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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 12, 2018 23:00:45 GMT -5
Laval won tonight. Fucale with the win, Cracknell with two goals, Scherbak with two apples.....and Juulsen with Da Monsta Hit.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 13, 2018 0:54:33 GMT -5
Good article from REcrutes. It reminded me of the Chris Dyment thread. The more things change the more they stay the same: Grant McCagg is the author.
Anyone who has followed me on Twitter in recent years knows that I have been patient with the Habs.
I’ve defended the GM, the drafting, and development against an onslaught of criticism as there has not been a pile of high-end talent coming into the system due mainly to a lack of high draft picks.
I’ve never sung the praises of Laval coach Sylvain Lefebvre as it’s hard to fawn over a coach that has never won a playoff series, but I haven’t called for his head either because I know as well as anyone that the talent pipeline to his AHL team up until now has not exactly been flowing with riches.
There comes a time however when you reach a breaking point if it becomes apparent that self-preservation becomes the more important duty, and it is hard to argue that Lefebvre is coaching with regard to the best interests of the Montreal Canadiens organization. Rather…it appears he is simply coaching to try to save his job, and that’s never a healthy thing for an organization.
It didn’t matter in previous seasons that his teams weren’t successful as it was clear they lacked high-end prospects. What mattered was that players who were good enough to develop into NHLers were given the opportunity to do so.
Players like Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak and Sven Andrighetto were put into top-six roles in the AHL and Lefebvre lived with the growing pains regardless of his team’s record.
This year, however, and the past two months or so in particular, there appears to have been a change in Lefebvre’s philosophy, and I can’t help but think it is because he sees his AHL coaching career coming to a close unless he can somehow eke into the playoffs.
A team that gets shredded for its lack of development shows no signs of altering their philosophy in that regard.
Mike McCarron and Nikita Scherbak started the season on fire on the most dominant line in the AHL with Chris Terry. They had numerous shifts where the puck never left the offensive zone as they buzzed around the opponent’s net, and the chemistry between McCarron and Scherbak was palpable.
There was strong hope after the injury to Ales Hemsky that the organization was finally catching on to the whole idea of giving high draft picks NHL opportunity when both McCarron and Scherbak were called up.
This was especially exciting because from the first exhibition game on it had been obvious to all that the power play in Montreal was sputtering on one cylinder, and the terrific play of Scherbak in Laval made one hope that he’d be replacing Hemsky on the first unit and making the same great passes he was making in the AHL as the Habs power play actually started to show some creativity and puck movement.
Well…for three games Scherbak and McCarron were put on the fourth line and played five to seven minutes per game without a single shift on the power play. Scherbak then injured his knee, and McCarron continued to get zero offensive opportunities or quality ice time before being sent back to Laval.
The message to McCarron appeared to be “we know you always produce in the AHL but when you are called up we will bury you because we have no interest in seeing you produce at the NHL level.”
To further emphasize this message, when McCarron was sent back to the AHL he found himself replaced on the top line by…the organization’s favourite…a veteran fringe NHLer in Adam Cracknell. Apparently, the goal is to develop players in their 30’s; that is what is finally going to get this organization over the hump.
The organization’s emphasis appears to have been put on developing veteran fringe NHLers for bottom-line positions in the NHL as first Byron Froese was promoted to the top line in Laval and then promoted to Montreal where he quickly became a Julien pet while de la Rose languished in the stands for ten straight games.
It didn’t matter that Froese was 26, a mid-round pick and had two career NHL goals…Julien decided after de la Rose finally broke through offensively with a three-point game on the first line with Galchenyuk that two games later that line had lost some puck battles, so he was banished to the press box for having the temerity to show offensive upside that Froese will never show.
Daniel Carr was on fire in the AHL and got recalled to Montreal. Despite continuing to produce as he scored 10 points in his first nine games (more points than any other Hab in that span)…Carr never found himself promoted from the second line even though the Habs were among the worst offensive teams in the league. His offensive production has predictably dipped the past few weeks…so …”mission accomplished”? Is Bergevin high fiving Julien in his office this week after five pointless games from Carr and saying “Whew…that was a close one. Almost had a point producer on our hands”?
You wonder whether the coaching philosophy in both Laval and Montreal is in line with that of management’s. Sad to say that one hopes not, but there has been a disturbing pattern through the years of players with little upside being given NHL roles while prospects that at least have some offensive upside are benched, put in the press box, or kept at the AHL levels, quite often on bottom lines.
It made more sense when there was a lack of higher picks coming through the system, but that has been changing…so it behooves management to change their outlook. It’s time to develop first-round picks instead of picking them apart, limiting their opportunities to produce, and destroying their confidence.
And what is with these decisions to banish prospects to bottom-line roles after they return from the NHL? Wouldn’t it stand to reason that because they had been playing at the higher level that their games would excel at the lower level when they first return?
Instead…McCarron has been saddled with Yannick Veilleux and Kyle Baun while Cracknell gets McCarron’s old linemates Scherbak and Terry on the first line.
Could McCarron not play as well as Cracknell? He certainly did earlier in the season with Scherbak. I’d argue that they were even more dominant, but no, it has evidently become the organization’s decision to give up on McCarron and hold out hope that Cracknell will be the center that comes to Montreal in the future and shows something he has yet to show in his 32 years on this planet…NHL offensive upside. We are supposed to hope I suppose that Cracknell is the eventual answer at first-line center in Montreal.
Lernout is the other prime example. He played a regular role on Montreal’s blueline for a few games and had shown to be getting more comfortable as time went on. When he got sent back to Laval, however, much like McCarron, he found himself demoted. He was no longer on the first pairing, he was on the third pairing with Simon Bourque and has been there ever since while Eric Gelinas, a defenceman no other team had interest in for several reasons, is suddenly the organization’s offensive hope in terms of development in the AHL.
Taormina and Gelinas get loads of ice time even though neither is going to be a regular NHL defenceman at any point and NHL longshot Tom Parisi (undrafted) is played on the second pairing…while Lernout now toils on the third unit, his reward for playing in the NHL.
What is further aggravating is that Noah Juulsen, a defenceman with very good passing skills in the offensive zone and a laser slapshot from the point that gets on net quite often is getting no ice time on the power play while Gelinas..a defenceman with poor vision and passing skills who has a bomb that rarely hits the net because of a lack of accuracy and an inability to find shooting lanes, gets trotted out with the man advantage. Juulsen, a defenceman who put up plenty of points in the WHL, is not getting that opportunity in Laval.
Much like McCarron; it appears that the organizational philosophy is to quell his offensive opportunities. No power-play time for McCarron in the NHL where his ability to get in the crease and actually screen a goalie due to his height would have been quite welcome earlier in the season…now no power play time for Juulsen in the AHL.
Why would Juulsen not be on the power play in Laval? Is the club that “safe” and conservative that they are afraid he might be on the ice for a shorthanded goal against? I wondered the same thing with Scherbak in Montreal; are they actually that paranoid about a shorthanded goal against? You’d swear it was considered the most egregious thing that could ever happen to an NHL club.
Let’s, for the hell of it, presume that Juulsen might make a mistake and be burned for a shorthanded goal against at some point. Would the five-to-ten goals he creates/scores before it happens again not cancel out that one goal against?
Presumably, the coaches in Montreal’s organization can’t afford to take that chance…better to quell the offensive development of first-round picks than to allow a shorthanded or even-strength goal against. Better to try to prevent goal against than to develop a first-round pick. Would it not make sense for the scouts, management and coaches to be on the same page? Trust that the scouts have picked good players and give them every opportunity to succeed..is that not how winning organizations approach getting better?
Are the Habs already deciding that they want to develop Juulsen into a defensive defenceman who only plays a third-pairing NHL role? They made that evaluation while he was injured? Did they figure it out in his first pro training camp?
Sometimes I swear they live in a bizarro world – “Oh…he’s a first-round pick? Make sure he’s developed like a fifth-round pick while an undrafted free agent gets developed like a top-ten selection.”
Charles Hudon’s offensive total dropped each season he was in the AHL..was it not supposed to go up? The same is happening with McCarron. He averaged 0.7 ppg as an AHL rookie and hope was high that he could develop into, at the very least, a productive NHL third line player. Last season in St. John’s he had 0.6 ppg, and now…saddled with offensively challenged AHLers, McCarron is scoring 0.5 ppg. That’s development?
It’s almost as if the development policy is to try to turn every legitimate NHL prospect into a checker. Hudon gets no opportunity with Drouin in Montreal, a player he excelled with when given the chance in the WJC and QMJHL Super Series games. No…he plays with Plekanec every game, a player who simply doesn’t create offence any more. “You want to play in Montreal? You will be a checker!” (Late note: Hudon practised with Drouin today on the top line)
Carr is being turned into a checker They tried to turn Sven Andrighetto into a checker but he showed some offensive glimpses so he was dealt for a …checker.
Galchenyuk won’t get first-line ice time until he’s a checker. Better for him to be a 15-goal checker than a 35-goal scorer with occasional defensive blips…that is the way of the Canadiens.
“Come on out to the games…spend $300 and enjoy….checking!”
Gallagher is leading the Habs in goals? Julien is trying his best to “fix” that…give him the ninth most ice time among Habs’ forwards. Smarten up Brendan with this goal-scoring fancy…you need to be a checker!
Who is the coach teaching/developing offence in Laval, Nick Carriere? What is his experience with developing offensive prospects? It is nil. You know damn well Lefebvre and Donald Dufresne can’t teach offence. Simply put – there is no one…and it shows. Better to have two pals and the AHL GM’s son coaching players in the AHL than have one who, at the very least, has bonafide offensive development skills. Well..that needs to change…and it needs to change now.
Bergevin has stressed that he is trying to build a winner through the draft, yet time after time players who are picked high get stifled in their offensive development. Everyone needs to be on the same page, and if Bergevin won’t step in and make this clear to his old buddy Lefebvre, then the big boss needs to do something about it.
Mr. Molson…it’s time for you act like the president of a hockey team and do something about this; whether it’s forcing Bergevin to get Lefebvre to change his approach, firing Lefebvre, stepping down as president, or…yes…firing Bergevin.
Julien also needs to get the memo. Once the Habs are more officially out of the race and the selloff of vets happens, let Julien know in no uncertain terms that when McCarron and Scherbak are recalled that both of them…and de la Rose…aren’t playing five minutes per game, and that ALL three receive looks on the power play, perhaps even on a unit together. Imagine – three prospects with offensive skills who were high picks and all 6-2 or taller playing on a Habs’ power play…what a concept!
Mr. Molson – The only thing that is going to get people coming to the games down the stretch (otherwise there will be a pile of empty seats), is hope. So bring up the young prospects…play them..develop them. Show the fans that this team CAN indeed develop some young players and that some of the top 40 picks from the past six years have potential. Little else will matter to a lot of fans…trust me on this.
It’s not Rocket science.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 13, 2018 9:27:45 GMT -5
Thanks for the read seventeen. I read a good article on TheAthletic the other day (another subscription service that I believe you also enjoy) and they had a Q&A with Larry Carriere in his capacity as Rocket GM. There were a few worrisome points. He must have referenced playing the “right way” four times in that piece. That seems to be the Berg buzzline these days. At one point he expanded that playing the right way meant good two way play. Both the Habs and Rocket are so void of any offensive depth that we must convert rare talents into good two way players, else banish them for not playing the right way. This is the PK situation all over again, although that was further problematic in that he had a bold personality, in an environment where two egos were enough.
The next worrisome quote was that Carriere was not convinced that the Habs fan base would accept a rebuild. WTF? I am sure that sentiment is coming right from the top. Marc is “a fighter” and all his minions are expected to fight to the end. Good grief, that is tunnel vision management strategy if ever I heard it. One size fits all. Try and always make the playoffs, even if you have no chance at all. The truly concerning part is I am even more convinced that this management group does not have the foresight and wherewithal to see when opportunities exist to improve the team both short term and long term by giving up on the false dream of the playoffs, even just for a year. This one-trick pony group may even screw up the rest of this season as a rare chance to improve the longer term prospect of this team for the false hope of vaulting over half the league in less than half the season. Yeah right.
Safe is death. Tunnel vision is killing the spirit of this team and its fan base. I just want to see fun hockey again. The entertainment value is so eroded right now. Bring back fun hockey!!
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Post by frozone on Jan 13, 2018 18:32:03 GMT -5
Great article 17 and great post NWT.
The thing that perhaps irks me the most is Berg (and Carriere too it seems) stating that Habs fans won't tolerate a rebuild. To me, that sounds like management has their sights set on saving their jobs and are using the fans as an excuse for not tanking. Berg, don't put the blame on us. I haven't spoken to a single fan that wants to salvage this season. We WILL tolerate a rebuild. That's just Berg's ego trying to manipulate reality again.
If a market like Toronto can tolerate a rebuild, we can too. And all it wook was 4 words by Babcock: "There is pain coming". It wasn't explicit by any means, but everyone understood and accepted it. There's that McGill education for ya.
One last note: I would love to have a look at what's stipulated in a player's contract. I was floored when I found out that 1st line PP time was dictated in Scott Gomez's contract. Could it be that bad contracts have a part to play in poor player usage and development? And how much does that force a coach's hand when divvying icetime? In Boston, CJ developed the likes of Krejci, Marchand, Boychuk, Krug, Pastrnak, Wheeler, Lucic, Kessel, Seguin, Hamilton, Reilly Smith... so I have a hard time believing CJ is clueless in the development department... but something tells me CJ won't be quite as successful developing players in MTL...
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jan 15, 2018 8:56:50 GMT -5
Might have to look more seriously at a subscription ... that was a great article ... there was a reason why Sylvain Lefebvre didn't get any nibbles at the NHL level and there was a reason why he was rehired ... IMO, you don't get nibbles at the NHL level if you haven't proven anything (other than ruining prospects) in the AHL and he was rehired by Marc Bergevin and his foxhole culture when, just by his record, Lefebvre should be earning his stripes in Brampton ... it's not like he wouldn't know any of the players ... #dig
Cheers.
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Post by folatre on Jan 16, 2018 22:47:12 GMT -5
Seventeen, that is very insightful and disturbing article. I concur with what you guys are saying. Bergevin will not change his same, tired narrative: "this is a competitive roster and the goal is always to get in the playoffs where anything can happen."
Frozone is right. Bergevin will not modify the narrative because to admit the terrible and multiple holes in the roster may have the effect of waking the trusting, non-hockey savvy president from his stupor.
Not just here in habsrus community, but we all see Habs fan day to day and for me it is not true that the majority of the fan base would not accept shifting the focus to the future.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 20, 2018 10:58:40 GMT -5
Hey Sly, how is that dream of a second AHL playoff game win in six seasons coming along?
Not looking good, is it? There are only two teams worse than you guys in your bad division and you just lost to one last night. Oh look, they are now tied with you. Don’t let that 7 points out, with the fourth place team having a game in hand bug ya. You are a fighter, like your boss. Maybe you are even almost like a dog to him. You made the first come, first served cut...so you are safe.
Keep playing those vets, because they will save your season....if it wasn’t for that pesky little detail of your team starting to slip slide, yet again. Tap into Carriere Junior’s genius, I am sure it can make a difference. That Division 3 Hockey is tough.
Belleville 4 Grounded Rocket 1. Cracknell with the goal, Scherbak with another point. Lindgren gave up all four goals in half the game. McNiven replaced him for the second half and shut da door. For what it is worth. Don’t be trying to save Sylvain’s butt now Michael. Lol.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 20, 2018 13:20:11 GMT -5
Going, going, going.......
To paraphrase the new owner of the Hurricanes...."I don't like excuses..when you've been there all along...."
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 21, 2018 8:51:47 GMT -5
Even without Scherbak, the boys realized they should not lose twice in a row to Belleville.
4-0 Sly’s Old guys. Cracknell with 2+1, Taormina with 1+2, Lindgren with the shut out.
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Post by seventeen on Jan 25, 2018 1:26:19 GMT -5
Excellent result tonight. Scherbak scores and zlefebvre loses 3-2 to Syracuse.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 25, 2018 8:03:35 GMT -5
Excellent result tonight. Scherbak scores and zlefebvre loses 3-2 to Syracuse. All the Habs brass were at the game. I guess they are trying to assess what they have in Laval as it pertains to the rest of the season. The boys made it 3-2 late with the goalie pulled, but Syracuse was the better team for the half of the game I watched. Scherbak also saved an empty net goal very late by being back and making a skate save. Juulsen was solid, but did make a mistake on the early goal. He should be a decent defender down the road. |
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Post by franko on Jan 25, 2018 8:46:15 GMT -5
Excellent result tonight. . . . lefebvre loses 3-2 to Syracuse. and that means anything or makes a difference . . . how? |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 25, 2018 11:44:54 GMT -5
I'd like Scherbak to progress, of course and I want as much pressure on Bergevin as possible, to speed up his removal. Retaining a guy who can't make the playoffs and give our prospects playoff experience is just another nail.
I didn't see the game, but was reading some tweets...it seems the Rocket took some undisciplined penalties which allowed Syracuse to overtake the lead. That has been a consistent issue with Lefebvre teams. Haven't we seen some call-ups get some un-needed penalties at the NHL level?
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Post by frozone on Jan 25, 2018 12:08:01 GMT -5
I'd like Scherbak to progress, of course and I want as much pressure on Bergevin as possible, to speed up his removal. Retaining a guy who can't make the playoffs and give our prospects playoff experience is just another nail. I didn't see the game, but was reading some tweets...it seems the Rocket took some undisciplined penalties which allowed Syracuse to overtake the lead. That has been a consistent issue with Lefebvre teams. Haven't we seen some call-ups get some un-needed penalties at the NHL level? Penalties have definitely been the theme for the Rockets. Too many guys trying to cheat on their assignments. I never thought much of our prospects, but they're at least smart enough to know that they need to cheat in order to win with Sly as their coach. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 25, 2018 23:14:02 GMT -5
I'd like Scherbak to progress, of course and I want as much pressure on Bergevin as possible, to speed up his removal. Retaining a guy who can't make the playoffs and give our prospects playoff experience is just another nail. I didn't see the game, but was reading some tweets...it seems the Rocket took some undisciplined penalties which allowed Syracuse to overtake the lead. That has been a consistent issue with Lefebvre teams. Haven't we seen some call-ups get some un-needed penalties at the NHL level? Case in point. Audette got behind the play, behind the opponents net. Reaches in with his stick and gets the obvious call as he sends the guy flying. 200 frickin feet from his net in a 2-1 game. It became 3-1 on that PP. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 26, 2018 7:51:02 GMT -5
Lefebvre is probably here for ever, or at least as long as his foxhole buddy boss is still around. He has all the excuses, all on the players rehetoric down pat. What the heck sort of culture has this organization become?
So let me get this right Sly, you coaches can control the meetings, but the rest is on the players.
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Post by folatre on Jan 26, 2018 8:45:09 GMT -5
NW, I remember the window and mirror metaphor by a business author. When success is at hand, the highest quality leaders look out the window, downplay their role in it and give credit to the people around them. And when failure is at hand, the highest quality leaders look in the mirror and accept the blame and its consequences.
Sadly, there are no genuine leaders in this organisation and the ramifications of this leadership deficit are everywhere to be seen.
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Post by jkr on Jan 26, 2018 8:51:50 GMT -5
The sad part about this is that it was an easy situation for Bergevin. Lefebvre's contract had expired & he was looking for an NHL job. ( big surprise - no offers). Bergevin didn't even have to fire him. All he had to do was say - thanks for coming out - and move on. No, he looks at years of failure & determines Lefebvre deserves an extension.  |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 26, 2018 11:41:23 GMT -5
I guess in some ways, Bergevin is a dog because he's certainly loyal to his ineffective buddies.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 26, 2018 15:23:34 GMT -5
I guess in some ways, Bergevin is a dog because he's certainly loyal to his ineffective buddies. Well, he hired a dog and gave him a new deal when he did not have to. Kind of reminds me of a Sam Elliott meme where it says "That takes some special kind of stupid...". |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 27, 2018 10:38:06 GMT -5
Moose 4 Sly’s Band of Merry Men 1. Here is the only goal, on the PP. This was all Scherbak, although Audette did pop in the rebound.
Interesting tale of three first rounders. McCarron has become almost invisible this season. Very concerning. Scherbak has been developing very well and showing that he is ready for the next stage. Good stuff. Juulsen has been showing that a lot of his quiet effectiveness has transitioned to the AHL level in his first pro season. Bodes well.
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Post by duster on Jan 27, 2018 12:33:10 GMT -5
Saw the post game interview that Sly gave after the game. He blamed the loss on puck luck.
That's the guy in charge of developing McCarron.
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Post by GNick99 on Jan 27, 2018 17:59:13 GMT -5
Saw the post game interview that Sly gave after the game. He blamed the loss on puck luck. That's the guy in charge of developing McCarron. Watched Rocket game last night noticed Petan....looked good player. Wonder if we could get him as throw-in in Plekanec type trade? Sounds like Plekanec may have trouble returning a first pick, I would offer a 2nd and Petan for TP? |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jan 28, 2018 0:29:37 GMT -5
Moose 5 Rocket 2.
Scherbak with two assists. That’s about it.
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Post by blny on Jan 28, 2018 1:14:09 GMT -5
Saw the post game interview that Sly gave after the game. He blamed the loss on puck luck. That's the guy in charge of developing McCarron. Watched Rocket game last night noticed Petan....looked good player. Wonder if we could get him as throw-in in Plekanec type trade? Sounds like Plekanec may have trouble returning a first pick, I would offer a 2nd and Petan for TP? I don't think there was a chance Pleks would return that. Optimal return, imo, 2 seconds. Given where his offense has gone, I think we're looking at 2nd and a third. |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 28, 2018 1:15:41 GMT -5
Moose - Jets farm team managed by Kevin Chevaldayoff. Second overall in AHL, just behind the Marlies.
Rocket - Habs farm team, managed by Marc Bergevin. 27t overall in AHL (or 4th last).
Leadership is everything.
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Post by franko on Jan 28, 2018 10:52:47 GMT -5
Watched Rocket game last night noticed Petan....looked good player. Wonder if we could get him as throw-in in Plekanec type trade? Sounds like Plekanec may have trouble returning a first pick, I would offer a 2nd and Petan for TP? I don't think there was a chance Pleks would return that. Optimal return, imo, 2 seconds. Given where his offense has gone, I think we're looking at 2nd and a third. Given our GM . . . |
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Post by seventeen on Jan 28, 2018 13:44:50 GMT -5
I think we're lucky if we get a 3rd round pick. No one is going to sign Plekanec for another year, so I see him as a pure rental for shut down purposes, 4th line and PK duty. What does one pay for that, for 2-3 monnths? A 3rd rounder at best.
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jan 28, 2018 15:30:30 GMT -5
In 2015, a 32 year old Vermette netted a first and D prospect as a rental.
Quality depth at Center is crucial in the playoffs and Pleks certainly provides that.
A team highly motivated to go deep in the playoffs could surrender a low first IMO, or at the very least a second and a decent prospect.
But then again it's Berg we're talking about... so I could see Berg trading Pleks for a journeymen NHLer and pumping his fist in contentment.. “…I’m soooo gooood….”
***
Nice to see the Rocket being equally bad as the HABS by the way... stability and continuity is important for an organisation.
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Post by PTH on Jan 28, 2018 19:30:56 GMT -5
In 2015, a 32 year old Vermette netted a first and D prospect as a rental. Quality depth at Center is crucial in the playoffs and Pleks certainly provides that. A team highly motivated to go deep in the playoffs could surrender a low first IMO, or at the very least a second and a decent prospect. But then again it's Berg we're talking about... so I could see Berg trading Pleks for a journeymen NHLer and pumping his fist in contentment.. “…I’m soooo gooood….” *** Nice to see the Rocket being equally bad as the HABS by the way... stability and continuity is important for an organisation. If I were Berg, I'd be angling for a conditional first for Plek - ie, a garanteed 2nd rounder, and an upgrade to a 1st rounder if the team makes it to the 2nd or 3d round. Alternately, I'd be looking at young NHLers like Koekkoek in Tampa, guys who might be NHL ready but haven't quite found a home yet, guys like Danault. We need to use our roster spots to develop players, not to get guys who've been developped elsewhere. (how I wish we still had Andrighetto to give him more ice and see what he can do). |
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