TheAussiePosse
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Posts posted by TheAussiePosse
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I don't want to get my hopes up too high (either for Sundin or for Tanguay to go back to his old form), but adding both players would be the most amazing summer Habs fans have seen in decades.
Sundin-Plekanec-Koivu up the middle are strong offensively and defensively. I don't think Koivu would be too disgruntled to move down the depth-chart to take over from Smolinski for our 3rd (two-way) line. He's losing his speed, his primary weapon, and while we still like him as captain, he hasn't got long left in the league (3 years max), but he's still solid.
Kovalev and Kostitsyn are a great tandem, as are Kostitsyn and Higgins, so breaking either of them up would be silly. I think, if we get Sundin, that he and Tanguay should play together on the top line, and hopefully, if Latendresse is over his sophomore slump, Guillame can join them. Sundin likes a big player who can crash around the corners for/with him (like with Ponikarovsky/Antropov/Tucker), and as long as Tenders can accept that role, we could have a third recipe for success.
Three beautiful lines ... just so beautiul ;')
I am a bit worried about our back end, but assuming O'Byrne and Gorges can continue taking more steps forward than back, we should be alright. And Price will be incredible next year, just watch - this is his first break in almost 24 months, after playing Juniors, World's, AHL regular season and playoffs, NHL regular season and playoffs - next year could be the storyline of storylines.
Well done, Bob. You're the lovechild of Napoleon and Eisenhower, in a sharksuit.
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FIRE SUNDIN!
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I think that this would be a perfect situation for Price, as Kolzig is part owner of the Tri-Americans (Prices junior team). And They already have a foundation for a mentoring relationship. I read an article once about how Kolzig was giving coaching advice to Carey, and about how he thought Carey was going to be a great goalie.
If I remember correctly his advice was something like "never let your opponent see that you are frustrated, be calm and cool at least on the outside" or something to that effect.
I say we should trade some combination of Halak, Striet, Dandenault, Begin, Gabrovski for some help up front, in the Jeff Carter mold (Fast, big, Can score, young, basically I want Jeff Carter on the Habs), then try to sign Kolzig.
Just my opinion
I completely agree. That's the connection that would be magic for the Habs.
Gainey wouldn't have asked for Kolzig back because he didn't bank on Price being wiped out (I had no idea he'd been playing 15 straight months), but now that Kolzig know he's near his ending of his career, his mentoring would be perfect.
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I want Kolzig to back up Price next year. He'd be the perfect mentor, even if Roland Melanson gets a bit jealous.
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I like the idea of Rolston, but I thought he was a winger.
He seems to play all positions, but he has decent face-off skills and can actually play C, unlike Higgins or Kovalev or Begin who are stronger on the wing.
And would anyone be adverse to taking a run at Demitra? Imagine him on the point on our PP, with Kovalev on the off-wing ... *salivates*
If only we still had our favourite Slovak, Ricardo Zedniko.
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I doubt somebody offers O'Byrne big money. How many GMs are going to roll the dice on a guy who only played 30 games at the NHL level? If they don't offer enough the Habs match, if they offer to much then they are not only giving up draft picks but they have now gambled on an unknown commodity. Most GMs are really conservative. The only RFA offers I expect are for established guys who look like they are about to make the leap.
I don't know if Higgins will ever be worth 4M per. His production in the last 3 season has been totally due to his first and second line exposure and his abundant PP time. Over half of his points came on the PP and his even strength production barely outdistances Habsworld whipping boy Guillame Latendresse. Plop Higgins onto the 3rd line and cut his PP time in half and see if he is worth 4M per season. Higgins came to life in 2006 when he was promoted to the top line.
Ryder is another guy who gets destroyed on this board and his production is essentially half of Higgins on the PP in half the time.
It is why I said I would be happy to lock in Komisarek and Higgins for 8M. (5M+3M). I am starting to believe that Higgins is a 3rd liner playing up a line, and you cannot win in the cap world paying 3rd line players 4M a season. I hope I am wrong, but his lack of finish at 25 is concerning to me.
Agreed on all fronts.
O'Byrne isn't THAT good that he'd be poached.
Higgins' current state is worrying, but I hope that his contract year shows him for what he truly can be - a 70 point top-6 winger.
He and Latendresse deserve a solid stint on an offence-first line.
I wouldn't pay Komisarek $5m a season though. $4-4.5 maybe, for 3-4 years.
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Okay......
This kid needs a hobby. Oh I know the cure: International news from BBC World should send him on the right path. Next thing you know he'll be talking about genocide in Sudan and not football stats. Saved, Hallelujah!
The BBC isn't that good. I live here, and it's not the shining beacon of all that is good in the world and in media.
Not saying it's bad (obviously, compared to Fox, it's amazing), but it's far from perfect.
SBS in Australia is the best for news. Even if it is a bit out of the way.
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I think it is imperative to establish a true 3rd line for next year. Koivu and Higgins are definite options.
I also think it's time to give Latendresse a real shot on a scoring line.
Streit is a tough case for this team.
I think Rolston would be the most perfect addition we could make. He's the best 2-way C on the market, with size (6'2), speed, a good shot and would get our PK out of the dumpster (playoffs aside, we were pretty awful for most of last year). He's 35, so, like Kovalev and Koivu, his best years are behind him. But Koivu has lost a lot of his speed (his key and most dangerous weapon), and could possibly not be with the team past his contract's end next season, so a 2-year deal for Rolston could be great to tide us over until Maxwell/Player X arrive.
Plekanec, Rolston and Koivu would allow us to roll three solid, two-way lines, without needing to constantly shuffle. We'd have great special teams, and more experience/leadership that we need (since Carbonneau is still lacking it).
Kovalev and A. Kostitsyn, S. Kostitsyn and Higgins, Latendresse and Paccioretti/D'Agostini could be great.
The fourth line, with Chipchura, Stewart, Begin, Kostopolous, Lapierre and Grabovski fighting for a position, would be pretty darn tough.
- I wouldn't be surprised to see Grabovski/Chipchura and one of our young wingers packaged for a big-gun forward.
- Streit and Halak might be traded for picks, although obviously not very high ones. Our depth of youth Ds can replace him easily.
- And Dandenault is all but bought out, following Gainey's conference yesterday (confirmation by omission). Brisebois and Smolinski shouldn't be brought back unless they're making under $1.0 million (total including bonuses) - we don't need the depth that badly.
Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik and Gorges are set on our Top 4. O'Byrne is almost guaranteed the 5th spot (no sophomore slump now, Ryan), and Bouillion, Carle, Valentenko and Subban will fight it out over 6/7. Bouillion wasn't too good this year, but next year is a contract year, so that's good for us.
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Some guys I know are Pittsburgh bandwagoners and Pittsburgh is just that. Once they're out, the better it'll be.
Go Pens Go!
This may be the only year they have an offense of that calibre for a long time now - it's better than Ottawa's all-star line of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson.
But Hossa will be asking too much, and Malkin and Crosby will be worth $9 million a season after next year, so even without Roberts and Sydor, they'll be unlikely to keep the power after this summer.
That's why I'm cheering for them! Go Lemieux Go!
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I'm not sure we'll re-sign Streit either, his decision-making is terrible. But 62 points from a guy who is naturally a defenceman... that is pretty impressive. We have the caproom to sign him for 3 million so it isn't much of a risk for us. But if we let him go that just means that one more rookie will make the team. Do we want to get any younger than we already are?
I have a feeling Streit leaves, but I also have a feeling that Ryder might re-sign here for something like 1.5M x 1. He hasn't even been playing for us, but I have a feeling that Gainey will want to keep him around on a limited risk contract and see if he can pot 30 again. If Streit is leaving, that opens up the door for D'agostini so we wouldn't be closing a roster spot. Personally, I would probably let Ryder walk and then think hard about Streit - but I don't think Gainey will play it that way. (Smolinski and Brisebois are retiring)
Streit will be heavily pursued this summer as a UFA if we don't sign him, which is probable, as Gainey is a smart GM. I can almost guarantee that he'll be overpaid and not perform as well as he did this year. As much as I appreciated his role in keeping our PP deadly this season, I have hope that we'll be able to see perhaps PK Subban or Sergei Kostitsyn or someone as yet unnamed take over the role on the PP unit, so when Kovalev gets injured or leaves (as he inevitably will), the gap won't be too big to fill.
But I disagree that Ryder will resign with us. He didn't play a single game in the second round, and I think both the club and Michael have washed their hands of each other. Thanks for the memories, time to make some new ones. He, like Streit, will get a good offer, probably from Vancouver or Toronto, and I see him hitting the 30 goal mark again next season (can anyone imagine him with the Sedins? Ouch).
Chipchura, Grabovski, Stewart, D'agostini, possibly Paccioretty - all will be fighting the 2 open spots on the 3rd/4th lines. Which means we'll be replacing goal scoring ability (that obviously wasn't there last season) and veteran experience with young, gritty, fast and defensively-responsible players eager to prove their worth.
I don't think it could be a bad thing at all.
I just wish we didn't still have Dandenault and his $1.75 million p.a. sticking around. Maybe Detroit will want him back for posterity? Or with Salmaleinen gone, we can buy him out?
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Wow.
Of the $4 million we currently save under the cap, and the $5.7 million that we could potentially save beginning next year by letting Ryder, Smolinski, and Brisebois go ... barely any of it will go to a UFA.
Huge raises for Streit and Kostitsyn (comparative to current earnings), as well as resigning Gorges, O'Byrne and Lapierre to longer contracts, and then inking Komisarek (also due for a big raise) before he becomes a UFA next season ...
I guess we're lucky the UFA market isn't that huge this summer, or that none of the potential free agents are Quebecois.
Stat of the day: The highest paid Canadian player on the Habs next season (barring additional signings) is ... Mathieu Dandenault at $1.75 million overrated dollars!
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How's Fisher doing? I thought he was gonna be good, but I don't hear much about him.
That's what I thought, but apparently he'll be a 3rd/4th D at best. MacDonald is the real stud on D, but will take a few years to get there.
I wonder if we'll bring in someone to replace Ryder, or if Patches will make it.
Aaaargh, less than 24 hours after the game and already guessing for the future - this will be the longest summer ever.
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I'm a sour patch kid for a few days following a loss, but I'm actually glad we lost last night. I wouldn't have been able to handle it if we pulled a Washington and fought back to game seven, only to lose in OT. It was clear that luck and the Hockey Gods were against us, so we should be thankful we were spared any more pain.
This was for us what Pittsburgh's series vs. Ottawa was last year. You saw how they came back this year, and I hope we can do the same for next year. Pittsburgh will annihilate the Flyers in 3 games (there'll be white flags in game four, just you watch), and I think forcing Price to experience 1000 shots a game vs three of the best forwards in the league could do horrible things to his development and confidence, which was already shaken as it is.
This is a blessing in disguise. We were good, better than expected, but not too good as to be burdened and plagued by unreasonable expectations any more than we already are. The Habs are now seen as a top team in the league, a young team, with a bright future, and with the strength of the Canadian dollar, there may be a surprise UFA or trade this summer.
Or not. Gainey is very quiet...
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Ryder only a useless 2 time 30 goal scorer...I can see your point though he didn't scored a single point in the flyers series.
yeah, who does he think he is, sitting this series out.
WHAT A WANKER!
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We we'ren't even supposed to go that far this playoffs, that much was obvious when we traded Huet and failed to add some offensive help.
I just hope Fabiann Brunnstromm can be our rookie of the year next year, and do everything Ryder could only dream of.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR 2008 EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS ... LES HABITANTS!
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No offence.. but wouldnt allowing a couple of more bad goals in the third be even worse than being benched?
For him .. not for us ...
But no, we need to stick with Price and his 3 goals in 3 minutes.
We live or die by Price.
And I live or die by Habs.
So if we lose this period...
GOOD BYE, CRUEL WORLD.
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Yeah, but we were told we didn't need Huet because Price was so calm and didn't get rattled..
You know what he looks like to me? A great young goalie who is capable of greatness, but has been rushed into the fire way too soon..
We definitely miss Huet. We need a vetern goalie on this team, even just on the bench. The were a great tandem, but now we have two kids.
No we don't!
We need ... Jim Carrey!
Carrey and Carey for MVP!!! Bring back the one-hit wonder!
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HAHA LAPIERRER YOU DASHING SWASHBUCKLING TRASH-TALKER YOU!
GO HABS GO!"
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Oh for Christ's sake, he can make an outlet pass! He creates 5 offensive chances for the habs with every 1 defensive lapse. I'm fine with the ratio.
I MAY NOT VE ENTIRELY SOBRE BUT I AGREE WITH YOU 100 AND 10^$%^%^5 (ONE OF THOES IS A PERCETN SIGN Y EAH?
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WE GOT LUCK ON KOVALEV'S GOAL! C'MON HABS, GET A TWO-GOAL LEAD - IT'LL STUN YOU AS MUCH AS IT'LL STUN ME!
GO HABS GO! MORE FOSTERS MORE! CARBO GO CARBO!
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aaaaaaaaaaaah! I LOVE YOU LAPIERRE! YOU ARE THE MINI-CARBONNEAU!
NO REVIEW, C'MON! THAT'S A GOAL! AND KOVALV CAN HAVE MY FIRSTBORN, I SWEAR!
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uMBERGER .... YOU SUCK...
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And it's not even 9:30am here in Australia...
HAHAHAH AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE!
HABS HABS HABS!!!
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HAHAHAHAH HARTNELL, TAKE THAT LIKE THE B!TCH THAT YOU ARE!
FALL DOWN! ON YOUR KNEES, B!TCH!
HAH! LAPIERRE SHOWED UPSHALL WHERE IT HURTS! ANDAN
PLEKANEC, I NEVER WNT TO TRAD EYOU AGAIN! I'M SO SORRY" I LOVE YOU FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!
PP BABY WOOOOOO!
2008 Habs Draft thread
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
Make way for the Montreal Americens ... ?
And I love how we have a 6'8 goalie. Maybe Gainey will get him on a diet of Krispy Kream, Poutine and Molson X for the next five years, so he'll just have to sit down and fill up the net.