hab29RETIRED

lets hope he gets a prolonged chance to play with a guy like koivu, rather then have carboneau play koviu with Striet and johnson or let Ryder-Koivu-Higgens flounder any longer. Ive said that so many times as well. Ryder blows way more chances then he converts. I would LOVE to see Ryder score two or three in the next couple of games. I would love it even more if he was TRADED right away. Everytime he has gotten hot, i've hoped that the habs would finally trade him to some unsuspecting gm. I can't believe he has been called a poor man's brett hull!!!

I totally agree with you regarding Gainey turning the team around. I was esthatic when he became GM, actually even before he took over from Savard, i was happy he was on board. I also liked the Kovolev pickup. I do think that in today's salarycap system, you have to be a little chintzy. I was shocked at the contract he signed ribeiro for in the summer and was thrilled when we got rid of him before the season started. But i do think, that you can't risk picking up a guy like ninnima for what his contract is worth (i'm just glad it there is only 1 yr left). ANd it is very DIFFICULT to not be negative when night after night you watch the habs not show up for 2 out of 3 or 3 out of 4 nights. Yes we have a possibility of habs dynasty, but not if we don't let some of our assets like Perozhogin, grabovzsy, Koitysen a prolonged chance to show what the can do. Affennigov did not become the player he is today sitting in the minors, being told to play defence, or toiling on the 4th line. The habs coaching staff has to give the kids a real chance to play and learn from their mistakes. The habs have a long history in the post pollack days of giving up on guys and watching them excel elsewhere.

BOnk wasn't signed, the habs signed him to the 2 yr deal a couple of weeks after they traded for him at the draft. i'm not questioning getting samsonov. I've always liked him (would have liked sykora better), but my main point is that we over paid for him, just as we overpaid for Theodore. My point isn't so much that gainey made a mistake in getting samsonov, or some of his other pickups, but that gainey has always bought high. He has done a good job unloading his mistakes (like Audatte from his dallas days and theodore last year). As much as i like koivu (he's one of my favorite habs from the players i've seen (a list that includes Dryden, Lafleur, Robinson, Gainey, Roy), but in a salary cap world, I think we paid a bit too much. Same goes with Kovolev. On a different note, tHis year, i think we are going to have no choice to have to open the bank for Markov (if we can keep him), coz of the premium the market is paying for defencemen. But I do hope that we don't do somethng stupid and overpay to try and keep SOuray. On the market he can probalbly get $6M, but i don't see him worth more then $3.5M max. I'm actually hoping we move him. As much as we need his goals, He is probably are most tradeble asset. I don't think we are a serious contender for this year - have the potential of being an upset team of the stars are lined up, but I think moving souray could give us the potential to ice a much stronger team next year. The guy I think the habs should try for is Marleau. It is going to take a hell of a lot more then Souray to get him (especially since he is a UFA), but given that Souray probably wants to sign with a california team, packageing him with the right players might be a way to get Marleau, since SJ does need defensive help to counter anaheim's big 2. If I was in Gainey's shoes i would even be willing to dangle Kovolev and a prospect in a package that could get us Marleau and one of SJ's D-men prospects (Carle). We do have some good wingers but no bona-fide #1 calibare centre. he is a year away from free agency, so giving up so much could be risky. But i think given his skill and leadership, i think it is worth the gamble, coz with so many young players, having a proven leader, other then koivu, is needed. Given SJ probably doesn't have the right mix to knock off Anaheim, by giving them more depth, we may be able to get stronger for next year, while still having some upset potential this year.

i know that to a lot of people, Gainey is beyond reproach. And after the Houle fiasco, Gainey seems like the second coming of sam pollack. But Samsonov and Ninimma aren't gainey's only mistakes. He does have a history of overpaying for players. While i've never been a ninnima fan, getting rid of ribeiro is almost worth the salary being paid to ninnima. but consider the following: Samsonov signing, while the like's of Sykora were ignored (and i;m not saying this out of hindsight, coz, i was hoping the habs would try and get sykora back when both the Ducks and Rangers were trying to unload him). Before signing Samsonov, he also went after Arnott, who has never played to his potential for any extended period of time. Overpaid D-Men Ninnema - yes the habs had injuries to contend with, but i would have preferred a more affordable pickup. Frankly I would have been happy if the habs picked up a 3rd or 4th round pick for Ribeiro. Picking up Traverse when the team already lacks quality d-men. signing Theodore to the ridicoulas contract (again, this is not hindsight, as even when the habs beat the bruins in the playoffs despite the big kovolev giveaway, I was actually one of the people hoping the habs would trade theadore after that series for a true impact player up front, I was also hoping back when there were rumours of Atlanta being willing to trade their #1 pick that the habs would unload theadore). Signing bonk to a big contract when they knew that their was a labour shortage coming. Going back, to his dallas days, he also was responsible for the expensive signings of AUdette (which he unloaded to montreal when he was a bust), Turgeon, Guerin and there were a few others i can't remember off the top of my mind. Again, I'm not questioning his hockey sense, coz he does manage to get out of his messes much better then Houle could even dream of, and he also did bring in really good role players like Johnson and streit, and this year bonk has been great (just really overpaid), and he also really got lucky with Huet. I'm just saying that he has a tendancy to overpay for "upper-echlon" and "mid-echlon" player. Being the consumate proffesional himself, maybe he just naturally expects the same from the players he signs. anyway, just my two cents.

hey i didn't support the samsonov signing. I'm just saying that once you have signed him, in the salary cap area, you have to do whatever is necessary to make it work. If it was up to me Sykora would've been a habs back when Anaheim was trying to dump him.

Exactly - STREIT is playing well - for a 4th liner or 5th/6th defencemen. He should be getting minutes that reflect his position on the team. Funny samsonov becomes a habs and all of a sudden can't score. The habs just don't let their offensive guys play like scorers do. The habs should be giving more time to Perozhogin, heck i'd rather even see the habs call grabowsky back up and let Murrey ride the pine. Let the young skilled guys learn and develop like other teams in this century are doing. There's no way afinaganov would have still been in the NHL if he had been a habs prospect. Look at beachiman in anahiem, or even Hainsy in Columbas. the habs do a lousy job of developing young players, coz while the fans cry about the lack of scoring, mgmt tries to teach the scorers defence while handcuffing them offensively. for some reason, the habs have a hard on for ryder (except when it comes to signing him to a contract), so he's been pretty much given a free pass when it comes to ice time.

The difference is that with the chances Ryder has, he should have 30 goals right now. the guy is not a sniper. The only thing he can do is shoot - and usually aims for the crest on the goalies jersey. there is a reason he is streaky - the odd time he is lucky - the puck goes in. Everytime Ryder gets hot, i pray that the habs will dump him!!!!

I'm all for seeing Koivu and Sammy together. But i'd rather see Ryder dropped down to the 4th line with Lapierre and Murrey.

I second that, although i want to see Sammy-Koivu-Higgens. Let Ryder rot on the third or fourth line and put Perozhogin back on the third line.

I think that the coaching staff really needs to make adjustments to the special teams (which were actually what was the biggest strength at the start of the year). Biggest problem with the habs is that they have not adjusted while their opposition has. Montreal's powerplay was awesome at the start, but teams adjusted to their game plan. The coaching staff has done nothing to adjust to the oppostions adjustmetns. Carbo also has done a lousy job on line combos. As i've said before, the koivu line for the past month has looked worse then a Don Cherry suit!!!! Why Koivu has not been used with samsanov is a bigger mystery then the caramilk secret. The way Carbo is treating Perozhogin, he is eventually going to get dumped to another team and probably will join the long list of habs castoffs that excels elsewhere. Why are the habs so patient with Ryder and not Perozhogin and Samsonov??? Ryder should have at least 35 goals by know with the chances he's had. But the guy is NOT s sniper (but management seems to think so). I don't remember Brett Hull shooting at the goalie's crest on most of his shots, like Ryder does. Higgens has been struggling, but has worked much harder then Ryder. Why the hell is he not on the first PP unit??? I think up front the habs should try Higgens-Koivu-Sammy (assuming he doesn't get picked up), and Latendresse-Plekcanak-Perozhogin on the second unit. What about Kovolev??? While Markov is hurt, the habs should try playing Kovolev and Souray on the point on the PP - yes they would both be about as effective as pylons if they gave up the puck, but give the habs two options at the point and the opposition can't key on Souray then. It would also open things up for the play down low. They should put Higgens and Latendresse in front of the net (the way the Canes had their butts in Aebishars face last night. I really hope that if Sammy is unclaimed, he will get a shot to succeed. It's the coaching staff job, to help players succeed and i don't think they have done a very good job of that. Sammy and Kovy don't look to have any chemistry, so why was every configuration they tried early just revolved around putting someone else between them. Although one intriguing configuration would be Sammy-Koivu-Kovolev, but it probably would not be a good idea to have three playmakers together. Anyway, I really belive that habs NEED Sammy to do well, more then sammy himself needs to do well (after all, at the end of the day, he is still going to be getting paid). The Habs have a hard time attracting free agents as it is, after they way samsonov has been treated, good luck on getting someone else to play in montreal!!!

So what are the habs options then??? If they don't send him to the minors, he still counts against the cap and from what i understand, he can't play for the habs unless he is put through re-entry waivers.

I've been a lurker here for the last two years, but this past month has really pissed me off!! I think waiving samsonov was a LOUSY move and Carboneau has to share the brunt of the blame. With the koivu line looking worse then a Don Cherry suit for the past month, samsonov should have had a chance to play with koivu for a few games. He has worked hard the last 3-4 games and has even looked better then kovolev. Why the hell is Ryder still playing??? Why is he getting the ice time he is??? he is getting a regular shift, PP and PK time. The bum should have been benched for the past two weeks. What kind of sniper aims for the goalies crest 90% of the time???? I can't understand the line combos that Carbos got going - 2 games with Striet-Koivu-Johnson???? What the hell is the team's best player doing with 3rd/4th liners??? Do we really need BOTH Murrey and Downey playing. I really think Carbo messed up big time with Samsonov and he his also going to end up running Perozhogin out of town - and i think that perozhogin can be as good as affinagov (spelling probably is wrong), but probably will end up becoming a star somewhere else. With the way Samsonov has been treated, good luck on the habs signing any free agents (hardly anyone wants to come here already). I think Sammy didn't help matters by his two trade requests, but the habs know how hard it is to attract free agents, they NEEDED this to work. OK, now that i have finished my much needed vent. If no one claims sammy now and he the habs put him on re-entry waivers, and someone does pick him up. Will half his remaining salary only count against this years cap, or will the habs also be on the hook for half his salary next year???