Cards on the table, the Habs top 6 is one of the league's worst. We are missing 3 elements:
1) A healthy and productive Kirby Dach
2) A RW or Center to fill out the 2nd line
3) Two 3rd line players who can move up into the top 6 in case of injuries (We have 1 in Roy, we need a 2nd)
This would not bring us to elite status, but it would more than likely help us get back into the playoff picture.
So how do we get there? If you listen to the average hockey fan, you lose for a while, draft high, and then wait while your development program develops players.
That's not a terrible approach, but all that losing for 5+ years seems to scar certain players in ways we find hard to articulate. Once players get more focused on their personal performance in place of the team's, it's hard for them to make the shift back to a team-first mentality, especially since contracts are tied to production and media attention.
Hughes has been doing it with trades for age 22-24 players. He is acquiring any formerly top 6 touted players he can get his hands on in Dach & Newhook. Certainly a few acquisitions like that one make sense, provided you can find them. But, and there's a big but here, not all redemption projects work out. Dach & Newhook seem to be, but next year will tell us the truth about who they are. Are they injury prone 3rd liners, or are they top 6 players who took a non-standard development curve?
I would argue that the best way is to acquire savvy veterans between the age of 28-33. Now from experience I know most Habs fans are against this approach because they argue that the player(s) will decline while a part of the Habs organization and drag the team down into salary cap hell. While I admit it's hard to predict when veterans will decline, I would argue what you get far outweighs the risks. Here's my reasoning:
1) NHL players aged 21-27 need the presence of savvy vets to become the best version of themselves. Why do the Habs keep players like Matheson & Savard around? Why did the Habs start losing a whole lot more after they traded Monahan? Those guys are a port in the storm for rookie and journeyman players because they don't get shook as easily.
2) Studying Ottawa's case provides some color to this argument. In the past few years Ottawa acquired 4 notable players through trade and UFA: Giroux, DeBrincat, Chychrun, and Tarasenko. Of the four, which 2 were worth the price they paid to acquire them? If you answered Giroux & Tarasenko, you get the cookie!
3) Detroit is another great example. By contrast to teams like Buffalo, Anaheim, and Ottawa, Detroit's rebuild saw them acquire, through trade and free agency, a number of age 28-33 year old players, and contrary to popular opinion, the balance it has created in their lineup has helped them to be one of the top teams coming out of the east. Maybe there's something to learn here?
4) Comparing MTL's 2 biggest acquisitions to Ottawa's, Can you really argue that Dach & Newhook have been more effective that Giroux & Tarasenko? I would argue even Monahan had a bigger impact for this team than Dach & Newhook. Now I like Dach & Newhook more, because I believe IF they are supported by savvy veterans like Giroux & Tarasenko, they will be incredible hockey players for a lot of years, but they are NOT better players than those 3 today, and neither are Zegras, Lundell, or any of the other standard Habs fan trade targets.
I appreciate your perspective, but it seems to me that you completely ignored the meat of my post.
Do you think this team makes the Playoffs in 2024-25?
I dont think they do. Every team in the Atlantic is still better than this Habs team.
For me you bring those veterans in when the youth establishes themselves a bit more. Suzuki and Caufield are there already, Slaf looks like he will be there by 2025-26, Dach and Newhook are ?, Roy looks promising but they'll likely add another forward this draft and that's the real key to making that playoff push.
Which ever forward we draft this year and Reinbacher need to become regular NHLers before we start signing veterans to big money contracts. Once we know what we have in those two players the team can go and sign veterans for bottom 6 roles and leadership, not have to sign them for long term contracts that put them in important roles
I dont think they do. Every team in the Atlantic is still better than this Habs team.
For me you bring those veterans in when the youth establishes themselves a bit more. Suzuki and Caufield are there already, Slaf looks like he will be there by 2025-26, Dach and Newhook are ?, Roy looks promising but they'll likely add another forward this draft and that's the real key to making that playoff push.
Which ever forward we draft this year and Reinbacher need to become regular NHLers before we start signing veterans to big money contracts. Once we know what we have in those two players the team can go and sign veterans for bottom 6 roles and leadership, not have to sign them for long term contracts that put them in important roles
I think this 1st line can shut down ANY line in this league.
I think this 2nd line will score in bunches.
I think this is one of the better bottom 6 lineups of any team in the league.
I want to do the Detroit thing. I don't believe in the Buffalo, Ottawa, Anaheim approach.
I appreciate your perspective, but it seems to me that you completely ignored the meat of my post.
Do you think this team makes the Playoffs in 2024-25?
this team as you have it lined up does not make the playoffs in my opinion. I really dont like either of those signings they are far too long and will impact mtl's ability to lock up the young core over the next few seasons. Currently we are handcuffed by the dvorak, andersona and gallagher deals. I think theres are some younger player who would improve the roster, Mailloux and or Reinbacher probably leap frog Barron in the depth chart this summer, would expect one of them sliding in on RD. I also think Beck may make a similar jump next year to what Roy did this year and be a productive player, possibly on that third line. That would leave mtl with the most expensive 4th line in hockey but not much they can do about that for now. As for those two signing i would consider bringing Monahan back if its a 3-4 year deal, Stephanson is not a top line player by any means so that deal is just a lot of wasted money. With the habs picks and prospect they should be looking to make a splash on the trade market. Go after a RFA that a team is going to struggle to pay and bring in someone that fits the timeline of the core.
McDavid, Connor
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