Home D- Core | The Basu & Godin Notebook

On this episode of The Basu and Godin Notebook, Draft lottery (0:00), Building a young d-corps (9:00), Coaching staff improvements (38:00), Our blue line to start the season (47:00), MONDAY MAILBAG : NHL Central Scouting (55:35), Acquiring Tavares/PLD (1:01:30), Ty Dellandrea and Cole Perfetti (1:09:30), Trading up at the draft (1:13:50), Future pending 2025 UFAs (1:22:00), Should Canadiens draft Cole Hutson (1:30:30)
Follow the show on Twitter:@BasuAndGodin
Follow Arpon Basu on Twitter: @ArponBasu
Follow Marc Antoine Godin on Twitter: @MAGodin
Email your mailbag questions: [e-mail]
Recorded: May 6, 2024
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[@alejogaming1990]

the best way to start the season for the canadiens this coming season is not complicated: Matheson- Guhle Hutson-Savard Xhekaj-Mailloux This line up of 6 defenceman is already better than the 2/3 of the teams in the league.

[@DiasBenes]

Guhle will play on the left side, he is a left D after all. Matheson- Savard Guhle-Kovacevic After that its going either be Xhekaj, Struble or Hutson if he outplays everyone on the bottom pair. He isn't going to be given many minutes and will be given time to adjust to the NHL level. Barron will probably play on the right side but given a short leash. If he needs more time in the AHL, then he will spend more time there. Mailloux is not going replace Kovacevic. He has been a stable presence there. Maybe Mailloux will go on the last line and start there over Barron. But I think that will be Barron's spot until he loses it. Besides if the goal is to trade Barron, he is going to have to get minutes so teams can evaluate him.

[@robertlegault9226]

I completely agree

[@viper29ca]

​@@DiasBeneshe has been playing on the right side all season for a reason. It will be Matheson Guhle on the first pairing going forward

[@jjevans1693]

Xhekaj Mailloux Guhle KVC Hutson Savard Get rid of Matheson so we can win more games.

[@alejogaming1990]

@@DiasBenes im not gonna lie your comment makes no sense at all. Guhle with kovacevic is total nonsense. Yes guhle is left D but he plays very well in Rd too and with matheson you have to put our best defenceman which is Guhle. Mailloux is ready for the NHL it’s a waiste of time to put him in the AHL. Hutson has to play with shard it’s a must, you can’t put anybody else with Hutson. And Xhekaj and mailloux played together in the AHL and they both played their best hockey so putting them together is a must. Kovacevic will be 7th D. Strubble Barron and Harris going to be traded

[@maxpatenaude2115]

I just keep thinking of that Celebrini / Hutson magic they had this year together. Celebrini on the powerplay with Hutson, Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky....it would be just wow

[@YvonBolduc_Tip007]

You guys have the best podcast on the planet. Great analysis.

[@krushingkobra]

There's an 8.5% chance that tomorrow is the best day of my life.

[@Thrawn.]

And a 44.5% chance it's just another Tuesday!

[@Duskuler1]

1hr 30 mins is not even enough! I want more Basu & Godin.

[@marc-andreviau19]

The jingle is awesome. The tone of that base is so early Entwistle from the Who. I end up signing every time!

[@robertlegault9226]

The league knows Brobov is well connected in Russia. The Habs try to make a trade for Demidov knowing it's not going to be accepted. The message of this mock trade is that it must be SAFE To draft Russian players snd therefore incrreases the chances of Silayev going third and Levshunov going fourth ( I know he's Ncaa but just fillow me). Thar leaves Lindstrom available for the 5th pick which is most likely where the Habs will pick from. We then add one of our defensive prospects to move up to draft Becket Senneke or Liam Greentree.

[@DonaldChisholm]

Xhekaj and Milleaux pairing would be scary to play against (third pairing)

[@gaqread]

The narrative that the Canadiens lack "game-breaking" talent drives me a little bonkers. Juraj Slafkovksy just turned 20. And he scored at an 80 point clip for the second half of the season. The kid will be a 100 point player as he comes into his own and will be physically dominant while he does it. If that's not "game-breaking" talent I'm not sure what is.

[@y3ee3e]

play 7 dman with a weekly to biweekly rotating 7th dman that can be called up and sent down from the ahl. kovacevic an harris has to go for sure..both solid bottom pair dmen and many teams would have interest with Harris having mid pair upside. use this strategy to evaluate which dmen are our top 6 for the future. Guhle-Matheson Savard-Xhekaj Struble-Hutson Reinbacher Mailloux Barron

[@chrisL1993Hab]

Great show as always !!!

[@alexh2065]

Your discussion on the Stars D-core, more specifically the fact they have depth issue made me think they'd be a good place to trade someone like Harris to. They wouldn't need him to be a top 4 D but simply someone they can trust enough to give him around 16 min a night on a third pair which would be an improvement on Lundqvist. Maybe Harris, Habs second rounder (from the Avs) and one of it's 3rd for a young forward, like maybe Mavrik Bourque, would be an option. I know Bourque isn't the biggest guy (5'10", 178 lbs) but he was really productive in the AHL (77 pts in 71 GP), he's 22 and from what I heard he seems ready for the NHL. Added bonus he's a Q guy, which is always (almost) a plus.

[@darrenpinard1658]

Reinbacker takes Mailloux's spot in Laval for a year (huge minutes, PP1 ect), maybe up at TDL when they ship Savard.

[@williamarmour1656]

This is the best Habs podcast around. But Apron, please stop trying to trade David Savard, you cannot bring in all these new Dmen without the old pro. Trade him and you will be looking to replace him.

[@troym5841]

I love listening to you guys, you're great!! Marc...please stop trying to bring in old d-men. lol

[@mikepouliot3630]

Matheson Guhle Xhekaj Hutson Barron Savard Struble. Harris has played as many games as Romanov when he was traded. So he will go. Kovacevic will go as he will rarely play if he stayed. Mailloux, Engstrom and Reinbacher to start in Laval.

[@filterlessbear9250]

Maybe they should look at adding Scott Steven's to the coaching staff to help the young defenseman and the PK?

[@viper29ca]

If we got the first pick, Celebrini would likely be the first Calder winner since Dryden in '71-'72.

[@filterlessbear9250]

How about keeping Kovacevic and he becomes your big bruising shut down guy? He's 6'5" and will be affordable! 1st Guhle/Matheson 2nd Xhekaj/Savard 3rd Hutson/Kovacevic. I'd send Mailloux & Rienbacher to dominate the AHL with Engstrom. Trade Harris, Struble and Barron is your 7th

[@davidrmouck5608]

Harris and Barron wouldn't likely fetch much on the open market. Mailloux on the other hand... Great show as always guys! Sounds like you're feeling better Marc! Good stuff.

[@djclovissio2338]

Yeah but you trade Mailloux and there's a hole in RD.. If they do that, they need to grab Levshunov no choice and good luck at #5! Konyushkov is gonna be a grandpa when his KHL contract is done

[@paulgiardetti1579]

Barron for Dylandria, Harris for Perfetti … I would maybe add a second to get perfetti, or add ylonen. Will solve the defensemen problem

[@isleauxpeche4279]

Whats the Cap hit on your Defense picks

[@spiderjerusalem6887]

I think some people are underestimating Engstrom. he could be a big surprise at camp and force himself into the conversation.

[@marc-andreviau19]

Swedish D moving straight from European ice to NHL… not sure. Give him some AHL time.

[@viper29ca]

Not a chance, he needs to get used to the NA ice surface and faster game. I can see him hooking up with Reinbacher on a pairing in Laval for a year however

[@DonaldChisholm]

Mathinson, Guhle. Savard, Hutson, Milleaux, Xhekaj, Kovacevic and Barron / Harris (one of them packaged at draft). Kovacevic or Savard traded off-season or deadline.

[@SURVIVORkid23]

To me the defencemen who are on the chopping block for a trade this summer are Savard, Harris, Kovacevic & Barron & if they go for a big player & need a more blue chip guy maybe Mailloux

[@petermelville5524]

Two cup winners, coming off as real people with a humble nature, great. Habs need to get rid of some vet contracts and trade some young D. Not sure why they'd get back but Mercer is 6' and has the speed game that might compliment Newhook and Dach. Generally, they need to draft some high end talent that is physical with size like Lindstorm or Greentree.

[@jerrygreig9506]

What an intro

[@viper29ca]

Matheson Guhle Hutson Savard Xhekaj Mailloux Kovacevic Harris, Barron, Struble either traded or Laval

[@dataminerdaniel]

Arpon! Thanks for making me feel better about Habs not picking up PLD. The man is trash.

[@paulgiardetti1579]

I am placing Huston and Reinbacher in Laval, and have them play in all situations, the argument that Hudson needs to play with good players does not apply to defensemen, if he is going to be as good as we hope he is he will need to make others better, guehle Matheson, Savard, xjehka, maillioux, struble, with Barron and Kovacevic as spares, Harris gets traded, and maybe Barron, Kovacevic is a good number 7,

[@davidrmouck5608]

No mention of Slaf and Zegras sharing some hugs today?😍😍

[@hexertion]

I haven't tried the lottery simulator since last year. Got 3rd on the first try 🤣

[@DonaldChisholm]

I think rheinbacher will spend another year in ahl. Milleaux will come up. Stuble down.

[@Qc_Cerberus]

did you mess up all three names on purpose? lol

[@DonaldChisholm]

I didnt bother to check. Did the misspellings make the comment unclear?

[@paulgiardetti1579]

Divorak for Taveras,

[@steveeaster6701]

Not on Spotify yet? :(

[@spiderjerusalem6887]

still haven't forgiven you guys for skipping friday

[@ShadowWalker-ng1it]

they didn't skip. they said last week they are moving to a 1 episode per week for the offseason which is good

[@spiderjerusalem6887]

@@ShadowWalker-ng1it that's even worse, SHADOWWALKER

[@user-vu7vz7tf3c]

Picking the starting defencemen is a stupid exercise. Trades are going to happen and some good defencemen will be gone because they want office in return. Trading Harris will not get what you want.

[@Shooter4547]

I would trade Savard, Armia. I would keep Kovacevic, Evans. I would let expire Dvorak, Pezzetta.

[@johnleger8829]

if they would have tanked they wouldn't have been this predicament. I'm not saying they won't get bonafide goods goal scorer but not an elite as the first top three. I mean whatever you accomplished Chicago's going to rebuild their team a lot quicker than us.. buy tanking

[@brianchandler9698]

A potential dark horse top 5 pick in this year's draft Beckett Sennecke

[@Thrawn.]

Stop it!

[@THEGDB]

Spending money on a FA defenseman?? That makes zero sense , they could run back the same group from last season and be 100% fine . Let the young guys force there way onto the team . Its a crazy competition for spots on the Montreal top 6 , let the best players play .

[@clout13r]

You have to be some kind of delusionnal to think they will be fighting for playoffs with a d core that will get younger and inexperienced. They are 3 years from competing. Now they have to load up withyoung fowards through the draft. Not talking about the goalie that is still in university. D are ready around 28, fowards around 24 and goalie around 26 years old. That is when the window opens.

[@isleauxpeche4279]

Its a camp battle Reinbacher vs Mailloux

[@user-vu7vz7tf3c]

I think they will be trading down because they will be able to get who they want later in the top ten and they do not need the defencemen ranked there.

[@viper29ca]

Not trading down. Lindstrom is slated to go 5, if they remain at 5, they aren't trading down

[@mathieulafreniere9689]

I don't like the comparisons to Carolina. Carolina was coached in a more defensive manner giving there young d core help from the forwards and systems. They also had more reliable goaltending then Montreal.

[@PeterPinsonnault-yl3ib]

The ambition is to make the playoffs. The reality is playoff pretender.They are not likely to win a series.

[@simonlegosu]

Am I crazy or Arpon has a nose-ring?

[@davidrmouck5608]

I know right! I thought it was just me 😅

[@canadian1445]

D + WPG 1st + 2nd for a solid top-6 player

[@matthewlarose9958]

Fellas how about Reinbacher for Zegris

[@davidrmouck5608]

I would think that's unlikely because the Austrian is HuGo's own pick, not going to trade him before he plays an NHL game. Mailloux, Bergy's pick, is probably the offer to Verbeek.

[@matthewlarose9958]

@@davidrmouck5608 I think and from watching the games, believe that Mailloux will be a better all around player and has a higher value because of the physical attributes and his overall grit he plays with. He will be a top d man in this league, not saying Reinbacher won’t, but either way let’s face it depends on the lottery tonight and since we have put a emphasis on size with speed and skill, I don’t think we will, it was just a question, but I guess we will see by seasons start.

[@remeli6148]

Veteran presence is overrated. Talent and character is way more important.

[@benoitrobitaille5235]

I get what you are saying, a veteran isn’t good by default … plenty of Stanley cup champions vet weren’t good players … but don’t underestimate the value of good veterans either.

[@remeli6148]

@@benoitrobitaille5235 absolutely but they have to be GOOD veteran and you dont need many of them. I think having one of Matheson or Savard is enough for the def group. Guhle will be in year 3? as a NHLer and Kovacevik has some experience too now so filling the rest of the group with Mailloux and other young D wouldnt be a problem.

[@TheJosephoenix]

Change your intro + music

[@brianchandler9698]

Too bad the Gallagher Anderson contracts are an anchor two experienced UFAs would consider signing Monahan Toffoli.

[@TheJosephoenix]

Marc... i can recommend a razor.... learn to shave , you and your better half (if you have one) will appreciate it

[@viper29ca]

Maybe learn to mind your own business. Really going to give grooming tips on a hockey podcast?