Montreal Canadiens

[ericdaoust]

Poehling hype machine is in overdrive

[agentzero]

Seriously. Who scores four goals on four shots in their first nhl game, regardless of who is in net. Wow.

[niconasr]

Fun way to end the year considering the playoff situation.

I'll admit I'm disappointed missing out on the playoffs but it doesn't take away how great and mostly how FUN this season was. If this team keeps this up, they'll be very entertaining to watch for a couple of years. How great would it have been to see Mete score the OT goal to wrap up the season? As usual, he came very close but missed.

As for Poehling, what a start! I hope people won't confuse him with an elite producer though. Long term, he should live in that middle six as a solid two-way role player.

[ericdaoust]

Usually I have a good feel for how the awards will play out (if you read around you can figure it out). It's still a long way away but I've read enough to be certain Price (Vezina) and Danault (Selke) will be getting some votes. Both are long shots to win their award and I'd be shocked if Danault makes it to the top three.

[niconasr]

Danault doesn't need to win it, I just want him to get some recognition. If he builds enough momentum this year, he has a better shot next year.

His play really impressed me this season. I didn't think he really had it in him to perform this well. Apart from a little lull after the ASG, he was very consistent the whole year. I believe his line will be strong again next year.

[ericdaoust]

Danault doesn't need to win it, I just want him to get some recognition.

He's already there

[niconasr]

He's already there

Is he? I've heard chatter about him from local media members but haven't heard anything from outsiders. Don't know. If he already is, great news!

[ericdaoust]

Is he? I've heard chatter about him from local media members but haven't heard anything from outsiders. Don't know. If he already is, great news!

The writers (well connected with the rest of hockey media) vote for the award and I've seen enough mentions in national coverage. The word of mouth spreads quickly among that group. No idea the extent of this but I'm sure he'll get more than zero votes.

[ericdaoust]

I know a lot of fans have high hopes for the future of this team because apparently overachieving once + some prospects in the pipeline = future contenders. In my view it's going to be a real challenge growing this team beyond its current state. A couple factors to consider:

-I believe over half the team had career years. And they STILL missed the playoffs. Can this many great outcomes happen again at the same time?
-Key players Carey Price, Shea Weber and Jeff Petry are over 30, who knows how they will hold up as we move forward.

I don't buy the cap space angle because it's a lot easier to use the remaining money poorly (ie overpaying Benn this summer, the Alzner contract, etc) than it is to use it optimally. And Bergevin's track record is a mixed bag. There's some good prospects in the pipeline but who knows how good they will actually be, how long it will take to make a big difference and if it will be enough to compensate for other important players suffering drops in play for various reasons. The more casual fans will look at the improved prospect pool and assume each of them will pan out and play their own role in taking this team to a new level. In reality there's hits and misses in the prospect world and this team won't be immune to reality.

Some more individual questions:

-Is Domi really a 70-point player?
-Does Drouin have another gear consistency-wise?
-Can Gallagher sustain 30-goal seasons with his style of play and the abuse he takes?
-When will the injuries catch up to Shaw and slow him down?
-How long can Petry continue being a big-minute 40-point dman?
-How much can Kotkaniemi grow and how long will it take?
-Can Weber stay healthy and somewhat mobile or is this year's inconsistent play the new normal?
-How long can Byron continue producing like this?
-Can Lehkonen learn to score when he has a wide open net?
-Will Jordie Benn be overpaid this summer and forced into a greater role than he can handle?
-Can Mete become more than just a puck-mover and become a guy who makes goals happen? At his size he needs to be more than a 13-point guy.
-What is Reilly's future as an NHL dman?
-What is Kulak's future as an NHL dman?
-Will this team get quality play from the backup position?

[ericdaoust]

Christian Folin re-signs. One year, $800k. Good deal for what he brings to the table.

[tweetdrivr]

Some more individual questions:

-Is Domi really a 70-point player? Yes
-Does Drouin have another gear consistency-wise? No - he’s a bust. Trade him.
-Can Gallagher sustain 30-goal seasons with his style of play and the abuse he takes? Yes. For one or two more years...
-When will the injuries catch up to Shaw and slow him down? Answer unclear. Check back later. This one all depends on luck.
-How long can Petry continue being a big-minute 40-point dman? 3-4 seasons
-How much can Kotkaniemi grow and how long will it take? A lot. His true potential will show in 3-4 years.
-Can Weber stay healthy and somewhat mobile or is this year's inconsistent play the new normal? No. This contract becomes a real Albatross.
-How long can Byron continue producing like this? Quite a while as long as he stays out of idiotic fights.
-Can Lehkonen learn to score when he has a wide open net? Yes
-Will Jordie Benn be overpaid this summer and forced into a greater role than he can handle? Oh god no!!!! Please no!!
-Can Mete become more than just a puck-mover and become a guy who makes goals happen? At his size he needs to be more than a 13-point guy. Absolutely.
-What is Reilly's future as an NHL dman? 3rd pairing stalwart
-What is Kulak's future as an NHL dman? Excellent 4th pairing D man
-Will this team get quality play from the backup position? I look forward to a good competition at camp - more to do follow.

Here you go

[Axeman33]

I am not a Habs fan, so I am impartial to your questions, but as a hockey fan, this is my thoughts on your list:

-Is Domi really a 70-point player? I am skeptical but I wouldn't be surprised if he gets up in this area a few more seasons. I don't see this as a norm for him.

-Does Drouin have another gear consistency-wise? I believe he does. I think, once the Habs find who their true #1 center is, he will settle in nicely.

-Can Gallagher sustain 30-goal seasons with his style of play and the abuse he takes? Back to back 30+G seasons is impressive. I wont lie, I didn't think he'd do it this past season and this is playing with mid-level talent around him. As long as he can stay healthy, he's converting me into a believer.


-When will the injuries catch up to Shaw and slow him down? I'd say its happening now. He hasn't got over 70 games the past three seasons. I see that trend continuing.


-How long can Petry continue being a big-minute 40-point dman? He's averaged over 20 mins/game his entire career. As long as someone is willing to give him the time, he will continue to be a big minute guy. As far as points go, it will all depend on the opportunities. We all know Weber missing as much time as he did really helped Petry offensively due to Montreal not really having any other option to be confident in. If Weber stays healthy, that will affect Petry, but he's certainly shown everyone he's capable of doing it.

-How much can Kotkaniemi grow and how long will it take? He needs to put on some muscle. That doesn't happen overnight, but it can happen in a couple off-seasons. He's just to slight and slender right now. I'd say in a couple seasons, this kid will be fun to watch.


-Can Weber stay healthy and somewhat mobile or is this year's inconsistent play the new normal? This is a very important question for Habs fans. As much as Habs fans drool over their prospects, it's still Weber (and Price) that drive this engine in my opinion. I think a full off-season of training and being healthy coming into next season will be huge for him and the team. I believe coming back from the injury is what affected his play more than anything.


-How long can Byron continue producing like this? Once the kids start getting more icetime, guys like Byron will see their go down, and so will their offensive opportunites. He might have another year or two at the most at this level, but as I say, it all depends on how well the kids develop.


-Can Lehkonen learn to score when he has a wide open net? Probably not.


-Will Jordie Benn be overpaid this summer and forced into a greater role than he can handle? Considering Montreal will struggle to draw better options from FA, most likely, yes.


-Can Mete become more than just a puck-mover and become a guy who makes goals happen? At his size he needs to be more than a 13-point guy. I think so but like most Dmen, it will take time. They need to develop him in the minors if this is truly what they expect him to be. Smaller puck movers need to adjust to the speed of the game and that takes time.


-What is Reilly's future as an NHL dman? Bottom six, 2nd pairing PP guy.


-What is Kulak's future as an NHL dman? Bottom six, penalty killing guy


-Will this team get quality play from the backup position? They have some good goalie prospects coming up the system and in a few years, will push Price. It's hard to get quality play from your backup when you expect Price to play as much as they do. He's making a lot of money so hes going to see the majority of the play (as it should be) so to expect any type of consistency from a guy who is basically a practice goalie who gets a start or two a week is tough. My best answer to your question is no.

[niconasr]

-Is Domi really a 70-point player?

I don't see why not. He might not score as many goals but he can rack up more assists. He's got talent, pedigree and he's getting the ice time right now.

-Does Drouin have another gear consistency-wise?

Only he knows that. If so, that's great for the Habs. If not, well he's a 60-point guy who frustrates the fans most nights.

-Can Gallagher sustain 30-goal seasons with his style of play and the abuse he takes?

Of course he can, he's only 26. He's a volume shooter who likes to play close to the net. And he's used to the abuse. He'll slow down eventually of course but not now.

-When will the injuries catch up to Shaw and slow him down?

I think the injuries have already caught up to him. He had a tremendous season but I don't believe we can expect that again. Trading him would makes sense but I know he's beloved of his teammates.

-How long can Petry continue being a big-minute 40-point dman?

I'd say at least 5 more years. He's such a smooth skater. He might not get to 40 points all the time but he should transition well into a defensive defenseman as he ages.

-How much can Kotkaniemi grow and how long will it take?

That's the biggest question. The talent is definitely there but I haven't been as enamored with him as others have. But he's still so slim that it's difficult to project him in the future. He has the upside to be a first-line center but I don't know if I believe he'll reach it.

-Can Weber stay healthy and somewhat mobile or is this year's inconsistent play the new normal?

Somewhat mobile, I agree. I think he needs to transition to a second pairing guy in the next couple of years. Easier opponents and less ice-time should do him wonders. But is that what the Habs need? I don't know.

-How long can Byron continue producing like this?

Like what? He's a 20-goal, 10-assist guy. That's not much to ask. He's always been an efficient scorer (15-20%) and his speed is not going away. He'll keep it up for a couple of years.

-Can Lehkonen learn to score when he has a wide open net?

Can he be more lucky? Sure. He has it in him to score 20 a couple of times in his career but maybe he won't. He's a perfect middle-six option (preferably on the bottom six) and as long as he keeps doing all the little things like he does now, he's very valuable. Lock him up at a friendly cap for a few years and I think the Habs will be happy.

-Will Jordie Benn be overpaid this summer and forced into a greater role than he can handle?

Surely. Will it be by the Habs? It's possible. With Weber-Meter, Petry-Kulak as the top 4 (for now), the Habs have Folin and Juulsen as potential option for the bottom pairing. I believe Benn can play a good role for the Habs but not at a big salary. You don't want him playing more minutes than he can on a regular basis. So I'm going to say that Bergeron lets him go.

-Can Mete become more than just a puck-mover and become a guy who makes goals happen? At his size he needs to be more than a 13-point guy.

The guy is 20. He's going to figure it out. How many grade A chances did he have this year? So many! He just needs one and everyone will forget this narrative. I'm curious if he's close to a record of how many games until a player scored his first NHL goal?

-What is Reilly's future as an NHL dman?

At best, bottom pairing with offensive upside. At worst, he's out of the NHL in a couple of years. Never been impressed but he can be a decent depth defenseman to plug in once in a while.

-What is Kulak's future as an NHL dman?

I'm a little higher on Kulak. I don't think he's got top-4 upside but we know he can manage for a little stretch. So, as a bottom pairing guy, he's fine.

-Will this team get quality play from the backup position?

I should hope so. By whom? Dunno....

[newfcollins]

I know a lot of fans have high hopes for the future of this team because apparently overachieving once + some prospects in the pipeline = future contenders. In my view it's going to be a real challenge growing this team beyond its current state. A couple factors to consider:

-I believe over half the team had career years. And they STILL missed the playoffs. Can this many great outcomes happen again at the same time?
-Key players Carey Price, Shea Weber and Jeff Petry are over 30, who knows how they will hold up as we move forward.

I don't buy the cap space angle because it's a lot easier to use the remaining money poorly (ie overpaying Benn this summer, the Alzner contract, etc) than it is to use it optimally. And Bergevin's track record is a mixed bag. There's some good prospects in the pipeline but who knows how good they will actually be, how long it will take to make a big difference and if it will be enough to compensate for other important players suffering drops in play for various reasons. The more casual fans will look at the improved prospect pool and assume each of them will pan out and play their own role in taking this team to a new level. In reality there's hits and misses in the prospect world and this team won't be immune to reality.

I'm not going to answer all the questions, but the bolded parts are the key things for me, and something I've been talking about to my hockey friends. You can't go into next season thinking everyone is going to improve from this year.

I'm still not a big believer in Bergevin. I think this season was fluke, and we're actually very lucky that some key free agents passed us by (Lucic, Perreault, etc.). I think this whole "going with a youth movement" thing was a fluke because no one would sign here. This summer will be key. I can see Bergevin overpaying for someone like Simmonds. If he is active in the free agent market, it shows that he's not rebuilding and he was never serious about doing so.

Bergevin spent the first few years doing nothing except add bottom-six players and bottom-two defensemen and taking chances on reclamation projects. Once he started putting his stamp on this team (trading for Weber, Shaw, signing Alzner, etc.), the team has suffered. The Habs have missed the playoffs three of four years since he starting turning the team into the way he wants to see it built.

[agentzero]

Habs have a history of picking high in weak drafts when they underperform and picking low in drafts where they overachieve. Enter kotksniemi instead of Kakko it Galchenyuk instead of Bsrkov. Sucks with that luck but what can you do, you need a better scouting staff and most importantly a professional development staff. There’s a reason certain teams have more picks turn into stars than the habs. You can’t be taking Leblanc Chipchura or Scherbak with guys like Point out there. Sure every team misses but you have to hit every so often and hit big. Otherwise you need the Toronto plan of 15 years of lottery picks before striking it rich to contend. There’s no other way.