The Chicoutimi Cucumber

I think we can lose Kovalev. Remember that we have the inside track on signing Tanguay, a more-than-adequate repalacement (less raw talent, more consistency). Also, let's face it - at some point, players like Andrei Kostitsyn simply have to step up and start becoming the elite players they've been projected to be. At some point we'll have to take that leap of faith (maybe not the season after his mob connections have been exposed, though :puke: )

I'm sure Breezy isn't afraid to speak his mind. Why not, with all he's been through? To whom need he defer? As for Crosby, I understand the aggravation at his whininess (it's noteworthy that Gretzky was often accused of the same thing; Mario too). But I find it interesting that he seems to have been overshadowed this year by Ovechkin, when in fact Crosby has more points on the season, on a crappier team to boot. The pendulum seems to have swung from hyper-praising Crosby to knocking him and also downplaying his talent somewhat. Ovechkin/Crosby, it's like choosing between The Bealtes and the Stones - for God's sake, just enjoy them both. (A lot of people - media commentators in particular - love Ovechkin's demonstrativeness. We all do, but it's worth remembering that it's a short jump from that, to the kind of infantile, vulgar trash-talking and callow egotistical BS that characterizes leagues like the NBA. So I'm not sure I like the 'Ovechkin' model all that much better than the Crosby 'whiny baby' model. As players, though, they are both stupendous).

I think the media mania is a significant deterrent for free agents. The good side is that last season's success helped to educate this generation of NHL players about what an extraordinary, and incredibly satisfying, place Montreal can be to play hockey in, when the team is winning. Let's remember that an entire generation of hockey players had no idea about that fundamental truth - all they knew was Montreal as a crappy franchise with a demented media and fan base. The truth is that Montreal is the most bipolar place to play hockey on earth: you are an absolute GOD when the team has success, and when the team disappoints, hoo boy. It's one reason why players that leave Montreal tend to emerge as leaders wherever they end up. In the big picture, it's entirely possible that the agonies of this season are all part of the learning process for this group of Habs's young players, from a relatively experience young guy like Higgins on down to the rawest rookies. Conceivably, if they all stay together, they will come out of it far stronger mentally and far more mature. It's a consoling thought.

This is exactly right. What we have here are players that have been bathing in all the goodies and adulation and self-indulgences that become available to you because you are a Montreal Canadien. And what is utterly disgusting is that they not only have done nothing - nothing - to deserve it, they are by their behaviour sh*tting in the faces of the organization that gave them this opportunity. They want, feel entitled to, the night life and adulation of Guy Lafleur. But they don't want to work like he did, play like he did, or win like he did? F*ck them. I understand the argument that they're kids, they're learning, boys will be boys, etc.. Nonetheless, they may never play again on a team that had as much talent and potential as this one. That's what's so frustrating: you only get so many chances. They might 'mature' next year or the year after, have a really strong team - only to get derailed by injuries or bad luck. They might 'mature' and end up playing for a middle-of-the-road team their whole lives (c.f. Koivu). It's a waste of a golden opportunity, and why? Because they're too busy being punks. While I'm ranting, I also don't know how these clowns can even look Bob Gainey (Bob Gainey!!) in the eye. One of the great champions and living examples of dignity and class in the history of the sport. A man who has lost his wife and daughter and does everything they could have asked of him to provide them with the opportunity to be winners. This is how they repay him, and the fans. Punks.

This is all idle speculation, but somehow I suspect that Gainey is the only man in town that Kovalev doesn't, on some level, look down upon. He probably sees Carbo and the coaches as plodders - he used to play against two of them, after all, and they were all inferior talents, so what makes them qualified to tell him what to do? Young punks, meanwhile, on the team probably all defer to him. The only man in the dressing room who, I would imagine, matches him ego for ego is Saku Koivu...which may in turn explain the supposed friction between them. Now Gainey? Cups galore as both player and manager. And a player who was revered in Kovalev's Russia growing up. Plus he is so clearly a man of iron will and deep understanding of the game. Kovy would respect all that. Kovy's basic problem is that he's a one-man band in a team sport. That it takes GM Gainey to get his attention would seem to be consistent with that.

Well, I don't know about your last sentence, but I tend to agree with the gist of your post. I think people aren't looking at the big picture, just the results. Last night's loss was partly the result of a brutal travel schedule; the players were exhausted. It happens to every team at some point. Yet they still charged back in the 3rd, the second night in a row where they've refused to throw in the towel despite falling behind. The team also seems to be getting a grip on shots against - they finally kept the opposition to less than 30 shots last night, for instance. Key useless turds like Kostitsyn and Plekanec seem to be ratcheting up their games. Price appears to be getting something of a grip. This is what happens when you're trying to claw your way out of a long slump. You can't just turn on a switch and start winning. Tanguay is coming back, that will help. And frankly Latendresse was contributing a lot more than people realized. (Of course, the irreplaceable loss is Lang - nothing we can do about that except hope that Pleks finally pulls his stick out of his ass and starts playing ^^&%$^&%* hockey). What pisses me off is not the last two losses but the fact that these players allowed the situation to get so horrible that these two losses seem like the apocalypse. It never, ever should have been this way, but that's water under the bridge now.

Well, I didn't see the game, so I really shouldn't butt in. BUT I will say that it's a typical pattern of teams in slumps that they lose two or three tight contests, in which they play well, before starting to win. Rather than look at the result, we should be assessing whether the team is working harder, working smarter, etc.. Certainly the fact that Schneider scored and that Pleks is flying should be taken as promising. The problem is not losing games where you play well; the problem is all those games where the team played like a bunch of gutless dogs. It's important these guys keep their eye on the ball and keep pressing forward. In short, focus on the process more than the results. Do that, we'll get out of this. Also, they had a brutal travel schedule. That probably explains koivu's dismal performance - he just can't recuperate as quickly as in the past. And crapping on him for this specific effort overlooks that he's been one of the only decent players over the last few games.

Price is playing because he is the future of the franchise and the entire organization needs him to get his mojo back. That won't happen if you sit him after his first strong start in weeks.

Personally, I'd rather see Kovalev traded - unless the Kovy we get back is the Kovy of last season. Which I'm not betting the rent on.

Apparently Darren Dreger is mooting a Kovalev-for-Eric Cole rumour. http://dailyhab-it.blogspot.com/ On the face of it, it seems like a good fit for both teams. The only problem is that we'd be getting yet another UFA and one we probably wouldn't re-sign or be able to fit into our cap structure going forward. If, however, Bob can negotiate (say) a 2nd round pick back as part of the deal, I'd be all for this.

Plekanec's performance is the single biggest determining factor in assessing the Ribeiro trade. The Pleks of last season, and the second half of the previous season, was a less offensively gifted but much better all around centreman than Ribeiro. If nothing else, trading Ribs made room for Pleks, who - for the time period I outlined - was a much cheaper and better all-around player. Seen that way, the trade isn't so bad. The trouble is that Pleks has tanked, so our lack of any decent offensive C outside of Koivu becomes even more glaring, and the Ribs trade looks even worse. The lesson: never, ever trade a good player just as he's entering his prime, unless you get really solid value back. Nonetheless, if the Pleks of last year were to return, the trade would just be water under the bridge.

You're forgetting how stupid GMs are. Wade Redden's $6 mil contract, anyone?

Sure...past experience shows that UFAs are beating the door down to play in Montreal. Especially after a disastrous season like this one is shaping up to be... Let's face it, the Habs would be extremely unwise to work from any strategy that needs a key UFA signing to make it work. We are much wise to focus on signing key UFAs/RFAs from within the organization. Plus, it would take more than Markov to bag Lcavalier; AND we need to factor in Vinny's ridiculous contract before going ga-ga over the idea of acquiring him. In short, I'm not holding my breath for Vinny, nor am I losing sleep over the idea of *not* acquiring him.

Your basic upgrade right there.

Well, count me among those who think there will be a market for Kovalev. This market will come from teams that are looking for proven supplemental offence going into the playoffs. The argument is that Kovy is better suited as part of a second wave attack than as the key cog in an offence. There's a lot to that argument. Couple that with his track record of producing in the playoffs, and you've got a rather attractive asset to certain teams. Not saying he'll net us five first rounders or anything, but we should be able to get some high pick(s) or a solid asset back.

You know, I forgot about the Huet deal in my little instant evaluation of Gainey. I disagreed with that move, too, for the reasons others have stated. The one way I can justify it is on the grounds that Carbo had shown that he would always go with the experienced Huet in the crunch, and that, therefore, the only way to give Price that crucial playoff experience was to move Huet. I can respect that logic - just as I can respect the logic that says it was better to lose Huet for a pick than lose him for nothing as a UFA - but Huet could have made a real difference against Philly. Oh, well, Bob is still The Man.

I agree - I'm not saying Gainey is infallible. That was a dumb move and I said so at the time. The Ribeiro trade was high risk, and I said so at the time. Samsonov was a bust, but that's one I didn't see coming. The goal can't be perfection - just excellence. Bob gives us that, day in and day out.

If these players were not sucking ass, it wouldn't come up. The rule is that you can do whatever the hell you want IF YOU'RE WINNING. These players need, first, to figure that out; and second, to understand that that principle can only result in making them better. I'm sick of this 'why would anyone want to play in Montreal' stuff. If you win, Montreal is an *incredible* place to play hockey. I can't express my contempt for hockey players who would rather be comfortable losers than winners. Montreal fans hold their players accountable for stinking out the joint, and well they should, especially when those players are capable of soooo much more.

The is so obviously a good move I don't understand the controversy. The Habs have WAY too many young players who clearly were not prepared to bring their A game this season; it's one of many things that have gone wrong. Sergei has accomplished jacksh*t in his career so far and is entitled to absolutely nothing. If he is a man, he will take his lumps and come back prepared to do the things that got him here. If he isn't, then we don't want him on our team to begin with. Way to go, Bob.

Great move. Bob has correctly identified the obvious, namely that Kovalev is the single biggest problem the Habs have. Whether this move is designed simply to remove a cancer from the locker room; or to humiliate Kovalev and demonstrate that the team will not tolerate his BS; or genuinely to rest him up; or as a prelude to a deal - it's all good. As far as I'm concerned, if we get high picks for Kovalev, that's really just fine. The guy has been a sulky piece of crap for most of the season and he's an impending UFA - what have we got to lose?

I don't understand Gainey's critics. They seem to think he is to be blamed for not landing a big superstar. But he's assembled a team that was expected to compete for the Conference title and the Cup. (That it has failed to gel has nothing to do with his general managing per se; the point is he has moved us from a bottom-feeding club to a team that could reasonably attract these expectations. He cannot control what goes on in the room, nor what coaches do, nor the internal psyches of immature babies). As for the 'superstar' thing, one look at contracts like those given to Briere and Gomez, and what albatrosses those are around their teams' necks, suggests that we should be relieved rather than angry at Bob's failure/refusal to sign those deals. Gainey is universally respected and a winner par excellence. I have no doubt that he is as disgusted as the rest of us with the team's performance. The difference is that he doesn't fly off the handle and make panic moves. We're in good hands. Thank heaven.

Avery Well, honestly, I fail to see how Koivu is 'holding us back.' He has three points in two games and was one of the only half-decent Habs against Vancouver. I also don't understand how our only legitimate top-6 centreman is 'holding us back.' It's like saying Markov is 'holding us back' because he's not that great a PP quarterback. It amazes me how often people lump Koivu and Kovalev together, like they're both 'equally to blame.' I mean, whatever you think of Koivu, come on. It's overpoweringly obvious which one of those guys is a moody, erratic head-case of epic proportions. Koivu, meanwhile, remains what he's long been - a dedicated-but-small #2 C being used as a #1. As for the idea that he's out of gas, I didn't hear too many people saying that when he was steadily producing before his injury. I'm not willing to infer from this slump that he can no longer produce at an effective clip - although he obviously is not the man of the future. Should we have kept Ribeiro? Absolutely, unless he really was a 'cancer in the room' as they say (and I've heard lots of speculation about that, but none that I especially believe). Then again, I notice your qualifier - 'get him a guy like Morrow.' Sure. Bob could just go to the corner Power Foward Store and ask for one extra-good Brendan Morrow. All things considered, maybe it was worth gambling on Plekanec. Looked like a good gamble until this season.

I think the plan all along has been to let Kovalev walk and re-sign Tanguay, who is probably a more valuable asset than Kovalev, all around, in any case. But now that Tanguay has witnessed the sheer horror of a slump in Montreal, he may think better of it - let's hope not. I agree that we can't evaluate the results until at least the end of the current trading period. I just hope Bob isn't feeling any pressure from the men upstairs to 'do something.' The organization has been exemplary since he took over and I sometimes worry that the Centennial hype, etc., will alter that. This trade is less than fully reassuring in that respect, but like AC says, time will tell.

I forgot the Huet pick. Maybe our position hasn't been eroded *that* badly (not, at least, if we re-sign Tanguay).

Cap considerations certainly suggest another trade in the works. I will be amazed if Kovalev is not gone (but the numbers now forbid my favourite fantasy scenario of Kovy for Picks, the flip the Picks as part of a deal for Pronger - bah! ) - and presumably he will be moved in a way that saves the Habs money. Either that, or Gainey's gone the Bobby Clarke route: deal first and solve cap problems later. Either that, or the wild rumours that Bob himself might be in jeapoardy of being fired have some substance and he's just trying to save his ass. Either that, or Schneider is the fourth horseman of the apocalypse. Whatever, it's all good.