cfposi

If they make the playoffs their chances are 100% because Samsonov will come back and score 3 goals a game and carry the team on his back................... HAHAHAHA....I blacked out there for a second, what the hell did I just write??

I think that the Rangers and Habs will make it. Tampa will likely get pushed out thus allowing NY and Mtl to make the post season. This is assuming the habs continue their strong play and that TB continues to suck.

Heh....maybe we should be asking which habs is the most likely to hit 25-30 goals in the next 5 seasons. At the rate our guys are scoring, that would be a more accurate question.

If we lose Souray, I hope he gets signed for some ridiculous amount. Although we won't pay 6-8 million a year, some other team will, that means there will be at least one extra superstar free agent on the market to sign. There will also be a team that will be built around sheldon souray....that will be an easy team to beat.

Booo....sorry to make your eyes hurt. Now back to my apparently repetitive topic... I don't think Sammy would go to the minors. I would hope that BG would sit down with him and have a conversation along the lines of this: BG: Listen Sammy, we tried to trade you, we waived you and noone wants you. My only option is to demote you. SS: I won't go to the minors, if you send me, I'll void my contract and go to Russia. BG: Bye or something along those lines...

So it is pretty obvious that this guy is done in Montreal. I won't go as far as saying he has no talent, but he definitely doesn't fit in on this team. Something needs to be done with him this summer. Worst Case: They keep him on for next year and he continues to produce the same numbers. This would mean the Habs would be out 3.5 million towards the cap and some young player (AK46) would be bumped from the lineup. Next worst case: They buy out his contract. We now have 2.3 million against the cap (2/3 of his salary) but we get to play a young guy. What is the best case scenario here? What can/should BG do in this situation? Go nuts armchair GMs. P.S. I would like to go on record as saying that wherever Sammy ends up (in the NHL) next season, he will light up the Habs at every opportunity.

Lats - <insert> - Ryder Higgs - Koivu - AK46 Johnson - Pleks - Perez Begin - Lapierre - Milroy Extra: Murray Call-up: Grabs Markov - Streit Komi - Bouillon Gorges - <insert> Huet - Halak/Price Basically, say goodbye to Souray, Bonk, Abby, Ninni. Trade Kovy, send Sammy to AHL (where he will likely fly back to Russia). Take that money and sign a FIRST line center (I like Drury, but hes not the only one) and a medium/young defenceman. Everything else stays the same, we have some chemistry we can build on, and we leave some cpa space for deadline moves should we need extra punch for the playoffs. JMO

Ya, true, but if they buy him out, he is still out 3.5 and then we can't use the cap space. At least this way, we still pay the tab for his last year (and keep him on the trading block while with hamilton), but it doesn't count against the cap. Assuming my information is correct.

If we send Sammy to the AHL, does his salary still count against our cap? If not, why isn't THAT the best option. I mean, if no other team wants him, why keep him (or even buy out his salary) if there is a way to get rid of him for free???

I love how a rookie comes in and plays ONE decent game and suddely he is the second coming. I agree AK46 has potential, but he is just as likely to fail as Perez. I'm not advocating either player, I'm saying, we shouldnt place all our hopes in a player everytime he has a good game. That is one of the reason why the Lattendress saga has been so back-and-forth this year. Everytime he hasa good game, he is suddenly the next Guy Lafleur, then when the pressure mounts and he goes a few games without scoring, the disapointment mounts...for him and the fans. we need to be realistic about hockey players: Goalies can come out of nowhere...Players develop year-to-year. VERY rarely to skaters go from dud to stud over one season. These things take time...perez is not the exeption, he is the rule!

Let's see...I'm not usually good at math but lets check... Abby + puck = rebounds Ryan Smith + Position = In the goalie's lap Abby + Ryan Smith = Disaster/many goals According to my formula, this game is going to be particularly difficult for the Habs to win. Here is hoping Abby starts playing like early in the season!! Go Habs Go

Don't know what to say....heres hoping we dont get embarrassed. Im talking about the city, not the team. The players deserve to be embarrassed with that kind of play. But the Montreal hockey fans deserve better!

Don't think dryden would do very well with this day and age

Hardly consider richards a superstar...might have somehting to do with his linemates....

I friggin' hope so. This has been getting ridiculous!

Then perhaps this can be treated as a punishment. If the media persists with sabotaging both the team and the prospect of attracting free agents, then the team would have the recourse of placing some temporary restrictions. I'm not talking about limiting the freedom of speech, but at least giving the organization a chance to turn down the heat if necessary. Think about it, if a major company is getting all sorts of negative/slander media coverage, they have the right to restrict media access, should an NHL team not have the same rights? If the Montreal media is causing disctractions to the players, I think the team should have the right to cancel post-game interviews and access to practises etc... I'm sure it is hard to focus on practise and hockey if you are constantly swarmed by the media.

What are the rules with respect ot he media? Would the Habs organization not benefil from placing certain resptrictions on media coverage? Lets say, in responce to the obsessive coverage by the montreal media, the habs placed restrictions on the amount of allowed face time with the players and coaches. By doing this, in combination with certain city bylaws preventing the media from harassing player/families, perhaps it would make the situation better for the players and help attract new talent. We know the problem is not with the money being offered (salary cap fixed this) but rather with the inhospitable nature of living/playing in this market. So if the city and organization took steps to counter this, perhaps it would alieviate this problem. The only question is, would the NHL stand for this. Thoughts?? I think that with the salary these guys make, they cana fford to send their kids to anglo private school...c'mon!

I think this game will go one of two ways: 1) Habs make turnovers and can't get out of their zone = BAD loss 2) Defencemen make smart plays (markov) and players don't force plays (therefore reducing turnover) = close game. They way I have been seeing it, the habs only begin to lack drive once they begin making stupid turnovers. I have noticed that when the habs get bogged down in their own zone for an extended period, that takes a lot out of them and they seem to give up. This is one reason why I think the Habs will miss Claude Julien this year...he was always able to fire the team up between periods...Carbo hasn't figured this out yet.

The second penalty was a stupid one too!! He basically hugged a wild player...huge holding call...even Carbo had to agree with the ref on that one. You know its an obvious penalty if Carbo agrees with it...

definitely get rid of him... The only reason they have kept him is because he has (in the past) been useful on the PK. The guy was in the penalty box TWICE last night. BRUTAL. I say get rid of him and give Lapierre a chance on the 4th.

He may be back, but I don't understand what this does to help anything on this team. We are short a forward and up a defenceman. Why would you send down a promising yound talent and keep an extra D-man. Granted Bouillon and Dandy are sore, so maybe you could alternate them (more recovery time), but we are still left with placing an inadequate player ont he second line (plex, begin, downey).

My point is why carry Niinima's salary if he is just going to sit in the press box...send his useless A$$ down and save the money.

If they send Niinima down to the minors: a) Do the habs still count his salary towards the cap? B ) Does he have to clear waivers? Just curious...

I don't understand why AK46 is less deserving to be on this team than downey?? Why not keep him and get rid of Murray (minors/waivers). Then we can alternate who plays based on the type of opposition. Just a thought.

weak....thats all I'm gonna say. I had to turn it off, play NHL07 instead, at least there the Habs are guaranteed to win!