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Rookie Camp!

  • Hey everyone, this season I’ll be posting game day blogs but I wanted to get a jump on the breaking Habs news: Rookie Camp!

    Ok so its not breaking, or really newsworthy.. but it is the perrenial first sign that the summer pergatory is coming to its conclusion, and that we will be shortly experiencing snow, ice, dead car batteries, hands that will not warm no matter how you try to conceal them… oh yeah and hockey.

    So who is the most likely to make the roster out of this crew of rookies? Would it be better if young guys like Max Pac, Subban et al had a year in the AHL to fine tune?

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  1. #1 Habs Blog says:
    September 9, 2009 at 2:51 pm

    It’s almost always beneficial to get started in the A… but there’s always exceptions…that being said who really knows? If they can fill a need or role we’re lacking then they will most probably get the chance..

  2. #2 habknot says:
    September 9, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    Well, its hard to see a D-man cracking the top six until injury (and then it would almost surely be O’Byrne).
    Also we have so many forwards able to take a regular shift (if we can still group Laraque in there after last year), that its hard to see a rookie getting ice time.
    Halak/Price seem solidly in place so…..
    That leaves the 3rd/4th line forward/powerplay defenseman (see Streit/Weber). Weber is of course still the number one candidate, but I think PK has an outside chance. He is way more physical than Weber; kind of a hybrid of Streit and Bouillon. I agree with HB that a full season in Hamilton will give him more poise and confidence, but he may just turn into a kid you can’t keep on the farm.

    Also who will be the seventh D if Subban is in Hamilton? I think we are better with O’Byrne taking a regular shift in Steeltown and have Shawn Belle in the pressbox (is Valenteko still on our team, or is he in the KHL?). I still think O’Byrne has higher potential (kind of Gill – like actually), and just needs to get used to placing his large frame in the right place more often. We don’t want MaxPac or D’Agostini in the press box, so down they go if not playing full time. I think Chipchura and Stewart are better candidates to be on the big team and in and out of the line-up.

    There are blades on ice in the arenas all over Quebec, we’re warming up!

  3. #3 Senet1 says:
    September 9, 2009 at 9:50 pm

    Other than Weber I do not see any other D Man making the team, and Weber could play forward and Point on the PP.

    I think our team is set with no rookies making the team at the start. I would like to see us not make the same mistake that we made with Latendresse and Price with any newcomers. Lets be more patient.
    I do think that there is still a possibility of a trade and Halek may be part of it before we are done. That may open room for Desjardin or Sanford to come up and play. We have two big goalies that we need to find a place for them to play so it seems we are deep in that position at the moment, only time will tell if any of them well develop into NHL caliber.
    I would like to see Obryne start in Hamilton if we can send him down, I would have to check if he needed to clear waivers? Anyway looking forward to the season and our chats.

  4. #4 Mats Naslund says:
    September 10, 2009 at 3:04 pm

    Alot of the talk so far has surrounded Subban and Pacioretti. Pesonally I would LOVE to avoid the kind of confusion and personality crisis this team went through last season. You had guys literally caught between the 1st line and the pressbox all season long. We saw first hand how terrible that can be to a team’s psyche, especially if things go bad. There were too many guys playing the same role – and none of them got enough of a chance to trully contribute. Now that the big shift has been made it is time to give guys like Latendresse, Sergei etc the chance to prove they can stick with the big team. Max will be fantastic when his time comes. I can’t wait for PK to be on the TV every night – but I will if it means that we stop saturating our lines with youngsters who are benched every time they hit a rough patch. O’Byrne was a perfect example last season of the serious damage a player’s confidence will take if you don’t get him back out there quickly after a bad game. Its far too early to project lines, but I would much rather see some of the young guys down in the AHL where they can spend a year learning defense, and how to use their strength.

  5. #5 habknot says:
    September 11, 2009 at 6:22 am

    BTW, MatsN, great news that you’ll be blogging this year. Your comments are always well informed and insightful. Congrats to you and HB. Looking forward to a great year!

  6. #6 PACTUM SERVA says:
    September 13, 2009 at 4:21 pm

    So any news on whats been going on in camp guys? Should be an interesting 2 weeks leading up to the season.

  7. #7 Mats Naslund says:
    September 14, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    I have heard that Gui! showed up in great shape and has been very physical in camp thus far. Hopefully Latendresse can get a quick start this year as I think he’d be a great fit fo one of the top two lines if he can use his frame to cause prolems in front of the net.

    I’ve also heard that BGL is much lighter than last year which is a good sign for the Canadiens who will want Laraque to be in the lineup FAR more often than last season. Apparently the yoga and vegan diet Laraque has turned to have been very good for his back, but it remains to be seen how he’ll hold up during the 82 game grind. He’s the lightest weight he’s been since he was drafted which I think will really help him. Last year he was criticised for being out of shape and slow. This year he should be able to justify his ice time even in games with no heavy-weight title implications. Dave Stubbs wrote about him in the Gazette: http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Leaner+refocused/1991620/story.html

    I heard that Max Pacioretti was hitting the gym hard during the offseason and lowered his body fat huge. Good sign, alhough I still hope he begins the year in the AHL.

    The other Max (Lapierre) had off season surgery on his ankle that is still giving him some problems and minor discomfort. The idea of a injured Lapierre to start the season sure makes on question the depth of the team at centre. Maybe Chipchura could fill in if a centre goes down?

  8. #8 Mats Naslund says:
    September 14, 2009 at 5:20 pm

    I just noticed while reading through some camp news at RDS that both Sergei Kostitsyn and Kyle Chpchura have yet to take the ice due to off season surgeries. Here’s hoping that is precautionary rather than setbacks.

  9. #9 PACTUM SERVA says:
    September 15, 2009 at 10:24 am

    Looks like markov was offered the “C” but rejected it.

  10. #10 Mats Naslund says:
    September 15, 2009 at 2:32 pm

    This is one of those issues that will be talked about the Habs universe until it is resolved, but to me it is a non-issue. Offering Markov the captaincy was a token move. Montreal HAD to offer him the C as he is far and away the most talented of the remaining players from last season. Everyone involved with the Habs has publicly stated that Markov is a very quiet guy who does not enjoy the off-ice spotlight at all. He doesn’t speak french, and speaks only a small amount of english. Realisticly there was no way he was going to accept the job. This is not to say tht Markov will not be a leader – in fact the opposite is true. Markov’s best contribution as a leader comes from his brilliant on-ice play. Now that Gainey and Martin have exhausted this option publicly, they will be free to choose from the remaining candidates without offending those within the organization, as well as outside, who believed the captaincy belonged to Markov.

    I believe there are a bunch of guys who could do a great job as captain. Gomez and Gionta certainly have more established experience, but if either Gorges or Lapierre can take their on-ice game to the next level, you have to believe either one would make great captains. If people are willing to brave Markov (aka another european born captain), then why not give either Spacek or Hamrlik the C? Both guys have loads of NHL experience, and have played leadership roles on past teams.

    Ultimately I think the C will go to Brian Gionta. We’ve gotten used to plucky little captains who are able to win us over by their ability to hang with the big kids. No he doesn’t speak french, but I trully believe that job is being saved for Max Lapierre at this point. I wouldn’t be suprised at all to see Max or Josh Gorges as an A this season.

    *edit I guess we spoke too soon. Martin denied the reports that were all over mainstream media this afternoon that Markov was offered the captaincy. He said that the decision would be made after camp finishes. Does anybody in the media ever confirm reports these days?

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  • goalie : I can't type.... what a faux pas on my behalf...
  • goalie : I just realized what I said adn didn't say yesterday. What a fayx as on my behalf. Regarding coaching Randy Cunnyworth MUSDT stay as an assistant- he deserves at least that after the tremendous job he did in the latter part of this past season. I'd still mlike to have Robinson, Carbo adn Allard on the staff also.
  • Avatar37 : I agree Senet, my choice if we can't have Cunneyworth would be Crawford, Robinson on defense, Cunneyworth for offense, and Carbo as offense/faceoffs .
  • Senet1 : I think if I had my choice it would be Crawford and see if he could get Carbo and Robinson as assistants. That would be my idea coaching team.
  • goalie : I witnesed Marc Crawford MANY times when the Avs, etc. played against Oilers and let me tell you - he is constantly on the referees asses virtually game after game. He is the complete OPPOSITE of J. Martin. Crawford is calm on TSN but he is one excited coach behind the bench. A friend of mine who was an NHL linesman for 26 years said they dreaded Crawford he was so tough on the officials!
  • goalie : You know, I've bee thinking about the coaching situation. I'd be really excited if the Habs had Hartley as head coach and Carbo adn Robinson as his assistants. I also read it somewhere about a month ago that Toronto's goalie coach Allard (?) wants to relocate back to Montreal where he has his goaltending school/business. Add him to the mix and I'd say the Habs would be in great shape coaching wise.
  • Avatar37 : Well, from what I recall, Hartley didn't do all that well with the Thrashers. But, I don't know enough about him to judge one way or the other. Crawford I do know, and he always seemed to be a good, level headed coach to me.
  • Senet1 : even Pacioretty two years ago did not impress any of us. Younger players have to play and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If they sit in the press box they are learning nothing.
  • Senet1 : Of course if he have some good assistants like a Larry Robinson to teach the young defence and someone like Carbo to teach faceoffs etc. then your coach does not have to be as good at teaching. If Hartley fits the bill you get no argument from me. My only previous point is that if he is impatient with your younger players to the point that he does not play them, then we are right back where we were with Martin. Martin was a good coach too, but how he handled Emelin, PK and even Pacioretty two
  • goalie : I would like to see the Habs sign a coach who realizes that our team isn't tough enough (we need to get bigger and somewhat more nastier),the coach needs t be a great TEACHER and be a coach who can get the players to understand and buy into his system. Other than that I couldn't care what lingo he speaks. I wnat to see our team become a ligitimate contender fast!
  • HabsLoseAgain : Well we dont know if he is or is not a teaching coach. I woukd just hate to paint Hartley something that he is not. There will always be questions but if Hartley was hired as the habs new bench boss i for one would not be overly upset.
  • Senet1 : My thoughts are not that he is or is not a good coach but rather that when he won the cup he had an experience team of superstars on that team. Where as we have a group of young inexperienced players, is he a teaching coach or a tactical coach or both? I am not question whether he is a good coach, but my question therefore is he the coach for us at this point in the deveopment of our team?? Not sure we are all purely speculating at the moment?
  • Senet1 : Something happened to my first post. I will try again.
  • Senet1 : That is why I said I am not sure he is the coach for us at this time? Right now we are all speculating including yourself, because non of us know for sure?
  • HabsLoseAgain : Crawford also won a cup with Patrick Roy so would you say he is a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best goaltenders of alltime?
  • HabsLoseAgain : Senrt so please give me some reasons why you think Hartley is not the coach the habs need right now. What is it that you do not like about him or his coaching style?
  • HabsLoseAgain : Well all great coaches had great players playing for them so i guess you you add a a pile of other coaches to that list including Bowan......
  • Senet1 : Hartley, was he a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best altime goaltenders of all time. I am not sure that he is the type of coach that this organization needs right now. Unless of course we sign a ton of free agents.
  • Avatar37 : However, my feelings may completely be wrong, Hartley may turn out to be a good fit.
  • Avatar37 : I didn't say Hartley was unknown, I said we demoted a good coach in Cunneyworth and now have an unknown quantity because we don't have a coach. I don't have that great a feeling about Hartley, I'd be much more comfortable with Crawford.
  • HabsLoseAgain : In my opinion i think he might be a good fit in montreal. Oh and he also likes to have a tough team.
  • HabsLoseAgain : Also this year he coached the ZSC Lions to the swiss championship title.
  • HabsLoseAgain : lol the so called "unknown" won a cup in 2000-2001 with the colarado avalanch.
  • HabsLoseAgain : lol Bob Hartley is not an unknown lol.....sheesh.
  • Senet1 : I think he has until the trading deadline to show us that he deserves to be on this team. If he does not get back on track then he could be simply a 2nd round draft pick to whoever we can trade him to.
  • Avatar37 : Bourque reminds me of Pouliot, size, skill, and invisible. He needs to get back to playing a physical game and bang people around and maybe he'll start getting some of those garbage goals again. Need to get to the front of the net. I hope he can find his game again.
  • Avatar37 : We had a good coach in Randy Cunneyworth. Now we have an unknown, with Bob Hartley rumoured to be the front runner. I'd rather have Cunneyworth.
  • goalie : A player like Rene Bourwue has al the physical attributes of what would be a beter than average player. Hwever, he certainly didn't play that well especially after being in Montreal about three weeks. We NEED players like Rene to play hard AND produce points on a REGULAR BASIS in order for us to be competitive.
  • Senet1 : MONTREAL – Rene Bourque had a rocky start to his career as a Hab, but he’s planning on using the next four years to make up for it. After arriving in Montreal under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, Bourque spent the following 38 games hoping to find the spark he needed to rekindle his offensive production. Despite flanking Tomas Plekanec on the team’s second line to close out the season, the 30-year-old sniper suddenly found himself firing blanks in his new NHL home.
  • Senet1 : I think we have to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Let's get a strong management team in place, make a good choices in the draft get a good coach and then see what we need at the free agent market. I will not be too disapointed if we miss the playoffs again next year if it means a long term team success. We have the opportunity to make some major strides over the next two years at the draft table. Then we fill in the holes.
  • goalie : I certainly agree that we need to get some impact forwards who will sign for 5 years, not for a season then walk away. That's not going to help us.
  • goalie : I wouldn't trade PK for Ovetchkin no matter what. He is a coach's NIGHTMARE and a poor team player.
  • Senet1 : I believe he will as we graducally put better players around him and build this team.
  • Senet1 : Goalie I agree with Avatar. PK is the present and future of this teams defence. I would not even take Staal from Pittsburg unless I had him tied up in a long term contract of a Minimum of 5 years. Also once has to consider the salary difference. Pk is on the move up probably 3M plus for his next contract and then eventually 4-5M if he keeps on improving. He has moved his game up two gears since he came into the league 2 years ago. He now has to move to the next level and I believe he will as w
  • Avatar37 : pressure playing in Montreal, since he has problems with the expectations in Washington and Montreal isn't any easier. Then again, the media were very easy on Kovalev, so maybe it's a Russian thing? No idea. Anyway, yeah, it would have to be an established star that gives us an immediate drastic upgrade at forward, that's the only way I'd trade PK, because we'd be giving up a potential QB on our blueline for the next decade.

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