tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post2514692732595837487..comments2023-06-01T21:15:57.354-11:00Comments on The H Does NOT Stand For Habs: The Naked DraftJ.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00012075493503316318noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-44480107492019838542009-11-13T09:56:52.812-11:002009-11-13T09:56:52.812-11:00@Andy & others who cite player development as ...@Andy & others who cite player development as the crux of the problem: I don't really buy that, in that it's not quantifiable. If the Habs are so consistently bad at developing players, management can change coaches much more easily than it can start over with a new bunch of players. And, if player development is such an issue, how come guys like Plekanec, Higgins and Ryder had their best seasons with the Habs? Even Komisarek played his best hockey to date in a Montreal uniform (although I think he can probably thank Markov for that.) Halak has developed extremely well for a ninth-rounder too. <br /><br />No, I think any development system is only as good as the talent within it in the first place. I mean, how many different ways, from how many different people does Guillaume Latendresse have to be told to go to the front of the net? Or Andrei Kostitsyn to shoot the puck?<br /><br />That said though, Andy, I completely agree the Habs need a life coach within the system. I think Carey Price suffered when he showed up in Montreal at age twenty, without having ever lived on his own before. He was left by himself to deal with the pressure of the job while also sorting out how to run a household and manage his time and behaviour. I think it would have helped him to have an older teammate take him in, like Mario did for Crosby and Gonchar for Malkin.J.T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00012075493503316318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-43385315333161879732009-11-13T06:02:10.713-11:002009-11-13T06:02:10.713-11:00I'm more inclined to think that player develop...I'm more inclined to think that player development is what's done us in. Taking a look at how poorly Latendresse, Grabovski, SK74, Carey Price, Chris Higgins, and others have been coached, I would say the problem lies there. <br /><br />In many cases, the missing piece was life-coaching rather than physical conditioning and skill development. The Habs have nothing in their organisation for that.AndyFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13259576244930609088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-21914783835536126352009-11-13T05:01:19.528-11:002009-11-13T05:01:19.528-11:00Everyone basically brings the same toolbox to work...Everyone basically brings the same toolbox to work... it's how you learn to use the tools...<br /><br />I agree with most of the comments here - maybe Timmins is good or okay - but doesn't really matter because of poor player development.<br /><br />I think Boucher will do wonders in Hamilton and Martin will help the newer prospects who get called up...<br /><br />I also feel that Carbonneau hurt this team on many levels... I hate playing the what if game, but what if Ryder didn't fall into Carbo's doghouse? And Streit wasn't used as a forward? And how much was he to blame for the lack of cohesion last season?<br /><br />Ryder and Streit aren't superstars but good role players who are appreciated on their current teams.<br /><br />We drafted good players, killed their mojo, and then let 'em walk...<br /><br />This organization need to do better to help players succeed.Christopher Samahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16189490788631747991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-36789787079726437232009-11-13T02:04:11.387-11:002009-11-13T02:04:11.387-11:00@Topham: Ah, but you can't take away the top f...@Topham: Ah, but you can't take away the top five picks. The Habs have had one too, and he's still in the "yet to be determined" category when it comes to figuring out how much he'll be able to help the team. My point (or one of them anyway!) is almost every other team has a first round pick who's making a difference right now. The Habs do not.J.T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/00012075493503316318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-60162352384744625582009-11-13T00:40:08.827-11:002009-11-13T00:40:08.827-11:00You might be interested in this:
http://www.lionsi...You might be interested in this:<br />http://www.lionsinwinter.ca/2009/06/draft-week-montreal-canadiens-woeful.html<br /><br />Timmins has been fine relative to his rivals. Even in the first round. If you take away top 5 picks your list of rivals looks as square as the Habs:<br /><br />Ottawa has no one of note. Buffalo has Stafford. Boston had no one, and has now turned him into TWO first rounders. Only the leafs' draft record is worse than the Habs', with no first rounders of their own choosing on the roster in important roles. The other teams in the East also have first-rounders who make a difference. Pittsburgh? would still be a bottom feeder without top 5 picks. Philly has Carter and Richards, Gagne, Giroux and Van Riemsdyk. Caps? NOt so great when you take away Ovechkin and Backstrom. Atlanta has Little, Isles have no one, Devils have Parise, Zajak and Brodeur, Florida has Olecz, Horton, Weiss and Frolik, Tampa has no one, Carolina has Ward and the Rangers have Staal and Del Zotto.<br /><br />Really you'd be staring down Philly and New Jersey. <br /><br />Montreal is in the same position as Toronto in that aiming for a top 5 pick is completely unacceptable leading up to the draft, not having a star picked on draft day is also not up to standards. It's damned if you do, damned if you don't. I think the management have done well considering the restraints.<br /><br />Ad to that that Timmins does better beyond round 1 than the vast majority of rivals and you see he must get his clothes back.Tophamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14157334079663330151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-49895348454881290152009-11-12T19:31:07.722-11:002009-11-12T19:31:07.722-11:00It's called development. It all stunted under...It's called development. It all stunted under Don Lever in Hamilton, and Guy Carbonneau in Montreal. That's where the disconnect happened.<br /><br />Notice that Streit and Grabovski thrived outside of the Montreal limelight?<br /><br />Gainey wanted to fire Lever in 2007 for the stunting of Habs prospects, but then the Bulldogs won the Calder Cup. In hindsight, that was a mistake. AHL teams aren't for winning (sorry Hamilton fans), they're for development of young talent.<br /><br />My main criticism of Timmins is that he is ALWAYS looking for the home run, IMO. He's trying to find the diamond in the rough, whether it's in Belarus, a Connecticut prep school, some high school prom king in Minnesota, or a tier 2 junior player. How many guys have been drafted high out of the major junior program under his watch? How many guys have been drafted out of the Swedish Elite League? The numbers are staggeringly low... he's always looking for the late bloomers when there are guys that are playing at a high level right now... that are AHEAD of the curve at 18.saskhabhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05301193127732448418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-78391564462165173662009-11-12T16:00:12.802-11:002009-11-12T16:00:12.802-11:00I agree that Trevor basically has not swung for th...I agree that Trevor basically has not swung for the fences for that home run hitter, but I would not fault his stocking of defensemen by their similar skill sets. Who could predict which one will ascend? Who knows, PK may be that home run hitter on the blueline. I remember him not being listed in the Hockey News top 100 prospects that year.<br /><br />Please, let's not discuss the contributions of all those Panther top 10 picks and could Tampa miss picking Stamkos 1st and Hedman second overall?<br /><br />Winning and losing changes the perception. Right now, everything looks hopeless, nobody scoring, FAs taking big cap room, etc. Obviously, the drafting looks terrible. A couple of years ago, the brothers were producing, the goalies looked great and the drafts were providing the supporting cast to a winning team. Now, they all look like dudsDKerrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02445386772250841397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3435571560723564995.post-76787392684273409222009-11-12T15:29:21.232-11:002009-11-12T15:29:21.232-11:00Doesn't matter. All of those great guys you me...Doesn't matter. All of those great guys you mentioned wouldn't have done well with us. We'd be banging our heads against the wall while Carter was grinding on the fourth line and AK was scoring 50 in Philly. I'm being somewhat serious. In effect I'm saying that there's more to it that who you draft. OTOH I get and mostly agree with your thesis.Anvilcloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07974744042579564912noreply@blogger.com