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You have to expand your vision, CC. No Abby/Sammy etc., means more room/cap space to sign better players, or call-ups. It isn't really addition by subtraction once the FA market opens. Marble, I think the past few days have shown that at least Bob has a very coherent plan in effect. Plus, his bridge-building exercise with Kovy might have had other motives, like countering whatever Sammy might say to potential singings, or getting a positive vibe going thus paving the way for guys like Valentenko. Not that I wouldn't move Kovy in a second. Columbus, anyone? Look great on a line with Fedorov and Yashin, a little excitement for all you...Columbussians.

If that is true, I'd think there is almost officially no way we bother with Souray. It will be (Y?)Emelin and a UFA (cheaper than Sheldon, outlet-pass capable) D. The Cube on the block?

Sun not out yet in Sweden, mate? From a team that did not make the playoffs, you are adding Yashin plus two D. You are breaking up the Higgins-Plecks-Kosty line that was clearly our best line by the end of the year, and re-uniting that stellar first line. You are asking Boullion, Streit and Lapierre to be call-ups and have Perez magically turning down Russian millions to come back and play the fourth line. You have a second line that looks like a conga line into tony Soprano's shrink's office. Huet and Ryder are the trade bait. Souray leaves, Johnson as well, Sammy bought out. We try and get Hartnell and Preissing. Grabovsky, Chips, Kosty sr. up full time. Let the kids blossom. Anyway, thank God we on this board are not Habs GM's.

I don't mean calling the shots, as in signing the contract, or having the ultimate say on destinations. But players have agents for a reason: they listen and, in general, are easily led by them. This day and age, it looks like players are often much, much more comfortable with their agents than the management of their respective teams. And why not? The agents look after one guy's interest, not 25 or ownership. I'm convinced they had a number they were expecting with the first offer, I'm sure Bob knew roughly what it would be and went lower (but not too low), and all parties know that a D with 20+goals is an absurdly marketable (?) player. He'll crack 6m for sure. To negotiate from 4.5 up to around 6 was probably going to be too much for both sides. No bad feelings, no mud slinging, just business. Sheldon is history for us. Higgins is the next big leader on the team. I think the focus is going to be on the (reportedly) more NHL-ready Emelin and a UFA D who won't break the bank.

He's gone. His agent is calling the shots and sees a way bigger pay day ahead. "And L.A. Kings number 44,..." Valentenko is in. Emelin up next. I think we are closer to getting Emelin than re-signing Sheldon. Gut feeling, backed up by nothing in particular. Go out and get a UFA D with the cash, Bob. Buy out Sergei and we have even more to play with.

Is that the same rickshaw driver who told me last week about the Habs trading up to draft a kid named Guy Lafleur??? Seriously, we have broadband here, but not much ice...unless in the bottom of your tumbler...

I say bring Price up for the last 6 games of the season and... Aah, destiny.

Phenomenal. Congrats to the Dogs. A silver lining and some deserved heat on the vets on the Habs. Be great to see who comes up next year.

We must do this immediately, if this is true. Hell, 4 years at 25 mil.

You're telling a guy with a Flyers avatar to 'keep up'?

Price probably is a foot taller than Braithewaite. Great stuff from the Dogs. Great for Carey that he gets to a finals, gets a winning mindset early with the juniors and now this. Has any goalie been named a World's MVP and any league's playoffs MVP in the same year???

To hell with the Sens. F'n monkey heads. Go Ducks. Ahh, to hell with them too. go Dogs.

The Blunts 5 on-ice players play as a unit, a bit like the old Russian 70's teams. The reason their D often looks out of position is because, defensively, they are. They are buzzing around up front. To try and say 'Blunts offense-Sens defense' is like trying to mix apples and oranges. Especially in Blunts' case, you can't separate their fwds from their d-men. Blunts have 4 lines that attack. Sens have 4 lines that play 2-way (even the top one, to a degree). Both lines relate to their respective d's. Habs are light years from even modelling on those teams, especially Blunts.

brilliant set-up mathieu30. Thanks. Go Dogs! Get in!

Finally, playoff hockey worth following. Go Dogs! Couldn't be better for us. Now a different, winning attitude might challenge some of the other attitudes on the current CH.

Best imitation of an NHL hockey team. And the award goes to...hmm...

Because you moved there, JMMR? That second chin of yours is pretty manly - makes Capt Kirk and Carbo look like pencil-necks.

Those are nice, er, second lines. Higgins-Briere-Plecks??? Maybe dreaming with Briere.

RFA's will chomp into a major part of those 'savings'. And expect Johnson back. Hartnell, Hannan, a 'good kid' on d, plus a more offensive-minded forward would start to give us real, well-rounded depth. We won't be able to afford Drury and a combo of those other guys. News that Briere is willing to sign for less to stay in Buff. http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=208456&hubname=

I think the Ducks are the most 'Canadian' team left, no? How anyone could cheer for the Monkey-Heads is beyond me. I'll stick with the Bulldogs. Hot chicks in Ottawa? Since when?

I wouldn't even cry tears of fresh water. Maddeningly inconsistent player. Tremendous shot from one place on the ice. Won't drive the net consistently. Horrendous on the puck, head down, no vision whatsoever, mediocre scorer. If he would bang in front more consistently and borrow some of Marty McSorely's Extra-Wide sticks, he'd be scoring 40 a season. Great trade bait, imo.

I don't think anyone would seriously not want to sign Smyth. Think of a line with him, Higgins and Pleckanec: skating, skill on the puck, two excellent passers, grit in front, two two-way players, great speed in Pleks, a 2-man forecheck where Smyth bangs and Plecks lurks - if Carbo can figure out what a 2-man forecheck is. The question has to be how long would you sign him for? Who knows, he may be like Shanahan and still be an effective, productive front-of-the-net player when he's 37, 38, 39, 40. But Shanahan is a major exception to the rule. Smyth will get an offer from another team for 4 or 5 years, at a price where our speculation about him will be rendered moot. It's also possible that the Habs see Gui as a potential Smyth prototype. Maybe also signing someone proven like Briere opens up more trade avenues for our younger, smaller, skill-based players.

This already happened? Don't they take days off in the AHL? Great stuff dogs! Let's see if Hamilton continues to outdraw New Jersey as well. By the way, thanks to Mathieu30 for the first-page set-up, including the radio link.

Great job dogs! They seem to be the antithesis of the senior club: never give up, never stop working... Let's see what Price does next game. It would be tremendous if Chips can bring a bit of 'O' if/when he makes the Habs next year.