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Colin

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Posts posted by Colin

  1. During all this talk about Lecav, I think many of you are completely missing the point. Next year he's going to be UFA and unless T-Bay signs him long-term, there's every chance he's going to test the market and find somewhere else to play. For once it's not the Canadiens hamstrung by their players, it's another team. T-Bay is under the gun and therefore will have to accept *less* in any potential trade talk. Gainey would surely love to have Lecav, but it isn't a necessity, while T-Bay *must* make some kind of decision - be it contract or getting something, ANYTHING, for him at all.

    I find it highly improbably that Theo would be part of any deal in this situation. In fact, one of the things I heard, and I think I wrote this elsewhere, is that Price was drafted because T-Bay asked them to do just that to be part of a potential trade for Lecav. I think Ribs and Hainsey (I've heard his name associated with this deal a lot) are far more likely to be packaged in a trade than Ribs and Theo.

    Now, I'm not going to speculate on who might actually be included in a trade, however I will say this: T-Bay will probably get less for Lecav than they would have hoped because of the inherently bad situation in which they find themselves. I suspect it's far more likely that Biron, the name of the other goalie most associated with these talks, will actually be going to T-Bay and not Montreal. Perhaps a wait-and-see approach to who Tampa pulls in as netminder is the first step in all this dialogue.

    For instance, if T-Bay somehow ropes Cujo in for a fairly elevated price, signing St.Louis and Lecav both is going to impact their salary structure very significantly. BUT, and this is critical, to defend a Cup, you *need* a goalie of significant calibre. Biron won't fit the bill. Look for the Bolts to find a serious goalie in the next day or so and then revisit the Lecav issue when their salary structure is more certain.

    There are a few blocks that seem to be lining up, ready to tumble, in the next couple of days.

    A) Tampa addresses the goalie issue.

    B) Lecav issue dealt with

    C) Impact on the Lecav deal or non-deal

    Da) If deal, then Montreal will probably be virtually finished except for signing RFA's.

    Db) If no deal, there are significant rumours that Montreal is in the mix for both Selanne (Sax apparently went to Gainey to ASK him to look at Selanne) and Kariya (rumoured to be told by Habs management to wait until Lecav situation was resolved) will potentially be in the mix as a package deal, much like their package with Colorado.

    We've had our two "impact" UFA signings, now it's all about tinkering to see how best to improve the club for the season. Don't rule out a grab for a defender either, in all of this. I doubt Gainey is completely satisfied with what he has on the back end, so far.

    Colin

  2. First: Don't get your hopes up on this one.

    Second: I can pretty much guarantee that Gainey has at least inquired as to the possibility.

    Third: Rumour that I came across, the Bolts will have a lot of trouble singing Khabi, Vinny, and St.Louis. Khabi is probably gone so a goalie is critical. Signing Vinny and St.Louis is still going to be hard. The rumour goes on to state that the reason Montreal picked Price - leaving everyone in the room gasping - was for this express purpose: shopping PRICE to the Bolts.

    On the other hand, Gainey builds from the back forward. He won't trade Theo unless he has a guarantee that there's something far more than adequate to fill the hole. Price couldn't fill Theo's shoes for a while yet.

    Oh, third part b: The rumour that I found actually had the chance of this trade happening at 50/50. The source was apparently very reliable.

    Last: DO NOT get your hopes up on this one.

    Colin

  3. Mobile? That's a bit of an overstep.

    Hainsey, Markov, Dandenault, and Bouillon are somewhat fleet of foot, yes. Souray? He's not slow, but doesn't by any stretch have light feet. Komisarek? Ever watch him trying to turn back to front? Now, with another year under his belt I'm sure it's much better and I'll withhold judgement until later, but at last I saw him, he wasn't particularly mobile.

    Streit I haven't a clue because I haven't seen him play at all. Sounds like a promising fellow, but we'll see.

    And Rivet is about as mobile as a rig. He skates well, yes, but he's not really 'mobile', if you see what I mean.

    We'll have a good defence, but not a great one, if it stands as is and assuming Markov returns. I suspect he'll chew up 22-25 minutes a night and lead everyone. I also suspect he might have an outside shot at the all-star game (if there is one, I can't remember) as long as people start paying attention to Montreal. He's about the best one-on-one guy in the game and could only have gotten better during his time off. When last we saw him he was also adding grit and consistency - two qualities that will put him into the upper echelon of defenders.

    Komi is still a year or two from really taking control. Rivet is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get player. Solid #4. Souray is too inconsistent thus far to be a real #1/2 guy, but if he finds that consistency he could log a chunk of minutes a game. Dandenault is great in terms of depth and experience, but he's a #3/4 at very best.

    And then there's Hainsey. 'Nuff said.

    Colin

  4. I'll never understand the love-in for Ward. I mean seriously, the guy couldn't skate. Yes, he was grit, lovely. But grit is only good if you can keep up with the play and use it.

    With the crackdown on obstruction his entire game is seriously compromised. Sure, he can hit - if he can catch his man - but he is never going to be a good defensive player if opponents are skating around him like he's not there.

    Don't get me wrong, he has his uses and served his purposes well in his limited time in Montreal, but he was never anything more than filler for the bottom two lines when we didn't have the depth to put in more talent. Now that there are players ready to graduate to the NHL, he has no place in Montreal.

    And to hear he went to the Rag$? Sweet. Only thing better would have been Toronto. I'm pleased that he stayed in the east so we can play him. Nothing like playing against a line with four and a half players and not five. I look forward to the semi advantage.

    Harsh? Perhaps, but he was a seriously overrated talent here, in my opinion.

    Colin

  5. I think, for the younger set of fans, cheering for the cloth and not the player is probably very understandable. From the mid-80's on there has been barely any loyalty in any sport and to see one player stick with one team is almost unheard of.

    But consider the older fan who grew up knowing that in general, and particularly with the highly skilled, the player was the cloth. Examples were made of Lafleur and Robinson and, while both did indeed play with other clubs, if you talk to old-time fans, it's like a part of the soul of the Habs left.

    If Koivu were to leave the Habs this year for "greener" pastures, there would be disappointment and some regret, but life would go on and the Habs would be the Habs. However back in the day, when Lafleur suited up for the Rag$ or *choke* the Nordiques, is was as if there were something wrong with the world. When Robinson left for Los Angeles it was like an open wound - and in fact it still is since we all know his jersey should be retired but enough bad blood exists to prevent it happening.

    I guess my biggest regret is the impending loss of watching a prospect grow into a star and lead that team. When we drafted Lafleur, we knew he was going to be our star forever. Contrast that with someone like Mike Ryder, a childhood *hack* Leaf fan. Before he hits his prime he's going to be a free agent and will have every chance in the world to move to his dream city. We'll see one of our better prospects leave in his best years.

    And, of course, we'll remain habs fans. We'll bemoan his loss, but it won't be like a stab to the heart.

    There's one other thing I'd like to address:

    Originally posted by Quebecois

    Many French Canadiens will probably be lining up to play for the team they grew up with.

    Let's find Pierre Turgeon and ask him if he wants to play for the Habs, his boyhood team. We're talking about Montreal here, where pressure is higher than anywhere else in hockey, where the fans know everything and the media beats down on you like the sun during midday in the Sahara. Sure, some French Canadiens will have the thick skin to be able to play here, but I hardly think this will be a destination.

    Breezy had heart problems and had to take a week off work during the last season because of all the stresses of playing here. He gets booed for looking the wrong way on the ice. Theodore can play a fabulous game and be the hero one night and the next, if he lets in a bad goal, he's villified in the press and on the streets. This is absolutely NOT a destination city for French Canadiens.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there will be those who will look to Montreal to continue their careers. Of course there will. And, to be fair, since Gainey came in as GM, respect for the organization has taken a massive leap and we're in better shape than we've been for over a decade. But a destination for French Canadiens? I'll grant that grunts might like to come here, but stars? I have my doubts.

    -Colin

  6. Just off the very top of my head I can say that an insider I know of has reported that the cap may be at $37 million. If that's the case, then we have to trim with your numbers. Breezy has a buyout clause which I think has a large chance of being exercized.

    There is also the possibility (a rumour) that every player over a certain age signed to a long-term contract may have buyout clauses put on salaries (read: Rivet). That is just an interesting rumour and nothing more, though.

    As to the rest of what you have, I think I'll have to wait until I study it some more.

    -Colin

  7. Originally posted by Guy!

    One thing that IS going to disappoint me considerably and which I believe is going to come up for discussion a lot in the coming weeks is this:  the draft and subsequent moulding of young talent is going to take a much lesser role when the playing field is this even.  As the UFA age comes down we're going to see players going to play where they want even before they hit their prime rather than later in their careers.  That, for me, is quite disappointing.  I took no end of joy in watching players come through a system and play for their drafting team.  It seems to me that the idea of seeing a player stay at one team for an entire career, if it wasn't already on its deathbed, is now finished.  Players will go where they want rather than to the highest bidder.  

    And now, to quote myself...

    It actually brings me to an interesting point. In at least this, Montreal might be looking up since Gainey has brought the club to a level of respectability it hasn't seen in ages. In fact, even if a certain young phenom goes to the Leafs in the draft, there's every reason to believe, since he's indicated Montreal as his first choice in pro team, that a certain Sydney Crosby might choose to make Montreal his home just before he hits the prime of his career.

    I guess that just shows both sides of the story. Sadness at the lack of continuity on teams, and yet the potential...

    -Colin

  8. Did I enjoy the vacation?

    Honestly? No. ;-)

    I was sick for far too long, and when I wasn't sick I was incredibly bitter about the whole hockey fiasco. I moved late last year to Metcalfe, just outside Ottawa (though technically still in the greater City of Ottawa) and our lawyer told us it was one of the worst transactions he'd ever seen. Never a good sign.

    As for hockey itself... for the last three years I've followed the whole CBA affair quite closely and only after the lockout started did I realize just how much I had invested in the whole deal. My close friend bore the brunt of my distaste having to endure searing and scything diatribes on what I saw as the state of the sport. Coming to terms with the greed has taken a lot of time and while I'm still not satisfied at least I see that somehow the Powers that Be grew something of a brain. It's nice to see, in these past few days, the voices of Avery and Legace who heartily bashed Goodenow for taking a stance that was akin to defending a castle by onesself.

    Writing last year was probably the only thing that kept me around the game, so much was my distaste with the whole affair. In fact, I can credit this site as being pretty much the only reason I'm willing to give the 'new look' NHL a shot this year. It's taken a pile of soul searching to come to any kind of decision - and I'm sure I'm not the only one - but in the end I still love the game.

    If you were to ask me how much hockey I watched since Bettman closed the doors, I doubt you'd be much surprised when you read of the bitterness I obviously deeply held. Not a minute of a single game including the World Championships. I didn't go to a website (other than dropping by here once in a while to see how much others were saying) at all, and it's only been in the last two weeks as I've been carefully examining the 'role' of hockey in my life that I've taken much interest in the impending CBA. I'll admit to being fairly far behind in that regard - though not so far behind that a few days of good study won't rectify. As to Habs players here there and everywhere, well I don't know anything. I don't even know what teams any of them played for, have no clue how they did, and have only a vague idea of who's signed for the upcoming campaign.

    One thing that IS going to disappoint me considerably and which I believe is going to come up for discussion a lot in the coming weeks is this: the draft and subsequent moulding of young talent is going to take a much lesser role when the playing field is this even. As the UFA age comes down we're going to see players going to play where they want even before they hit their prime rather than later in their careers. That, for me, is quite disappointing. I took no end of joy in watching players come through a system and play for their drafting team. It seems to me that the idea of seeing a player stay at one team for an entire career, if it wasn't already on its deathbed, is now finished. Players will go where they want rather than to the highest bidder.

    As my friend says, we're going to become fans of the cloth, and no longer the players in the cloth. Sure, we'll have favourites for a few months or even years, but over the long-term, we're just habs fans. Of course that's true even now, but honestly, how many would love to go back to the days when the star players played out their careers with one team.

    Well, I suppose that's my kickstart for realistic thoughts on the upcoming year(s).

    -Colin

  9. WELL

    Since I'm officially coming out of hibernation - and attempting (still) to get the incredibly bitter taste of sore millionaire whiners out of my mouth - I'll make my first prediction as well for that first game:

    Brisebois (the Habs biggest surprise in the upcoming year after scoring 35 and assisting on 72 others with a +/- of +68) will score 3 and assist on two leading the sacred Bleu Blanc Rouge to a scintillating 8-5 victory.

    Though allowing 5 goals in the win, Theodore will actually stand on his head (literally in the second when, while Breezy is on the bench taking a breather, of course, Boston will somehow get 5 consecutive shots) while making 54 saves and, while some will bemoan his inability to get the shutout (after all, we ARE talking about Montreal fans) in reality his play will make Marty Brodeur look like a fat, outdoor rink ringer.

    Captain Koivu (after once again coming to see management before a season and admitting that he only deserves to play for less since he hasn't proven anything yet) will score only one, but will assist on all 7 others and will dangle... yes, dangle... so efficiently because of the new rules that Bruins will literally stop and stare at his talents - amazing what people can do when clutch and grab hockey doesn't exist. One Bruin, while still on the ice (Joe Thornton, but he does it very surrupticiously) will actually applaud Koivu's talent.

    Mickey He Really DOES Like It Ryder will not have the best game since, with the wide open New Hockey rules in effect, his skating deficiencies will be exposed. That said, he'll still lay in the hit of the night to some poor sorry Bruin who will only know where he is when he awakes at the hospital (legal hit, I might add) the next morning.

    Andrei Markov will again be the best defensive defenceman on the Habs - a master at one-on-ones (and I notice that Jaques Demers was reading my stuff last year since he started harping on that particular skill after I did for a while - nice to see we have fans in high places, hi Jaques!) and yet he'll make one mistake and will be vilified by many. He will, however, take interviews after the game and fans will be shocked and awed at his command of the English language and, interestingly, his wonderful singing voice.

    Komisarek will cause three stoppages in play while Bruin players are retrieved from the other side of the glass they've just recently been smashed through.

    Brisebois will, of course, make one back-handed, cross-ice, from behind his own net pass which will end up in the Bruins 5th goal late in the 3rd. Despite his fabulous game, the boobirds will be out in full force. Bell Centre custodians will have to escort all three drunks out of the rink to the cheers of everyone else. Bob Gainey will come out after the game to denounce the yellow fans in a press conference.

    Speaking of the fans, there will be AT LEAST 5000 at the game. Aside from the hard-core I-don't-care-how-hockey-treated-the-fans-I'm-still-going-to-pay-exorbidant-fees-to-watch-kids-whine-about-making-a-million-bucks (still a few ounces of bitterness to work their way through my system - apologies), there will also be a sizable number of corporate fans and a few bums picked up off the street for watered down wine.

    Mickey Work-Ethic Ribeiro will come out of the gates in 5th gear and wow people with his dangle abilities. By the end of the 1st he'll be in 3rd gear, and when the third comes along he'll be trying to stay out of reverse. Most fans will remember only the first shift or two and will call him the best player in the world. On the other hand, despite this inauspicious start, the future is indeed bright for the youngster as his embarrasing finish to game one will be the kick-start to his career that he needed and, by the end of the year, he'll be considered one of the top 20 centres in hockey.

    Roadkill Bonk will have a solid debut as a habs on the defensive line, however since most people consider him a forward - even a power forward - it will be considered totally disappointing. Perhaps he will even cut his mullet.

    Late in the third on an innocuous play, Koivu will get hit knee on knee. This time, however, since he wears every brace known to man and he is, in fact, the second coming of the MAN'O'STEEL, it will be the opponent injured. He will, however, stay down for 30 seconds to make sure he's okay, and in that moment the words "Fragile and injury prone" will echo around the world. The gasp of relief will, in fact, cause gale force winds over the rolling hills of Moldova.

    Claude Boivin will not be wearing those hideous glasses.

    The national anthem singer will be the girl who screwed up the words earlier this year, but this time she'll not only sing the anthems flawlessly, she'll also throw in God Save the Queen for good measure. When she falls on the ice this time, however, she'll not land on her behind, but instead into the waiting arms of Sheldon Souray. Her blush will be for an altogether different reason this time.

    Speaking of Souray, he'll cause two long stoppages in play when the glass behind the net gets broken by his shot. Unfortunately, he'll be one of those most affected by the long layoff - at least his shot will be. He'll be just about as accurate as Roberto Baggio taking a penalty at the World Cup... up up and awaaaay.

    Following the end of the game, fans will rush home with bated breath to see the results appear on HabsWorld.net - the leader in Canadiens coverage. And while writer Colin Prichett will be denounced as an overblown windbag with delusions of grandeur, there will be much ado over the mysterious A Concerned Fan. This latter will gain a following unheard of before in pro sports and will earn millions and millions of fans. Instead of Don Cherry on HNIC, there will be the silhouette of the insightful ACF while he discusses the intricacies of the game.

    In July of 2006, after the Habs have lost in 7 to Stanley Cup champs the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (hey, new GM - great GM - and as good a chance as any and we, as habs fans, can't expect our dynasty to start quite yet) the owners of HabsWorld.net will be begged by advertising firms all over the planet for space. They'll retire to mansions in the Gaspe shortly thereafter.

    Well, here's to wishful thinking...

    - Guy!

    (that Prichett guy, you know, the windbag?!?)

    [Edited on 2005/7/11 by Guy!]

    [Edited on 2005/7/11 by Guy!]

    [Edited on 2005/7/11 by Guy!]

  10. Originally posted by huzer

    I'm pretty confused by the picture? Would any other site that's trying to be reputable use something that inane as a picture for a hockey story? C'mon guys.

    That was my error. I was trying to convey how boring the trap was and how it could put anything to sleep - like a kangaroo. However in retrospect I can see it was a poor choice.

    Apologies to those that were offended.

    Colin

  11. Here's a thought, and bear with me here, I'll try and put some coherency to them:

    Hainsey, Hossa, + (where plus may be Bouillon) for Grier and Witt

    Hainsey and Hossa have been continual disappointments and both have attitude problems - Hainsey has a large one along with a rumoured occasional sniffing problem as well. Witt and Grier are both free agents - but Group II which means Montreal would have the right to match. The going rate these days for any player who is of high enough calibre is a prospect and a pick. The roster player fills the picks. Since Washington is reloading, this kind of deal fills numerous needs.

    You may call that pricey, but from what I understand, the two prospects in this deal are being shopped around rather significantly - thus lowering potential worth. As to Bouillon, he's doing well, but in the grand scheme of things, I'd rather have Witt as my third left defenceman because he's good with the puck (Cube is better) but much better off the puck, and he'll clear a crease like there's no tomorrow - exactly the kind of player you need heading into the playoffs. For Washington, Bouillon has a two-way contract next year, as I recall, which is bonus round for them.

    Therefore, I think if you add those two to the equation:

    Zednik - Koivu - Kovalev

    Grier - Ribeiro - Ryder

    A very solid one-two punch

    Bulis - Juneau - Sundstrom

    Effective checking line that routinely neutralized large threats.

    Langdon - Begin - x

    These two at least are great at what they do, and best of all Begs can fill in almost anywhere.

    Souray - Quintal

    Markov - Rivet

    Witt - Brisebois

    Theo

    Garon

    ...I think you have a team that has an outside shot at a Cup. Yes, it's just an outside shot, but when you consider that this is, as Bob McKenszie said today, "The end of the world as we know it," going into the new CBA, it's not a bad idea indeed. The best part about it all is we're still really well stocked in Hamilton and we have some of the best scouts and talent evaluators who will probably give us a very good shot at filling any holes we make in the upcoming draft or two. In other words, Gainey making a deal like this sends out a giant vote of confidence for Savard and his team.

    Hainsey and Hossa haven't done a lot to impress the staff in any way this year, and I, for one, have never been overly impressed with Hainsey thus far. While getting Grier and Witt over two prospects makes us somewhat older, I don't think it sacrifices much of the future since they'd both be with us for at least a handful of years to come with new contracts which would inevitably be signed (again, Group II).

    Just my thoughts.

    ACF

  12. Originally posted by puck7x

    I admit I dont know all the facts yet , but it looks really bad for Koivu since he started the whole thing today.

    Did he?

    Are we all suddenly clairvoyant? Do we know what happened after the game last night? Do we know what happened before practice this morning? Do we know everything that was said and done on the ice before the incident?

    Love the conclusions that everyone are jumping to.

    ACF

  13. So, this is a team that was supposed to be in the Ovechkin sweepstakes as far as most of the pundits were concerned to start the season, but now that they're in a playoff race, they should all be traded because they are going through a poor spell?

    Do you know why Houle got fired? Button? Why Sather is not long for office in New York? Panic. When panic sets in and you make stupid moves, you lose it all. This has actually been a tremendously successful season all things considered and changing everyone is tantamount to suicide.

    If you kept only the players mentioned, you'd not only have no first line forwards, but a pathetic defence, neutered team spirit, and almost continual inconsistent play.

    Your moniker says 'Leafs Suck' however if you'd be so kind as to be the GM for the Leafs, we could go back to the Harold Ballard days and watch them languish in the cellar perennially.

    ;)

    ACF

  14. That the shots in question were deflected I have no dispute. HOWEVER...

    The shots came from just over the blueline and Theo was on his knees before the deflections occurred. That's not good goaltending. And even if he wasn't on his knees, the simple fact is he should have plenty of time, even from that distance to adjust seeing as how he's a pro. If he can adjust for ones in much closer, which he does with regularlity, then he can certainly do them on shots from the blueline which are not in the least screen once they are about 45 feet away. Poor goals both.

    That's not to say that he gets any blame for the loss, just that he let in some pretty poor goals which probably, right or wrong, demoralized the team. Simple as that.

    ACF

  15. Let's not be counting our chickens before they hatch here. While I'll admit it's looking better than I'd have ever thought at this time of year, we are by no means guaranteed a playoff berth.

    Consider:

    3 games against Ottawa

    3 games against New Jersey

    2 games against Toronto

    2 games against Boston

    4 game Western road swing

    2 game Florida trip - where for some reason we suck

    We've got an extremely tough finish to the schedule, and it's my opinion that our standing right now is slightly inflated over where we should be as we've played a significant number of games against sub-par teams. While I think we have put ourselves in good position, you have to remember that any team from about 6-12 can go on long streaks either winning or losing. If we drop four in a row and Buffalo goes on a four-game winning spree, all of a sudden they're breathing down our necks.

    It'll be critical for Julien to get everyone back to playing strong, intense, systematic hockey with emphasis on the special teams or we could be that cheap tent folding in the breeze.

    ACF

  16. We got away with a little tonight. Wonder how much the Habs paid the officials to overlook some things. A couple of minutes into the game and Breeze has a *blatant* crosscheck that goes uncalled?

    I thought the Habs got away virtually untouched in the penalty department. In fact, in my opinion, the Habs were the more dirty of the two teams.

    Good thing the officials didn't agree.

    ACF

  17. So, bring in Gauthier as our 3rd pairing (and most punishing) defender, then flip Hainsey for either that right handed centre Ganiey wants, or a bigger winger?

    I have no problem with that. You get rid of Perreault and Hainsey. The former has been talked about so much I don't think I need to get into it, and the latter, while talented, has been rumoured to have seious attitude problems and might be a headache that Gainey doesn't want.

    I'm all for it. I don't want anymore headaches here. Enough with players who are 'me' first. Let's bring in team guys, even if they are slightly less talented. The whole will be much better than the parts as a result.

    ACF

  18. Well, I still think the two can bring their games a notch or two higher as well, quite honestly. However, the fact that everytime they were on the ice there was a habs scoring chance is enough for me to call it domination of sorts. ;)

    Sax was very easily the best player on the ice, and Ryder was right up there as well, and even if they can do better than tonight, it was nice to see the two taking the game to the Sabres.

    More importantly for me, honestly, was to see how the future is going to look, and in Balej, it's going to be hot indeed! That third period he put in was stellar for a kid in ostensibly his first real NHL encounter (I hardly consider spot work with Langdon and Perreault a real beginning).

    Anyone realize just how good he is on the boards, or how he can both take a hit and dish them out when needed? I've seen him play, and heard about his season this year in Hamilton, but I was really impressed. Honestly, Dags is fourth line when he comes back except for that chemistry going between he and Ribs.

    G

    [Edited on 2004/1/28 by Guy!]

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