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Canadiens sign Hamrlik, Smolinski & Kostopoulos


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The league has fallen off into the deep end of the pool. Why is everyone selling their soles to get players at such high prices? I for one am happy that Gainey did not spend our cash on high priced non-talent! The fact is that at the right price some of these players that were signed made sense; but not at these levels! NO NO NO NO! Thanks but no thanks.

Lets keep our core together; add a few from Hamilton; and pickup a key player or two via a trade. We will still be in better shape than any other team in the league.

I'm certain that Gainey will not bend to the whinnying of rabid fans who just want a signing to say we did act on UFA day. Those who do not understand the level of panic under which each of these teams are making moves will understand come the season.

Buffalo is weaker today better for us! Islanders do not have their core anymore! The league is looking watered down and there will be more parity than ever.

So the rangers overpaid and have a truck load of talent! So WHAT! I've seen them do that constantly, only to fall into the shitter! I for one liked what the rangers did in getting the players they did but not at that price! Glen must be drinking too much NY water.

Lets see what happens when the dust settles. And we hold the cash to spend and have the talent in youth to trade and then we shall see who comes out looking like roses... I'd rather stink up the league with cheap talent than with high paid, over priced, washed up, good for nothing, no heart players! (all except the likes of RYAN) now theres a player I would have given a pretty penny to land him and only him; too bad he choose COL over the HABS!

And there is no one to blame but ourselves and the media for players not wanting to come to MONTREAL. Taxes are too high; Media is too f***ed; fans well; well except for the boo birds, I'm sure the league loves our fans; who pay to sellout the game every night and understand the game and are great in their support.

There is no doubt the Sammy story will remind players and agents of what to expect if things go bad in Montreal. So things like that must end!

and we need to start winning games and creating that passion for the love of playing in the greatest hockey city in the world. Then and only then will players be lining up to sign contracts in Montreal.

ok... I feel better now.

GO HABS GO!

Edited by Chips
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Build from within. Who needs overpriced UFAs? More times than not, they turn out to be mistakes. Give Andrei Kostitsyn a 2nd line job, he'll put up more points than most of those guys at 1/6 the price.

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Chips, you had some great points but you lost me about keeping the core, they are the problem. Evidence 3 playoffs in last 8 years, that isn't good.

Everyone really needs to step back and get a grip on reality. I am glad BG hasn't overpaid or made extremely long contracts. This team is not 1 player away from even making the playoffs. Why over spend? I would rather get rid of the garbage and let youth get experience.

Lay off the coach being the problem whether some of you guys like it or not, Carbo is the coach, it's his way or the highway. BG likes and trusts him. They come from the same mold. It's the players who don't put up who are leaving, not the coach. May i remind all of you that it hasn't mattered who the coach has been this core and team have NEVER done anything.

There are major problems with the team besides not over paying an UFA.

1. No work ethic, no pride or real leadership. Can't play even 60 minutes hard.

2. Too small, play soft, don't win any battles.

3. The defense is awful, gave up way too many shots.

4. 5 on 5 play is pathetic at best.

Until these issues are addressed it's not going to matter who is wearing the uniform.

BG can still improve the team, Signing Stuart would definitely help.

Trading Ryder, Dman (Bouillon or Dandy) to improve the D or get a center will help also.

The young good players need ice time.

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NYR, Philly still getting all the big names UFAs... weren't they the same markets that sank the league back before the lockout?

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Meaning the Rags and Cryers still won't win a damn Cup.

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Chips, you had some great points but you lost me about keeping the core, they are the problem. Evidence 3 playoffs in last 8 years, that isn't good.

Everyone really needs to step back and get a grip on reality. I am glad BG hasn't overpaid or made extremely long contracts. This team is not 1 player away from even making the playoffs. Why over spend? I would rather get rid of the garbage and let youth get experience.

Lay off the coach being the problem whether some of you guys like it or not, Carbo is the coach, it's his way or the highway. BG likes and trusts him. They come from the same mold. It's the players who don't put up who are leaving, not the coach. May i remind all of you that it hasn't mattered who the coach has been this core and team have NEVER done anything.

There are major problems with the team besides not over paying an UFA.

1. No work ethic, no pride or real leadership. Can't play even 60 minutes hard.

2. Too small, play soft, don't win any battles.

3. The defense is awful, gave up way too many shots.

4. 5 on 5 play is pathetic at best.

Until these issues are addressed it's not going to matter who is wearing the uniform.

BG can still improve the team, Signing Stuart would definitely help.

Trading Ryder, Dman (Bouillon or Dandy) to improve the D or get a center will help also.

The young good players need ice time.

Great post.

Trading is the way to go now. Let's face it, our brass knows we have a snowball's chance next year. They are gearing big time to 2009 and beyond.

By then Koivu, Kovalev, Begin, Huet, Dandy, maybe Ryder are all gone, probably more. Higgins will be the 'C', Plecks everywhere, Price will be the goalie, the Yanks (Komi-O'Byrne-Fischer? McDo?) plus Markov, maybe Carle and Valentenko on D, the Belorussians, Chips-Lapierre-Milroy shutting them all down, a kid like Fortier might develop, Latendresse a monster winger, PK Subban doing his Paul Coffey imitation...

Getting Marleau or a big player through a blockbuster trade, well, we have some pieces. The core is all available for trades.

Trades are more fun anyways.

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Well, we might as well make a damn of who's left.

Forsberg

Souray

Selanne

Shanahan

Bertuzzi

Nylander (??)

Stuart

Sykora

Guerin

Nagy

Sutton

Vishnevsky

Preissing

Zubrus

Numminen

Handzus

Vaananen

Lang

Hamrlik

Edit: before I get other member angry, I forgot to add Garon

The more I keep looking at that, the more I keep realizing that whatever is left pretty much questionable and could resemble like another Samsonov signing.

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The more I keep looking at that, the more I keep realizing that whatever is left pretty much questionable and could resemble like another Samsonov signing.

Actually I'd still want a guy like Nagy (just 28) or Shanny for 1 season.

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I hope Pierre Boivin is hiding somewhere based on these comments...

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/227015.html

Actually I'd still want a guy like Nagy (just 28) or Shanny for 1 season.

I wonder if he's still NYR bound in terms of Shanny.

Nagy coming to Montreal would be a media scandal waiting to happen (Shane Doan incident).

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I wonder if he's still NYR bound in terms of Shanny.

Nagy coming to Montreal would be a media scandal waiting to happen (Shane Doan incident).

Does NY have money left for Shanny?

And what's that about a media scandal waiting to happen? I dont get the Doan reference.

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Does NY have money left for Shanny?

And what's that about a media scandal waiting to happen? I dont get the Doan reference.

The racist slur against the referees in Montreal. Apparently, Nagy was the one who said "F*cking Frenchmen" to the refs.

Anytime Shane Doan or Nagy is mentioned on TV, 98% of the time they keep reminding the viewers about that.

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I dont think Gainey or Boivin have to hide, they offered best offers for Briere and Smyth and the players choose to go an other way. At some point it's not in their hands anymore. It's pretty sad but let's face it, players dont really have Montreal as a prenium destination...

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Congratz on post 3333 Tony :D

Thanks :P

I dont think Gainey or Boivin have to hide, they offered best offers for Briere and Smyth and the players choose to go an other way. At some point it's not in their hands anymore. It's pretty sad but let's face it, players dont really have Montreal as a prenium destination...

I think Darren Dregger also said the Habs had the best offer for Gomez too...

I don't blame Gainey for anything, it looks like he worked his ass off. Boivin was the one mouthing off in April about how the Habs were/could (whichever he meant) land a superstar player.

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Screw the Future..Teemu! Teemu!! Teemu!!!

I want him.....out of that list of players...he has the stanley cup under his belt...He is a talented Fin..and Higgins-Koivu-Selanne sounds Dangerous!....As for Mr Souray...Sorry Sheldon..but I think your going to be injured for 29+ Games next season. Lets give Danny Markov a whirl..and heck...if plan Z comes into play...isnt Mikko Koivu available?

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Let these guys who refuse to sign with us rot, there will be a time when they are considered veterans and would love to come to a young superb montreal team built from within and I hope that at that day Gainey offers them league minimum and when they refuse he says "whats the matter? not ready to take a paycut to play for the cup anymore like last time we offered u a deal?". The habs of the future will be a new version of the cccp soviet team, vielded together from the age of 18, beating their oponents while wearing blindfold and we wont want any of those traitors that refuse to sign today. GO HABS GO! :D

ok, that was epic and crazy but it did sound cool didnt it?

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Well disappointing day to be a Habs fan for sure ...

Bob got out of his normal way to offer ludicrous offers to the top free agents, and nobody wants to come here.

Brière is a coward ... going to Philly can't be a "hockey" decision ... c'mon !

Pitkanen for Lupul ... ? Peeeeelease !

Right now next season is looking hard ... real hard.

I'm still hoping for Shanahan right now, and maybe Stuart ...

Next in line could be Handzus or Bertuzzi also ...

Edited by Theberge43
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Ok Im just worried...Rags sign Gomez-Drury

Briere-Philly

Blake-Laughs

Sens still strong

Bruins get Fernandez

Pitt loads up AGAIN

Buffalo dismantles....For Now

MTL....Gainey going to town on the CH Dog again

.......WTF is bob thinking....Future? Theres no promise that the Bulldog prospects will all become amazing NHLers

We need a big name NOW....future doesnt come for another two-three years!

is bob thinking of a tank season and just hoping we get a first round pick or something?

PS: I think bertuzzis going to Phoenix or Carolina (who has been very quiet)

Edited by l<OV4L3V
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What bugs me even more is that players who actually PLAY here tend to be willing to sign for us.

-Koivu

-Kovalev

-Markov

-Bouillon

all come to mind as recent UFAs who were already on the team, who could easily have gotten comparable deals elsewhere, and happily signed with us. (The point is not whether you like these players; the point is that they were attractive UFAs who happily chose to commit to Montreal).

Rivet also signed to be a habs long-term and surely would have re-upped.

Souray seems to be interested in following the money - nothing indicates that he thinks anything other than highly of the team and the city.

Higgins loves it here and will probably stay, too.

This proves, to me, that the whole 'Montreal is a terrible place to play' business is overstated and the product of ignorance more than fact.

And it also proves that the way forward is to bring players up through the system and then sign the good ones long-term, just as we did with Markov; and acquire players through trades and THEN sign them long-term, once they see that the Big Bad Montreal Bogeyman is just a myth.

One thing's for sure. If we don't acquire an impending UFA like Marleau via trade, we're not gonna sign him when July 1 2008 rolls around.

Bob needs to become much more aggressive on the trade market than he hitherto has been.

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The racist slur against the referees in Montreal. Apparently, Nagy was the one who said "F*cking Frenchmen" to the refs.

Anytime Shane Doan or Nagy is mentioned on TV, 98% of the time they keep reminding the viewers about that.

I guess there's double standards. Somehow I get a feeling that a slur from an Euro who played his junior hockey in the Q somehow would be less offending than from a "typical insensitive Anglo Canadian from out West".

Not my personnal feeling, mind you. Just what I think would be the case in the medias.

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Ok Im just worried...Rags sign Gomez-Drury

Briere-Philly

Blake-Laughs

Sens still strong

Bruins get Fernandez

Pitt loads up AGAIN

Buffalo dismantles....For Now

MTL....Gainey going to town on the CH Dog again

.......WTF is bob thinking....Future? Theres no promise that the Bulldog prospects will all become amazing NHLers

We need a big name NOW....future doesnt come for another two-three years!

is bob thinking of a tank season and just hoping we get a first round pick or something?

PS: I think bertuzzis going to Phoenix or Carolina (who has been very quiet)

Well, Bob tried. He did have the best contract offer for Briere, Gomez and Smyth. All those guys chose not to come play here.

Bob knows tanking will get him fired so don't expect him to go that way and Phoenix has no interest in Bertuzzi due to his age and Carolina is on a tight budget (roughly 3M$) based on a list of 5 players they want for their 3rd line center. They signed Jeff Hamilton, don't know if that's an indication of that role being filed out.

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Well, Bob tried. He did have the best contract offer for Briere, Gomez and Smyth. All those guys chose not to come play here.

Bob knows tanking will get him fired so don't expect him to go that way and Phoenix has no interest in Bertuzzi due to his age and Carolina is on a tight budget (roughly 3M$) based on a list of 5 players they want for their 3rd line center. They signed Jeff Hamilton, don't know if that's an indication of that role being filed out.

Good point on Carolina. I'd like to see a fresh updated payroll of all NHL teams and determine how much UFA cap availability is remaining. That is, NHL wide. The Columbus and Nashville examples will have to be set based on their low spending points. I'd like to see how much money is left. It may give us an idea of who BOb will sign.

Anyone know the best cap site?

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Well, free cap space or not, a handful of teams are on tight budget or have indicated no interest in UFAs.

Calgary has plenty of cap space but I doubt they'll even go there and use it all.

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