hab29RETIRED

What happened to weber??

Sounds like I'm not missing much while I'm stuck in oakville for work and having no RDS.

Well, looks like when u couldn't watch the game, there was finally a game worth watching. I was kind of hoping for a loss since i couldnt watch the game anyway and wouldn't have to feel guilty about rooting against the team. Anyway, we do need some wins and production from the young guys, so they can come into next seaso. With some confidence. Nice to see Emelin get another and sounds like Palushaj had a good game. Also nice to see the other team get shutout by us for a change.

The search should start and end with Nill.

He's no minor leaguer definitely a top 9 and should be a top 6. Issue is, he is not someone I'd want to be stuck with for 4 years. In Calgary he is viewed as being one of the laziest guys they've got. to

Well flying out to Toronto in 10 min, so will miss the game. Hopefully by the time I land we will distance ourselves more from the canes.

Repeat

I think when you compare bourque to pleks or AK46, you need to take a few things into consideration. First of all, bourque's production came from a more offensive flames system. With the exception of the year Kovy, pleks, ak46 lit it up and the Habs finished first, this habs have been an offensive black hole. I wouldn't expect to see the same production from bourque in Montreal. Not without current system or Martin's system. Secondly, bourque's job in Calgary wasn't to shutdown the oppositions top line , like pleks is tasked to do, or play hard PK minutes, like pleks does. With respect to Ak46, even when he isn't producing at least he is hitting and bringing physicality. Boutique on the other hand tends to COMPLETELY disappear. If you've seen as many flames games as I have, you'd get what I'm talking about.

Last time this happened, the Crosby year when we picked Price, there was a lottery for I think only the first round. I think it was still weighted depending on where you finished 2 years earlier, but everyone still had a chance at #1. It really sucked that the pens were able to get Malkin with the #2 pick the year earlier and then got Crosby the following year.

I don't think I've ever paid so much attention or put as much hope in a team OTHER then the habs winning! Feels almost dirty!

There is no disputing that this was one of our best deals. I never said Courtnall wasn't a good player - just like i would never say pleks is a bad player. the guy had amazing speed and a great shot. He was just very frustrating on a breakaway, because his feet always seemed light years ahead of his hands and head. The difference between pleks and courtnell is that while pleks seems to always outthink himself on breakaways and shootouts, it always seemed like courtnell found himself in front of the goalie, before he had a chance to think about what he wanted to do. I remember there were times where he'd even flub getting a shot away.

I don't know, I seem to remember Russ Courtnall was pretty brutal too - his brain and hands couldn't seem to keep up with his feet.

I agree that Moen isn't going to attact the same type of bidding war as a Hossa. But i do think PG needs to start contacting teams like SJ/Van/Chi/LA/Nashvile in the west and Pens/Rangers/Devils/Sens/Caps in the East to see their level of interest and should at least be able to pit some teams against each other before pulling the trigger. By packaging him with a Gill for Chicago, or a Weber with LA, who knows, you may get a 1st rounder.

Calgary is in the same mess as us. They've got a coach really hasn't much success in the NHL, but is highly regarded. They should be sellers, but are hell bent on trading away the future for today. They were not the type of team that should have been trying to trade for Cammy. Although, i have to admit, I really thought, he would be more productive there. BUt lets face it, the flames have as much trouble scoring as we do.

He has to be moved. IF the habs play their cards right and get a couple teams bidding against each other, he should bring i a 2nd. Remember a few years back when Atlanta strung along Gainey right down to the wire, when they moved hossa? That is the kind of maneuvering that is required by PG. Moen is no Hossa, but there will be a lot of interest by at least 4-5 teams. My worry again is PG making a quick move, without trying to drive his value up by pitting competing GM's against each other.

Agreed. That's why I was shaking my head at the line combos. too many passers together, too many guys playing the perimeter game. Like I said earlier, a few weeks back I would have been pissed. Today i was numb of all emotion. It's like I'm expecting to them to put forth another crap effort.

I think Carter is a better bet for being a regular 30-35 goal scorer then Cammy was. Carter put up 23. 14 (62 games) 29, 46, 33 (74 games), 36 goals and has 11 goals now. Around $5.5M for a regular 30+ goals is about market, possibly a bit under. I think having two party guys like Carter and Richards together could have been an issue. I wouldn't be willing to give up too much for him, given the length of his contract, but I do think he should be good for 30+goals and if it didn't cost too much, I'd be willing to pull the trigger. The challenge of course is that I don't think Columbus is looking to dump him and will try and recoup what the gave up to get him over the summer. Carter was the guy I had hoped the Habs would have targetted when they moved Halak.

I could see teams that have had been knocked out of the playoffs like SJ willing to get him, or even a team like the pens. I don't see Sutter or Lombardi wanting him, given neither were willing to give him the money when he was in Calgary or LA. It will really hurt if Calgary does fall out further and they move him for a better return at the deadline.

I think Carter can at least turn things around and if he can the contract should be a bargain. The key to get him going though is too bring more character in the dressing room - we need more guys with character like Cole up front and Gorges on the backend. I wouldn't judge carter based on his play in Columbus. My fear though is that PG does something stupid like a Subban or Maxpac for Carter, or give up our 1st rounder this year. I'd be willing to roll the dice on the 10 year deal with Gomez and Weber and a 2nd in 2013.

it seemed like every shot he took was blocked - frankly other then Budaj, i think the whole team was a no show, although Pleks looked okay defensively at times.

This was a pretty sad effort. Felt numb watching this game. Not pissed off, not angry, just thinking how sad an effort was put forward tonight. Really makes me wonder what PG is thinking with his moves. He got bigger, with a soft Bourque. He got more skill at the backend, but picked up a soft Kaberle. Palushaj looked horrible. Line combo choices were horrible. I can't imagine what it must have felt like to pay to see this sad, sad, bad game.

Only way i'd risk taking Carter, was if Columbus was desperate to get out of a 10 year commitment and was willing to take Gomez of our hands - and that ain't happening. While Montreal/LA may not be a good player for that type of player, you would think being traded a couple of times in a year would serve as a wake up call.

I can't see us being able to get him unless the deal included a Subban, cole or maxpac.

I'm not saying philly didn't call PG, i'm just saying, how do we know there offer wasn't better or accepted, simply becuase PG didn't want to trade him to a conference rival. There was a lot of talk at the time of the deal that PG didn't want to deal Halak to a team he faces on a regular basis. Fair point about Spezza and Chara both being stars, while Higgins is a journeyman, makes that particular Milbury deal worse (he is after all the WORST GM EVER!!!!). But I would still say that even if it was a straight up trade of Higgins for Gomez, Gainey SHOULD have gotten a throw in from Sather, for taking the damn contract off Sather hands. Everyone knew the rangers wanted to go after gaborik, but needed to move salary. Other deals made that teams are moving salary, GMs were able to get a good player for the willingness to take a bad contract and other then Redden, Gomez's salary was by far the worst in the NHL. At the time, i said, i don't know why you would even go after a guy like gomez, unless he was making $4M/yr and to give assets like your best dman prospect is just stupid. I also think Gainey dodged a bullet not trading the reported Subban/Price/ Pleks or Higgins for Vinny. THere were many variatons of that deal that were being reported and this was the worst one. The others were Pleks/Higgins and either Price or Subban. If any of those deals went down we would be even more screwed then we are, becuase while Vinny is clearly better the Gomez, he is signed for 10 friggin years at a $7M hit, which the actual salary really didn't come down until year 8 and we would have given up our two best current players for him. I also doubt Vinny would have done well in Montreal, since he clearly didn't want anything to do with playing here.

Question is, did PG take the STL offer because it was the best deal, or he didn't want to trade Halak within the conference??? this was also reported at the time. I rarely listen to McGuire - mainly because i can't stand the guy, but there were a LOt of other reporting that the deal was quietly done and Halak wasn't shopped widely. Your judging McDonough in his 2nd year, whereas Chara, Spezza and the rest are judged 10 years later. How do you know, McDonough won't be in the running for the Norris in anothe 5 years??? I also think you have to consider the cap implications of the Gomez trade. This was a guy that the Rangers desperately WANTED to move. We should have been dictating terms and getting more, not throwing our top prospect the rangers way.