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Changes for next season?


puck7x

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... Assuming that we will have a <u>next</u> season. (Damn CBA, damn selfish owners/players...)

What changes (additions, subtractions, call-ups) would you make to the habs. Would you leave the team alone and make only minor changes? Or would you make a few big moves to shake up the look of the team?

Priority #1 of course is to sign Kovalev, I think everyone can agree with that one.

Personally after that I'd like to sign 2 pieces, #1 is solid left D who can bump Bouillon into the #7 spare D role. The starting 6 would consist of Souray/Markov/Komi/Breezy/Rivet/new-guy

The 2nd piece I'd like to sign would be a depth forward with size who has offensive skill and can play a defensive role on the 3rd line, I'd prefer this player to be a centre. I would also like him to be young (25-30) ... Of course I just described a very rare and highly coveted type of player... So good luck getting him.

As for the other changes, I'd definitely give our prospects a chance to make the team (like we did for Ryder/Komisarek) ... The habs should have a few vacant spots on the 4th line (No more Juneau, no more Dackell, Sundstrom/Perreault likely to follow them... I would bring back Dowd) ... Some people dont like the idea of playing prospects on the 4th line with limited minutes, but I think the overall experience of making an NHL team and being in the environment is more beneficial for the player then remaining in the AHL ... Anyways we could always send him back to the AHL if he needed icetime. The players who would be going for these spots are Plekanec/Higgins/Hossa (yeah him) ... And Zhog depending on what happens with him. Also I should mention that one of those prospects should have a chance to replace Dagenais on the 2nd line... I'd like Dagenais to disappear, but realistically I think he will return. As for the goon, I'd bring Langdon back, if he chooses to retire then I'd go out and sign another capable goon ASAP, if none were available I'd give the spot to a deserving AHL player.

And now the 04-05 lineup ... my best guess at it ...

Zednik - Koivu - Kovalev

Ryder- Ribeiro - Prospect/Dags

Bulis - UFA - Ward

Begin - Dowd - Plekanec

~ Langdon, -----

Markov - Rivet

Souray - Komisarek

UFA - Brisebois

~ Bouillon

Theodore

Garon

So there you have it. No big changes, and if we fail to sign those 2 UFA's (not including Kovalev) it wont be the end of the world, the habs will still be able to ice a competitive team each night... I would love to improve this team though...

We should make the playoffs with this roster and Julien behind the bench, I would be very surprised if the habs regressed next season. This is not 02-03, we are no longer being carried by Theodore and being outshot 40-20 each night... We're not a 1 man team, we're a 23-man unit ...

So I'll end the post right here, I've basically said everything that has already been said anyways....

:ghg:

[Edited on 2004-6-5 by puck7x]

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Perreault fan here...

I am not so sure if i think that we should try to get at new defenceman.

He have Brisebois, Rivet, Souray, Markov and Komisarek. Bouillion should be the seventh as you said. But why sign a new player when we could try to use a prospect.

If we would sign a new defenceman it has to be someone good. But in my opinion we allready have 4 defencemen to fill the two first pairings. Give Hainsey a last chance.

Second thing. I don't think Zednik and Kovalev should be on the same line. Kovalev to go with Koivu and Zednik with Ribs.

Ryder should keep his spot on the first line. On the second line me might be able to sign Perreault for less money, since he have said earlier that he wish to stay in Montreal.

But a strong physical center for the third would be needed...

Kovalev - Koivu - Ryder

Zednik - Ribeiro - Perreault

Bulis - UFA - Dagenais

Begin - Dowd - Ward/Langdon/Plekanec

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k this is what is dont get. The habs have the best faceoff man in the whole damn league why is he playing the wing. THIS MAKES NO SENCE. At least put him center even if its on the 4th line :monkey:

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I would love to see Dags go away. I'm not going to bash him but we need someone better than him on the second line.

I would seriously consider trading Ribs. His trade value is decent right now. I don't think he will ever be the player the Habs hope he will.

I'm a bit of a fan of our young guys. Plekanec, Hossa and Higgins all deserve a shot. I mean what are we loosing by trying these guys out? The guys they would be replacing had limited ice time/success anyway.

I agree completely with Puck that we need another Dman. I have no idea who that might be but we definitely need a solid guy to fill that spot.

I want CJ to play Garon more this season. Is this kid our future?

:hlogo:

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I agree about the D-men. We need at least 1...maybe 2.

Garon is only a year younger then Theodore so I gotta think that Theodore is the present and future.

Trading Ribeiro is risky business...Koivu can get injured easily and our depth at C wouldn't be great. However, I agree that I don't see Ribs getting much better then he already is...hope he proves me wrong. I just think a 65 point type guy is all he'll be...not that this is a bad thing by any means.

I hope to god that Dags is gone...

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Originally posted by seanman99

k this is what is dont get. The habs have the best faceoff man in the whole damn league why is he playing the wing. THIS MAKES NO SENCE. At least put him center even if its on the 4th line :monkey:

He would take faceoffs then swing out to the wing. It's not unheard of for centers to not take the faceoffs on a regular basis.

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I like most of the ideas posted.

I hope next year's line-up will be something like this-- barring a major trade :

Zednik - Koivu - Kovalev

Ryder- Ribeiro - Dags/ Higgins, Milroy, or Plekanec (I can dare to dream)

Bulis - Perreault (on vastly reduced salary) - Ward

Begin - Dowd - Langdon

Markov - Rivet

Souray - Komisarek

Hanisey - Brisebois

Bouillon and / or Quintal

Theodore

Garon

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Faceoffs are an overblown stat. The ability to win them is a nice little extra, but hardly a reason to play someone you may otherwise not want to play.

For example:

Perrault averaged 12.5 faceoffs per game and won 65% of them for a total of 8.1 per game.

An average faceoff guy like Koivu (53%) or Juneau (50%) would win about 6 of those faceoffs.

Should teams really make lineup choices based on the expectation that a player will win 2 extra faceoffs over the course of an entire game? Only if they don't feel they're losing out on the other, far more important aspects of the game.

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When u put it that way i guess ur right put i agree you

should still have perrault on the team in case of any big

faceoff you have that extra 10% chance of winning it.

10% could mean a win or a lost at the end of the game.

:monkey:

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  • 1 month later...

Here are some UFA Defencemen for the left side GM Gainey could consider to sign:

1, Alexei Zhitnik

2, Mathieu Schneider

3, Jassen Cullimore

4, Bob Boughner

5, Richard Matvichuk

6, Jaroslav Modry

I personally would love to see Zhitnik/Schneider or Cullimore in Montréal next season. It would be much better to add a veteran defenceman and to pull Francis Bouillon to the 7th position.

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I agree with most of the posts here. The great thing about the upcoming season (fingers crossed) is that the Habs actually have options and training camp should prove to be very competitive with lots of younger players getting long looks by the staff...

A couple of thoughts....

Boullion: I like Boullion alot, but how long can an eastern conference team keep playing a 5'8" defenseman? He battles hard, but is completely undersized...

Answer: Hainsey. Lots of question marks here. Signs of talent, but inconsistent. The only way to figure this out is to put him on the ice...Certainly more upside than Boullion. If only he had Boullion's heart!

Perrault: There is no need for him. He wins faceoffs, yes. But as soon as the puck gets turned over he turns into a complete liability. No effort. No hustle.

Answer: Put Dowd as the third line center and move Higgins to wing. Higgins is a gritty player on both sides of the red line and a relentless backchecker with some offensive upside potential...

Dags: Dags filled a role last year playing with Ribs. He's got a great shot, but he simply cannot skate at an NHL level.

Answer: I'd like to see Plekanec get some time in Dags spot....I think that Julian should thin about putting J. Ward with Ribs and Ryder. These two guys playing wing would open up some ice for Ribs and give Ward the opportunity to find his offensive touch...fill Ward's hole on the fourth line with Plekanec...

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