hab29RETIRED

Nice mess Hextall inherited from Holgrem. With their cap issues, hopefully they will suck for a while! I have to say, I really hated losing white. I'd take him over Moen his 2 year contract. considering Prust's salary and glass shoulders, I'd rather have white over him as well. M

Hey, I hope he pans out better than a lot of the draft picks during the Houle years, i just hate rolling the dice on a first round pick. In the first round, you should be looking for joe Thornton potential talent, not Shawn Thornton potential brawn.

Philly and Carolina aren't exactly franchises I'd want to follow. It's been a while since either have drafted well, outside of having a top 10 pick.

100% agree and that's what I said when he was drafted. Other than being a USA player, he doesn't fit the Timmind profile. Lacks skill and speed.

I agree he got a raw deal, but when you consider he was a thin, underweight kid and taking into consideration his size and lack of speed, would he have been drafted if wasn't a French kid and the draft wasn't in the Bell centre? Kreider went right after him.

Leblanc is why i never want another draft in Montreal again.

WIthout Subban, the habs would be in a dogfight to the end to get into the playoffs in a weak eastern conference.

Giving Bouillon to MT, is like giving whiskey to an alcoholic.

Until this year's Olympics, did boueester ever help his team win anything?? He was a loser in junior, and I think he's only been in the playoffs 2 or 3 times in his career. The flames were in a playoff spot when they traded for him and immidiately got worse. Until this year's Olympics, did bouwmeester ever help his team win anything?? He was a loser in junior, and I think he's only been in the playoffs 2 or 3 times in his career. The flames were in a playoff spot when they traded for him and immidiately got worse.

By that logic, weber didn't earn his massive contract, because after failing playing hardball with the Preds, he only got his contract because he received an offer sheet from Philly. Subban has earned the money he's getting a hell of a lot more than Bolland or Phaneuf did. Bolland is getting a $1m more than Maxpac, despite the fact he scored 31 fewer goals then Maxpac (he also scored 2 fewer goals and as well as 41 less points than Subban). Bolland also has never even scored 20 goals. This is the reality of the NHL today. If muscle rather pay a star like Subban than a grunt like bolland.

How much is a Norris winner worth compared to the leaf's pylon Phaneuf? How much is he worth compared to Letang? Who would you rather have now, Subban or chara. Also keep in mind chara's contract was signed around 6 years ago. You've never seen Crosby dive? I'd also say he was a passenger in the finals during the pens cup win. You can't compare his cap hit to Crosby or weber, Suter or anyone else who signed a front loaded deal. Players today make stupid money - hell, friggin Bolland is getting $5.5m to be a third liner.

the saddest part is that we had lousy management ourselves and never took advantage of mad mike!

That's going to depend on the type of year Galchenyuk, galleghar and are two blue chip dman prospects have and how much it will cost to resign them.

Which is why teams try and avoid arbitration at all costs. When the islanders took tommy salo to arbitration, they ripped into him so bad, he started crying. Friedman isn't someone who throws quotes around freely - he is very well connected. The fact those things were said and the deal got done that fast afterwards, is probably because the Habs realized they may damage the relationship beyond repair and I'm pretty sure they knew they were going to lose the arbitration case. Despite the Habs arguments, Subban was going to get at a minimum what Weber got FOUR years ago.

from what i understand, you are still stuck with their entire cap hit.

It was also the biggest off-season story after free agency.

From what I understand, since he is over 35 we are stuck with. I can't see any scenario where MT swnds his former captain down to Hamilton. From what I understand, since he is over 35 we are stuck with him. I can't see any scenario where MT swnds his former captain down to Hamilton.

Why? Why? Why? Why sign a stiff that we know MT WILL overuse??????? After the good news if Subban? MT had to throw as a curveball!! How many #6 and #7 Dmen do we need??????

According to Engels, it sounds like the Habs offered $8m, and than came back with the $9m Subban was willing to sign for prior to the arbitration.

I believe both Bourque and Moen have at least 2 more years left - as does Prust. Ideally, we'd go in the year with only one of them on the roster.

Yes. Don't get why he isn't signed yet. Florida has been a horribly run franchise for years and tallon is going to make things worse, despite having 3 or 4 potentially elite young players. Surrounding them with over-paid or over-rated has beens isn't going to make them better. There was a reason he was cast aside in Chicago for Stan Bowman. As for the Habs, their cap situation may get tricky if Galchenyuk breaks out and galleghar also takes another big step this year. Things become even tougher if Beaulieu and Tinordi break out as well. That's where not signing Subban earlier and over-paying and over-commiting for guys that are nothing more than 4th liners on a good team may hurt. Good problem to have all 4 break out, but no easy task to find a solution. MB did a great job of unloading gorges, but they still need to move moen and Bourque as well.

I don't get the hang up on the average annual cap hit of other Dmen. Even without considering what the cap was when some of those deals were signed, those contracts really are a poor choice to compare to Subban's situation.IMO the cap hits of Suter and Weber are irrelevant comparables. Those contracts are12 to 14 years and are front loaded deals that are paying around $11m + today. Isn't Weber's bonus payment alone this year $12M? Similarily keith's cap hit was low because the hawks committed to him early and signed him to a long term (12 years?) - which is exactly what I wanted MB to do pre-lockout. You also can't compare his cap hit to CHara, since it was signed so long ago. Even Karlsson and Doughty's annual cap hit are bad comparables, since their $6.5M and $7M salaries were signed when they were coming out of their entry level deals - NOT after 5 years. The only other GM that is playing stupid is the new guy in Columbus. I get how they don't want to sign him to a 4 year deal, but they should push to get him signed to a $7.5m/8yr deal, or make him happy with around $5m/2 yr deal. They aren't exactly a prime destination, why they are screwing around with a guy who has superstar written all over him is beyond me. I'm pretty certain that Subban's arbitration award would have been $8M (weber who didn't have a norris got $7.5m and that was 3 or 4 years ago). The habs had to know they would have looked liked idiots if SUbban was awarded $8M on a one year deal and the cost of signing Subban long-term would have risen higher than $9M next year - if the relationship wasn't damaged beyond repair. I think the Habs saw the light and caved in.

If Subban was a UFA IN 2016, the bidding would start at $11m. Teams are trying to avoid top level players becoming UFA's. If a guy of subban's calibre was available, the laws of supply and demand would have led to a HUGE payday for Subban. That's why I think the Habs HAD to go as high as high as $9.5m now. How many elite players are there that their FIRST CHOICE is Montreal? Vinney choose TB. Briere, turned down less money from us and went to Philly, when he was still in his prime. It will be interesting to see what happens with Stamkos in 2016. Is he going to be happy in a non- traditional market, or want to be in more of a hockey mad environment? If he doesn't resign, bidding will start at $12m.

that's what i don't get about where MB's head was around. When you see what Phaneuf and Letang re-upped for, it should have been fairly obvious Subban was going to cost more, as he is I'd rather have him alone at $9M than Phaneuf and Letang at $9M.

Who cares about savings in yesterday's money - more of the savings were wasted on the Briere and moen deals anyways. The Habs are a money machine - actual dollar savings are irrelevant. Had he signed an 8 year deal at $6.5 or $7m, that is between a $2.5m or $2m cap savings in the years that matter - when galleghar and Galchenyuk have to be re-upped. I'd rather have locked up Subban than overpaid a bunch of 4th liners and signed a washed up Briere. In a cal system, good teams lock up their elite players long term, the leafs, flames and panthers throw stupid money at kuleman, eglander and all the washed up old farts dale tallon signed. Craig button was on NHL radio and felt Subban should be the next captain - and this was before they signed him!!! And messier wasn't hot headed???