tokyohabs

No way should Kovalev and Koivu be offered multi-year deals. Wouldn't adding a guy like Boowmeister constitute as a major rebuilding step? Honestly, I can't stop thinking that him, Beauchemin and Markov would be a stupendous top-3. Hamrlik would have to do so much less; Gorges can let some of his over-burdened responsibility go at a lower pairing; room and role models for all our young d coming up. Still need a d coach, something I believe will be sorted by next year. I'd say try to get this set-up this year, and go after UFA forwards next year, when we'll still have cap space, trade-able assets, maturing players. Get a Lang-type ctr, settle the d, allow Carey to have a much better d corps in front of him and help his progression, let marquee players see they will be taken care of from the back end (how gay does that sound). One worry is if we essentially go with the same dmen as last year, Price's confidence could be utterly shot and he might try constantly to over-compensate for their shortcomings. They were not up to the job by any stretch of the imagination!

Guy thinks so too: http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/275474.html

Beauchemin at 4m, Jay Bo at 8.5; Marleau in a trade (Plex, A Kost, S Kost, Halak). Coach. Vet goalie backup. D coach. Turning my fantasy NHL in my brain off now.

THN saying Beauchemin maybe interested in coming back to us? "Another Duck who could end up playing elsewhere is Francois Beauchemin, who was told by Murray he wouldn’t receive a contract offer until Scott Niedermayer’s situation is resolved. Beauchemin suggested if he hits the free agent market he’d be willing to consider returning to the Montreal Canadiens – the team that drafted him, but lost the blueliner via waivers several years ago. If the Canadiens lose Mike Komisarek to free agency they’ll certainly be in the market for a physical shutdown defenseman and Beauchemin fits the bill nicely." From Habs fan Lyle Richardson's rumours column. I'd wondered a few days back if Beauchemin would consider us, thinking about losing Komisarek. Richardson is usually quick to shoot down every rumour and generally no fun, so maybe this has some truth - though 'willing to consider' is hardly coming back. http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/2638...n-exposure.html

Now on the front NHL page of TSN. No mention on RDS. What a bunch of clowns.

Oh, no love-loss for Kronwall. I thought that the rule was playing the puck. Just wondering why the refs didn't call something right away. "Upon further review..."

Curious about the Kronwall hit. Why did the refs toss him, when, at the time of the hit, they hadn't even signalled a penalty? Chicken-sh*te methinks. Crosby rocks.

If they bring back our crossed-stick escalators, I'm all for 'em! 1$ toastés or steamés, smoking in the blues, standing room scrambles...ah, bring it all back Molsons.

I thought the final question meant you had to choose, so I'm changing my original post: neither!

Kovalev. Even half-assed brings more to the table. But not for 6mil and the 'C'.

Hey lads, news flash: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL LL!!!!!!!!!!! Detroit wins, on to Chicago!

Balls. No way this is true. Bored soccer writers? Bob: "Hey Kovy, after vacationing from November to January, taking it like a man when I 'benched' you and leading us in scoring in the playoffs, I think you need a raise and the 'C'. Hey, Higgins, get back here with my stash!"

Seen him play Dalhabs? Zetterberg clone, we hope.

PETA rocks. Militant Vegetarian Protest Sleeper-Cell coming to a stadium near you. Swine flu. Shit lakes. KFC can't legally call it 'chicken' anymore. Still dig the pig? Worried about Georges lacking something from his play last year? Christ, we should have all been wheeling tofu burgers to his front door!

Good to know The Surge has the financial backing behind him to fight with Quebecor. Will make for an entertaining summer!

Komi can't pass, he walks for 6 mil somewhere. Hamrlik awful season, pray for rebound. Gorges moved to 3rd pairing. Weber eased into top 4. Jay Bo. Puck possession problem solved!

I'm not suggesting Koivu is a locker-room problem; I don't know if he is or not. But even Chris Clark plays ferocious defense and hits. Koivu doesn't. He can't do much of anything anymore. I liked him between Tanguay and Kovalev (I guess everybody did), allowing those two to take over and having the savvy and skill to chip in with them. But maybe we can move him down the line, 2nd or 3rd line ctr, with others up top. Wonder what we'd have to offer for Marleau, maybe ship Higgins there so he can coke up Thornton before playoff games and get him more interested. I'm feeling though that whatever anyone wishes, Koivu is almost impossible to move for the team politically. If the team is sold, maybe they'll let him test the market July 1st? Told my brother at start of 2nd round winner of Wings-Ducks would win it all, looking good now. These remaining teams play at a fierce intensity level, something I'd love to see the Habs get. They don't need fear of God, but fear of coach might be a start.

I'd love to see Marleau at #1, Koivu, Lapierre, maybe Lang to round it out and push Koivu to #3, or, if not healthy, Metropolit between his wingers (liked his play a lot after he met Higgins), or even give a shot to a couple of young bucks (Chips, Maxwell, whoever). In whatever case, I can't see either Koivu or Lang lasting more than a year or two. We can't do another year of Koivu #1 and Plex "2. So long Plex, thanks for all the fish! BTH, relax, sarcasm makes the forum go 'round...

Criticism of Koivu in no way absolves the rest of the team for their sh*te year. But the criticism of him is often a 'part-of-the-problem' view. I don't think anyone is myopic to a degree where they blame the team's defensive strategy on Koivu; or a goaltender's lack of confidence on him. The questions are about what he has left. He wears the 'C', that entails an enormous amount of responsibility. I think it also entails someone who can change the flow of the game with an outstanding play, be it a goal, hustle, a pass, a fight, a critical defensive play, a check, etc etc etc. It doesn't look like he's capable of that anymore. Who of us knows really how he works the dressing room? But if he exudes intangibles, they don't transform the play of the team. There are often comments made on here by various people saying even if we had _______, we still wouldn't win. I agree, as anyone sensible would.

Lost in all the talk of draft choices is the team we are dealing with. Losing is unacceptable, the fans are NOT conditioned to it. You cannot pull an expnsion team scenario here; you cannot pull a Pittsburgh or Washington here. to do so will cost you your job, simple as. Montreal Canadiens, think about that for a few moments...one must compete, at all costs...

Fanpuck, Thomas was the lynchpin to the scum - not Lucic, not Chara, whoever. He didn't lose the series on his own, but his mediocre play doomed them in a series that they had the advantage - and often outplayed - the Carolina skaters. Watch the games again if you can (I recommend games 2, 3, 4, and 7, wonderful stuff) and see how much Thomas dominates and inspires confidence. Cleary goal no argument, puck was loose all the way. FG has a point, I honestly don't think Koivu dogs it ever; but I don't think he is any more than a 3rd line ctr anymore. He is a middling player whose best, regrettably, looks like he goes with the flow. I think physical exhaustion plagues him more than anything else, he has these brutal 'dead' stretches every year.

To think that so many were roasting us few who said the scum were going nowhere with Thomas in nets this year...enjoy signing his paychecks scummers! I almost hope he wins the Vezina and they don't let Basille buy that team just to show how clued out the league is. Overpursuit and rebounds, long Thomas' staple, burn them in 7 games, how sweet it f'n is. System is great, d-corps molded perfectly into that system, with hyper-aggressive backchecking forwards and an unwillingness to give anything on the neutral-zone boards. Worked great until they ran into a team that has way better goaltending (among other things) - I thought Ward was almost the MVP of the league in the second half. Great goalie. Price has no system in front of him, a quitter team, a ridiculous backing-in d-corps, political turmoil and media drama every day, and his attitude needs to be seriously checked. But he is the future. It's nice to be able to watch the playoffs now with no interest in any team. Great for the heart.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000...

Or perhaps he's found his level? Like Plecanek, it seems.

Changed my thinking after that 4-4 goal by Crosby. Tamper, coerce, beg, steal, cry, kidnap, appeal, force, gnash teeth, render garments, tear out hair, submit, shave head and sit under ice cold waterfall, give up doughnuts, offer personal services contract for 50mil, keys to city, whatever whatever whatever it takes, but get Sidney Crosby on the team. Please Bob please! And of course free French lessons at College Platon.