Kamal Panesar: Patrice Brisebois and the Habs Player Development

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.

Any news about Gomez?? I really wish we could move him!

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.
- modernhipster

Management is important for the future. I hope we will see a true rebuild.

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.
- modernhipster

i dunno, they had a really poopty year, but the years before that weren't total write offs. i don't think the team is in as dire a situation as people ar emaking it out to be.

i think some of the major problems last year involved (and this wasnt the ONLY problem, but it cost us many games)---gomez. and the love affair the coaches and management had with him.. huge minutes. zero production. and players that were actually doing well or working hard were given 5 minutes a game so that idiot could have 20+ a game. i still think that the old regime should have to answer some questions regarding that crap.

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.
- modernhipster

k relax...management has been horrible but just one year ago the habs almost knocked out the stanley cups champs and a few years ago, they upset both Wash and Pitts who were both considered Cup favorites...
dont be such a drama queen...
but i agree the team right now needs to go into rebuild mode and some terrible moves have been made in the past few years

Any news about Gomez?? I really wish we could move him!
- Yellow45

Nobody will trade for him and Habs won't decide what to do with him until the new CBA....

I don't live in MTL but with good draft, reshaped management situation - are expectations on this upcoming season (depending if there is one) tempered? Or is media/fans expecting return to playoff success?

I don't live in MTL but with good draft, reshaped management situation - are expectations on this upcoming season (depending if there is one) tempered? Or is media/fans expecting return to playoff success?
- ash146

Patience, none of the players drafted this year or last are ready to help. Habs are still a couple years from turning this mess around.

I don't live in MTL but with good draft, reshaped management situation - are expectations on this upcoming season (depending if there is one) tempered? Or is media/fans expecting return to playoff success?
- ash146

People are still cautious about their expectations, Mostly because there are too many question marks. Will Markov return to form? will Price and Subban continue their progression and become gamebreakers? will Gomez and Kaberle still be there to hold us down cap wise?

People are still cautious about their expectations, Mostly because there are too many question marks. Will Markov return to form? will Price and Subban continue their progression and become gamebreakers? will Gomez and Kaberle still be there to hold us down cap wise?
- Traceur

As much as I don't like it, if Bergevin can't sign a few top notch UFA's that fill our needs, then we keep Gomez and Kaberle around for the season. No point in bringing up kids who aren't ready or overpaying both in cash and term for guys who will only get in the way when the kids are ready. Sink the ship and get another top pick.

Or you could go Tallon's road, sign junk that semi-performs, fill the prospect pool and then trade out the semi-performing junk at a trade deadline so that the kids can replace them when they are ready and get more picks out of those trades to further establish the prospect pool.

I don`t fully agree with this article at all, Carey Price struggled for a season but people in the organization did help him or else he wouldn`t of had a bounce back year like he did 2 years ago. Carey Price is clearly not ruined in any way, if anything he looks like a top 5 goalie in the NHL thanks to Gainey and Gauthier. As for the other players, Komisarek left montreal because they refused to over pay him, he got 4.5 mill from Toronto which he is clearly not worth! Higgins fell apart but hasn`t really found his game anywhere so you can`t blame that on the habs.

As for their development the habs have the most drafted players playing in the NHL and most of those guys were drafted by gainey so he certainly wasn`t doing a bad job of developing players guys like grabovski, Halak and streit never fell apart in montreal there was just no room for them. Andrei kostitsyn got into a bad crowd and messed up but what does that have to do with the organization? He went to nashville and still messed around! You can't tell a player he's not allowed to go out and party, regardless of who you put in place players will always struggle to deal with the bright lights of montreal.

I like MB as a gm so far and the players he's drafted along with the staff he brought in but to say Gainey failed at developing players is completely off base! Just look at the current roster Pacioretty, Subban, Price, Plekanec and Desharnais all key pieces who were drafted and developed by Gainey and Gauthier!

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.
- modernhipster

What large holes do the habs have? We have a top line in Patches, DD and Cole. Our second line is more than half way there with Pleks and Gio and just needs another winger, I'd take Parenteau, Doan, Jagr or Samuelsson all of which would give the habs a legitimate second line. Our third line then becomes Bourque, Eller and Leblanc all three have offensive upside but can play defensive hockey a perfect third line that has speed and size. And then our 4th line ends up with Moen, White, Geoffrion and a UFA Center who can take Faceoffs( McClement). Pretty solid 4 lines in my opinion and you don't need to go out and get too much.

As for our d our biggest question mark is Markov but people forget how good this guy was when healthy, easily top 10 d in the league. To him add Subban, Emelin, Gorges, Kaberle and Diaz. Then id go out and sign a big defensive d like Bryan Allen, Salvador or Cory Sarich. Not too bad a lineup and with Price in nets we would definitely be a playoff team.

Doesn't matter how many ex-Habs, francophones and other management-type people are brought into Montreal. If they can't put a solid product on the ice, it's just a waste of time and energy. The current Habs roster has large holes that need to be filled and it'll take at least a few years and some very good luck to make them a playoff team. It it weren't for price, the Habs would have had lottery picks the past 4 seasons.
- modernhipster

Can't argue with any of what you said...and yes, Bergevin certainly has his work cut out for him. But his decisions on the player development structure can only lead to good things in the future...

Any news about Gomez?? I really wish we could move him!
- Yellow45

He'll either be bought out if there is an amnesty clause or period in the new CBA or, more likely, he'll be demoted to Hamilton.

He could also decide to go play in Europe, liberating the Habs of his brutal contract.

k relax...management has been horrible but just one year ago the habs almost knocked out the stanley cups champs and a few years ago, they upset both Wash and Pitts who were both considered Cup favorites...
dont be such a drama queen...
but i agree the team right now needs to go into rebuild mode and some terrible moves have been made in the past few years
- Jaciems

It is not all doom and gloom but Bervegin certainly has his work cut out for him.

In an ideal world, none of Gomez, Kaberle or Bourque would be on the opening night roster come October.

Also, he'd acquire a Top-4 (3??) D-man and a top-6 scoring winger to play with Plek and Gionta.

All of this needs to happen for the Habs to become more of a threat.

If all of that sounds like a tall order it's because it is. I don't see how he'll be able to do all of that before the start of this season...but he'll certainly start chipping away at it.

I don't live in MTL but with good draft, reshaped management situation - are expectations on this upcoming season (depending if there is one) tempered? Or is media/fans expecting return to playoff success?
- ash146

I think that with a few moves the Habs can (and should) legitimately make the playoffs...but they won't have home ice advantage.

This is a team who is a few seasons away from becoming a threat, unless Bergevin can pull off multiple miracles in year one!

Patience, none of the players drafted this year or last are ready to help. Habs are still a couple years from turning this mess around.
- Symba007

I don`t fully agree with this article at all, Carey Price struggled for a season but people in the organization did help him or else he wouldn`t of had a bounce back year like he did 2 years ago. Carey Price is clearly not ruined in any way, if anything he looks like a top 5 goalie in the NHL thanks to Gainey and Gauthier. As for the other players, Komisarek left montreal because they refused to over pay him, he got 4.5 mill from Toronto which he is clearly not worth! Higgins fell apart but hasn`t really found his game anywhere so you can`t blame that on the habs.

As for their development the habs have the most drafted players playing in the NHL and most of those guys were drafted by gainey so he certainly wasn`t doing a bad job of developing players guys like grabovski, Halak and streit never fell apart in montreal there was just no room for them. Andrei kostitsyn got into a bad crowd and messed up but what does that have to do with the organization? He went to nashville and still messed around! You can't tell a player he's not allowed to go out and party, regardless of who you put in place players will always struggle to deal with the bright lights of montreal.

I like MB as a gm so far and the players he's drafted along with the staff he brought in but to say Gainey failed at developing players is completely off base! Just look at the current roster Pacioretty, Subban, Price, Plekanec and Desharnais all key pieces who were drafted and developed by Gainey and Gauthier!
- Habsforever101

I disagree...Price got back on the horse because of his own mental resiliance, not because he was helped back on by Gainey or Gauthier.

You talk about Pacioretty, Subban, Price, etc...these were all developed in recent years when G and G started learning from their errors.

I'm talking about a decade of poor player development decisions (that were turned around in the last three). Grabovski, Latendresse, Ribiero...the list goes on and on.

I'm not saying these are super star players, just that they weren't well insulated in Montreal.

And I'm also not saying that Higgins/Komisarek, et al, are superstars...just that when they were in Montreal, they were not guided. That was the centennial year when everything went off the rails.

It did so because the chickens, so to speak, had come home to roost.

It's not that G and G did nothing right, just that they didn't put a focus or emphasis on developing players the way Bergevin (seemingly) is...and, imo, that will lead to goo things.

I disagree...Price got back on the horse because of his own mental resiliance, not because he was helped back on by Gainey or Gauthier.

You talk about Pacioretty, Subban, Price, etc...these were all developed in recent years when G and G started learning from their errors.

I'm talking about a decade of poor player development decisions (that were turned around in the last three). Grabovski, Latendresse, Ribiero...the list goes on and on.

I'm not saying these are super star players, just that they weren't well insulated in Montreal.

And I'm also not saying that Higgins/Komisarek, et al, are superstars...just that when they were in Montreal, they were not guided. That was the centennial year when everything went off the rails.

It did so because the chickens, so to speak, had come home to roost.

It's not that G and G did nothing right, just that they didn't put a focus or emphasis on developing players the way Bergevin (seemingly) is...and, imo, that will lead to goo things.
- Kamal Panesar

Grabovski wasn't a screw up there was just no room for him with Pleks and Koivu taking the top 2 center roles, he didn't wanna be a 3rd line center. I think in any organization you'll get a certain number of players who just don't fit the organization and will do better when they have a change of teams.

I'm just saying I hear a lot of hate towards G and G when in reality I don't think they were doing that bad of a job they did put pieces in place and draft good players, ofcourse they made mistakes but every GM does. I do like what Bergevin is doing with management because I do think having the right management in place is key. Let's hope he makes some good moves this summer.

It is not all doom and gloom but Bervegin certainly has his work cut out for him.

In an ideal world, none of Gomez, Kaberle or Bourque would be on the opening night roster come October.

Also, he'd acquire a Top-4 (3??) D-man and a top-6 scoring winger to play with Plek and Gionta.

All of this needs to happen for the Habs to become more of a threat.

If all of that sounds like a tall order it's because it is. I don't see how he'll be able to do all of that before the start of this season...but he'll certainly start chipping away at it.
- Kamal Panesar

i disagree with some of that, i think they should try to keep bourque and flip him for assets, he could be very valuable if he turns his game around.
I would look at acquiring players that they could flip at the trade deadline or take on project players that are young like Brule or Mueller and pleks should be traded for a package of futures.

If the habs do a proper rebuild they will be set for many years since they have many great pieces in place (Price, MaxPac, Gally, Eller, Bournival, Gallagher, Subban, Bealieu, Tinordi....)

Building a very solid group of prospects, I just hope they arent rushed like Latendresse or Max[/img]

I think that with a few moves the Habs can (and should) legitimately make the playoffs...but they won't have home ice advantage.

This is a team who is a few seasons away from becoming a threat, unless Bergevin can pull off multiple miracles in year one!
- Kamal Panesar

I agree but I think if the habs, have a couple of guys with break out seasons that they could be a real threat, Geoffrion, Palushaj, Eller and Leblanc could all have a break out year, all it takes is 2 of them and your third line would be very good.

It is not all doom and gloom but Bervegin certainly has his work cut out for him.

In an ideal world, none of Gomez, Kaberle or Bourque would be on the opening night roster come October.

Also, he'd acquire a Top-4 (3??) D-man and a top-6 scoring winger to play with Plek and Gionta.

All of this needs to happen for the Habs to become more of a threat.

If all of that sounds like a tall order it's because it is. I don't see how he'll be able to do all of that before the start of this season...but he'll certainly start chipping away at it.
- Kamal Panesar

Why so much hate on Rene Bourque? He is an inconsistent player but he still was a 27 goal scorer for 2 straight years in calgary and was on his way to around 27 before he got traded to montreal (13 in 38). The guy only makes 3.3 mill a year, he came into montreal when everything was going wrong. I think he can easily have a bounce back year playing on the third line with eller.

Grabovski wasn't a screw up there was just no room for him with Pleks and Koivu taking the top 2 center roles, he didn't wanna be a 3rd line center. I think in any organization you'll get a certain number of players who just don't fit the organization and will do better when they have a change of teams.

I'm just saying I hear a lot of hate towards G and G when in reality I don't think they were doing that bad of a job they did put pieces in place and draft good players, ofcourse they made mistakes but every GM does. I do like what Bergevin is doing with management because I do think having the right management in place is key. Let's hope he makes some good moves this summer.
- Habsforever101

Im pretty sure Grabo was acting like SKots, didnt want to play in hamilton and he wasnt suited for a 3rd or 4th line because hes small
and cmon! G and G were TERRIBLE!!! Only Feaster and Rejean Houle are worse then them. Every year, letting great FA`s walk away for nothing and they kept getting killed in trades (except for the Rivet trade)