The State of the Rebuild | 2024 Edition

49 comments

1. two years to go;

2. by 2027

3. By the end of next week, Laine is a Hab!!
   Dvorak, Baron and a pick the other way.

4. 81 👍 in 18 minutes..!! And 500 some views already…
   Goes to show how much we love Hockey Junkie's content, doesn't it?

5. nor a very bold prediction… 23rd overall? id take the over on that one!

6. Its always next year next year next year with yall

7. Cup champs next 7 years

8. 84pts this year. if Hutson starts in the AHL. 93 points if he starts in the NHL. So probably no playoffs but we could be close

9. Still to small that's why injuries happen big harder to injury normally

10. Habs will finish 22nd

11. I am loving it. I don’t see why the Habs would load up with the kids this year and let them develop. If we end up at the bottom for one last time, so be it.

    Give Mailloux a shout with Matheson.
    Wifi and Guhle who needs protection.
    Strubble and Savard
    Harris as your number 7 D.

    Savard is going to go at some point anyways.
    Let Hudson and Reinbacher play big minutes together in Laval and graduate once HUGO makes space on D.

12. The amount of pull this team has with picks and prospects make them even more dangerous when you consider trade deadlines.

13. For the point #3, big time.

    This rebuild aint anywhere done. But the pieces we have already just oozes potential.

    Montreal is stuck in a division filled with top tier teams, so I agree with your ranking prediction.

    But Montreal is building up this team and seeing the moves made by Kent Hughes are Hug(h)es. I can't wait to see MTL being competitive again

14. Call me crazy , I'm expecting Dach play at least full season and the Habs finishing in the middle in the standing.

15. Still waiting for Kent to work his magic before September starts, hoping for a top 6 forward like laine or necas

16. Hopefully other GMs are taking notes..

17. I'm just so excited to be back in the playoffs eventually, cause these guys are not looking like chokers and I feel like they can make a pretty decent run once they breach that barrier. At the very least Suzuki and Canfield are proven preformers.

18. Agree 100%. No playoffs again this year, but moving up in points. Playoffs maybe in 2 years, certainly in 3, contender in 4, winner in 5.

19. 2028-2029 stanley cup i call it here

20. yeah i think rebuilt is close to done one more year of evaluation and think next year will have close 30 million to spend !!!!

21. We would have finished better if we could have won even half of those one goal games we lost last season.

22. We would have finished better if we could have won even half of those one goal games we lost last season.

23. RHP broke his leg during training. It's starting already.

24. Being competitive for longer period and in the end having around 80-90points will be sufficient for me… let’s hope for least amount of injuries and good performances from our top guys 🫡

25. Rebuild is closer to 75% complete I think. Theyve already reached a tipping point with their prospects where they dont have enough room for all of them even on the AHL team in some positions.

26. I don't know but, the good news is
    Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia are both free agents at the end of this up coming year. Not going to be sad when they leave!

27. the future is so so very bright for the habs.

28. This rebuild as well as Buffalo and Ottawa is taking forever

29. If they stay mostly healthy they are a fringe playoff team, they have a decent shot of making it. MTL should still prioritize development this year, playoffs a bonus

30. Thank you goat!

31. Spot on Junkie, spot on !!!!!!!!

32. The defense prospect pool is excellent, top of the league no question, the forward group really took a boost in the last draft with Demidov, Hage and the others but it could use one more year of drafting good forwards to be next level ! The goalie prospect pool is pretty much Fowler being the key. This year will either be first year trying the playoff but not going crazy or last year of rebuild…cause those 2 first round pick look very good right now !

    For the first time in the last 20 years i follow the CH, i feel we have a competent and professional management, development and drafting team !! Hugues is a wizard with contract and trades, i mean nothing against Bergevin and Timmins but they were gambler taking big risk for little results and their assets and cap management was abysmal. The core of Montréal is signed long term below 30 millions…it's insane good management ! This year, the only thing i want to see is a second line growing, Dach healthy and one or 2 f the 4 super talented defensemen of the prospect pool emerge as top 4 ! The rest is gravy !!!

33. Timmons…. I'm sure he was secretly working for the leafs.

34. Enoufgh with the draft, free agency and a tradr is what they should be doing.

35. Feel bad for RHP but he's a fringe player at best and shouldn't be taking up a spot for Roy or one of our others futures. I'm thinking if we can cut down on the injuries then maybe 20th or 21st. Goìng to be interesting to see how Monty and Primeau do this season and if Slafkovsky can maintain a good pace. And please for the love of God trade Barron for anything !

36. I think they’ll finish just out of the playoffs this year, and be picking 12th-15th. But in about 3-4 years, watch out! All the pain will be worth it, stay loyal HABS fans and be patient!

37. almost 30 games was it or 20 that were lost by 1 goal? Il stand by what i said eariler this year, Dach getting injured really cemented the habs season this year. However, new season, new dach, and hopefully a little scoring depth is added and they'll be starting to cook grand mas favourite recipes

38. A lot of Question could be answered after this season! We are going to be a force on the backend in the future. On the offensive side we are a bit behind but have hopefully added a stud in Demidov.

39. I dont think we will be higher in the standing especially when u consider that team lower then us in the standings( Anaheim, Chicago) enhance their core

40. Retired??

41. Perpetual rebuilds w Russian and French plyrs

42. It's going to be evolutionary but I can see the Habs taking another 5-10 Ws this year. Now, those victories will be taking the place of some OTLs so, in reality, I'm only seeing a 10-15 pt improvement in the standings. That puts them close to a WC spot but ultimately sitting out for the fourth straight year. If they bring in a top 6 forward, a WC spot isn't beyond the realm of the possible. IMO natch.

43. With only the team in mind, without considering that, unlike the 2010s our division is insane, I feel that 50% in terms of the rebuild is a solid oppinion.
    This year, with or without trades, will be insanely important when we'll find ourselves at this exact date next summer.
    IMHO, what to watch for the most are :

    1) DACH DACH DACH.
    FFS, let him play in a sheltered role in the very beginning if needed. Put him on the ice ONLY when sharing the ice with WiFi and other big dudes that will attack like a pack of rabid berzerk dogs if an opposing player even just BRUSH against him, or hell, even if LOOKING at Dach in a funny way. Play him on the wing at first if needed. WE DON'T CARE, he just need to PLAY.

    2) We need to see newcomers in our D core. While still having some of our best in Laval. It depends on contractual issues.

    3) Cole and Slav will need to keep progressing (Suzuki is already OP imho, anything more from the IRONMAN is just bonus)

    4) New faces from our system need to find a place in our forward group. We could have a homegrown discounted premium bottom six, which is absolutely key in building a playoff team (e.g. Beck)

    5) Demidov needs to get minutes and opportunities in the KHL. Otherwise it's commando time to bring him over. It seems to be fine though, but we never know. Bob is a goat and I'm sure he'll progress like a star either way.

    6) It's still going to be a mess because of the abundance of prospects, especially on defense, and even if there is a trade before the season I still see us juggling a lot and still in the process of deciding WHO do we keep for sure, and WHO will need to go. It's not going to be easy but many hard decisions will need to be taken. What player are for sure part of our future D core for instance. The RHD matter is unfortunately a big factor, but still, Lane and Mailloux should be in our core left, Nutcracker on the right obviously. After that it's a bit of a crapshoot.
    We should trade Matheson while the iron is hot imho, but others might disagree…

    7) Laval will be as important as MTL to judge who we want and to make our players are progressing in the right environement. So the head coach there will be important, very very so. I know they will still work in group + with MSL, but still, we need to right kind of person for the job. Any news on that btw?

    8) Let's put a freaking PRIEST of every single faiths in existence on the org payroll to do exorcisms in the locker room or something. I mean it's all BS imho, but at this rate can we avoid just the BLACK PLAGUE for once?

    9) Let's have fun you guys 🙂

44. Hot take.. we win the cup if we didn’t trade kovalchuk away 😢

45. Canadians should move to quebec city

46. tired of losing and the rebuild, lets win some fucking games

47. Amazing video as always Junkie! I do think the Habs are going to hold off from acquiring another top 6 forward to allow some of the players from Laval to earn that sort of role this season even if not right away, another high draft choice would just make us so nasty lol and I hope that NEXT summer Montreal could entice a big name free agent for a couple year contract🤞(I'm talking about YOU Brock Nelson I know you in here)

    Also if you guys would be so awesome as to check out a hockey podcast I just started from a buddy in Sweden on the Channel @RedhawksReport we go over Sweden vs North America regarding style and player development as well as covering a good few of Montreal's prospects it would be super appreciated. Link in reply

48. Kingkofsky…first time hearing that one! Love it! You and I have been in absolute lockstep with our beliefs of Slav becoming a complete beast when he grows out of the Pup stage. I think 25 goals and 40 assists will be realistic goals this year, then a point a game player by 25/26.

49. I still think they're going to trade Dvorak and / or Anderson. Unfortunately, Gallagher still has time on his contract, but he would do the team a favour by retiring.