BCHabnut

I think if Price was traded you would be on here complaining just like you were last summer about the new core. You thought we should wait until this year. Your reasoning behind your disapointment was that we were stuck with this team, and may have missed an oportunity to be more selective about who we trade for. I agreed with the principal of your comments. But I was also optimistic about the core. Just as I agree with what you guys are saying now...to an extent. But I am a Habs fan, and I really think we need someone to drive the net. That's all I want. I don't care about the Price/Halak debate, but I think we should have got a proven player back. I really do. I am hopefull about Eller. The day before the trade, my friend asked me what was going to happen. I told him that Halak will be traded to bring in some size and free up space to sign Plek. The reasoning behind the move is very sound. But through all this the one thing I saw as a huge weakness for the last 10 years has not been addressed. Someone to drive the net. Size up front. The only way this team can beat big, strong, defensive teams is when the Habs transition and passing is absolutely perfect. It does happen, and when it does, it is so fun to watch their speed and execution. But when it doesn't happen, it is frustrating. Just as you thought that last year was a missed oportunity to be selective and take our time to find assets. I think that the combination of trading Halak for unproven assets, and signing Plek to 6 year deal is a missed oportunity. I also look at that in analyzing our free agent issue this year, the reasoning behind the moves by Gautier were sound. But it still does not make us any better up front. As I said before. If some of the younger big guys can step up and play big, this team could be very good. Kosty and Poulliot both appear enigmatic though, so I'm not holding my breath. As for Carey Price, I love to watch him play. His positioning and technique is awesome. I have no problem with him being the starter. I do worry about his mind, and whether he can handle the pressure in Montreal, but we will see. I would have been disapointed if Price was traded.

Ya. I guess your right. Ho hum. I should just pay my scalper 300 per ticket and buy the merchandise and not question decisions. Ya, I'll do that, because I don't get to have an opinion. I like all four of the oompa loompas. All four on the same team, sucking back 2/3 of the salary all locked in for four to 6 years. Oh well. I'll just pay the money when we get beat up. It's OK. Oh ya, I forgot to quote BTH post. this is a response acknowledging my total lack of scruples and accepting my place in the world.

The issue I have is not specifically about the Plek signing. I just worry that our 4 best players would be "The short kids" at a grade 9 comencement ceremony. With all of the high salary little people, I was hoping Gauthier would see that and let Plek walk in order to adress our size issue. It is an issue too. Flyers defense kept our little fellers outside so easily. They made leighton look good. Too easily. This team has nobody that can drive the net.

Thank you! I've been getting slagged for 4 days over this and you are the first guy to agree with me!

Darche was the Habs best player for a few weeks when we were decimated. Good signing.

I am coming off a little too negative. 5 mill was exactky what I knew he would get. 6 years is a little tough, but if the cap goes up, it could work in our favour for trades later. Kaberle was high paid when he signed. Now he's a steal if anyone trades for him.

Ya, I agree with the fact that the team stepped up, but Halak was the star. I've said this a million times and nobody seems to acknowledge it. Whether it's a system issue or a size issue, this team has a tough time against big strong defense. They desparately need 2 people who can drive the net and get inside. If they can find those two, or convert Poulliot and AK into those two, I will be happy. But signing Plek to 6 years seems extreme. It wouldn't be if they didn't already have a full compliment of perimeter players. Our only power forward is Gionta!

How about 10 for Marleau/Halak? I dunno. 8 for Jokinen/Halak? 7 for Lombardi/Halak and room for a big winger with a few changes?

This is what I'm complaining about. The tam stays the same. Is almost stuck with this core four 4 years, and trades away the only reason they had a strong playoff run. Does this signing make the Habs a better team or improve their future? I don't know. Hopefully. But my first impression is that they got worse.

This is the main reason that the Halak trade bothered me. I knew that trading Halak would be so they could free up cash for Plek. I was really hoping that a overpaid 2 year contract for Halak in the 3.5 to 4 mill range would force us to let Plek go. He was our best player last year, but 5 million for 6 years is a big contract. 4 years makes more sense. uggghhh. lock a few more oompa loompas. Then we can break down big defensive teams way easier.

Wideman is a good defenseman, but I think Boston won this trade.

So, who do we want? Will a few Russians slide so far down the draft that we snag a gem and take a risk of him going KHL way? Do you go for John Mcfarland who was ranked high and slid this year? I hope we get a few big forwards with speed. But actually, we need to start drafting defensemen too. We only took one defenseman last year. I'm still a fan of going with best player available, and if a need is filled great. If not you develope them and trade later.

Ya guys. Honestly I love Price, but Habs fans boo by potential and salary. If you have potential and dont use it, thye hate you. Halak exceeded potential and gained the fans love. You could argue that if he made 4 mill, he would be booed out too. But you didn't see Huet get booed for a bad game. He was the little engine that could. I hope that the fans give Carey a chance, because I think he has elite talent. I just worry when I see that the game is in his head. That's why I'm not an athelete. Well, I suck at sports too, but once I'm good at something I can be distracted easily by the mental side of the game

That's the problem. Does he have what it takes to handle all this criticism? I don't dislike Price. But the media and many fans do. I think he is going to have a tough time with these fans. They will get back into his head. As for Halak, I just though they could have got more for him.

from his debut when he came in and got the Habs to within one win of a playoff spot and got booted for Huet, I have believed that Halak was never given respect. All he has done is work hard and perform very consistently. I do not see the extreme ups and downs in Jaro that I do in Price. For the record, only one of my jersies has a name on the back. The name is Price. I have high hopes for him as well. But to say that Jaro is not consistent, and only played half a good season is blind. He warmed the bench without complaint and played well when he was asked. He has developed more consistently with less drama and more results than his counterpart. Go back one year and I was fighting with people that Price was the man and Jaro had to go. I still don't believe that either should have gone. I still believe that if I am evaluating a PROSPECT (someone who has never played in the NHL.) Where he developed does matter. Sorry. It's what I think. The draft is a crapshoot. Like I said draft from anywhere. But to trade a PROVEN QUALITY asset at his highest possible value for a prospect that is not proven, that also does not come from a place where hockey developement is big, is risky. I hope I am chanting Eller's name at the TV in a few years. I'm a Habs fan and I don't care if I am cheering fo Hiroshi Yanamaki. I want proven assets for proven assets. If I am getting prospects in place of assets, I would preffer that they come from somewhere that Hockey developement is strong.

Am I the only one that's bitter about this? We got a bag of pucks and a water bottle for Halak. These guys might be able to play in the NHL. That's it. We don't know. We gave up our starter and from what I can tell, a guy who can handle big pressure for two guys who have 7 games combined under their belt! The Danish thing I said came off as insensitive. I didn't mean anything racial. I would just prefer that high end prospects have more than 3 people that know who they are. (prospects are just that. They aren't NHL proven stars like we gave up!) After all, Denmark is a hotbed of prospective NHL talent. This team has been stymied for a few years against a certain style of play. (Big guys on the back end and a defensive system) Everyone is happy to keep Plek and let Halak go. I don't get it. I realize you need to put things in perspective, but I have never seen the emotional stuff out of Halak. I want nothing more than for Price to succeed. He's from my wife's home town. (william's lake, not vancouver) I think Price will succeed. Just not in Montreal. He's a headcase. Ugggghhhh.....There better be more coming later. First I got mad and thought it was the worst deal ever. Then I started thinking about and though it might be OK. Now I'm mad again.

I explained myself 3 times. get over it.

Ummmmm..... The lack of common sense thing you said. Lets trade our 2nd best player all year and in the playoffs for a prospect who was developed in the hocky mecca of Denmark. Anyway, I don't care about ethnicity. I said that cuz I was p!ssed. If he was a proven NHLer, I wouldn't care where he was from, but if oyu are going for prospects, the place where they were developed often matters. Anyway, I'm sorry for saying that. I already explained that, so get over it...kid.

What about Sanford? He did pretty well in Hamilton. The next 3 weeks is going to be interesting. I just pray that the Kostys go bye bye and Moore gets a 2 year deal with the Habs.

At this point, the team needs top line forwards that can break through a stingy defense. It was the Habs biggest downfall all season. It was plain to see when you watched it. The only effective forwards we had at getting through were Gomez and AK when he wasn't too bored. I personally don't care if Plek gets locked up by the Habs. I was very happy with his season, but if signing him means not getting bigger on the top two lines, I don't want him. Ya, that was my temper kicking in. I wanted a roster player.

Ethnicity doesn't matter. Denmark has an amazing hockey program...world class. the list of danish superstars is unsurpassed. If he was an NHL proven Japanese guy, i wouldn't care, but he is a prospect. I would put more faith in a prospect that came from a country with a developement program. Plus I was mad. I'm thinking Backes or Oshie or Perron, and we get a bag of bucks and a water bottle. Like I said, Price has more bargaining power now. They should have locked him up first, then tradedd Halak.

Price better not get a 3 to 4 million dollar contract or I will be fuming! Dealing Halak frees up cash, but if it all goes to sgning Price, what's the point?

Ya, but now Price can bargain higher and get more money. He should have signed Price, then dealt Halk!

Some danish idiot and goon from calgary. way to go gauthier

Are you kidding me?