Zowpeb

I think Perezhogin is a solid defensive player who will make his share of rookie mistakes. I don't see that he'll be a superb offensive player but probably develop into a responsible, 2nd line winger who can put up a good number of points with the right line-mates. He's not there yet though...and Julien is actually pretty good with developing young players...if anything the problem is that he has too many this year and not enough minutes to go around to all of them. I'm pretty sure he's smart enough to communicate that to the rookies too. Higgins, Plekanec and Perezhogin are all capable of getting some more ice time. Of course there is only 1 spot open on the top 2 lines when everyone is healthy. Personally, I'd like to see us move Sundstrom and let Perezhogin play with Bulis and Bonk. I'd also like to see one of Plekanec or Higgins as the LW on one of the top 2 lines. Actually, I'd really like to see us move Ribeiro in a package for a more physical top line LWer and/or D-man but that's probably far fetched. JMHO. Something like Plekanec-Koivu-Kovalev Zednik-Ribeiro- Ryder Bulis-Bonk-Perezhogin Begin-Higgins-Murray It's not the most physical top line but it would be dynamite offensively and the 2nd line would have enough punch that teams would struggle to shut down both. It also picks up the offense of the 3rd line since Perezhogin is a better offensive player then Sundstrom which might help spark Bulis and Bonk...he also has the ability to be responsible enough defensively.

Yeah, because it's real easy to find a hockey highlight package that doesn't overly focus on the Leafs...lol Really, the problem is that you CAN'T change the channel and still get the highlights or coverage you want to receive. I also still don't understand why the NHL Centre Ice packages are so broad...why not have the ability to subscribe to just your teams games at 1/3 of the packages cost which would actually make them more money per game shown. Hell, even Leaf fans get their own channel and I just don't think there are THAT many more of them across the country then habs fans. Or why is Sportsnet still forced to blackout games outside of the region the game is played in. In today's global village there are fans of all types in all cities...blacking out games is useless nowadays and probably hinders the game more then anything. I think it shows how out of touch the NHL really is with it's fans. And now I've rambled on long enough on a new tangent...lol

As someone who has lived in and around Toronto my whole life I can tell you exactly why I despise the Leafs. It has nothing to do with the actual organization, as poorly run as it is. It has everything to do with their fans and their media. Now, I'd be willing to simply overlook the media but Toronto fans are just brutal. More so with hockey then the other sports. The worst thing about the media is it's fixation on the Leafs...and yes, I do understand that it's a "market" issue. But having national media outlets(TSN, Sportsnet/Score) force us to listen to 25 minutes of Leaf highlights/interviews and 45 seconds of every other Canadian team is ridiculous in the extreme. Leaf fan homerism is rampant, they love goons over everything else, and are all Don Cherry wannabes. They refuse to see the organization uses them...MLSE simply puts out a competitive product and fans flock in droves. They win 2 games in a row and they act like they're going to the cup. They are brutal in their comments if you're not a Leaf fan but they can't back anything up. This is the TYPICAL Leaf fan...though not all are like that. Now, having said that, I don't define my being a fan of the Habs as being a hatred of the Leafs. It's not like how most Canadian citizens define their love of Canada by saying we're not Americans...lol. I honestly couldn't care less about the Leaf organization but I truly hate listening to idiotic Leaf fans on the radio/tv and despise having them forced down my throat by the media.

Oh and Sundstrom is going to be a nice guy to have in a league that is cracking down on the clutch, grab, obstruction and interference. He plays a smart defensive game instead of one built on physicality and intimidation. Means we've got a defensive specialist who won't be as negatively affected by the new rules... I think Sunny will be quite valuable to us...

I'm okay with dealing Hossa...he's never really amounted to anything for us and the organization has had years to evaluate him. Only problem I have is that I don't think we got equal value for him. I just think that some GM in the league would give up at least a 4th rounder, maybe even more. Hossa is still a guy who is pretty much NHL ready and still has some decent offensive upside in the "new NHL". Murray is at best a 3rd to 4th line player...and probably just a mediocre one at that... As for Latendresse getting his shot...I'm still not sold that this is a smart move with the new CBA. We have players rights for a limited amount of time and he's going to be UFA eligible before his prime years (generally considered to be 26-30). The long term implications of this move are questionable IMHO. I see no reason to have a kid like this continue to develop in the NHL when he could certainly continue that development in the QMJHL. I suppose they figure he's got nothing left to learn there...

Crosby HAS to be the favorite by far to win the Calder. Not only is he the most talented young prospect entering the league but he also has Lemieux, Recchi, Palffy, Gonchar, Tarnstrom and LeClair around him. He's also guaranteed to see 1st unit PP minutes with probably Gonchar, Palffy, Recchi and Gonchar. Runner up is probably Ovechkin or Carter. Ovechkin is going to be "the man" in Washington but isn't surrounded with much talent. Carter isn't as talented as Ovechkin or Crosby but will have a great line-up around him...almost as good as what Crosby has around him. The exception for Carter is that he's not nearly as talented as Crosby. You also gotta figure that the refs will be "protecting" Crosby because of the expectations around him as the new "saviour" for NHL hockey. I know that some may bash that as unrealistic but I think it's probable.

I have no problem with paying a sales tax on many items. However, there are a LOT of items that it should be removed from...including gas, food and many of our "big ticket" items such as cars(and don't get me started on used cars, "let's get someone to pay the tax AGAIN"). As for our current level of gas taxes...the increased cost of gas and the fact we pay GST means the government has increased it's tax revenue incredibly over the past 5-10 years...FAR more then the general rate of inflation. So they should be dropped...I'm waiting for armed revolution over taxes and gas prices...don't think it can't happen. A 2 tier health system would not put poor people "at the back of the line". That is the biggest myth running. A properly run 2 tier system would still largely be the same as we see now...the only major difference is that we would allow for more private organizations, hospitals, long term care, etc to cater people who either a) have the money to spend on these things or B) can't afford to wait 6 months for an MRI, or some other test. In fact, a strong argument could be made that it would ease the pressure on the public system thus shortening wait times and less users would also mean more money alotted on a per patient basis. And no, I'm not advocating that private users would get tax breaks if they used private facilities. The other big myth is that rich people would get better doctors. Currently our best doctors leave the country anyways...so the current level of skill from our doctors would largely remain unchanged. Many of the "rich" people who would like to use private health care will actually travel to the US anyhow...at least we'd keep the revenue and doctors within our own country. Anyone that doesn't recognize health care HAS FAILED, and isn't just failing, in Canada has bought into the myths perpetuated by the NDP, leftist Liberals and their ilk.

If Latendresse plays for the Habs right away then he's a free agent that much sooner...correct me if I'm wrong. Would it not make more sense to let him get his seasoning in the AHL and come in as a guy who will legitimately put up big numbers... Considering the new CBA there is also the business side of these decisions. Also, I think Higgins and Perezhogin are probably our most NHL ready prospects. They deserve a shot over Latendresse...the ONLY way I'd make an exception is if he has a HUGE camp.

The only problem I have with property taxes the Habs are charged is that, I believe(correct me if I'm wrong), the Habs pay a higher then normal property tax for their facility. If the organization pays an abnormally large amount of taxes then it's clear the government has singled out a profitible business entity. This is wrong ethically, morally and legally IMHO. Why should one business be taxed more then others??? Not only that, if you think we(and our businesses) don't pay too much taxes you are off your rocker. The federal and provincial governments waste billions of tax dollars every year...yay taxes...we have a giant surplus every year now...yay taxes...how about those scandals...yay taxes. Bleh. How about we cut the GST, cut some bloody gas taxes AND give business a tax break so they don't bloody well move to China/Mexico/Taiwan. And oh yeah, we should start allowing a regulated two tiers for our health care system. It's basically here already anyhow...

It's highly unfair to say the Habs have not developed good goalies over the last 20-25 years. Directing the comments towards saying we don't develop top draft picks well is also irrelevant. At the end of the day the Habs have drafted poorly in the first round. Montreal WAS also notorious for not giving young players a chance in the NHL...partly because the team could generally afford proven NHL talent. Look at the goalies this team has had over the last 25 years...plenty of good-great goalies have come through this organization. The Habs had good drafts in the 80's for the most part and crap drafts in most of the 90's...and I think Houle was largely to blame for poor drafts rather then poor development. You can't even name many draft picks who were highly touted that didn't turn out...largely because we never drafted anyone who was highly touted from 90-97. Only Ward was expected to become more then he is...and he also suffered numerous injuries in the minors to slow his development. The funniest thing about the entire thread is that every time Beckham is questioned he does not respond in any way to answer the criticism...LMAO. It's quite funny actually...

It's far too easy for you to say this, without being in the situation of someone slashing you in the head you have NO IDEA what your immediate reaction would be. You can say that you wouldn't react that way but the reality is that you really don't know what your instant reaction would be. There are too many variables that affect such a reaction...things like what's occured to you earlier in the game, type of reffing, good day/bad day, fatigue, etc, all play a factor in how someone reacts mid-game. NO ONE has any idea how they would react to an incident like getting hammered in the head by someone's stick. Apparently, on that given day and in it's context, Perezhogin felt the need to fight fire with fire. Perezhogin's suspension was a failure by the AHL to send the correct message...that the initial instigation of incidents like this are also not tolerated. For the record I'd be okay with Zhog's suspension if it was equal to Staffords(I think that was his name...). Face the reality of the situation. He dished out the EXACT same treatment that occured to him. The only differences, and this first one is in Perezhogins favour, is that Zhog's was a more immediate, heat of the moment, reaction. The second difference is that Perezhogin has better hands...and got the guy square in the face...probably because he's a better prospect LOL.

I seriously question if you've seen Perezhogin play when you call him a "thug" with no defensive game. Perezhogin is far from a thug...and if this is coming from the suspension incident it's laughable. He also has a pretty solid 2 way game. I also fail to see the value of playing Higgins or Perezhogin on the 4th line when they could continue to learn/develop with more minutes in the AHL. It would be plainly stupid to play high calibre prospects for 8-10 minutes per game. In Plekanec's case you have a prospect with a lower ceiling then both other guys and he's already proven that he's learned everything he can in the AHL. Personally, I think all 3 guys should make this team with Zhog on the 2nd line and Higgins on the 3rd line...assuming they don't blow up in training camp of course. Dagenais and Hossa are both depth guys IMO.

Habs will finish as a top 5 seed in their conference for the playoffs. 1) Less "new" players on the team means chemistry is less of an issue...our 'team' play will be a step ahead of most other teams. This will be huge the first 25 games of the year. 2) Our young guys all got another year experience and we have 2-3 guys who could step into major roles immediately...and they're ready for it. Higgins, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Komisarek are all 1 year better and more ready. 3) Our youth affords us GREAT depth in a time when salary caps limit how much depth teams can have. 4) Our biggest "hole" is with our 6th d-man...and we've got 3-4 guys who can step up into that spot. Komi, Markov, Souray, Rivet and Dandenault are clearly our top 5 guys with guys like Boullion, Hainsey and Streit to fill out the 6th spot. 5) We've got great scoring punch on our 1st line and potentially a great combo on our 2nd. Our 3rd line looks to be VERY effective in both ends of the ice. How can anyone say this team isn't a lock for the playoffs? We don't have nearly as big, or as many, questions as most other teams.

I believe collaborator means he helps with the site in some way...possibly writing, or on the tech side...just my guess. I would like it though if someone could fix my avatar which seems to no longer work...for reasons I don't know. [Edited on 2005/8/19 by Zowpeb]

Good...I don't want him on the Habs. Overrated by too many fans and the french media circus.

If Bulis does the same thing he's always done then I think he's a prime candidate to be moved by the trade deadline. He's got value as a two way player so he'd carry decent value at deadline time...but we've also got Higgins, Plekanec and Perezohgin who are also solid 2 way guys with more upside on offense. Bulis' time in Europe may have also helped increase his value in the trade market...

I wouldn't trade Komisarek for Gagne either...bleh. Don't get me wrong, I think Gagne is a fine player. But he's like most french players in the NHL...overrated by Habs fans/media. I know that it's hometown love and that's fair but when I start seeing lopsided deals involving blue chip prospects for a guy who is MAYBE a 55-60 point guy it really bugs me. Guys like Komisarek and Price are potentially game breaker players...something Gagne isn't, and never will be. As for the comments on Roenick, when has "future considerations" in ANY sport turned out to be something of any real value? I realise it means there is some sort of conditional value to the pick(ie. so many points, contract extension, whatever means LA gives up more), BUT that really only means they might go from giving up a 3rd to a 2nd rounder...big whoop. My real point on that is this: If Roenick is worth a 2-3rd round pick then Gagne is worth a 3-4 round pick. The Gagne deal will be relative to the Roenick deal. I also realise that Roenick was moved to dump salary and everyone knew it so Clarke had no leverage to hold back from a deal. In NORMAL circumstances someone may give up more for guys like Roenick and Gagne...but not now with the Flyers needing to make cap room. Clarke has potentially built a decent team on paper(I question their big slow D-men and lack of a good goalie myself) but he has proven to be BRUTAL at creating a market for his players. A good GM would not HAVE to "dump" players like Roenick and Gagne...they would create a market for them and start a bidding war to at least get more value. Clarke has ALWAYS been horrible at making trades...I really don't know how this guy has a job still.

Please stop posting trade proposals because they are brutal. 1) Gagne is NOT worth Carey Price + a 2nd round pick. He's not even worth Carey Price straight up right now... 2) Gagne is NOT worth Ribeiro + Price that's just bloody INSANE. Yeah, let's trade a C who scores as many or more points then Gagne AND throw in one of the best young goalie prospects in the league...wow, great idea. 3) The Flyers HAVE to make a deal to move Gagne so nobody is going to offer them straight up value for him...the Flyers really have no leverage there. I'm guessing that they'll get a 2nd round pick if they just want to dump his salary. MAYBE they'll get a 1st rounder from some team that figures to finish well and would have a pick from 20-30. 4) The Flyers just dumped a much better player in Jeremy Roenick(big mouth but still a better player) for Future Considerations...enough said 5) Theodore will NOT be with the Habs for 8-10 more years...in fact, I'm guessing that we trade him in the final year of his contract. By which time both Danis and Price will be developing nicely...and I could see both being ready for the #1 role.

Well, personally I think anything is possible on the trade front. I could see Ribs traded in a package if we have a shot at getting a guy like Lecavalier. I could see Zednik traded for a D if we sign a guy like Satan. How about this possibility: Satan-Koivu-Kovalev Ryder-Lecavalier-Perezhogin Bulis-Bonk-Sundstrom Plekanec-Begin-Worrell Higgins/Hossa also available for 3/4 line duties. Norstrom-Markov Souray-Komisarek Hainsey-Rivet Boullion Not sure if Zednik would be enough to get Norstrom straight but I'd do that deal...and I'd be okay if we added to it a bit on our side. As for getting Lecavalier...I think his value is extremely overrated by many on this board. Not that he's a bad player...just that I don't think it would take much more then Ribs to get him. Maybe just add a middle round pick or a middle prospect and Tampa might just bite...jmho...of course, what the hell do I know...lol. I could also see Bulis dealt easily because Higgins can easily take his spot... [Edited on 2005/8/3 by Zowpeb]

From todays posts on Eklunds site: "While you (or at least I) were sleeping More rumors from the edge.... Chris Pronger got traded to Edmonton for Eric Brewer, Jeff Woywitka, and Doug Lynch. Naslund signed with the Canucks. Dallas thought they signed Modano, then Boston made another offer, and now nothing is certain..in fact Chicago may be involved... Naslund re-signed with Vancouver. Kariya strongly rumored to San Jose. Kovalev to Montreal is a good possibility. Martin Skoula signed with Dallas. Lindros to Nashville or Toronto by Friday. Pittsburgh made a huge push for Niedermayer...Calgary or Vancouver are involved as well Rafalski could be a Blue Jacket or could end up back in NJ. (other teams involved.) # posted by Eklund @ 9:22 AM" As you can see above they're saying Kovalev to Montreal is a good possibility...

I think it would be a good move. Let them play together as the final pairing. We sign one more good d-man to pair with Rivet as the 2nd pairing and give Souray/Markov the top pairing. If Hainsey struggles then Boullion is a fine depth guy who can fill in. I've also heard a few analysts talking about how it is quite possible, with the rule changes, that we'll see teams going back to playing 3 lines primarily, with 5 d-men getting most minutes...

Jason Ward was a useful guy on the 3rd or 4th line. Unfortunately, his qualifying offer was around $650,000...the team couldn't offer him less then that. Gainey can replace him with a player he'll pay the minimum...and he knows it obviously.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/columnist.j...801_152053_6340 Not bad...a few interesting quotes from Gainey. Such as: "Every one will have their own scenario," Gainey said. "Montreal has been in this mode for a while, working with younger players, drafting younger players and we're seeing results; (Tomas) Plekanec; (Chris) Higgins; (Mike) Komisarek; (Ron) Hainsey." And from the writer: Those four all played with the Canadiens' Hamilton farm team last year, although Komisarek is really an NHLer and Hainsey, the club's top draft choice the season before Komisarek, has regained his favoured status within the organization.

Yeah, I Komisarek is definitely not a rookie...still learning some things but good enough to learn in the NHL obviously. As for Hainsey...I think it's make or break time for him. He's going to get his shot and if he fails to impress then I gotta believe he's as good as gone.

If they wanted to do a 1 year deal then I think it's more likely that they'd pay him more money this year...just to get him to accept a 1 year deal. I wouldn't sign ANYONE to more then 3 years. In a CBA where the cap fluctuates and may very well go DOWN next year you can't have long term contracts eating your flexibility. I'd offer him 3 years/15 million with some of it back end loaded. In other words: 4.5m, 5m, 5.5m...then if we deal him in his final year someone else eats a lot of that payroll.