Jennifer B Cutler: Habs Stay The Course & Will Select 9th Overall At The NHL Draft Barring any trades, the Montreal Canadiens will select 9th at this year's NHL draft.

trades are hard and tough to see Bergevin making any moves at all until EA releases the roster update.

I just don't see the habs and Oilers being good trade partners unless its a buy-low on Yakupov. The habs don't have the depth to trade a Dman unless it's Patryn or Emelin who won't garner much of a return.
PK is too valuable.
Markov has no value given his age and contract status
Petry was just signed and came from Edmonton
Beaulieu is needed to replace Markov

I just don't see the habs and Oilers being good trade partners unless its a buy-low on Yakupov. The habs don't have the depth to trade a Dman unless it's Patryn or Emelin who won't garner much of a return.
PK is too valuable.
Markov has no value given his age and contract status
Petry was just signed and came from Edmonton
Beaulieu is needed to replace Markov
- muffin_man

habs don't have much depth anywhere unfortunately.

the only real trade chip they have at this point is their 9th overall pick.

With their record of drafting/developing lately you figure it's probably more useful to someone else

habs don't have much depth anywhere unfortunately.

the only real trade chip they have at this point is their 9th overall pick.

With their record of drafting/developing lately you figure it's probably more useful to someone else
- dt99999

True hurts

Agree on most parts. Every fans, me included, wanted to see Beaulieu as Markov's replacement. Truth is, i don't think he will ever be more than a 2nd pairing which is fine and makes up for a good duo with Petry. To me, the better option for Markov's replacement is UFA-to-be Dan Hamuis. Of course, to even think of it as a possibility, you need to get rid of Emelin+DD or Eller (i won't kid myself, i don't think there will be a market for DD until the next TDL).

I believe the Habs will stay path and draft 9th and there is still plenty of quality prospects, just none NHL-ready.

habs don't have much depth anywhere unfortunately.

the only real trade chip they have at this point is their 9th overall pick.

With their record of drafting/developing lately you figure it's probably more useful to someone else
- dt99999

yes cause, Price, Galchenyuk, PK, GALLAGHER

were all bad draft pick...

AGAIN AND AGAIN, look at all past draft, just the first rounds, there a ton of mistakes...(so 2,3rd.4 th round are even worst)

Drafting Murray before Galchy is a big one...or Benoit Pouliot before Carey...yikes... always easy AFTER

Point is, we are not the team that as drafted the worst ... I'll give you we are not the best, but definitly far from bad

yes cause, Price, Galchenyuk, PK, GALLAGHER

were all bad draft pick...

AGAIN AND AGAIN, look at all past draft, just the first rounds, there a ton of mistakes...(so 2,3rd.4 th round are even worst)

Drafting Murray before Galchy is a big one...or Benoit Pouliot before Carey...yikes... always easy AFTER

Point is, we are not the team that as drafted the worst ... I'll give you we are not the best, but definitly far from bad
- Xizord

ok so Carey Price was drafted 10 years ago and you go on to name 3 other players.


that's 4 players in 10 years.


look at the pipeline now.


it's a desert!!!

habs don't have much depth anywhere unfortunately.

the only real trade chip they have at this point is their 9th overall pick.

With their record of drafting/developing lately you figure it's probably more useful to someone else

Recent drafting doesn't seems that bad to me considered the position at which they drafted (it could be better obviously, but also worse). Except Tinordi, most players are developing mostly as the kind of player people thought they would be for their rank. Which player are such a disappointment?

As for trading D to Edm for their pick, only Beaulieu+ seems to really be an option. Subban would leave too much of a hole in the D corps and everybody else is not worth enough to do it.

ok so Carey Price was drafted 10 years ago and you go on to name 3 other players.


that's 4 players in 10 years.


look at the pipeline now.


it's a desert!!!
- dt99999

Yeah but if we do the same exercise for others team that made the playoff most year in the last few and drafted at the same place than us, it's mostly the same. Who did such a better job? Most of those team have one or two standouts (like Gallagher and Galchenyuk for us), not much more.

Also, I'm pretty intrigued about Lekhonen. Could be a surprising addition next year.

Recent drafting doesn't seems that bad to me considered the position at which they drafted (it could be better obviously, but also worse). Except Tinordi, most players are developing mostly as the kind of player people thought they would be for their rank. Which player are such a disappointment?

As for trading D to Edm for their pick, only Beaulieu+ seems to really be an option. Subban would leave too much of a hole in the D corps and everybody else is not worth enough to do it.
- Popofjc

just looking at top round picks, granted aside from glachenyuk they havent;s many top 10s

but they have a pretty big hole on D and markoc looks like he's at death's door


MacDonagh was a good pick but we know what happened
Tinordi didn't pan out
Beaulieu looks ok but I think he's what he is, second pairing guy.
Juulsen had a bad season and what his 50th concussion?

and it's not just the drafting. you look down at the AHL and who have they sent up the past few years (impact players not Chad De La Rose) aside from Gallagher? Jury's still out on McCarron but the Icecaps aren't doing well AND they're not sending up permanent fixes.

yes cause, Price, Galchenyuk, PK, GALLAGHER

were all bad draft pick...

AGAIN AND AGAIN, look at all past draft, just the first rounds, there a ton of mistakes...(so 2,3rd.4 th round are even worst)

Drafting Murray before Galchy is a big one...or Benoit Pouliot before Carey...yikes... always easy AFTER

Point is, we are not the team that as drafted the worst ... I'll give you we are not the best, but definitly far from bad
- Xizord

Murray is a good player, and I wouldn't be surprised if he took some serious steps forward the next few years. He missed a big chunk of playing time, and chucky only started to look like what people expected the last couple of months.

Yeah but if we do the same exercise for others team that made the playoff most year in the last few and drafted at the same place than us, it's mostly the same. Who did such a better job? Most of those team have one or two standouts (like Gallagher and Galchenyuk for us), not much more.

Also, I'm pretty intrigued about Lekhonen. Could be a surprising addition next year.
- Popofjc

Ya but those other teams have good players on their rosters, the Habs are filled with plugs, so if their prospect pool is bleak as well its a pretty poopty situation

He should use Eastside Hockey Manager instead.

just looking at top round picks, granted aside from glachenyuk they havent;s many top 10s

but they have a pretty big hole on D and markoc looks like he's at death's door


MacDonagh was a good pick but we know what happened
Tinordi didn't pan out
Beaulieu looks ok but I think he's what he is, second pairing guy.
Juulsen had a bad season and what his 50th concussion?

and it's not just the drafting. you look down at the AHL and who have they sent up the past few years (impact players not Chad De La Rose) aside from Gallagher? Jury's still out on McCarron but the Icecaps aren't doing well AND they're not sending up permanent fixes.
- dt99999

Regarding defensemen we also let Weber go.

Regarding defensemen we also let Weber go.
- jugkope

Markoc!

9th overall is probably just as much a crap shoot as 28th overall. Looking back 20 years to the 1995 draft forward there are not many good players drafted; the best being Logan Couture, Dion Phaneuf and Dougie Hamilton - the rest most of us probably never heard of. Add to that MTLs luck in the first round and it doesn't look good.

9th overall is probably just as much a crap shoot as 28th overall. Looking back 20 years to the 1995 draft forward there are not many good players drafted; the best being Logan Couture, Dion Phaneuf and Dougie Hamilton - the rest most of us probably never heard of. Add to that MTLs luck in the first round and it doesn't look good.
- nords21

He's gonna draft that Brown giant kid and by the time him and McCaron are NHL ready, big players won't have their place in the game.

He's gonna draft that Brown giant kid and by the time him and McCaron are NHL ready, big players won't have their place in the game.
- WaterBoy

As long as he can skate there is always a place in the game. I felt McCarron's weak point was his skating but its getting noticeably better. Maybe even good enough to be a regular 3rd line C, like not-in-a-bad-way kind of 3rd line player.

As long as he can skate there is always a place in the game. I felt McCarron's weak point was his skating but its getting noticeably better. Maybe even good enough to be a regular 3rd line C, like not-in-a-bad-way kind of 3rd line player.
- nords21

Great to see our 1st picks becoming possible "great" 3rd line players

No, No it is not better for the "rivalry" (what rivalry??) for toronto to be competitive.

Under no scenario that I envision is it better for anything that is good in this universe for the Toronto team to be competitive in anything at any time. In fact, it's better for the league if they never make the playoffs since other, non-toronto media centric teams , will get a chance in the spotlight.

the idiots in the toronto media would saturate the coverage in the league with toronto bias and promotion even if they claim to be national organizations...

Great to see our 1st picks becoming possible "great" 3rd line players
- WaterBoy

Seriously, a handful of first rounders every year never play in the NHL, or maybe play less than 20 career games. Just go back and look at draft picks from the 90s up til now and realize that the failure rate is extremely high. While we all want stars from every pick the reality is that it doesn't happen that way. I for one would love for McCarron to be a future #2 center, but I would be happy if he were one of the better #3 centers.

9th overall is probably just as much a crap shoot as 28th overall. Looking back 20 years to the 1995 draft forward there are not many good players drafted; the best being Logan Couture, Dion Phaneuf and Dougie Hamilton - the rest most of us probably never heard of. Add to that MTLs luck in the first round and it doesn't look good.
- nords21

You need goal scorers. Offer your 9th pick and Beaulieu to the Leafs for JVR

ok so Carey Price was drafted 10 years ago and you go on to name 3 other players.


that's 4 players in 10 years.


look at the pipeline now.


it's a desert!!!
- dt99999

The goal is to draft 2 NHLers per year. They've failed miserably.