Why retooling is the best option for the Habs

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Says they are set all positions except center than next sentence say "could add another defenseman." And you name a franchise changing one.

By saying that you essentially admit to MTL not being set a defense as well. Far from it in fact

 

[Phozzwald]

I was excited to see what more he could have done if we let him dominate a game more suited for his style instead of forcing him in our defense because we had nobody else.

Theres no doubt Bergevins patchwork defence was a clear fail. Markov could never be replaced and he basically had a bunch 5-6-7 defence playing in roles they werent suited for. I feel like he learned from that mistake and is attempting to fix it. The group i named is a good start. Juulsen has top 4 potential as well if eel. But is behind Weber and Petry for this coming season which will allow him time to grow into the role.

 

[The Great Weal]

Theres no doubt Bergevins patchwork defence was a clear fail. Markov could never be replaced and he basically had a bunch 5-6-7 defence playing in roles they werent suited for. I feel like he learned from that mistake and is attempting to fix it. The group i named is a good start. Juulsen has top 4 potential as well if eel. But is behind Weber and Petry for this coming season which will allow him time to grow into the role.

So how is the defense serviceable then? Especially compared to other teams.

 

[Phozzwald]

Says they are set all positions except center than next sentence say "could add another defenseman." And you name a franchise changing one.

By saying that you essentially admit to MTL not being set a defense as well. Far from it in fact

Called the D serviceable. Never said they were elite. Named a franchise changing Defenceman, because its very possible it happens. This does not say that they are not set at defence. All it says is that its highly possible they get Dahlin.

 

[Phozzwald]

So how is the defense serviceable then? Especially compared to other teams.

Because the group i listed did not include Schlemko, Benn, Morrow, or Davidson. The group that started the season. The names that are on there are Mete, Juulsen and Reilly. Much more serviceable group. Younger,faster, better puck movers.

 

[Mathletic]

Habs are retooling. Replacing Daigneault by Lefebvre is exactly that. Replacing a tool by another.

 

[Phozzwald]

This line up might work under the cap for next year, but what about the following year?
Mete on the second pairing with Petry in the playoffs will get eaten alive.
Price, Weber and Pacioretty should be traded for assets, draft picks and cap dump. We need to accumulated as many picks as possible and draft by best players available.
Our core is not very good and aging toward decline.
That is the reality of this team.

Why would Mete get eaten alive. What are your thoughts of Mete?

The Habs have one of the youngest teams in the league. Pacioretty should be traded I agree. You can win with the other 2.

 

[WeThreeKings]

"why you shouldn't ever read last word on hockey"

 

[Phozzwald]

Habs are retooling. Replacing Daigneault by Lefebvre is exactly that. Replacing a tool by another.

Actually LOL'd at that haha. I hope that doesn't happen. Molson said changes were coming. We are all hoping that means both those guys are as far away from the club as possible

 

[CHfan1]

This year was a complete disaster there is no other way to describe it. Lets not forget though that the Habs finished first in the atlantic just a year before.

Weber played injured from game one after taking a shot to the foot from Eichel.

We will have 1 elite prospect coming this year and Drouin is still very young.

Plan if they dont sign Tavares would be to use the depth on the wing/picks to acquire centres. They could have a potential O'Reilly-Stastny combo. Which is decent as well. Poehling on the way up and hopefully he can be a future number 2.

Everyone seems to forget Price was very good last season as well. He posted a 2.23 GAA and .923 sv%. Finished 3rd in Vezina voting. Hes bounced back from injury and adversity before. Theres no reason to think he wont do it again

They lost in round one last year. Haven’t won a playoff series for three straight seasons.

Maybe Price bounces back, but their core is also a year older. Even with Prive back to a .923 sv %, they are not going to be at the top if they can’t score. That elite prospect probably won’t be a game changer this next year, maybe not even the year after.

I’m not sure who the Habs can trade to get ROR, if it’s not that first round pick.

Poehling is still a ways away for being a number 2C.

The team above with no Tavares will still have a lot of trouble competing against top competition. They’ll win a few more games, maybe grab a wild card spot, get bounced in the first round and pick in the 16-20 range next year.

 

[habsfan909]

Everytime someone says ''Edmonton has tanked for years..look at them'' makes me think they started watching hockey a couple years ago.

It's such BS because that's the only example anyone comes to. What about the other success stories. They say tanking is not guaranteed but let me tell you this "Retool" bullsh*t we keep doing IS a GUARANTF***CKINGTY not going to work.
Now suddenly our D is good? Oh my I can't even. Everyone always says Habs fans are the most knowledgeable but I've come to realize that when it comes to the Habs the average fan is completely delusional.
Edmonton you could argue is not far away. A couple role players and they could go big. Heck they did it last year.
Montreal is not close to being a contender. And our farm system is the worst in the league. We have nothing coming of any real value except Poehling.

 

[mariolemieux66]

Why would Mete get eaten alive. What are your thoughts of Mete?

The Habs have one of the youngest teams in the league. Pacioretty should be traded I agree. You can win with the other 2.

I love Mete, but he's young and small, it will take time for him to adjust. I think Mete and juulsen should be use as a top pairing D in Laval next year, playing in all situatuons.

Weber might not be the same after his surgery and Price probably wants to get out after Bergevin's press conference comments.

The team is a mess, management needs to be change at the NHL and AHL level.
We also need to load up on picks.

 

[NobleSix]

Montreal Canadiens Re-tool Rather than Rebuild - Last Word on Hockey

Honestly, I feel they are set at every position other than centre. They could add another Dman to play with Weber, which hopefully is Dahlin. Anyone else feel this way? Or are most just wanting to tear it all down and rebuild?

*Looks at defense*

 

[The Great Weal]

Some good GIFs in this thread

 

[Phozzwald]

They lost in round one last year. Haven’t won a playoff series for three straight seasons.

Maybe Price bounces back, but their core is also a year older. Even with Prive back to a .923 sv %, they are not going to be at the top if they can’t score. That elite prospect probably won’t be a game changer this next year, maybe not even the year after.

I’m not sure who the Habs can trade to get ROR, if it’s not that first round pick.

Poehling is still a ways away for being a number 2C.

The team above with no Tavares will still have a lot of trouble competing against top competition. They’ll win a few more games, maybe grab a wild card spot, get bounced in the first round and pick in the 16-20 range next year.

The top 5 in this years draft are all NHL ready. Dahlin is definitely a game changer. Svechnikov, Zadina and Tkachuk are all solid wingers who could provide instant scoring help to this line up.

ROR is just someone I mention because hes one of the best two way centres in the game and after recent comments could be moved. Especially with the depth Buffalo has at centre with the prospects they have coming up. Buffalo could use help on the wing.

Poehling definitely has a few years left to grow. A guy lie Stastny for a few years could fill the void until he is ready.

 

[Phozzwald]

*Looks at defense*

Are you looking at the defence listed, or are you still thinking about Schlemko, Benn, Morrow and Davidson?

 

[mariolemieux66]

The top 5 in this years draft are all NHL ready. Dahlin is definitely a game changer. Svechnikov, Zadina and Tkachuk are all solid wingers who could provide instant scoring help to this line up.

ROR is just someone I mention because hes one of the best two way centres in the game and after recent comments could be moved. Especially with the depth Buffalo has at centre with the prospects they have coming up. Buffalo could use help on the wing.

Poehling definitely has a few years left to grow. A guy lie Stastny for a few years could fill the void until he is ready.

About the prospects all being ready, other than Dahlin i would count on it and we dont know Dahlin's impact. Dahlin might only put 20 points or he could put 40.
Stastny is a 40-45 points player at best.
What you are offering is a patch job.

 

[CHwest]

I did watch, and I am watching. The Habs could not score. But compare the line up in last years playoffs to what we would have now. Add Tavares. The D is younger and faster. Add a top 5 pick from this years draft. All of which are NHL ready.
Hypothetical roster: Lets say habs and sabres make a deal involving Pacioretty and Oreilly and they win the lottery.
( Again, hypothetical)

Drouin-Tavares-Gallagher
Galchenyuk- O'Reilly-Scherbak
Lehkonen-Danault-Hudon
Byron-De La Rose-Shaw
Deslauriers

Dahlin-Weber
Mete-Petry
Alzner-Juulsen
Reilly

Price
Lindgren

Is that not a line up that could compete each and every night? I cant see how tanking for 3 years gets you anything guaranteed like this.

Sunshine lollipops and rainbows.

 

[Saxon]

I did watch, and I am watching. The Habs could not score. But compare the line up in last years playoffs to what we would have now. Add Tavares. The D is younger and faster. Add a top 5 pick from this years draft. All of which are NHL ready.
Hypothetical roster: Lets say habs and sabres make a deal involving Pacioretty and Oreilly and they win the lottery.
( Again, hypothetical)

Drouin-Tavares-Gallagher
Galchenyuk- O'Reilly-Scherbak
Lehkonen-Danault-Hudon
Byron-De La Rose-Shaw
Deslauriers

Dahlin-Weber
Mete-Petry
Alzner-Juulsen
Reilly

Price
Lindgren

Is that not a line up that could compete each and every night? I cant see how tanking for 3 years gets you anything guaranteed like this.

You include Dahlin, Tavares, and O'Rielly..... Then speak about guarantees....wtf?

 

[NobleSix]

Are you looking at the defence listed, or are you still thinking about Schlemko, Benn, Morrow and Davidson?

I'm looking at:

1LD: 19 year old rookie defenseman - 1RD: declining, destroyed foot
2LD: 21 year old rookie defenseman - 2RD: can't open jars, skate, pass, shoot, or defend
3LD: 24 year old trade deadline question mark - 3RD: Best known for being Jamie Benn's brother

Looks bad.

Edit: Forgot Petry.

 

[Phozzwald]

I love Mete, but he's young and small, it will take time for him to adjust. I think Mete and juulsen should be use as a top pairing D in Laval next year, playing in all situatuons.

Weber might not be the same after his surgery and Price probably wants to get out after Bergevin's press conference comments.

The team is a mess, management needs to be change at the NHL and AHL level.
We also need to load up on picks.

I thought he looked good in his first half season. Im sure he could benefit from time in Laval, but he really impressed me from what i saw this season.

Youre right Weber might not be the same, but has the same % chance of coming back just as good as he was. I dont think Price wants to get out. He loves Montreal. He wants to win here. According to him anyway. Of course he has to say it, but I dont think he would have signed the extension as early as he did if he never.

I think Bergevin has set himself up nicely this offseason. He has loaded up on picks, he has 4 second rounders. He could potentially get another first depending on what way he goes with trading Pacioretty. I feel he should use him to get a centre though.

He has the tools to turn the team around. If he fails to do so, then he should be fired. But Molson has said he trusts him, and they have a plan.

 

[Phozzwald]

You include Dahlin, Tavares, and O'Rielly..... Then speak about guarantees....wtf?

Umm yea? I clearly said that was completely hypothetical. My main point is addressing the centre position will turn this team around. A tank doesnt guarantee anything either. So if we want to talk about getting elite players from a tank, then ill use getting elite guys like Tavares and Dahlin to make my point. The thing about Tavares is hes an already proven player where as anyone we draft could be Yakupov, Stefan, Daigle.

 

[David Suzuki]

With a better GM I may agree. Not with Bergy though. It doesn't take a genius to start bidding wars and sell off.

 

[CHfan1]

The top 5 in this years draft are all NHL ready. Dahlin is definitely a game changer. Svechnikov, Zadina and Tkachuk are all solid wingers who could provide instant scoring help to this line up.

ROR is just someone I mention because hes one of the best two way centres in the game and after recent comments could be moved. Especially with the depth Buffalo has at centre with the prospects they have coming up. Buffalo could use help on the wing.

Poehling definitely has a few years left to grow. A guy lie Stastny for a few years could fill the void until he is ready.

Let’s say they draft Tkachuk, get ROR, and sign Stastny, this team still has a very hard time competing against TB, Boston, and Toronto, and other top teams.

I still don’t know who they give up for ROR, Pacioretty definitely won’t land him, it would have to Galchenyuk + or a 1st round pick.

I’m also scared of the deal and term Bergevin will give to Stastny to get him to sign.

 

[Phozzwald]

I'm looking at:

1LD: 19 year old rookie defenseman - 1RD: declining, destroyed foot
2LD: 21 year old rookie defenseman - 2RD: can't open jars, skate, pass, shoot, or defend
3LD: 24 year old trade deadline question mark - 3RD: Best known for being Jamie Benn's brother

Looks bad.

Youre looking at it wrong. You included Benn. I didnt. You have Juulsen on the left. Hes a right and will be bottom pair. Petry is the number 2 right D. He can skate, pass, shoot and defend.