Montreal Canadiens goaltending, defense, centre depth – who could help lead the Habs to playoffs?

12 comments

1. I just deleted a rather long winded response to why I believe that making the playoffs is more important, so I'll try and make it brief. I respect your opinion and I understand the value you place on a top 3 pick. I believe the playoffs are more important because of the questions it will help answer. The Habs had 76 points last year, a full 15 points out of the playoffs. Bottom 5 goals for and and against, not even sniffing good enough. The turn around to improve those numbers would no doubt require not just one but several of the questions we are asking about the team right now, to be answered in a positive way. Will Laine resurrect his career, will Dach give us an injury free productive season, our young players becoming core pieces, do we have good goaltending, etc? The list goes on and on. Let's be really honest about this team, Suzuki is the only player on this team that we (maybe just I) absolutely know is a championship level player and with everyone else we're just projecting. If they make the playoffs this year it will probably require at least 92 points, probably more, which means we will know who we should be building around and why. Unless you believe that Savard, Dvorak, Armia and Pezzeta are gonna be the reason that the Habs make it, then the reason is several of our players had great seasons and they are either more valuable as players for the future or assets to trade. I believe that's way more valuable than the losing and wondering who really belongs here for the future, cause if they make it the questions next year will be much more specific. This team needs 10 less maybe's for the future over a top 3 draft pick, especially because they have as many draft and trading assets for next year as they've had since the glory days. Yet again, not trying to be disrespectful, just hoping you understand this logic. Great cast

2. For me, at season start my pairings is as follows:
   Mathesson – Ghule
   Xhekaj – Savard
   Strubble – (Mailloux/Barron)

   I leave Hutson – Reinbacher in the A for 2 reasons. First, I want them to develop chemistry and second, I want to give them time to get used to the workload of NA hockey. Before penciling Hutson to the Habs I want to know how much muscle he gained and how well he can defend the crease. D take a bit longer to develop, even Hedman needed time. He did hit his stride at around 23.

3. Re-cheque Mailloux defensive improvement from 1st half to second half AHL season He is a top10draft pick if he had not asked to be Not Drafted

4. Lmao how do you see no benefit to our core of barely 20 year olds getting playoff experience. This may be the worst take ive seen on any habs podcast yeeeeesh

5. You guys make a great team…keep up the good work

6. 3rd line center for a run Jordan Staal. Ghg

7. Dvo checks all the boxes for a 3rd line Center, so we don’t need one….

8. To be fair, that's not what we argued. A playoff run would be valuable. Pushing a series to six or seven games would be valuable. Getting in and getting crushed in 4 games is less valuable than a top 3 pick.

9. PK SUBARU

10. As always love the show and the thought that goes in, I will say though that I think your missing the big picture on your would you rather question. Hear me out, much rather be fighting ing for a playoff spot than a top three pick, for a young team there is absolutely no down side to making the playoffs, all Stanley cup winners have lost first in the playoffs before winning. A top three pick would mean the Habs had a horrible yr, and thus a lot of their players would have regressed to the point where there is no way the next yr they will make the playoffs . That is we’re most Habs fans are, we want to see progress and want to see them play meaningful games in March

11. dear you can get an outer banks bronco sport for 41k right now….. run away from that suburu

12. when hutson and reinbacher are ready say good bye to matheson and savard defence pairing will be hutsom-reinbacher
    ghule-mailloux
    xhejak-barron/struble or maybe add knoy idk whats his name