Habs Sign Brisebois

[Chips]

Did I just read an article on BriseBois? Is this the end of march and beginning of APRIL? someone tell me this is not an april fools joke!

ok.. now that I have stopped shaking in shear panic and have had a moment to check the calender... O my GOD! its July! and according to this; we will be paying Breezy a cool 700K.

Hrm.. lets think about this further shall we... he's older. loads of experience to train our up and coming kiddy pool of D. and he's willing to take a pay cut; Hrm. Looks like BG may have pulled a rabbit out of its hole on this one.

So pray tell me that a trade is brewing... I'm all ears and all eyes, we are stocked ready to make a deal; our beloved Canadiens our on the cusp of greatness. Cause it looks like BG has sensed a return to the 1993 cup run. Its about time we got our game face and season plan in order.

GO HABS GO! Take us to victory! And for heavens sake no BOOING! The Breezer needs to be given a clean sheet and start a fresh! I repeat no BOOING!

Ok so maybe we aren't on the cusp of anything just yet. But I sure am starting to feel like I have absolutely no idea as to whats going on in Montreal? Is it the water? I hear bottled water actually comes from city tap water systems. Maybe drinking too much tap water has finally caused a permanent time warp.

What ever the case. GOD HELP US!

[yorickbrown]

If he decides to play in Montreal for 700,000 I think the fans would be less likely to boo him. I think part of his problem years ago was that he was being overpaid based on his performance. Personally, I like the idea of him as a 5,6 d-man seeing time on the 2nd pp unit. It could provide some nice depth. Pople should also remember that Streit and Dandenault have the option of playing forward ( I thought Streit played much better at forward).

[mathieu30]

Player-agent Don Meehan confirmed that he has talked with Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey, but said it was too early to speculate on whether defenceman Patrice Brisebois would be returning to the team.

Canadiens, Brisebois negotiate

[kaos]

IT just doesn't get more pathetic and desparate as this. Brisebois? Come on.....that just smells....

[Habitforming]

I remember all the "Let's hang Brisebois" threads from a few years back. The majority of the post hated the fact his salary was so high and the fact he was being used in a top 3-4 role, but when he could have been resigned almost all of the post said they would take him back if he was making $1.5M or less and used differently.

Well, now it is that low (if he accepts it) and he would be a good fit as a 5th Dman on this team. So why all the hostility again?

[habscout]

Gawd, no, not Brisebois!!!

Please Gainey, don't fall for the idea of adding that "experienced" defenseman. His experiences in Montreal were mostly bad, and I experienced much too much anxiety watching him play for Montreal for too many seasons. Just, say, no.

[tokyohabs]

People are talking about experience, chipping in points, great first pass, good backup pp guy, very good skater; plus limiting his ice time, mentoring our young players...

Makes me seriously wonder if they have ever seen this guy play. He is sh*te, end of. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys...back.

[TheAussiePosse]

Gawd, no, not Brisebois!!!

Please Gainey, don't fall for the idea of adding that "experienced" defenseman. His experiences in Montreal were mostly bad, and I experienced much too much anxiety watching him play for Montreal for too many seasons. Just, say, no.

Er, dude? Between '99 and '04, he was averaging 33 points a season, and was even a +17 when the Habs finished 7th in the East (and his -31 was when the Habs finished in the bottom 10 in the league in '01).

Take away his defensive responsibility, and he'll lose the brain cramps.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Komisarek

Markov

Hamerlik

Bouillon

Dandenault

Gorges

Streit

Brisebois

Obyrne

Seems like a lot of Dmen!

I guess it is possible that O'Byrne stays in Hamilton and Streit is used as a forward again. That would leave us with seven defencemen. The other possibility is that Bob plans to trade one ore more of our Dmen away.

[Nesquik]

Guys, stop acting like Brisebois is a good deal, it's the worst thing that could of happened all summer, the guy just plain sucks, he always sucked he scored 5 goals a year, 3 of them in his own net. He sucks, he basically just plain sucks. For 700 000 we can get much better then Brisebois, no one wants Brisebois. And if you do, stop wondering why the habs don't win the cup.

[habs rule]

People are talking about experience, chipping in points, great first pass, good backup pp guy, very good skater; plus limiting his ice time, mentoring our young players...

Makes me seriously wonder if they have ever seen this guy play. He is sh*te, end of. You pay peanuts, you get monkeys...back.

Actually I wonder if YOU ever saw him play. Up until he was given the big contract by the canadiens he was considered a solid offensive defence man. He was a hell of a lot better defense wise than Shelly. His unpopularity was due to his salary.Check out his stats he had the one bad year. I doubt he will come back to Montreal because of fans like you.

[Tony]

Pretty much, if used properly in the appropriate situations, then he could be a good move.

Just a small note, if this is a PP move then I like it. Quite frankly, last season it was Souray, Markov, Rivet and occasionally Streit on the PP. Rivet was gone, then it was Streit getting all of Rivet's time and then BOUILLON was on the PP. I'll take Brisebois on the PP any day over Bouillon.

But like everyone pretty much said here, this would have to invoke a deal elsewhere for Montreal to sign him.

[Athlétique.Canadien]

Breezer at $4.5 million is a joke. $700 K, that's different and yes, I do smell a trade if this goes down.

It'd better NOT be Komi

[InsaneHABSfan]

Pretty much, if used properly in the appropriate situations, then he could be a good move.

Just a small note, if this is a PP move then I like it. Quite frankly, last season it was Souray, Markov, Rivet and occasionally Streit on the PP. Rivet was gone, then it was Streit getting all of Rivet's time and then BOUILLON was on the PP. I'll take Brisebois on the PP any day over Bouillon.

But like everyone pretty much said here, this would have to invoke a deal elsewhere for Montreal to sign him.

And Tony hits the right idea. I was wondering which of the current "D" were going to run the power play. As much as I am confused with the report of a possible signing, he could help out the power play. I see this signing if it goes through is going to generate much discussion.....

[smon]

Look, this is just plain ridiculous. Bringing back Brisebois? The team is already chock full of 6th/7th defenders, and none of them have major back problems.

The most telling fact is that most of the supporters of this move are dreaming of it leading to some kind of a superb trade. Seems to me like the only reason certain people like it is because they think it would lead to Montreal trading away defenders for star players. Forget about it, that isn't happening.

Bringing in another lower tier defenseman is not what the team needs.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I'm really getting tire dof all the ignorant spouting off about Brisebois being the worst player in the history of organized hockey. Let's look at his numbers.

NHLPA Player Statistics

Regular Season

Season Team GP G A TP PIM +/-

1992-93 MONT, NHL 70 10 21 31 79 6

1993-94 MONT, NHL 53 2 21 23 63 5

1994-95 MONT, NHL 35 4 8 12 26 -2

1995-96 MONT, NHL 69 9 27 36 65 10

1996-97 MONT, NHL 49 2 13 15 24 -7

1997-98 MONT, NHL 79 10 27 37 67 16

1998-99 MONT, NHL 54 3 9 12 28 -8

1999-00 MONT, NHL 54 10 25 35 18 -1

2000-01 MONT, NHL 77 15 21 36 28 -31

2001-02 MONT, NHL 71 4 29 33 25 9

2002-03 MONT, NHL 73 4 25 29 32 -14

2003-04 MONT, NHL 71 4 27 31 22 17

2005-06 COLO, NHL 80 10 28 38 55 1

2006-07 COLO, NHL 33 1 10 11 22 -5

NHL TOTALS 904 90 301 391 578 6

This is a guy who very consistently scored between 30-40 points, saw regular PP time, and whose +/- has actually been respectable most of his career. The reason he is hated is because of salary, as people have pointed out, and because of ONE SEASON in which he was -31. That was a season in which he was asked by the coaches to play *on the wrong side* all season.

I'm not saying he's an all-star or anything. But there is something incredibly unfair - ugly, even pathological - in this desire to shit all over and publicly humiliate a good hockey player who did yeoman's work for us for years. Leave you psychosis at home and show a bit of class.

Edited July 29, 2007 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[Athlétique.Canadien]

...supporters of this move are dreaming of it leading to some kind of a superb trade...

I hope you don't mean me. I am not necessarily supporting the idea of Breezer as much as I was saying that this could be evidence that a trade is coming.

[Tony]

There's a reason why Brisebois still hasn't decided whether to accept Gainey's deal or not. He said he's seriously considering the offer.

It's no secret the boo-birds and him saying that he wanted to go the furthest place away from the Habs when he signed with Colorado are some of the reasons keeping him not to jump on the deal.

In case anyone is wondering what he said about his situation about the Habs when he was STILL in Montreal, look no futther than the sport's section headline of La Presse on October 7th 2003 that I still kept for some reason... (note to mods, if the picture is a violation of whatever, take it down)

That translate to "It's like playing with a gun on my head". I'm very curious to see his comments at the Habs press conference if he accepts the deal. On another note, on the actual article, it takes note that Gainey always defended Brisebois from the fan reactions (in case some of you forgot about that).

[KoZed]

Striclty hockey speaking, a D like Brisebois would just be there as a PP specialist. That'd be his only usefulness. Is it enough for a 1-year 700k contract? Gainey seems to think so...

Now as far as the other baggage... Can fans get over it?

[MAK]

Now as far as the other baggage... Can fans get over it?

I wish they would, but I dont think they can!!

I feel the brisebois signing is like calling back an ex girlfriend whne the last one just flushed you.

[BTH]

I wouldn't mind him at the rumoured price - we have nothing to lose really. It would be funny though - we bring in Dandenault to replace Brisebois and a couple of years later we bring in Brisebois to replace Dandenault.

[ShortHanded]

I remember all the "Let's hang Brisebois" threads from a few years back. The majority of the post hated the fact his salary was so high and the fact he was being used in a top 3-4 role, but when he could have been resigned almost all of the post said they would take him back if he was making $1.5M or less and used differently.

Well, now it is that low (if he accepts it) and he would be a good fit as a 5th Dman on this team. So why all the hostility again?

All of this is very very true. It's actually kind of funny to see how much everyone loved Souray when defensively, he's worse than Breezer (IMHO), and Breezer has consistently put up good numbers. Hopefully, if he comes, the fans are fair to him (considering also that he won't be asked to be a top 4: we have Markov, Hamr, Komi, Streit, Dandy, Bouillon - remember Breezer was the #1 D on a roster where Traverse was playing regular minutes :puke: :puke: ) and that he gets a lot of PP time. Even if there's no big trade, consider also that our "insurance defenseman" last season was Niinimaa at 2M. Breezer at under 1M is an upgrade in my opinion, if he can stay relatively healthy.

[tokyohabs]

Actually I wonder if YOU ever saw him play. Up until he was given the big contract by the canadiens he was considered a solid offensive defence man. He was a hell of a lot better defense wise than Shelly. His unpopularity was due to his salary.Check out his stats he had the one bad year. I doubt he will come back to Montreal because of fans like you.

Good.

He might have been 'considered' a solid offensive d-man. I thought he was terrible, an accident waiting to happen. He was unpopular with me, without the salary considerations thank you, because I thought he was not a very good hockey player, whether playing as a #1 guy or a #5. His stats, well, I guess Ryder must be one of the top four or five wingers in the league: check out his stats; I guess Markov is a much inferior player than Breezer ever was: check out his stats. And by the way, I thought Souray in his own end was utter sh*te, worse than Breezer, who at least could skate.

He can skate, at least could before his back messed up (don't know about now - isn't there some Avs fan on this site that can tell us?); he had decent passing ability and ok offensive instincts; I have never, ever seen a player run and hammered like he was, and that includes Svoboda, and at least Petr had gotten rid of the puck by then; he constantly was beaten off the puck in his own end; remember the playoff game v. bruins where he drops his glove in front of the net, and instead of continuing to play and *horror!* risk injury, he bends down and obstructs Hackett (?) as the scum score the winner? P*ss poor hockey sense in his own end, and now a 6th or 7th d-man at best on a team loaded with...6 & 7 d-men.

As others have stated, if it is just a pp move, or to free up space for a trade, then I'll take Bob's gamble, whether it pays off or not. Slotting him into a 4 or 5 spot is absurd. I am going to forget what went on before if we sign him, as staggered with incredulity as I am now.

And to those moaning about 'class', ever sit up in the blues at the Forum? From my first game up there at 6 or so, I heard a lot of comments and 'suggestions' one would be hard put to appreciate with any sort of class. Guess you missed the Nords-Habs games back in the day.

Anyway, habsrule, at least you have a nice avatar...maybe Brisebois will come good and not be exposed too much, I don't like it and I don't have to like it, but if it turns good/great then I'll have my crow deep-fried in olive oil and mayo on the side, cheers.

Edited July 30, 2007 by tokyohabs

[JoeLassister]

Carbo, Gainey, Muller, Brisebois...hum.... Richer, Dionne, Walter ????

[tokyohabs]

Carbo, Gainey, Muller, Brisebois...hum.... Richer, Dionne, Walter ????

Alfie Turcotte.