Karine Hains: Draft Recap: The Habs Had 10 New Porospects After adding a scorer on day one, Bergevin, Timmins and co. decided to fill up on left ended shot defensemen.

Gotta say I preferred last year 's picks. Guess time will tell us more about those guys.

Gotta say I preferred last year 's picks. Guess time will tell us more about those guys.
- BashCH

Yeah, it's quite hard to evaluate on the day really, especially with deep picks that most of us know next to nothing about...

Thanks again for the great work this weekend, Karine. You rocked the journalistic body that rocks the blogger party!

Karine
Hains: Draft Recap: The Habs Had 10 New Porospects
After adding a scorer on day one, Bergevin, Timmins and co. decided to fill up on left ended shot defensemen.
- Karine Hains

For a team building via the draft, was disheartening to see them trade a second round pick for a 3rd and a 5th.

Gotta say I preferred last year 's picks. Guess time will tell us more about those guys.
- BashCH

Habs were drafting sooner last season.

For a team building via the draft, was disheartening to see them trade a second round pick for a 3rd and a 5th.
- Mashadar

If the guy you want will be available later on anyway, trade down.

Always.

Everyday.

Gotta say I preferred last year 's picks. Guess time will tell us more about those guys.
- BashCH

You got a guy who could potentially be a 50 goal man at 15...what is there to "prefer?"

If the guy you want will be available later on anyway, trade down.

Always.

Everyday.
- deadpoulet

Yup. And let's face it, the Habs seem to be better at scouting the, "diamond in the rough" later round picks.

You got a guy who could potentially be a 50 goal man at 15...what is there to "prefer?"
- AdamFrench

My thoughts exactly! Especially considering the need for a sniper in the future core of this team...

My thoughts exactly! Especially considering the need for a sniper in the future core of this team...
- obie

Exactly... He has the potential to be the big scorer that we've been hoping to draft for a long time.

What can you tell us about Arsen Khisamutdinov Frenchy? Aside that he's not a midget?

For a team building via the draft, was disheartening to see them trade a second round pick for a 3rd and a 5th.
- Mashadar

The scouting report on all of their picks after the first round don't sound very exciting, but I mean trading down to get more chances at striking gold is clearly the better play.

The scouting report on all of their picks after the first round don't sound very exciting, but I mean trading down to get more chances at striking gold is clearly the better play.
- 123

Hard to say because most of us armchair GM's have never seen these players except for a few YouTube videos. We have to trust that our scouts did a good job.

Our 2nd pick (Jayden Struble) seems like a nice one ... he's an offensive minded D with very good skating abilities and he doesn't mind going into the dirty areas.
Disclaimer: I've only watched a few Youtube videos about him.

All our other picks seem to be good skaters as well ... that's obviously what they were looking for ... very mobile D's.

As you said, not all of them will play in the NHL so it's a good idea to draft a lot of them. You never know what "gems" you could end up with in a few years.

Time will tell.

... if ever there was a cautionary tale about spending too much in the cap era, both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Nashville Predators could star in it.
- Karine Hains

^This

I would imagine that an increasing number of GM's are going to be very careful with UFA's in the future as a lot of them have already been "burned" before.
Some are learning the hard way that cap space is not an infinite resource.

UFA's demands ($$$ & years) are getting more and more ridiculous every year and the only time they might make sense is if you want to add that final piece for a cup run. Other than that, they are usually a bad investment.

------------

Considering how much he values cap space, I'm sure Bergevin will ignore UFA's and just stick to making hockey deals in order to address our immediate needs.

Thanks again for the great work this weekend, Karine. You rocked the journalistic body that rocks the blogger party!
- Darksyde

Thank you kindly! I truly enjoy this gig and draft time is always exciting.

Looking forward to development camp this week and then free agency...although i do not see Bergevin doing too much on that front as he keeps saying he’s got to be responsible and he knows his young guns will need a raise sooner than later...

If there were rumours that Gostisbehere could be on his way out before the draft i think they’ll only intensify now that the Flyers got York...Wouldn’t put it past MB to hammer another hockey deal he does like to surprise us in the summer.

^This

I would imagine that an increasing number of GM's are going to be very careful with UFA's in the future as a lot of them have already been "burned" before.
Some are learning the hard way that cap space is not an infinite resource.

UFA's demands ($$$ & years) are getting more and more ridiculous every year and the only time they might make sense is if you want to add that final piece for a cup run. Other than that, they are usually a bad investment.

------------

Considering how much he values cap space, I'm sure Bergevin will ignore UFA's and just stick to making hockey deals in order to address our immediate needs.
- Garfield512

To address those immediate needs which players do you consider to be untouchable? For me, you can’t ship out Domi or Gally (both great offensive output and so much heart and dedication), Kotkaniemi, Poehling or Suzuki as for the rest though, you got to give something to get something. I don’t see Price or Weber going anywhere and I doubt Bergevin is ready to pull the plug on the Drouin experiment...

To address those immediate needs which players do you consider to be untouchable? For me, you can’t ship out Domi or Gally (both great offensive output and so much heart and dedication), Kotkaniemi, Poehling or Suzuki as for the rest though, you got to give something to get something. I don’t see Price or Weber going anywhere and I doubt Bergevin is ready to pull the plug on the Drouin experiment...
- Karine Hains

Personally, Drouin is the one I would be dangling to other teams ... I just can't see us winning a cup with him in the lineup as he's too inconsistent and seems enigmatic and nonchalant. Tampa probably thought the same thing.

He could probably bring back a nice return ... I don't think anyone is missing Galchenyuk right now.
Whoever we get back must have skills AND CHARACTER ... a bit of size wouldn't hurt too.

I pretty much agree with all the others you mentioned as untouchables ... Domi and Gallagher especially because they are the heart and soul of this team. They bring their A game every night and that's something you need in order to push others to perform (spark plugs).

so, looking 2-3 years ahead,

top6 LW Drouin and Domi
top6 C kk and Suzuki
top6 RW Caufield and Gallagher

6 midgets. Domi and Gallagher play big, but still.
kids have talent and speed, but they will never win anything with that group.
NEED TO GET BIGGER!!!

bonne Saint-Jean mes cocos

so, looking 2-3 years ahead,

top6 LW Drouin and Domi
top6 C kk and Suzuki
top6 RW Caufield and Gallagher

6 midgets. Domi and Gallagher play big, but still.
kids have talent and speed, but they will never win anything with that group.
NEED TO GET BIGGER!!!

bonne Saint-Jean mes cocos
- fidopro

Kotkaniemi 6'2" & 185 @ 18 is a midget?

Poehling is not exactly small either

Kotkaniemi 6'2" & 185 @ 18 is a midget?

Poehling is not exactly small either
- obie

agreed on Poehling, but who do you remove from that top6 to insert him?
and even with Poehling, that is still too many small forwards. you can have 1 or 2, not 4!!

agreed on Poehling, but who do you remove from that top6 to insert him?
and even with Poehling, that is still too many small forwards. you can have 1 or 2, not 4!!
- fidopro

One of Poeling or Suzuki could be converted into a winger ... much easier to go from center to wing than the reverse. Plus it would be an insurance policy in case of injuries. JMO

EDIT: I totally forgot that we still have Tatar who could be used as an eventual trade bait as well.

agreed on Poehling, but who do you remove from that top6 to insert him?
and even with Poehling, that is still too many small forwards. you can have 1 or 2, not 4!!
- fidopro

Sign Lee and trade Drouin for a D

Pittsburgh wasn't a big team winning all those cups, neither was Chicago or Washington... I'm more focused on the skill they are stockpiling, the cup is still handed out to the team that wins more games, not the tallest or heaviest team

Sign Lee and trade Drouin for a D

Pittsburgh wasn't a big team winning all those cups, neither was Chicago or Washington... I'm more focused on the skill they are stockpiling, the cup is still handed out to the team that wins more games, not the tallest or heaviest team
- obie

WASH is very big! their Caufiel is 6'4 235!
and PIT have Crosby and Malkin, Habs not really.
agreed on Drouin and Lee, been saying it for months.

One of Poeling or Suzuki could be converted into a winger ... much easier to go from center to wing than the reverse. Plus it would be an insurance policy in case of injuries. JMO

EDIT: I totally forgot that we still have Tatar who could be used as an eventual trade bait as well.
- Garfield512

playing them C or W won't change anything, still need to get bigger.
and yes Tatar, is there, but 2-3 years form now, not sure he will