Recrutes

Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.

5 Predictions for $100

September 26, 2017

By Brian Wilde

Twice a year I like to ask people on social media to give me five predictions about the Habs. One series of predictions is for the coming season and the other is for the off season. So far I have not given a penny away as much as I am trying. The purpose is to engage and to have fun at the same time, but predictions are much harder than they seem.

The off-season cycle, or summer cycle if you prefer, last April was simply abysmal for the hopefully clairvoyant. No one got even close to getting all five correct to bank the prize. Almost everyone predicted Carey Price would sign long term and that was an easy one for one. Where about 90 percent of you faltered was the prediction that Alexander Radulov would sign long term with the Canadiens. Radulov had his chance as the offer from Montreal was the same as the one in Dallas, but Radulov, despite saying for a year that there was nothing better than Montreal, chose the warm winter and easier tax situation in Texas.

The Andrei Markov situation also stymied most of you as you predicted that he would finish his career in Montreal signing another one year deal. Markov left for the KHL rejecting the offer of Habs GM Marc Bergevin in a long battle over what seemed like a small amount of money. Free will is like that. It can surprise you.

So here we are again as I have asked people who have made predictions to pin them to their time line or make sure they keep a record somehow of the tweet as there is no way to moderate it from my end.

Same thing is asked of you here; that you save a date stamped copy of your predictions to show me your 5 for 5, if you can pull it off.

To start the ball rolling, here are mine:

Victor Mete starts in the NHL and plays but can’t impress enough during his try out and before the tenth game is played the Habs send him back to London.

Jonathan Drouin leads the Habs in points this season.

Max Pacioretty is the Habs top goal scorer yet again.

The Habs finish third in the Atlantic.

The Habs power play finishes in the top ten.

The founder of Recrutes also weighed in last night with his five predictions, but no Grant McCagg can’t win 100 dollars off me. Here are Grant’s predictions for the season:

Mete plays the entire season in Montreal.

The Habs win the division.

The Leafs finish behind Ottawa. (The predictions have to be Habs related please, so Grant actually gave only four. )

Charlie Lindgren is the back up to Price before the season ends.

Charles Hudon is top five in the Calder race for top rookie.

So have fun and try to win $100 as a Recrutes subscriber ($50 for non-subscribers) by commenting below and enjoy the Habs 365 community….

About Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde has worked in hockey since he was 20. He was the rink side host for the Edmonton Oilers at CTV and Ottawa Senators for Sportsnet. He was also lead reporter on the Montreal Canadiens for 17 years at CTV Montreal.

View all posts by Brian Wilde

  • Haris Shahid says

    -67 finally makes it to 40 goals with Drouin’s help
    -27 back at centre or traded
    -Habs surprise and finish first in the division
    -31 has 40 wins
    -Habs reach the Conference Finals

  • Joonas Honkanen says

    1. Habs will finish 3rd in the division
    2. Drouin scores 30+ goals
    3. Gallagher 40+ points
    4. Bergevin acquires top-4 D-men before the year ends
    5. Galchenyuk will be a healthy scratch for at least one game
    (6. Habs will start the season slowly and fans will panic)

  • Grant Bakewell says

    1. Montreal makes the playoffs
    2. Galchenyuk does not hit 30G
    3. Drouin stays at centre for the majority of the season
    4. Carey Price does not win the Vezina
    5. Hudon gets 10-15 goals

    • Brian Wilde says

      That has a chance because those are quite safe. Can you maybe give the Habs a placing? Like wild card or win the division or something? 🙂 Price doesn’t win the Vezina… anything bolder about Price you can think of?

      Sorry, I am trying to discourage predictions that are too safe. Thank you for your understanding.

  • Steve B. says

    Brian, this will be fun!
    1. Habs will make the playoffs
    2. Charlie Lindgren will oust Montoya for the backup job
    3. Plekanec will get 40 points
    4. Pacioretty will net 40 goals
    5. Price will win the Vezina

  • Mike Veenie says

    Mete plays more than 9 games.

    Markov returns after the Olympics.

    Price is NOT nominated for the Vezina.

    Drouin scores 65+ points.

    Habs PP finishes top 5 in the league.

  • Mike says

    – Mete stays with team the whole season
    – Habs have their highest team penalty mins in a decade due to slow defense (lots of hooking and holding by Habs defensemen)
    – Due to lots of penalties, Price’s save percentage goes down to .915 area (facing a lot more shots than other years)
    – Habs barely make playoffs (4th in division)
    – Habs eliminated in 1st round by Tampa)

  • Nickolas Hodge says

    K here we go.
    Lehkonen hits 25 goals.
    Lord byron hits 20 goals.
    Shea weber hits 55 points.
    Habs win the division, play NYI then Tor then Pens and go win the cup vs Oilers in 7. 😉

  • Teresa Buono says

    #67 will reach 101 points
    #11 will get 30 goals
    #27 will will reach 35 goals ( if not traded)
    #6 will get 12 power play goals
    #31 will get 15 shoutouts

  • Darrell says

    – Plekanec returns to 40 point form

    – Hemsky plays at least 70 games

    – Galchenyuk doesn’t finish the year with the Habs

    – Markov signs with Habs after KHL season is done.

    – Max leads Habs in goal scoring.

  • Pino Marcovecchio says

    – Hab’s power play is in the top third of the league
    – Drouin is back playing the wing majority of the time
    – Pacioretty has his best season to date
    – Bergervin makes big splash at/close to trade deadline (not another fourth liner)
    – Habs miss the playoffs

  • Kevin Nadeau-Gervais says

    1-2nd in Atlantic
    2-Pacioretty with 40 goals
    3-Tavares is a Hab by the end of season
    4-Price is Vezina finalist
    5-Going to Conference final

  • sag says

    1. Montoya loses back up job to Lindgren after new year.
    2. Mete gets a look but is sent down after the 9 game mark.
    3. 27 is traded in a package deal for a 2D or a C that we are all luke warm about.
    4. Lehkonen pots north of 20.
    5. Byron has a good year but misses potting 20 by 1 or 2 goals.

  • Michael Zarwanitzer says

    1- 5 or more 20 goal scorers
    2- Top 2 in Atlantic
    3- Power Play in Top 10
    4- Bergy doesn’t use 8.4 cap space
    5- 10 or more D play in 1 game

  • Sean Bower says

    1- Max gets 40+ goals
    2- Habs finish 2nd in the division
    3- Plek rebounds with a 40+ point season
    4- Price nominated for the Vezina
    5- Habs make Conf. Finals.

  • Steve Fitzgerald says

    Mete stays for 9 games only
    Drouin will play more games as a winger
    CH make the playoffs by way of wildcard
    Chucky won’t be traded, they need a whipping boy
    Hudon leads MTL in goals

  • Terry Fisher says

    -Lehkonen scores 30 and plays in the All Star Game
    -Montoya is put on waivers at the end of camp and –Lindgren plays back up to Price all year
    -Plekanecs rebounds and scores 20 in a contract year
    -Galchenyuk, Scherbak and a 2018 2nd moved for Duchesne in October
    -Drouin picks up 50 assists and leads Habs by 15 points in scoring.

  • Andrew Hunter says

    Patches scores over 40 goals
    Price wins the vezina
    De La Rose plays more than 40 games with the habs
    Gallagher scores 20 goals
    Habs finish 2nd in the division

  • Mark Paas says

    1.Galchenyuk plays a few games in Laval demands a trade.
    2. Habs try to acquire Jordan Subban.
    3. Lindgren shines. Goalie controversy begins.
    4. Hudon top rookie scorer.
    5. Shaw retires.

  • Robert Lumia says

    Habs will finish 2nd in the Atlantic
    Drouin will lead in points
    Patches will lead in goals
    Weber will score 20
    Plekanec will get 40+ points.

  • Kelli Tucker says

    1) Pacioretty scores 40 goals. 2) Gallagher scores 20 goals. 3) habs make playoffs in a wildcard spot. 4) Lindgren is the backup by Christmas 5) Price wins the vezina

  • Stephen Lenet says

    1-Lindgren ends up being the back up for price before season end.
    2-mete plays nine games and gets sent down
    3-drouin leads team in pp goals
    4-Gallagher traded by deadline
    5-Habs finish in 6th playoff spot by years end.

  • Tom Hudon says

    – Habs/Leafs first round match up.
    – Hudon hits 40 points.
    – Galchenyuk and Drouin finish the season on the same line.
    – Pleks gets resigned.
    – McCarron, Sherbak and Gallagher are part of a deal for a 1C.

  • Dave Trembley says

    -Habs will struggle offensively, bottom 3rd in goals
    -Habs will get a wildcard spot, barely
    -ironically, they will win 2 playoff series
    -Plekanec will score exactly twice as many goals as Danault
    -the salary cap money will be spent on two or three mediocre players instead of one good one

  • Scott in Montreal says

    1) 20 goals or more for at least 6 Habs forwards.
    2) Price finishes with his best GAA ever and another Vezina.
    3) Gallagher plays all 82 games without injury.
    4) Plekanec not traded.
    5) Julien in bidding for the Adams.

  • Debbie Wald says

    Good competition is always fun, all about the bragging rights not about the money! My predictions are :
    1) Pacioretty finally hits 40
    2) habs make playoffs in wild card spot
    3) Drouin gets 60 points
    4) Mete stays up the whole season
    5) major trade is done for a top D before trad deadline.

  • Claudio says

    – they finish second in division to Toronto
    -drouin misses 15+games to injury
    – Weber scores 20+ goals wins first Norris
    – Petry 50+ point season avg. 26 min/game
    -Galchenyuk plays 60+ games at center

  • Emil says

    1. Montreal stumbles out of the block.
    2. Bergevin will make a huge trade by December.
    3. Drouin is switched to wing.
    4. Mate makes the team.
    5. We miss the playoffs.

  • Jennifer LaPoint says

    Sure what the hell, nothing to lose, $100 to gain 🙂

    1. Lehkonen improves point total from last season.
    2. Plekanec is traded.
    3. Hudon is Calder finalist but loses because the NHL hates us 😛
    4. Lindgren earns place as Price’s backup before season end.
    5. Habs finish 2nd in division

  • Yves Lamarche says

    My 5 for the season:

    1) Habs give up on Galcheynuk and trade him
    2) Price gets hurt again before Christmas and misses at least 10 games
    3) Shaw gets another concussion
    4) Hudon scores over 20 goals in the regular season
    5) Montreal finishes 3rd in their division

  • Angelo Zaccara says

    -Mete starts season but returned to minors after 9 games
    – Patch will score 40 plus
    – Lehkonen will score 25 plus
    – Drouin will have 45 plus assists
    – Habs will acquire a true no.2 to play with Weber

  • Peter Sturge says

    1. The Habs have three 30 goal scorers
    2. Lehkonen scores 25+ goals
    3. Weber scores 50 points
    4. Shaw reaches 40 points for the 1st time
    5. $8.5M is (mostly) used on 1 big ticket player acquired before the deadline