Habs qualify Subban, Eller, Nattinen; release White, Czarnik, Delmas

[Machine of Loving Grace]

I liked White as well. Wish he went to the Western conference.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I'm happy for him. Hopefully he can find a good fit there.

Geez, the Flyer's moves this off season are quite underwhelming.

In:

Del Zotto

Umberger

White

Out:

Hartnell

Timonnen

I smell a tenth place finish.

[hab29RETIRED]

Nice mess Hextall inherited from Holgrem. With their cap issues, hopefully they will suck for a while!

I have to say, I really hated losing white. I'd take him over Moen his 2 year contract. considering Prust's salary and glass shoulders, I'd rather have white over him as well.

M

I'm happy for him. Hopefully he can find a good fit there.

Geez, the Flyer's moves this off season are quite underwhelming.

In:

Del Zotto

Umberger

White

Out:

Hartnell

Timonnen

I smell a tenth place finish.

[KoRP]

Nice mess Hextall inherited from Holgrem. With their cap issues, hopefully they will suck for a while!

I have to say, I really hated losing white. I'd take him over Moen his 2 year contract. considering Prust's salary and glass shoulders, I'd rather have white over him as well.

M

I don't think I'd go that far.... Moen and Prust are both much better hockey players, and have won more fights than they've lost, White has never won one.

[BCHabnut]

I don't think I'd go that far.... Moen and Prust are both much better hockey players, and have won more fights than they've lost, White has never won one.

He won the most important one. When he beat up the Boychuk after a cheap shot on subbans knees. No talking just immediate action. I'm gonna miss him. Loved Ryan White.

Edit. I just watched it again. Guess he didn't beat him up but he punched him hard in the face more than boychuk punched him hard in the face. Hahaha

[hab29RETIRED]

Moen's days as a fighter are done and the fact he didn't get back into the lineup after his injury suggests he is wearing down and slowing down.

Considering Prust's injury issues and $2.5m or 2.75m cap hit for two more years makes me nervous.

White's cap hit was less than half to a 3rd of their cap hit - which is what a 4th liner should be making.

I don't think I'd go that far.... Moen and Prust are both much better hockey players, and have won more fights than they've lost, White has never won one.

[hab29RETIRED]

I do t care if he didn't win fights - he was more physical than Morn and would never back down from anyone - which is more than you can say for Moen.

He won the most important one. When he beat up the Boychuk after a cheap shot on subbans knees. No talking just immediate action. I'm gonna miss him. Loved Ryan White.

Edit. I just watched it again. Guess he didn't beat him up but he punched him hard in the face more than boychuk punched him hard in the face. Hahaha

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

White never won the trust of the coaching staff, understandably; and I think we have to accept that this is a classic case of a crummy team picking up the scraps from a superior club. That's what happens to good teams - their leavings are attractive to the bottom-feeders. So I take it as a symptom of success.

That said, I too kinda regret losing White. If he ever figures out how to ride that fine line of being on the edge without going over, he could be a nice, cheap agitator in the NHL. But at the end of the day I don't think this hurts us, unless of course he ends up injuring one of our guys in a reckless play. Which wouldn't shock me, actually.

[KoRP]

Yeah, well I liked him too, but he's a Flyer now, so I don't.....

[ICEWATER77]

the habs have improved with the malholtra signing. thank you to ryan white and good luck in philly. it was just time for both parties to move on.

[Guest Stogey24]

the habs have improved with the malholtra signing. thank you to ryan white and good luck in philly. it was just time for both parties to move on.

I really like White and he was a good energy player, but there's no space in the line up for him. Better off signing a heavy weight who plays every 3rd or 4th game.

[ICEWATER77]

I agree stogey, a heavyweight is needed. who do we have to diffuse the situation when lucic decides to exact his revenge? and then with chara, mcquaid, and Campbell as his backup..i don't see the need to get beat up in a line brawl again. how sweet would it be to snag up mcgratton?! or bordeleau?

[habs rule]

Too bad to see White go, he was a great team guy. Funny thing he never wanted to sign a 2 way deal in Montreal, taking less money to sign 1 way deal. His options were obviously limited since he signed a 2 way deal with Philly. Probably a better spot for him in Philly. He had little chance of getting out of MT's doghouse. Adios amigo. Bon chance.

[DON]

I agree stogey, a heavyweight is needed. who do we have to diffuse the situation when lucic decides to exact his revenge? and then with chara, mcquaid, and Campbell as his backup..i don't see the need to get beat up in a line brawl again. how sweet would it be to snag up mcgratton?! or bordeleau?

Dont think signing any goon is 'sweet'.

It is just a dumb necessity and is very bush-league.

But, am surprised Bergevin hasnt inked some meathead already, hopefully he opts to take the high road (but unlikely).

[ICEWATER77]

newsflash don: fighting is and always will be a part of hockey! lemme ask u this..do u honestly think the bruins are going to be tickled pink that we eliminated them? no, I guarantee the shit will hit the fan! and YES it will be sweet as fck if we got an insurance policy like a mcgratton or bordeleau. bush league or not, the guys in the room will breathe a little easier knowing they have a heavy backing them up

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Ah, the old "goon" debate. I am agnostic on this question, although given what we now know about blows to the head, hockey fights do seem stupid. I agree, though, that Bergevin seems to believe in the value of goons and that it's consequently surprising we don't have one. What I don't quite understand is that we never seem to see goons whaling on players that don't want to fight - they mostly fight other goons. So I'm not sure what it means to say that they have a "deterrent" value, unless the idea is that YOUR team's goon discourages you from provoking the other team's goon, because then he has to fight him. It's bizarre when you think about it.

[Guest Stogey24]

newsflash don: fighting is and always will be a part of hockey! lemme ask u this..do u honestly think the bruins are going to be tickled pink that we eliminated them? no, I guarantee the shit will hit the fan! and YES it will be sweet as fck if we got an insurance policy like a mcgratton or bordeleau. bush league or not, the guys in the room will breathe a little easier knowing they have a heavy backing them up

Its true, whether people are for or against fighting, its part of the game. With the loss of Murray,Parros, White, and basically Moen, this team starts to look a little soft around the edges. I could see staubitz coming back.

[ICEWATER77]

lotta beef there..thats why I support a new heavyweight added to the mix. it's not necessarily the goon vs goon deterrent factor..it's the goon deterring an ahole like lucic from inciting an all out line brawl. that's where we need the help.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Ah, the old "goon" debate. I am agnostic on this question, although given what we now know about blows to the head, hockey fights do seem stupid. I agree, though, that Bergevin seems to believe in the value of goons and that it's consequently surprising we don't have one. What I don't quite understand is that we never seem to see goons whaling on players that don't want to fight - they mostly fight other goons. So I'm not sure what it means to say that they have a "deterrent" value, unless the idea is that YOUR team's goon discourages you from provoking the other team's goon, because then he has to fight him. It's bizarre when you think about it.

Here's how I look at it.

If signing some bruiser is going to make the locker room happy and put zero effect to our long term cap? Do it.

If guys like Prust and Galchenyuk and Subban feel better having some 220+lb lug sometimes sit on the bench? Do it.

If the team has no issue playing 11 forwards for the majority of the game just to feel secure? Do it.

Otherwise it makes no sense.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Here's how I look at it.

If signing some bruiser is going to make the locker room happy and put zero effect to our long term cap? Do it.

If guys like Prust and Galchenyuk and Subban feel better having some 220+lb lug sometimes sit on the bench? Do it.

If the team has no issue playing 11 forwards for the majority of the game just to feel secure? Do it.

Otherwise it makes no sense.

Agreed.

[DON]

My argument isn't that it isnt part of NHL circus, but that it 'shouldn't be' part of game, is just so childish and unskilled to be able to do the monkey dance for 5-10 seconds once every 3-4 games, is idiotic.

OOOOhhh, but the BIg Bad Bruins will be mad!

But I do know NHL is just entertainment exactly like WWF and owners know what sells to average hockey fan. Maybe just have cage matches between goons at intermission, tinfoil up the knuckles, toss some fake blood around and there you go?

[Machine of Loving Grace]

There's two sides of the coin for me.

One side is I don't like fighting because I don't like hits to the head. I've been heavily into PCS effects for years now (since I suffer from post-concussion syndrome) and whatever it takes to make the players safer, even if it means less excitement? I'm willing to support it. That means less hits to the head through checks and less hits to the head through punches. Does this mean eventually when bigger bodied players start getting lower into their checks so they can pretty much execute a back body drop, increasing the chances of a nasty head spill when they fall, I'll want the NHL to regulate that? Yes. When we get there. Right now I've only seen those hits from Jarred Tinordi in London. I would rather see a game where all you can do is run into a players shoulders or midsection to knock them off than a game where we willingly accept the idea of hockey players potentially concussing themselves. Let's appeal to humanity.

The other side of the coin is I don't care. Athletes are human cattle. They have willingly accepted to be our entertainment and their return is the millions of dollars we pay them because we want to be entertained. Anything short of Geneva Convention violations is okay. Hack, slash, slew foot, check, elbow your way to victory. I won't like it when it happens to my boys but do it to the opposition? Yes please. I don't want to be classy, I want to be a winner. Would I really have been so angry if the stanchion hit was Milan Lucic going into it? Probably not. So what if they get hurt, they know the risk. Being in entertainment means you are doing nothing to advance society. You are not a scientist, an artist or an inventor. I don't care about your well being. Suck it up or goto Sweden.

Those might sound extreme but that's really it for me. You either choose safety or you choose sadism. I'd rather choose safety, even if there's a part of me that likes the other side of the coin sometimes.

[KoRP]

Only a fool doesn't prepare himself for the viciousness of his opponent.... right or wrong your opponent doesn't care, and we are ill prepared as it stands right now vs the tough teams, and the will take liberties, bet on it.

We really do need to get a Goon fellas, like it or not, it's just the way it is.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

There's still plenty of time. Bergevin is trying to get Bouillon, so the team might not be complete.

My concern about not having a goon is Tinordi having to fight these guys. Seemed like every third game last year he got an instigator. I'm not as worried about Lucic. After his little temper tantrum, any suspendale offense versus the Habs will be treated like the Warren Commission. But it's true, every true Gooin pines for his own Chara/McSorley/Thornton/McClaren moment.

Another issue with a goonless Habs is three to five guaranteed blown games. Some of the Bruins/Leafs games without Parros or Laraque looked like a Charles Bronson movie. The players will want a goon. Go out and sign Biznasty or Barch to a two way deal. I've seen a lot of Batch live, he's close enough to a real hockey player.

I'd like to see him go all Elvis/Ann Peebles on Thornton for tearing down his South Florida Playhouse

[ICEWATER77]

everyone has their opinion I suppose. i'm 100% certain that fighting will not be banned this year however, so might as well be prepared! and for a young team on the cusp of something special, mb would be foolish not to employ an enforcer.