News Article: Red Fisher "Habs fail to build for future"

[bsl]

Originally Posted by Darth Joker

Thanks.




Agreed.

Lack of elite talent is definitely the biggest problem facing this team.

We haven't had a consistent offensive threat on this team since Kovalev's one big year with us. Part of that was Cammy being a massive regular season disappointment, but most of it really is management not valuing pure elite offensive talent enough.

Carbo once said that he'd love a team of all Tom Kostopouloses, IIRC. This sort of mentality has plagued this franchise for far too long. Yeah, it's great to have tough, hardworking character guys on your team, but the most important thing is to have 1st liners and 1st pairing defensemen that are actually elite players and "go to guys" offensively that can be counted on for at least 30 goals a year (if a forward) and good PP production.

Darth, I have read your posts thoroughly, and the only thing I have to add is:

Scotty Bowman, a coach that invented team defense, never complained about Guy Lafleur's backchecking. He had Gainey for that.

Guess it was the 50 -60 goals Guy was pumping into the other team's
net year after year that Bowman must have liked.

There's nothing more to say. The Habs have forgotten how important raw offensive talent is in this game.

[dutchy29]

I don't think PG has necessarily made terrible moves. Getting rid of Cammalari, and AK were both good moves, It would take Jesus himself to trade Gomez, can't fault him for that one. Personnaly I would have liked him to attempt a trade for a first rounder, or a "can't miss" type prospect and maybe trade away one of our other veterans but who knows.

[Lafleurs Guy]

Originally Posted by bsl

Darth, I have read your posts thoroughly, and the only thing I have to add is:

Scotty Bowman, a coach that invented team defense, never complained about Guy Lafleur's backchecking. He had Gainey for that.

Guess it was the 50 -60 goals Guy was pumping into the other team's
net year after year that Bowman must have liked.

There's nothing more to say. The Habs have forgotten how important raw offensive talent is in this game.

Yup, and it started way back when Lemaire took over as coach and ran Lafleur out of town on a rail. Since then we've avoided elite offensive talent like the plague.

[BeliveauFan4ever]

We have failed to draft talent, and at times have failed to properly evaluate the talent we Do draft/sign.

Halak trade = fail. Letting Grabovski go as if we were too loaded with scoring power.

(I like Lars, but we didn't properly shop Halak. NO excuse for that.)

So, here we are.

There has to be accountability, so Gauthier should go *IF* there is a bright mind to replace him.

Molson should open the wallet and totally re-vamp and *expand* the scouting staff, top to bottom.

The talent we have reads like "blind squirrel finds nut."

We have some pieces, but I just don't think Pierre Gauthier has the vision and cajones to get the team to where we need to be, where it should be.

The best fans in hockey are being cheated, no, not me, I mean Montrealers, the passionate ones who pay the freight, and bear the burden of clear mis-management.