Most of us have now accepted that the Montreal Canadiens will not be making a playoff appearance in 2016. At the moment they occupy the 11th spot in the race for the basement. So today we ask, will this lost season be worth it if the Canadiens land a top-5 draft pick?

Kyle (@kyleroussel) – I’d be happy with a top-5 pick at this point, provided it’s an NHL-ready player. I’d be pretty pissed if the player was considered “a project” and left in junior/AHL for the next 3 seasons. The second proviso is that Therrien would need to use the player properly. I assume a top-5 pick is a high-end offensive player with tons of skill, so I wouldn’t want to see that talent left to wither on the vine while he learns to “grind” in a lame-duck offense.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you’ve been led to believe that you were rooting for a legit Cup contender as recent as 6 weeks ago, but that’s where we find ourselves today. Even more bitter when you realize how short a cup window is, and with Price, Subban and Pacioretty getting another year older, it’s a shame to waste their prime like this.

All this being said, this past weekend’s success was a double whammy of futility. I don’t like seeing the Habs lose, but I feel like playoff success is all but unattainable. This group has a fatal flaw somewhere and I don’t want Price rushed back so he can try to cover it all up, and in doing so, blow their chance at picking up another cornerstone player at the draft.

Sean (@TheONeillFactor) – This is starting to feel an awful lot like the 2011-2012 season, where an ostensibly good team cratered but was ultimately rewarded with a Top-3 pick.

The Habs, of course, used that pick on Alex Galchenyuk and while he’s been a nice player, he hasn’t exactly altered the course of the franchise (yet). A top-5 or top-10 pick would be nice (especially since this years draft class is supposed to be much deeper than it was in 2012) but I’m not sure it’s the game-changer we assume it is.

Like Kyle said, it would be one thing if we A) got a player who could immediately contribute in a top-6 role and B) had a coaching staff willing and able to nurture young talent. If that was the case, this lost season may be worth it. Failing that, it’s still really hard to stomach throwing away a season of Price, Subban, and Pacioretty’s primes.

Although I think this season has proven that the Habs are further away from contention than we all thought and hoped, I still think Bergevin should be operating under the assumption that this team needs to win a Cup within the next 3-4 years. With that in mind, a high-pick does become an attractive asset as a trade piece. I have no real interest in drafting a project and watching him languish in St. John’s or under Therrien. But could, for example, the #10 pick and Alex Galchenyuk be enough to bring back a legitimate superstar in return? Normally that’s the type of trade I’d be against, but there may be some wisdom in swinging for the fences while this team still has a chance at contending.

Antonine (@HabsoluteTruth) – I’m in the same boat as the rest of you. As I’ve mentioned, this team is a lot better than what they’ve been showing in the last two months. I have been following the draft really closely and there ARE a lot of interesting forwards in this year’s draft even outside the top consensus guys (two Finns & Matthews).

If we fall outside the top five, I would explore the idea of trading the pick, like previously suggested by others. We have some holes in the roster as we speak and since our window won’t be there forever, I’d rather get immediate help than not only get a prospect who’s most likely two or three seasons away from having an impact on the team. It doesn’t help that I have absolutely no trust in Therrien in terms of developing (which was supposed to be one of his strength when we brought him in *sigh*) with the way he’s handled Galchenyuk since his second season in the NHL.

If we can get a player like James vanRiemsdyk, plus Pittsburgh’s 1st from this year, I’d be all for trading our pick, even if it’s in the 7-10 range.

Zach (@ZachDropsTweets) – All things being equal, I’d rather this team had made the playoffs, obviously. But, if we aren’t going to make the playoffs, a top-5 pick is some consolation. Some teams suffer and struggle for several years in order to grab a couple of top end draft picks.

If the Habs can manage to land Galchenyuk, plus another elite prospect in a 5-year span that also included a couple of lengthy playoffs runs then I guess we can be okay with that.

Ian (@ihabs1995) – The draft system is built the way it is to give bad teams a chance to rebuild with top-tier talent. Montreal doesn’t need a rebuild, so a high pick would ultimately feel like a consolation prize if the Habs miss the playoffs. This team should be better than they are. Sure, a healthy Carey Price wouldn’t score goals, but he would be Carey Price. A top 10 pick would be a nice thing for the fans to look forward to.

But if Michel Therrien is still coaching this team next season, and the Habs manage to pick in the top ten or top five, do you want Therrien coaching him? I sure don’t.

Also, Pacioretty, Price and Subban are in the middle of their primes. Wasting a season away while your core is at its best is how good organizations crumble. I’m okay with the Habs missing the playoffs and taking the high pick, but it better be pedal to the metal next season.

Damon (@DTA23) – Most pro sports leagues punish mediocrity. You’re much better off tanking than you are barely making or missing the playoffs.

For a truly terrible team, a top-5 pick doesn’t really do much unless it’s a a truly great player like Ovy or Crosby. Just look at the Oilers stable of early picks.

What makes the Habs situation promising is that, by all accounts, they were on the periphery of Cup contention. When you can add a top-5 talent to a team like that all of a sudden then he can fly under the radar and allow others to make the game easier, while improving game by game.

The other thing is that draft pick could be a really good trade chip that you can package with another player to get a key player back.

Obviously watching and rooting for a struggling team isn’t the most appealing way to spend the rest of the season but sometimes – like Andy Dufresne – you swim through shit and up clean on the other side (must be read in the Morgan Freeman voice).