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Post by HRF on Oct 13, 2024 0:11:52 GMT
I'm so glad Max Domi is not on this team anymore. Never wanted him from day 1. Every time i looked at his kisser i saw his ugly dad. Was so happy the day we ditched the bum. The guy should never have worn our jersey. yes, just another mistake by the Old regime. Man, I hate his face and it was even worse To see him in a Montréal Canadiens jersey. |
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Post by kinot3 on Oct 13, 2024 19:17:18 GMT
The Montreal Canadiens have placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers.
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Post by graeme on Oct 13, 2024 19:41:36 GMT
The Montreal Canadiens have placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers. He looked decent, but it makes more sense to give the ice time to guys like Heineman and Kapanen to see what we have. Presumably this was always the plan for ABB - someone who can move between the NHL and AHL as needed (the one-way contract should help avoid a waiver claim) and if there are injury or performance issues he could easily come back. |
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Post by graeme on Oct 13, 2024 19:54:52 GMT
Overall I'm feeling better about the State of the Habs rebuild than a couple weeks ago.
Hutson looking like an NHLer out of the gate (yes, small sample size) is such a huge sign - we were lacking a "sure-thing" elite offensive dman prospect, so it's hard to understate the importance of Hutson appearing to be the real-deal. Guhle also appears to have taken his game to the next level - he's never going to be in the Norris conversation but should be just that steadying presence in the top-four.
Outside the NHL, super small sample size, but Hage is tearing up the NCAA as a rookie (and one who's lost a lot of development time) and Demidov won KHL rookie of the month. Mesar and Mailloux are tied for point-leaders in AHL (granted, in only 2 games)
On the negative side, Roy's return to the minors is less than ideal, Demidov's coach is likely to hold back his development this year, and Reinbacher's injury is devastating. Barron and Xhekaj's struggles also mean there are still potential holes in our defensive depth chart (although I expect the team to give both of them every chance to improve - both are still young).
The other really positive thing is I think Montreal is becoming a team players want to play for. The management group and St. Louis have done a great job treating players with respect and insulating them from the media and fan pressure. I no longer worry much about NCAA prospects declining to sign or players demanding trades, and expect we'll see players continue to sign for reasonable extensions and even eventually attract UFAs.
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Post by claremont on Oct 13, 2024 22:10:36 GMT
Overall I'm feeling better about the State of the Habs rebuild than a couple weeks ago. Hutson looking like an NHLer out of the gate (yes, small sample size) is such a huge sign - we were lacking a "sure-thing" elite offensive dman prospect, so it's hard to understate the importance of Hutson appearing to be the real-deal. Guhle also appears to have taken his game to the next level - he's never going to be in the Norris conversation but should be just that steadying presence in the top-four. Outside the NHL, super small sample size, but Hage is tearing up the NCAA as a rookie (and one who's lost a lot of development time) and Demidov won KHL rookie of the month. Mesar and Mailloux are tied for point-leaders in AHL (granted, in only 2 games) On the negative side, Roy's return to the minors is less than ideal, Demidov's coach is likely to hold back his development this year, and Reinbacher's injury is devastating. Barron and Xhekaj's struggles also mean there are still potential holes in our defensive depth chart (although I expect the team to give both of them every chance to improve - both are still young). The other really positive thing is I think Montreal is becoming a team players want to play for. The management group and St. Louis have done a great job treating players with respect and insulating them from the media and fan pressure. I no longer worry much about NCAA prospects declining to sign or players demanding trades, and expect we'll see players continue to sign for reasonable extensions and even eventually attract UFAs. I concur and after reading some comments in the Ottawa game thread, perhaps this belongs in the prospect / Laval thread; 1) I am excited about Hutson (as someone said earlier shades of PK Subban)- I eat a bit of crow as I did not think he would make the jump when we drafted him - the size aspect but this is a new NHL where speed, vision, and hockey sense can, pun intended, outweigh the bigger physical players - it's all about getting some balance. He may not score many goals as he does not appear to have the greatest shot, but he could be an assists and puck moving secondary machine 2) Keeping a watchful eye on Hage, Demidov and even Mailloux who if Pascal Vincent can challenge Logan's ability to play defense, what a great size, skating, shot weapon we could have on the right side. Very intrigued as to whether Fowler can continue his progression as he looks like a "keeper" - lol 3) Nervous a bit on Mesar and Reinbacher, but one never wins 100% on the drafting chart of probabilities / crapshoot but you have to hope some 1st rounders come thru. I suspect Reinbacher will succeed but I am not sure he could be a #1 d-man, and may fit into the Guhle level. Reinbacher may have been drafted too high but I don't lose sleep on Michkov as I don't think the prima dona wanted to be here 4) While others thought Norlinder, and Ylonen would make the grade, I salute myself for piping up early on Struble. A solid physical d-man who I thought had better potential than Jordan Harris despite an injury / less than impressive NCAA career. A late bloomer for a 3rd pairing. 5) Less than impressed on Engstrom so far. Impressed by Owen Beck. Unsure on Tuch or Florian Xhekaj. Roy appears to need a better motor or skating engagement. As per my earlier post, the trade deadline with expiring contracts and the 2025 draft with a block of picks - HuGo are positioning this team for a bright future. |
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Post by graeme on Oct 13, 2024 23:13:22 GMT
Overall I'm feeling better about the State of the Habs rebuild than a couple weeks ago. Hutson looking like an NHLer out of the gate (yes, small sample size) is such a huge sign - we were lacking a "sure-thing" elite offensive dman prospect, so it's hard to understate the importance of Hutson appearing to be the real-deal. Guhle also appears to have taken his game to the next level - he's never going to be in the Norris conversation but should be just that steadying presence in the top-four. Outside the NHL, super small sample size, but Hage is tearing up the NCAA as a rookie (and one who's lost a lot of development time) and Demidov won KHL rookie of the month. Mesar and Mailloux are tied for point-leaders in AHL (granted, in only 2 games) On the negative side, Roy's return to the minors is less than ideal, Demidov's coach is likely to hold back his development this year, and Reinbacher's injury is devastating. Barron and Xhekaj's struggles also mean there are still potential holes in our defensive depth chart (although I expect the team to give both of them every chance to improve - both are still young). The other really positive thing is I think Montreal is becoming a team players want to play for. The management group and St. Louis have done a great job treating players with respect and insulating them from the media and fan pressure. I no longer worry much about NCAA prospects declining to sign or players demanding trades, and expect we'll see players continue to sign for reasonable extensions and even eventually attract UFAs. I concur and after reading some comments in the Ottawa game thread, perhaps this belongs in the prospect / Laval thread; 1) I am excited about Hutson (as someone said earlier shades of PK Subban)- I eat a bit of crow as I did not think he would make the jump when we drafted him - the size aspect but this is a new NHL where speed, vision, and hockey sense can, pun intended, outweigh the bigger physical players - it's all about getting some balance. He may not score many goals as he does not appear to have the greatest shot, but he could be an assists and puck moving secondary machine 2) Keeping a watchful eye on Hage, Demidov and even Mailloux who if Pascal Vincent can challenge Logan's ability to play defense, what a great size, skating, shot weapon we could have on the right side. Very intrigued as to whether Fowler can continue his progression as he looks like a "keeper" - lol 3) Nervous a bit on Mesar and Reinbacher, but one never wins 100% on the drafting chart of probabilities / crapshoot but you have to hope some 1st rounders come thru. I suspect Reinbacher will succeed but I am not sure he could be a #1 d-man, and may fit into the Guhle level. Reinbacher may have been drafted too high but I don't lose sleep on Michkov as I don't think the prima dona wanted to be here 4) While others thought Norlinder, and Ylonen would make the grade, I salute myself for piping up early on Struble. A solid physical d-man who I thought had better potential than Jordan Harris despite an injury / less than impressive NCAA career. A late bloomer for a 3rd pairing. 5) Less than impressed on Engstrom so far. Impressed by Owen Beck. Unsure on Tuch or Florian Xhekaj. Roy appears to need a better motor or skating engagement. As per my earlier post, the trade deadline with expiring contracts and the 2025 draft with a block of picks - HuGo are positioning this team for a bright future. If Reinbacher can be a solid stablizing top-four dman on the right-side, I think we'll still look back on that pick as a success (as long as Michkov and Leonard aren't Hart trophy candidates or something). At 5th overall you'd obviously like someone with a higher-ceiling, but given RD is such a premium position, it could still be an okay pick, especially if he's next to someone like Hutson and they can complement each other's shortcomings well.
And Struble sure looks like he'll be part of the long-term plans now, so nice call. At this point, I'm reasonably confident slotting in Hutson, Guhle, and Struble as part of our future core. Reinbacher will probably get there in a couple years. After that, it's a lot of question marks.
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Post by BigTed3 on Oct 13, 2024 23:33:30 GMT
Overall I'm feeling better about the State of the Habs rebuild than a couple weeks ago. Hutson looking like an NHLer out of the gate (yes, small sample size) is such a huge sign - we were lacking a "sure-thing" elite offensive dman prospect, so it's hard to understate the importance of Hutson appearing to be the real-deal. Guhle also appears to have taken his game to the next level - he's never going to be in the Norris conversation but should be just that steadying presence in the top-four. Outside the NHL, super small sample size, but Hage is tearing up the NCAA as a rookie (and one who's lost a lot of development time) and Demidov won KHL rookie of the month. Mesar and Mailloux are tied for point-leaders in AHL (granted, in only 2 games) On the negative side, Roy's return to the minors is less than ideal, Demidov's coach is likely to hold back his development this year, and Reinbacher's injury is devastating. Barron and Xhekaj's struggles also mean there are still potential holes in our defensive depth chart (although I expect the team to give both of them every chance to improve - both are still young). The other really positive thing is I think Montreal is becoming a team players want to play for. The management group and St. Louis have done a great job treating players with respect and insulating them from the media and fan pressure. I no longer worry much about NCAA prospects declining to sign or players demanding trades, and expect we'll see players continue to sign for reasonable extensions and even eventually attract UFAs. I concur and after reading some comments in the Ottawa game thread, perhaps this belongs in the prospect / Laval thread; 1) I am excited about Hutson (as someone said earlier shades of PK Subban)- I eat a bit of crow as I did not think he would make the jump when we drafted him - the size aspect but this is a new NHL where speed, vision, and hockey sense can, pun intended, outweigh the bigger physical players - it's all about getting some balance. He may not score many goals as he does not appear to have the greatest shot, but he could be an assists and puck moving secondary machine 2) Keeping a watchful eye on Hage, Demidov and even Mailloux who if Pascal Vincent can challenge Logan's ability to play defense, what a great size, skating, shot weapon we could have on the right side. Very intrigued as to whether Fowler can continue his progression as he looks like a "keeper" - lol 3) Nervous a bit on Mesar and Reinbacher, but one never wins 100% on the drafting chart of probabilities / crapshoot but you have to hope some 1st rounders come thru. I suspect Reinbacher will succeed but I am not sure he could be a #1 d-man, and may fit into the Guhle level. Reinbacher may have been drafted too high but I don't lose sleep on Michkov as I don't think the prima dona wanted to be here 4) While others thought Norlinder, and Ylonen would make the grade, I salute myself for piping up early on Struble. A solid physical d-man who I thought had better potential than Jordan Harris despite an injury / less than impressive NCAA career. A late bloomer for a 3rd pairing. 5) Less than impressed on Engstrom so far. Impressed by Owen Beck. Unsure on Tuch or Florian Xhekaj. Roy appears to need a better motor or skating engagement. As per my earlier post, the trade deadline with expiring contracts and the 2025 draft with a block of picks - HuGo are positioning this team for a bright future. Agreed that Hutson doesn't have a big shot, so he's not going to put up goals the way Souray or MAB or Subban did, but he put up two consecutive years of 15 goals a season at BU and he scored most of those goals by floating in the back door or getting into position closer to the net. His ability to find space and get into the right position can't be overlooked, and again I'll throw back to the idea that he's got some of the best attributes of each of Subban and Markov. Markov managed to score 10+ goals in multiple seasons, and he put up a decent chunk of that by sneaking in from the point.
As far as other prospects go, I'm also liking where we stand on Demidov, Hage, and Beck. I like where we've gotten to with Heineman and Kapanen and Struble too. And as far as other prospects go, I still like Engstrom as becoming a depth defenceman, I like Fowler's odds of playing in the NHL some day, and I like Konyushkov as a dark horse to come over here the way Emelin and Romanov did and become an asset.
The guys I've had more doubts about... I had some hesitation about Roy. I didn't think he had the speed to play in the NHL and I worried a lot of his scoring in junior came from having more time than he would have in the NHL. He's proven me wrong to some degree on that aspect (I still think he doesn't have great speed, but he's been able to show he can overcome that). Where I still have doubts are the consistency and the reports of his attitude and effort being less than stellar. That may not go away... Mesar has worried me as an undersized player who doesn't quite bring enough to overcome his lack of physicality and engagement... Kidney fits in that same category of players whose games I didn't see translating to the NHL... and then lastly Reinbacher was a pick I didn't love (I wanted Michkov, Leonard, or Benson with pick 5). He fits a need, but he seemed like a safer pick with less upside. There's no way the Habs could have predicted the injury, but it certainly hurts his odds of having a meteroic rise in ceiling. I still think he has decent odds of making the NHL but is he going to be more than a defensive D man with a bit of offensive upside?
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Post by BigTed3 on Oct 14, 2024 2:35:26 GMT
The Montreal Canadiens have placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers. The Montreal Canadiens have placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers. He looked decent, but it makes more sense to give the ice time to guys like Heineman and Kapanen to see what we have. Presumably this was always the plan for ABB - someone who can move between the NHL and AHL as needed (the one-way contract should help avoid a waiver claim) and if there are injury or performance issues he could easily come back.
There was no specific pressure for the Habs to have to put ABB on waivers. Even if the decision was made to play more of Kapanen and Heineman with a sprinkling of Pezzetta, the Habs are one injury away from needing ABB again. So it's a bit of an odd move to have him win a job out of camp and then suddenly waive him. There's really not a lot that has changed up front to be honest.
Why does that matter? Well, if the Habs are making that move despite not really having to create space for a guy returning from injury or so on, it tells you they need/want a roster spot. Now it could theoretically be with the intent of recalling Joshua Roy, but has Roy done enough in his first week in the AHL to warrant a sudden change of heart? Not really. And if he comes back up, it still means at least one of he, Heineman, or Kapanen is sitting in the pressbox every night. So that too doesn't make a ton of sense. What makes more sense is the Habs worrying about the situation on their blue line. Barron has struggled more than he's played well. Even Xhekaj and Savard haven't gotten as regular a turn, and the coaching staff seems to be leaning on three guys (Matheson, Hutson, and Guhle) more than the others. With Struble still limited, I wonder if the ABB demotion isn't something being done with the goal of changing things up at the back end, especially with the goal of bringing in another option on the right side. Savard is there. Guhle's a lefty playing the right. And then after that, it's Barron, who isn't playing well enough to trust but whom you also can't send down without exposing him to waivers. Then you have Logan Mailloux, who's put up 2 goals and 2 assists to start his AHL season. Could it be the Habs want to see if Mailloux can do more than Barron on the 3rd pairing but don't want to risk losing Barron just yet? Hence the need to demote ABB and create the roster spot by deleting a forward. It also helps that Xhekaj and Mailloux had chemistry last year.
All I'm saying is that the smoke here suggests we may be looking at a Mailloux recall tomorrow and the possibility Barron sits in favor of Mailloux.
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Post by graeme on Oct 14, 2024 2:58:26 GMT
The Montreal Canadiens have placed Alex Barré-Boulet on waivers. He looked decent, but it makes more sense to give the ice time to guys like Heineman and Kapanen to see what we have. Presumably this was always the plan for ABB - someone who can move between the NHL and AHL as needed (the one-way contract should help avoid a waiver claim) and if there are injury or performance issues he could easily come back.
There was no specific pressure for the Habs to have to put ABB on waivers. Even if the decision was made to play more of Kapanen and Heineman with a sprinkling of Pezzetta, the Habs are one injury away from needing ABB again. So it's a bit of an odd move to have him win a job out of camp and then suddenly waive him. There's really not a lot that has changed up front to be honest.
Why does that matter? Well, if the Habs are making that move despite not really having to create space for a guy returning from injury or so on, it tells you they need/want a roster spot. Now it could theoretically be with the intent of recalling Joshua Roy, but has Roy done enough in his first week in the AHL to warrant a sudden change of heart? Not really. And if he comes back up, it still means at least one of he, Heineman, or Kapanen is sitting in the pressbox every night. So that too doesn't make a ton of sense. What makes more sense is the Habs worrying about the situation on their blue line. Barron has struggled more than he's played well. Even Xhekaj and Savard haven't gotten as regular a turn, and the coaching staff seems to be leaning on three guys (Matheson, Hutson, and Guhle) more than the others. With Struble still limited, I wonder if the ABB demotion isn't something being done with the goal of changing things up at the back end, especially with the goal of bringing in another option on the right side. Savard is there. Guhle's a lefty playing the right. And then after that, it's Barron, who isn't playing well enough to trust but whom you also can't send down without exposing him to waivers. Then you have Logan Mailloux, who's put up 2 goals and 2 assists to start his AHL season. Could it be the Habs want to see if Mailloux can do more than Barron on the 3rd pairing but don't want to risk losing Barron just yet? Hence the need to demote ABB and create the roster spot by deleting a forward. It also helps that Xhekaj and Mailloux had chemistry last year.
All I'm saying is that the smoke here suggests we may be looking at a Mailloux recall tomorrow and the possibility Barron sits in favor of Mailloux.
Good point - I assumed I missed something with an injury or whatever. I guess it's possible they go with a 22-man roster and this move is just to help Laval or something, but making room for Mailloux does sound most plausible.
I suspect some rebuilding team would claim Baron, so his roster spot seems safe (probably for the season - I don't see the team giving up on him until at least the off-season), but I could see him spending alternating nights in the press-box or similar.
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regis
Le Gros Bill
Posts: 1,284
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Post by regis on Oct 14, 2024 3:58:04 GMT
Not so sure Struble is part of the long term plans
You got Matheson, Guhle , Hutson and Wifi …….so far
Matheson becomes an UFA after the 25/26 season. They could trade him before then but they are under no pressure to do so .
Guhle and Wifi just signed new contracts . That doesn’t mean that they cannot be moved .
Wifi brings that something that no other D man / player brings
It looks like someone needs to go and I’m not sure that Struble brings anything different than someone else
much like Harris and Kovasevic , someone is probably moving due to a numbers game
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Post by ramcharger440 on Oct 14, 2024 4:08:21 GMT
Got to agree with you about Struble, he is a good player but really is nothing special at all. He is better at defense right now but Arber will get there and he is bigger has a much better shot skates well and he commands respect not just for himself but also for guys like Hutson and CC and with the officials we have we need someone to be there for that weather we like it or not!
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Post by graeme on Oct 14, 2024 4:12:54 GMT
Not so sure Struble is part of the long term plans You got Matheson, Guhle , Hutson and Wifi …….so far Matheson becomes an UFA after the 25/26 season. They could trade him before then but they are under no pressure to do so . Guhle and Wifi just signed new contracts . That doesn’t mean that they cannot be moved . Wifi brings that something that no other D man / player brings It looks like someone needs to go and I’m not sure that Struble brings anything different than someone else much like Harris and Kovasevic , someone is probably moving due to a numbers game Xhexaj will be given every chance to succeed, but it's far from a sure thing he does - I'm not yet slotting him into the long term plans. Certainly the team wants him to be part of those plans, but he'll need to become more dependable as a dman.
Struble on the other hand brings physicality but has also so far proved he can be quite reliable defensively at the NHL - that's a combination that should let him stick.
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regis
Le Gros Bill
Posts: 1,284
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Post by regis on Oct 14, 2024 5:41:14 GMT
If I recall correctly, during the latter part of last year Struble was a healthy scratch
“ His game isn’t up to the level he showed us. He’s not as consistent as he used to be. – Martin St-Louis on Jayden Struble “
So I’m sure all the D man will be given every chance to succeed . I like what Wifi brings compared to struble but my ability to judge talent is probably 0 on scale of 1 to 10 .🤣
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Post by BigTed3 on Oct 14, 2024 9:34:02 GMT
^^ Everyone is tradeable at some point, so it's not that any one particular player is safe 100%, but you get the feeling MSL isn't overly-enamored by Xhekaj and the amoutn of penalties he takes. Despite the fact he's well-liked by teammates, I really don't know how long the leash is there from the coach. Conversely, you look at a player like Hutson, and MSL seems to like the way he plays and is giving him big minutes already. Here's what I think about the D men on our team and how the club views them:
- Matheson: he's a Kent Hughes guy. There's a long relationship of trust there, and I think Hughes gives him every chance to stay here and be his veteran leader, especially with Savard on an expiring contract. IMO, Hughes is willing to allow Matheson's value to drop over time in exchange for keeping him as a mentor. Now clearly something can change with the numbers game, but I think he's safe in the short term.
- Savard: I think they likewise like him as another veteran leader, but I don't think Hughes overpays for him to stay, even if the player wants to be here. If there's a deent offer, he's probably traded at the deadline, though it's not impossible Hughes circles back and offers him a 1-2 year contract in the off-season, depending on how other things shake out.
- Guhle: they like him, and he's giving them good value being able to play the right side at present. I think they see him as a key cog on this defence for many years.
- Hutson: they like him too, and I think they know players like this are hard to find. I'd expect he's around for the long haul as long as current management is in place, remembering this is the group that went out to get him.
- Xhekaj, conversely, was signed by Bergevin before HuGo took over. I think there's less attachment to this player. And while I believe the team also knows they have a unicorn here like Hutson, as I mentioned above, there's a certain leash he's got and I think there will be an expiry date on this player. What helps is that Xhekaj becomes more valuable if you can become a playoff team, and his brother is now with the organization. So whether he stays and how valuable he is, to me, depends in part on whether the team is good enough to make the playoffs this year or next.
- Struble is also not a HuGo pick, but there are some ties there. It didn't stop Harris from being traded, but Struble is a more complete player than Xhekaj and while he's not a star at any one thing, he can skate, move the puck, and play with some physicality, so he's a good plug and play guy for the bottom half of your D corps. The issue for Struble is that there's a logjam of lefty D men, so he's also a guy who becomes replaceable as his salary goes up. I think he's also here for the short-term but wouldn't be surprised if he's moved in 2-3 years.
- Engstrom fits into this same category of being a solid player but not a spectacular one. He and Struble may be fighting for one spot on the NHL roster down the line.
- Reinbacher, despite his injury, is a HuGo pick. They chose him for a reason, and I think the plan is still to see him paired with Hutson longterm. I think he'll be given every chance to rehab and make that happen in the next 2 years, and he's the one guy who I think HuGo is really depending on down the right side longterm.
- Mailloux is somewhat here by default. He's also a Bergevin pick, and a controversial one at that. But he's had success in the AHL, so he's going to get a chance here by virtue of how weak we are down the right side. He probably starts on the third pairing next to Xhekaj, but if he's ready, he could also be a fit to play next to one of Matheson or Guhle and make a top 4 player more expendable in a trade (Savard or even Matheson). I think he gets a good shot here, if only because there isn't much in his way.
- Barron, conversely, seems like he won't stick here. I get the feeling he's here because the team is worried he'll be claimed on waivers and develop late for someone else. But Barron is reaching that decision point where you need to figure out if he's an NHL player, and I'm not sure he's shown enough yet to make that clear. I don't think he lasts too long here.
All that to say that as we move along, the plans for how we look to start 2025-26 look more and more like we might see
Matheson-Mailloux
Hutson-Guhle
as our top 4. Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher could be players competing for the bottom-pairing slot, but it also feels like the Habs will try to add to that right side, either via trade, free agency, or the draft. At some point, it feels like a package of prospects/picks will be dealt for a young NHL-ready RHD. Also noteworthy that there are stud RHD like Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard who will be RFAs after this year, and some thinkl the Stl offersheets this season will perhaps open a floodgate of more offers for RFAs next summer now, so to be watched...
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Post by claremont on Oct 14, 2024 14:26:48 GMT
^^ Everyone is tradeable at some point, so it's not that any one particular player is safe 100%, but you get the feeling MSL isn't overly-enamored by Xhekaj and the amoutn of penalties he takes. Despite the fact he's well-liked by teammates, I really don't know how long the leash is there from the coach. Conversely, you look at a player like Hutson, and MSL seems to like the way he plays and is giving him big minutes already. Here's what I think about the D men on our team and how the club views them: - Matheson: he's a Kent Hughes guy. There's a long relationship of trust there, and I think Hughes gives him every chance to stay here and be his veteran leader, especially with Savard on an expiring contract. IMO, Hughes is willing to allow Matheson's value to drop over time in exchange for keeping him as a mentor. Now clearly something can change with the numbers game, but I think he's safe in the short term. - Savard: I think they likewise like him as another veteran leader, but I don't think Hughes overpays for him to stay, even if the player wants to be here. If there's a deent offer, he's probably traded at the deadline, though it's not impossible Hughes circles back and offers him a 1-2 year contract in the off-season, depending on how other things shake out. - Guhle: they like him, and he's giving them good value being able to play the right side at present. I think they see him as a key cog on this defence for many years. - Hutson: they like him too, and I think they know players like this are hard to find. I'd expect he's around for the long haul as long as current management is in place, remembering this is the group that went out to get him. - Xhekaj, conversely, was signed by Bergevin before HuGo took over. I think there's less attachment to this player. And while I believe the team also knows they have a unicorn here like Hutson, as I mentioned above, there's a certain leash he's got and I think there will be an expiry date on this player. What helps is that Xhekaj becomes more valuable if you can become a playoff team, and his brother is now with the organization. So whether he stays and how valuable he is, to me, depends in part on whether the team is good enough to make the playoffs this year or next. - Struble is also not a HuGo pick, but there are some ties there. It didn't stop Harris from being traded, but Struble is a more complete player than Xhekaj and while he's not a star at any one thing, he can skate, move the puck, and play with some physicality, so he's a good plug and play guy for the bottom half of your D corps. The issue for Struble is that there's a logjam of lefty D men, so he's also a guy who becomes replaceable as his salary goes up. I think he's also here for the short-term but wouldn't be surprised if he's moved in 2-3 years. - Engstrom fits into this same category of being a solid player but not a spectacular one. He and Struble may be fighting for one spot on the NHL roster down the line. - Reinbacher, despite his injury, is a HuGo pick. They chose him for a reason, and I think the plan is still to see him paired with Hutson longterm. I think he'll be given every chance to rehab and make that happen in the next 2 years, and he's the one guy who I think HuGo is really depending on down the right side longterm. - Mailloux is somewhat here by default. He's also a Bergevin pick, and a controversial one at that. But he's had success in the AHL, so he's going to get a chance here by virtue of how weak we are down the right side. He probably starts on the third pairing next to Xhekaj, but if he's ready, he could also be a fit to play next to one of Matheson or Guhle and make a top 4 player more expendable in a trade (Savard or even Matheson). I think he gets a good shot here, if only because there isn't much in his way. - Barron, conversely, seems like he won't stick here. I get the feeling he's here because the team is worried he'll be claimed on waivers and develop late for someone else. But Barron is reaching that decision point where you need to figure out if he's an NHL player, and I'm not sure he's shown enough yet to make that clear. I don't think he lasts too long here. All that to say that as we move along, the plans for how we look to start 2025-26 look more and more like we might see Matheson-Mailloux Hutson-Guhle as our top 4. Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher could be players competing for the bottom-pairing slot, but it also feels like the Habs will try to add to that right side, either via trade, free agency, or the draft. At some point, it feels like a package of prospects/picks will be dealt for a young NHL-ready RHD. Also noteworthy that there are stud RHD like Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard who will be RFAs after this year, and some thinkl the Stl offersheets this season will perhaps open a floodgate of more offers for RFAs next summer now, so to be watched... Good insights and options. I see competition and evaluation trials continuing to develop up until the trade deadline and toward the end of the season. It's a continuous process but the spot light is going to be brighter in this period. A) By now management knows the ceiling potentials of some players. You know that Barron, Struble, Xhekaj are all likely 5/6 pairings. So in the quest to get better which 1-2 do you keep and for how long. Despite some regression in the last part of the season, Struble is physical and he will drop the gloves if need be. Can Struble play the right side with more skill than Xhekaj? That remains to be seen, to determine who is the better 7th D-man between them. Barron, I agree may be on thin ice, especially if there is not much downside to playing Xhekaj or Struble in Barron''s otherwise spot. That could be 2 lefties Guhle and this one filling the RHD side which is not ideal. B) Mailloux - can he step into a Savard type 3/4 RHD pairing. I don't believe the HuGo / Bergevin ties to a player really have anything to do with the evaluations. IMO HuGo are professional enough to toss aside their personal egos on who drafted who. Robidas, Ramage, Bouillon, Nicholas have put a lot of time into Mailloux and I don't think they will throw in the towel that easy. I don't see any benefit to extending Savard. If Mailloux is 5/6 pairing for a period until Reinbacher progresses, then I concur, that we have a package of assets (picks expiring UFA's) to target a RHD prospect with equivalent upside. C) Bogdan Konyushkov - RHD still under contract to 2025-26. Stranger escape clauses have happened but I don't think the Habs want to wait until 2026-27 without putting in some RHD depth pieces. D) Hutson - even after 1 mercurial year, he would likely be Matheson's potential replacement but it makes sense for HuGo to keep Matheson for that veteran leadership even past next year. Does Guhle become the defacto leader of the d-corp in the year after Matheson is moved? |
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Post by graeme on Oct 14, 2024 17:05:36 GMT
^^ Everyone is tradeable at some point, so it's not that any one particular player is safe 100%, but you get the feeling MSL isn't overly-enamored by Xhekaj and the amoutn of penalties he takes. Despite the fact he's well-liked by teammates, I really don't know how long the leash is there from the coach. Conversely, you look at a player like Hutson, and MSL seems to like the way he plays and is giving him big minutes already. Here's what I think about the D men on our team and how the club views them: - Matheson: he's a Kent Hughes guy. There's a long relationship of trust there, and I think Hughes gives him every chance to stay here and be his veteran leader, especially with Savard on an expiring contract. IMO, Hughes is willing to allow Matheson's value to drop over time in exchange for keeping him as a mentor. Now clearly something can change with the numbers game, but I think he's safe in the short term. - Savard: I think they likewise like him as another veteran leader, but I don't think Hughes overpays for him to stay, even if the player wants to be here. If there's a deent offer, he's probably traded at the deadline, though it's not impossible Hughes circles back and offers him a 1-2 year contract in the off-season, depending on how other things shake out. - Guhle: they like him, and he's giving them good value being able to play the right side at present. I think they see him as a key cog on this defence for many years. - Hutson: they like him too, and I think they know players like this are hard to find. I'd expect he's around for the long haul as long as current management is in place, remembering this is the group that went out to get him. - Xhekaj, conversely, was signed by Bergevin before HuGo took over. I think there's less attachment to this player. And while I believe the team also knows they have a unicorn here like Hutson, as I mentioned above, there's a certain leash he's got and I think there will be an expiry date on this player. What helps is that Xhekaj becomes more valuable if you can become a playoff team, and his brother is now with the organization. So whether he stays and how valuable he is, to me, depends in part on whether the team is good enough to make the playoffs this year or next. - Struble is also not a HuGo pick, but there are some ties there. It didn't stop Harris from being traded, but Struble is a more complete player than Xhekaj and while he's not a star at any one thing, he can skate, move the puck, and play with some physicality, so he's a good plug and play guy for the bottom half of your D corps. The issue for Struble is that there's a logjam of lefty D men, so he's also a guy who becomes replaceable as his salary goes up. I think he's also here for the short-term but wouldn't be surprised if he's moved in 2-3 years. - Engstrom fits into this same category of being a solid player but not a spectacular one. He and Struble may be fighting for one spot on the NHL roster down the line. - Reinbacher, despite his injury, is a HuGo pick. They chose him for a reason, and I think the plan is still to see him paired with Hutson longterm. I think he'll be given every chance to rehab and make that happen in the next 2 years, and he's the one guy who I think HuGo is really depending on down the right side longterm. - Mailloux is somewhat here by default. He's also a Bergevin pick, and a controversial one at that. But he's had success in the AHL, so he's going to get a chance here by virtue of how weak we are down the right side. He probably starts on the third pairing next to Xhekaj, but if he's ready, he could also be a fit to play next to one of Matheson or Guhle and make a top 4 player more expendable in a trade (Savard or even Matheson). I think he gets a good shot here, if only because there isn't much in his way. - Barron, conversely, seems like he won't stick here. I get the feeling he's here because the team is worried he'll be claimed on waivers and develop late for someone else. But Barron is reaching that decision point where you need to figure out if he's an NHL player, and I'm not sure he's shown enough yet to make that clear. I don't think he lasts too long here. All that to say that as we move along, the plans for how we look to start 2025-26 look more and more like we might see Matheson-Mailloux Hutson-Guhle as our top 4. Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher could be players competing for the bottom-pairing slot, but it also feels like the Habs will try to add to that right side, either via trade, free agency, or the draft. At some point, it feels like a package of prospects/picks will be dealt for a young NHL-ready RHD. Also noteworthy that there are stud RHD like Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard who will be RFAs after this year, and some thinkl the Stl offersheets this season will perhaps open a floodgate of more offers for RFAs next summer now, so to be watched... This is solid analysis, although I don't know I put too much stock on who was brought in my Bergevin - for example I think the current management group really wants Xhekaj to succeed, but like any player, he's not going to be guranteed a roster spot long term without earning it.
A few random "predictions" from me:
1. Struble is obviously far from "untouchable" but I just feel like given what management has talked about with wanting a team that is built for the playoffs, he's kind of the perfect profile for the type of dman you want to help with a deep playoff run. Stuff can happen (logjam, unreasonable contract demands, etc) but I suspect he'll be around a long time.
2. I'm guessing Xhekaj is given at least this year and next to figure things out, but that may include time in the press box. The team would really love it if he can improve enough to cement his spot.
3. I'm guessing Barron is safe from waivers this year, but also will be spending time in the press-box. I could see them waiving him next year, although it's also possible that even if he doesn't improve that they keep him around until the contract runs out (Ylonen's path). Given lack of depth at RHD, he'll be given every chance (and more) to prove he belongs.
4. I have a feeling that Reinbacher's injury means there's a good chance Savard is extended for 1 or 2 more years if the cost is reasonable - we no longer have an obvious succession plan for next season, and trades/signings are a hard thing to put confidence in ahead of time. It's also possible they don't extend him but also keep him at the deadline if the team is still in the playoff race.
5. Matheson is the biggest wild-card. I agree he's not going anywhere this season, but with Hutson looking good do they consider trying to get younger in the summer? Alternatively, do they make an attempt to extend him (31 year-old is a bit of a danger zone for extensions and Matheson may want to test that market given his point totals, but maybe as a Montreal kid he's willing to come back for something reasonable?). Or does Montreal just get 2 years out of him and let the contract run out (with option of deadline-rental if not in playoff hunt)?
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Post by HTL on Oct 14, 2024 18:31:09 GMT
ABB cleared waivers. Loaned to Laval
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Post by graeme on Oct 14, 2024 18:41:31 GMT
ABB cleared waivers. Loaned to Laval No news of any callup? If not, I wonder if this was just a result of gaining enough confidence in Heineman and Kapanen for them to be "regulars" (for now at least)? Basically, if the team had decided ABB was just going to sit in the press-box, maybe it's better for him to help out (and stay fresh) in Laval? There's no rule we need to keep 23-man roster (especially with a farm team in the same metro area) so I could understand that decision. |
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Post by HTL on Oct 14, 2024 19:06:10 GMT
ABB cleared waivers. Loaned to Laval No news of any callup? If not, I wonder if this was just a result of gaining enough confidence in Heineman and Kapanen for them to be "regulars" (for now at least)? Basically, if the team had decided ABB was just going to sit in the press-box, maybe it's better for him to help out (and stay fresh) in Laval? There's no rule we need to keep 23-man roster (especially with a farm team in the same metro area) so I could understand that decision. Maybe Strubble is ready to go so they needed a roster spot to activate him. |
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Post by BigTed3 on Oct 15, 2024 0:35:21 GMT
^^ Everyone is tradeable at some point, so it's not that any one particular player is safe 100%, but you get the feeling MSL isn't overly-enamored by Xhekaj and the amoutn of penalties he takes. Despite the fact he's well-liked by teammates, I really don't know how long the leash is there from the coach. Conversely, you look at a player like Hutson, and MSL seems to like the way he plays and is giving him big minutes already. Here's what I think about the D men on our team and how the club views them: - Matheson: he's a Kent Hughes guy. There's a long relationship of trust there, and I think Hughes gives him every chance to stay here and be his veteran leader, especially with Savard on an expiring contract. IMO, Hughes is willing to allow Matheson's value to drop over time in exchange for keeping him as a mentor. Now clearly something can change with the numbers game, but I think he's safe in the short term. - Savard: I think they likewise like him as another veteran leader, but I don't think Hughes overpays for him to stay, even if the player wants to be here. If there's a deent offer, he's probably traded at the deadline, though it's not impossible Hughes circles back and offers him a 1-2 year contract in the off-season, depending on how other things shake out. - Guhle: they like him, and he's giving them good value being able to play the right side at present. I think they see him as a key cog on this defence for many years. - Hutson: they like him too, and I think they know players like this are hard to find. I'd expect he's around for the long haul as long as current management is in place, remembering this is the group that went out to get him. - Xhekaj, conversely, was signed by Bergevin before HuGo took over. I think there's less attachment to this player. And while I believe the team also knows they have a unicorn here like Hutson, as I mentioned above, there's a certain leash he's got and I think there will be an expiry date on this player. What helps is that Xhekaj becomes more valuable if you can become a playoff team, and his brother is now with the organization. So whether he stays and how valuable he is, to me, depends in part on whether the team is good enough to make the playoffs this year or next. - Struble is also not a HuGo pick, but there are some ties there. It didn't stop Harris from being traded, but Struble is a more complete player than Xhekaj and while he's not a star at any one thing, he can skate, move the puck, and play with some physicality, so he's a good plug and play guy for the bottom half of your D corps. The issue for Struble is that there's a logjam of lefty D men, so he's also a guy who becomes replaceable as his salary goes up. I think he's also here for the short-term but wouldn't be surprised if he's moved in 2-3 years. - Engstrom fits into this same category of being a solid player but not a spectacular one. He and Struble may be fighting for one spot on the NHL roster down the line. - Reinbacher, despite his injury, is a HuGo pick. They chose him for a reason, and I think the plan is still to see him paired with Hutson longterm. I think he'll be given every chance to rehab and make that happen in the next 2 years, and he's the one guy who I think HuGo is really depending on down the right side longterm. - Mailloux is somewhat here by default. He's also a Bergevin pick, and a controversial one at that. But he's had success in the AHL, so he's going to get a chance here by virtue of how weak we are down the right side. He probably starts on the third pairing next to Xhekaj, but if he's ready, he could also be a fit to play next to one of Matheson or Guhle and make a top 4 player more expendable in a trade (Savard or even Matheson). I think he gets a good shot here, if only because there isn't much in his way. - Barron, conversely, seems like he won't stick here. I get the feeling he's here because the team is worried he'll be claimed on waivers and develop late for someone else. But Barron is reaching that decision point where you need to figure out if he's an NHL player, and I'm not sure he's shown enough yet to make that clear. I don't think he lasts too long here. All that to say that as we move along, the plans for how we look to start 2025-26 look more and more like we might see Matheson-Mailloux Hutson-Guhle as our top 4. Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher could be players competing for the bottom-pairing slot, but it also feels like the Habs will try to add to that right side, either via trade, free agency, or the draft. At some point, it feels like a package of prospects/picks will be dealt for a young NHL-ready RHD. Also noteworthy that there are stud RHD like Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard who will be RFAs after this year, and some thinkl the Stl offersheets this season will perhaps open a floodgate of more offers for RFAs next summer now, so to be watched... This is solid analysis, although I don't know I put too much stock on who was brought in my Bergevin - for example I think the current management group really wants Xhekaj to succeed, but like any player, he's not going to be guranteed a roster spot long term without earning it.
A few random "predictions" from me:
1. Struble is obviously far from "untouchable" but I just feel like given what management has talked about with wanting a team that is built for the playoffs, he's kind of the perfect profile for the type of dman you want to help with a deep playoff run. Stuff can happen (logjam, unreasonable contract demands, etc) but I suspect he'll be around a long time.
2. I'm guessing Xhekaj is given at least this year and next to figure things out, but that may include time in the press box. The team would really love it if he can improve enough to cement his spot.
3. I'm guessing Barron is safe from waivers this year, but also will be spending time in the press-box. I could see them waiving him next year, although it's also possible that even if he doesn't improve that they keep him around until the contract runs out (Ylonen's path). Given lack of depth at RHD, he'll be given every chance (and more) to prove he belongs.
4. I have a feeling that Reinbacher's injury means there's a good chance Savard is extended for 1 or 2 more years if the cost is reasonable - we no longer have an obvious succession plan for next season, and trades/signings are a hard thing to put confidence in ahead of time. It's also possible they don't extend him but also keep him at the deadline if the team is still in the playoff race.
5. Matheson is the biggest wild-card. I agree he's not going anywhere this season, but with Hutson looking good do they consider trying to get younger in the summer? Alternatively, do they make an attempt to extend him (31 year-old is a bit of a danger zone for extensions and Matheson may want to test that market given his point totals, but maybe as a Montreal kid he's willing to come back for something reasonable?). Or does Montreal just get 2 years out of him and let the contract run out (with option of deadline-rental if not in playoff hunt)?
I'm sure they want all the players to do as well as they can. It makes their lives easier. But I think there's also less attachment when you're not the one who brought that player in. It means you weren't the one who saw something in them to begin with and it also means that if things don't work out, it's not necessarily your neck on the line for the failure. HuGo can write off Xhekaj and Mailloux and say they tried to do their best with what was left to them. But if a player like Mesar or Slafkovsky or Reinbacher fails to hit, it's them that get the questions about their decision-making. There's actually psychological data to back this up too: when people are responsible for a decision to acquire something or when they pay money to acquire something, they are less likely to give it up or admit they don't like it than if it is given to them for free or by someone else's decision. If you go out and test drive 10 cars and choose to pay 70k for a vehicle but don't end up liking it, you're more likely to tough it out and try to convince yourself you do than if you got that same vehicle for 20k or were gifted it by a friend or family member or so on... human nature. We don't like to admit we made bad decisions. Same same for when GMs have their own coaches and players vs. guys that were left over from the last regime.
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