Don't think so. Lehkonen will be top 6 and score at least 25 if he stays healthy this year.
- BashCH

He kinda hit a wall in the middle of the season, but he improved in the last few weeks and finished strong. I think he's going to be a good 2nd line winger.

Seriously......

Pacioretty, Lehkonen, Galchenyuk (if a winger), Drouin (if a winger), Byron....

All our goddamn guys that have an ounce of talent are shooting left.... except for Gallagher.
- Scabeh

Would you entertain de thought of trading Lehkonen for a guy like Sam Reinhart?

Byron will be in the top 6(20+ goals don't belong in the bottom 6) and Big Mac will play on the 4th line most of the season. He's a Julien type of player.
- WaterBoy

He will probably see time there, just like last season. Just think that guys like Lehkonen, Gallagher and Galchenyuk are ahead of him as of now.

Would you entertain de thought of trading Lehkonen for a guy like Sam Reinhart?
- BashCH

Yes, yes I would.

Why would Buffalo though?

Yes, yes I would.

Why would Buffalo though?
- Scabeh

They already have two good centres (Eichel, O'Reilly), are pretty weak on the wing.

They already have two good centres (Eichel, O'Reilly), are pretty weak on the wing.
- BashCH

Well then.

I'll make a few calls.

Well then.

I'll make a few calls.
- Scabeh

Thanks

Well then.

I'll make a few calls.
- Scabeh

Who you gonna call (lol)?

Thanks
- BashCH

Welcome.

Emerance Maschmeyer @Emerance_M
@BGALLY17 what do you think about a 10 puck shootout competition, Starbucks on the line? https://twitter.com/canad...status/899768308119031808 …

He should do it, she's pretty cute.
- BashCH

Bruce Gender‏ @pc_tol 15h15 hours ago
More
Replying to @CanadiensMTL @Emerance_M
Can we please leave #PoliticalCorrectness out of pro sports? There's no way she should be on the team.

First tweet by Pete?

Bruce Gender‏ @pc_tol 15h15 hours ago
More
Replying to @CanadiensMTL @Emerance_M
Can we please leave #PoliticalCorrectness out of pro sports? There's no way she should be on the team.

First tweet by Pete?
- AdamFrench

Who is this about?

Who is this about?
- hscesq

A friend of Branden Gallagher who will play for "les Canadiennes" de Montréal. A Women's hockey team.

Some didn't notice the slight difference in the team's name I guess.

A friend of Branden Gallagher who will play for "les Canadiennes" de Montréal. A Women's hockey team.

Some didn't notice the slight difference in the team's name I guess.
- Scabeh

Oh. I've heard of the league. They do quite well.

So to make room for a young up and coming talent, you're going to move a young talent who improved during all of last year? It's an idea, but it seems counter-productive to me.
- kev1586

Lines are never set in stone. People move up and down the line-up all the time. All I said was that it would be interesting to see Hudon play with some more talented line-mates as opposed to being buried on the 4th line. Burying Hudon on the 4th line with limited minutes seems to be counter productive to his development IMO. He might as well be playing top-line minutes in the AHL.

As much as I love Lehkonen, I don't see how it's counter-productive to shift him to the 3rd line for a few games to see how Hudon does on the 2nd. If it doesn't work out, move him back down and Lehk back up. No biggie.

Lines are never set in stone. People move up and down the line-up all the time. All I said was that it would be interesting to see Hudon play with some more talented line-mates as opposed to being buried on the 4th line. Burying Hudon on the 4th line with limited minutes seems to be counter productive to his development IMO. He might as well be playing top-line minutes in the AHL.

As much as I love Lehkonen, I don't see how it's counter-productive to shift him to the 3rd line for a few games to see how Hudon does on the 2nd. If it doesn't work out, move him back down and Lehk back up. No biggie.
- GstrangWondah

This coach doesn't strike me as one who will put Hudon on the 2nd line. Hudon wasn't even on his team when he took over, and he raved about Lehkonen often.

If anything, the Habs should give Lehkonen MORE icetime. He's already a great young player,

Not less so they can try out Hudon.
- Scabeh

You don't know what you have until you try it.

From the small sample that I caught of him, Hudon looked really good with mediocre line-mates. Would be interesting to see how he plays with better line-mates.

I knew I'd be lonely on this opinion, but I'm surprised that everybody seems to think that rotating Lehk for Hudon for a sample would be crazy detrimental to his development, as if one is so fragile and the other is not.

This coach doesn't strike me as one who will put Hudon on the 2nd line. Hudon wasn't even on his team when he took over, and he raved about Lehkonen often.
- hscesq

I'm sure you're right, particularly with respect to how solid Lehkonen is defensively, but it doesn't change my opinion that he should be given an opportunity considering we've only scratched the surface of his offensive talent and our team is clearly starving for offence.

He's the only one that would make sense to rotate, other than maybe Gallagher I guess... :/

Our top 6 is far from stellar, so there's no reason he shouldn't get a chance when someone inevitably starts slumping.
- apex123

I think this would be the most likely scenario, unless he knocks it out of the park in preseason.

You don't know what you have until you try it.

From the small sample that I caught of him, Hudon looked really good with mediocre line-mates. Would be interesting to see how he plays with better line-mates.

I knew I'd be lonely on this opinion, but I'm surprised that everybody seems to think that rotating Lehk for Hudon for a sample would be crazy detrimental to his development, as if one is so fragile and the other is not.
- GstrangWondah

I think Hudon shouldn't be on the top 2 lines except if there are injuries or a top player is playing really really bad for a couple of games.

I think Hudon shouldn't be on the top 2 lines except if there are injuries or a top player is playing really really bad for a couple of games.
- BashCH

Why not though? I'm just not hearing any rationale behind this... just read EOTP's report on him and it was pretty glowing. From what I've seen, which is admittedly very little, he's looked really good. His stats, both AHL and NHL (again, admittedly very little) are promising. His weaknesses, from what I've heard are his injuries (ability to stay healthy) and discipline. Here's a sample of the article I'm talking about:

"Hudon is, simply put, an offence-generating machine. He sets up scoring chances and finishes them with regularity. Regardless of who is put on his line the puck seems to find its way into the net.

His partnership with Chris Terry and Nikita Scherbak was one of the most prolific in the AHL this year, and it allowed Terry to shatter several IceCaps scoring records. It’s a cliché thing to say, but Hudon makes his linemates better almost immediately."

https://www.habseyesonthe...ojection-stats-highlights

He seems to me to be one of those players that everybody expects very little from, has pegged his ceiling as a bottom 6 winger at best and the only opportunity he'll get is through sheer luck. All this despite promising play. I get that Lehkonen deserves to be in the top 6; he's a great player and I love having him on the team, but you don't really know the true potential of Hudon until you place him in a position to succeed. Seems to me like we could use "an offence-generating machine", haha.

Why not though? I'm just not hearing any rationale behind this... just read EOTP's report on him and it was pretty glowing. From what I've seen, which is admittedly very little, he's looked really good. His stats, both AHL and NHL (again, admittedly very little) are promising. His weaknesses, from what I've heard are his injuries (ability to stay healthy) and discipline. Here's a sample of the article I'm talking about:


https://www.habseyesonthe...ojection-stats-highlights

He seems to me to be one of those players that everybody expects very little from, has pegged his ceiling as a bottom 6 winger at best and the only opportunity he'll get is through sheer luck. All this despite promising play. I get that Lehkonen deserves to be in the top 6; he's a great player and I love having him on the team, but you don't really know the true potential of Hudon until you place him in a position to succeed. Seems to me like we could use "an offence-generating machine", haha.
- GstrangWondah

AHL offense generating doesn't guarantee NHL offense generating...

Plus, as we've already said, I don't think he's good enough to bump someone in the current top 6. If he wanted to be top 6 he'd need to play center at this point.

AHL offense generating doesn't guarantee NHL offense generating...

Plus, as we've already said, I don't think he's good enough to bump someone in the current top 6. If he wanted to be top 6 he'd need to play center at this point.
- BashCH

Corey Locke!

AHL offense generating doesn't guarantee NHL offense generating...

Plus, as we've already said, I don't think he's good enough to bump someone in the current top 6. If he wanted to be top 6 he'd need to play center at this point.
- BashCH

Of course there are no guarantees. I said his stats are promising, not guaranteed.

Have you watched him play a lot at the AHL level? I've only seen a few games of him at the NHL level. That EOTP article I linked is pretty high on him it seems. Doesn't say anything negative about his defensive game, as far as I recall.

All in all, you're probably right. Lehkonen should probably be a fixture on that 2nd LW spot under Patches, which leaves no room for Hudon. Byron deserves that 3rd spot, too. So many middle six wingers.... I just think it's unreasonable to make a blanket judgement such as "he's not good enough" without giving him an a legit opportunity (unless you know something I don't, which is why I'm belaboring the point).

Of course there are no guarantees. I said his stats are promising, not guaranteed.

Have you watched him play a lot at the AHL level? I've only seen a few games of him at the NHL level. That EOTP article I linked is pretty high on him it seems. Doesn't say anything negative about his defensive game, as far as I recall.

All in all, you're probably right. Lehkonen should probably be a fixture on that 2nd LW spot under Patches, which leaves no room for Hudon. Byron deserves that 3rd spot, too. So many middle six wingers.... I just think it's unreasonable to make a blanket judgement such as "he's not good enough" without giving him an a legit opportunity (unless you know something I don't, which is why I'm belaboring the point).
- GstrangWondah

Also work is slow and I'm bored.

Of course there are no guarantees. I said his stats are promising, not guaranteed.

Have you watched him play a lot at the AHL level? I've only seen a few games of him at the NHL level. That EOTP article I linked is pretty high on him it seems. Doesn't say anything negative about his defensive game, as far as I recall.

All in all, you're probably right. Lehkonen should probably be a fixture on that 2nd LW spot under Patches, which leaves no room for Hudon. Byron deserves that 3rd spot, too. So many middle six wingers.... I just think it's unreasonable to make a blanket judgement such as "he's not good enough" without giving him an a legit opportunity (unless you know something I don't, which is why I'm belaboring the point).
- GstrangWondah

Tomorrow's EOTP article will be about Lehkonen...I'm sure it'll be as positive as Hudon's...

He'll get his chance but he'll need someone injured for that I think.