Molson beer is meh
Joined: Jan. 2017
Posts: 3,729
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1- Ryan Poehling will join the team at the end of the NCAA season and playoff. 100% agree with this. Poehling looked like the most NHL ready propspect MTL has from their development camp, and the only reason he won't be in the line up is because he wants to go back to college for at least 1 more year.
2- unless we get a great offer, patch will stay with the habs. get a rebound season, scoring 40 goals with Domi feeding him pucks (like Radulov used to). Then he will be so happy to sign longterm with the habs. (the guy loves mtl and has made his life here and really doesn't want to move... so be ready for a hell of a season. 110% disagree with this. the relationship between him and management is forever broken. Even if Patches has a bounce back season and MTL keep him, his gone next year. No way will he want to negotiate a new deal with Bergefail. If habs can't move him now, he will be moved at the trade deadline. Only question left is what the return will be.
3- I see Jake Evans making a huge push to make the line up this pre-season, he might bump DRL or Pecas. I think there's just too many players on 1 way contracts that will have to go through waivers that MTL don't want to lose for nothing, some of them being DLR, Peca, Scherbak, McCarron, Reichel, Deslauriers, Froese. Not to mention Kotkaniemi will most likely get first dibs on cracking the roster and get a 10 game tryout before deciding if he goes to Laval/Assat.
4- Drouin will move back to the wings, let Domi assume the role of center (he is better defensively, more responsible and a hard worker, Drouin is a talented diva) I can see this happening. But Drouin did have 13pts in his last 14 games at Center (with Byron and Gallagher on his wings) so I believe Drouin will start out as the #1 C, but if he has a rough start, Domi will most likely get a look
5- Mete and Juulsen are going to explode this year, I expect great things from them. Making guys like Benn or Schlemko expendables after Weber's return in December. Fingers crossed this happens!
6- Saddly, Deslaurier seems like the odd man out on the LW, but Julien will swap him with any player slacking on the ice. Deslauriers as the 13th forward is exactly where I think he should be
7- Expect Shaw to be placed on LTIR because of his multiple concussions last year. wouldn't surprise me
8- Alzner will bounce back, I think the new anti-slashing rule established by the NHL really messed his game up last year (being one of his good defensive tool) doubt it. As long as Alzner gets top 4 pairing minutes, his flaws will get amplified. But put him on the bottom pairing, and he'll most likely thrive, but people will complain he's overpaid. It's a lose-lose situation with him. Silver lining is him finding chemistry with Juulsen, as long as he keeps helping the kid develop, I personally will ease up on complaining about him.
9- Petry will have to step up once again... defensively. While he had a career-high of 42pts, his plus/minus is not great... Yeah I think we will see the same Perty as last year. Everyone will be impressed with his offensive production, but then facepalm at his bonehead defensive mistakes. Still a very serviceable top 4 guy imo.
10- I see Hudon and Scherbak shinning this year and making the line up, I'm just concerned about Lekhonen... he seems to be struggling. I see Hudon and Lehkonen thriving actually lol believe it or not but Lehkonen was one of the league leaders in high danger shot chances, he just had an abysmal shooting %, even just putting his shooting % at league average and he'll put up in between 20-25 goals easy. Hudon will be a 40-50pts guy down the road, I think that's inevitable when you see how he plays the game. The big question mark for me is Scherbak, he's going to be fighting guys like Shaw (if healthy) and Armia for a spot, then also young Right shooting guys like Evans, Bitten, Alain, etc. I think Scherbak has the hardest competition at cracking the roster, but he definitely is one of the most talented, here's hoping he can show it.