Gerry
unread,Jul 2, 2017, 8:48:33 AM7/2/17You do not have permission to delete messages in this group
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Hopefully what it does is highlight just how far this team really is. Because frankly, I'm still very optimistic that they'll bring Markov and Radulov back. Nobody else signed them, so I think the odds now are very good that they just come back to the Habs.
And even with that, I don't believe this team got better or is a contender. Drouin would have been a great *addition*, but I'll be a little surprised if history doesn't record Sergachev as the best player in the deal. And looking at the Habs' D, at all levels, losing Sergachev is going to have a big impact. So Drouin isn't as much of an "addition" as he might seem.
They didn't get a center.
Does it count as a plus that they didn't make a stupid trade to dump Galchenyuk?
I still think they missed a golden opportunity with Shipachyov. Whether he pans out or not - and it will be hard for him to prove it with that Vegas roster - he was truly a chance at a pure addition, at the position the team needed an addition the most.
You need to get a little lucky to take a step ahead, and to get lucky you need to take some chances. It's not taking much of a chance to make a series of lateral moves. This team wasn't just a little bit of chemistry away from taking the next step.
I'd also note that there were teams out there sitting on their contract extensions, like SJ with the Jones and Vlasic deals. I didn't notice any similar announcement of an extension for Price.
It's not a disastrous outcome for the Habs by any stretch either, though. Assuming they do retain Radulov and Markov. I expect a fair amount of argument that he did in fact do a Good Job if/when those last two items are settled.
l8r,
Gerry