Why are we worried about the 22 year old having too much pressure vs the 19 year old? Besides, the reason MTL acquired Newhook is to give him an opportunity in a top 6 role, putting him on the 3rd line would be the same situation as Colorado.

Monahan - Suzuki - Caufield
Newhook - Dach - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Gallagher

4 of the players in the top 6 last season were injured, Slafkovsky will get chances to play in the top 6 I don't think there is any need to force it. If they can trade Dvorak that opens up a spot on the top line while Monahan can be the 3C.

Why are we worried about the 22 year old having too much pressure vs the 19 year old? Besides, the reason MTL acquired Newhook is to give him an opportunity in a top 6 role, putting him on the 3rd line would be the same situation as Colorado.

Monahan - Suzuki - Caufield
Newhook - Dach - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Gallagher

4 of the players in the top 6 last season were injured, Slafkovsky will get chances to play in the top 6 I don't think there is any need to force it. If they can trade Dvorak that opens up a spot on the top line while Monahan can be the 3C.

it is a long distance check

I think slaf is more important and has more upside than newhook. If you are going to do that then send slaf to laval to play in all situations. We have great players going to laval next year so that could work...I would not play slaf in the bottom six in montreal again.. he wont develop put anderson there before i would put slaf there. bit in all honesty laval might be the best place for him

I think they should keep the 6 centers. If they surprise with their play in the first half, they will need them to push for the playoffs (and I know I am getting ahead of myself and setting unrealistic expectations...)

Honest question: Many people say that Reinbacher needs the chance to grow, as he is only 18. Same thing for Newhook’s growth.
Could the same principles not apply for a young 18 year old kid from Russia whose dad just passed away?
Maybe Michkov can grow as a person (as we all do from the time we are 18) and a player in the years to come. Maybe he deserves to be viewed as selfish etc. but maybe he does not (especially since none of us really know him personally).
I recall Ovechkin being criticized for his attitude and style of play when he first came over (I am NOT saying Michkov is or will be as perhaps the greatest goal scorer ever).
If Montreal still has Maillox in their plans (I know it was a diffferemt management regime that drafted him) then nobody in the NHL should be too quick to make a final lifelong conclusion on the personality of another teenager.

You guys are SO WRONG
Drouin will sign as a free Agent, Armia and Hoffman will get traded to them and voila: Philadelphia has their version of the Legion of Doom line 2.0.

Reminiscent of LeClair-Lindros-Renberg in their offensive dominance and physicality.

I can’t believe you guys can’t see that.

Here's an observation regarding the claim that the habs drafted Reinbacher based on "need", I seen a lot of criticism towarsa the habs for this.

Two drafts in a row now the habs have made some interesting choices. In 2022, the majority of people wanted and expected them to draft the C Shane Wright. They chose Juraj Slafkovsky instead, but in another move they traded for potential C Kirby Dach because they still needed a C. So even though Wright fit a positional need, they either seen something they didn't like in Wright or they just hands down preffered Slafkovsky. Now here we are after the 2023 draft, everyone wanted them to draft Michkov and the habs knew Michkov or another top forward would be available to them at 5th overall, but instead they traded for Newhook. Trading for Newhook is an acknowledgement that they need a skilled top 6 forward (even if he has below average size like Michkov). They could have just drafted Michkov instead of trading for Newhook if they wanted to, but for whatever reason (maybe they didn't like Michkov or maybe they just like Reinbacher more) they didn't.

Drafting Reinbacher had nothing to do with positional need, and I feel Hughes words were misunderstood / taken out of context. Saying you might have cooled on Reinbacher if he was left handed is an acknowledgement that they do not need anymore left defenseman (which is true), not that they necessarily need a RD. The habs genuinely believe they selected the best players they could have in Slafkovsky and Reinbacher, trading for Dach when they could have drafted Wright or trading for Newhook when they could have drafted Michkov shows that they were not drafting for need. Whether you agree with their choices or not - no one can deny the habs picked what they believe to be the BPA for their team.

I think this is fairly accurate but will also say that they filled 2 positional needs in two consecutive drafts/leadups last year they probably knew they had deals in place or very close to get Dach so drafting Wright at that point made no sense when they could also get Slafkovsky. Same thing in this draft, they see Dach as a 1b or 2 C with Suzuki so we needed a W/C for the middle 6 they got that before the draft in Newhook so drafting another forward in the same skill teir as the RHD that you desperately need made even less sense than drafting Wright when they had Dach lined up. I always wanted Reinbacher to be the pick even if it was between Smith, Michkov and Reinbacher, the only 3 I would have taken over him would have been the obvious 3 (Bedard, Fantilli and Carlsson)

Why are we worried about the 22 year old having too much pressure vs the 19 year old? Besides, the reason MTL acquired Newhook is to give him an opportunity in a top 6 role, putting him on the 3rd line would be the same situation as Colorado.

Monahan - Suzuki - Caufield
Newhook - Dach - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Dvorak - Gallagher

4 of the players in the top 6 last season were injured, Slafkovsky will get chances to play in the top 6 I don't think there is any need to force it. If they can trade Dvorak that opens up a spot on the top line while Monahan can be the 3C.

Again I agree with you here my only caveat is your lines. My lineup would be

Caufield-Suzuki-Monahan
Slafkovsky-Dach-Anderson
RHP-Newhook-Gallagher
Armia-Dvorak-Evans

This may be a dream scenario though lol

I really don't think a line of 5'9" RHP, 5'10" Newhook, and 5'9" Gallagher would work - at least not as well as splitting those guys up and balancing the size throughout the lineup. Also Newhook will be playing in the top 6 I think, they already said they will be giving him an opportunity to play a bigger role (I don't think they would have traded for him if they wanted to play him on the 3rd line).