When Will Leblanc Get Another Chance?

[Habtchum*]

I am hoping he will be 100% healthy at next camp and got a chance to be - at least - a 4th line winger/center.

Armstrong and Noke should be both gone at that point.


The guy did well last season and there is no reason he cannot do as well or better in a near future.

 

[Poulet Kostopoulos]

He may not ever be big and strong enough to play a 4th liner role.

 

[Habaddict]

I think that the biggest factor is how his off-season training goes.
If he can gain noticeable strength/power, and maybe get a little quicker,
he might look like a very different player.

And I don't think we should be too worried about his play this year to date.
He was very good with the dogs last season. My biggest concern with his
ankle injury, is that he may have lost lower body strength while recovering.

 

[PricerStopDaPuck]

Tbh I think our roster would be better with him on it right now......

 

[WeThreeKings]

Tbh I think our roster would be better with him on it right now......

How? He's still a bean pole. Up until a week ago he couldn't score a point in the AHL. The only player he'd be better than his Armstrong but White should replace him soon enough.

Dumont deserves a call-up long before Leblanc.

 

[Habtchum*]

How? He's still a bean pole. Up until a week ago he couldn't score a point in the AHL. The only player he'd be better than his Armstrong but White should replace him soon enough.

Dumont deserves a call-up long before Leblanc.

This season... No doubt.

 

[PricerStopDaPuck]

How? He's still a bean pole. Up until a week ago he couldn't score a point in the AHL. The only player he'd be better than his Armstrong but White should replace him soon enough.

Dumont deserves a call-up long before Leblanc.

Exactly out team would be better with him replacing armstrong correct me if I am wrong but didnt Leblanc look pretty decent for us when he was called up

 

[Gros Bonhomme]

Exactly out team would be better with him replacing armstrong correct me if I am wrong but didnt Leblanc look pretty decent for us when he was called up

Armstrong does his job just fine on the 4th line for what he's paid for and is a good PKer for us. Like Poulet Kostopoulous said, the kid is not even big and/or strong enough to handle that duty.

I think people expecting Armstrong to be what he was in his PIT/ATL days are going to be very disapointed. Me? Happy with what he brings to the team. He's an above-average player on the PK and is not a liability on the ice. Leblanc certainly doesn't have what it takes right now to remove Armstrong from his spot. For now at least.

In the long run though, I don't think MB will re-sign Armstrong and we'll see where we go from there.

 

[LePoche69]

easy answer: when he'll deserve it.

 

[OldCraig71]

Its funny you say that, because he actually looked decent when he was called up for the Habs scrimmage game, he actually looked good for a guy struggling in the AHL.


For me he is likely to turn out like Higgins, a good 3rd line guy.

No disrespect to anyone that saw him as more, but in my opinion thats what he is.

 

[Hoople]

I see him replacing Armstrong next year as a 4th line RW. See is better than how he was playing early on in the AHL, and seems to have picked up his game lately.

He has decent size if he can put on some extra weight, but the guy is really good along the boards, good to start on the 4th line, and maybe move up due to injuries.

Would be a perfect 4th liner for Gauthier/Martin.

But..........

 

[Nedved]

Tbh I think our roster would be better with him on it right now......

maybe not this second, but if the habs get some injuries I hope he's one of the 1st call-ups.

 

[onemorecup*]

Next year's training camp, barring many injuries.

He's certainly regressed in development at this point. I think it will be after next season (if at all) before he gets a shot.

I dont he he has regressed at all , he was hurt for a good while

I think he is still a good prospect but a top 6 forward doesnt seem to be in the cards

at some point he may have to be moved if a deal is to be made

at some point the longer a prospect is in the minors he loses value , so if he has to be sacrificed for the right deal ,why not

 

[HCH]

He may not ever be big and strong enough to play a 4th liner role.

And that is the problem.

He isn't a first line player so that means 2nd line or 3rd line. At the moment we have Cole and Gallagher filling those spots... both with time left on their contracts

 

[habs03]

Would be a perfect 4th liner for Gauthier/Martin.

But..........

Do you kno that we have Armstrong playing on the 4th line....

Leblanc is smart enough to be play on the pk like Armstrong, Leblanc is just as good along the boards, and actually hits more than Armstrong.

In 45 games with the Habs last year, Leblanc had 10 points +3 and 68 hits.

This year Armstrong has only 15 hits in 15 games, along with 1 point.

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

He'll get another chance when he deserves it.

Unfortunately, I think injuries may have took that extra gear that made him a good prospect away from him. He's way more shy and way softer than ever before. Of course, it could have been avoided if meathead Michael Blunden would have dropped the gloves and done the only thing he is remotely useful for, instead of watching Leblanc try and take on Blacker.

 

[Darth Joker]

Even putting aside his AHL struggles, he's caught in a numbers game at this point. He's kind of like Weber in that regard.

The rise of the Gallys has been awesome, and great for this organization, but it means that there's simply no room for some other prospects, like Leblanc.

Out top 10 forwards right now are Pleks, Gionta, Bourque, DD, Cole, Patches, Prust, Eller, and the Gallys. I don't see any possibility of Leblanc knocking aside any of them. And Leblanc doesn't work well as a 4th-liner, imo.

Leblanc would be alongside Weber at the top of my list of "futures that I'd be willing to trade for immediate improvement/vets". I think he can still be a decent NHLer somewhere, but probably not here.

 

[Habtchum*]

Even putting aside his AHL struggles, he's caught in a numbers game at this point. He's kind of like Weber in that regard.

The rise of the Gallys has been awesome, and great for this organization, but it means that there's simply no room for some other prospects, like Leblanc.

Out top 10 forwards right now are Pleks, Gionta, Bourque, DD, Cole, Patches, Prust, Eller, and the Gallys. I don't see any possibility of Leblanc knocking aside any of them. And Leblanc doesn't work well as a 4th-liner, imo.

Leblanc would be alongside Weber at the top of my list of "futures that I'd be willing to trade for immediate improvement/vets". I think he can still be a decent NHLer somewhere, but probably not here.

Things can change really fast. Injuries, of course, but also age and production of some of our vets players, namely Cole and Gionta, who might consider retirement or be involved in a trade in the off season.

 

[Dharvey33]

I think he has enough skills to be on a 3rd line and put up 30-40 points per year.

He is not mean enough that's the only thing that is lacking in his game to be in the nhl.

 

[habs03]

I don't get how he can't be a 4th liner tho?

He is a good forechecker, hits a lot, smart player so he can play the pk.

Someone said that this coaching staff likes tough 4th liners, but why is Amrstrong on the 4th line, he isn't small at 6', all he needs to put on some weight to be an even better forechecker.

 

[Darch]

Don't think he'll ever be a regular in the NHL. Not strong enough.

 

[Monctonscout]

When you chose your 1st rounder based on what language he speaks...

Don't think he'll ever be a regular in the NHL. Not strong enough.

He was strong enough last year at 180lbs, now he's added close to 10lbs. Size is a non issue.

 

[Eggbeater]

Get real guys. He was recuperating from an injury, which seems to be healed now since he's started putting up points in the AHL again.

Last year he had 22 points in 31 games down there, and didn't look out of place when he played in the NHL, even managing to make some really nice plays from time to time.

But no, he's obviously a bust and they picked him because he speaks French.

 

[Habtchum*]

Get real guys. He was recuperating from an injury, which seems to be healed now since he's started putting up points in the AHL again.

Last year he had 22 points in 31 games down there, and didn't look out of place when he played in the NHL, even managing to make some really nice plays from time to time.

But no, he's obviously a bust and they picked him because he speaks French.

So that is why they never drafted Briere, Giroux, Bergeron, Talbot, and so on...

 

[TennisMenace]

Unless he blossoms, he should stay in minors. Thus, no timetable. Let him earn the call up. Just because he was a 1st round choice should mean nothing now.