Montreal Canadiens

[Dennis]

KHL
✔@khl_eng



Andrei Markov ? 2018 #GagarinCup Champion!




2:12 PM - Apr 22, 2018

[ericdaoust]

It's not uncommon for vets at the end of their career to leave their team for a contender.

[Poutine]

Give him language training. Everything and anything can be learned. I'd support that.

Yes, because what we really need is a GM that shows loyalty by signing players with fat contracts and emptying out the prospects drawer. It would be more of the same with Lombardi, so no thank you. (I know, I know, you'll say that you'd like those 2 rings he's got, but look at their shell of a team now).

[rufio.85]

KHL
✔@khl_eng



Andrei Markov ? 2018 #GagarinCup Champion!




2:12 PM - Apr 22, 2018

Hahaha! Maybe he was yelling at Bergevin?

[PenguinHunter]

Yes, because what we really need is a GM that shows loyalty by signing players with fat contracts and emptying out the prospects drawer. It would be more of the same with Lombardi, so no thank you. (I know, I know, you'll say that you'd like those 2 rings he's got, but look at their shell of a team now).

So you would not sacrifice a shell of a team in 10 years time to get 2 Stanley Cup Rings in the next 5 years?

That is a sacrifice I would definitely consider.

Consider Chicago after winning multiple cups... what do they got?

Lets look back at Pittsburgh and see what is happening there in a few years?

[fungchen3]

It's not uncommon for vets at the end of their career to leave their team for a contender.

Touche, lol.

[Poutine]

So you would not sacrifice a shell of a team in 10 years time to get 2 Stanley Cup Rings in the next 5 years?

That is a sacrifice I would definitely consider.

Consider Chicago after winning multiple cups... what do they got?

Lets look back at Pittsburgh and see what is happening there in a few years?

I take your point, but I think Chicago and Pittsburgh have been much more ruthless at letting guys go if they didn't fit within the team's salary structure. Lombardi just rewarded guys for past performance.

And let's be clear with this hypothetical example, there's no way the Habs win two cups in the next 5 years, with or sans Lombardi.

[fungchen3]

I think the Kings under Lombardi are a hard recipe to duplicate. For starters, they had an elite piece at every main position ...

Goaltender = Quick, check.

Defenseman = Doughty, check.

Forward up the middle = Kopitar, check.

Then, on top of that, the Kings had other key players that were instrumental in their success:

Dustin Brown was a very good player at the time - physical, good hands, clutch.

Justin Williams was the King of Clutch.

Jeff Carter and Mike Richards were two highly-inspired players, looking for fresh starts after the Flyers traded them.

The Kings were loaded with role players, depth players, pluggers with intangibles, and great leaders. They also had an awesome coach in Sutter, who was perfect for their group at that time.

Just bringing in Lombardi isn't going to make the Habs a 5-year contender. If an architect, manager or coach meant that much, the Leafs would be gunning for their 2nd Cup under Lou and Babs - it's not that easy.

The Canadiens may have a "Quick" with Price, but where are they getting these other pieces from?

[ericdaoust]

The Kings model generates a team that thrived in a past era. The NHL is all speed and skill.

[fungchen3]

The Kings model generates a team that thrived in a past era. The NHL is all speed and skill.

That's the other thing - you would have to adjust the model to reflect the current times, making the pieces even harder to obtain.

[rufio.85]

Andrew Shaw has knee surgery and will be out for 6 months.
That contract is getting uglier by the day... almost impossible to move unless there's a Clarkson type of deal at some point.

https://www.tsn.ca/habs-shaw-out-6-m...gery-1.1067967

[ericdaoust]

Shaw isn't a problem at all. His contract isn't great by any means but it's FAR from an albatross. He was even involved in trade talks this year.

[Thunder]

I agree. Shaw gets dumped on for no reason I find. The injuries definitely have been an issue and his style of play will likely ensure they continue to be. But when he is healthy, he's a very valuable and versatile player.

[ericdaoust]

He's not showing us anything we didn't already know about him pre-trade.

[rufio.85]

I agree that he's useful and that he competes hard... but that's when he's on the ice.
4 more years at almost 4M$ for a 3rd line player whose body is breaking down, I'm sorry but that's a terrible contract.
The Clarkson comparison probably was a bit exaggerated and he might be dealt, but you just get the sense that MB will have to sweeten the pot to move him.
Just an opinion.