Scott Merryfield
Senior HTF Member
With the new NHL season almost upon us, it's time for a new thread.
I have not followed much of what has happened in the Western Conference, but the East should be a pretty wide open battle this season. Pittsburgh and Boston have both lost a few players (and the Penguins still have the very inconsistent Marc Andre Fluery in net), Tampa made some significant additions to an already strong team, and the Red Wings did basically nothing in the offseason, instead counting on some youth to develop and their veterans to get healthy.
Meanwhile, my Habs have made some changes, getting rid of some dead weight from last year (Gionta, Briere, Murray, and probably Boullon), along with shedding some salary cap in the overpaid Josh Gorges. The other loss was rental player Vanek, who signed with Minnesota as everyone expected.
Replacing those players are winger PA Parenteau (traded Briere for him), defenseman Tom Gilbert, winger Jiri Sekac, and center Manny Malhottra. Gilbert gives the team another puck moving defenseman and allows for better left/right balance on the blue line (Emelin played on his off side last year), Malhottra gives the team a legitimate 4th line center who can win faceoffs, and Sekac is a very promising 22 year old who has been playing professionally in Europe. Parenteau is coming off a disappointing season in Colorado, but getting him in exchange for Briere was still a roster improvement.
I think the Habs are moving in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how the team adjusts to the loss of all the veterans in the locker room, though, and how well some of the younger players like Subban and Pacioretty assume a leadership role.
Probably the only remaining roster decisions are with the backup goaltender -- Tokarski or Budaj (I'd go with Tokarski) -- and what to do with Travis Moen, who really doesn't have a place on the roster.
I have not followed much of what has happened in the Western Conference, but the East should be a pretty wide open battle this season. Pittsburgh and Boston have both lost a few players (and the Penguins still have the very inconsistent Marc Andre Fluery in net), Tampa made some significant additions to an already strong team, and the Red Wings did basically nothing in the offseason, instead counting on some youth to develop and their veterans to get healthy.
Meanwhile, my Habs have made some changes, getting rid of some dead weight from last year (Gionta, Briere, Murray, and probably Boullon), along with shedding some salary cap in the overpaid Josh Gorges. The other loss was rental player Vanek, who signed with Minnesota as everyone expected.
Replacing those players are winger PA Parenteau (traded Briere for him), defenseman Tom Gilbert, winger Jiri Sekac, and center Manny Malhottra. Gilbert gives the team another puck moving defenseman and allows for better left/right balance on the blue line (Emelin played on his off side last year), Malhottra gives the team a legitimate 4th line center who can win faceoffs, and Sekac is a very promising 22 year old who has been playing professionally in Europe. Parenteau is coming off a disappointing season in Colorado, but getting him in exchange for Briere was still a roster improvement.
I think the Habs are moving in the right direction. It will be interesting to see how the team adjusts to the loss of all the veterans in the locker room, though, and how well some of the younger players like Subban and Pacioretty assume a leadership role.
Probably the only remaining roster decisions are with the backup goaltender -- Tokarski or Budaj (I'd go with Tokarski) -- and what to do with Travis Moen, who really doesn't have a place on the roster.