REV-G

That's it exactly. Sign him now, or trade him. But make sure you don't lose that kind of asset for nothing.

I agree with one of your points but disagree with another. First, Bob Gainey likely already knows if Sourey is wanting to return to Montreal or be out west, closer ot his daughter. If Gainely knows Sourey isn't likely to return he must trade him before he trade deadline. To lose a player for nothing, when you could likely get a first round pick plus a good prospect, would be disasterous for us. So if you know Sourey ios not coming back, trade him for sure. But I agree with you when you say Sourey is not worth 5-6 million a year and likely won't have this type of value again. Good point and I believe it's true. So let's get out of our mediocre, middle of the pack reality, and move forward with making smart moves for the future, not just to get into the first round of the playoffs.

I hope we aren't falling to the same foolishness Toronto seems to have been captivated by. Their goal in recent years seems to be just to make the playoffs. If that's what our focus is right now I believe we're wrong. We have been in the middle of the pack for a quite a few years now, or lower. We have to do something to get better. Last year we saw that free agents [both Arnott and Shanahan that we know of] may not be that eager to come to Montreal where they take such a hit taxwise. We have been building through the draft but being in the middle of the pack makes it more unlikely that we'll get a top five player in the draft which is what this team needs. So when we have assets that we can trade to get either top draft choices, top prospects or goal scorers now, I don't understand why we want to stand pat just to make the playoffs. In the next two days we're going to see what our managements philosophy really is. Sourey is having a year that he has never had before and may never have again. We could improve our team for the future by getting at least a top prospect and a high pick, if not more, by trading him now. For the owner playoff dates are important for the bottom line financially. But I think for most fans, missing the playoffs one year in order to improve our team and move us ahead of just the middle of the pack, is probably more important. We'll find our what their goals are in the next two days.

I have been a Canadiens fan for many years. I have followed and supported no other team. But they have been mediocre for too many years. We have missed the playoffs more than we have made them for quite a number of years now. I am now at the point where I think we have overrated the current key players we have. Missing the playoffs more than we've made them, and not making it beyond the second round for many years when we did make the playoffs has become the pattern for us. This year we have done very poorly five on five against the other teams. As soon as our goaltending wasn't spectacular we began to fall in the standings. I just watched Carolina beat us and other than the first period I didn't think we did very well against a team that has also struggled this year. We have not brought in talented players via trades or free agency and that is now showing up. I believe we have fallen behind other teams talent wise and that may be why we are falling so quickly out of the playoffs this year. I remember last year hearing hockey analysts say that they thought Montreal had overrated their team. I now believe they are right. I hope we begin to do something to correct this. I hope we don't think one free agent signing this summer will turn this around. It's time to move some bodies and make some changes.

Anyone who has followed hockey understands that players like Sundin and Koivu, if asked, often agree to waive their no trade clause, as long as they were ok with the team they were going to. A no trade clause doesn't mean a trade can;t happen, it just means the player has veto power, but can also agree to a trade. There have been some players who have enforced their no trade clause, but many have been willing to work with the team and come to a deal everyone is happy with. So, if they want to move Koivu his no trade contract may not be that big of a problem, just as it wasn't a problem with the Peter Forsburg trade this week.

Like everyone else I have been watching the free-fall of the Canadiens for the past two months and here is what I think needs to happen. I believe the core veteran players that have been counted on to supply both leadership and skill simply have not been able to do it. There are four veteran NHL players that I believe either can't or won't do what it takes to help this team. They are Kovalev, Koivu, Rivet and Samsonov. I believe Koivu and Rivet may not be the players we need them to be. I have the utmost respect for both these players, but I think they may have lost a step and haven't been able to produce the way this team needs them to. Koivu looks tired and worn out. I don't think Koivu is a first line center any more. Maybe a second line center, but no longer a first. I wonder if his leadership is what this team need it to be. To me there seems to be a void. Kovalev seems to be thinking only of himself and I get the feeling his teammates have lost respect. I think Kovalev is no longer helping this team and we need to get leaders both on and off the ice for the young prospects we have coming up. Samsonov was a Plan D for Bob Gainey during last years Free Agent Season. I think he has shown that he is an overpaid underachieving winger. That signing was a mistake. I think the core of this team needs to be changed and these four playwers are where I would start. We can see what we get back in return and then decide if any further changes are needed. If Sheldon Souray wants to be closer to his daughter, and Gainey should know this by now, then trade him by the deadline and absolutely don't lose him for nothing. Whats's the point of just making it into the playoffs and losing in the first or second round and then trying again net year with the same group. Our record the past five years has proven this true. If you're the owner, then a few playoff games would certainly help the bottom line. But if you're a fan, I think many feel it's time to make some changes so we can take advantage of our young assets and have something strong and solid in place for them. I think it's time for change at the core. Let's not wait any longer.

Here is one I hope is true, although there's not much strength behind it, just a rumour. It's a three way deal between Philly, San Jose and Montreal. San Jose gets Sourey and Forsberg; Philly gets two first round picks, one from Montreal and San Jose, and a Montreal goalie; and Montreal gets Marleau. The problem would probably be with San Jose, in that they're getting two players who would defintely help them, but they're both UFA's. From Montreal's view, I would take Marleau for a 1st round pick, Sourey and a goalie. Marleau would be the type of plaer we have needed for years.

If what you're saying is true about Carbo's system why were they scoring goals and winning games and challenging Buffalo for top spot until Dec. 23? Koivu was on track for a great season goal wise and Higgins was continuing his great play and goal scoring from last year up until he was injured. I think the question is more what has happened to this team in the past 7 or 8 weeks? If we did in the second half of the season what we did in the first half we'd all be thinking that maybe this team had a chance of doing some real damage in the playoffs. Same players, same coach and same system. The key question is what has changed that they aren't doing what they did a mere few months back.

Why in the world would we give up great young prospects for someone who could be finished next month. Forsberg is at the end of his career, he is now very injury prone and with the problems he's had with his foot this year and the troubnle he has had just getting into games, who in their right mind would give a couple of prospects plus someone off our current team and a pick. No way Jose!

When Jose Theodore was traded to Colorado for David Aebischer there were some comments made about how Montreal was supplying Colorado with goalies. If I remember, Patrick Roy said something like, Colorado won't have to draft goalies anymore, they can just get them from Montreal. Well the facts don't quite prove any of those comments true. Here are the midseason stats on both goalies. Theodore has played 6 more games than Aebischer, 22 compared to 16. Theodore's save % is .899 and his GAA is 3.10. Both of these statistics put Theo in the bottom 10% of the NHL's goalies. David Aebischer's save % is .907 and his GAA is 2.99. And the bottom line is that Aebischer is making a few million dollars per year less than Theo. According to some reports Theodore may now be on thin ice with Colorado. So did Bob Gainey make a good deal for Montreal when he exchanged goalies? Absolutely yes. If we wanted to trade Aebischer, he's very tradable. On the other hand, Theo's stats and salary will probably make him untradable. In addition we removed a huge salary cap hit in trading Theo which opened the door for other moves and players that could be added. So with the second half of the season still to come, we'll see how they end up. But I think the writings in the wall. Deal, or no deal?

In talking about Carey Price's future it's been mentioned that goalies often take a little longer to develop than do some other postions. Justin Pogge, last years goalie from our Junior World Champions, was drafted by the Leafs, and he's having some struggles in the AHL right now. But I don't think that's surprising. There are very few players, other than perhaps some amazing exceptions we're seeing with Crosby and a few others, but generally, from Guy Lafleur to Joe Thornton, it takes a few years, either in the NHL or in the AHL for most junior players to make it. Chris Higgins is a good example of someone who wasn't rushed but spent a few years in the AHL and the result has has been that he's done great in the NHL. But I think Montreal's system right now couldn't be better for a Carey Price. First, there are lots of young guys in Hamilton hungry and wanting to make it to the NHL. That should be good for him to be in that atmosphere. Secondly, there will be no pressure on him to make the jump quickly. It appears the Canadiens are set for at least the next two or three years or more with four goalies who could step in and do the job. Huet, Abby, Halak and Danis. If Price is headed to the AHL next year, which seems to be the only choice, then right now it would appear that maybe one of either Abby or Danis would be traded, in order to make room for Price, without carrying 5 goalies. Thirdly, the Canadiens have one of the best goalie coaches in Melanson. So whether it takes Carey Price one, two or three years to develop, I think he'll have every opportunity to learn and grow with no great pressure. He certainly won't be rushed the way Fleury has been with Pittsburg. I think Price has a great future. Just let's not rush him too quickly.

Ok, nobody's perfect. But if you look at some of the moves our habs's management team has made over the past few years, overall they've timed some moves pretty well, which I think is a key reason why our team is looking so much better this year. First, I think most of us agree that moving Theo out at that time and not waiting was a great move. He still had value so besides being able to unload a large salary, they even received value back in return. If they had of waited, they would have had trouble finding someone to take on Theo's salary and they would have continued to have, from what we've read, a not so positive influence in the room. Great timing. The word out of Colorado this morning is that Patrice Brisebois is on his way out We don't have to deal with that now, great move. Ribiero, we're told, was also not a great influence on the team, so we received something back in return and improved team chemistry. I think Claude Julian is a great human being and a good coach, but bringing in Guy Carboneau, and the way he was slowly inserted, not thrown in to sink or swim during a tough stretch last year, was up there with the decision to bring in Bob Gainey. Last week the word out the Habs room was that the atmosphere is now like a family. Holding on to Bonk and getting Mike Johnson, great moves. There's lots more but I think we're seeing evidence that while you can't avoid making some decisions that will come back to bite you, overall we've made some great moves at just the right time, that has resulted in a much improved team with a much better attitude, chemistry and future. There may even still be a few moves to come this year!

Not a chance. I do not believe for one minute that Bob Gainey would pay Nedved over 2 million a year with what Nedved's done over the past two years. In 2004 he scored 19 goals total with the Rangers and Oilers. Last year he played in the Czech-Rep. and he scored 22 in a much weaker league. This year he has 0 goals. What upside does he have and why would you even want to pay a guy over 2 million with that sort of production over the past two years. Who would we want to remove from our lineup for this guy? It won't happen.

Even though it's early and a few months from now things could be looking very different, it's interesting to see how these two goalies are doing so far. The Avalanche are struggling big time and Jose Theodore has one win, a goals-against average of 3.26 and a save percentage of .888. These numbers are not that different from the numbers Theodore put up with Montreal last year before he was traded. David Aebischer on the other hand, while he hasn't played as many games as Theodore this season, has a goals against average of 1.45 and a save percentage of .955%. Aebischer is younger and also earns, I believe about 1.9 million. Theodore is earning over 6 million per year. At this point in the season we are way ahead and the decision to trade Theodore for Aebischer, besides helping us with the salary cap, and if things continue the way this season has started, may also have given us a better goalie, both now and for the future. The Colorado Avalanche took a chance in trading for Jose and they may be discovering that their gamble is not turning out to be what they hoped for. In fairness, we'll have a much better picture of how this is truly turning out by January and certainly by the end of the season. But the early returns are looking very good for us.

Losing Brashear perhaps doesn't make a big difference today, but it did back then when a top enforcer who could score a few goals and skate made a pretty big difference in your team. It's why they had to go out and pick up a few different guys for that role in the following years. My problem with it all was that we lost Brashear and other players back then due mainly to the poor handling of players and different situations that arose. The bottom line, in my opinion? Poor leadership and management back then.

I think the reason for the Habs turnaround in the past few years can be attributed to two keys moves. First when they brought in Pierre Boivin as President, and then his decision, along with Andre Savard unselfishly agreeing, to bring in Bob Gainey. These two moves were two of the absolute best moves the Habs could have made. No longer do we have to put up with bad decisions, losing good, or great, players because someone mishandled a situation [Patrick Roy, Donald Brashear, Mike Keane to name a few]. We now have a strong, stable organization from the top down and I think we are in great shape for many years to come. I wonder what would have happened if Ken Dryden had been allowed to bring in Bob Gainey to run the Leafs a year or two before the Habs signed Gainey? The Leafs could be a very different team today and who knows who might be running the Habs. To see many of our former players, who were successful, being welcomed back and used to pass on that tradition of winning is a great sign for any organization and the Habs have done that very well. I'm sure other teams are noticing what they've done and how successful they have become. Great leadership and vision will usually bring solid results and we're seeing that today with the Habs.

I think one of the better additions the Habs made this summer was Mike Johnson. He is big, skates well, uses the body and last night against Philly made an incredible pass to set up Dandenault, and scored saturday night agaisnt the Leafs. A big improvement and it gives us a great third line.

I thought, as we saw with Malkin, that all a Russian player had to do was give two weeks written notice, even with a signed contract, and he was free to leave.

I think sending Lats down to another year of junior would be a waste. I think he needs to be pushed and does better when he's playing at a higher level. The only advantage of going to junior would be to play at the World's. I think he would be better saying with the big club. I also think a trade might be looming for some non-producers who have to clear waivers in order to be sent down.

I'm starting to get a little concerned. With all the talk that Ribs must have heard I thought he would be working harder than anyone on the ice. From what I hear he's kind of gliding through games. I also thought Samsonov would want to show something for the fans and management. I'm also getting a little concerned about our AHL goalies. I thought they would have shown better stuff so far.

This is my first posting on HW. I haven't heard much lately about Columbus trading Nikolai Zherdev, but I think he would be a great addition to Montreal . There had been a story that Toronto had offered Stajan and a draft choice for Zheredev, but on the Blue Jackets site their GM/President Doug McLean denied it. I read that Columbus was talking to an eastern team about a trade if they can't sign him. Do you think BG would pull the trigger on a deal for him. We'd probably have to give up a young guy and a draft pick or two good young guys.