• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

Habs Season Thread: 2024-25 Regular Season

The Newhook trade looks worse and worse.

And my point around that trade remains the same: What was the point in trading for Newhook & giving him a 4 year contract?

There's virtually no chance he'll still be around when this team is good.

He’ll be on the 3rd line next year where he’ll be in a better place for him.
 
It's a low risk trade if you're starting to move up the proverbial ladder.

But in an organization that was bereft of talent, we gave up a late first & early second for a player who, in hindsight, Colorado didn't seem all that interested in keeping and it might be showing, and that by the time this team should be good, he's not going to be here anymore? And if he's still here, signed to a crippling contract?

All in all, it's a pointless trade.
 
we'll see how those picks pan out

they obviously didn't like anyone they thought would be down there
 
we'll see how those picks pan out

they obviously didn't like anyone they thought would be down there
Possibly.

I would have liked the Newhook trade much more if they had given him a different contract.

A 2 year contract or a 6 year contract and I would have been fine with it. The four year contract makes it a killer.

Players are secondary to the contracts they sign.
 
I started writing about players and their contracts a few days ago, but it's difficult to tie everything together because there are so many issues relating to it.

The NHL is a fucking terrible league whose league structure, rules and collective agreement push teams towards mediocrity and making it incredibly difficult to be good, let alone great. There's a massive scarcity in elite talent every year, and the easiest way to attain it is by tanking. And by tanking, you're virtually guaranteeing that your franchise is going to be unwatchable for a minimum of five to seven years. Minimum. Because teams don't just tank for one year and decide the job's done, let's get back to winning! like it's just a temporary phase and not a massive roster overhaul.

(And that's with no actual guarantee of attaining success, btw.)
 
I neither loved or hated the Newhook trade. Management was very clear that they were going to look for younger players that haven’t reached their potential yet. Alex is in the same age group as Suzuki, Caufield, Dach, got speed and skills, but man I’m not a fan of players that you never know whether they’re centers or wingers.
 
Which then leads to a bigger problem: The fans, you know, the ones who pay for all this shit?, are the ones left holding the bag.

San Jose has been at the bottom of the league year over year, with the exception of one where they finished 22nd or something, for four consecutive years and they're going to finish at the bottom again this year.

And they've only now reached what you'd consider the absolute rock bottom. Their roster is atrocious and they've only recently started to accumulate young players that they're hoping - hoping! - will bring them back to contention. Problem is, though, that's going to take a few years.

There's a good chance the San Jose fanbase will have to endure a decade of shit. Pure, unfiltered, shit. Hockey that is barely watchable and entire seasons where the fanbase would rightly turn their eyes elsewhere for other forms of entertainment... Some of whom that will never come back.

All for the hope, with no guarantees, that they'll become competitive and not become Western Buffalo with beaches.

This is insane. It's so fucking insane that I don't even know how this is even tolerated in this league............................ actually, I do know how this is tolerated, but alas.
 
Which then leads to a bigger problem: The fans, you know, the ones who pay for all this shit?, are the ones left holding the bag.

San Jose has been at the bottom of the league year over year, with the exception of one where they finished 22nd or something, for four consecutive years and they're going to finish at the bottom again this year.

And they've only now reached what you'd consider the absolute rock bottom. Their roster is atrocious and they've only recently started to accumulate young players that they're hoping - hoping! - will bring them back to contention. Problem is, though, that's going to take a few years.

There's a good chance the San Jose fanbase will have to endure a decade of shit. Pure, unfiltered, shit. Hockey that is barely watchable and entire seasons where the fanbase would rightly turn their eyes elsewhere for other forms of entertainment... Some of whom that will never come back.

All for the hope, with no guarantees, that they'll become competitive and not become Western Buffalo with beaches.

This is insane. It's so fucking insane that I don't even know how this is even tolerated in this league............................ actually, I do know how this is tolerated, but alas.
Preach
 
There are ways around it that are so easy and I'd be shocked if either the players or owners objected to it.

Allow true free agency at the earliest of:

-24 years of age; or
-5 accrued seasons of NHL hockey (set the benchmark at being on the NHL roster for 42 or more games)

Also, along with that,
-Contracts no longer than 5 years

All current contracts grandfathered in, changes start on July 1st 2025.
 
Which then leads to a bigger problem: The fans, you know, the ones who pay for all this shit?, are the ones left holding the bag.

San Jose has been at the bottom of the league year over year, with the exception of one where they finished 22nd or something, for four consecutive years and they're going to finish at the bottom again this year.

And they've only now reached what you'd consider the absolute rock bottom. Their roster is atrocious and they've only recently started to accumulate young players that they're hoping - hoping! - will bring them back to contention. Problem is, though, that's going to take a few years.

There's a good chance the San Jose fanbase will have to endure a decade of shit. Pure, unfiltered, shit. Hockey that is barely watchable and entire seasons where the fanbase would rightly turn their eyes elsewhere for other forms of entertainment... Some of whom that will never come back.

All for the hope, with no guarantees, that they'll become competitive and not become Western Buffalo with beaches.

This is insane. It's so fucking insane that I don't even know how this is even tolerated in this league............................ actually, I do know how this is tolerated, but alas.
Simple. Fuck the fans. This is Montreal, not San Jose. Not one fewer ticket is being sold. The fans in Montreal will put up with whatever they have to. They aren't going anywhere.

Fuck the fans and do it properly. Don't chicken out halfway through the rebuild.
 
iirc, on Viris' old sandbox, you used to laugh at LeafFan for supporting the team regardless and said we would NEVER accept shit for years. Now you call for us to be shit AND to accept it.
 
The Newhook trade looks worse and worse.

And my point around that trade remains the same: What was the point in trading for Newhook & giving him a 4 year contract?

There's virtually no chance he'll still be around when this team is good.
The trade was never going to be a needle mover but a 45-50 point Newhook wasnt out of the question with a new start

if Newhook and Dach both leave no big deal
 
Back
Top