Trade ! Latendresse + later picks

[PTH]

Habs trade 2nd and 3d round picks for the pick for.... Latendresse !
(works out to #56 and #66 for #45)

Happy now ?



Later picks:

-at #121, Habs take C/W Juraj Mikus from Slovakia (6'1, 186 lbs)
-at #130, Habs take C Mathieu Aubin, from Lewiston (6'2, 190lbs)
-at #176#190 (means that 14 compensatory picks were slipped in?), Habs take RW Matt D'agostini (5'11, 170)
-at #185 (will probably work out to 205 or so), Habs take ....

[BadCompany]

I like it. I like it a lot.

But still...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

The Tenderiser.

[mic]

Are you following the draft on the net ? Because I can't connect with nhl.com's network anymore.

However, that looks like a good move. Latendresse has fallen quite a bit when you look at the different mock drafts, but it's a solid pick which adresses a need on the organisation. Did Gainey recieve so many calls from angry fan that he felt he had to move ? Anyway, it will make it easier to swallow for the fans.

[warsawyak]

I saw it comming when saw the Avs traded for Stastny...

Sweeet!!!

[PTH]

mic said:

Are you following the draft on the net ? Because I can't connect with nhl.com's network anymore.

I'm listening on the Team1200 radio link. I had my post all ready and just had to type in "Latendresse" and hit post....

However, that looks like a good move. Latendresse has fallen quite a bit when you look at the different mock drafts, but it's a solid pick which adresses a need on the organisation. Did Gainey recieve so many calls from angry fan that he felt he had to move ? Anyway, it will make it easier to swallow for the fans.

A Quebec power forward who likes to hit, this is an interesting pick. Still, we lost 2 picks that weren't that far off, so this hurts in a way.

I hope they really liked Latendresse.

[clear observer]

Again, we screwed our mathematical odds of landing a gem even more with this move.

Hope this kid pans out.


Not impressed, Bob....not impressed at all.


CO

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Overall a good move. He's big and better than we expect at a #45.
I'd rather see Latendresse in a Hab's uniform than two guys who may never make it.
I still regret not getting Kopitar, our only true shot at a superstar in years, but overall the team is looking good.
Announcers aren't calling Gainey the best performer this year.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

badcompany said:

I like it. I like it a lot.

But still...

A slightly smaller Dagenais?
Big, good shot, slow skating.

[warsawyak]

Still, we lost 2 picks that weren't that far off, so this hurts in a way.

No, we only lost ONE pick.

Hey, this guy was supposed to be a first-rounder.

[warsawyak]

habsfaninla said:

A slightly smaller Dagenais?
Big, good shot, slow skating.

A Dagenais who can hit or crash the net.

And that's really something.

[Carv]

From Red Line:

The biggest and strongest power winger this year is Guillaume Latendresse, who is not only huge at 6-2/220 pounds, but also freakishly strong. He's impossible to move off the puck, and few even attempt to drive him out of the crease. Though not at all dirty, Latendresse often injures opposing defensemen with the sheer force of his crushing hits in the corners and along the walls. He's a heavy-footed skater, but has soft, quick hands and a nice release on his shot.

[Carv]

More from Red Line Report:

7. Guillaume Latendresse
An absolute horse who has ultra strong legs, keeps low centre of gravity, and knows how to drive the net. Physically dominant below the circles; can camp out in crease all day and no d-man can move him. Throws thunderous clean hits and is so freakishly strong that he hurts opponents without trying. Impossible to knock off puck. We love his no-nonsense style ‹ he's going straight to net every time and doesn't care if he has to carry two d-men on his back the whole way. Also has soft hands and touch around net, slick moves, sees the ice quite well, and can make nice touch passes. Has deadly shot from slot with quick release. Big problem is he lacks both first step quickness and lateral agility. With great size and all the other attributes we can overlook the skating deficiencies as long as he shows passion on a consistent basis.
Projection: Classic scorng line power winger.
Style compares to: Tim Kerr

[BadCompany]

I would have taken Latendresse anywhere from 20-30, to be honest with you and I think I even suggested the Habs call up Bobby Clarke, to trade down, if they thought he would still be available around there. My infamous Zednik, Plekanec and the #5 for Pitkanen and the #20 deal. Getting Latendresse in the second round is a steal, in my opinion (though he is still a project).

But... but... I just can't get over it... Somewhere, in some alternate universe, the fans are saying "the Habs got Brule/Kopitar/Staal/Bourdon/Bourret AND Latendresse?? Gainey da man!!"

Sigh. Roberto Luongo. Nothing less.

[HabbaDasher]

It'll probably come down to how Latendresse's skating progresses.
We now have an Ox with great hands in the system.

[PTH]

The Ottawa Director of scouting (or of personnel? 1st name Frank) just stated on the Fan1200 that the biggest steal in the draft up till now has been Trevor Timmins getting Latendresse in the 2nd round, when he was rated as a solid mid-1st rounder by Ottawa.

[Douper]

This kid is awesome, he's what we need. I'm still irked about Price but this makes me feel a lot better.

In Trevor I trust!

BOB MCKENZIE'S TAKE: The Drummondville winger is a tough skater, but if you think he can get there, then Latendresse will go much higher than his consensus ranking of 21, perhaps even in the top 10. He excelled at the U-18 world championship in the spring, a top offensive player who at least one team has rated in the top 10. But skating concerns often translate into a long wait on draft day, although his strength and competitiveness are high end.

[deandebean2]

Guys, the Habs have been on Latendresse's case since the end of the junior season. According to a friend of mine in the Ste-Catherine area (where Latendresse played midget AAA), the Habs were very fond of him. They love his play.

No surprise there.

[HabbaDasher]

Many pundits had Latendresse as a first round pick.
I've seen him as high as #8 overall, so getting him in the second round seems like our good fortune.

[blny]

I see the Tim Kerr reference, and was thinking Andreychuk as I read the bio. If he can improve foot speed I'll be happy.

[oldhabsfan]

I was interested to find a comment about Latendresse on hockeysfuture:

"Defensively he's responsible and willing to lie down to block shots."

Also a remark from the Drummondville GM: "He has a great discipline."


Can anyone speak to how the skating of Latendresse now compares to that of
Dagenais? The latter might be a minimum NHL standard for a big shooter.


If what I read can be believed, this is how the comparison looks to me:

Dagenais: Big, very good shot which can be anticipated. One-dimensional, does not use his size. Poor skater.

Latendresse: Big. Good quick shot. Very strong, hits, uses his size on boards and in corners. Competent passer. Defensively responsible. Poor skater.

Advantage Latendresse by a wide margin.

Conclusion: Superior NHLer.


I really like the prospect of having someone who can frighten the opposition, disorganize them, shake the puck loose and either shoot it or dish it off to say Kostitsyn and Perezhogin - quite aside from the Tim Kerr style of play of getting into the crease and staying there. If Latendresse develops well, he could be tremendously valuable.

[TheCaper]

oldhabsfan said:

I was interested to find a comment about Latendresse on hockeysfuture:

"Defensively he's responsible and willing to lie down to block shots."

Also a remark from the Drummondville GM: "He has a great discipline."


Can anyone speak to how the skating of Latendresse now compares to that of
Dagenais? The latter might be a minimum NHL standard for a big shooter.


If what I read can be believed, this is how the comparison looks to me:

Dagenais: Big, very good shot which can be anticipated. One-dimensional, does not use his size. Poor skater.

Latendresse: Big. Good quick shot. Very strong, hits, uses his size on boards and in corners. Competent passer. Defensively responsible. Poor skater.

Advantage Latendresse by a wide margin.

Conclusion: Superior NHLer.


I really like the prospect of having someone who can frighten the opposition, disorganize them, shake the puck loose and either shoot it or dish it off to say Kostitsyn and Perezhogin - quite aside from the Tim Kerr style of play of getting into the crease and staying there. If Latendresse develops well, he could be tremendously valuable.

It’s hard to compare a Q player to an NHL player.

I thought Dagenais often headed to the corner with good intentions, to lay the body on. But the opposing D always got there first, and didn’t wait around to get pummeled. Dags had to hit a moving target, and his lateral movement was so bad that he couldn’t do it. He had to ease up just to try to stay in the play, otherwise he’d just be smacking himself into the boards.

Dagenais problem was probably that he didn’t seriously work on his skating at a young enough age. We all heard how he was working on it last summer, but at 26 it was a little late.

Hopefully, Latendresse is working hard on his skating this summer. I think they should get him hooked up with a skating coach in Montreal ASAP, and just continue and continue to work on that skating through the coming years.

We’ve really needed someone who could be a force in front of the net, and elsewhere, we’ve needed it for years, I’ve got high hopes.

[seventeen]

carv said:

More from Red Line Report:

7. Guillaume Latendresse
An absolute horse who has ultra strong legs, keeps low centre of gravity, and knows how to drive the net. Physically dominant below the circles; can camp out in crease all day and no d-man can move him. Throws thunderous clean hits and is so freakishly strong that he hurts opponents without trying. Impossible to knock off puck. We love his no-nonsense style ‹ he's going straight to net every time and doesn't care if he has to carry two d-men on his back the whole way. Also has soft hands and touch around net, slick moves, sees the ice quite well, and can make nice touch passes. Has deadly shot from slot with quick release. Big problem is he lacks both first step quickness and lateral agility. With great size and all the other attributes we can overlook the skating deficiencies as long as he shows passion on a consistent basis.
Projection: Classic scorng line power winger.
Style compares to: Tim Kerr

Actually, the guy that fits the above description, (except for the skating) is Todd Bertuzzi. If Latendresse can improve that part of his game he could be a very good power forward. I suggest we hire Catriona Lemay Doan to teach him, then me.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

thecaper said:

oldhabsfan said:

I was interested to find a comment about Latendresse on hockeysfuture:

"Defensively he's responsible and willing to lie down to block shots."

Also a remark from the Drummondville GM: "He has a great discipline."


Can anyone speak to how the skating of Latendresse now compares to that of
Dagenais? The latter might be a minimum NHL standard for a big shooter.


If what I read can be believed, this is how the comparison looks to me:

Dagenais: Big, very good shot which can be anticipated. One-dimensional, does not use his size. Poor skater.

Latendresse: Big. Good quick shot. Very strong, hits, uses his size on boards and in corners. Competent passer. Defensively responsible. Poor skater.

Advantage Latendresse by a wide margin.

Conclusion: Superior NHLer.


I really like the prospect of having someone who can frighten the opposition, disorganize them, shake the puck loose and either shoot it or dish it off to say Kostitsyn and Perezhogin - quite aside from the Tim Kerr style of play of getting into the crease and staying there. If Latendresse develops well, he could be tremendously valuable.

It’s hard to compare a Q player to an NHL player.

I thought Dagenais often headed to the corner with good intentions, to lay the body on. But the opposing D always got there first, and didn’t wait around to get pummeled. Dags had to hit a moving target, and his lateral movement was so bad that he couldn’t do it. He had to ease up just to try to stay in the play, otherwise he’d just be smacking himself into the boards.

Dagenais problem was probably that he didn’t seriously work on his skating at a young enough age. We all heard how he was working on it last summer, but at 26 it was a little late.

Hopefully, Latendresse is working hard on his skating this summer. I think they should get him hooked up with a skating coach in Montreal ASAP, and just continue and continue to work on that skating through the coming years.

We’ve really needed someone who could be a force in front of the net, and elsewhere, we’ve needed it for years, I’ve got high hopes.

Latendresse is the Steve Bernier I wanted a couple of years ago. It's a very long way from the Q to the NHL and most #45's don't make it. I rate Guillaume much higher than most #45's which is probably why Gainey traded up to get him.
Dagenais is a 6'5" forward with a great shot and has proven himself at the NHL level. He can beat NHL goaltenders. I honestly can't compare their skating, but from what I've heard, both are very strong, but Latendresse uses his strength while Dagenais sticks to finesse. Dags has come farther than anybody expected, while Latendy has yet to make either it or fail.

[Habit]

Pierre Dagenais

Position: Left Wing
Team: Montreal Canadiens
Conference: Eastern Conference
Division: Northeast Division
Shoots: Left
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220
Birth Date: 1978-03-04
Birth Country: Canada, BLAINVILLE
Year Drafted: 1998
Round Drafted: 4
Overall Choice: 105

[jkr]

seventeen said:

carv said:

I suggest we hire Catriona Lemay Doan to teach him, then me.

17 - What exactly do you want her to teach you?

[oldhabsfan]

It looks as if Latendresse has been taking extra skating lessons for a while.

www.perfectskater.com/html/en/multimedia_list.php?cat=1&catquoi=1

Maybe Gainey knows of a better school.

[Yeti]

He also studied with Phlippe Candolero, a real power-forward on ice.

www.webwinds.com/iceskate/philippe5.htm

[Deleted]

I don't even know whether to take this thread seriously or not.

[Andrew]

From USA Today's Chat Transcript with Kyle Woodlief

Tuesday, July 26, 1:00 PM ET

Atlanta, GA: With the understanding that Crosby is in a class all by himself, who would you consider to be the other Tier 1 prospects? Also, who should the Thrashers take with the 8th pick?

Kyle Woodlief: Gilbert Brule, Benoit Pouliot, Jack Johnson, Jack Skille, and Anze Kopitar would be our second tier behind Crosby. After that we view Bobby Ryan and Guillaume Latendresse as very similar players who are in the same category as the five I just mentioned skill-wise, but we grade them down slightly because of their skating issues. If the NHL actually does get serious about calling all the obstruction and opening up the game, skating will be at even more of a premium than it already is, so that's why we have them slightly behind the others.

Detroit, Michigan: Do you think Guillaume Latendresse will still be around for the Red Wings to grab with the 19th pick?
Kyle Woodlief: He doesn't come without risk because he lacks lateral agility and first-step quickness, but if he were there at #19 and I were doing the selecting, it would take about a nanosecond before I got up to the podium to call his name. Besides, the Wings could use a big power winger after cutting McCarty and with Brendan Shanahan getting up in age.

transcripts.usatoday.com/Chats/transcript.aspx?c=139