Engstrom has been playing RD for many years and I've read he is more comfortable there. Should consider him a RD despite his left handedness.

Hasn't played in awhile so understandable.

Engstrom looked so comfortable to me (again). If/when Guhle needs to rest these last 4 games, I hope they try Hutson/Engstrom and leave Struble/Xhekaj as the 3rd pair.

Yes, but the problem now is Hutson is being forced to play on his off side, and, while he's fine there, he clearly is not as good as on the left.

I thought I heard a rumour that he was trying to establish the Calipari Caliphate across the southeast!

Also know he is comfortable playing on his off, right, side.

I'd honestly like to see:
Hutson-Dobson
Matheson-Reinbacher
Guhle-Engstrom
(But I know 2 rookie D are not getting in the lineup starting now)

Good read as usual and your assessment seems spot on and aligns with the eye test. Of course a wrench in the proposed solution is Engstrom being on the shelf for a month, but once he's up and running I would love to see him back up and playing with Hutson if Reinbacher not up.

Reinbacher comes up and plays with Hutson. Maybe slightly fewer minutes keeps Guhle healthy for now. And when Carrier is upgraded to Engstrom or someone else to play with Guhle you have more balanced minutes among the three pairings?

Hage and Zharovsky when they're ready. Kapanen becomes a stud 3rd line centre.

Please just treat Dobes like the #1 for the rest of the year #GoHabsGo

Eventually Engstrom or Pickford on the 3rd pair.

Stop taking penalties and instead consider taking some shots?

@mccagg.bsky.social has been on that recently. Trust his evaluation/opinion.

Yep. Making a bad problem worse!

Gauthier too much power/influence during that time.

Worked againt Zion

If only they were under better management back then!

Possibly. So many poor decisions. For example trading for Gomez was bad enough but compounding it by including McDonagh when NYR should have been paying to get rid of that contract.

Habs would have been better with Kopitar even if that didn't come with a cup - we didn't get one with Price. As great as a goalie as Price was, I've also been saying since 2010 that they should have traded him instead of Halak since he would have netted a better return (and again no cups with him).

He is the better battler at this point, and the W-L record says something. If you watch the Sharks game, other than the Celebrini goal the rest were all hardly all his fault (even the Celebrini goal had some atrocious D to it).

I guess their plan is to underperform their talent level every year.

And more high end youth coming!

This!

The play driving will (hopefully) come. Not many 2nd lines on winning teams where the oldest player is 22. This experience they are getting now will hopefully be huge in a couple of years

That line is so young they are all likely to still improve, though of course that stops somewhere. He has the family genes on his side too!

That might be true. He is also 22 years old and none of us are Nostradamus so I think it is also perfectly fine to acknowledge that he in fact may be the longterm 2nd line centre when you consider Hughes doesn't seem to have ruled that out. Bottom line, enjoy this run and let future unfold!

Such an embarrassment for Canadian leadership/management.

Thanks for all of your game recaps by the way!

I get what you're saying and it makes sense. My point is that these kids should at least get an invite and chance to prove whether they belong or not. After all Canada's D wasn't exactly top notch other than Parekh providing alot of offense. And again, not even an invite for Hage last year?