HONORABLE MENTION goes to Owen Beck who it was hard to keep out of this top 5, but I’m going by who I felt could have the strongest impact of these prospects. Thanks as always for your support folks! 😎
I guess the difficulty in trying to create a Top 5 is each of the Hab prospects are at different levels of their development. Some are a year away, others, at least a few if not longer, others won't ever make it due to trade or otherwise. My Top 5 are: 5. Owen Beck (he's trying to push his offensive game but also adding being a bit of a pest to his game. I see him as a good 3-4th line Center). 4. Roy (if he can find consistency in his game and use his high IQ, he could be a good well rounded player. Great hands but I am really pleasantly surprised how defensively aware he is.) 3. Reinbacher (I hope the Habs really take their time with his development. He has the skills, the frame, the IQ to be a really good Dman but he needs to mature and focus on rounding out his game. What I really like seeing in him is he may seem soft spoken and timid but when he is on the ice, he has bite to his game). 2. Hutson (this may be a bit of a surprise for most who prob peg him as #1 but as offensively skilled and talented as he is, Hab fans better be ready to accept the giveaways, soft play and defensive lapses that come with such a player. I'm not saying he won't improve that part of his game but I personally do not think he is the be all, end all saviour for our PP. Do not expect a Makar or even a Fox...Markov was a great QB on the PP but he stayed by the blue line...amazing passer, decent shot. Hutson brings a completely different element...always active, skating high&low, stick handling, scanning, Dman in the offensive zone which will cause havoc on the opposing Pk...not elite passer/shooter but good.) 1. Fowler (watching him play, he is very technically sound, but his rebound control is elite and what is important to me, he always looks calm in net. Now I'm no fitness expert but if he wants to stay healthy and have a long career, he will most certainly need to work on his fitness level. We have good depth in prospects in goal, and on D...but we lack elite offensive forwards (IMO, we have no one...but I feel Hughes will look for them outside the organization or he drafts them in '24, '25???)
That’s a solid list Dekes! My dark horse pick is the little Xhekaj. I don’t think he will be more than a 4th liner at best but in the playoffs especially I can see him being an absolute difference maker. Plus don’t bet against a Xhekaj!🤣
So sick of these "fans" just hardcore hating on our 5th overall pick I get it we all wanted Michov myself included but why send Reinbacher so much unwarranted hate?..
I’m not gonna lie i didn’t really pay attention to Reinbacher and I wanted Montreal to draft Zach Benson I didn’t want Michkov because Ivan Demidov is better and he could drop to 5th or 6th overall because defenders in 2024 may go higher than expected so I was disappointed when Montreal took Reinbacher….. But then I actually looked at him, I looked at our team, I looked at our needs and We NEEDED a RD with the potential of Reinbacher because if we didn’t have him we would have been searching for a player like him for a while and teams are always searching for a RD with that level of talent so I really looked at Reinbacher and saw that he has OFFENSIVE TALENT! He had a 0.48 PPG in his draft year playing against men! Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Hedman both had s 0.49 PPG in their draft years, Just to put that into perspective amazing offensive two way defenders like Josi had a 0.23 PPG, Heiskanen had a 0.27 PPG and Moritz Seider had a 0.21 PPG in their draft years…. Reinbacher is AMAZING At closing the distance on a player and his offensive skills are very underrated… He was the right pick for this team and he was a pick that brought us closer to winning a cup in the future, It would have made sense to take Michkov if we didn’t have caufield or Slafkovsky or Suzuki or Dach or Roy like this team has Offensive talent, But we didn’t have an Elite top pairing RD in our system we just didn’t have one Mallouix isn’t that he’s gonna be a solid Second pairing RD but he’s not even close to the level as Reinbacher…. If fans like it or not the best move in 2023 was taking Reinbacher and at the time I didn’t think so but once I really looked at him and looked at Montreals system and looked at the 2024 draft and also looked at Montreals “Plan” I decided for my self that taking Reinbacher was the right move…. Cayden Lindstrom is a 2024 prospect that is 6’5 has a WICKED ONE TEE! Has amazing! Passing abilities and uses his body very well also has amazing puck protection skills IQ IS OFF THE CHARTS for a big kid, Only downside is he depends on his size a little more than he should but that’s literally the only nitpicking aspect in his game and to be honest he may be a better prospect than Juraj Slafkovsky like if he was a 2022 draft eligible player he would have been a lock for first overall this kid has Tage Thompson level talent and he’s better than Tage Thompson was when he was in his draft year… I really hope Montreal drafts Lindstrom because he has the size and he has massive skill and potential, But if Montreal also ends up with Catton or Demidov than habs fans should Chill on crying about Michkov if we end up with on of those 3 players Lindstrom, Catton or Demidov, If we win the Lottery EVEN BETTER, But Catton, Lindstrom or Demidov will be SUPERSTARS in the NHL…. Montreal has a plan and they are taking their time and it’s going to pay off in a big way, Kent Hughes said “we don’t need a star” because he believes we have one in our system that Will develop and be better then predicted and his meaning by that is we don’t need to go and trade or spend FA money on a star because we Will develop one or draft one and they may do both they may develop Juraj into a star player and they may also draft one in 2024 and they will be much Cheaper than a FA or a player coming in from a trade that needs an extension and wants 10 million plus….
Great top 5 ! I’m sure people already mentioned it ad nauseum that Montreal will have to trade defensemen to make room for all those wonderful prospects. Matheson, Savard, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Kovacevic, Barron, Lindstrom, Nordlinder, Struble, Wideman, Mailloux, Reinbacher, Hutson, Trudeau, Beaudin, among others and the next ones to be drafted … there is only 6 slots, 8 if you count a 7th and the first called up from Laval. I would argue that Montreal got the same problem upfront but for bottom 6 personnel sadly, only a few are deserving to be in a top6.
It’s obvious, they’ll have to trade many young defensemen , they can’t keep them all, and in that process some players won’t have a chance to peak in Montreal and evaluations will be rushed and wrong players will be traded . Sometimes too much is like not enough I mean who do you keep in this group of guys? Most of them won’t be happy playing on the third pairing and probably will eventually ask for a trade🤷🏼♂ Montreal should of never drafted Reinbacher , that was such a waste of pick
I love Fowler’s mindset, hope he can progress but it will be a while before he’s a factor on this team. Hard to argue the picks you made. I do think Roy will have the ability to play an offensive role with this team, would love to see him play some games this year after Laval’s season is done.
Absolutely. I’ve been thinking of Florian as a better “Pezzetta” long term. Would be cool to see, and I think he’s certainly got more skill. No love loss to Pezz haha, but I’d love to see Florian as a solid 4th line guy who can also chip in offensively. Can definitely see it.
The thing with Fowler is we're never seeing him in a true tough situation this year. He plays for THE VERY BEST team in NCAA, sorry to have to write it in capital letters like that but the fact is you could almost take Fowler out of this team and it would sitll be the best defensive core and the very best group of forwards in this whole league. His development is great so far, what we're seeing from him is very encouraging, much more so in the style he displays a bit of the Roy flashes with the Luongo poise and the Hasek compete. I'm confident he can grow into the top role, but let's keep it as cool as we can with him. The next steps in his development should be to have him play for a lesser impressive team in order to start facing more challenging shots and situations in game (he's already facing those in practice ahah)
Great take Drew! I think Owen will have more of an impact on the Habs than Mesar. Owen is 2" taller, around 20lb heavier. I have seen them play and Owen loves to handle puck and can/will take it coast to coast. I really like them both and wish nothing but the best but I when comparing 2 hockey players I have to side with side and speed. As Philipé Alou said when Managing the 'Spos "speed never hoes in a slump"! The second best line in sport...the best belongs tp Cherry. When talking about fighters and pretenders (yappers) he said: The 3 most feared words in hockey..."let them go". Great show!
Thanks Bobby! I think Mesar was drafted before Beck for a reason. I think Owen will be a solid Hab one day, I just think Fil has the potential to be a more dynamic player overall.
@@DrewDekes The Habs also took Slafkovsky over Cooley and a few others. No matter how Kent and Marty want to frame it, the kid is failing at this level and needs to go to Laval. I LOOK for something positive and see nothing as it relates to speed, quickness (he needs to lose 15 lbs), stick handling, playmaker, TkA, hits, shooting (1/gm doesn't cut it). He is always behind the play and will not carry the puck cross 2 lines. It makes no sense to keep the kid hear and they're killing his confidence. I saw a much more if Cooley and he will be a great NHLer...right now, I have major doubts about Slafkovsky.
Tbh, I really think Hutson is on a Tier Level on its own. The rest I dont even think they’ll be Roster Spot Players. Its either Bust or 3rd-4th liners, 3rd Pair dmen.
Haha. I can’t wait to see Markov honoured at the bell centre someday when the timing is right. He deserves it. My favourite Hab off all time. I’ll be there!
Not sure Drew that Mesar and Roy will be impact players in Montreal.... We already have smaller Caufield Suzuki and Newhook on our top 6... so same goes with Farrell So i think only 3 impact players is more realistic Thanks for not choosing defensiveless Mailloux and bottom six Beck... Maybe a Bogdan, Engstrom or Volokhin could be an unexpected surprise
The thing is, will these players have enough impact to make us contenders?..🤷♂️...I have no doubt Roy, Hutson, Mailloux, Mesar, Reinbacher will make us a tougher team to play against, well, at least they fucking better after all this hype, and waiting so damn long, if it doesn't work out it will absolutely crush my hopes for this franchise for a loooong time.
Keep the faith my friend. It’ll still be a few years at LEAST….and that’s a tough reality even I’m starting to have to realize I need to accept but, if it means a fun/competitive team to watch for 5-8 or even 10 years straight, I’m willing to wait it out. Just think of Sabres fans…no playoffs in 12 years, maybe 13 if they don’t make it this season! Just imagine that….there’s a real plan in place. Keep the faith…it’ll be a little while yet but like you said, the hype is there, we just need to hang on until 2026 or so when things will really take a noticeable turn for the franchise. It’s coming.
@@DrewDekes And thats how long Im giving it, if theres no big turn in 2026, I'll be losing interest, I will not be like a Sabres fan, I will not subject myself to watching a losing culture year after year after year after year after year, Montreal is supposed to be a more respectable franchise. Phil Boucher said all the right things on The Sick Podcast, this has to be the last year to draft high, after that stop with the picks and get the ball rolling.
I agree with Fowler, Roy and Hutson but my gut tells me Beck will be a bigger impact than Mesar and I think Mailloux will be a bigger impact than Reinbacher. But that's totally fine. I was not at all impressed with Mesar last season and I am really happy to see him improve this season. If he can bring his scoring touch to the NHL level, everyone wins. But I think Beck's faceoff skills and intelligence is going to be invaluable and hard to replace. As for Reinbacher, It's not that he's not going to be a good NHL defenseman, but I see him more of a dependable D that can skate the puck out and make smart passes to clear the defensive zone. I think Mailloux will be a more impactful player. He'll put up more points on the score sheet and will be more physical on top of being able to skate the puck out. He will also get more PP time than Reinbacher. I will repeat in case anyone get's the wrong idea, If all of these guys make it on the team and contribute in their own way to the teams success, I will be happy. I was discouraged about Mesar but I'm happy to see him put up points this seaon. I'd be thrilled if he became a top 6 forward playing along side Slafkovsky. And if Reinbacher becomes a solid and reliable D playing on top minutes on the PK, that will be fine too. You need guys like that too. Look how Edmonton looks without depth. The Habs need players who are exceptional at what they do best even if they aren't all top 6 forwards or top 2 D.
I agree with much of you said but maybe I’m too old school. I just think everything you said about Rienbacher is exactly why he is a better choice than Mailloux. That being said I don’t think they are an either or. We can have both. I’m just old fashioned where defence was judged on how you defended. At some point you’re going to need defence men that are going to stop the McDavids and Matthew’s. When I hear people talking about a defence-man whose con is his defensive awareness. IDK sounds suspect.
@@jhenz1926 I agree with you. I just think the Habs already have a guy who will be able to stop the Crosbys and McDavids and his name is Kaiden Guhle...
@@alainbelsothat’s a good point but who will be stopping Draisaitl? Malkin? Marner? I think your asking abit much of Guhle if your thinking he is going to shutdown all the top guys by himself. I think in your scenario you’re going to need another Carey Price that can bailout these defenders that can’t defend. And I don’t see us ever having that again.
@@jhenz1926 Yes, I do have a lot of faith in Guhle but you're right. I thought Baron would become his skating partner like they were in the world juniors but yes, maybe Reinbacher might be his future partner instead. Where ever these guys end up, the Habs will have a lot of depth on the back end in a few seasons. I look forward to it.
@@alainbelsoit’s so hard to say at this point. But that is the fun of rebuilding. We get to guess on what the future is going to be. I was actually thinking balancing the D partners up. Rienbacher with Hutson and Guhle with Mailloux. I think balanced lines would be a better idea to comp for not having an elite goalie.
I was so hoping reinbacher wasn't going to be on your list! lol. I cant see him being the impact player everyone else seems to think he's going to be. (just my opinion). My 5 would be Kidney, Fowler, Roy, Beck, and finally at #1 (which i assume ur #1 will be), Lane Hutson. I am sooo excited for Hutson. I have been watching quite a bit of him lately, and he's soooo good, him and Celebrini are amazing together, they just flow so well together. We might as well just start throwing games now, and get that #1 pick, our luck we'd lose the lottery draw, and end up with a 5th overall and pick up a defenseman, some elite D man, who had 3 goals last year. Oh wait, that already happened. lol. Im just kidding, i know a lot of people like him, and i hope that they are all right, and im 100% wrong!!!
Dude why are so many "fans" just hopping on the Reinbacher hate train?.. You seriously think Riley Kidney will even make the NHL let alone be more of an impact player than our 5th overall pick?..
@@doom1354 First of all, im not hopping on the reinbacher hate train, or whatever it is u called it, I was PISSED about the pick when it happened, as were MOST Habs fans, IM just one of the few that haven't said oh well Craig Button says he's good, so... I have watched him play many times, and he doesnt seem to me to be worth the 5th overall pick, MAYBE the year before, but there was so many talented offensive players available, which is what the Habs need, they didnt need defense, even if Reinbacher turns out to be a stud or not, they didnt need more D. Have u been watching the games this year? not sure if uve noticed or not, but scoring is a problem on this team, not defense, our d chore with the guys coming up, was already super, reinbacher doesnt make that any better in my opinion, which im pretty sure i stated in my original post, we r all entitled to our opinions, are we not? I promise u, we will all regret picking reinbacher when we start to see Leonard and Michkov break into the league.
Fowler is having a great year, but the numbers look the same, maybe a little bit less than Dobes last year. It's why teams need alot of goalies in the system cause you never know who's going to pop ofd
lets talk about the sabres vs the rangers rite now..... the sabres r playing super aggressive & they r playing better then the rangers.. if they dont win at least they will go down playing aggressive, which for a habs fan thats all we expect for montreal!!!!! there system sucks & marty should be held accountable if he doesn't hold the players accountable!!!!
Top 5 prospects are Mailloux, Konyushkov, engstrom , Roy and volokhin. The thing about NCAA goalies a they almost never turn out like they’re stats indicate , primeau , Campbell and many more had similar or better stats than Fowler at that level, but none of them ever played behind the allstar team like Fowler is playing on .Volokhin on the other side has had amazing save % wherever and at every level he played , kinda like shesterskin Hutson is too small , way too small and he’s also playing on a powerhouse in Boston . Mesar is also playing on a great team and wasn’t impressive at higher level, he’s just a Slovakian Ylonen. There’s actually nothing impressive about reinbacher playing in the softest league on the planet To me the only 3 prospects worth bragging about are Mailloux, engstrom and Konyushkov Habs fans have been overrating our prospects since I’ve been watching hockey, here’s are just a few names that habs fans and medias thought were going to be the next big things, Perezoghin , the kostitsyn, tinordi, Beaulieu , Ellis, Austin , sherbak , Hudon , HP, Webber , primeau, juulsen ect ect ect The thing about prospects , you can’t disregard the league and level they’re playing in . Example , what Konyushkov and engstrom are doing in their respective league is far more impressive of what lane Hutson is doing in his league
When you think about it Perezhogin and both Kostytsin’s were pretty much the same as Galchenyuk, they all had the same career trajectory fled their responsibilities in Eastern Europe and had problems with the law/authorities. Probably lots of substance abuse/alcohol too. I looked up why Perezhogin got suspended for 89 games in the AHL which he fled killing his career, it’s gruesome.
@@benoitrobitaille5235 I actually loved andrei Kostitsyn , I think he would of been an allstar on a decent team, I think the habs butchered his development and shitty coaching trying to make him play defensively , he was an amazing skater with great acceleration, laser of a shot and silk hands. I think he was mis used by the coaching staff and was doing great when Carbonneau was the coach , him kovalev and plekanec were the only offensive highlights in the last 30 years
@@kev8423 heineman , Mailloux and Gignac were the most impressive at rookie camp . Not selling him short but there isn’t or never was a defenseman in the history of modern nhl history that small who made it , sure this shit looks good against other kids but it won’t translate into the tight nhl system Big teams dominate , Montréal are a team built with submissive little boy who can’t handle physical play and always get dominate , look at caufield , is there a player more useless without the puck than cole caufield? Maybe Drouin. I think delusional fans , once again will be very disappointed which Roy, Hutson and Reinbacher
HONORABLE MENTION goes to Owen Beck who it was hard to keep out of this top 5, but I’m going by who I felt could have the strongest impact of these prospects. Thanks as always for your support folks! 😎
Volokhin is playing out of his mind in the mhl and excited for all these prospects to come up
I guess the difficulty in trying to create a Top 5 is each of the Hab prospects are at different levels of their development. Some are a year away, others, at least a few if not longer, others won't ever make it due to trade or otherwise. My Top 5 are: 5. Owen Beck (he's trying to push his offensive game but also adding being a bit of a pest to his game. I see him as a good 3-4th line Center). 4. Roy (if he can find consistency in his game and use his high IQ, he could be a good well rounded player. Great hands but I am really pleasantly surprised how defensively aware he is.) 3. Reinbacher (I hope the Habs really take their time with his development. He has the skills, the frame, the IQ to be a really good Dman but he needs to mature and focus on rounding out his game. What I really like seeing in him is he may seem soft spoken and timid but when he is on the ice, he has bite to his game). 2. Hutson (this may be a bit of a surprise for most who prob peg him as #1 but as offensively skilled and talented as he is, Hab fans better be ready to accept the giveaways, soft play and defensive lapses that come with such a player. I'm not saying he won't improve that part of his game but I personally do not think he is the be all, end all saviour for our PP. Do not expect a Makar or even a Fox...Markov was a great QB on the PP but he stayed by the blue line...amazing passer, decent shot. Hutson brings a completely different element...always active, skating high&low, stick handling, scanning, Dman in the offensive zone which will cause havoc on the opposing Pk...not elite passer/shooter but good.) 1. Fowler (watching him play, he is very technically sound, but his rebound control is elite and what is important to me, he always looks calm in net. Now I'm no fitness expert but if he wants to stay healthy and have a long career, he will most certainly need to work on his fitness level. We have good depth in prospects in goal, and on D...but we lack elite offensive forwards (IMO, we have no one...but I feel Hughes will look for them outside the organization or he drafts them in '24, '25???)
That’s a solid list Dekes! My dark horse pick is the little Xhekaj. I don’t think he will be more than a 4th liner at best but in the playoffs especially I can see him being an absolute difference maker. Plus don’t bet against a Xhekaj!🤣
Great episode. Great topic for discussion. Do more please. :) The update on all five, maybe even 6 with Beck doing so well. Future looks bright. GHG
So sick of these "fans" just hardcore hating on our 5th overall pick I get it we all wanted Michov myself included but why send Reinbacher so much unwarranted hate?..
I think they’re few and far between at the moment since the draft.
I’m not gonna lie i didn’t really pay attention to Reinbacher and I wanted Montreal to draft Zach Benson I didn’t want Michkov because Ivan Demidov is better and he could drop to 5th or 6th overall because defenders in 2024 may go higher than expected so I was disappointed when Montreal took Reinbacher….. But then I actually looked at him, I looked at our team, I looked at our needs and We NEEDED a RD with the potential of Reinbacher because if we didn’t have him we would have been searching for a player like him for a while and teams are always searching for a RD with that level of talent so I really looked at Reinbacher and saw that he has OFFENSIVE TALENT! He had a 0.48 PPG in his draft year playing against men! Rasmus Dahlin and Victor Hedman both had s 0.49 PPG in their draft years, Just to put that into perspective amazing offensive two way defenders like Josi had a 0.23 PPG, Heiskanen had a 0.27 PPG and Moritz Seider had a 0.21 PPG in their draft years…. Reinbacher is AMAZING At closing the distance on a player and his offensive skills are very underrated… He was the right pick for this team and he was a pick that brought us closer to winning a cup in the future, It would have made sense to take Michkov if we didn’t have caufield or Slafkovsky or Suzuki or Dach or Roy like this team has Offensive talent, But we didn’t have an Elite top pairing RD in our system we just didn’t have one Mallouix isn’t that he’s gonna be a solid Second pairing RD but he’s not even close to the level as Reinbacher…. If fans like it or not the best move in 2023 was taking Reinbacher and at the time I didn’t think so but once I really looked at him and looked at Montreals system and looked at the 2024 draft and also looked at Montreals “Plan” I decided for my self that taking Reinbacher was the right move…. Cayden Lindstrom is a 2024 prospect that is 6’5 has a WICKED ONE TEE! Has amazing! Passing abilities and uses his body very well also has amazing puck protection skills IQ IS OFF THE CHARTS for a big kid, Only downside is he depends on his size a little more than he should but that’s literally the only nitpicking aspect in his game and to be honest he may be a better prospect than Juraj Slafkovsky like if he was a 2022 draft eligible player he would have been a lock for first overall this kid has Tage Thompson level talent and he’s better than Tage Thompson was when he was in his draft year… I really hope Montreal drafts Lindstrom because he has the size and he has massive skill and potential, But if Montreal also ends up with Catton or Demidov than habs fans should Chill on crying about Michkov if we end up with on of those 3 players Lindstrom, Catton or Demidov, If we win the Lottery EVEN BETTER, But Catton, Lindstrom or Demidov will be SUPERSTARS in the NHL…. Montreal has a plan and they are taking their time and it’s going to pay off in a big way, Kent Hughes said “we don’t need a star” because he believes we have one in our system that Will develop and be better then predicted and his meaning by that is we don’t need to go and trade or spend FA money on a star because we Will develop one or draft one and they may do both they may develop Juraj into a star player and they may also draft one in 2024 and they will be much Cheaper than a FA or a player coming in from a trade that needs an extension and wants 10 million plus….
@@tylerlussier1896 Yeah I seen Cayden Lindstrom play guy is a mammoth I'd love to see him in our prospect pool
Great top 5 !
I’m sure people already mentioned it ad nauseum that Montreal will have to trade defensemen to make room for all those wonderful prospects.
Matheson, Savard, Guhle, Harris, Xhekaj, Kovacevic, Barron, Lindstrom, Nordlinder, Struble, Wideman, Mailloux, Reinbacher, Hutson, Trudeau, Beaudin, among others and the next ones to be drafted … there is only 6 slots, 8 if you count a 7th and the first called up from Laval.
I would argue that Montreal got the same problem upfront but for bottom 6 personnel sadly, only a few are deserving to be in a top6.
It’s obvious, they’ll have to trade many young defensemen , they can’t keep them all, and in that process some players won’t have a chance to peak in Montreal and evaluations will be rushed and wrong players will be traded . Sometimes too much is like not enough
I mean who do you keep in this group of guys? Most of them won’t be happy playing on the third pairing and probably will eventually ask for a trade🤷🏼♂ Montreal should of never drafted Reinbacher , that was such a waste of pick
we will have a great team soon... finally
I love Fowler’s mindset, hope he can progress but it will be a while before he’s a factor on this team. Hard to argue the picks you made. I do think Roy will have the ability to play an offensive role with this team, would love to see him play some games this year after Laval’s season is done.
Top 4 all hughes picks...would you look at that...nice!!
Great episode. As a fan of the elder and watcher of Florian Xhekaj highlights, I like Florian for a top prospect honourable mention!
Absolutely. I’ve been thinking of Florian as a better “Pezzetta” long term. Would be cool to see, and I think he’s certainly got more skill. No love loss to Pezz haha, but I’d love to see Florian as a solid 4th line guy who can also chip in offensively. Can definitely see it.
Exactly and he could provide a little relief to his big brother who could use a deputy sheriff to help him out. LOL! @@DrewDekes
Haha agreed! Skill, jam, size, decent hockey IQ by the looks of it, Florian definitely has potential.
Good list don't sleep on engstrom or davidson
Fowler gives me a lot of Patrick Roy vibes. Someone who just wants to win. Has a strong butterfly style
The thing with Fowler is we're never seeing him in a true tough situation this year. He plays for THE VERY BEST team in NCAA, sorry to have to write it in capital letters like that but the fact is you could almost take Fowler out of this team and it would sitll be the best defensive core and the very best group of forwards in this whole league. His development is great so far, what we're seeing from him is very encouraging, much more so in the style he displays a bit of the Roy flashes with the Luongo poise and the Hasek compete. I'm confident he can grow into the top role, but let's keep it as cool as we can with him. The next steps in his development should be to have him play for a lesser impressive team in order to start facing more challenging shots and situations in game (he's already facing those in practice ahah)
defensive depth is the strong point for the habs. but who will finish plays?
Great take Drew! I think Owen will have more of an impact on the Habs than Mesar. Owen is 2" taller, around 20lb heavier. I have seen them play and Owen loves to handle puck and can/will take it coast to coast. I really like them both and wish nothing but the best but I when comparing 2 hockey players I have to side with side and speed. As Philipé Alou said when Managing the 'Spos "speed never hoes in a slump"! The second best line in sport...the best belongs tp Cherry. When talking about fighters and pretenders (yappers) he said: The 3 most feared words in hockey..."let them go". Great show!
Thanks Bobby! I think Mesar was drafted before Beck for a reason. I think Owen will be a solid Hab one day, I just think Fil has the potential to be a more dynamic player overall.
@@DrewDekes The Habs also took Slafkovsky over Cooley and a few others. No matter how Kent and Marty want to frame it, the kid is failing at this level and needs to go to Laval. I LOOK for something positive and see nothing as it relates to speed, quickness (he needs to lose 15 lbs), stick handling, playmaker, TkA, hits, shooting (1/gm doesn't cut it). He is always behind the play and will not carry the puck cross 2 lines. It makes no sense to keep the kid hear and they're killing his confidence. I saw a much more if Cooley and he will be a great NHLer...right now, I have major doubts about Slafkovsky.
Slav is going to be a monster.
Owen Beck is a great player, future looks promising
Agree on Mesar. He appears to have a high ceiling.
I don’t know how high, but I think he becomes a fan favourite once he starts hitting the scoreboard for the habs. He’s fun to watch.
Tbh, I really think Hutson is on a Tier Level on its own. The rest I dont even think they’ll be Roster Spot Players. Its either Bust or 3rd-4th liners, 3rd Pair dmen.
How u see Slafkovsky ?
I hope habs allow him going to juniors
Markov made Subban/Souray/ Komisarek famous
Haha. I can’t wait to see Markov honoured at the bell centre someday when the timing is right. He deserves it. My favourite Hab off all time. I’ll be there!
Not sure Drew that Mesar and Roy will be impact players in Montreal....
We already have smaller Caufield Suzuki and Newhook on our top 6... so same goes with Farrell
So i think only 3 impact players is more realistic
Thanks for not choosing defensiveless Mailloux and bottom six Beck...
Maybe a Bogdan, Engstrom or Volokhin could be an unexpected surprise
Roy is the best choice, he's Quebecois and will be a big part of our future
The thing is, will these players have enough impact to make us contenders?..🤷♂️...I have no doubt Roy, Hutson, Mailloux, Mesar, Reinbacher will make us a tougher team to play against, well, at least they fucking better after all this hype, and waiting so damn long, if it doesn't work out it will absolutely crush my hopes for this franchise for a loooong time.
Keep the faith my friend. It’ll still be a few years at LEAST….and that’s a tough reality even I’m starting to have to realize I need to accept but, if it means a fun/competitive team to watch for 5-8 or even 10 years straight, I’m willing to wait it out. Just think of Sabres fans…no playoffs in 12 years, maybe 13 if they don’t make it this season! Just imagine that….there’s a real plan in place. Keep the faith…it’ll be a little while yet but like you said, the hype is there, we just need to hang on until 2026 or so when things will really take a noticeable turn for the franchise. It’s coming.
@@DrewDekes And thats how long Im giving it, if theres no big turn in 2026, I'll be losing interest, I will not be like a Sabres fan, I will not subject myself to watching a losing culture year after year after year after year after year, Montreal is supposed to be a more respectable franchise. Phil Boucher said all the right things on The Sick Podcast, this has to be the last year to draft high, after that stop with the picks and get the ball rolling.
1000% Adam….definitely the last year to draft high. I couldn’t agree more on all of that 👌🏻👌🏻
I agree with Fowler, Roy and Hutson but my gut tells me Beck will be a bigger impact than Mesar and I think Mailloux will be a bigger impact than Reinbacher.
But that's totally fine. I was not at all impressed with Mesar last season and I am really happy to see him improve this season. If he can bring his scoring touch to the NHL level, everyone wins. But I think Beck's faceoff skills and intelligence is going to be invaluable and hard to replace.
As for Reinbacher, It's not that he's not going to be a good NHL defenseman, but I see him more of a dependable D that can skate the puck out and make smart passes to clear the defensive zone. I think Mailloux will be a more impactful player. He'll put up more points on the score sheet and will be more physical on top of being able to skate the puck out. He will also get more PP time than Reinbacher.
I will repeat in case anyone get's the wrong idea, If all of these guys make it on the team and contribute in their own way to the teams success, I will be happy. I was discouraged about Mesar but I'm happy to see him put up points this seaon. I'd be thrilled if he became a top 6 forward playing along side Slafkovsky. And if Reinbacher becomes a solid and reliable D playing on top minutes on the PK, that will be fine too. You need guys like that too. Look how Edmonton looks without depth. The Habs need players who are exceptional at what they do best even if they aren't all top 6 forwards or top 2 D.
I agree with much of you said but maybe I’m too old school. I just think everything you said about Rienbacher is exactly why he is a better choice than Mailloux. That being said I don’t think they are an either or. We can have both.
I’m just old fashioned where defence was judged on how you defended. At some point you’re going to need defence men that are going to stop the McDavids and Matthew’s. When I hear people talking about a defence-man whose con is his defensive awareness. IDK sounds suspect.
@@jhenz1926 I agree with you. I just think the Habs already have a guy who will be able to stop the Crosbys and McDavids and his name is Kaiden Guhle...
@@alainbelsothat’s a good point but who will be stopping Draisaitl? Malkin? Marner?
I think your asking abit much of Guhle if your thinking he is going to shutdown all the top guys by himself.
I think in your scenario you’re going to need another Carey Price that can bailout these defenders that can’t defend. And I don’t see us ever having that again.
@@jhenz1926 Yes, I do have a lot of faith in Guhle but you're right. I thought Baron would become his skating partner like they were in the world juniors but yes, maybe Reinbacher might be his future partner instead. Where ever these guys end up, the Habs will have a lot of depth on the back end in a few seasons. I look forward to it.
@@alainbelsoit’s so hard to say at this point. But that is the fun of rebuilding. We get to guess on what the future is going to be.
I was actually thinking balancing the D partners up. Rienbacher with Hutson and Guhle with Mailloux. I think balanced lines would be a better idea to comp for not having an elite goalie.
Shouldn't Roy be higher on the list. He's the only one playing at the professionals level in the list which is a big step up from junior no?
when roy jets to nhl they will put him on the 4th line ,
Bogdan konyushkov
Habs need huskier players.
Mesar is more Martin Rusinsky than he is Thomas Plekanek
somebody tell kent hughes to trade for chinakov---columbus 4th line winger hes better than newhook
I’ll have to look him up 😎👍🏻
I was so hoping reinbacher wasn't going to be on your list! lol. I cant see him being the impact player everyone else seems to think he's going to be. (just my opinion). My 5 would be Kidney, Fowler, Roy, Beck, and finally at #1 (which i assume ur #1 will be), Lane Hutson. I am sooo excited for Hutson. I have been watching quite a bit of him lately, and he's soooo good, him and Celebrini are amazing together, they just flow so well together. We might as well just start throwing games now, and get that #1 pick, our luck we'd lose the lottery draw, and end up with a 5th overall and pick up a defenseman, some elite D man, who had 3 goals last year. Oh wait, that already happened. lol. Im just kidding, i know a lot of people like him, and i hope that they are all right, and im 100% wrong!!!
Dude why are so many "fans" just hopping on the Reinbacher hate train?.. You seriously think Riley Kidney will even make the NHL let alone be more of an impact player than our 5th overall pick?..
@@doom1354 First of all, im not hopping on the reinbacher hate train, or whatever it is u called it, I was PISSED about the pick when it happened, as were MOST Habs fans, IM just one of the few that haven't said oh well Craig Button says he's good, so... I have watched him play many times, and he doesnt seem to me to be worth the 5th overall pick, MAYBE the year before, but there was so many talented offensive players available, which is what the Habs need, they didnt need defense, even if Reinbacher turns out to be a stud or not, they didnt need more D. Have u been watching the games this year? not sure if uve noticed or not, but scoring is a problem on this team, not defense, our d chore with the guys coming up, was already super, reinbacher doesnt make that any better in my opinion, which im pretty sure i stated in my original post, we r all entitled to our opinions, are we not? I promise u, we will all regret picking reinbacher when we start to see Leonard and Michkov break into the league.
I even liked my own post!
@@doom1354 It's just my opinion, no need to get all bent out of shape. U can like reinbacher if u want, i hope u are right.
Josh Wawa not Wall ah ah.
I stand corrected shoutout to my boy @hockeyjunkie 😆
Fowler is having a great year, but the numbers look the same, maybe a little bit less than Dobes last year. It's why teams need alot of goalies in the system cause you never know who's going to pop ofd
Tinny tiny players
lets talk about the sabres vs the rangers rite now..... the sabres r playing super aggressive & they r playing better then the rangers.. if they dont win at least they will go down playing aggressive, which for a habs fan thats all we expect for montreal!!!!! there system sucks & marty should be held accountable if he doesn't hold the players accountable!!!!
Top 5 prospects are Mailloux, Konyushkov, engstrom , Roy and volokhin.
The thing about NCAA goalies a they almost never turn out like they’re stats indicate , primeau , Campbell and many more had similar or better stats than Fowler at that level, but none of them ever played behind the allstar team like Fowler is playing on .Volokhin on the other side has had amazing save % wherever and at every level he played , kinda like shesterskin
Hutson is too small , way too small and he’s also playing on a powerhouse in Boston . Mesar is also playing on a great team and wasn’t impressive at higher level, he’s just a Slovakian Ylonen. There’s actually nothing impressive about reinbacher playing in the softest league on the planet
To me the only 3 prospects worth bragging about are Mailloux, engstrom and Konyushkov
Habs fans have been overrating our prospects since I’ve been watching hockey, here’s are just a few names that habs fans and medias thought were going to be the next big things, Perezoghin , the kostitsyn, tinordi, Beaulieu , Ellis, Austin , sherbak , Hudon , HP, Webber , primeau, juulsen ect ect ect
The thing about prospects , you can’t disregard the league and level they’re playing in . Example , what Konyushkov and engstrom are doing in their respective league is far more impressive of what lane Hutson is doing in his league
When you think about it Perezhogin and both Kostytsin’s were pretty much the same as Galchenyuk, they all had the same career trajectory fled their responsibilities in Eastern Europe and had problems with the law/authorities. Probably lots of substance abuse/alcohol too.
I looked up why Perezhogin got suspended for 89 games in the AHL which he fled killing his career, it’s gruesome.
@@benoitrobitaille5235 I actually loved andrei Kostitsyn , I think he would of been an allstar on a decent team, I think the habs butchered his development and shitty coaching trying to make him play defensively , he was an amazing skater with great acceleration, laser of a shot and silk hands. I think he was mis used by the coaching staff and was doing great when Carbonneau was the coach , him kovalev and plekanec were the only offensive highlights in the last 30 years
@@kev8423 heineman , Mailloux and Gignac were the most impressive at rookie camp .
Not selling him short but there isn’t or never was a defenseman in the history of modern nhl history that small who made it , sure this shit looks good against other kids but it won’t translate into the tight nhl system
Big teams dominate , Montréal are a team built with submissive little boy who can’t handle physical play and always get dominate , look at caufield , is there a player more useless without the puck than cole caufield? Maybe Drouin.
I think delusional fans , once again will be very disappointed which Roy, Hutson and Reinbacher