I don't know if Staal wanted to sign at mtl. Anyway Therrien and Bergevin like the kind of energy Shaw has. Remember MB work with Chicago before he know Shaw and Danault better than us. Shaw can put us in trouble nowadays but i think we gonna like him in playoffs.! But sure Staal was the big center we need so badly!

Staal was damaged goods after last season. His $3.5mx3 deal felt like a year too long when he signed.

He didn't generate much buzz before July 1st, so no clue what teams had interest in him.

Yeah I certainly didn't think Staal would have as good of a season as he's having. I think Shaw is getting paid too much. More than Gallagher for starters, which I don't think makes sense. I know that contract is phenomenal but even so. He'll be okay though, hes a good player.

Give the guy some time...... You're jumping to conclusions and looking at things retrospectively. Hindsight is 20/20. Has he been good since coming here? Not entirely. Can he turn it around with one good playoffs and change your mind 180 degrees right away? Absolutely. It's his first team away from where he started, he signed his first big contract, he got concussed early on in the season.............. Lots of pressure and unfamiliar territory for a still young player.

He's 25. He can turn it around. When he does, you'll love him again.

Don't get me wrong, I still do like shaw and he's a really good player and from what I understand he only gets better in the playoffs which is a big reason he was acquired. Plus he is a great guy to have in the room. When I look at how good of a season debrincat is having and then I thin we could've drafted him and just signed another player, it's frustrating, but like you said hindsight is 20/20.

He definitely needs to start picking it up. Not denying that, but its still very early. I don't think you can call him a mistake yet.

BTW Debrincat is 5'7, Desharnias 2.0? Krys is a maybe NHL'er. Both are as highly touted as De La Rose and Fucale were back when they were drafted. Shaw is a sure thing. He just needs find his game and try to take less stupid penalties.

Difference between debrincat and desharnais is debrincat is a goal scorer where as desharnais relied on others to score goals for him. Around the time I started cheering for the habs desharnais and pacioretty were just joining the team, desharnais was my favourite player.

It is too early as shaw could do great things in the playoffs and change my opinion of him, but right now it seems like a bad way to manage assets.

Unless Debrincat can skate like McDavid or has hands like Marty St Louis, he's going to realize that getting to the net to score the goals he use to be able to score is a lot harder. Im not losing any sleep over missing out on him just yet.

The only bad asset management was signing a guy like Shaw to a 6 year deal, not getting him in first place. Alas Shaw still can be useful during his time here. Not a mistake but definitely a head scratcher.