redondo

Not a lot of goal support for Halak from the boys, we could use another.

Yeah, he's hardly going to say "I'm looking to trade one or both of these guys", but we all know that capwise it's next to impossible to keep Plex. We'd have to unload one of Hammer/Spaceman (good luck) + another contract or two just for starters, not counting the salaries of whomever we get back. Plus with Gainey's hard on for Price, I don't see signing Halak as his priority. I hope I'm wrong because I like the kid, but I think he's as good as gone, and if you put a gun to my head, I'd say so is Plex. And for all of you who liked the Gomez trade and are having second thoughts now, just wait until Andrei Kostitsyn is due for a re-up. In spite of that though, I'm not sure I fully buy the "this is your roster and we're sentenced to mediocrity if it stays the same" argument, since honestly, how many games have we played with a full, or close to full roster this year? Call me naive, but I feel this team is still gelling. And even though we were badly burned last year, you CAN and SHOULD expect to replenish from within the organization, and contrary to all the doom and gloom, we STILL have a pretty decent prospect base. As far as obvious weaknesses, I think this year specifically we're a little short on solid, reliable D, so if we're looking for an upgrade, i would look for (a cheap) one in that direction. This may look better next year, because again, we do have good defensive prospects who will have a legitimate shot at making the roster (PK, Weber) and contributing. OB is due for a significant raise if we pick up his option, but Mara is coming off the books and can be replaced more cheaply.

Provided he even wants it, that is. He's already declined it once.

Funny you should say that, I always thought Mike Johnson was very undervalued here and was a great 3rd line player for us.

I thought Jacques Demers was Poirot?

Gomez is slowly starting to turn it around here. Amen. I guess its a good thing Gionta is back. More importantly, this team is starting to play better for longer and longer stretches of time. I feel pretty positive about these guys going into the new year, getting healthy, gelling, etc.

We can take this game, get shots on goal, get bodies in Leclaire's crease, keep cycling the puck... GO HABS GO!

I'm calling a reversal of trend, and us actually outshooting the opposition tonight. Habs 3:0 Pouliot with his first for CH, Markov (20,000th), Gomez EN

Another Price/Halak thread?

We complain that Gainey and CO are not developing the homegrown talent properly, and here are three guys we drafted/developed, each having a career year, and trending upwards. But I'm less concerned about the PR aspect of it, and more about the fact that each one of those guys, on his own, could arguably pull a LeClair. Guess it depends whom you get back, but that's a lot of talent going out the door, and I would at the very least keep A. Kost (understand the UFA/RFA/playing time implications with the other two, but there is no immediate incentive to trade Kosty). Agree on Carter > Plekanec, based on resumes to date.

Seems like a month ago there were discussions if Price was ever gonna get it back or he was "ruined", now people want to trade the insurance policy. I imagine that cap-wise you're gonna have to get a young, cheap player back anyway to make it work, and that still doesn't factor in the new backup we'd have to get (and how good can he be, I have my doubts). We do need scoring forwards, but we are also yet to see Pouliot play, and Markov provides some offence on his own too. I really think the best move here is to do nothing, other than to make sure neither of the goalies goes long stretches without starts. Someone mentioned 50-30 Price, that sounds about right to me.

hehe, welcome back Marky.

If they can continue where they left off last game, I think this team is ready for a breakout, especially with Markov back (it's as much a psychological boost for everyone else, as what he can actually contribute his first game back). 6:2 Habs, Cammalleri and Kostitsyn with two apiece, Markov with two assists to get his season going again.

For a few games now....

You know its funny, before the season started, many expected us to start slow, guys getting used to each other etc. Then Markov went down, the general consensus was if we can stay in the hunt without him this will be a much better team once he's back, and we may be dangerous in the playoffs still. This team (with additional injuries) has basically done that, they've been right around .500 mark with 2-3 Bulldogs in the lineup on average, and competitive on most nights. Kosty is waking up, Price is back to himself, we're seeing some chemistry develop, and now Marky is looking like he'll be back to us early. This team should be too good to tank, and if it it isn't then Gainey needs to be held accountable, because he spent his money the way he chose to last summer and got the guys he presumably wanted. Spent all his money, might I add. I've always defended Gainey, but I don't see how you can get a free pass if it turns out you capped out to get yourself a lottery team.

Yeah, I gotta say I feel that way too. I don't see the harm in holding onto Halak at least for a bit longer.

Hey, at least we still have our own pick! Bruins got theirs......

Nope, he was drafted in 2004, the New NHL is supposed to have started in 2005. And there was no way of telling early on if it was gonna be any different - remember there have been rule changes and "stricter inforcing" of the rules before, and they gradually got loosened as the season goes on. In any event his weak skating would have been less of a glaring hole before the crackdown on obstruction and holding. That said, honestly I don't think even Boucher could have done miracles with this kid had he gotten him early enough, there's just no single part of his game that feels NHL-caliber to me, judging from what we've seen. This one feels like just bad drafting and nothing else to me. But good luck to him in Anaheim.

It seems to me that a lot of our good thinking and talent recognition as far as the draft is concerned went out the door with Andre Savard. Much of the credit for their joint work in Ottawa and Montreal goes to Timmins, without much mention of AS. The argument stands that if we actually HAD access to some of the talent we drafted (like some of the Russians or the NCAA guys) we may look better in that department. But we haven't developed a thoroughbred in so long either, I wonder if more creativity as far as packaging and trading picks with other teams wouldn't be in order, not trade a 16th for a 15th, but really change the outlook and strategy of your draft.

I think the rule changes that stress stronger skating and general skillset really hurt Kyle. He would have been more effective in the old NHL, and was drafted for it. Oh well, it was time to go - good luck to him......

GO HABS GO! These are the two points we must have, and here's hoping Komi's lame streak with the Leafs continues.

I don't see it happening - though we tried hard to get Kovalchuk his draft year (I remember Andre Savard was talking to Weddell up until the very moment he made that pick) and it would be fabulous to have a guy of his talent with the CH, just so many pieces would have to fall into place for this to be consummated. I have to believe that there are a few teams out there that have a better cap landscape, more available pieces and would be in better position to get him.

Really? No, really? More injuries to skill players still? We're certainly getting a look at all our kids this year...

Well... I was beginning to think I'd go through The Gainey Purge without having to change my favourite players, so much for that.... Not a bad gamble to make, trade Latendresse when he still have some value and get a guy with a higher projected ceiling in return. Obviously this can still go either way since both guys are so young, but Gui didn't look like he was putting it together.....in a while now. Best of luck to him on the Wild, but even better luck to Pouliot with us. GO HABS GO!

First loss in OT/SO....but I'm not unhappy with the point.