ShortHanded

Jack Todd is always entertaining and usually spot on. I know when I read the Brian Higgins thing, I was like "WHAT is this???" Sort of reminded me of a few years back, when Jose Theodore was not well-known, during his Hart Trophy season, there was a Leaf-habs matchup on HNIC, and Harry Neale kept calling Theodore "Jose (pronounced the spanish way) Thibodeau"... It was hilariously ridiculous, and it was in January when he'd already started making headlines across the country for his strong play.

Really? So we couldn't offer to keep part of his salary so that another team could take him? Man, that will make him virtually undealable, unless we just: a - let him go on waivers (don't like this option), or b - made him part of a good package deal like some are suggesting, and then the other team would have to want everyone else there that they'd be willing to swallow his salary... Again, not sure how feasible or likely this is. I like our team and I like our chemistry. I think a package, blockbuster trade would be risky and could mess up the chemistry that's made us so dangerous...

as long as it's a STEADY influx as KoZed says, and not a sudden onslaught of promising rookies with no experience.

Yeah, I was scratching my head and asking the same question. But honestly, I don't think he'll be traded because I don't think anyone else will want his salary for the way he's playing. Not the end of the world, we just let him walk in the offseason, and we've lost nothing.

i'd prefer we keep downey, but I think management will keep Murray and lose downey...

Something tells me that if the Habs win the cup in the next couple of years, Huet will be the Con Smythe winner ...

I agree. Oh well, I'm not management, so I guess it doesn't matter. As long as he's back up fairly soon (in a few weeks at the soonest) I won't mind too much, but if he's not back until next season, I won't be impressed. He's not just a prospect anymore, he's an NHLer who can help our team NOW, an awful lot more than either Murray or Downey.

Dear God I hope they don't send him down. Lose Murray or Downey on waivers instead. This guy bring a lot to our team. Did you see the 4th line last night??? He was amazing and he works SO hard. I'm thinking of adding him to my "favourite habs" list...

Higgins is BACK!

Thanks a lot. I never used to get past the obvious ones on the Photo Galleries page.

I'd have to say I really agree with this.

Hi all, In previous years, the canadiens used to post pics from their holiday visits to the local hospitals on the official website photo galleries. I haven't seen this year's pics, I can't remember if last year's pics were posted. Does anyone know if there is somewhere we can get them?

Our PP is dominating in part BECAUSE of Souray. You can't just make it sound like the PP's dominating and he happens to be there collecting points. He's a big part of why it's dominating, and it's a big part of why we're winning games. Take away Souray and the PP is a lot weaker, meaning we score less goals, win fewer games, etc... I don't care if all his points are on the power play. he earns them, and we need those points.

Neither do I Chris, but I just recognize that we don't have enough room under the cap to sign all the guys who are playing wonderfully this year who will cost us a lot of money next year. Something's gotta give. The prospects, or kids in the system, will always cost less than the established vets, and in the new NHL, with the salary cap, that's something that's gonna dictate who stays on the team and who goes. My guess: next year we don't have Aebischer, or Niniimaa (won't miss him much) and one of Bonk and Johnson are gone to be replaced by a kid in the system. I wouldn't be surprised if Begin is gone too. Not saying I like it, but the numbers just don't add up. I HOPE we can sign all three of our D that are unrestricted, just because Marky and Souray are amazing, and we have no one in the system to replace Rivet, but I'm not sure that we can afford them, plus all the guys who are restricted who'll get (deservedly) a big raise this offseason.... Lots of decisions for management...

On one hand, I agree with you. On the other hand, I don't know if Chipchura is ready. I'm a big fan of his, and I've heard lots of good stuff, but those are big shoes to fill. Still, keeping Bonk, if he won't agree to a pay cut, will cost an arm and a leg. On the other hand, we don't score a lot of goals, and our shut down line is a big reason we win by keepign the other teams' goals out. I don't envy habs management their decision, but I think I'll be happy with what they do if they keep one of Bonk or Johnson, which ever one can give us more bang for the buck.

Thanks. This is pretty good and a lot of hard work / time consuming, even if I don't agree with all of it. Again, Koivu's shot is great. Even when he used to barely shoot, he'd often score. If anything, the weakness for him used to be that he didn't shoot enough, but he seems to have fixed that.

Happy birthday Shortcat. I really do enjoy your posts greatly, and hope to read your valuable insights on our fantastic team for many many years to come.

Heheheh... Just to stay off topic, the pun worked for me...

We're too good of a team to trade him now or at the deadline. I'd rather lose him in the offseason for nothing (IF and it's a big IF we can't sign him then) then trade him at the deadline for a bag of Kleenex (like someone said about McCabe). We have a chance this year. If we can't win it all, and we can't resign him, and we lose him for nothing as a UFA, I promise I won't be one of the ones complaining about it.

Sorry, no. I don't want that many rookies / second year players on the team in one shot. That only works when your rookies are named Staal and Malkin, and your second year guy is Crosby. We need to keep at least SOME of Bonk, Johnson, Kovy, Begin.... People with experience count. Tearing it up in the AHL does not prove you're ready for the NHL. I'm all for keeping Lapierre and Latendresse both up this year, but that's different than what you've got here... And I agree with others, we still need a checking line. Our forwards are not SO amazing that we're always gonna outscore the other team.

sorry to be negative, but have you seen Crosby this week? We don't stand a chance

yeah... I think we're all itching for either a trade or Saturday's game, and have nothing else to talk about...

I STILL think they should be mandatory and grandfathered in because there's a chance players who are used to wearing them at other levels right now get to the NHL and take them off, and then can't get used to wearing them again.... And for what it's worth, I just read all of the posts since my last one, and I still agree with Bacchus.

As a diehard Ringer, just gotta say that cracked me up!!! But remember, the Eye Of MORDOR is evil... Can we not call Carbo the White Wizard and make him Gandalf or something?

Yup, that was me. I didn't want to start posting until I was sure what kind of forum it was. Been a Habs fan for at least 6 years (and I'm only in my 20's) , so it's not a bandwagon thing...