revin5

Johnson is gone for sure. We're loaded on the wings and Perezhogin can already do his job.. so could Milroy.. and Ferland.. I'd love to see Bonk back, but I'm not sure he'll be back (unless he takes a pay cut)

leaving: Aebisher Bonk Johnson Staying: Halak Kostitsyn Markov Souray Samsonov Niinimaa Samsonov will get another chance next year (and prosper playing without Kovalev), and Niinimaa will be back if we can get him to take a lower salary.

I think Bobby has a point.. not much of one.. really, very small point.. but it is a point. If we can keep Souray and Markov.. Komi will end up better than he is now. Komi has a pretty decent slapshot, and he can wrist it all the way to the net.. problem is.. he always hits the guy in front of him. If he watches Souray enough, he can learn to unload at the right time.. or maybe how to move out of the way just that tiny little bit. Playing with Markov, he'll eventually learn how to pass.. and by that I don't mean anythign bad about his passing.. it's 1000 times better than it was last year.. but I mean he'll be able to make THOSE passes.. the ones that people go WOW over. For those who still doubt that it is possible you've got to realize that he's already picked up skills by playing with Markov.. we all knew he could hit, but from Markov he's learned a bit about how to play the man (and gotten to the point where he can poke check). Is this just natural progression? Or is he learning from who he's playing with?

If Souray is going to LA it's because he's signing there as a free agent. He's a big part of the team, and if we can sign him, we will hold on to him (and he knows this). If you mean trading him before free agency... that's just senseless.

I agree with your post.. but... I don't think you should be saying anything good about Buffalo's power play.

Komi has 13 ESP to Streit's 16 ESP. Souray 13 ESP, Markov 12 ESP. Let's talk instead about how he's fourth in the league in hits (and top D).

Cole came back in game 6? of the Stanley Cup final.. Basically just long enough to get his name on the Cup.

Carbo has been running the 1.5 man forecheck for awhile now (I don't know when he first started using it).. basically if the puck is being carried along the opposing blue line or in the neutral zone there are two forecheckers, while when it's in deep there is 1.

100%!!

Niniimaa has been playing well lately, but he won't be back next year. For now (and the playoffs) Streit should be playing forward as he adds a defensive element to his pairing and can play D if someone is injured (rather than having to give more minutes to the regular D and wear them out).. but next year? Streit on D.. he will have improved even more by next year.. Markov-Komi Souray-Gorges Streit-Cote Bouillon-Dandenault I like having 8 defenceman.

Souray .. I'm with Perez actually.

Which is too bad.. he could have been great for us. Too bad Carbo had to destroy him.

Blame Carbo then.. not Bonk. A proper lineup would either feature Bonk as THE shut-down center that shadows the top line or would mix him with some good offense to counter the top line. We've seen a few games of Begin-Bonk-Johnson, which worked extremely well, but we haven't seen Bonk-Kovalev (who would play best against an opposing top line). Bonk is a great passer, has a decent slap shot, and is unbeatable along the boards. He can also do tip-ins pretty effectively. All year, Carbo has been playing Kovalev with speed-based players, he needed someone like Bonk. Bonk has done exactly what was asked of him.. put Kovalev on his wing and he'll do what you want of him. One other thing... If you want to truly appreciate what Bonk does for this team (something he's done all this year as well as all last year), watch him when he doesn't have the puck. That's a skill that Begin has as well.. (Pleks also, but Pleks has the speed and moves to be do everything)

Begin is a leader on the ice.. Lapierre, Ferland.. none of them have that right now. He can also play wing.. so when Bonk leaves (I'm guessing on this at the end of the year), Chipchura will be able to fill his role.. although they are big shoes to fill... I wish I could find a stats page that includes hits, then you would see what Begin brings to the team.

That deal would have been great even if it didn't include Huet. Bonk, despite what everyone has to say about him, was great for us last year. He didn't score, but he did what we needed him to and he did it well..

If you have honour you don't kill people for no reason. Ali did the honourable thing, but look how much that hurt him. I don't like Todd much (for his writing) but the honourable thing to do in the Vietnam war would have been to fight the US. Back on topic: Kostitsyn is going be big. He's shown what he can do, over and over... Someone (Boone or Hickey) misreported that the goal the other night was Kostitsyn's first in the nhl.. last year he scored on his first NHL shot (in his second or third game) and he's gotten a lot better since then.

Just wait until next year when our third line of Samosonov/Plekanec/Kostitsyn is the best in the league.

Switch Johnson and Kovalev and we have a Cup winner.

I think that the Pleks/Datsyuk comparison is pretty apt. Datsyuk didn't do much until his third year, before that he had pretty much the same stats (although Pleks is looking like more of a goal-scorer so far). I remember watching Datsyuk in the 2001-02 playoffs and watching him make an absolutely amazing move before losing the puck. I knew then he would be a great (or at least very good) player in a few years. Pleks has shown flashes as well, but he'll always be stronger along the boards and better defensively... although I don't think he comes close in passing ability, still he has made a few that made me wonder. Plekanec Regular: 2006-07 Montreal NHL 67 16 21 37 +5 2005-06 Montreal NHL 67 9 20 29 +4 Playoffs 2005-06 Montreal NHL 6 0 4 4 Datsyuk: Regular 2003-04 Detroit NHL 75 30 38 68 -2 2002-03 Detroit NHL 64 12 39 51 +20 2001-02 Detroit NHL 70 11 24 35 +4 Playoffs 2003-04 Detroit NHL 12 0 6 6 +1 2002-03 Detroit NHL 4 0 0 0 -3 2001-02 Detroit NHL 21 3 3 6 +1 When taking a look at the assists, it would do well to remember which team each player was with.

I agree.. if the Buffalo game showed us anything it's that we can keep up and we can score.. what killed us was the two quick goals in teh beginning of the game.. when we were trying to play the same slow plodding style we always do.

Brian Campbell? No way.. if we need someone from Buffalo it's Tallinder, he plays the same game as Markov.

If we have 3 #2 centers.. then lets just play 3 second lines.

I blame Kovalev for the slump. He tried to do too much for the team by playing hurt and made himself next to useless by doing it. That void he created in the lineup hurt our team alot. Since coming back, he has played how we expect him to play.. he can turn, he can shoot.. he makes those moves that can get him into scoring position. He's exactly what the team needs... he just has to realise that if he's huurt and he can't do what we need of him.. then he's hurting us.

Leighton is a decent pickup, will probably play out the year in Hamilton and will be the #1 or split with Danis next year.. although he could end up backup in Montreal, but I think that may go to Halak.. remember Abby is leaving as UFA at the end of the year.

I hope we keep Bonk.. 1 yr contract before we bring up Chipchura as potential replacement. 2 yr contract just in case.