HF Habs: Official Montreal Canadiens Off-Season Thread

[mariolemieux66]

OMG. Spezza. That's it.

Take out the Brassard trade from my earlier expectations. That's who Bergevin will go after for sure.

Some people mentioned that Spezza has Montreal as part of his 10 teams no trade list. Hanzal might be willing to come to Montreal though, he has a NTC as well, but knows that he has a chance at a top 2 C role here in Montreal as opposed to be a bottom 2 lines C and a scratch in Dallas.

Hanzal as a cap dump(2×4.75mil) 2 of Hintz/Robertson/Gurianov, a 1st in 2019 and Dallas 4th in 2019. This trade creates space for Tavares in Dallas for next year where Spezza 7.5mil is also off the book.

Seguin
Tavares
Benn
Radulov
Pacioretty
Spezza

Is a very good top 6.

 

[Omar]

Wow! That's 12 laughing smilies right there! You must be more clever than I am, for sure!

This lineup might not be a cup contender, but everyone being healthy, it can compete for a spot in the playoffs all that while letting the prospects develop for a while without rushing them. If you're so confident in the picks Timmins made, you should be convinced Bozak will be outplayed by Poehling or "THE GREAT FINNISH FLASH 2.0 MIX OF KOPITAR TOEWS KOIVU AND JESUS CHRIST OMGZZZZ" in his contract's duration.

News flash. Nobody wants to just compete for the playoffs.

 

[Omar]

Don't get confuse. You don't fix the NOW problem with FUTURE players.
Those players won't enter in the NHL and destroy everything in their 1st years.

You know we were waiting for Galchenyuk, Eller, McCarron to help/fix our center line for years.
They were young promising prospects, look at where we are.

We are 3 to 4 years away from seeing a real impact from those players (It's one thing to get into the NHL, it's another thing to be really good every nights) and that's a maybe they will good centers, maybe they will be good wingers and maybe they won't be good at all.

You’re right, but you can’t fix the future by fixing the now either. And if the now is still crap, you focus on the future.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

If you know how to read, which you quite obviously can't because you completely put the word "PLAUSIBLE" in my mouth; you'd have seen the second scenario is the one I EXPECT to see unfold knowing how dumb Bergevin is.

Quite obviously you know more about Patches intentions than I do.
Bozak just went out of a 5 years 4.2M$ per season deal. What the **** do you expect him to sign for?!

I was talking about ur ''plausible habs way'' that u were thinking.

Not hard to know about Patches when he had maybe 2 deals and decided to switch agents right after that.

For Bozak , yeah ''he went out of a 5 years 4.2m'' He was 27 back then too an better. Now he is a thirdliner and he produced because he played in a top 5 offensive team in the league as the leafs.

So ur telling me that we should give him even more than he was winning to a guy that will be 33 year olds in March?
Whys that , he wont be better with the habs. Hes declining hes 33 giving him 5 years or even 4 years would be really terrible for habs. At this rate we should just give Paul Stastny 7 years 6.5m and be in the bottom tier of the league for the next 8 years instead of 2-3 years.

 

[Gustave]

I’d be surprised if we didn’t trade for ROR and sign Stastny and acquire a LHPMD this offseason. Figure opening day lineup would look something like:

Drouin ROR Gally
Domi Stastny Lehkonen
Byron Danault Sherbak
Hudon Plex/DLR Shaw

LD (JJ/CDH?) Weber
Schlemko Petry
Alzner Juulsen

I do think that this is the plan. I don't hate it one bit, considering we might add to the prospect pool with the MaxPac return. Hopefully a LD prospect. I also see us giving Simon Despres a chance and him to make it.

If our season doesn't go well, we can sell off assets again and be a lottery team once again. Win win.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

Should the habs make a offer to Xavier Ouellet ?

Absolutely not.

 

[Zorba]

You’re right, but you can’t fix the future by fixing the now either. And if the now is still crap, you focus on the future.

Tell that to Molson when he misses the playoffs and the bell centre has thousands of empty seats

 

[Miller Time]

Some people mentioned that Spezza has Montreal as part of his 10 teams no trade list. Hanzal might be willing to come to Montreal though, he has a NTC as well, but knows that he has a chance at a top 2 C role here in Montreal as opposed to be a bottom 2 lines C and a scratch in Dallas.

Hanzal as a cap dump(2×4.75mil) 2 of Hintz/Robertson/Gurianov, a 1st in 2019 and Dallas 4th in 2019. This trade creates space for Tavares in Dallas for next year where Spezza 7.5mil is also off the book.

Seguin
Tavares
Benn
Radulov
Pacioretty
Spezza

Is a very good top 6.

While i wouldn't be surprised if Montreal was on his list, given his situation and our roster situation, I could see him lifting it to play a year over here...

There's really no other situation in the league where he would be given the #1C role with essentially no competition. For a guy in the final year of his contract, if he's motivated to sign one more large/longer term deal, getting the chance to play on a top line, even in an overall crummy situation like the one we have, should be of big interest.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Don't get confuse. You don't fix the NOW problem with FUTURE players.
Those players won't enter in the NHL and destroy everything in their 1st years.

You know we were waiting for Galchenyuk, Eller, McCarron to help/fix our center line for years.
They were young promising prospects, look at where we are.

We are 3 to 4 years away from seeing a real impact from those players (It's one thing to get into the NHL, it's another thing to be really good every nights) and that's a maybe they will good centers, maybe they will be good wingers and maybe they won't be good at all.

We were waiting for Galchenyuk because MB signed DD to a 4 year extension during Galchenyuk's rookie season.

Yes, we'll have to wait for these prospects, but it's unlikely to be as long as 4 years. Forward prospects develop quickly these days. Poehling and Kotka are already competing against men and could be ready in 2 years - 2020. Some of these proposals that have ROR, Bozak/Stastny, and Danault locking down the middle for the next 4 or 5 seasons don't consider that these guys will need playing time.

They won't be competitive for the next couple of seasons, so they should might as well sign a couple of stop-gaps (R. Nash, Plekanec) to put players in their proper positions (Drouin!). Might as well go full ugly for 2 more seasons.

 

[mariolemieux66]

While i wouldn't be surprised if Montreal was on his list, given his situation and our roster situation, I could see him lifting it to play a year over here...

There's really no other situation in the league where he would be given the #1C role with essentially no competition. For a guy in the final year of his contract, if he's motivated to sign one more large/longer term deal, getting the chance to play on a top line, even in an overall crummy situation like the one we have, should be of big interest.

Let's just say Tavares and Pacioretty are added to Dallas, I think Spezza should be back at around 50 points and could just sign an extension with Dallas if the team short future looks good, but Spezza doesn't change the Montreal Canadiens hockey team.

 

[mariolemieux66]

We were waiting for Galchenyuk because MB signed DD to a 4 year extension during Galchenyuk's rookie season.

Yes, we'll have to wait for these prospects, but it's unlikely to be as long as 4 years. Forward prospects develop quickly these days. Poehling and Kotka are already competing against men and could be ready in 2 years - 2020. Some of these proposals that have ROR, Bozak/Stastny, and Danault locking down the middle for the next 4 or 5 seasons don't consider that these guys will need playing time.

They won't be competitive for the next couple of seasons, so they should might as well sign a couple of stop-gaps (R. Nash, Plekanec) to put players in their proper positions (Drouin!). Might as well go full ugly for 2 more seasons.

This and we could take on a couple of cap dumps like Tyler Ennis, Martin Hanzal, even Loui Erickson or Bobby Ryan.

 

[Ozmodiar]

This and we could take on a couple of cap dumps like Tyler Ennis, Martin Hanzal, even Loui Erickson or Bobby Ryan.

It's time for MB to get a bit creative. Something we have yet to see.

(not sure I'd touch the 2 players with 4 years left. They'd need a first rounder as incentive, but i doubt these 2 bad teams would give it up)

 

[Dannyhab]

I honestly don't know where this team is going. We don't have a 1C 2C or 1LD. Our prospects from the last two drafts are 2-3 years out. I hate that we aren't competing EVERY season. This is unacceptable for a storied franchise like the Habs.

It sucks because Price and Weber are here long term at high dollar contracts. I suppose Patches could get us our 2C. We'd need a 1C and 1LD in free agency then we might be ok but I really don't know.

MB: What is the plan???

Why isn't anyone talking about Carlson either? Statsny and him could fix a lot of our issues.

 

[scrubadam]

And the bell centre will have 17 k in it after January

But the hot dogs will be to die for!

 

[scrubadam]

This and we could take on a couple of cap dumps like Tyler Ennis, Martin Hanzal, even Loui Erickson or Bobby Ryan.

Yes take on the cap dumps. Hanzal or Spezza could fit here if we get a pick or prospect coming our way.

 

[ohmyjlord]

I honestly don't know where this team is going. We don't have a 1C 2C or 1LD. Our prospects from the last two drafts are 2-3 years out. I hate that we aren't competing EVERY season. This is unacceptable for a storied franchise like the Habs.

It sucks because Price and Weber are here long term at high dollar contracts. I suppose Patches could get us our 2C. We'd need a 1C and 1LD in free agency then we might be ok but I really don't know.

MB: What is the plan???

Why isn't anyone talking about Carlson either? Statsny and him could fix a lot of our issues.

Because he's right-handed. Which is pretty much the only thing the Habs don't really need right now.

 

[Price is Wright]

Should the habs make a offer to Xavier Ouellet ?

We just picked up two coaches who know him.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I honestly don't know where this team is going. We don't have a 1C 2C or 1LD. Our prospects from the last two drafts are 2-3 years out. I hate that we aren't competing EVERY season. This is unacceptable for a storied franchise like the Habs.

It sucks because Price and Weber are here long term at high dollar contracts. I suppose Patches could get us our 2C. We'd need a 1C and 1LD in free agency then we might be ok but I really don't know.

MB: What is the plan???

Why isn't anyone talking about Carlson either? Statsny and him could fix a lot of our issues.

Their plan so far has been:

- Get rid of certain individuals in coaching and management and bring in new staff. Which they've done (and still have a few positions to fill).
- Go into the draft with the mandate to stock up the cupboards on prospects. Which they've done.
- The next plan is to restructure their amateur scouting department. Which they've started doing.
- Next part of the plan is to focus on the on-ice product. Which will be done now with free agency and some moves will be done in the summer and surely more at camp.

 

[justafan22]

Their plan so far has been:

- Get rid of certain individuals in coaching and management and bring in new staff. Which they've done (and still have a few positions to fill).
- Go into the draft with the mandate to stock up the cupboards on prospects. Which they've done.
- The next plan is to restructure their amateur scouting department. Which they've started doing.
- Next part of the plan is to focus on the on-ice product. Which will be done now with free agency and some moves will be done in the summer and surely more at camp.

Which is a bubble team. Yay I guess....

 

[Adam Michaels]

Which is a bubble team. Yay I guess....

We shall see. I'm patient so I don't need this team ready to contend next year. Even don't need them to make the playoffs either.

 

[blarneylad]

I really like the draft.

But I can’t help but feel Bergevin is out of his league. Looks to have dropped the ball on Pacioretty situation, will not sign Tavares so what!?

Feels like last season all over again. Let Radulov walk with no good plan b.

Will he sign Perron? A winger, probably and then Johnson and call it an offseason.

Center depth will be what? Drouin, Danault, Pleks/Bozak? Another tank season or just good enough to be mid pack more likely

Plan should be Tavares or bust. Since Habs seem to be out of discussion it is time to move on from Weber. Edmonton or laffs would jump at opportunity like that I would think

 

[Runner77]

Their plan so far has been:

- Get rid of certain individuals in coaching and management and bring in new staff. Which they've done (and still have a few positions to fill).
- Go into the draft with the mandate to stock up the cupboards on prospects. Which they've done.
- The next plan is to restructure their amateur scouting department. Which they've started doing.
- Next part of the plan is to focus on the on-ice product. Which will be done now with free agency and some moves will be done in the summer and surely more at camp.

I agree with the items on your list and when it comes to the amateur scouting department, it's a start. Except real changes need to happen at the top. Is there anyone available on the market who is parting ways with his team, now that the draft is done? The 4 part-time scouts that were let go was a tepid move at an untimely juncture. Hopefully this is not what they had in mind in terms of "changes".

Also, there have been no changes of significance to the Pro Scouting Dept. It remains the weakest link in the organization and needs an overhaul. It used to be that development was arguably the lowest performing segment but that has been upgraded. I would argue that the Pro Scouting Dept. needs the most urgent revamp as it's high time the Habs are able to rely on more reliable player procurement assessments both for incoming and outgoing assets.

There have been too many trades where the Habs are shortchanged. And too many player signings that are suitable to the style of play from another era. It's time for F-Bomb Ratios to give way to actual, proven and reliable competent advisors.

 

[blarneylad]

We shall see. I'm patient so I don't need this team ready to contend next year. Even don't need them to make the playoffs either.

I agree, as long as they make the right decisions understanding that reality. Forget signin UFA like Perron, Statsny bozak when that is the reality.

Let the group lose, play and learn. Without veteran UFA taking roster spots

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Should the habs make a offer to Xavier Ouellet ?

Wouldn't be surprised if he signs a cheap one year, one way contract (so his contract doesn't count against the cap in the minors) or a 2-way. He played under Bouchard and his dad coached with Ducharme so there are connections.

OTOH, we have a lot of signed D as it is. Not sure there's room.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I agree with the items on your list and when it comes to the amateur scouting department, it's a start. Except real changes need to happen at the top. Is there anyone available on the market who is parting ways with his team, now that the draft is done? The 4 part-time scouts that were let go was a tepid move at an untimely juncture. Hopefully this is not what they had in mind in terms of "changes".

Also, there have been no changes of significance to the Pro Scouting Dept. It remains the weakest link in the organization and needs an overhaul. It used to be that development was arguably the lowest performing segment but that has been upgraded. I would argue that the Pro Scouting Dept. needs the most urgent revamp as it's high time the Habs are able to rely on more reliable player procurement assessments both for incoming and outgoing assets.

There have been too many trades where the Habs are shortchanged. And too many player signings that are suitable to the style of play from another era. It's time for F-Bomb Ratios to give way to actual, proven and reliable competent advisors.

Agreed 100%. In terms of the scouting department, Timmins said they're restructuring. So we'll see what they do moving forward. The four part-timers aren't enough of a change.

As for the pro scouting. I couldn't agree more. That department needs some serious changes. I'll be the last person to say who is good and who isn't. But I would much prefer Mark Hunter take Eric Crawford's place.