HF Habs: U18 World Men's Hockey Championship, April 25-May 5

[MarkovsKnee]

It should be noted that another 2025, Victor Eklund, has been Sweden's best forward.

And, Hagens, also a 2025, is USA's.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

The good news is we do have 2 firsts in 2025. We just need both of Calgary & Florida to tank next year & both get into bottom 10.

Calgary wins the lottery at #1, and takes Hagens. Florida wins #2, we get that pick, and take Martone.

What's the odds?

Calgary has a good chance to be near the bottom. Have to see how many players Florida loses in the off season. There is a chance Calgary is near the bottom. Not likely for Florida unless they lose players and suffer a few injuries.

 

[Goldenhands]

No shot. To tank you need to throw out garbage with nothing on it like the Sharks and Blackhawks. The Habs young forwards and defence would make them slightly competitive. They are all getting better. They’d be in that 7-12 spot. Not bad enough to have a real shot at the top talent.

We probably cant do worse than SJ, Calgary, Chicago, you are right, but we could be somewhere in the 4-8 range and hope for some lottery luck, but its pointless discussing it anyway, they wont do that, so thats probably our last top 10 pick of the rebuild, next year should be around 15th OV, we still got Caufield at that spot, but its unlikely we get an impact player.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Calgary has a good chance to be near the bottom. Have to see how many players Florida loses in the off season. There is a chance Calgary is near the bottom. Not likely for Florida unless they lose players and suffer a few injuries.

Yeah, Florida would have to lose Reinhart and at least one UFA D. Then have both Bobrovsky & Ekblad go down for a significant period of time.

Basically, we need their D & goaltending to pretty much suck next season.

 

[Goldenhands]

It should be noted that another 2025, Victor Eklund, has been Sweden's best forward.

And, Hagens, also a 2025, is USA's.

Any relation to William Eklund?

 

[le_sean]

We probably cant do worse than SJ, Calgary, Chicago, you are right, but we could be somewhere in the 4-8 range and hope for some lottery luck, but its pointless discussing it anyway, they wont do that, so thats probably our last top 10 pick of the rebuild, next year should be around 15th OV, we still got Caufield at that spot, but its unlikely we get an impact player.

Honestly I know these things take a while, but I’m also sick of being a bad team. We got our 1st overall pick and he looks like one. We should be happy.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Any relation to William Eklund?

Younger brother.

 

[Goldenhands]

Honestly I know these things take a while, but I’m also sick of being a bad team. We got our 1st overall pick and he looks like one. We should be happy.

Yeah of course, the team is loaded of great defensemen and goaltenders, the foward group is solid as well and we will get another one on draft day. We have plenty of assets and cap space to build a really good team, but getting a Mckenna or Martone would have been incredible, anyway...

 

[Goldenhands]

The good news is we do have 2 firsts in 2025. We just need both of Calgary & Florida to tank next year & both get into bottom 10.

Calgary wins the lottery at #1, and takes Hagens. Florida wins #2, we get that pick, and take Martone.

What's the odds?

Lower than winning 20 Millions at 6/49, but hey we still have a chance...

 

[overlords]

We probably cant do worse than SJ, Calgary, Chicago, you are right, but we could be somewhere in the 4-8 range and hope for some lottery luck, but its pointless discussing it anyway, they wont do that, so thats probably our last top 10 pick of the rebuild, next year should be around 15th OV, we still got Caufield at that spot, but its unlikely we get an impact player.

We're going to have an assload of B tier assets. We'll probably have even stronger ones at positions we're overloaded at, like LD. If there's someone we like, we'll have what we need to move up, within reason.

You guys know I'm all about the tank lyfe, but next year it might be worth shaving a few draft ranks in return for better reputation with the 2025-26 UFA class.

draisaitl/rantanen + slaf + dach + lindstrom


let me dream

 

[Habs]

Yeah, Florida would have to lose Reinhart and at least one UFA D. Then have both Bobrovsky & Ekblad go down for a significant period of time.

Basically, we need their D & goaltending to pretty much suck next season.

they should send our old medical team to help, guaranteed 500+ man games lost, skating on torn MCL's , good times.

 

[windycity]

My guess is Demidov -> Lindstrom -> Iginla and Im fine with that. We're getting a player who's going to be an excellent fit regardless.

Didn't Demidov just blow out his knee?

 

[Tyson]

Didn't Demidov just blow out his knee?

Ivan Demidov has suffered a serious knee injury in recent days

With the Canadiens out of the current NHL playoffs, the focus in Montreal is increasingly on the draft. Yesterday, the NHL confirmed that the draft lottery will

bvmsports.com

 

[windycity]

Hes special for sure, there's just other special players out there, and Hughes is one of them.

Honestly crazy idea but I'd trade away Suzuki, Caufield, Guhel and all the bunch of pre-2020 picks and tank hard for Martone and McKenna and I'm pretty sure the team would be better off, not that I don't like those guys, I love them but lol, Chicago had the right idea man.

Chicago was letting guys go who were past their prime and they needed to rebuild. Our young guys haven't even hit their prime yet so it's not really a good comparison

 

[Mrb1p]

Chicago was letting guys go who were past their prime and they needed to rebuild. Our young guys haven't even hit their prime yet so it's not really a good comparison

Dach, Debrincat are the same age as Suzuki and Caufiield

 

[windycity]

Dach, Debrincat are the same age as Suzuki and Caufiield

Dach and Debrincat were pretty much all they had left in the kitty at that point and they had soured on Dach for some reason and didn't want to pay Debrincat IIRC. They recognised that their (successful) Cup window had closed as Toews/Kane/Keith etc were done or on the serious downslope of their careers so a major rebuild was needed. All our best players have yet to hit their prime. Plus even if you tank, you have no guarantee of getting 1OA.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I've been saying this since last year. Pens are going to get McKenna. The timing is way too perfect. Crosby will mentor him like Lemieux mentored Crosby.

They should be really bad by 2026. The next Pens franchise player.

The NHL is rigged.

 

[Habs]

The NHL is rigged.

The Pens/Oilers always have the planned tank, its bullshit

Ivan Demidov has suffered a serious knee injury in recent days

With the Canadiens out of the current NHL playoffs, the focus in Montreal is increasingly on the draft. Yesterday, the NHL confirmed that the draft lottery will

bvmsports.com

Scary times to be a scout, you aren't getting medical reports out of Russia to look at... curious how that pans out

 

[SOLR]

It should be noted that another 2025, Victor Eklund, has been Sweden's best forward.

And, Hagens, also a 2025, is USA's.

No surprise with Eklund; he's a stud.

*2025 is a strong Swede crop, they might be favourite for next year's U18.

 

[SOLR]

Can you imagine Mcdavid, Mackinnon, Bedard, Mckenna on the same olympic team? Its going to be unfair.

Celebrini might make it to 2026, very very small window. But not Mckenna. In 2030 sure.

In 2030 McKinnon will be done. But we'll have McDavid, Bedard, McKenna, Celebrini - 2027 is also loaded for us.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Can just see the Pens tank the year McKenna becomes available. Because that’s what Pittsburgh does.

Tanking does not guarantee the top pick.

 

[SOLR]

Any relation to William Eklund?

Viktor is William's brother

Tanking does not guarantee the top pick.

And they will have some competition, don't think Chicago will be out of the woods until after the 2026 draft, so Mckenna and Bedard could be on the same team. That would be a bit filthy.

 

[G0bias]

Celebrini might make it to 2026, very very small window. But not Mckenna. In 2030 sure.

In 2030 McKinnon will be done. But we'll have McDavid, Bedard, McKenna, Celebrini - 2027 is also loaded for us.

36 year old Crosby just had 94pts and will likely make the 2026 team. No reason to think Mackinnon, a known health nut, will be cooked at 34.

 

[SOLR]

You said it, Crosby.
MacKinnon isn't an IQ first player, he's a counterattack, power-forward style, they don't have the same durability as players like Crosby or McDavid. He could still be there, but I think he will slow down significantly. Bedard/Celebrini/McKenna will all be in their prime by that point, so if he's there it won't be in a prominent role. Particularly if Byfield, Iginla, Lindstrom, Martone, etc., develop well as younger power forwards. We haven't had such a heavy traffic crowd coming since the Getzlaf, Carter era.

Particularly as you start making lines, you realize quickly that a Mackinnon with even 70 pts isn't at the top of the priority list.

Some of the names and there are more:

Bedard - McDavid - Martone
Byfield - Celebrini - McKenna
Benson - Fantilli - Mctavish
Lindstrom - Jarvis- Iginla
Lafreniere - Suzuki, Jacobson (2027), Roobroeck?

 

[G0bias]

You said it, Crosby.
MacKinnon isn't an IQ first player, he's a counterattack, power-forward style, they don't have the same durability as players like Crosby or McDavid. He could still be there, but I think he will slow down significantly. Bedard/Celebrini/McKenna will all be in their prime by that point, so if he's there it won't be in a prominent role. Particularly if Byfield, Iginla, Lindstrom, Martone, etc., develop well as younger power forwards. We haven't had such a heavy traffic crowd coming since the Getzlaf, Carter era.

There was definitely a shift in Crosby's game since he lost a step. He leans more on his IQ now but he was flying over the ice in his prime years - I expect the same kind of shift with Mack when that happens. These kind of players are built different.