Karine Hains: In Hainsight: Fifth Loss in a Row The Canadiens dropped their fifth decision in a row yesterday afternoon in New Jersey.

did they even win a game since Monahan has been traded?

I raised the question of their record last season after Monahan went down, but nobody got back with the answer. But mtl problems really started when he was injured last season.

If you take out Dach and Monahan, you are not talking about the same team at all at this point.

The players know the season is over, the tank crowd should be happy. Its not just a lack of skills at this point, but there is a why bother setting in there as well.

Gallagher and Anderson will both be back unless fans are willing to see Hughes buy them out or do something stupid and give mtl first round pick so a team take one of them. That wont happen.

Fans can disagree all they want, but I think Armia is a guy that is more likely to be traded somewhere down the road, because he has a much better contract than the guys you mentionned.

I think Newhook will go back on the wing next season. But learning to be a C in the NHL with Armia, a rookie or Anderson must not be easy.

They have to take a good look at their centre line next season, that can change a team more than anything.

Also that defense will need to be better next season, but Im not surprised by what we saw.

J'avais prédit un long hiver à cette jeune défensive si on ajoutait pas un vétéran à droite. On a répliqué qu'on devait faire jouer les jeunes et qu'on avait déjà David Savard.

Résultat : on est forcé de mettre Ghule à droite et plusieurs défenseurs en ont arrachés et pt même régressés. Je persiste à dire qu'on doit entouré les jeunes et non juste les crisser sur la glace le plus longtemps possible en pensant qu'ils vont apprendre à la dure sans support.

bon matin lol

I'm not dissapointed!!...we played OK....the game was boring but we need a 5th or better draft slot to have a chance at Macklin!!!.....#gohabsgo!

did they even win a game since Monahan has been traded?

I raised the question of their record last season after Monahan went down, but nobody got back with the answer. But mtl problems really started when he was injured last season.

If you take out Dach and Monahan, you are not talking about the same team at all at this point.

The players know the season is over, the tank crowd should be happy. Its not just a lack of skills at this point, but there is a why bother setting in there as well.

Gallagher and Anderson will both be back unless fans are willing to see Hughes buy them out or do something stupid and give mtl first round pick so a team take one of them. That wont happen.

Fans can disagree all they want, but I think Armia is a guy that is more likely to be traded somewhere down the road, because he has a much better contract than the guys you mentionned.

I think Newhook will go back on the wing next season. But learning to be a C in the NHL with Armia, a rookie or Anderson must not be easy.

They have to take a good look at their centre line next season, that can change a team more than anything.

Also that defense will need to be better next season, but Im not surprised by what we saw.

J'avais prédit un long hiver à cette jeune défensive si on ajoutait pas un vétéran à droite. On a répliqué qu'on devait faire jouer les jeunes et qu'on avait déjà David Savard.

Résultat : on est forcé de mettre Ghule à droite et plusieurs défenseurs en ont arrachés et pt même régressés. Je persiste à dire qu'on doit entouré les jeunes et non juste les crisser sur la glace le plus longtemps possible en pensant qu'ils vont apprendre à la dure sans support.
- deadpoulet

-for Monahan, I'm not sure you need someone to gather the stats, the answer is fairly simple, the habs struggled last year when he got injured, and are struggling this year now that he's been traded, which was to be expected.


-for Armia, it's not a matter of fans agreeing or not, it's about the level of interest from other GMs in acquiring his services, which is likely very low, if not non-existent lol. not sure why anyone would trade for a guy who was sent to the AHL this year and is paid too much for what he brings, but hey, anything can happen I guess.


-when you say multiple defensemen have regressed, who are you referring to exactly? I agree that Harris has had his fair share of bad moments, but when I look at guys like Guhle, Xhekaj and Struble, I find they're on the right path. obviously they're gonna be inconsistent at times and will be making mistakes, but that's all part of the learning process imho.

-for Monahan, I'm not sure you need someone to gather the stats, the answer is fairly simple, the habs struggled last year when he got injured, and are struggling this year now that he's been traded, which was to be expected.


-for Armia, it's not a matter of fans agreeing or not, it's about the level of interest from other GMs in acquiring his services, which is likely very low, if not non-existent lol. not sure why anyone would trade for a guy who was sent to the AHL this year and is paid too much for what he brings, but hey, anything can happen I guess.


-when you say multiple defensemen have regressed, who are you referring to exactly? I agree that Harris has had his fair share of bad moments, but when I look at guys like Guhle, Xhekaj and Struble, I find they're on the right path. obviously they're gonna be inconsistent at times and will be making mistakes, but that's all part of the learning process imho.
- Pat1993

Im not saying Gms are lining up at 8 am to trade for Armia but that he is more likely to be traded than guys like Anderson or Gallagher, guys that Karine mentions in her blog as maybe not part of the plans anymore. Thats all nice and fun, but their contracts mean that they are coming back next season.

Defensemen I would put in the regress category : Barron that you even forgot to mention, Harris that we agree on and I would say Wifi, who has been in and out of the line up and was sent down to Laval for a reason.

Ghule is gifted, more mature and the best of that group so far. But like I said, he is playing on his wrong side. What did I say over and over again that we needed last off season? A veteran RHD.

Struble has been a nice surprise but I think he was in the top 4 by default, something you dont want to do usually with players.

Im not saying Gms are lining up at 8 am to trade for Armia but that he is more likely to be traded than guys like Anderson or Gallagher, guys that Karine mentions in her blog as maybe not part of the plans anymore. Thats all nice and fun, but their contracts mean that they are coming back next season.

Defensemen I would put in the regress category : Barron that you even forgot to mention, Harris that we agree on and I would say Wifi, who has been in and out of the line up and was sent down to Laval for a reason.

Ghule is gifted, more mature and the best of that group so far. But like I said, he is playing on his wrong side. What did I say over and over again that we needed last off season? A veteran RHD.

Struble has been a nice surprise but I think he was in the top 4 by default, something you dont want to do usually with players.
- deadpoulet

I agree it's unlikely that Anderson or Gallagher get traded, I just don't see why Armia's chances would be any higher.

I didn't mention Barron since he's currently in Laval and I haven't followed how he's doing, but if he's playing well then this AHL experience could be beneficial for him down the road, which is what happened with Wifi... his play hasn't been perfect but to me it's clear that his time with the Rocket did him some good. it's not because a young player is sent to the farm team that it automatically means he's regressing, it can definitely be part of the learning curve.

tks Karine,

it's not just the loss of Monahan.
Dach is injured.
Dvorak is injured.

at one point you need a center line.
we all like Evans but he is a #4C. they're missing a #2 and a #3.
and Newhook is not a center.

bon dimanche to all

what it could look like if they did what I said they should have have done or should do : Ghule-Savard
Matheson-RHD veteran in the off season
Struble, Kovacevic or Barron (we dont know when Mailoux ou le Reinbacker will be ready)

extras : Wifi or Harris.

I think they move a defenseman this off season. My guess would be Harris, but fans should know that he was forced to play on this wrong side, unlike Wifi.

If Struble is better than Wifi or the team likes him better than Wifi, it will be hard for him to be more than a 7th defenseman next season.

tks Karine,

it's not just the lost of Monahan.
Dach is injured.
Dvorak is injured.

at one point you need a center line.
we all like Evans, but he is a #4C. they're missing a #2 and a #3.
and Newhook is not a center.

bon dimanche to all
- fidopro

I agree with all of this, but I do like Newhook on the wing in the top 6.

as for the dcore, teams now need 8 regular dmen to go through a season.
so Matheson, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris, Savard, Struble... they'll all be back imo.
who knows where Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux and Engstrom will play? probably Laval, no problem, never a bad thing. no hurry to trade anyone.
unless you can pull the trigger on a trade for a top6 forward of course. then it depends which young d the other team wants in return.

for those saying Harris is the one on the outside, that's exactly why he won't bring back much. you're not getting a quality top6 F with a late 1st and a 3rd pairing dman. brillant kid, team player, but still only a #5.


Larry Robinson used to say, you have to wait 200 games. after 200 games, you know what type of dman you have in a kid.
patience.

as for the dcore, teams now need 8 regular dmen to go through a season.
so Matheson, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris, Savard, Struble... they'll all be back imo.
who knows where Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux and Engstrom will play? probably Laval, no problem, never a bad thing. no hurry to trade anyone.
unless you can pull the trigger on a trade for a top6 forward of course. then it depends which young d the other team wants in return.
for those saying Harris is the one on the outside, that's exactly why he won't bring back much. you're not getting a quality top6 F with a late 1st and a 3rd pairing dman.
- fidopro

gonna be quite interesting to follow those guys. while it wouldn't be realistic to expect that they will all quickly and smoothly adapt to the NHL, it's hard to imagine that they're all gonna be busts, the chances of at least one or more of them of developing into quality NHLers are fairly high.

as for the dcore, teams now need 8 regular dmen to go through a season.
so Matheson, Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris, Savard, Struble... they'll all be back imo.
who knows where Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux and Engstrom will play? probably Laval, no problem, never a bad thing. no hurry to trade anyone.
unless you can pull the trigger on a trade for a top6 forward of course. then it depends which young d the other team wants in return.

for those saying Harris is the one on the outside, that's exactly why he won't bring back much. you're not getting a quality top6 F with a late 1st and a 3rd pairing dman. brillant kid, team player, but still only a #5.


Larry Robinson used to say, you have to wait 200 games. after 200 games, you know what type of dman you have in a kid.
patience.
- fidopro

no, but you might get something back with winnipeg first round pick + Harris

we all love packages, lets be honest here

no, but you might get something back with winnipeg first round pick + Harris

we all love packages, lets be honest here
- deadpoulet

that sounds so dirty.

that sounds so dirty.
- Pat1993

yeah I always do this and usually Mashadar calls me out on this haha

Fif loss indeed

yeah I always do this and usually Mashadar calls me out on this haha
- deadpoulet

Mash is probably already getting an express package shipped to him once in a while, he's just too shy to talk about it.

Fif loss indeed
- WaterBoy

iish.

Harris will fetch a late 2nd if very lucky. I’m fine with that.

Double post

Labatt 50.

I forgot about.

Very good too..

Labatt 50.

I forgot about.

Very good too..
- pete26

damn, you're not very hard to please when it comes to beer loll

Meh.....it was a fun game to watch, for a bit at least. This is what we will get from this group for rest of season. Habs have one line worthy of NHL, then it gets sketchy af....

Newhook is a wing.....

All this talk about the rookie D men and their making mistakes, yet nobody is mentioning the mistakes Matheson made in this recent game.

When you have a forward group that is not so strong, the D group pays the price, along with the goalie. Fix the forwards, getting some centre, lose the players with selective effort...Anderson....and the ones that can't skate well enough to be competitive anymore....Gally. The off season should be interesting, eh

Meh.....it was a fun game to watch, for a bit at least. This is what we will get from this group for rest of season. Habs have one line worthy of NHL, then it gets sketchy af....

Newhook is a wing.....

All this talk about the rookie D men and their making mistakes, yet nobody is mentioning the mistakes Matheson made in this recent game.

When you have a forward group that is not so strong, the D group pays the price, along with the goalie. Fix the forwards, getting some centre, lose the players with selective effort...Anderson....and the ones that can't skate well enough to be competitive anymore....Gally. The off season should be interesting, eh
- Frozendisc

while I get what you're saying and I don't disagree that Savard and Matheson's game isn't necessarily flawless, you have to consider they're both given bigger roles in MTL than they would be getting on a playoff or cup-contending team... we already know what kind of players they are, so it's more interesting to follow the younger guys and what their ceiling could be.

while I get what you're saying and I don't disagree that Savard and Matheson's game isn't necessarily flawless, you have to consider they're both given bigger roles in MTL than they would be getting on a playoff or cup-contending team... we already know what kind of players they are, so it's more interesting to follow the younger guys and what their ceiling could be.
- Pat1993

Everybody on this club is playing above their pay grade....it is no excuse for us fans to not call out the mistakes.

Ideally, Caufield/Suzuki/Slaf is a second line of a Cup contender....