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Blazingbat11

Molson beer is meh
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Jan. 1, 2017
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Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 17 at 11:50 a.m.
Thread: My best Guess
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Windjammer</b></div><div>If he had top 4 potential, he might be of interest. He obviously doesn't as this is the 2nd team to give up on him and Barron can't crack the top 4 of an awful team.

Bottom pairing defenseman are plentiful, easy to find and never require a high second in return.</div></div>

Dude just stop, we get it. You're a Hab hater. The PLD shenanigans on here from Hab fans must have bothered you on some personal level or something. You kept calling Monahan a "4th line center on the Jets" for months, then got eerily quiet once WPG gave MTL their 1st rd pick for him, which looks to be a bargain at this point.

Barron most certainly has top 4 written all over him. He already has that skill offensively, and just needs to continue improving on his defensive game. Saying both COL and MTL gave up on him is just wrong, even Sakic said he didn't want to trade Barron when he acquired Lehkonen and continued by saying (I'm paraphrasing) you have to give quality to get quality. Habs simply have better prospects with higher all-around potential that makes Barron expendable.
As for this trade, MTL would be the ones refusing, they have too many bottom 6 forwards already, adding Kupari does nothing for them, and although MTLs 2nd is a nice asset, MTL have zero need to be adding more draft picks, unless they plan to flip it. but at that point, MTL could just use Barron to include in a package deal for what they are looking for.
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 16 at 12:56 p.m.
Thread: Mailloux called up Bye Barron
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>mokumboi</b></div><div>Oh great. Now we get to have horrible excuses for human beings act all righteous in defending this scumbag. Because hockey.

I must be an alien. Beam me up, Glipnorp.</div></div>

Oh please, keyboard White knight!, Who art holier-than-thou, what should be done with Mailloux?

<img class="for_img" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeHRtc3Mybnd3bHlsemphMzNrc20zdnA2dzNsZmRiMTdvcDVuM2UwMSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/IPosMMzCRthdK/giphy.gif" alt="giphy.gif">


In all seriousness, this story needs to die, from both sides (the idiots trying to defend his actions AND the morons virtue signaling by continuously trying to remind everyone how horrible he is). There are players, coaches, scouts all currently in the NHL that have shadier backgrounds (sexual harassment charges, some with DUIs that have actually killed people...), but because they aren't the flavor of today, nobody talks about them...
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 16 at 12:27 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 15 at 4:41 p.m.
Thread: Mcgroarty isnt available
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Howie</b></div><div>Jets have insane depth so he would be fully with the moose. Him going back where he can be the captain a newer Michigan team next year. Also wants to win the frozen 4 and could be a hobey baker winner. He has shown that he really respects the jets and has done nothing to indicate he wants the ufa route.</div></div>

Agreed, but it's very rare that it's the player that opts to NOT turn pro, it tends to be the other way around. Lane Hutson wanted to turn pro last year, but it was MTL that told him to return to BU (same happened to Caufield a few years back too with Wisconsin), Cutter Gauthier wanted to sign with PHI last year, but it was Philly that told him to return to BC and look how that turned out.

Only other instances of players, I can think of, opting to return to the NCAA on their own were Adam Fox (although in his case he made it very clear he wasn't signing with CGY, so not a good comparable), Jimmy Vesey was another case a while back with NSH (and he really strung the Preds along up until the very end...)

Again, it's a rare case, and WAY too early to think it means he doesn't want to sign.
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 15 at 1:46 p.m.
Thread: 75 goal differential offseason
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>jonh514</b></div><div>I appreciate your perspective. He's not Markov, I agree, Hopefully Hutson is!

As long as the Habs are adding 2 veteran forwards or 1 veteran forward and one Dach/Monahan style add of a forward like Lundell, I am happy.

<strong>I do not want to see Armia, Roy, Anderson, Gallagher, Evans, RHP in our top 6 unless there are injuries</strong>. Depending on camp I am on the fence about Newhook in the 2nd line LW spot, but either way we need to add 2 top 7 forwards.</div></div>

Agree with everyone except Roy, I'm willing to give him a look and see just how high a ceiling he has. Roy really excelled at being a complementary guy with elite players (perfect example being Roy with Bedard at the world juniors). If MTL can't get a Marchessault or Toffoli this offseason, I could totally see a top 6 with Roy on the wing with Suzuki and Newhook (who had great chemistry together before Newhook's ankle injury and subsequent move to center), and Caufield - Dach - Slafkovksy to round things out.
But yeah, if Habs can get Monahan back and add another vet (Marchessault or Toffoli), that would be the ideal situation. Also, Roy and Monahan played great during their short time together. Would be a solid 3rd line duo.
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 15 at 1:19 p.m.
Thread: If Hutson Makes it Next Year
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Billy316</b></div><div>He's making a strong case for himself already but you're right
That said Mailloux has the inside Track with established Chemistry with Xhekaj and a strong ability to lead PP
While we can keep players down to an extent Struble has 14 games left til he requires Waivers . Xhekaj, Guhle and Barron have 1 year or 40-70 games from lowest to highest.
Hutson unlike Struble and Harris wont blow through his Waiver Exempt because even though he just turned 20 by MTL signing him for these final 2 games his Waiver Exemption days went up by 55 games i believe it was? or maybe just 50? anyways it went up by a lot is the point . Had Hutson waited til after MTL's last games then this isnt an option. Its why i dont get why fans are upset about burning a year because when we signed him he was only eligible for 2 years at his age but because the season wasnt over for MTL and he was 19 when he started the 3 years was allowed. we lost nothing and Gained a lot of Flexibility we may need.

Plus Engstroms no Joke
Overachiever who's 20 in a SHL Final waiting for his opponent
If he continues to have everything go his way in 2024 then he'll hit the ground running when he joins Laval likely in the next week and a half if Skalliftea can beat Frohlunda tommorrow.
Always being in a Left D heavy system to get minutes he became a Left Shooting RD so good he rose up in World Juniors due to versatility and through the SHL as well.
For Context Wallinder his Teammate turned Pro after 2 years in the same team and Wallander out scored him by 1 point in those 2 seasons with at least 4 games remaining for Engstrom.
Question becomes is the Transition going to hit Engstrom as hard as it did Wallander ?

Camp this year will force moves
If we're smart we try to leverage some players into Picks at the Draft
Kovacevic for a 3rd of 4th rounder would do it for me
Maybe try leveraging Matheson in a trade to a contender to take back a player they cant afford or maybe they just have too many forwards and limited Cap but Need Defense.
Either way you try for a Matheson deal in the summer IMO while he's riding career high numbers. Maybe move him to EDM for Ceci a prospect and a 1st
EDM being cap strapped Mathesons extra year at 4.8m can help them short term anyways and Matheson can eat up as many minutes as Ceci.

We can just RS and Flip Ceci or Savard at the TDL and pay to have someone else RS on the other.
Move out Matheson, Savard, Ceci and Kovacevic from the Draft to the TDL so youth can step up.
Come summer 2025 if a hole is still there we'll acquire a veteran short term to mentor them but i feel Guhle/Xhekaj could handle leading the Youth Core at this point</div></div>

Agree with Mailloux. If Habs management are projecting into the future (next year and beyond), you have to imagine they see Mailloux and Xhekaj as their 3rd pairing with potential for one or both to move up the lineup, with Mailloux also essentially quarterbacking PP2.
Habs probably have far greater aspirations for Reinbacher, and will probably give him the keys to Laval's defense squad and all the ice time in the world until someone like Savard is gone, so Reinbacher can hop straight into a top 4 role. A lot will depend on training camp though.

Hutson is the wildcard. MTL is obviously giving the last 2 games in this season, and more than likely the first 10 games of next season with the Habs to get a better look of how he'll adapt to the pro game. If he meets (or in some dream scenario he even exceeds) expectations, Habs will keep him in MTL and make moves to make room for him, regardless of people that feel he should be in Laval. I don't doubt for a second that MTL want to keep Hutson as close to MSL as possible. So, unless Hutson really struggles with the physical play, we ain't going to see him in a Laval rocket uniform, but again, a lot will depend on training camp.
Forum: Armchair-GMApr. 15 at 12:49 p.m.
Thread: 75 goal differential offseason
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>jonh514</b></div><div>See that's where I disagree. I'm never moving Matheson. He's gonna play until we confuse his name with Markov.</div></div>

I'm all for keeping Matheson, but the next General (Markov's nickname) he is not. Markov ran one of the league's best PP for YEARS, and as soon as he was gone, the Habs PP has sucked and hasn't been the same since...
Not only was Markov one the best PP players, but he also literally made the careers of multiple of his D partners (Komisarek, Souray, Streit, etc.). Matheson isn't even in the same ballpark as Markov.

As for your thread, I think you should only pick one of Monahan or Stephenson (and you can make a solid case for either, but I would take Stephenson). Tbh, if the Habs are going to target a Vegas free agent, it should be Marchessault. I didn't like the idea at first (another small forward blah blah blah) but looking further into his play (leading Vegas in scoring, especially at even strength) I think he'd be a great fit, let's say on a line with Slaf and Dach. The alternative to Marchessault in free agency is Toffoli.
So pick between Monahan or Stephenson, and Marchessault or Toffoli.
Forum: NHL SigningsApr. 12 at 8:14 p.m.
Thread: Montreal Canadiens signed Lane Hutson (3 Years / $1,333,333 AAV)
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>SLAFSQUATCH</b></div><div>It's Matheson's job to lose. And Hutson's position to earn. Period.</div></div>

<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>KSIxSKULLS</b></div><div>Matheson is one of the best players in the league at what he does. I don't see Hutson outplaying that for a long time. We might even be one of those teams with 2 defenders on our #1 PP</div></div>

Habs have the 7th worst PP this year in the NHL… as far as I’m concerned, MSL can juggle the entire unit.

I do agree that having 2 dman could be a good solution. Burrows would have to change his entire PP structure (which I’m completely fine with lol) and a forward still needs to come out.
Take out Newhook, move Slaf to bumper position? Maybe… 🤔
Forum: NHL SigningsApr. 12 at 6:09 p.m.
Thread: Montreal Canadiens signed Lane Hutson (3 Years / $1,333,333 AAV)
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>drambui</b></div><div>placeholder? the guy is top 10 in point for dmen!</div></div>

and that's excellent! I'll repeat... In the grand scheme of things (ie looking into the future) 30 year old Matheson was never considered to be the Habs PP1 guy. Not when Hughes acquired him (at age 28), and not now. Hence being a placeholder.

and let's called a spade a spade here (whatever that metaphor is), Matheson is 10th in scoring for Dmen because he plays over 70% of all the Habs PP time (which is 7th worst in the NHL), and is 3rd in the <strong>entire NHL</strong> for average time on ice... Put Matheson on any current contending team, and he obviously would not be putting up the same production or ice-time. All this should reinforce my point that if MTL want to be a contending team, Matheson shouldn't be their PP1 quarterback, nor should he be their leader in ice-time.
And this isn't to take anything away from Matheson! He's been great for MTL. Both offensively and defensively. But ideally (if MTL can be a contending team) you want him running the Habs PP2, and at most on MTLs 2nd defensive pairing (3rd or 4th most used dman for ice time).


And to tie everything together, this isn't to say to rush Hutson. I'm all for MTL taking their time with him. But inserting him directly on PP1 would <strong>not</strong> be rushing him in the slightest, simply giving him the best opportunity to succeed. Hutson will be getting sheltered minutes at 5v5 for quite a while until he can get used to the pro game / speed. And as others have mentioned, pairing him with Savard is the absolute best choice.
Forum: NHL SigningsApr. 12 at 4:05 p.m.
Thread: Montreal Canadiens signed Lane Hutson (3 Years / $1,333,333 AAV)
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Jay27</b></div><div>Woah buddy, temper your expectations just a bit here. He’s a 20 year old rookie who’s never played a pro game.

I’d hate to see the media just dump on this kid if he doesn’t go out and light it up right out of the gate. I think sometimes media forgets that they are just kids.</div></div>

Never said anything about expecting him to light it up right out of the gate. Don't put words in other people's mouths (metaphorically speaking).


I'm saying Matheson is, and has always been, a placeholder for PP1. With or without Hutson around. Hutson is just the first player who can realistically contest Matheson's claim to PP1. So I say give 20-year-old Hutson the opportunity to showcase his talents with MTLs best players. and Let 30-year-old Matheson be the one to "fix" PP2, where he is much better suited for.

Again, grand schemes of things. PP1 should be:

Caufield - Dach - Salfkovsky
Suzuki - Hutson

PP2 should have something like:
Roy - Newhook - (someone)
Matheson - Xhekaj/Mailloux/Reinbacher
Forum: NHL SigningsApr. 12 at 3:32 p.m.