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Post by seventeen on Jun 18, 2020 0:04:33 GMT -5
My take on Aho versus Dubois.....I will always take the one with angry dandruff on their shoulders. Beliveau was a better player then Richard, but I will always go to war with Richard. Forgive me, I'm old fashioned.... A reason which is perfectly understandable and defensible.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 18, 2020 8:46:24 GMT -5
Maybe I'm the only one but if it was up to me, I would rather spend my hard stolen billions on a local who is also an impact player. Given a choice between Dubois and Aho, I pick Dubois every day of the week. Of course the risk is that Dubois wilts in his own market but given his penalty minutes, it's a big hint that he carries a lot pride and a chip on his shoulder. You don't "learn" that, you own that.... Last French Canadian with a large chip on his shoulder was a buy called Maurice.... I'd tread carefully on that assessment between the two guys. Both are great young players and any team should give their left nut to get one of them. Production wise there is a difference, though in fairness, PLD is a year younger and hasn't had his 4th pro year yet, when a jump can take place. Dubois
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| PPG | +/- | Age | PPG | +/- | 19 | .59 | +8 | 19 | .60 | -1 | 20 | .74 | +16 | 20 | .83 | +4 | 21 | .70 | -2 | 21 | 1.01 | +25 | 22 |
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| 22 | .97 | +10 |
Aho plays with Terevainen sometimes but Dubois had the chance to play with Panarin except for this past season (and his ppg took a drop, but not as much as you'd expect from losing that quality of teammate) It's quite possible Dubois has more upside left in him, but Aho is a proven ppg player and Dubois hasn't taken that leap yet, so there is a pretty good argument for Aho being the better player at this point in time.
Great analysis seventeen. Bergys job is to make the team better not to make failed offers. Failure is failure. Eight years, worst Hab’s team in history, multiple 8 game losing streaks, terrible drafting of first round picks, one year free agents, fourth line shuffle, take it or leave it failures and hyping after best by free agents.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 18, 2020 11:28:23 GMT -5
I think his biggest failure is not getting any big star offensive players. If you are not making the playoffs you better tank like a rock. If you aren't going to draft them, then you better sign them on the free agent market. If those two options don't work, then you better trade for one. I don't want to hear trades are hard to make either. You've had 8 years to do something. You could of had Taylor Hall twice, maybe Panarin when he was with Chicago. I even think if you float out the right offer, you could maybe even get a Kopitar, Carter or Huberdeau. Even Toronto might be willing to trade a Marner (cost would be Weber plus) or Nylander in the right deal. Use the cap space to your advantage. Stop overpaying for 2/3/4 line players and get yourself a star or two. Stop wasting 2nd round picks on safe players (De La Rose).
Yes the Price contract is about 2 million too much, but if you are going to shell that much money out to him, then don't go half assed and save 6 to 8 million each year after and not put a capable team in front of him.
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Post by Boston_Habs on Jun 18, 2020 11:39:38 GMT -5
Not a huge fan of Aho. He'd obviously be our best forward, but I don't regret not being able to grab him away from Carolina. And I don't blame Berg for taking a shot, even if it was a long shot.
PPG guys are fast becoming a dime a dozen in the NHL. There's about 30 guys in the NHL that are in the PPG range, but the top 10 guys are in the 1.2 PPG range. Aho was tied for 20th in scoring with the likes of Marner, Pacioretty, Wheeler, Point, and Petterson. Good company but Aho may still have a higher ceiling.
IMO, nothing matters unless and until we upgrade the blue line. It's a freaking disaster with Weber, Petry, and a bunch of stiffs. There are prospects with potential but it's a problem. Weber getting older, Petry heading to UFA... tick tock Bergie.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 18, 2020 22:20:33 GMT -5
Not a huge fan of Aho. He'd obviously be our best forward, but I don't regret not being able to grab him away from Carolina. And I don't blame Berg for taking a shot, even if it was a long shot. PPG guys are fast becoming a dime a dozen in the NHL. There's about 30 guys in the NHL that are in the PPG range, but the top 10 guys are in the 1.2 PPG range. Aho was tied for 20th in scoring with the likes of Marner, Pacioretty, Wheeler, Point, and Petterson. Good company but Aho may still have a higher ceiling. IMO, nothing matters unless and until we upgrade the blue line. It's a freaking disaster with Weber, Petry, and a bunch of stiffs. There are prospects with potential but it's a problem. Weber getting older, Petry heading to UFA... tick tock Bergie. That is true, BH. You can't win without adequate goaltending, but the two key components of every champion team is strength up the middle. In the case of hockey, it's one or two centres and one or two stud defensemen. Not guys in the Weber, Petry class who are good support people, but someone in the top 10. right now we have neither a top centre or top Dman. The outlook at centre is better with 2 guys who may develop into that role, but defense is a longer shot, even with the kids. Romanov has a shot if he improves his offense, and Norlinder if he improves his defense. But those are longer odds than the kids at centre.
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 19, 2020 9:34:50 GMT -5
I'm 56 and I don't think I'll see a cup before I kick the bucket... It's why I hate the ownership and management of this team.
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Post by franko on Jun 19, 2020 10:29:38 GMT -5
I'm 56 and I don't think I'll see a cup before I kick the bucket... It's why I hate the ownership and management of this team. my condolences to your wife who will miss you I'm sure; so will I if you're going to kick it before I do (I'm older than you and plan to see a Cup parade in Montreal before I go to the great hereafter) . . . it's been nice knowing you
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 19, 2020 11:42:38 GMT -5
I'm 56 and I don't think I'll see a cup before I kick the bucket... It's why I hate the ownership and management of this team. my condolences to your wife who will miss you I'm sure; so will I if you're going to kick it before I do (I'm older than you and plan to see a Cup parade in Montreal before I go to the great hereafter) . . . it's been nice knowing you I hope your reality happens instead of mine
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Post by seventeen on Jun 19, 2020 13:40:03 GMT -5
Can I crash the wallowing in self pity (justified) party or is it by invitation only?
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 19, 2020 14:43:02 GMT -5
Can I crash the wallowing in self pity (justified) party or is it by invitation only? Plenty of room on the wallow wagon... All aboard non stop to 'No Playoff Town','Pissed Off Fanville' and 'What Have You Done to My Team City'
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 22, 2020 19:56:18 GMT -5
I'm 56 and I don't think I'll see a cup before I kick the bucket... It's why I hate the ownership and management of this team. Geoff Molson said that 2020/2021 May begin without fans. He is doing his best to achieve this goal.
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Post by GNick99 on Jun 27, 2020 18:36:56 GMT -5
Drouin be better if we had a real #1 center. Skill and speed is there. See a 30 goal scorer playing with a top #1 center type. Injuries hurt him too.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 27, 2020 18:51:59 GMT -5
When Drouin was drafted, I think his upside was that of a Panarin. A winger who drives offense. He has enough skill that he shouldn't need a great centre. Injuries have held him back, for sure. It would be really good for the team if he could take that next step to 70 points and then more.
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Post by GNick99 on Jun 28, 2020 18:04:04 GMT -5
When Drouin was drafted, I think his upside was that of a Panarin. A winger who drives offense. He has enough skill that he shouldn't need a great centre. Injuries have held him back, for sure. It would be really good for the team if he could take that next step to 70 points and then more. I don't think Drouin has the grit to go to dirty areas to be that kind of player. Probably why he works better with DOmi. lol Skill is there no doubt. He needs a star center to set him up more. I think he could be 30 goal first line LW.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 28, 2020 18:46:00 GMT -5
You're probably right, Gnick. I think what annoys me is that we traded a potential #1 or #2 defenseman on a Stanley Cup contending team for a guy who needs a star centre to produce well.
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Post by UberCranky on Jun 28, 2020 19:07:35 GMT -5
I'm 56 and I don't think I'll see a cup before I kick the bucket... It's why I hate the ownership and management of this team. my condolences to your wife who will miss you I'm sure; so will I if you're going to kick it before I do (I'm older than you and plan to see a Cup parade in Montreal before I go to the great hereafter) . . . it's been nice knowing you Can I crash the wallowing in self pity (justified) party or is it by invitation only? What am I going to say when I'm older then all of you? But....and this is a big BUT.....my dad is 102 and still going strong. Soooo....there's that..... I plan to outlast Bbinz and Mol$on. I also plan on a weekly visit and dropping my adult diapers on Mol$ons grave if we don't see a cup by then....
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 21, 2020 1:34:04 GMT -5
my condolences to your wife who will miss you I'm sure; so will I if you're going to kick it before I do (I'm older than you and plan to see a Cup parade in Montreal before I go to the great hereafter) . . . it's been nice knowing you Can I crash the wallowing in self pity (justified) party or is it by invitation only? What am I going to say when I'm older then all of you? But....and this is a big BUT.....my dad is 102 and still going strong. Soooo....there's that..... I plan to outlast Bbinz and Mol$on. I also plan on a weekly visit and dropping my adult diapers on Mol$ons grave if we don't see a cup by then.... I agree. Hab’s fans lives matter!
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Sept 3, 2020 11:06:54 GMT -5
Molson supposedly talks to Bergevin multiple times per week about hockey operations. I agree, he is too involved. And as more seasons with poor results pile up, Molson is actually placing himself in line to take way more flak and criticism from fans than most owners expose themselves to. Molson could help himself and help the club by finding a hockey man with good leadership qualities to design and execute the strategic plan/vision. Of course, the chance of this happening is very remote. I agree with you, Boston. In any industry, eight years is actually a longish tenure for an executive without any major accomplishments. And I don't quite follow the hand wringing and worry of some Habs that I know, "pucha we're finally going in the right direction, our prospect pool is top five, if someone else comes in to run the show we might screw it up." My feeling is that if Molson wants to be a draft and develop organization, he owns the team and he can certainly ensure that vision would be the one executed by whoever sits in the GM chair. For instance, did the Flyers and Hurricanes' retools/rebuilds fly off the rails when Hextall and Francis, respectively, were fired? Clearly not. Fletcher and Waddell did not trade away the kids. At times, an organization simply needs a new decision maker with a different leadership style to step in even when the strategic vision is not fundamentally being altered. Bergevin made this mess and its up to him to fix it! Is it fixed? Are we assured of a playoff spot in 2021? Do we make the finals? Are our best players over 3o? Are our young guys proven or just hopefuls?
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Post by GNick99 on Sept 11, 2020 14:50:22 GMT -5
Molson supposedly talks to Bergevin multiple times per week about hockey operations. I agree, he is too involved. And as more seasons with poor results pile up, Molson is actually placing himself in line to take way more flak and criticism from fans than most owners expose themselves to. Molson could help himself and help the club by finding a hockey man with good leadership qualities to design and execute the strategic plan/vision. Of course, the chance of this happening is very remote. I agree with you, Boston. In any industry, eight years is actually a longish tenure for an executive without any major accomplishments. And I don't quite follow the hand wringing and worry of some Habs that I know, "pucha we're finally going in the right direction, our prospect pool is top five, if someone else comes in to run the show we might screw it up." My feeling is that if Molson wants to be a draft and develop organization, he owns the team and he can certainly ensure that vision would be the one executed by whoever sits in the GM chair. For instance, did the Flyers and Hurricanes' retools/rebuilds fly off the rails when Hextall and Francis, respectively, were fired? Clearly not. Fletcher and Waddell did not trade away the kids. At times, an organization simply needs a new decision maker with a different leadership style to step in even when the strategic vision is not fundamentally being altered. Bergevin made this mess and its up to him to fix it! Is it fixed? Are we assured of a playoff spot in 2021? Do we make the finals? Are our best players over 3o? Are our young guys proven or just hopefuls? I doubt they even try to win. Bergevin is decent GM but not top GM. Same as Timmins he is only average at drafting. Many scouts like Al Murray done much better. First round seems average but Timmins has missed on many late pics. Point, Kurcherov, Cernak, Cirelli, Killhorn. Tampa had drafted many while Timmins in same time frame drafted only Gallagher. Evan's and Primeau do have a shot. Canadiens making tons of money. Pre covid that is. Haven't looked at their financial statement since 2019. They had 243 million in revenue. With most lucrative local tv contract in hockey. So far ahead there is not even a distant second. It's like 60 million a year. I always thought Drouin trade was in part, because of TVA deal. Habs could easily double or even triple salary of top scouts or coaches in NHL. But they refuse to do so.
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Post by franko on Sept 11, 2020 17:02:30 GMT -5
First round seems average but Timmins has missed on many late pics. Point, Kurcherov, Cernak, Cirelli, Killhorn. of course, it's been pointed out that 29 other GMs missed out on them too.
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Post by Willie Dog on Sept 11, 2020 22:29:33 GMT -5
Habs could easily double or even triple salary of top scouts or coaches in NHL. But they refuse to do so. Geoffey is a fan of Dire Straights... money for nothing and your cheques for free
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Post by seventeen on Sept 12, 2020 2:22:29 GMT -5
Scouts are not well paid in general so raising their pay wouldn't be that tough.
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Post by mikeg on Sept 16, 2020 9:54:22 GMT -5
If anyone is comfy with French, Bergevin was on TVA for 2, 20 minute segments: Part 1 - www.tvasports.ca/2020/09/15/un-souhait-de-bergevin-partage-par-dautres-dgPart 2 - www.tvasports.ca/2020/09/15/a-voir-bergevin-se-prononce-sur-tous-les-dossiers-chaudsBasically: - He said that he may not get to Cap ceiling, but he wants to spend close to the max - Talked about the leap KK and Suzuki took, how he spoke with GMs that were not in the playoffs and they were envious that the kids got to play in a playoff environment. Said they noticed that from day 1 of the re-opening of training camp they both had gone up a notch, everyone in camp noticed it. - Asked what he would have felt if the Pens got 1st overall; says they thought about it but nothing beyond that - Talked about how his goal was to fix the center role, and that it took a while, but he is happy with where they are now - Likes the way Suzuki plays both sides of the ice and KK thinks, says they complement each other very well - Asked if Molson plays a role in personnel decisions or puts pressure on him to make decisions to sell tickets, does not, he has meetings where he explains what his (Bergy's) plan is, etc. - Asked what he feels when veterans talk about how the window is closing and they want to win now; said he feels excited, has discussions with players where he explains his reasons for going after certain players, or why he can't get other types, etc. Throws some shade on Toronto by saying look what they are trying to do (lots of money in forwards) and how hard it is to manage all ends of the ice. - Asked about Allen signing and if it is worth the cost; said that with the pandemic next year still around there may e a lot o games in a condensed schedule, and they wanted someone who could share the load or if Carey gets hurt they would have someone decent. - Asked about CJ and what he was doing when he found about his heart issue, says he got a call from Mulder at 4AM and that he would be ok, but it would take some time and then later they realized it would be better for him to head back to MTL to recover. And that it's up to CJ and doctors to decide if he continues coaching. - Asked about what he is going to do about Dannault, mentioned the cap will be flat for at least 2 years and they have to be smart about how they manage their space; Dannault still has one more year, discussions have not started yet with the agent, has 5 or 6 players in that situation and he wants to take the temperature.. but it still too early for these things though. He was pressed by the reporter if he would overpay to keep him considering h has been a bargain the past few years, Bergy talks about what it is like to talk to the agent, how the agent will ask for "fair market value" and they will go from there. - Asked about Max Domi and why his second season as a Hab was not as strong as the first; talked about how he had conversations with Max, that he is very smart, that the difficulty Max had was that he is a player who has a lot of skill and power, and that the first season he played more with power before skill and second season played more with skill over power and he has to go back to playing with power. He has not asked for a trade and would not elaborate on social media posts. - Asked about Gallagher, about how we got good value on him versus what he has been paid. Bergy then praised Gally for being someone who never quits and how he would want him to end his career as a Hab. - Asked about Drouin; good start to a season, then got hurt. Had a slow start in the bubble, then got better, had good chemistry with Suzuki and wants to see where that goes. - Asked about Edmundson and if he is there for the expansion draft; Bergy did not really answer, instead spoke about his group of his defenders and how he now has some depth going into next season. - Asked about October 9th and what he plans to do; Bergy said he doesn't even know if he will have money to spend by then (in a joking way). - Asked about what is most important to the club right now, a partner for Weber or a power forward? He seemed to be leaning towards a power forward, but teams do not let those guys go, and you also must manage your cap space to keep your guys. - Asked if he is looking at offer sheeting a restricted RFA like Aho an option this year, he says yes but he has to look at what is out there and you really have to overpay to make it work which is why no one does. - Asked who is untouchable, he says Price, Suzuki, KK, and Romanov are untouchable (having PK flashbacks), for Carey even with expansion draft he would not expose him? Absolutely not he says. - Asked what he feels was his best trade (based on a Twitter poll); replies with something along lines of a good trade is something that benefits both teams. - Asked if he could re-do something what would it be (based on a Twitter poll) – defends the Sergachev trade, that Drouin is slowly maturing, and he expects him to take the next step next season. - Asked if he has started any negotiations with pending UFA for next season, no, it’s all preliminary and mentioned that he has started negotiating with Edmundson, no details
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Post by CentreHice on Sept 16, 2020 10:31:16 GMT -5
Thanks for all the work, mikeg! - Asked if he could re-do something what would it be (based on a Twitter poll) – defends the Sergachev trade, that Drouin is slowly maturing, and he expects him to take the next step next season. No pressure, JD. More than a few pundits have talked about his "good start to last season"...and if not for being injured, etc. However, stats suggest he was on pace for his lowest .ppg since coming to Montreal--unless he was playing injured for several games. Regardless, I'd have asked our GM, "Considering he's your highest-paid forward, what IS your expectation re: the next step? 60 pts? 70?" 2017-18 - 77GP. 13G, 33A, 46 pts. .597 ppg. 2018-19 - 81GP. 18G, 35A, 53 pts. .654 ppg. 2019-20 - 27GP. 7G, 8A 15 pts. (pro-rated, 27X3 for an 81-game season): 21G, 24A, 45 pts. .555 ppg.
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Post by folatre on Sept 16, 2020 11:19:31 GMT -5
Thanks Mike. I am not surprised that Bergevin is being rather guarded about all questions related to contracts. It would be crazy to say that he is 100 percent committed to keeping all the guys due to be UFAs next summer. So the way he handled those lines of questioning make sense to me.
For the sake of not heaping more pressure on top of Drouin, I understand why he answered the question the way he did. However, only an executive with terrible judgment could still privately believe the jury is somehow still out on that trade. Defensemen take far longer to develop in the NHL than wingers, so if a 22 year old like Sergachev is playing like a monster in all situations on a nightly basis and a 25 year old like Drouin is "slowly maturing" then frankly the verdict is already in. That trade is brutal.
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 16, 2020 11:39:25 GMT -5
No pressure, JD. More than a few pundits have talked about his "good start to last season"...and if not for being injured, etc. However, stats suggest he was on pace for his lowest .ppg since coming to Montreal--unless he was playing injured for several games. Regardless, I'd have asked our GM, "Considering he's your highest-paid forward, what IS your expectation re: the next step? 60 pts? 70?" 2017-18 - 77GP. 13G, 33A, 46 pts. .597 ppg. 2018-19 - 81GP. 18G, 35A, 53 pts. .654 ppg. 2019-20 - 27GP. 7G, 8A 15 pts. (pro-rated, 27X3 for an 81-game season): 21G, 24A, 45 pts. .555 ppg. I think Bergevin was referring to his start before being injured: First 19 games: 7G, 8A, 15 pts, .789 ppg ~ injured, needed wrist surgery, missed 37 games ~ Next 8 games: 0G, 0A, 0pts, .ppg ~ injured, missed the rest of the abbreviated season with an ankle problem ~ Post-Season, 10 games: 1 G, 6A, 7pts, .700 ppg ------------ So aside from that brief period after coming back from wrist surgery (and Drouin is a "hands" guy afterall) his point totals were not that bad. 8 goals and 14 assists in 29 games, or a .758ppg. Prorated that would have given him 23 goals and 39 assists, for 62 points, give or take. Not great by any stretch, but not exactly the disaster that some make it to be. Of course you can't ignore that stretch of games after the injury, but maybe his wrist just wasn't healed enough?
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Post by Willie Dog on Sept 16, 2020 12:52:07 GMT -5
It interesting that Berg did not include Weber or bGal in his list of untouchables. Also MB is selling the kids now, no way Romanov gets dealt... too much buzz and too much damage done by the Sergachev trade, regardless of what MB says... Maybe Weber gets exposed and frees up 8 mill in cap... Seattle would take Weber in a heartbeat... He a cap sweetheart right now Season | Cap Hit | Salary | 20-21 | 7,857,143 | 6,000,000 | 21-22 | 7,857,143 | 6,000,000 | 22-23 | 7,857,143 | 3,000,000 | 23-24 | 7,857,143 | 1,000,000 | 24-25 | 7,857,143 | 1,000,000 | 25-26 | 7,857,143 | 1,000,000 |
and no bonuses
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Post by seventeen on Sept 16, 2020 13:12:48 GMT -5
It would be interesting to see Drouin's scoring record for the first half compared to the 2nd half of seasons. That same analysis, applied to Weber (the last 2 years at least), showed a definite bias toward the first half. To me that indicates that either the player incurs injuries that slow him down, or that the increased pace and intensity of the league cause a regression. Those are factors that need to be addressed in making decisions about these players.
There weren't a lot of insightful answers in the interview. Most things are kind of obvious. My observations? (if anyone cares, of course)
Will spend close to the CAP - I'll believe it when I see it though I think the criticism the last couple of years is having an effect.
That it took time to fix the centre position - No kidding. 8 years. And how was it solved? by selecting one centre 3rd overall and trading a quality veteran for the 13th overall pick in another draft. I still would love to know if they asked for Suzuki or Glass in that deal.
His untouchables include Romanov - This was interesting because it reflects how high an opinion the brain trust has of Romanov. I agree with him, even though I'm not sure how good the Tsar will be offensively. He won't be a dud that way, but will he be a 60 point guy? Or even a 50 point guy, which is what the Habs need back there.
Teases TO by pointing out how much they're spending on forwards - Instead of goaltenders.
A partner for Weber - Should be able to fix that in 8 more years. Just another of the perpetual 'difficult' problems that he takes a long time to tackle.
Defending the Sergachev trade - Seriously? He should just ask himself that if he feels that way, would he turn down a Sergachev for Drouin trade right now? A self inflicted injury (see point above).
Last one - and this has more to do with my judgment of him and his character than any specific hockey move:
He talks about being smart regarding the CAP I wonder why he uses that word in that context. It's not a GM's job to be stupid about the CAP. It's something that has to be managed. Yet he throws the word 'smart' in there. IMO, he's trying to associate being smart with himself. So if he doesn't go over the CAP, then he's smart. So it's smart to play a #5 occasionally #4 dman like Edmundson around $4MM a year (if reports are to be believed)? It's always about manipulation and making himself look good. I've seen too many of these guys in my career. They work hard at looking good, but avoid the really hard work of being good. The most obvious proof of that is the disinclination to get enough top 10 picks to acquire the core players you need and to take many years to fix obvious weaknesses. He's told us that himself on many occasions - It's hard getting that kind of guy. No one is giving them away.
Sigh.
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Post by CentreHice on Sept 16, 2020 13:14:09 GMT -5
That's what I figured, BC, re: games played while injured/returning from injury detracted from his healthy starting pace. Thanks for breaking it down. So, it sounds as if Berg thinks Drouin is on the .750 step NOW. .850 ppg. would raise him to 70 pts....about 50th in league scoring, going by the 2018-19 full season: Atkinson, Hoffman, Dadonov, Couture. Domi had 72 pts. that season. An example of a 1.00 ppg player from that season: Aho, Scheifele, Giroux, Toews, Seguin. If Drouin has another step...i.e. from today's .750 to .850...that might be his top. First, let's see if he's really at .750 over a full slate.
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Post by BadCompany on Sept 16, 2020 13:29:36 GMT -5
It would be interesting to see Drouin's scoring record for the first half compared to the 2nd half of seasons. That same analysis, applied to Weber (the last 2 years at least), showed a definite bias toward the first half. To me that indicates that either the player incurs injuries that slow him down, or that the increased pace and intensity of the league cause a regression. Those are factors that need to be addressed in making decisions about these players. There weren't a lot of insightful answers in the interview. Most things are kind of obvious. My observations? (if anyone cares, of course) Will spend close to the CAP - I'll believe it when I see it though I think the criticism the last couple of years is having an effect. That it took time to fix the centre position - No kidding. 8 years. And how was it solved? by selecting one centre 3rd overall and trading a quality veteran for the 13th overall pick in another draft. I still would love to know if they asked for Suzuki or Glass in that deal. His untouchables include Romanov - This was interesting because it reflects how high an opinion the brain trust has of Romanov. I agree with him, even though I'm not sure how good the Tsar will be offensively. He won't be a dud that way, but will he be a 60 point guy? Or even a 50 point guy, which is what the Habs need back there. Teases TO by pointing out how much they're spending on forwards - Instead of goaltenders. A partner for Weber - Should be able to fix that in 8 more years. Just another of the perpetual 'difficult' problems that he takes a long time to tackle. Defending the Sergachev trade - Seriously? He should just ask himself that if he feels that way, would he turn down a Sergachev for Drouin trade right now? A self inflicted injury (see point above). Last one - and this has more to do with my judgment of him and his character than any specific hockey move: He talks about being smart regarding the CAP I wonder why he uses that word in that context. It's not a GM's job to be stupid about the CAP. It's something that has to be managed. Yet he throws the word 'smart' in there. IMO, he's trying to associate being smart with himself. So if he doesn't go over the CAP, then he's smart. So it's smart to play a #5 occasionally #4 dman like Edmundson around $4MM a year (if reports are to be believed)? It's always about manipulation and making himself look good. I've seen too many of these guys in my career. They work hard at looking good, but avoid the really hard work of being good. The most obvious proof of that is the disinclination to get enough top 10 picks to acquire the core players you need and to take many years to fix obvious weaknesses. He's told us that himself on many occasions - It's hard getting that kind of guy. No one is giving them away.Sigh. I'd be a little careful with reading too much into a summary of a translation. Bergevin's actual words were "prudence". So basically he was saying they should be careful with the cap. (it's right at the beginning of the second link)
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