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Calgary Flames (21-27-7) Projected Lineup Jiri Hudler - Mikael Backlund - Lee Stempniak Mike Cammalleri - Sean Monahan - Joe Colborne Lance Bouma - Matt Stajan - David Jones Kevin Westgarth - T.J. Galiardi - Brian McGrattan T.J. Brodie - Mark Giordano Kris Russell - Chris Butler Ladislav Smid - Dennis Wideman Reto Berra Joey MacDonald Team Leaders G Sean Monahan (15) A Jiri Hudler (28) PTS Jiri Hudler (42) +/- Mark Giordano (+3) PIMS Brian McGrattan (93) Injuries: Curtis Glencross, Karri Ramo Scratches: Chris Breen, Paul Byron Montreal Canadiens (29-21-6) Projected Lineup Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Brendan Gallagher Daniel Briere - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta Brandon Prust - Lars Eller - Rene Bourque Michael Bournival - Ryan White - Dale Weise Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban Andrei Markov - Alexei Emelin Douglas Murray - Nathan Beaulieu Carey Price Peter Budaj Team Leaders G Max Pacioretty (23) A P.K. Subban (29) PTS P.K. Subban (37) +/- Gorges/Plekanec (+6) PIMS Brandon Prust (103) Injuries: Davis Drewiske, Alex Galchenyuk, Travis Moen Scratches: Francis Bouillon, George Parros Puck Drop: 7:30 PM EST TV: RDS, TSN Habs, SNET W Radio: TSN 690 FM 98.5

Diaz is an upcoming UFA, he will want a raise that we most likely cant afford and dont want to pay. He hasnt exactly dominated this season. I think we couldnt have got alot more value out of him. And before whining about anything at least wait for both players to play a few games in their new teams.

Gorges is a stay at home D. Diaz is a puck moving defenseman who was not anywhere near as bad as you make him out to be. Emelin... 7 points, minus 10. Isn't he on our second pairing... Murray. 2 points, minus 13 Boullion 4 points, minus 9 Diaz 11 points, minus 4 This in a bad offensive year for Diaz. He got restrained minutes and was a positive plus minus until he was put with Murray. He was third on the team in blocked shots, ahead of Murray, PK, and Emelin. Giveaways... 17, vs over 50 for PK and Markov. He isn't a hitter for sure, but either is Beaulieu. Beaulieu has 1 point in 13 games. Sorry, but on most teams in the league he isn't sitting in the box but either on the 2nd or 3rd pairing. Definitely on the PP. For that matter, Vancouver picked up Wiese on waivers and were on the record of wanting him gone. They were desperate for a D due to injuries. Are you telling me we couldn't get a prospect or take Wiese and a middle pick for Diaz? This wasn't a great trade. It isn't huge and it won't make or break us, but it is troubling that MB can't win this one or realize he needed to showcase Diaz and the screw over a troubled team like Vancouver.

If this team can't beat Calgary it won't be the fault of the team. What an island of misfit players. Of course, the Flames are on a five game winning streak. They beat San Jose (twice), Chicago, Nashville and Vancouver. Statistics wise, Calgary shouldn't be winning those games. Giordano has been on fire (heh) for the Flames with six points in five games. Backlund even more eight in his last four. If the Flames win this game, probably best to look at their production in the game. Lars Eller has gone 14 games without a point. The usual comeback is how he has to play with such weak players like Bourque and Prust. In that same time, Bork and Prust have a goal and an assist. Two points in 14 games is lame but it's still more than the quiet Viking. Only Doug Murray has a worse plus minus.

It's incredible that people here feel that Diaz is a second pair defenceman just because he puts up points from time to time but Josh Gorges is a third pairing piece of trash that does nothing for the team and needs to be traded (but supposedly will net us Evander Kane if we add a few mid-level prospects). Diaz was never on Gorge's level defensively, especially when it came to clearing the puck out of our zone. I don't think Therrien handled him properly but Nathan Beaulieu making rookie mistakes still plays better than Diaz. But yeah, we traded a second pairing D-man. Please. I'm not touting the wonderful return for Diaz (Weise was supposedly mishandled in Vancouver, but I doubt at the level claimed) because a lot of what people are saying is stuff that never matters (there's no promise he'll suddenly become a better player once he hits 27) but I never saw Diaz as a long term part of this team, nor was he contributing anything currently, nor was he a playoff performer for us. And again, it's a trade. It's Bergevin finally pulling the trigger on re-modeling this year this season. Too much of the same. I get the feeling he relies too much on his coaching management's opinion.

The fact is that Wiese is a waiver pick up and fourth liners are commodities that can be had for nothing. Whatever we think of Diaz, he is a second pair puck moving defenseman. Worse case, he is a third pairing guy who can play on the PP. Those are hard to come by and are tradeable. No, he is not a Markov and he might not have fit in our plans, but he was given away. We swapped a guy playing 19 min a night for a six minute a night guy with half the point totals per game. And no, he isn't Prust. There was no reason to sit Diaz. He should have been showcased and either traded for picks or packaged for someone decent. At least a good prospect. Frankly, this is the time to trade DD while he has some value. Instead, we will wait until it is obvious to everyone that he is useless without Pacs scoring and he will be untradeable. Sitting Diaz and making him seem useless is not the way to get a fair return. Please note...Vancouver was desperate for a defenseman and they still won the deal.

Parros from Florida, Thomas from NY & Tokarski from TB. Not sure where this conference bias is coming from..

It's easy to sit back here on our computers, and totally dissect moves made by Bergevin. Fans have questioned his intelligence, education, and even questioned his long NHL career, and I for one Hab fan am really pleased some of you genius arm chair GM's don't work for the Habs organization, you're utterly ridiculous! Habs needed to get bigger, and faster and tougher, and MB did that with this move, with a player that is NHL caliber, that helps the team now. Where are these stock piled 4th liners we have? We have 3- 4th liners now, that's it. Briere, Bournival, Leblanc are not 4th liners. It's not like Diaz was ever going to be a mainstay with the Habs, nor was this a blockbuster move where we traded valuable pieces out of the line up for unknown assets ie: draft picks. Diaz's value is inflated by some of you here on this board, and I have seen enough of him in our line up. We got a player to address needs, we got a grinder, with speed, out of a D that could not stand up to playoff hockey, and Weise will pencil right into the line up and help us compete with his speed and physical play, there is no way it's not going to help. Minor move toward the roster and depth we need going forward with this management era, minor move, lets move on....

Diaz... Out of position so much he was third in blocks... You have an opinion of Diaz which has been your opinion since day one. Plus minus isn't perfect but I have watched ever game this season and he much better at clearing the zone then many of our D.. The fact is, he wasn't always out of position nor was he brutal defensively. He was a decent puck moving defenseman. Your argument is like saying Emelin is useless because he can't pass, can't score, and is often out of position, but ignores his toughness and hits. Few D are available that have everything. If we had a team of Gorges and Emelins and Murrays we would be last in the nhl. This isn't about trading Diaz...I am fine with Trading Diaz. it is about not getting value for him. You don't sell a car by putting it on blocks, letting it get dirty, then complaining it isn't that great a car. Funny, I saw PK make the same pass a few games ago...Eller ducked out. I have seen Emelin make the same pass many times.

LeBrun said Bergevin offered Bourque to all 29 teams in the league. I would trust him over any other rumour monger. We also got Parros from a western conference team... oh right it was Florida. And traded Kristo to the Los Angeles... no wait that was the New York Rangers. Seriously folks. At least get roped into plausible conspiracy theories.

Pacioretty (25), __________ , _________ ________, Galchenyuk (19), Gallagher (21) Bournival (21), Plekanec © (31), (size / defensive / some offensive skill) - (useful defensive / checking line) Prust (29), White (25), Weisse (25) Trade / Available: Bourque (32), Briere (36), Gionta (35), Moen (31), Desharnais (27), Eller (24) - try to get something valubale in return and at the least free up cap space for one or two FA's. Others C. Thomas (21), L.Leblanc