2014-2015 Habs lineup
- Thread starter CaptainBolduke
- Start date
BKerr
Banned
Damien brunner too
With the signing on macdonald one of our goalies is gone.
Macdonald/condon will be the ahl tandem
Personally, I think we are.
Our defense got better and our depth got better also with PA and Malhotra.
If you're referring to Vanek being the difference maker he was playing with Brier by the rangers series and throughout the playoffs was just awful.
Habsy
Not playing around anymore.
Vrbata will cost more.
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
I'm expecting close to 8.5M for Subban, there is nothing insane about it.
Defense got better is probably not entirely accurate. Markov is a year older and Gilbert is not as shut down as Gorgeous Gorges. Forwards is probably a wash too, but we are missing a top winger. Either way, this lineup is really an above average lineup, it's not a good or great lineup, but it's definitely above average. I don't expect us to get as far next year with this team, even with Vrbata, that's for sure. I would have liked Vanek, I don't care how people think he vanished in the playoffs, he will end up with more points than anyone on our team next year and most likely do just fine in Minny in the POs. Minny will most likely go further than us. Either way, it's going to be a what, Pitts/Bos/Rangers/ vs Chi/La finals again no? Although Tampa doesn't really look half bad this year. I think Buff needs another 1-2 years, but they should turn it around quite a bit with their prospects they've stockpiled.
Sal_Butera
Well-known member
Two factors I see, which "could" help the Habs. More teams in the East (Boston, Sens, T-dot, Rangers, Dead Things) became weaker (excluding playoff teams TBay, CBJ), and more teams in the Western Conf became stronger. The battle to make it out of the West becomes that much more intense, which could favor the Eastern rep in the Cup finals.
I don't buy the Habs getting weaker, they should be able to generate more offense from their D, and improved 2nd PP unit thanks to Gilbert. Cyclopse will help the abysmal faceoff %. IF Bergevin's able to procure a top-6 forward the net gain should be an positive relative to last season. MB went out of his way to call Parenteau a "top-9" never falling into the trap of calling him "top-6", even though he was being goaded into it by the media.
I don't think it's really possible to judge playoff performance; it's always been my view, playoffs are a result of favorable matchups.
I don't buy the Habs getting weaker, they should be able to generate more offense from their D, and improved 2nd PP unit thanks to Gilbert. Cyclopse will help the abysmal faceoff %. IF Bergevin's able to procure a top-6 forward the net gain should be an positive relative to last season. MB went out of his way to call Parenteau a "top-9" never falling into the trap of calling him "top-6", even though he was being goaded into it by the media.
I don't think it's really possible to judge playoff performance; it's always been my view, playoffs are a result of favorable matchups.
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Ever year some teams get slightly better or worse. Just like there were years when Pitts sucked and we were great, then the roles reversed. But Tampa got better, and Pitts slightly. Who was ever worried about Toronto anyways? lol
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
You mean Pitts/Bos/NYR/Mtl/Philly/TB right? None of those teams are especially better than another. I find it funny that you include Boston and Pittsburgh despite the fact that we went further than them, but include NYR, that is not a better team than us despite going further.
It's also funny that he included Pitt. because they haven't done much in the playoffs since 2009. Just saying. And who picked the Rags. to make the finals when last season started, or even when the playoffs started? Also, aren't "above average" and "good" pretty much the same thing? We have Price entering his prime, PK entering his prime, some good forwards, and some good young players. Just make the playoffs and anything is possible if things come together at the right time.
Sal_Butera
Well-known member
I can't remember a mass exodus from one Conf to the other as I've seen in the last few days: Spezza, Neal etc.. top end players exchanged for not such impactful players shall we say. How can a team losing one of those impact players say they have improved - at this point in time?
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
Yep, the East is weak and we're as good a team as any others in the conference.
He's a RFA, not a UFA. It's a huge difference because there will be no bidding war for his services.
He will sign for 7.5M based on his merit and the NHL comparables. Look at that table below:
http://www.capgeek.com/leaders/?season=2014&type=CAP_HIT&position=D&limit=50
My prediction is that Subban will be in the top5 highest paid defenseman - higher than #5 Doughty (7M) but lower than #1 Weber (7.85M). Probably very close to #3 Letang (7.25M).
Had he been a UFA, someone surely would thrown everything at him and that would have set new market prices for Norris calibre defenseman. But he's not, and as such it will be very difficult for Meehan to negotiate a salary higher than Shea Weber, let alone a full million higher than Weber.
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
I think he'll get about 65M/8 years. Weber is a pre-new CBA contract that added a bunch of 1M$ seasons at the end. His average salary is actually closer to $10M for the first 8 years of his contract.
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
Doughty is a good comparable and was signed 3 years ago, so we can easily add a million per year to that to adjust for the cap.
Weber was also signed to an offer sheet (e.g. bidding-war problem), which I hope we can avoid.
Doughty signed his contract when the cap was at 64.3M. It is now at 69M, or an increase of 7.3%.
Doughty's contract is 7M per year. Thus, to reflect the cap increase the new adjusted salary should be 7.51M (a 7.3% increase).
Do we agree?
GrandWazoo
Well-known member
I agree with you but I'm still expecting more!
But we'll see, MB is a tough negotiator.