Your forwards lineup when/if all are healthy

[De Montreal]

You know, I would've kept Mitchell and Davidson and instead try to see what we could get for Plekanec (or Shaw) and Benn. Maybe a 2nd rd pick each.

Byron Drouin Galchenyuk
Pacioretty Danault Gallagher
Hudon Shaw Lehkonen
Deslauriers De La Rose Carr
(Mitchell)

Schlemko Weber
Alzner Petry
Mete Jerabek
(Morrow, Davidson)

I'd still try to do just that, and have Cracknell in for Mitchell.

 

[Habs100]

Pacioretty was playing with broken balls.

Yeah, we had full lineup. Come playoff time, teams usually manage their players so pretty much everyone is ready to play.

 

[Habs13]

Pacioretty was playing with broken balls.

Still is

 

[BaseballCoach]

We have too many similar forwards like middle 6 players. Shaw, Danault, Lehkonen, Gallagher, Carr, Byron, Hudon... I know Gallagher is more top 6 this season but the point remains that we have too any similar player. Not in their style but in term of talent/size/role...

When I see line up with players like Shaw or Danault or Lehkonen on the 1st line I throw up in my mouth.. and it's nothing against them. They shouldn't be there.. and same with a player like Byron on the 4th line.. it's a waste of resource.

MB should make a trade. Get a legit top 6 player

How many do we have already?
Drouin
Pacioretty
Gal;chenyuk
Gallagher
Byron

Danault is on pace for 47 points which is 2nd line production.

Shaw is a legit 2nd liner and elite 3rd liner.

Lehkonen is a young player that could arguably be on a 2nd line as well.

So I am not sure we need another top 6 guy, but sure go get one if we don't create a hole on the roster doing so.

I think our upgrade has to be on defence, at least for the balance of this season and hopefully Mete can be Weber's partner in future years.

 

[Rosso Scuderia]

How many do we have already?
Drouin
Pacioretty
Gal;chenyuk
Gallagher
Byron

Danault is on pace for 47 points which is 2nd line production.

Shaw is a legit 2nd liner and elite 3rd liner.

Lehkonen is a young player that could arguably be on a 2nd line as well.

So I am not sure we need another top 6 guy, but sure go get one if we don't create a hole on the roster doing so.

I think our upgrade has to be on defence, at least for the balance of this season and hopefully Mete can be Weber's partner in future years.

Of course if we look at stats.. Danault is a 2nd C. And 55 pts Drouin as a 1st liner... Is that what you really want going forward? Yes stats could be used for certain things.. but I would certainly not used it to build a LEGIT contending team. Drouin and Danault will never compete with the Crosby/Malkin, Stamkos/Johnson, Bergeron/Krejci, Getzlaf/Kesler, Kopitar/Carter etc etc... let's get real.

Any of those players that I names, if they played on the top 6, they will produced like top 6.. but it doesn't mean that they are good top 6.

A top 6 of Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Danault, Shaw and Byron... You think that's good enough in the playoffs? The forwards are extremely weak in the playoffs. Most of them are either underachievers or lacks playoffs experience.. and you're telling me we don't need top 6 help?? What are even your expectations?

And I have no idea what Shaw has done, especially with us to be considered as a LEGIT top 6 forward.

I mean.. how low the standards have become if because a player is on pace for top 6 productions mean that we don't need an upgrade. Pittsburgh has Crosby and Malkin.. we have Drouin and Danault.. but just because Danault is ON PACE for 40 pts+ which is top 6 production, we don't need to get better in that position? JC... Some of you guys want to lose forever eh..

 

[LaP]

Shaw is not a top 6 player. Since when 30 something points players are top 6 players???

Shaw can be okay in a top 6 if you ice him with Malkin and Kessel. But if you ice him with normal guys he's not a top 6 player at all.

 

[Naslund]

Next year:

Galchenyuk-Drouin-Byron
Pacioretty-Danault-Shaw
Hudon-Evans-Gallagher
Lehkonen-De la Rose-Scherbak
McCarron

Schlemko-Weber
Alzner-Petry
Mete-Benn

Price
Lingren

 

[Halakitlikethat]

Chucky Drouin Byron
Pacioretty Danault Gallagher
Hudon Plekanec Shaw
Delaurises DLR Lehkonen
start Lehkonen on the 4th line to ease him in. He can play up and down the lineup , good problem to have .
I’d try Gallagher on the Danault line, although I wouldn’t mind keeping him where he is . Hemsky I don’t think is an nhl player anymore even when he’s healthy.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Shaw is not a top 6 player. Since when 30 something points players are top 6 players???

Shaw can be okay in a top 6 if you ice him with Malkin and Kessel. But if you ice him with normal guys he's not a top 6 player at all.

17-20 goal wingers are second liners.

Anyway, I'm not saying that having Malkin for a 2nd C or Kane as a 2RW would not be better than what we have.

What I AM saying is that I think we have two bigger needs than another forward.

a) a puck-moving D to play with Weber
b) a backup goaltender that can give the team a chance to win every night because we cannot afford to have all our eggs in the Price basket

In fact, the second problem is the team's biggest problem to solve, on a percentage probability basis.

 

[Adam Michaels]

When all forwards are healthy, step 1: trade Pacioretty.

Then:

Byron - Drouin - Galchenyuk
Lehkonen - Danault - Shaw
Hudon - Plekanec - Gallagher
Deslauriers - DLR - Carr

Extras: Froese and/or Cracknell

I like Scherbak, but I feel he belongs in Laval for most, if not all of the season. It will probably be better for his individual progression.

 

[Kraken Jokes]

Hudon - Danault - Lehkonen (11 min)
Pacioretty - Plekanec - Gallagher (11 min)
Carr - Galchenyuk - Shaw (11 min)
Drouin - De La Rose - Byron (11 min)

OR

Byron - Danault - Drouin (12 min)
Hudon - Galchenyuk - Shaw (12 min)
Pacioretty - Plekanec - Gallagher (12 min)
Carr - De La Rose - Lehkonen (8 min)

 

[Habs Halifax]

Shaw is not a top 6 player. Since when 30 something points players are top 6 players???

Shaw can be okay in a top 6 if you ice him with Malkin and Kessel. But if you ice him with normal guys he's not a top 6 player at all.

You always need to balance out lines. There are reasons why we don't play Patch with Drouin anymore and why Shaw is playing with Patch. Shaw is a key face off guy for us and he can win puck battles. He is way more valuable than you think. I think this is getting old and we need to move on from it. Just like with Danault not being a potential #2C. These guys are only going to get better and they are just touching their prime years now.

 

[LaP]

You always need to balance out lines. There are reasons why we don't play Patch with Drouin anymore and why Shaw is playing with Patch. Shaw is a key face off guy for us and he can win puck battles. He is way more valuable than you think. I think this is getting old and we need to move on from it. Just like with Danault not being a potential #2C. These guys are only going to get better and they are just touching their prime years now.

Balancing lines doesn't make a player a top 6 player. Being a top 6 player doesn't mean you play with Patch to add some grit to his line. You still need at least 4 solid 40 points producer minimum in your lineup and ideally 5 or 6.

In the last 10 years here's the number of 40 points guys the cup winner had

Pens : 6
Pens : 6
hawks : 6
La : 4
Hawks : 5
LA : 4
Bruins : 8
Hawks : 7
Pens : 4 (the had lot of injuries though with 3 guys having 30 something points in 60 something games)
Detroit : 8

So in the last 10 years only 3 cup winners did not have at least five 40+ points producer. 6 cup winners had 6+. 30 something points doesn't cut it.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Balancing lines doesn't make a player a top 6 player. Being a top 6 player doesn't mean you play with Patch to add some grit to his line. You still need at least 4 solid 40 points producer minimum in your lineup and ideally 5 or 6.

In the last 10 years here's the number of 40 points guys the cup winner had

Pens : 6
Pens : 6
hawks : 6
La : 4
Hawks : 5
LA : 4
Bruins : 8
Hawks : 7
Pens : 4 (the had lot of injuries though with 3 guys having 30 something points in 60 something games)
Detroit : 8

So in the last 10 years only 3 cup winners did not have at least five 40+ points producer. 6 cup winners had 6+. 30 something points doesn't cut it.

Shaw was on the Hawks roster when then won a cup and played all over the line-up. Exactly the same at how we are using him on our roster. We already know we lack offensive centers. Why are you talking this out out on Shaw (age 26)? Because we traded the career 30pts center in Eller at the same time we acquire Shaw?

Come on man. Shaw is an asset due to versatility and he can improve because he is in his prime years.

 

[Habs100]

Shaw was on the Hawks roster when then won a cup and played all over the line-up. Exactly the same at how we are using him on our roster. We already know we lack offensive centers. Why are you talking this out out on Shaw (age 26)? Because we traded the career 30pts center in Eller at the same time we acquire Shaw?

Come on man. Shaw is an asset due to versatility and he can improve because he is in his prime years.

I didn't mind losing Eller. I had a problem with losing two early 2nd rounders for Shaw, especially since, as we look back now, Samuel Girard was taken later in that 2nd round. He seems like the type of player Timmins would have an eye on.

 

[Cookie007]

Why anyone would remove AG and Byron from the same line? They were red hot last year together for the first 20 games. They are playing well together right now. Can we give AG some stability for once and stop removing players from his line the minutes it's working. Gosh seriously ...

Totally agree.. it's just people don't want to believe that Byron is a top 6 player and also that he can play anywhere in the lineup.

But the chemistry between Byron and Chucky is there. I think Byron a solid fit for Chucky, as he compliments Chucky's lack of speed and with Chucky's vision (or Drouin's), he can catch a lot of teams on the outlet with his speed.

Leks is the same type but Leks struggled a bit this year.

Galchenyuk - Drouin - Byron (don't break what's not broken)
Pacioretty - Danault - Shaw (Shaw is interchangeable with Leks if Leks come back strong)
Hudon - Plekanec - Gallagher (again, don't break what's not broken, Habs' best and most consistent line so far)
Deslaurais/Carr (depending if we need toughness or not) - DLR/Froese (depending if we need a RH centreman) - Leks/Shaw

I actually see Byron/Lekhonen/Shaw as all interchangeable... rotate them if we ever go dry.

Praying BargainBin gets someone at the TDL - Weber
Petry - Alzner
Schelmko - Benn/Jarabek
Loan Mete to WJC

Price
Niemi/Montoya

If the Islanders start slipping, wouldn't surprise me if MB shops a guy like Lekhonen (+picks/prospect) around for a Nick Leddy type or something

 

[KevSkillz4]

Hudon - Drouin - Galchenyuk.
Pacioretty - Danault - Gallagher.
Byron - Plekanec - Lehkonen.
Deslauriers - De la Rose - Shaw.

 

[Roadhouse]

2019-20

Galchenyuk - Drouin - Gallagher
Byron - Danault - Lehkonen
Carr - Poehling - Scherbak
JDLR - Evans - Shaw

= cheap group of forwards.

Lots of IF's I guess, but imagine everyone pans out (which isn't that much of a stretch if you look at where they're slotted in the roster). With cheap contracts like Mete, Juulsen and possibly Jerabek/Lernout on D, that's quite the cap room for high salary D on the top 4. Building through the draft?

 

[Habs Icing]

Pacioretty was playing with broken balls.

Who told you they were broken? How can something be broken if you are missing them?

 

[Belial]

When all forwards are healthy, step 1: trade Pacioretty.

Then:

Byron - Drouin - Galchenyuk
Lehkonen - Danault - Shaw
Hudon - Plekanec - Gallagher
Deslauriers - DLR - Carr

Extras: Froese and/or Cracknell

I like Scherbak, but I feel he belongs in Laval for most, if not all of the season. It will probably be better for his individual progression.

What's the point of this trade if you're not getting better?

 

[Habs100]

2019-20

Galchenyuk - Drouin - Gallagher
Byron - Danault - Lehkonen
Carr - Poehling - Scherbak
JDLR - Evans - Shaw

= cheap group of forwards.

Lots of IF's I guess, but imagine everyone pans out (which isn't that much of a stretch if you look at where they're slotted in the roster). With cheap contracts like Mete, Juulsen and possibly Jerabek/Lernout on D, that's quite the cap room for high salary D on the top 4. Building through the draft?

So you got rid of Pacioretty, Hudon, and Plekanec. Why Pacioretty and Hudon, especially if you get nothing in return. What do you hope to get in return?

 

[Roadhouse]

So you got rid of Pacioretty, Hudon, and Plekanec. Why Pacioretty and Hudon, especially if you get nothing in return. What do you hope to get in return?

An elite, or close to elite LHD.

 

[montreal]

What I'd like to see them try baring any trades,

Pacioretty Danault Drouin
Hudon Galchenyuk Gallagher
Byron Shaw Lehkonen
DLR Pleks Carr
Terry/Deslauriers

Jerabek Weber
Schlemko Petry
Mete/Alzner Benn

Price
Lindgren

 

[Adam Michaels]

What's the point of this trade if you're not getting better?

For one, he's the most useless player on the team right now. They're not better with him than they would be without him.

It also depends what he's traded for. He will bring in the biggest return. That can include high picks and a prospect/young NHL'er that can make the team better in the next years. Or it can be a blockbuster deal bringing in another big name who can help the team more.

It will also help make the team better because he is on the biggest bargain contract for the next two seasons, and he will ask between 7M-9M on his next deal at 30 years old. That will not make the team better. So move on from him before it's too late.

 

[Belial]

For one, he's the most useless player on the team right now. They're not better with him than they would be without him.

It also depends what he's traded for. He will bring in the biggest return. That can include high picks and a prospect/young NHL'er that can make the team better in the next years. Or it can be a blockbuster deal bringing in another big name who can help the team more.

It will also help make the team better because he is on the biggest bargain contract for the next two seasons, and he will ask between 7M-9M on his next deal at 30 years old. That will not make the team better. So move on from him before it's too late.

Come on man, he's so useless that he lead the team in points in November...