BlueKross

Are you suggesting that teams (Montreal in particular) draft for need and not BPA? I think we are making progress.

Just for the record, Cunneyworth was only an intern coach who come into replace Martin after the season had already gone South. He was put in a no win situation and was despised by the media before he got there. He would have been wiser to just say no and let the Canadiens twist in the wind.

Good one Command. Anyway I have us drafting tenth (our luck has to run out) with the possibility of Gauthier, McLeod, Brown and Juolevi still on the table. Pretty good choices if you ask me. The answer to a previous question would be Brent Sutter who was i believe a point per game guy for a while, that would be with those high powered Islanders.

Don , this is the status quo argument which didn't sit well at seasons end. The Chicago's of the world seem to be able to bring what they need every year despite being hard against the cap. I thought MB was one of their disciples, but apparently not.

I am just making a general argument about replacing anybody. I believe you started your premise with there is no suitable replacement for Therrien, something along that line. I remember on this very same medium someone arguing that we couldn't replace Gomez because there was not a suitable center available.

Same old, same old. He would be really wise to throw us a bone?

I am with Commandant, here. MB mistake was not adequately upgrading scoring on the top lines at start of season. I am not a proponent of going all in just to get a dance ticket. The year hinged around the health of Price, should be no doubt there. As much as we hate what happened, I got to give him credit for reading the tea leaves correctly.

Yeah-- interesting that they would become the second wild card and have to start against Washington leaving one of the New York teams to crossover and play Florida, as it stands now.

I find it a hoot that we still use the argument that we can't replace "so and so" because we can't envision a suitable replacement. Rosters and coaches are turned over all the time, so the operative words are we can't envision. Everyone is replaceable.

Injuries are a reality. We need more pop in the gun. I do like ILL-Wills lineup. I would like to know who is going to fix the power play which has been incredibly bad for a way too long. Same old- same old? Who takes the fall?

McCarron- I believe this is about giving him the extra few games in a role that he needs to be in Scott- last move available to Habs- in the dregs of lineup- there could be more injuries to the defense before the last three games are played out

Can't argue with that. Maybe that's why I am not hearing a lot.

Is Red Line Report still active?

Yeah, you probably need to win the lottery to have anybody significantly helping the main club in the next few years. Elite prospects has top 30 from five different familiar sources.

Does Yukapov for Drouin make any sense?

You all realize that if you are not selected, there is a good chance you will lose ground.

I am not sure that Molson is aware that he may be vested in losing, that awareness may be the only that trumps policy in Quebec

While your on that subject- Parenteau a lot more productive in Toronto-- could it be?

This season has been EPIC failure/slide-- somebody has to pay. If this is the team of "no excuses"; I think the blind squirrel should have found more nuts.

Mccarron on fourth line already- that will teach you to fight and stick up for your team mates!

I think that there has to be any number of teams disappointed at the dead line. I think GM's balked at the price of doing business and/or the need. It was brought up that injured players could be traded. It is more likely that that contract would go from a contending team to a non contending team. It is highly unlikely a contending would take on any cap space with a injury variable.

Like Commandant and probably the rest of you, I don't have a real sense of what MB would be up to. I do know however that he is fairly clever. Knowing that this time of year brings out maximum return on anybody; i would not be surprised if higher end players get put on the market. I really have my doubts if he is in full seller mode.

This team is struggling big time. I don't know if Pateryn will ever get into the lineup, but I do know is that he shouldn't be the focus of the criticism for this team. The supposed elite players are not playing well, so why would anyone sane, believe that somebody that was left on the bench for months on end would come in and be at the very top of his game? Of course, he is going to struggle.

Don, you must not be paying attention to what's going on there. They have probably the best minor league prospects for the last two or three years running. I am very high on what they have done as far as as a management team. Babcock, Shanahan, Hunter etc. to name a few. They are in the best position money wise to bring in any and several of top free agents of their choice. They are sitting on a nice draft, with extra choices, maybe more to come, with a reasonable likelyhood of getting a top choice. They have kept some core players. Management does not come under cap, so the richer teams have a leg up and can afford the best.

As much as I hate the Leafs, I like their chances of sipping out of Lord Stanley long before we get another whiff.