bench, but it's different when you play with these players. There is something about playing with talent that is just not teachable. Not matter how much you watch, playing with talent is arguably the best thing for your development (given you can follow).

I don't mind Armia, bigger brother type who's 6'4 210, no worries there, but I want someone talented on the other side that can help KK improve. I want a skillful winger on the other side, Tatar is just not at the level I want. Also, I want us to trade Tatar so, rather we get a guy that will stick with KK.

Tatar is arguably our 2nd best forward right now. He brings hard work and is talented. He's no superstar by any means, but I don't see us getting a superstar from a trade or from free agency. Even if we bring in a superstar, I still don't see why we should trade Tatar. Armia brings no offense, he's essentially a 3rd or 4th liner. I don't think he should play with Kotkaniemi next season.

 

[Kriss E]

Tatar is arguably our 2nd best forward right now. He brings hard work and is talented. He's no superstar by any means, but I don't see us getting a superstar from a trade or from free agency. Even if we bring in a superstar, I still don't see why we should trade Tatar. Armia brings no offense, he's essentially a 3rd or 4th liner. I don't think he should play with Kotkaniemi next season.

Well I want to rebuild. I think we should move Tatar and Petry while they're worth something.
There was a lot of upset in the first round, might be an opportunity there to get something from a team d esperate to make moves.

I'd say he's our 3rd best forward, which doesn't really mean much...

 

[The Great Weal]

Well I want to rebuild. I think we should move Tatar and Petry while they're worth something.
There was a lot of upset in the first round, might be an opportunity there to get something from a team d esperate to make moves.

I'd say he's our 3rd best forward, which doesn't really mean much...

I don't really think Petry and Tatar will lose value and we will likely move them before the expansion draft. When we have no replacements and shouldn't waste picks and prospects for better players, I don't see why we should trade those two.

I'd say he's right here with Gallagher, and I would like to have Kotkaniemi having the opportunity to play with a player like him and Gally instead of Armia and Lehkonen.

 

[BaseballCoach]

I don't really think Petry and Tatar will lose value and we will likely move them before the expansion draft. When we have no replacements and shouldn't waste picks and prospects for better players, I don't see why we should trade those two.

I'd say he's right here with Gallagher, and I would like to have Kotkaniemi having the opportunity to play with a player like him and Gally instead of Armia and Lehkonen.

My goal is eventually Tatar (or other 1LW)-KK-Gallagher

The FIRST STEP at age 19 is Tatar and Armia. The other alternative is Lehkonen and Gallagher.

In other words, the next step in KK's development is to have him playing a sort of second line role, more opportunity than now but not yet the responsibility level that he would get at age 20-21. BUt it's part of a plan to get him to 1C soon if he fulfills expectations.

 

[Kriss E]

We have no evidence to suggest they do or don’t have a plan. It’s a different coaching staff. I just don’t have a plan either. When he’s ready I hope he gets the time.

As for galchenyuk. I was always iffy on him and you know it. My only wish is they try him longer at C later on but he was a rather incomplete winger...which should’ve been easier. Domi didn’t need to play C since he was 18 to get it. Some got it, some don’t.

We argued a lot of Galch right from his rookie season man. I told you the way they were using wasn't going to help him. I understand there is no way of knowing doing anything differently would have yielded better results, all we can do is evaluate how they were handling him and it was obvious then as it is now, they were messing up.
The most important thing for development is stability and structure. Give him his regular ice time, steady linemates, fixed position and opportunities.
From center, to wing, switching linemates all within his first 40 games here...Next season starts on the same hot line he finished with for about a handful of games until that's broken, eventually he moves on the wing of another center....back and forth the flip flopping goes...
It was bad and that was obvious.

In any event, no need to drag on Galch, point is, we can't do that with KK. What I was arguing for back then is, make Galch a center, get him proper wingers, Jagr was a perfect candidate to get. We skipped on that.
They should have been targeting and studying all year for wingers who could be great fits for KK next season.

You need to know who to build around. That's why some feel we were in a better position in 2012. Right now it's all in the air. Who do we build on for the foreseeable future? Domi and KK. That's it. Weber and Price, they're getting older, they might stick or decline, we don't know. So...that leaves Petry, Tatar, Drouin, Byron and the likes?? Hell no.
If the plan is to wait for the Romanovs, Poehlings, Fleurys, Suzukis...well damn, why aren't we tanking? Those guys aren't going to be dominant NHLers this upcoming season or the next...

 

[Kriss E]

I don't really think Petry and Tatar will lose value and we will likely move them before the expansion draft. When we have no replacements and shouldn't waste picks and prospects for better players, I don't see why we should trade those two.

I'd say he's right here with Gallagher, and I would like to have Kotkaniemi having the opportunity to play with a player like him and Gally instead of Armia and Lehkonen.

Well we don't know if they'll lose value. A poorly timed injury and forget trading him.
But in the end it's all about what the objective is next season. Trading Tatar and Petry entails rebuilding.
If that ain't the case, well, no way we're moving Petry. Tatar or Drouin, I'd package one to get a Dman.

 

[Archijerej]

Dismantling Danaults' line would be a big mistake imo. Right now it is a perfect mix of players that compliment each other. Danault helps to drive the play from our zone up to the oppositions' blueline, Tatar provides creativity in the offensive zone and Gallagher is purely a finisher. Replace Tatar with Byron and you have the whole thing unbalanced. I'm not against reducing Danaults' role eventually and have him centering a purely defensive line with different wingers. But in order to do this, you have to have Kotkaniemi being able to handle more minutes, against better opposition and producing offense regularly. As of now he was barely an NHL player for stretches in the second part of the season. Leave him where he is. He still has room to grow on the third line and if everything goes as expected, he will force your hand.

 

[Guns n Roses]

He’s well-liked by everyone in the dressing room, a great face-off specialist and an elite PKer. Even if he does “suck”, it’s a cheap contract so we can bury it or just ship him off. Ask Max Domi how he feels about the signing. Everyone on the team loves him for a reason.

I’m sure he’s a great guy, but he’s got no offense. And the fact that he’s well liked will make Julien over play him. Enough with these types of players, if all they could play is defense then I don’t want them.