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Post by blny on Apr 10, 2014 7:57:15 GMT -5
6'4, 225lbs. I'm just sayin'... I don't know what happened to Leblanc. He is good enough to be an NHL player. We've seen it, he's played in the NHL, he's been effective in the NHL. Talent and ability were not the issue. He was great in the preseason. So what happened to him? Confidence completely shot? Valid questions. Maybe it's his psyche. Maybe he doesn't handle rejection well. Maybe he resents playing in Hamilton and thinks he deserves to be in Montreal. Bournival is a center, and has shown the ability to play up and down the line up on the wing. He uses his speed, and hits, and plays a game perhaps bigger than his dimensions would suggest. Can Leblanc do that? Does Leblanc do that? Carierre and Dudley see him play far more than I do. |
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Post by seventeen on Apr 10, 2014 10:22:40 GMT -5
Bournival, the prior year in Hamilton, had 30 points in 69 games. We've seen him at the NHL level and he's a good prospect. I think eventually, he'll chip in 40-50 points a year and play a good all around game. Why were his AHL stats so poor? It's not just Leblanc is what I'm saying. Gallagher, 20 points in 36 games. What's the common denominator? I'll have to let you find your way there yourself.
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Post by Gogie on Apr 10, 2014 10:33:10 GMT -5
Someone else posted somewhere else about how NHL-ready players that are sent down to the AHL actually think/play a step ahead of their teammates and therefore look like they're not playing well when in fact the rest of the players can't keep up. I believe the discussion was about Beaulieu and how he seemed to regress in Hamilton but looks pretty good when he's in Montreal. I don't know if this theory holds water, but it seems reasonable to me. How often have we seen players shine in the NHL after having mediocre or so/so production in the minors?
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 10, 2014 11:41:21 GMT -5
Sorkin is on a PTO. He was a point a game guy at U of New Hampshire this season. Has good size and speed from the video highlights I saw, but don't know too much about him. A late bloomer?
I like Crisp's chances to make it. The kid has had two very good seasons since his draft year where he spent most of it injured and was not selected. He seems to keep progressing, which is what you want to see in young prospects. A bit of a puzzling pick at the time, now it seems to make more sense. We shall see for sure in a few more years.
Blunden has had a good year with the Dogs. He is one of those proverbial tweeners...good at the AHL level but just not good enough to stick at the NHL level.
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Post by blny on Apr 10, 2014 17:41:49 GMT -5
Crisp could very well be another Turner Stevenson type. A good thing to have, not a first rounder perhaps, but good to have.
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Post by GNick99 on Apr 12, 2014 11:03:58 GMT -5
Habs re-sign Tokarski to 2-year contract. First year is 2-way, last year is 1-way.
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Post by seventeen on Apr 12, 2014 11:41:53 GMT -5
Habs re-sign Tokarski to 2-year contract. First year is 2-way, last year is 1-way. That fact is enlightening. It suggests that Tokarski is likely to be the back-up in year two. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 12, 2014 16:26:03 GMT -5
Habs re-sign Tokarski to 2-year contract. First year is 2-way, last year is 1-way. That fact is enlightening. It suggests that Tokarski is likely to be the back-up in year two. It would appear that way as Budaj has one year left on his deal. Now if they can get Mayer to play in Swtzerland, they can give Condon more starts in the AHL as Tokarski's backup next year. He was tearing up the ECHL this season. After next year, we will have Fucale ready to turn pro, so there is a small goalie pipeline in place again. |
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Post by The Habitual Fan on Apr 12, 2014 18:54:27 GMT -5
I saw Gallagher and Leblanc both play in junior and would have bet the Leblanc would be the guy to make it. He was strong on his skates and had good hands and BG got knocked down on every shift. He still gets knocked down on every shift but who would have known that was what would keep him in the big league.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 13, 2014 10:58:13 GMT -5
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Post by seventeen on Apr 13, 2014 12:10:45 GMT -5
These comments in particular have me scratching my head: Lefebvre said there will likely be changes to the Bulldogs' roster next season. He insisted he won't be one of them, even though the past two seasons have seen Hamilton score the lowest amount in club history.
"As far as I know, my contract expires next season, so I have another year on my contract, so I'll be back here. You'll have to deal with me for another season. I'll be back here. I'll be back. I want to be back, yes," Lefebvre told the Spec after practice.Does he not understand the nature of pro sports? His contract stipulates he has to get paid, not that he has to manage the Dogs to another underwhelming performance. Then, not only doees he reiterate that he'll be back (as if it's his choice), then he states "You'll have to deal with me for another season."  ?? Does this sound like a confident, capable leader? It sounds like a spoiled brat. Maybe he meant it in a joking manner and we don't have a video or a sense of his tone, etc. Still, his earlier comments that he was going to be back...for sure, like the sun coming up in the morning, suggests he's not joking. More than ever, I want to see this guy canned. And I want to see Bergevin either take a crash course in coach hiring, or contract it out to someone who's good at hiring coaches. Can I suggest Dom Ducharme, right now? Or Guy Boucher? Wow, no wonder our kids aren't coming along. Colonel Klink is running the farm team. |
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Post by blny on Apr 13, 2014 12:13:16 GMT -5
I'd certainly like to see a change. I'd like to see the Canadiens reach out to Dom Ducharme in Halifax. He's shown a great ability to work with young modern players, and young superstars. He's shown there's little fall off after all the roster changes from last year. Ehlers has come in and had a fabulous year, and it's great to still have Fucale and Drouin, but the latter didn't get off to a great start. An area that has had perhaps the biggest turnover is defense, and as a team they've continued to play strong defense. Ducharme is going to get a chance sooner or later. Give it to him in Hamilton. If he excels, and I think he will, you've got one of the better possibilities for the heir apparent to mthead. |
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Post by duster on Apr 13, 2014 13:29:31 GMT -5
I think Lefebvre is in way over his head and the team's performance shows it. He would have been better as an assistant perhaps. I'm not convinced that things will change all that much with a roster change. I wonder if promising players like Nygren and Leblanc would have done better this year with a Guy Boucher type coach who has a track record of working with young pros.
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Post by seventeen on Apr 13, 2014 17:39:43 GMT -5
they would surely have done better. duster. And the team would have won more. It's a lot more fun winning than losing. Those poor kids have experienced more losses than wins the last two years. That's a lousy culture to grow up in.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 16, 2014 9:29:49 GMT -5
The Dogs only have one game left after last night's tilt, and it was fight night with more fights than goals last night. Five scraps, the first two by newcomer Jack Nevins who was a free agent signing this year from the Q. Tough kid. Final score was 2-1 for Da Dogs with Nattinen and try out Sorkin each scoring. Both are playing for a contract next season IMO. Nattinen's end to end beauty. m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9RxeznuXhINevins two scraps. m.youtube.com/watch?v=7oh1VbmXQVM |
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Post by seventeen on Apr 16, 2014 9:57:05 GMT -5
Nevins really throws 'em, hey? The other guy (maggio) seemed bigger but that didn't stop Nevins from getting the better, both times.
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Post by blny on Apr 16, 2014 10:11:00 GMT -5
Nevins really throws 'em, hey? The other guy (maggio) seemed bigger but that didn't stop Nevins from getting the better, both times. Granted players wear their helmets way too loose, but when you land a punch and the helmet flies off the other guys head ... you've got hard hands. |
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?? Does this sound like a confident, capable leader? It sounds like a spoiled brat. Maybe he meant it in a joking manner and we don't have a video or a sense of his tone, etc. Still, his earlier comments that he was going to be back...for sure, like the sun coming up in the morning, suggests he's not joking. More than ever, I want to see this guy canned. And I want to see Bergevin either take a crash course in coach hiring, or contract it out to someone who's good at hiring coaches. Can I suggest Dom Ducharme, right now? Or Guy Boucher? 