speaking of D - Jerabek

[Gerry]

So it sounds like the Habs have signed this guy:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=33045

Sounds like a good puck-mover, if not a really quick guy either. But good numbers for the Czech Rep and last season in the KHL. Smallish puck-moving D, can't hurt to add freebies like this IMHO... that said, one might bear in mind that a guy like Nikita Nesterov is actually 2 years younger, and I imagine if he was playing in the KHL he'd be doing similarly well.

So in the spirit of adding bargain bin options, I'm all for it. But I think it would be premature to get ones' hopes up.

l8r,
Gerry

[Mike]

Damn, Bergy started his dumpster diving early this year. He must be serious

[Gerry]

He'll probably be on the Czech team with Plekanec for the WC's coming up next week. So some sneak previews may be available. I guess he's still on ELC age, so it's not like you can just outbid on him, he must have had some genuine interest in signing with the Habs. Better to get it done early in case he had another good WC and garnered even more attention and suitors.

So far from what I've read he sort of sounds like a Kaberle type of player.

l8r,
Gerry

[Jim Bauch]

It would not be a bad thing if Montreal got -- or already has -- a reputation among Russian players as a good place to play.

In a cap-constrained league, you take your advantages where you can find them.

Jim

[Gerry]

Yeah, I think it's a Good Idea in general to be "in" on any of these free agents... be they older European ones, like Jerabek, NCAA players, or undrafted juniors. Players come from everywhere. I mean, you still do your own homework and scouting on them to make sure; it's not just a case of reading their stats line like we do as fans. But when everything checks out, it's free assets if you can land them.

Habs have done pretty well in this regard in general, I'd say. Lindgren is doing great as their top goaltending prospect, and McNiven was a shrewd post-draft signing as well. Right there, the goaltending pipeline was solidified without spending a draft pick or making a trade. And Condon came from the same approach.

Habs aren't prospect-rich atm, and they've spent a fair number of draft picks trading for their late season depth additions too... Ott, King, Benn, Nesterov... picks have been spent in those types of trade scenarios, so it's nice if they can re-coup the pick value signing guys.

The Bulldogs missed the playoffs 4 years in a row under Jodoin (1 year) and then Lefebvre (3 years). Then St.John's missed again last year (Lefebvre), but just barely squeezed in this year (still Lefebvre). 1 year squeezing into the playoffs in the last 6! It has been slim pickings for success on the farm lately. The pipeline is definitely not overflowing. Adding prospects by any means possible is wise. Or adding already-developed players who might integrate into the lineup to make up for the lack of graduates coming from the farm, either way.

l8r,
Gerry

[Gerry]

Official today as a 1-year max ELC deal, fwiw.

l8r,
Gerry

[Mike]

Right in Bergy's wheelhouse. Bottom pairing D and 4th liners. Nobody can
sign them up like Bergy! Who needs #1 and #2 centers? Doesn't 3 4th line
plugs = 1 #1 Centre?

[Chuck]

I'm hoping it is a sign they plan on ditching Perry, whose puck skills have been overstated.

[Gerry]

On Thursday, May 4, 2017 at 9:50:10 AM UTC-4, Chuck wrote:
> I'm hoping it is a sign they plan on ditching Perry, whose puck skills
> have been overstated.

Well, I'd abandon that hope if I was you. Jerabek certainly pushes Nesterov out of any faint hopes he might have had of re-signing with the Habs, and if everything went well with Jerabek, maybe he could push Beaulieu? (Esp. if it's true the Habs aren't too fond of Beaulieu and/or need to use him as trade bait for a top center). But Petry isn't going anywhere.

So far I find Petry is a pretty decent #3... about 60% of the time. He's as advertised, and sometimes does some surprisingly good things in that 60% period. But then he has some periods where I'd be hardpressed to tell him from a more generic filler type like a Tom Gilbert or like Davidson seems to be. For a guy with a premium $5.5M long-term NMC contract... I'd want to see him play more consistently at the top of his game. It reminds me a little of Hamrlik... just the fluctuations are at a much higher frequency - Hamrlik varied more from whole season to season. Whereas Petry it's more week-to-week. But they could both be #2/3 d-men at their best, and worth their premium contracts. Or make those contracts look a bit fishy when they weren't at their best.

And fwiw, Czech Rep opens against Canada tomorrow, and Jerabek does seem to be on the team, so there should be a good chance to scout him out.

l8r,
Gerry

[Chuck]

He can't hit. He doesn't recover well from turnovers. As a 2nd unit PP pointman rarely protects the blue line to sustain offensive zone pressure. Lacks playmaking skills required to play on a PP. If Beaulieu is given another chance getting rid of Petry would free up a roster spot. I just do not see him stepping up his game

[Gerry]

Somewhat surprisingly to me, Petry I think just had his best statistical season this season. He's 29, so has likely reached his peak. He has 4 more seasons at a $5.5M cap hit (with NMC and modified NTC for the last 3). Presumably not very easy to get rid of.

I would agree it's not too likely that he steps up his game at this point. The hope will be instead that he doesn't fall off in those 4 years. It's still pricey to me for an inconsistent #3-ish guy who is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. But it becomes an outright albatross if he drops below his current level.

Ultimately the hope would be that Sergachev and Juulsen supplant him during the next 4 years. But I wouldn't be expecting anything imminent with Petry.

l8r,
Gerry

[The Mad Ape]

I'd say he'd be dangled as bait if Price signs or is moved elsewhere. To me that would signal rebuild.

There will be some dealing this summer but Next year will be interesting because of Price.

He is the only superstar on the roster.

TMA

[Gerry]

I will file Price going elsewhere and the general concept of a rebuild occurring any time soon in about the same place as Petry moving, sure. Which is to say, nothing that I will take very seriously. I don't know if it all exactly amounts to "wishful thinking" by a subgenre of Habs fans, but whatever you want to call it, it's not high probability material IMHO.

One could speculate about the Habs picking up Tavares and Karlsson and going for the Cup just about as readily, if one were so inclined. Can't hurt to brainstorm, right?

But in reality, Bergevin has his course mostly set for the next few years, I believe. He's got tweaks, large and small, that he'll try. But nothing that could be a called a "rebuild". And I believe that would be true even if Price did leave. He'd just target the best available replacement goalie, and nothing else would change either.


l8r,
Gerry

[Chuck]

Unfortunately he will still be a Hab next season. That being said, if after the off season they are counting on him to be a top four defenceman, MB would have failed to have made any player moves on defence of any impact. If MB manages to acquire a top pairing Dman, along with Markov being resigned, Petry would drop down to the 3rd pairing. As a 3rd pairing dman I think he will not do enough to justify 5.5 million per year nor would he be a good partner for a rookie defence, should Montreal gamble to take that chance.

[The Mad Ape]

If Price leaves it will be his refusal to sign. If he wants to wait until offseason to negotiate and Habs won't make playoffs they'd be best served trading him to a contender.

I really wouldn't blame him. PK and DD are still playing lol.

TMA

[Nyssa]

The thought of DD still playing gives me the willies.

It ain't fair!

BTW...GO PK!!

Nyssa, who is trying to focus on the positive

[Chuck]

I think the Oilers will look back and see that picking up DD was a mistake. The wear and tear the Ducks have been able to put on the Oilers top lines could have been reduced if they had someone other then DD. Someone who would not have been parked on the bench, with zero shots on goal. Picking up DD to sit in the press box as depth might have made sense. Dressing him for a 4th line role did not.

[The Mad Ape]

What made no sense was the non-goalie interference call on the tying goal. That being said, a team up 3-0 late in a game shouldn't collapse like that and now, because of one bad call, Oilers will lose the series. Guess they needed to learn some tough lessons before going to the next level of team growth.

TMA

[Chuck]

Call makes sense in an NHL where anything discretionary always errs on the side of keeping the score close or tied. Look at both games where the whistles were pocketed from the 3rd periods on, except for a non discretionary puck over the glass call. I think the NHL needs to get rid of the coaches challenge. I can understand reviews to see if the puck crosses the the goal line, but as they try to expand what can be challenged it will be hypocritical not to reverse non penalty calls that can have the same impact as a missed call that leads to a goal.

[Chuck]

NY vs Ottawa, I guess penalty free 3rd periods is the norm now

[Chuck]

No 3rd period penalties during the two games today and two games yesterday. What are the odds? Good if it's the NHL!

[TheMadApe]

Perfect game management /sarcasm

TMA