Would MTL fans consider KK a bust, or just having a big softmore slump?

Keep Armia.

Kovalchuk - KK - Armia

Mete - Fleury/Juulsen instead. Don't need Haula/Miller

Not a bust at 19yo. Still had a better 1st year than Hughes is having as we speak.

EDIT : he's just not a 1st center as the journalist told the fans

Looked like MB made the right call when he took him early in the draft, but this year he just really hasn't got it together

I agree. I think he drafted with needs before talents as we can argue there was better players after him. But, one year does not make the career. Yes it is a down year, but habs fan/direction still believe he will a 2/3c as the C depth chart would be Suzuki - KK or Poehling - Danault. Also he is playing well in the A

He and Claude dont see eye to eye
KK made a remark about it nice being in a system where assignments are clear.
he's been the best Rocket since going down and they've called up Evans , Hudon , Vedejmo but not KK

Think Seguin vs Julien 2.0
that said i think Claude if he value's his job will find a way to squash it come summer as his job may be safe to start the year
but he's on a short leash right now and cant afford to force MB hand as Bergavin wont ever trade KK to keep Julien happy like Chirelli did with Seguin

He's taking full advantage of the situation though playing top minutes and succeeding in a leadership role
its being better used down in Laval then he was in MTL and gaining confidence

Looking at him, his body is not yet fully formed so its hard to tell - he's tall but not heavy, kinda stringy-looking actually. He should fill out in the next few years and then we'll know for sure. At the very least, there doesn't seem to be any reports that he is sulking or uncoachable or a bad teammate so that is a good sign

i think Danault , Suzuki , KK and Poehling as all 2/3rd line Centers at their best
its just a difference in styles all around from Defensive specialist , to skilled puck mover/playmaker , to positional player with good vision but like bambi on skates in mens league , to Power Foward Goal Scorer who's a bit top heavy and needs to work on his conditioning .

They're all at different levels but at the end of the day none are no better or worse then 2/3rd Centers.
We have no clear cut #1 Center nor does anyone who drafted in top 10 that year as there was a record amount of D taken in the 1st round in 2018
Only thing we could have done was ignore that we had no Centers at the time outside Poehling and Evans to draft Quinn Hughes (which isnt something i disagree with doing in hindsight but at the time i get why they did )

he's happy in Laval , we avoided a Jesse Puljujarvi situation by choosing to put him on a team where he'll learn to be the #1 guy period
it was a smart move just like sending Poehling down was as listening to him in interviews he sounds more mature and excited he's considered a leader which is a new role for him .(he's always been the younger guy playing with older established guys )

The kid has put on 20lbs of muscles this summer... it takes time to adjust to his new size. Also he played with washed out fourth liners with a coach who would punish the slightest mistake... so he dumped the puck and went back to the bench... playing with no confidence

punishing him wasnt the problem for KK it was that he never felt he was given any direction or a role to play like last year.
he's right because Suzuki was more Versitile we used him and left KK in limbo for a while there .

It took him gooning a guy for them to take notice he's frustrated .
i think both KK and the Coach have to accept it was just a bad year and start fresh at camp
otherwise we're looking at Seguin vs Julien 2.0

Well I hope they choose the kid before mister Potato

Now that's scary. To be honest if he doesn't develop it'll be pretty frustrating... In such a good draft class and picking 3rd OA (Hugues, Dobson, Tkachuk and even Zadina was starting to put it in before his injury) that we once again end up with a bust. There was a point about Chucky's year that the draft class suc**d but not 2018.. That'll all be on management prioritizing team needs once again (And badly evaluating prospects)

they will

Claude's there to train Ducharme who was brought in when they realized Muller can barely handle Special teams competently
Ducharme and his rival/friend Joel Bouchard have a great relationship and were some of the early pieces brought in when MTL made changes in 2017.
Ducharme's Offense has unquestionably been the biggest bright spot in MTL since his hiring and Bouchard will be first choice to replace his as assistant coach for MTL

Claude has until December next year then they'll hope Ducharme can step up like Sullivan or Berube and win

i think that's part of the reason KK is best off in Laval right now getting familiar with being Bouchards favorite guy he goes to first for everything from PP and PK to top line match ups .
then when Bouchard runs our Offense he'll be getting all those same calls at the NHL level and more ice time for KK in the long term and short .

Claude was hired during a rebuild as we had just started moving out players and has 2 years left .
i think by next year MTL will just pay him the last year and a half to sit at home or let him interview in hopes another team takes him like Seattle

Ducharme's had more impact in a shorter time and only after he showed up did Muller's special teams start producing .

To be fair we needed a top center and there's been no one better taken before or after him in that position because
2018 was a record year for D in the 1st round (a lot of quality ones to)

in hindsight we should have drafted a D but we didnt know Domi or Suzuki was coming or that Poehling would
have a surgery fixing his breathing obstruction followed by an outburst of offense so bright the NHL took notice. our Center depth needed addressed

i still think KK is just young and needs ice time IMO
he's not 20 yet so way to early to bust it just means we were selfish making an 18 year old the leagues youngest rookie the season of his debut

I'm not against KK one second but we need (As an organisation) to spot thinking team needs because these needs changes every year so by the time your prospect flourished the need may not be there anymore.
If player A has 60% chance of being good and 25% of being great opposed to player B that has 75% of being good but 45% of being great I'm taking player B any given day whatever if he's playing in net, forward or D. (I liked when you -boldly- took Askarov in the Mock draft, made me think) If I'm stuck with too many NHL top 4 defenseman well I'll trade one for a damn forward by then, knowing Montreal doesn't attract as much free agent players it'd make sense to put ALL your chances on your side and at least take the best prospect in the pot..