Markov the KHL

[Pengwin7]

re: Markov.
IDK, I always believe that this stuff is determined way in advance.
(And what's said... by Markov... by Bergevin... that's all playing-the-game of interacting with fans/media.)
Montreal just made too many obvious moves that they were moving on from Markov - which suggests Markov had hinted as much to MTL.

I'll speculate Markov has had pressure (& welcomed) to the idea of playing in the Olympics.
If Russia wins the gold - which they could with enough NHL firepower - then these guys will be revered icons in their homelands for their lifetime.
And many Russians grew up with these iconic hockey figures.

Everybody has their breakpoint... some amount of a contract/money would've kept Markov in NA.
But, he's got a chance to be part of a Russian hockey gold medal IN Russia. Datsyuk, Kovalchuk... some big names in play already.

Money is great, but he's got legacy here if they pull off the gold.


Here's a better question:
Who's on the MON PP1 unit?

[newfcollins]

Here's a better question:
Who's on the MON PP1 unit?

Maybe this is the year they go with four forwards and one dman. Pacioretty-Drouin-Galchenyuk-Gallagher-Weber.

[Pengwin7]

Maybe this is the year they go with four forwards and one dman. Pacioretty-Drouin-Galchenyuk-Gallagher-Weber.

Maybe.
It's a good fantasy question... as Weber had 17g last year... 12 were on the PP.
And of those 12... 9 or 10 came off the feathered pass of a LH-player, either Radulov (if 4:1) or Markov (if 3:2).
So, whoever can play that right-wall or right-point on the PP and get the wheelhouse passes over to Weber... is in for a lot of PPA.
Who's that guy? (your opinion?)


BTW - a good watch of Weber's goals... where one can see the RH Weber playing his RS at even-strength and switching to left-side on PP.
(Good commentary to Markov's switch-use on the PP at about 13:50mark of last goal)

[ericdaoust]

Of that group I'd say Drouin gets the point man job.

Please don't ever try Plekanec there again. Thank you.

[2014olympicgold]

I love on the PP a RHD passing to a RHS if he can (Carlson/Niskanen to Ovi) because you can make that pass easily without opening up your hips, which freezes the goalie a second longer. But in this case your PP must run on the half boards (not must, but...must ya). Can Radulov run a PP? Can Drouin?

Also PP1 should have a different set up, strategy if you will, than PP2 because then the PK units don't get confused and just play both the same. If you have 4F:1D on one and the focus is to have Weber blast it, PP2 should be different where the focus is getting it to the forwards. Just how i see it.

For what it was worth, I was calling Petry to get on the PP1 with Subban way back when to get that RHS to RHS pass, and Petry can BLAST it too, so it could have gone from Subban to Petry just as easily so the PK guys don't stack up on one guy.

- - - Updated - - -

Of that group I'd say Drouin gets the point man job.

Please don't ever try Plekanec there again. Thank you.

But i do think this is what will happen. Drouin on the point. he was there in TBL i think.

[Pengwin7]

^I disagree with everything you wrote in the first part.
A LH-passer is going to be better on that right side sending one-time passes over to Weber on the PP - its a test-proven better pass-rate. LH on RS and RH on LS is the 3:2 PP point-positioning norm in the NHL.
The Caps situation (with a RHD to Ovechkin is an anomaly, not the norm. It has worked with Green & Carlson because they are all deft passers and might also fire a one-timer from NB, but its not to say a LHD wouldn't do the pass to OV as well... or better.)

Trying not to get off-topic, but it will be interesting to see who MON puts their on their first training camp attempt on PP1.
Drouin or Galchenyuk, both lefties, certainly seem like the front-runners, IMO.

[rufio.85]

1- MB has managed this team like he is running after his own tail for 6 months, if not since the Subban / Weber trade. Not signing Markov to a 1-year deal (let's assume 6 millions), is a disaster for the Habs blue-line which is already a mess on the left-side.
2- If Claude Julien deploys 4 forwards on the PP, I would assume Drouin becomes the right-wall man. He has the best vision on this team now that Markov is gone.

[HabsBlood]

Put me down as a Bergevin supporter. I don't think his critics give him a fair shake and not pointing fingers, but some of the criticisms of him tend to be overly reductive and missing the big picture.

$6 million for Markov is absurd and I love the guy, I do. But paying him more than guys like Klingberg and OEL is ridiculous. Sure it would be nice and heartwarming to have him back and see him hit 1,000 games or whatever. He's already the #2 all-time Habs defender. But winning takes guts and I prefer a GM that's willing to make hard decisions and not submit after drawing a line in the sand. The team comes before any individual player. Markov had a great season last year. He also had a PDO of 1023. He's not worth that kind of money, let alone his initial $12 million ask.

Yeah, Streit isn't great. He's worse than Markov. He'll also cost us at most $1 million. Both players are risky at their advanced stages; rather put up $750,000 plus modest bonuses than $6 million, especially when we're hunting for centres and have $8.5 million in cap space flexibility to make that move. It's hard enough as it is to get a centre without Markov claiming most of that money.

The Beaulieu trade got a lot of heat. Sure, he's a first rounder and we've let him go for a third. But what's the alternative? Keep him and Vegas claims him and we're stuck with Emelin's $4 million deal? No thanks. The kid showed flashes of being a second-pair level guy, but they were few and far between. Might as well get a pick for him instead of nothing. And getting Emelin claimed? I would have traded Beaulieu just to get rid of him and his garbage contract. He's a hitter defender that doesn't hit anymore; junk. Give me Alzner over Emelin any day, especially at roughly the same price. Schlemko is boring just like the rest of our D, but have fun trying to score on Price with all those steady defensive-oriented blueliners that now better complement the player the team is built around.

The team can't move the puck? Tell that to Price. And Drouin can quarterback a powerplay with the best of em.

Not to mention Morrow, Davidson, Jerabek...All cheap and one of them is bound to replace Beaulieu, if not two of them. Jerabek was one of the best puck movers in Europe last year. I'll pay him $800k any day.

So we take a hit on Markov but save $5 million and recoup most of his production through Streit. Alzner is a huge, huge upgrade on Emelin. Schlemko is another steady defender we didn't have before. Beaulieu won't be missed once one of the younger guys steps up.

How about Radulov? He turned his league-leading (according to Habs fans) 54 points into a $31 million deal. For $250k more we have Drouin AND Hemsky. Hell, Hemsky's only two years older. If he's healthy and puts up another 39 point season we've only lost 5 goals and 10 assists, while saving $30 million. Drouin's going to kill it and help Galchenyuk pot more goals. Yes please.

Where's the love for Danault? Dude played his first full NHL season last year and was excellent after starting as a fourth centre. The individual offence is a bit weak, but he can be effective playing a top six role with our top forwards. Plays a smart game, wins faceoffs, and Bergevin got him for two guys who aren't even in the league anymore -- and they threw in a second rounder!

[newfcollins]

You're way too positive.

After the 2016 draft, Montreal, on defense, had Subban, Markov, Beaulieu, Petry, Emelin, Barberio, Pateryn and had just drafted Sergachev.

In about 13 months, out defense now has Weber, Alzner, Benn, Davidson, Morrow, Petry, Streit and Schlemko, with Noah Juulsen as a their top dman prsopect.

That's a major overhaul over the course of a year, and I don't think it's improved. There's no puck-moving dman in that group. That's going to make it tougher for the offense.

[HabsBlood]

It is a major overhaul, yes, the result of several small changes adding up to something major. I respectfully disagree with anyone who says the new lineup is worse. With that starting point you listed, at this point we'd be looking at Subban, Petry, plugs and a rookie.

I realize I'm on a fantasy hockey forum here, so any attempt at supporting Weber vs Subban isn't likely to go over well. But I've been all for it from day 1. Weber just fits the team better, his style will age well and I'd rather have Weber as top dog in front of price for $7.8m (easily traded to a cap floor team in his later years if need be) than PK locked in at $9m with a NTC. This is a defensive team first.

But my stated case above means nothing to anyone who disagrees with that premise, and I know there are a lot of PK boosters out there.

Search YouTube for that hash mark slap shot Weber unleashed on Crawford's face if you're feeling down about this team right now.

Sad to see Sergachev go, but Drouin is going to be a star on this team for years to come. In the short term he's going to have a much bigger impact on this team.

[newfcollins]

For the record, Markov's KHL deal is a two-year deal. Not sure if there's an out clause.