Did he do that on Sportsnet? I didn't see it.

All I saw was the 'Smythe resigns - E5' on Hockeybuzz... and it brought to mind his appearance on another board recently where he was defending his credibility, saying "show me an E5 that never happened. There isn't any." If there wasn't before, there is now.

Yes, on Sportsnet. He didn't exactly call Smyth but he said the Islanders were involved in a blockbuster and then the panel was surpsied and then their only 2 bigname players (Yashina and DiPietro) have NTC so they didn't know who could be involved. It was a while after that anyone else picked up the story.

Gainey had to either pick up help or dump Souray. He did neither. If you ask me that is all you need to look at to evaluate his performance. Souray had to be signed or traded if he was not going to bring in any other help. I can't believe that canadiens couldn't put together a similar deal then the Isles did for Ryan Smith or the Sharks did for Guerin.

The waiver pickup was also a joke.

When you're on a rebuilding path, for sure you wanna trade away your youth!! This year wasnt the year we were supposed to win the cup. We're on our way, but patience is everything....

Ryan Smyth ( its with YYYYYYY not an I) we probably had to give up guys like Lapierre and Andrei Kostitsyn and a first pick. Thats to much. And when Smyth leaves after this year. You got nothing!!

The more I think about it, the more I think Gainey made the right choice. With Souray we still can make the playoffs (ok we lost to the NYR, but Toronto and Carolina also lost yerterday). Significant help would have cost alot (prospects and/or picks), without any chance of going deep in the playoffs.

I believed this also but if it was true we would have dealt Souray for a high end prospect (or young player with high potential and only in his second or so season) and a pick but now I think it is just BS. Souray is gonna walk or we will over pay, either way we didn't strike when we should have.

This season is lost, our goaltending is so poor we need at least 4 goals a game to keep up and our offense is sad at best.

Oh thanks, yeah I suppose they asked the sky the moon and universe from Gainey, meanwhile the Blues got 3 high draft choices and a mediocre player for a hasbeen like Thachuck. However Im sure Gainey would have been forced to give up Carey Price Kotsi Plekanek and higgins for the same draft choices???? Guerin a near 40 years old player was able to garner very close but Im sure Gainey would have had to give up the farm to get the same players??? As for Souray, we can always sign him for 5 million a year and also sign markov for 5 million a year and sign Bonk for 3 million a year and Johnson for 2.5 million a year????? As for your sarcasm a bozo like you should open a site called sarcastic bozo.com

Burn of the year?

SOMEONE GET THIS MAN A HERO COOKIE.

I thought you might enjoy this site

bozo.com


cheers !!

Just to relaunch this thread on the good footh :

List of UFAs this upcoming summer

http://www.geocities.com/floridapanthers2000/free2007.html

Boogard, Gomez and Hannon would be nice.

suitable top lines centers

Brière
Drury
Handzus
Datsyuk
Sykora
Gomez
Lang
Nylander
Comrie (?)
Zubrus (??)

Brière or Datsyuk would be nice also hehe

New rumor: Dainus Zubrus (who was just traded from Was to Buf) will be UFA this summer. He said he'd consider seriously signing with Montreal. He said his wife (who is from quebec) would be very happy to come back in Quebec. Zubrus also told the CP that he was told that the Canadiens inquired about him to the Caps GM a few days before the deadline...

Will Gainey try to land Zubrus? I guess he'd make a good second line center.
He's 6'4" and 226 pounds...
The only problem is that he lacks consistency...

He's not a Datsyuk or Brière, but we need a plan B (or C)...

is he better than ribeiro? everything considered? I'm not sure.
if we are to pay, we need something better than ribeiro.

I'm inclined to think that he is better than Ribs. I've seen only 3 Caps games this year but I must say Zubrus impressed me. He plays with confidence, and has the will to put the puck in the net. I touht he was making is points because of Ovechkin, but in the few games I've watched, I've seen him create his own opportunities.
He's also quite bigger than ribs, and seems to have finaly learned to use that huge frame the North American way...

But he seeks a long-term (5 years) contract... so I hope we'll scout him very seriously if we're to sign him this summer.

Brière or Datsyuk are the only two I'd like to see with the Habs as 1st line centres.

Pretty sad that they've got no chance at any of these guys.

Those two and Gomez for me.

New rumor: Eklund says that Montreal tried to land Ryan Smyth and to move Souray to Anaheim in the last few hours of the trade deadline day.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=6019

It's Eklund so it's just rumors, but I'm inclined to think that Gainey was more active on feb 27 than what the media speculated.

Lately im talking what Eklund says as a grain of salt...like everyone else...

I do see Gainey being active when free agency starts. im watching colorado and detroit and man is Datsyuk somethin else, his passes and dekes leave me in awe. i hope we can land this guy to play with kovalev

gomez would be welcomed with open hands in montreal. we really need a center that can take pressure out of koivu

Why is there 'no chance' of Brière signing with us?

Or Datsyuk, or anyone else for that matter?

I wouldn't waste my time signing wingers - we've got lots of those - and Zubrus would be a signing of last resort for 2nd line C. This team cannot afford to approach another season without a bona-fide #1A centreman, which means that we HAVE TO go after Gomez, or Briere, or Datsyuk with every last resource at our disposal. All are relatively young and could be signed to long term deals without hesitation. So: make room under the cap by losing players like Bonk and Johnson as UFAs, dump bums like Aebsicher for 10th-round picks or -failing that - send them to Hamilton, etc.. Do EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to get one of these three. The future depends on it.

Datsuyk or Brière would be a really great addition, because I far as I can see, we have no future #1A center in the organisation... But have enough promising wingers...

The Habs don't have a problem with Abby, he's also unrestricted. Simply put, if Gainey wants one of these C's for the team (I'd prefer Gomez) he's going to have to be very aggressive. I'm all for it. The Habs truly need a #1 C. Take some pressure off Koivu, who I think would flourish in a #2 role.

Then take Datsuyk off the table because we don't need another damn primadonna european. Drive a truckload of cash up to Brieres house (even tho I can't stand the whiny little runt) and we will finally have the damn franchise player we have lacked for 10 or so years.

Him and a solid defender the likes of Markov and we will be ready for next season with Huet in net and Halak backing him. Even pick up a good fighter (downey isn't a fighter he is a punching bag) and I would be laughing.

I dont think breire is going anywhere and gomez wont help much

good footh? you mean Adam Foote?

I'm sure NHL'ers pay some attention to what goes on with the Montreal media and the Kovalev situation and they'd love to be thrown into that type of situation when/if they are playing poorly.

Trust in BOb. Maybe those 2 picks are to move up in the draft. Maybe he'll make a trade at the draft.

This is going to be interesting. If BOb can land Sam Gagner I'll be delighted.

I agree.
The extra pick was meant to do something with at the deadline but unfortunately didn't get anything done.
Lucky for us picks don't expire and now Bob can either move up in the draft, or maybe allow another team to move up and get a pending UFA in a sign and trade kind of deal (Briere, Drury, Gomez, Datslick or who ever)

The possibilities are endless at this point, but worst case scenario is that we end up with 2 first rounders to help.

To help what? Our team in 4 years? WHO rebuilds for 8+ freaking years?

He doesn't know what he is doing anymore then any other GM, he is just too scared to take a chance. And with that attitude prepare to be fighting for 8th for a long time. If Souray becomes our McCabe we will be done for a long time, and if he walks away for nothing I am gonna shake my head. LOSE/LOSE

Only way out is if Souray re-signs with us and then repeats his performance this season year in, year out.

which won't happen.

I really love his salpshot but he makes too many mistakes 5 on 5. doing the equation, it cost us more games than it should've.

I don't think this team is re-building still. Most teams aren't rebuilding and signing players like Johnson, Sammy etc. They go with youth right from the start. This team has replenished their depleted stock of youth and now have given them time to develop. Here on out is where it starts paying dividends... not when you draft them.

As for the picks...you still have to use them in one way or another...every team does... it isn't rebuilding to have to draft.

Don't waste your breath. He believes and has his opinions which he won't change regardless of how correct you may be.

I've already taken 2 vacations from HW as a result. I've resigned myself to believe anything posted as contradictive.

Talk about devil's advocate. Like clockwork it is

LOL

I have taken a few "vacations" as well.

Some people's kids huh?

On another note.

Why would Doug Gibson be in Buffalo on saturday scouting the game?

Look if they aren't rebuilding why would they collect draft picks? They have a decent pool of prospects and they give up a veteren to get another young player and get 2 first round picks. Now either they will use the picks to make big moves in the off season or keep the picks and build up their prospect pool which is already rated at 5th best in the league. Doesn't make sense to me, if this team is rebuilt and we keep it the same for next season do you really expect anything to change? If you do get ready for another disapointment.



90% of what is posted on this site is opinion and rumor so how can you say "reguardless of how correct you may be" Athletique thinks he's talking about me but is really talking about himself.

I think you regularly take vacations away from reality aswell.

Souray shouldn't play 25 minutes or anywhere close to that. If he plays about 13 minutes plus powerplay time (under 20 overall), then he's effective enough. The longer he plays, the more prone to mental errors he becomes. If we resign him, it's based on offensive quality and not defensive.

It's almost as if you stole that idea straight from A Concerned Fan's mouth!

*misses ACF*

*Starts online petition to bring ACF back*

*simultaneously launches a foundation to pay for meds and a schrink for Colin*

umm.. ACF has been back for a while now. Check the homepage.

Whoa! You just reminded me that there is a homepage! I haven't been there in ages.

Dont know if its worth anything since it was Ek but hes saying something about Datsyuk narrowing his choices down to Montreal, New York Rangers, or Washington this summer.... Im assuming thats if he doesnt resign with the RedWings.

Unless Datsyuk has a great playoffs for the Wings I doubt they will try that hard to re sign him. I expect to see him in Washington if McPhee gets the OK from management to bring him in.

Too bad. A Samsonov-Datsyuk-Kovalev line would have been interesting. It would be nice to bring in Datsyuk but there may be better options out there.

please tell me you smoked before writing this ??

while kovalev as been playing for the last few games, his number still suck...samsonov biggest number apparently was his weight( the only number that rose from last year) and datsyuk is a complete ghost n playoff time and you want the three of them on the same line ??

i don't really want datsyuk either... he gives me the impression of an overtalented, underachieving prima donna... a sort of another yashin... we don't need that...




GO GO!