Chris

I can see this is the beginning of the "washed up players" the habs should pick thread. How many wingers do you want on your team? They can only play 8.

Where does he fit on the roster is the other question. With additions of Tanguay, Chipchura and Dandy as extrta's where does he play. Plus the Sundin possibilty. As CC points out, he's not good enough to play top 6 D, not good enough to be a regular forward. Who sits?

They don't need Streit. He vanished like others in the playoffs. SK cantake his spot on the pp. Most of Streit's points were assists and that's what SK does best. IF they get Sundin Bg won't resign any ufa's, he'll want a little money down the stretch to tweek the lineup. Maybe Brisby as a #7 can help the PP at times. No reason to pay 3 mill for a PP specialist.

If i am not mistaken he led his team to several golds and a world championship as captain as well. As Wamsley states, he is a really good player and would upgrade this team in many ways immediately. Koivu and Kovalev aren't taking these guys anywhere. All this is speculation anyway, I for one would be very happy if they can sign him. If they don't they still upgraded a winger for Koivu and that will make the Habs better.

Tanabe is on waivers and will be bought out. He may be a cheap alternative to a #7 Dman. I don't think he is great or anything but he can do the same thing as Brisby and is a much better skater, has some expeience.

I think it will have to be a NHl salaried plaer. The habs will need to shed some cash. Not signing any UFA's will help, but the will still need to clear someone based on the amount of roster spots and cap hits. BG i'm sure doesn't want to max out with the lineup, he may need to tweek later in the year.

First of all great pick up. Everyone always complained around here about Koivu never having having a winger, well now he has one. Whoever said he will be a centre is nuts. No way is he a centre. If they acquire Sundin this gives the habs a very good line up. If they don't, Higgins moves back to where he belongs. Either way good move. Tanguay isn't really tough, but he has good size and will go to the net. He can still finish and put up some points. Without Sundin Tanguay Koivu Lats AK46 Pleks AK 27 Higgins Lapierre SK Begin Chipchura Kosto With Sundin Tanguay Sundin Lats Ak Pleks AK Higgins Koivu SK Begin Lapierre Kosto Either way it's a much more banced team The addition of Tanguay and possibly Sundin makes all the UFA's gone as far as i'm concerned. They'll have to over pay Mats some. 2 year 13 or 14 mill. The other thing this tells me is BG likes his youth and knows that Kovalev and koivu will never take them to the promised land. The team needs an upgrade in veteran leadership and talent. This move and adding Sundin will go far.

I read this morining it was grabovski if he gets signed.

EK has the habs trading their number 1 for the right to sign Sundin. So if the Leafs gave the Habs permission to talk to the agent BG MUst have a Sundin deal done. It's the only way you can give up the first round pick. It will be interesting whatever happens.

Well some sights have higgins, mcdonagh and the frst. McDonagh is going to be a stud. That would be a bad. Komi, McDonagh should be off limits. Tough physical d men aren't that easy to find. I like Jokinen but i don't think he's that great. Sundin would hit the spot.

Like some said earlier, Deshamp looks to be decent, there was another centre with good size and talent rated around there. If they were to trade up i would bet it's the centre going to BU. I forget his name also. I doubt they go D but you never know, maybe he trades down to get a late first round and early second to take a shot at Staal. I didn't realize the draft or the first round anyway was Friday. What is the start time? Is it on the NHL network?

Best D in the East? I'll beg to differ on that one. They were much improved this year, but the D zone let them down time and again in the playoffs. They need more size and mobility back there, better passing and stop losing battles. They are definitely in the top half of the east.

Yea, if Sundin is an underachiever what the heck is Koivu? Don't be blinded by because he is a Leaf, anyone would want that guy on there team. He makes everyone he plays with better.

The smolinsky line was the one i was talking about, 3rd line or 4th line, either way they were the habs top line in the playoffs. I agree Lapierre needs some decent wingers, Lats isn't a 3rd line grinder. Lats also can't keep up with Dandy and lapierre who played alot together during the year.

Yea, he's probably 850k 1 year, 950k the next. Begin earned every penny down the stretch andf the playoffs. As many people forget, the high priced players score goals, in the playoffs the grinders make there money. I noticed the 4th line alot more then any of the other lines during crunch time. I have no problem with grinders getting around a million.

Weathermen are about as accuarate as Ek, well at least in Colorado anyway.

I was bored so EK says a few very big trades this upcoming week before the draft, none included the habs, just the same old stuff, Jokinan out west, Oilers looking to move Pitkanin. Rangers wanting a puck moving dman. Pittsburgh siging Hossa and trying to trade Malkin (that was new) crazy, but new. He says trade day should be active. So i'm assuming 1 deal will go down, i think he's right about 5% of the time.

Yea, Higgins is playing out of position, by that i mean he is NOT a top line LW. He is a perfect 3rd line LW who does many things very well except score, which top line wingers do. He is extremely valuable player, speed, great on the walls, puck possesion, pk, pp and if he continues to score in the high 20's i'd be very happy. Put him with 2 good, 2 way players and that line would be very valuable. Example: Higgins Chiphura Malone type player. A line like that is very good in all 3 zones, could get you 50 goals and shut down opponants.

I think it's funny people going crazy about changes when this is the best team put on the ice in 15 years, with an ok playoff run. Most of the good players are 25 and younger. So let's get rid of those guys, makes alot sense.

I just meant he is on a very good Michigan team with a coach who does very well with getting his players NHL ready. His size and speed is NHL ready, it's the little things he'll need to work on. Same with McDonagh, he looked very good in the games i saw him in,i beleive his coach is an ex NHler and those Wisconsin guys seem nhl ready after a year or 2. Fisher is very good in his own end, skates well, i have seen no offensive upsida other then a good first pass.

Yes, you and a few others see Lats as trade bait. HE IS 20, Big, good hands scores goals even though he plays on the third line. The habs have KNOW ONE ELSE like him. He needs minutes with top players and PP time and he'll be 25-30 goals. For the life of me i don't understand why people bash this guy, per minute he probably produces more then anyone on the team. You don't teach size. Give the guy a few years, big guys take longer to develop. He needs to work on his skating. Pacioretty won't be signed this year, I doubt any college guys get signed this year. Pacioretty, McDonagh, Fisher will be signed next year where thye will have a much better chance of making the big club. Fisher will need AHL time, the other 2 won't. Gainey is fair, never says anything bad about anyone, he will talk to all the UFA's, it doesn't mean they'll be signed. Smoke is interesting, he sucked during the year, he found his nitch down the stretch and was on the habs best playoff line. The question there is can Chipchura do the same thing.

I liked Habby2919, that is a decent line up with Sundin added to the line up. I actually didn't know Emelin couldn't come over. The D does need an improvement, I think O'Byrne is a lock. They need to upgrade the Bouillon spot. Maybe a vet as #7 limited role. As others stated Valentenko and others wouldn't learn much riding the bench. I'm sure BG will go after 1 of either Sundin Hossa Maybe Shannahan (who could fill RW spot on the 3rd or forst line depending on combos. I don't expect more then 1 player and maybe a secondary move like Brisbois last year.

Lats is a 20 year old pwer forward. I think Grabs is like 24 and a smurf. The habs have plenty of them. I have no doubt his speed id NHl calibre but who can he beat out on this roster? There are teams where Grabs may be able to play.

Grabovski is a career AHLer. There is no place on this team for him. He didn't impress me at all during his games. If you add a sundin it opens up many options. He could play with Lats and Sk. leaving higgins and Koivu together. Sundin could play with Higgins and SK. WIth the addition of Sundin, i assume Lapierre moves to wing and Chipchura goes with Kosto Begin and Stewart.

The reason deals didn't go down is BG said numerous times he isn't giving up the good youth. This includes Higgins. He said thta's who Atlanta wanted and he said no. He'll make a pitch at soime UFA's but i wouldn't expect any deals invloving quality youth. Grabovski and Halak may be available, but not the other young guns.