Prediction for this year - Playoffs or no Playoffs?

[BLONG7]

Too close to call..........but for some reason I can see us making it...

 

[The Real Timo]

Honestly, I have no clue. The safe bet is barely missing the playoffs, since as of today the team didn't get any better.

Uh-uh-uh... there is a thread that still hasn't concluded whether Marc Bergevin made this team better or not... so I wouldn't be so categorical

 

[mitchmagic]

I think we're in the same place as last year, if not worse. It's possible we make the playoffs if we're like 8th place by the trade deadline and we bring in someone that can push us over the edge. I doubt that happens though.

 

[Habsawce]

I think the division is too dangerous.

Tampa Bay, Boston and Toronto are clearly ahead of Montreal. Florida, I think will surprise. They have the pieces to be dangerous and with goalie Bob and how he plays in the regular season, they will improve over last year.

Honestly, we just don't play Ottawa enough times in the year. I say they miss and Bergevin gets canned.

 

[L4br3cqu3]

By january 1st, we'll be bottom-10, by the TDL nearly bottom-5, some veterans will be traded, prospects will get playing time, and we'll get a needed superstar prospect in 2020.

 

[montreal]

I had us at 9th to 12th last year (pre lottery) so I'll just go with that again.

 

[peate]

94 points, good for a strong 9th. "We would've made it in the West."

 

[S Bah]

No Debby Downer here, always aim for the top as lifelong Habs fans know it's always possible.

 

[ottawa]

We're in a very strong division but I think a wild card spot is easily attainable for us, I would be shocked to see us miss the playoffs again.

 

[mariolemieux66]

I want a top 3 pick!!!

 

[Habs]

A good gm would pull a Penguins and fail, trade away , for that #1 pick in your own howetown next year.

Sadly we are stuck with Bergevin and his pile of excuses and castaways

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Without doubt the Habs will emerge #1 and with the president's trophy they will steamroll into the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup for the 25th time. It is with mathematic certainty

If we want to make it even more realistic...

The Smythe goes to Drouin?

 

[Justin11]

Not good enough to make the PO's and not bad enough to get top pick.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

We finished with 96pts last year despite CP not doing well before december and Weber out in the first 2 months

I say we go over 100pts, should make the playoffs with that

Carey Price did fine. We had him behind a crap D. His numbers immediately improved when Weber returned. We continue to do things the hard way. Great goalie? Let's go get a crappy D... it's just dumb.

What's shocking is that we did nothing to improve the D over the offseason. Once again, if Weber or Petry go down we are toast. We have no depth back there and AHL level D on the left side.

My best guess is Weber misses 20 games and we just miss out on the postseason.

 

[MXD]

Bubble, but in. People remember that the absolute outlier last year wasn't Domi and Tatar, but the totally inept PP. And there will be some organic improvement (KK and Mete), with not much organic decrease (likeliest is ... what, Petry?)

One of Toronto or Boston will miss (AKA, be worse than us). Probably Toronto. Andersen's success last season is not sustainable. Buffalo will be better. Florida will continue failing.

 

[sampollock]

no changes from last year, to fix pp

 

[MXD]

no changes from last year, to fix pp

That's the thing -- it was unsustainably bad. Even by playing bad (or worse) on the PP, the Canadiens will score more.

 

[Habssince89]

The team at its floor is a bubble team, but then you add the rookies and the progression of KK and Mete and we have a better team than last year, even if the progression is slight.

I especially think if we put Poehling at LW with Domi, with Drouin on his offwing (I think he's way better here) Our top 6 could be the most legit it has been in a while. RP can help Domi win the puck, and his skill level will help Drouin who can only really think the game at a fancy level and needs skilled linemates who can see what he wants to do.

Poehling-Domi-Drouin
Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Byron-Kotkaniemi-Armia(Suzuki)
Lehkonen-Thompson(Weal)-Weal(Armia)

Looks better than the past few years IMO. Especially if Suzuki can win a spot and can help the PP.

 

[Prettyisland]

I’m really not confident they will make the playoffs unless all the narratives I harp are played out in the exact fashion I want them to go

 

[Tyson]

Regression season with no accountability

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Bottom 7 in the league

 

[teamfirst]

Carey Price did fine. We had him behind a crap D. His numbers immediately improved when Weber returned. We continue to do things the hard way. Great goalie? Let's go get a crappy D... it's just dumb.

What's shocking is that we did nothing to improve the D over the offseason. Once again, if Weber or Petry go down we are toast. We have no depth back there and AHL level D on the left side.

My best guess is Weber misses 20 games and we just miss out on the postseason.

CP was not good in oct-nov no matter how bad the D was, he would probably be the first to agree on that ....and i'm a big fan of him, jeez he even had to take 2 weeks off to settle down, his play from december to the end of the season was very good, just hope he can carry on with that

 

[Ozmodiar]

Barely qualifies for playoffs - but once there does well

I see MB’s spin is working a bit.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

CP was not good in oct-nov no matter how bad the D was, he would probably be the first to agree on that ....and i'm a big fan of him, jeez he even had to take 2 weeks off to settle down, his play from december to the end of the season was very good, just hope he can carry on with that

The only thing wrong with Carey Price was the AHL D in front of him. Weber came back and like magic his numbers took a huge bounce.

I posted a bunch of highlight clips in games where we got smoked. Watch Price's play and the goals scored on him. Our D was atrocious. We were good at limiting shots but 29th in the league in letting shots in close before Weber came back. That's going to kill any goalie's numbers. On most nights where Benn was on the first pairing it looked like he was playing for the other side.

And sadly... we've done nothing to improve the D group. It's the same old story and if Petry or Weber go down we're going to get absolutely smoked again because we've got ZERO depth on the back end.

 

[cphabs]

By january 1st, we'll be bottom-10, by the TDL nearly bottom-5, some veterans will be traded, prospects will get playing time, and we'll get a needed superstar prospect in 2020.

I expect the opposite.
We will trade our prospects for garbage in an attempt to make the playoffs.