I'm glad that what TVASports was wrong and that Dumont is getting called up, the kid deserves it and I think he'll be our 4th line center.
Not a chance.
He was invited as a reward for his hard work and for Therrien to get a look at him in case of injuries and they have to call him up. There is already a logjam at 4th line center with Gomez and Nokelainen.
Maybe you see good as pushing Desharnais out of a top six center role but all Gomez has to do is play either fourth line center or wing.
If Gomez plays like 09-10 Gomez, Montreal will probably be winning the northeast division.
A 2nd line of Gomez - Plekanec -Gionta each having 50-60 pts? Good enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by Estimated_Prophet
Not a chance.
He was invited as a reward for his hard work and for Therrien to get a look at him in case of injuries and they have to call him up. There is already a logjam at 4th line center with Gomez and Nokelainen.
Nokelainen is injured and Gomez being Gomez, so I believe Dumont has a chance to start the season.
Maybe you see good as pushing Desharnais out of a top six center role but all Gomez has to do is play either fourth line center or wing.
If Gomez plays like 09-10 Gomez, Montreal will probably be winning the northeast division.
Gomez is a lame duck and he knows it. I don't know how motivated he will be knowing that he will be bought out and will have to languish on the 4th line in the meantime.
Gomez is a lame duck and he knows it. I don't know how motivated he will be knowing that he will be bought out and will have to languish on the 4th line in the meantime.
He's motivated to not play on the Alaska Aces for the rest of his 30s.
A lot of Gomez' problems are mental. It isn't injury. The truth is, Gomez is still a skilled player but is losing a step. He could totally just click with the right linemates and suddenly be handing gifts to wingers that can sink it in.
Some speculation, which is way too easy to have, about Leblanc not being a favorite already of the new management. We'll see how that plays out. Yet, while it is too soon to tell, let's hope Leblanc ends up in the good 1st rounder column than in the bad one. I think that the biggest problem of that draft was that it was held in Montreal. I will always believe that despite the "list". But the pressure was so heavy on the Habs to take Leblanc that they just had to. Yet, the end result will most likely be that we might have missed on players with higher ceilings. I was high on Leblanc. Surely too high on him. But was high on Kreider as well. Though some will immediately say that Kreider isn't exactly stellar in the AHL this year either....Again though, not bashing Timmins on this...we just had to draft him. Strange though how incredibly more exciting Timmins picks are away from the 1st round.
He's motivated to not play on the Alaska Aces for the rest of his 30s.
A lot of Gomez' problems are mental. It isn't injury. The truth is, Gomez is still a skilled player but is losing a step. He could totally just click with the right linemates and suddenly be handing gifts to wingers that can sink it in.
You are right about the mental part of his game but he hasn't lost a step as he is still very fast. His problem is he has become as soft as a wet tissue. In his prime he wasn't afraid to go into the dirty areas and challenge defenders. This is how he created passing lanes.....now he just scoots around on the perimeter hoping that lanes will magically appear. He was always overrated to an extent but he was still a good player.
Some speculation, which is way too easy to have, about Leblanc not being a favorite already of the new management. We'll see how that plays out. Yet, while it is too soon to tell, let's hope Leblanc ends up in the good 1st rounder column than in the bad one. I think that the biggest problem of that draft was that it was held in Montreal. I will always believe that despite the "list". But the pressure was so heavy on the Habs to take Leblanc that they just had to. Yet, the end result will most likely be that we might have missed on players with higher ceilings. I was high on Leblanc. Surely too high on him. But was high on Kreider as well. Though some will immediately say that Kreider isn't exactly stellar in the AHL this year either....Again though, not bashing Timmins on this...we just had to draft him. Strange though how incredibly more exciting Timmins picks are away from the 1st round.
Much like yourself I was hoping for either Kreider or Leblanc. I may have ever so slightly preferred Kreider but it was close enough that selecting Leblanc and not having to hear all of the anti-francophone rhetoric was enough at the time to satisfy myself.
The hype around Leblanc's offensive game was clearly overstated as from what I have seen he is more of a 3rd line prospect and potentially a pretty good one. Unfortunately it is very difficult to get an accurate read on players offensive upside when they are in the USHL. My fear at this point is that he may have a chronic shoulder problem which would be devastating considering the strength of his game is board work and a willingness to battle for the puck.
He seems to have the smarts and desire along with a moderate amount of skill. Hopefully he can stay healthy enough to become a solid contributor as he definitely has a winning attitude and approach to the game. I believe in building a team with specific types of players and the one thing that they all have in common is a desire to win and put the team first. Leblanc fits into this mold.
