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Post by habsorbed on Jul 2, 2022 11:11:26 GMT -5
OK. Less than a week to go before the critical decision that will impact the Habs for the next 10-15 years, if not longer.
I'm saying make the Wright decision. He has the possibility of being a stud, perhaps not McD, Matthews stuff, but top 10 scorer (something Habs haven't seen for decades). As well, it would be the safest pick to ensure a decent asset as it would be surprising if he is not at least a top 2C.
While some are excited about Slafkovsky, I just don't get it. Strikes me as a Laine type, and that doesn't interest me. And I don't get all the hype about how well he played at the Olympics and the Worlds. These are hardly top end talent tourneys. Has he really shown himself over a long period of time against decent competition?
It's possible Cooley may be the real deal but it's just as likely he's not. And I don't want a smallish player - my PTSD. Sure, the league has changed, but we already have Cole, and Suze ain't exactly a powerhouse. You still need size in the playoffs - see Avs.
Unless Hughes has some inside intel (which may be erroneous) on these players, the safe bet is the Wright one.
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Post by folatre on Jul 2, 2022 11:55:45 GMT -5
Sustainable future success depends on having a very productive one-two punch at centre. Selecting Wright makes it quite likely Montreal will have this enviable strength. If I were Gorton and Hughes, I would have a hard time talking myself out of the obvious answer.
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Post by Douper on Jul 2, 2022 12:01:48 GMT -5
It has to be Wright. At best he's Ryan O'Reilly'esque at worst he Phil Danault. Take him and let's build around him and Suze
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Post by jkr on Jul 2, 2022 12:34:46 GMT -5
I voted Wright. This isn't Kotkaniemi where Bergevin tried to make people think he was a centre AND the BPA.
Wright has been at the top of the list for a long time now.
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jul 2, 2022 15:08:56 GMT -5
Wright is the right choice. Slav had two big tournaments motivated and playing for his country. If we evaluate Poehling based upon a small sample of his first year, he is a superstar. Slavkovsky had a very ordinary year and two great tournaments. Wright has no holes in his game and was scrutinized in detail for two years. He isn't MacDavid but he is the best available this year.
Even Connor Bedard has holes, only 5'9". Woulda, shoulda coulda???
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Post by Skilly on Jul 3, 2022 11:53:15 GMT -5
I think it has to be Wright.
When you look at Wright, he makes other players better. Sure he has less goals this year, but look at those assist numbers.
When I look at Slafkovsky, even if he is the best player in this draft eventually, I keep thinking to myself, who on the Habs would be his centre and feed him the puck? We got no one after Suzuki. And a line of Slavkovsky-Suzuki-Caufield is just putting all your eggs in one basket.
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Post by CentreHice on Jul 3, 2022 12:51:27 GMT -5
Gotta be Wright. Let's hope this "top centre" draftee performs as hoped...and sticks around.  2012. Galchenyuk @ #3. Berg and his staff drafted Chucky as "...a big centre. They don't come by very often. You can't trade for one. Down the middle, for me, has to be a strength...and he fits the bill." Didn't work out. 2018. Kotkaniemi @ #3. Drafted as another much-needed centre. Didn't work out. It's been a long 10 years, hasn't it? Chucky was Berg's 1st ever pick as GM. Wright will be Hughes's 1st ever pick as GM. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 3, 2022 14:10:54 GMT -5
Hughes and Vinny are having a press conference July 4 @ 2pm... wonder what it will be about...
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Post by habsorbed on Jul 3, 2022 14:19:21 GMT -5
Hughes and Vinny are having a press conference July 4 @ 2pm... wonder what it will be about... Hard to believe they will disclose who they're picking at #1. Might be different if the draft was not in Mtl, but there is huge entertainment/promotion value to heightening the suspense. Altho, given the results of this expert poll (currently all 13 votes picking Wright), it would seem the choice is not likely to surprise anyone. Can't recall in previous years if the team with the #1 has disclosed it ahead of time. Should be a wild time at the Bell Centre. Maybe the presser is to announce that Vinny will be in charge of the draft so that when the Habs pick Jack Hughes at #1, no one suggests there is any nepotism.  |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 3, 2022 18:57:39 GMT -5
Hughes and Vinny are having a press conference July 4 @ 2pm... wonder what it will be about... Hard to believe they will disclose who they're picking at #1. Might be different if the draft was not in Mtl, but there is huge entertainment/promotion value to heightening the suspense. Altho, given the results of this expert poll (currently all 13 votes picking Wright), it would seem the choice is not likely to surprise anyone. Can't recall in previous years if the team with the #1 has disclosed it ahead of time. Should be a wild time at the Bell Centre. Maybe the presser is to announce that Vinny will be in charge of the draft so that when the Habs pick Jack Hughes at #1, no one suggests there is any nepotism. Maybe its to announce a captain |
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Post by habsorbed on Jul 3, 2022 21:05:18 GMT -5
Hard to believe they will disclose who they're picking at #1. Might be different if the draft was not in Mtl, but there is huge entertainment/promotion value to heightening the suspense. Altho, given the results of this expert poll (currently all 13 votes picking Wright), it would seem the choice is not likely to surprise anyone. Can't recall in previous years if the team with the #1 has disclosed it ahead of time. Should be a wild time at the Bell Centre. Maybe the presser is to announce that Vinny will be in charge of the draft so that when the Habs pick Jack Hughes at #1, no one suggests there is any nepotism. Maybe its to announce a captain It would be timely given Shea has now moved on. How do they decide whether the team-mates vote or the management anoints? I |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 4, 2022 9:13:16 GMT -5
Maybe its to announce a captain It would be timely given Shea has now moved on. How do they decide whether the team-mates vote or the management anoints? I There must be a team only communication tool they use.. WhatsHab? InstaHab? Maybe that's how they chose a captain rather than in the dressing room. |
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Post by Tankdriver on Jul 4, 2022 9:20:25 GMT -5
Would they have had enough time to find a new assistant coach?
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Post by habsorbed on Jul 4, 2022 10:54:19 GMT -5
Would they have had enough time to find a new assistant coach? I don't think Vinny would be there for an asst coach announcement, more likely Marty. Altho, I never quite get what each management position responsibilities are. But the sense I have is Vinny is about players and their development which is why announcing captain is a possibility especially given Vinny wore a C. Then again it may be Vinny setting out what sort of players Habs are looking for in the draft. And the cynic in me says this more about PR and getting the fanbase revel up for the draft, and as well getting Vinny involved with the hometown market. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 4, 2022 11:33:11 GMT -5
Would they have had enough time to find a new assistant coach? I don't think Vinny would be there for an asst coach announcement, more likely Marty. Altho, I never quite get what each management position responsibilities are. But the sense I have is Vinny is about players and their development which is why announcing captain is a possibility especially given Vinny wore a C. Then again it may be Vinny setting out what sort of players Habs are looking for in the draft. And the cynic in me says this more about PR and getting the fanbase revel up for the draft, and as well getting Vinny involved with the hometown market. Could be... get the hype machine going... it doesnt take a lot... McCagg saying the habs will draft Slavsy is generating plenty... |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 4, 2022 14:05:23 GMT -5
McCagg saying the habs will draft Slavsy is generating plenty... Ah. Grant McCagg. Brilliance personified. A guy who slags his potential audience, the people he should be counting on to check into his podcasts and read his articles. I'd recite the times he's been wrong, but this post would stretch to 12 pages or so. Covid has distorted certain principles that have guided us in the past (eg, that there'd always be groceries on every shelf). Expectations have taken a hit, but that doesn't seem to have affected the scouting community. I'll give you a basket ball example, Pascal Siakam. Good player 3 years ago, who was expected to keep improving at a certain pace. Covid, the team being relocated to Tampa, all affected him. He wasn't the same guy. This past season, after returning from shoulder surgery and taking a few games to get his timing and fitness level up to par, he suddenly was one of the top 15 players in the league, where the Raptors hoped he'd be. Unlike Wright, he didn't miss a full season. On top of that, it appears Wright was the subject of a greater than normal amount of social media blasting. Why? Who knows. Organized campaign? Seems unlikely, but disinformation sharks can leap at anything to disrupt our values. Wright is our right choice. |
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Post by jkr on Jul 4, 2022 15:49:57 GMT -5
When I go to other sites and see McCagg discussions the consensus is the same as here - the guy is a poser who doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone on the HF Habs board actually found an old tweet from McCagg stating that Strome would be a better NHL player than McDavid and then challenged people to prove him wrong.
Who is this guy? What kind of cred does he have If any?
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Post by seventeen on Jul 4, 2022 17:33:00 GMT -5
I read that Tweet and got a chuckle out of it. Probably should have gotten a rip snortling laugh from it.
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Post by franko on Jul 4, 2022 19:17:01 GMT -5
I read that Tweet and got a chuckle out of it. Probably should have gotten a rip snortling laugh from it. any potted plants around? |
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Post by PTH on Jul 4, 2022 22:32:30 GMT -5
When I go to other sites and see McCagg discussions the consensus is the same as here - the guy is a poser who doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone on the HF Habs board actually found an old tweet from McCagg stating that Strome would be a better NHL player than McDavid and then challenged people to prove him wrong. Who is this guy? What kind of cred does he have If any? That tweet was proven to be forgery, a fake. |
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Post by habsorbed on Jul 5, 2022 0:18:21 GMT -5
Saw Vinny and Hughes doing their PR job. Must say was not impressed with Vinny - heard nothing insightful. And it was so helpful to learn that they are not picking the player who they think is currently the best but making their determination on who will be able to develop and become better  |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 5, 2022 0:19:59 GMT -5
When I go to other sites and see McCagg discussions the consensus is the same as here - the guy is a poser who doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone on the HF Habs board actually found an old tweet from McCagg stating that Strome would be a better NHL player than McDavid and then challenged people to prove him wrong. Who is this guy? What kind of cred does he have If any? That tweet was proven to be forgery, a fake. Fair enough, someone must have really hated him. I can attest to his comments to some posters who disagreed with him. I felt they posed reasonable arguments and weren't arseholes, but he wasn't having any of it. |
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Post by seventeen on Jul 5, 2022 0:24:07 GMT -5
Saw Vinny and Hughes doing their PR job. Must say was not impressed with Vinny - heard nothing insightful. And it was so helpful to learn that they are not picking the player who they think is currently the best but making their determination on who will be able to develop and become better Ahhh....so that clears it up.  Tom, Tom, you there? Slafkovsky may be disappearing before your very eyes. Howzza aboud sum 'surance? On your other point...yah...I was never sure about that Vinny signing. From an optics standpoint, it works. From a practical standpoint, I'm not sure Vinny gives you any real insight. OTOH, I'm not an insider and perhaps within the confines of an organization, he is able to add something to a discussion or enlighten others from the standpoint of a player (except wouldn't Marty be able to do that?). Maybe it was to make Marty more comfortable? Former teammate and friend? I don't know. So many possibilities. Oh well, it's just money and not even mine. |
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Post by Tankdriver on Jul 5, 2022 7:16:48 GMT -5
Saw Vinny and Hughes doing their PR job. Must say was not impressed with Vinny - heard nothing insightful. And it was so helpful to learn that they are not picking the player who they think is currently the best but making their determination on who will be able to develop and become better Ahhh....so that clears it up. Tom, Tom, you there? Slafkovsky may be disappearing before your very eyes. Howzza aboud sum 'surance? On your other point...yah...I was never sure about that Vinny signing. From an optics standpoint, it works. From a practical standpoint, I'm not sure Vinny gives you any real insight. OTOH, I'm not an insider and perhaps within the confines of an organization, he is able to add something to a discussion or enlighten others from the standpoint of a player (except wouldn't Marty be able to do that?). Maybe it was to make Marty more comfortable? Former teammate and friend? I don't know. So many possibilities. Oh well, it's just money and not even mine. I think it's one of those new "alumni" positions that teams hire as a go to between current players mindset vs management. The Ducks with Selannie/Niedermyer, Vancouver with the Sedins, Justin Williams with the Canes, etc. |
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Post by franko on Jul 5, 2022 7:34:09 GMT -5
I think it's one of those new "alumni" positions that teams hire as a go to between current players mindset vs management. The Ducks with Selannie/Niedermyer, Vancouver with the Sedins, Justin Williams with the Canes, etc. except those players were alumni, not people who shunned the team they eventually became a go-between for. |
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Post by Willie Dog on Jul 5, 2022 8:26:20 GMT -5
I think it's one of those new "alumni" positions that teams hire as a go to between current players mindset vs management. The Ducks with Selannie/Niedermyer, Vancouver with the Sedins, Justin Williams with the Canes, etc. except those players were alumni, not people who shunned the team they eventually became a go-between for. How true... what's next... bring in Shanahan... |
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Post by jkr on Jul 5, 2022 8:47:53 GMT -5
When I go to other sites and see McCagg discussions the consensus is the same as here - the guy is a poser who doesn't know what he's talking about. Someone on the HF Habs board actually found an old tweet from McCagg stating that Strome would be a better NHL player than McDavid and then challenged people to prove him wrong. Who is this guy? What kind of cred does he have If any? That tweet was proven to be forgery, a fake. Thanks for that. I still don't know who this guy is and why I should give his opinion any credence. We will know in a couple of days if he's correct. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jul 5, 2022 9:14:29 GMT -5
Back to the presser and how Hughes spent a lot of time saying they are spending a lot of time projecting how these three forwards will be at 24-26 rather than how they are right now.
In Wright’s case, he has a fairly high and projectable floor. That being a responsible two way centre, likely 2C. It is his ceiling that is much harder to project. His 15 age year was exciting as he drove play and was much more assertive and dynamic. His 16 age year was just a handful of successful U18 games, where he captained the team to gold despite missing a few games and coming back on an injured foot. The rest of the season was a COVID wash for the OHL. This year, his coach and the lack of puck moving defenders and good transition talent on his team, forced him to play a very different role. He had to get back to support the transition game more. His coach preached the quick soccer touch style game rather than a more dynamic end to end rush transition game. Wright also was tasked with mentoring two first year guys for the first half. He also said himself that he was working on adding more pro-ready attributes into his game this season, even if it came at the expense of more points. So, what is his upside? Is it an extension of this past “less dynamic” year or is it the ability to dip into a combination of all his different tools and skills that he has shown since his 15 age season. With a pro team and much more talent around him, he could actually dip into all those different skills way more often. The projection question is huge, and becomes can he access all those different attributes that he has demonstrated and make in the moment “reads” to adapt his game on the fly more than he did this year? He has shown he can play a more assertive style in the past. Can he be a guy who can balance when to “go for it” and when to “play it safe”? That is why there is still a huge following who think he can be that star two way centre. Count me among them.
With Slafkovsky, the biggest projection question is can he demonstrate consistent offensive and puck possession success at the next level like he did in his two big tournaments this past year? He struggled to do so in Liiga play where the game is more structured, where teams are very defensively sound, and players are bigger and stronger and take away a bit of the physical advantage he has enjoyed at times. This will only get harder in the NHL. Even with his late season surge, he did not come back and light it up in Liiga playoffs, where an already defensively strong league tightens up even more. How he adapts his power game against bigger, stronger, more structured defense will determine his upside for sure. Is he an Armia, or the next great power forward?
As for Cooley, he is the prototypical dynamic junior centre. A number of the things he does now will convert when he moves up against better competition, but other traits won’t. The proverbial “that looks great in juniors” moves and plays. He will also have to get stronger to handle the rigours of playing against bigger and stronger opponents. So his projection is not without its risks and questions too.
In the end, HuGo are taking the right approach. Take time to assess all three and try and project who they can become and which one best fits with the Habs down the road. Not an easy job, but it is actually is what scouts and management teams do all the time. They also don’t get it right all the time, but let’s hope the Habs do in this case and with the other exiting high picks this year and next. They need the boost of free high end talent.
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Post by habsorbed on Jul 5, 2022 10:28:34 GMT -5
Well, that makes a unanimous 20 votes for Wright. Don't know if we've ever had a poll with such clear results. Now, one could argue it is because the answer to the question is obvious and uncontroversial. Except if you listen to all the talking heads, it would seem anything but an obvious choice; or is it just media hype making a story when there isn't one?
I'm happy if it is an obvious choice, as all the more likely Wright is the best selection. And if he's a bust then so be it. We picked the clear best player - (see Wickenheiser).
At this point I'd be stunned if Hughes doesn't pick Wright. At least he can defend that position in a year or two if Wright busts. But can you imagine the drama if he doesn't pick Wright and Wright is a franchise player and Slaf or Cooley, not so much.
Bottom line after listening to all the experts on this board: if Wright's not the pick, Hughes and Co had better be damn sure they picked a winner and that winner better start showing themselves real soon as the pressure will mount in Mtl and ruin the kid.
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Post by Tankdriver on Jul 5, 2022 10:43:26 GMT -5
I just think it speaks to the vuolume of our center depth. If we had a strong young 1-2 in our lineup or knocking on the door, we might be looking at the winger. But we don't and I think that plays a lot in our minds. It is a lot harder to get a big No. 1 center than it is to get a winger. I also don't like Slafkovsky stats outside his tournaments. That screams KK, De La Rose, Colberg, Olofsson, Ikonen, Vejdemo to me.
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