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Post by NWTHabsFan on May 13, 2022 11:32:10 GMT -5
I figured I would start a thread about the various ongoing changes to hockey ops that HuGo have mentioned they want to make. They have already added Bobrov (amateur scouting), Vinny (special advisor and Vinny of all trades), and Adam Nicholas (player development).
Today they got a good catch to head up the analytics group. Chris is a McGill grad who was an innovator in performance based hockey metrics. He started out dabbling with Habs fan site EOTP, was scooped up as Director of Analytics for Sportlogiq (who were revolutionary in adapting metrics for NHL teams) and the last two years as a pro scout with the Sharks, combining analytics and good old fashioned scouting to inform personnel decisions.
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Post by Willie Dog on May 13, 2022 11:44:36 GMT -5
That's a great pickup
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Post by NWTHabsFan on May 13, 2022 11:58:38 GMT -5
This rumour is also making the rounds on the twitterverse these days too. Daniel Doré has worked as a scout for ages and worked alongside Gorton in both Boston and New York. Once Gorton was hired, the rumours started that Doré was a strong possibility of one of Jeff’s guys that he would lure over to the Habs in the off-season. Local guy, very experienced scout, and long ties to Gorton. Something to watch for post-draft (I just cannot see teams shedding existing amateur scouts this close to and before a draft, even if they attach a NDA to the move).
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Post by HABsurd on May 13, 2022 12:24:57 GMT -5
I figured I would start a thread about the various ongoing changes to hockey ops that HuGo have mentioned they want to make. They have already added Bobrov (amateur scouting), Vinny (special advisor and Vinny of all trades), and Adam Nicholas (player development). Today they got a good catch to head up the analytics group. Chris is a McGill grad who was an innovator in performance based hockey metrics. He started out dabbling with Habs fan site EOTP, was scooped up as Director of Analytics for Sportlogic (who were revolutionary in adapting metrics for NHL teams) and the last two years as a pro scout with the Sharks, combining analytics and good old fashioned scouting to inform personnel decisions. Very interesting and great news that Habs management is evolving beyond gut instinct decision making. Small correction, the company is Sportlogiq. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 1, 2022 7:55:40 GMT -5
It is official, MSL signed for three years.
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Post by habsorbed on Jun 1, 2022 9:53:27 GMT -5
Happy with the unsurprising news!
This announcement gives some insight on Hughes and his coyness. Just yesterday in an interview he said we're working on Marty's extension. Not a lie but not exactly straight up unless we are to believe this deal was signed last night and Le Club has scrambled to get all the messaging and presser done today. I would have been more comfortable if his answer had been "We hope to make an announcement soon".
Perhaps it's a good thing to have a 'coy' gm, although people were very critical of MB's lack of transparency. On a simple topic like Marty's extension, he chose to be disingenuous. We now know what to expect on other more controversial subjects.
By the way, in the same interview Hughes said they have not yet made a decision on the 1st overall pick. I don't expect him to let us know before The Big Reveal on draft day at the Bell Centre but I suspect they know very well who they're taking.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jun 1, 2022 10:22:38 GMT -5
Happy with the unsurprising news! This announcement gives some insight on Hughes and his coyness. Just yesterday in an interview he said we're working on Marty's extension. Not a lie but not exactly straight up unless we are to believe this deal was signed last night and Le Club has scrambled to get all the messaging and presser done today. I would have been more comfortable if his answer had been "We hope to make an announcement soon". Perhaps it's a good thing to have a 'coy' gm, although people were very critical of MB's lack of transparency. On a simple topic like Marty's extension, he chose to be disingenuous. We now know what to expect on other more controversial subjects. By the way, in the same interview Hughes said they have not yet made a decision on the 1st overall pick. I don't expect him to let us know before The Big Reveal on draft day at the Bell Centre but I suspect they know very well who they're taking. I'd be very surprised if they don't draft Wright. From previous comments on what he was looking for in the first pick - Character, Maturity, team oriented and not a me player, this seems to jive with yesterdays response. Hughes said in a video conference call from Buffalo on Tuesday. “It gave us a chance to see what kind of person he is. I was very impressed. He is a very mature and intelligent person.” |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 1, 2022 11:25:33 GMT -5
Here is a summary of Marty’s press conference today and his approach to player development. This is a breath of fresh air given the number of young players that should be coming into the team over the next little while.
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 1, 2022 12:40:50 GMT -5
Here is a summary of Marty’s press conference today and his approach to player development. This is a breath of fresh air given the number of young players that should be coming into the team over the next little while. It was nice to hear what Marty has to say and I am fine with struggling for the next 2 years if it means we have a contender for 5 to 10 years after that. |
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Post by seventeen on Jun 1, 2022 12:41:52 GMT -5
Happy with the unsurprising news! This announcement gives some insight on Hughes and his coyness. Just yesterday in an interview he said we're working on Marty's extension. Not a lie but not exactly straight up unless we are to believe this deal was signed last night and Le Club has scrambled to get all the messaging and presser done today. I would have been more comfortable if his answer had been "We hope to make an announcement soon". Perhaps it's a good thing to have a 'coy' gm, although people were very critical of MB's lack of transparency. On a simple topic like Marty's extension, he chose to be disingenuous. We now know what to expect on other more controversial subjects. By the way, in the same interview Hughes said they have not yet made a decision on the 1st overall pick. I don't expect him to let us know before The Big Reveal on draft day at the Bell Centre but I suspect they know very well who they're taking. In previous interiews, Hughes was pretty clear that he expected Marty to be back with the Habs, that a contract was almost finalized. We knew they were working on it. I didn't find anything misleading about Hughes' comments. I fully expected St. Louis to be back, and thought it might actually be a family situation that needed to be accommodated or sorted out, but that no actual signing could take place until that happened. They even delayed contract talks so Marty could go with his kids to a hockey tournament or two and Hughes could go to the IIHF worlds (I almost said the WC's but realized that doesn't take that long). I have found Hughes to be nothing but professional in his pressers. There are some things he can't comment on and I appreciate that, having been in positions where you could alleviate a lot of pressure on yourself by telling everyone what you know, but privacy and good manners prevent you from doing so. Regarding the first pick, I suspect they are leaning (more so than the tower of Pisa) toward Wright, but Hughes was quite emphatic in a recent article that the interviews and dinners with the prospects were very important to him and that they can have a better impression of the person's character after those interviews. They have taken Wright to dinner and Cooley was next (tomorrow I believe). I'm not sure what the plan is regarding Slafkovsky. I think they intend to interview him as well, but that will be a more difficult process because of potential language differences. I suspect Slafkovsky is not fluent in English and Hughes is not in Slovak. I don't know if they're taking anyone else for dinner but they may just interview over coffee. |
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Post by habsorbed on Jun 1, 2022 23:11:05 GMT -5
The wild card for me is that Cooley may get some preference due to Hughes' familiarity and ties with him over the years. That's not necessarily a bad thing but only if Hughes can adopt an impartial approach and listen to others in the room.
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Post by frozone on Jun 2, 2022 8:48:29 GMT -5
Happy with the unsurprising news! This announcement gives some insight on Hughes and his coyness. Just yesterday in an interview he said we're working on Marty's extension. Not a lie but not exactly straight up unless we are to believe this deal was signed last night and Le Club has scrambled to get all the messaging and presser done today. I would have been more comfortable if his answer had been "We hope to make an announcement soon". Perhaps it's a good thing to have a 'coy' gm, although people were very critical of MB's lack of transparency. On a simple topic like Marty's extension, he chose to be disingenuous. We now know what to expect on other more controversial subjects. By the way, in the same interview Hughes said they have not yet made a decision on the 1st overall pick. I don't expect him to let us know before The Big Reveal on draft day at the Bell Centre but I suspect they know very well who they're taking. In previous interiews, Hughes was pretty clear that he expected Marty to be back with the Habs, that a contract was almost finalized. We knew they were working on it. I didn't find anything misleading about Hughes' comments. I fully expected St. Louis to be back, and thought it might actually be a family situation that needed to be accommodated or sorted out, but that no actual signing could take place until that happened. They even delayed contract talks so Marty could go with his kids to a hockey tournament or two and Hughes could go to the IIHF worlds (I almost said the WC's but realized that doesn't take that long). I have found Hughes to be nothing but professional in his pressers. There are some things he can't comment on and I appreciate that, having been in positions where you could alleviate a lot of pressure on yourself by telling everyone what you know, but privacy and good manners prevent you from doing so. Regarding the first pick, I suspect they are leaning (more so than the tower of Pisa) toward Wright, but Hughes was quite emphatic in a recent article that the interviews and dinners with the prospects were very important to him and that they can have a better impression of the person's character after those interviews. They have taken Wright to dinner and Cooley was next (tomorrow I believe). I'm not sure what the plan is regarding Slafkovsky. I think they intend to interview him as well, but that will be a more difficult process because of potential language differences. I suspect Slafkovsky is not fluent in English and Hughes is not in Slovak. I don't know if they're taking anyone else for dinner but they may just interview over coffee. I didn't feel like his comments were disingenuous. And if the organization is anything like the company that I work for, there's still plenty of work to do after new contracts are signed. I can only imagine what the process might look like considering there's several new faces in the front office getting used to the pleasures of NHL paperwork. You may be right habsorbed, but I'm happy to cut him some slack on the word selections. It's gotta be a little tougher in Mtl than the other markets to communicate with the fans, and not just because you need to do it in both languages. The difficulty often times is in saying the EXACT same thing in both languages, especially when one language is stronger than the other. So when there's a hair of a difference between what was said in each language, and then the media and fans start translating and interpreting and assuming... that hair can turn into a huge divide sometimes. |
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Post by folatre on Jun 2, 2022 10:07:31 GMT -5
St. Louis continues to impress me with his philosophy (and it seems genuine rather than talking points) about player development. He could really turn out to be an X factor that helps Montreal build a strong team in the medium term. When I say X factor, what I mean is that having a critical mass of good, young players is not necessarily going to be enough in and of itself. Detroit, Ottawa, and Buffalo are trying to get up off the mat too and they have young talent. I think how the Habs stack up against those teams will depend on variables such as coaching, financial muscle put behind scouting and player development, goalie play, etc.
There are a bunch of teams in the East at various stages of rebuilding right now. Everyone is positioning to take advantage of the future decline of clubs like Boston, Washington, and Pittsburgh. Frankly, those teams have proved resilient (check out the point totals this season when their demise was being predicted by some pundits) and realistically I think Montreal is strategically aiming to open a window for winning in 2024-25.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 2, 2022 17:39:48 GMT -5
I like MSL's comments as well. Being a contrarian, I hope he is able to stick to that philosophy. At some point, winning will become very important, and it may conflict with development. I hope he is able to navigate that and still maintain that long term development focus. You don't win the Stanley Cup, however, for developing players properly.
Having said that, I completely agree that he should be able to balance those 2 factors. Right now, winning is dependent on development, so that takes priority.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 7, 2022 7:40:09 GMT -5
Captain Canada will join the Habs on a part time basis as she continues her hockey career. What a great move bringing in such a great hockey player into the player development team.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 7, 2022 11:56:37 GMT -5
This rumour is also making the rounds on the twitterverse these days too. Daniel Doré has worked as a scout for ages and worked alongside Gorton in both Boston and New York. Once Gorton was hired, the rumours started that Doré was a strong possibility of one of Jeff’s guys that he would lure over to the Habs in the off-season. Local guy, very experienced scout, and long ties to Gorton. Something to watch for post-draft (I just cannot see teams shedding existing amateur scouts this close to and before a draft, even if they attach a NDA to the move). I’d have to do more research but that name rings a bell. I can’t recall if it was in a good way or bad. (Leaning toward bad). |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 7, 2022 14:08:41 GMT -5
Captain Canada will join the Habs on a part time basis as she continues her hockey career. What a great move bringing in such a great hockey player into the player development team. You bring in winners to make winners... great move |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 13, 2022 11:16:51 GMT -5
A new add in the equipment management group.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 25, 2022 11:54:19 GMT -5
So with Richardson going to Chicago, Marty definitely has some shopping to do this summer for a new assistant.
I am not sure if they replace Burke. In addition to whatever he did on the goalie side, he also did some pro scouting (and time away from the Habs for Hockey Canada at times).
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Post by seventeen on Jun 25, 2022 22:03:10 GMT -5
I've be pimping for Markov to re-join the organization. This seems like a good time to interview him. If he is able to pass on what he knows to the kids, he could be even more supportive than Richardson, who was never a great transition defenseman. It would continue the injection of high Hockey IQ people into the franchise.
I too doubt they replace Burke. You need to be sure you have the right goaltender coach, but Burke didn't really do that. Frankly, I'm not sure exactly what he did.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 27, 2022 11:42:33 GMT -5
Chicago finally make it official.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 27, 2022 11:46:19 GMT -5
Lots of twitter speculation about who could come in and replace Luke.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 27, 2022 15:15:33 GMT -5
I am so against this. I wondered if hiring Marty was a mistake, but I think now it was brilliant. So, going back by hiring a guy from the dinosaur era of coaching just scares the hell out of me. The only thing that pleases me is that this is coming from the press and not from the Habs. It's MA Godin (who usually thinks pretty clearly) tossing it out.
I keep mentioning Andrei Markov. He's smart, was loyal to Montreal (not to Bergevin) and is not encumbered by any past coaching. The one strike against him is that he is Russian but he has Canadian citizenship and Hab fans loved him, so I think that issue can be overcome.
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Post by halihab on Jun 27, 2022 18:12:49 GMT -5
I am so against this. I wondered if hiring Marty was a mistake, but I think now it was brilliant. So, going back by hiring a guy from the dinosaur era of coaching just scares the hell out of me. The only thing that pleases me is that this is coming from the press and not from the Habs. It's MA Godin (who usually thinks pretty clearly) tossing it out. I keep mentioning Andrei Markov. He's smart, was loyal to Montreal (not to Bergevin) and is not encumbered by any past coaching. The one strike against him is that he is Russian but he has Canadian citizenship and Hab fans loved him, so I think that issue can be overcome. Disagree, Rick Bowness is an excellent coach, especially on the defensive side. he is well respected around the league. He has many years coaching but is hardly old school in teaching. Of course I am a little bias, seeing as he is a personal friend of myself and our family. |
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Post by Skilly on Jun 27, 2022 20:11:23 GMT -5
I am so against this. I wondered if hiring Marty was a mistake, but I think now it was brilliant. So, going back by hiring a guy from the dinosaur era of coaching just scares the hell out of me. The only thing that pleases me is that this is coming from the press and not from the Habs. It's MA Godin (who usually thinks pretty clearly) tossing it out. I keep mentioning Andrei Markov. He's smart, was loyal to Montreal (not to Bergevin) and is not encumbered by any past coaching. The one strike against him is that he is Russian but he has Canadian citizenship and Hab fans loved him, so I think that issue can be overcome. The fact that Markov has ZERO coaching experience isn't a strike? How about the fact that he is an extreme introvert, and avoids cameras like the plague? Wayne Gretzky was a great player, an introvert, an sucked as a coach. Markov, imo, would be going back to the days of giving the job to old former defensemen, just cause. The only ex former defenseman deserving is Larry Robinson. That's it. |
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Post by seventeen on Jun 27, 2022 23:04:15 GMT -5
I am so against this. I wondered if hiring Marty was a mistake, but I think now it was brilliant. So, going back by hiring a guy from the dinosaur era of coaching just scares the hell out of me. The only thing that pleases me is that this is coming from the press and not from the Habs. It's MA Godin (who usually thinks pretty clearly) tossing it out. I keep mentioning Andrei Markov. He's smart, was loyal to Montreal (not to Bergevin) and is not encumbered by any past coaching. The one strike against him is that he is Russian but he has Canadian citizenship and Hab fans loved him, so I think that issue can be overcome. The fact that Markov has ZERO coaching experience isn't a strike? How about the fact that he is an extreme introvert, and avoids cameras like the plague? Wayne Gretzky was a great player, an introvert, an sucked as a coach. Markov, imo, would be going back to the days of giving the job to old former defensemen, just cause. The only ex former defenseman deserving is Larry Robinson. That's it. Well, Marty had zero coaching experience. Larry Robinson was quoted in a recent Stu Cowan article about Marty St. Louis, "Coaching is not a science, it's a feel. He had a feel for what it takes as a player and all he has to do is convert that feeling and put it into words of a teacher now and if he gets his point across then I think he'll have success". I think Markov can do exactly that. Even as his legs were failing he was still more than adequate as a defender because he has a four dimension chess brain. We should ask his teammates just how introverted Markov was with them. How he acts toward the public and press is usually quite different for a player than when he's in that locker room and feeling safe. I don't know Bowness personally so I can accept that halihab's opinion will be more accurate than mine. If he is indeed like that, then he would be a good choice. I'd still like to see Markov re-join the team in some capacity. A guy with that good a hockey brain should be an asset. BTW, I didn't suggest Larry because as he himself puts it in a different Cowan article, "his body just can't take the travel anymore". He would not accept a coaching position but would be very open to some type of consultant role. If we can hire Vinny in that capacity, Larry should be a slam dunk. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jun 28, 2022 6:13:38 GMT -5
Bring Larry back, if only to have him more involved in the alumni, burgerbrain sure did a number on that...
I'd love to have the alumni at the first game and have a former captain hand the torch to the new captain, since I'm a huge Saku fan, would love for it to he him but it would most likely be carbo or the road runner... maybe bring them all back
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Post by folatre on Jun 28, 2022 8:37:52 GMT -5
If Robinson was willing to return to the grind behind the bench, he would be my first choice. I would not mind Bowness. Some young guys on the Stars definitely got better during his seasons with Dallas (it was the big ticket vets falling off a cliff that hurt the club's aspirations). Having said that, however, it would not surprise me whatsoever if Marty St. Louis tries to convince Dan Girardi to climb aboard.
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Post by Polarice on Jun 28, 2022 9:35:21 GMT -5
I've heard Brisebois's name mentioned a couple of times....I believe he was with the Habs front office for a spell in the player development role, but left over family issues.
Not sure how I feel about him as a coach, but I hear he is well respected in the industry.
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Post by jkr on Jun 28, 2022 14:18:57 GMT -5
The story I read in The Gazette quoted Robinson as saying that at 71, he just wasn't up to the travel involved in full time coaching. He would be open to a consulting role, similar to Lecavalier I guess.
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