hab29RETIRED

Eller was doing fine until MT messed around with his line at the start of the season. For young players to be consistent, they need some sort of consistency in how they are being used. by coddling DD, MT messed around with the success Eller was having and give him stiffs to play with. I really don't get why washed up guys like Gionta and Bourque get prime minutes on the PP and repeated chances with the best players on the team, while Eller is constantly left with the likes of Bourque every time he gets demoted, or pluggers like Prust. For Eller to succeed he needs to play with other skilled players. I want the EGG line back. Galleghar has been playing great but isn't producing with DD and MaxPac. The EGG line has amazing chemistry and considering how lousy this team is at scoring right now, it makes no sense for them not to be re-united.

that's why i hate the loser point.

Eller's issue is that he isn't given any decent players to play with or even any consistent line mates since he isn't the RDS poster boy like DD is.

yeah, a good old canadian kid like Fleury never hot dogged and slid down the ice after scoring right?

I don't understand why MT tends to put largely the regular lines on the PP. Gionta should NEVER be on the PP anymore. Top 6 for PP duty should be a mix of the following, Galchenyuk, MaxPac, Eller, Galleghar, Pleks, DD. he will if he fans on a shot and it slides in unexpectedly

Someone said earlier that Boucher only had 8 PP strategies. Well MT has 2. Markov to subban, or subban to Markov.

I have no clue why he's in the lineup. Yes he played alright last game. He already played his one good in 20 games, so I really don't see any point in playing him again.

Thanks

Lets not forgot yzerman deserves a lot of blame for giving him a lousy defence and no goaltending.

That that sucks.

The problem with that logic is that I think Eller would out produce Briere if he also got to centre the Gally's all season. Eller was moved off that line and has had a revolving string of wingers, but he is still a positive contributor. briere has been garbage and has been close to gomez bad.

Is the new RDS deal the habs signed for next year just for regional coverage??? Will habs fans outside of Quebec be blacked out?

They need a change in culture and personnel AND a new coach, before looking at addressing specific position. IMO, Gorges and Pleks would be the centre piece and bring in the leadership and work ethic they need. They can't play defense period. Original deal I proposed was Pleks, Gorges, Bourque, Diaz, Pateryn (just over $13M) for Kane and Bogasian (just over $12M)

Depend which way you look at it. I'd make the move for three reasons. First to give Eller the rest of the year to get comfortable in the role. Second, adding a big body and another scorer would help offensively and in the playoffs. Lastly, getting Eller and Kane playoff experience for their intended roles. I really think people are really underestimating Eller. I think he is more ready to step into a plek like role than most are giving him credit for. However, there is no way we could get Kane at his age and contract for just Pleks. IMO, it would have to be a multi-player deal that I think would also have to include Gorges. Pleks and Gorges are two of the main peices the Jets need.

We MIGHT be able to trade Bourque. No one is dumb enough to trade for Briere. The best we can hope for is that someone hires Milbury or Feaster while Briere is still under contract. That's the only scenario I see of being able to unload someone as useless as Briere.

I wouldn't want AK46 in the top 6. Next year a forward lineup of the following would be enticing: Kane-Galchenyuk-MaxPac Galleghar-Eller-Jagr AK46-Bournavil-DD Prust-White-Moen Although, I'd ideally want to upgrade on DD and Moen.

No one is arguing Pleks had a much better hockey sense, work ethic and character then AK46. AK46 has much more skill. He was also a russian who was under the wing of Hamrlik and Kovolev. Neither were very good veteran role models. We wasted away Ak46 and Higgins and Pleks is the only guy from that era that reached his potential.

the only guys i like are Jagr and Gaborik. Jagr is going to get a huge one year deal next year and unless Gaborik was going to take a HUGE pay CUT on a one years deal, i'm not interested.

If we could bring back AK46 next year for 1 year, $3M, I wouldn't even blink in agreeing to that deal, over having Bourque. At least Ak46 will be physical when he isn't scoring. All Bourque's got going for him when he isn't scoring is a French name, despite not being francophone.

I'd move Pleks, because, Eller looks like if he is leaned on, by next year he can be a more physical version of Pleks. From our 6 core veterans (Markov, Pleks, Gorges, Moen, Briere, Gionta). the only one I want back next year is Markov. I think pleks is the only guy who in the right package can land us a top 6 power forward like Kane, without giving up a stud prospects (Beealeau/Tinordi) or key young gun (MaxPac, Galleghar). I'm a huge Pleks fan. Back when most on this site wanted Pleks run out of town for being a little girl, I was saying we should sign him long term when his value was at the lowest point. He is a hard worker, smart player, but we are deep up the middle right now and too small and lack enough finishers. Unless we make a dumb move like trading MaxPac, we are not going to get another finisher. However, moving maxpac will leave us in the same hole as we are in now. Eller can fill Pleks role. I wouldn't be surprised if he was able to do it tho year. On the other hand, we need Markov to mentor the long pipeline of young dman we have coming up. Serge Savard made the mistake in the early 90's of not understanding the importance of retaining Robinson, Ludwig, Green, since we had Chelios, Kurvers, Schneider, Desjardins, Svoboda. He than dumped Chelios as well and we went from having one of the best D in the league to going through a revolving door for 20+ years.

I'd move Pleks, but not Markov. Markov is going to be the veteran presence on the D we need with the number of young D-man we have in the pipeline. If we can sign him for 3 years at under $6M, i'd do that wouldn't hesitation ($5.5M would be ideal), but i think people are forgetting that Chelios played until he was around 47 years old - despite Savard being concerned about his knee almost 20 years before that!

Why do some players that have "character issues" thrive in other locations. What it comes down is what the organization puts i place to help young players become professional. Gainey and JM did a piss poor job of that. I put the blame squarely at Gainey. Why was there so much patience and understanding given to a 35+ year-old Kovelv at the back end of his career (yes I get he is was the most talented and skilled player on the team), while the young guys were treated like crap. The accusations that The Kostitsyns and Hamrlik bordered on slander. The young tabs of Higgins, AK46, Ribs, et el had a GM who was clueless on how to develop young players in the modern NHL, a coach (Carbo) who didn't know how to communicate and a Dictator (JM), who let any veteran mistake go, but was intent on using the whip on the kids. JM was a 60's/70's style of coach that did a piss poor job of developing young talented players and over-playing career minor leaguers. I don't understand what the questionable issues about Eller are?? He give his all every night and is an honest guy. The only questionable thing he did his entire time was make a very HONEST evaluation of the oilers which that ex-leaf farm coach prick Eakins ripped Eller over. That was part of the learning process for Eller and a classless comment by a coach who clearly looks over his head coaching in the NHL. I think Dallas is proving he still belongs in Junior or the minors.

That tool Brooks corrected the article. Yesterday it said that MaxPac wasn't Jacaque Martin' ideal. I can't se them trading maxpac and will be pissed if they do

I'm a big fan of pleks and was in favour if signing him to a long term deal after his disasterous year and before he had his big breakout his UFA year - when everyone else wanted to trade the "little girl". But I really think we are in a position to move him and get a premium return now. Losing pleks would be huge this year, but IMO, by next year I think Eller will be able fill that role. He is very good defensively, while he isn't as good right now as pleks and still needs to develop his hockey sense, he is improving on faceoffs much faster than pleks did, he is much more physical and has a lot more creativity than pleks. In the short term I actually think the loss of Gorges would be more significant than pleks. Eller IMO can step into Pleks role. We'll have to wait Unilingual next year for Tinordi to step up.

Eller's not going to get screwed. He'll just sign a short term deal to take him to UFA. Than he'll screw over MB like Subban is going to do enjoy doing.