DON

Like i said, i think team as is, should sneek into playoffs. But, on paper, they should be battling for 7th to 9th place if Gionta-Markov can even improve offense/PP just a bit. And as some suspect, maybe Bergevin is waiting for smoke of CBA clears and has a deal for one of Kane's, Sharp or the like in his back pocket, once he sees how this version of Habs starts the season, and your worries may be for not?

Your unwillingness to accept another dismal showing is how most Hab fans feel i think and also seems to pressure mgmt into holding on to UFAs at deadline and dealing picks for Sopels-Mara's to make playoffs year after year, instead of biting the bullet, trading for future and hoping call ups can instead help get you into playoffs. If you keep doing the same thing every year with little success (19 years now), sooner or later need to change tact and suck it up for a year or 2 (especially with the group of talented prospects who are just a year or 2 away). But i think it would be a bit of bad and good if well out of playoffs; They may deal a Markov to Detroit, Kaberle to team X and Bourque to team Y for a crapload of future goods, which might be painful in missing playoffs 2 years in a row, but another draft like Timmins just had could set the team up for the next decade? Rebuilding normally takes more than 1 bad year i think? But; even though Habs finished 28th last year, they were only 11th in goals against and 19th in goals for, and only 20 some goals fewer than the Rangers. So just by adding in Markov and Gionta and having Yemelin/Subban and Diaz all likely being much more comfortable/confident, i doubt they will never be that far from a playoff position. Unless worst case scenario and Subban or Price goes down with significant injury, which would almost certainly mean a high draft pick.

I almost forget about Gomer? Is it that easy, if waive and demote and he is off the cap? Cant be that easy is it? You could be 100% correct and maybe Eller has had zero PP time because he hasnt fought for it? And a Palushaj is stuck as a grinder even if he not fit for that role at all and Eller never had 2 offensive wingers to play with. But i realy think Eller and Leblanc rehabbin last summer/fall set them back and both (as will Markov/Gorges) will have a much better year, by having almost 6 months to train. I think all the injuries to the lineup maybe played a big part in all the 3rd period collapses, few comebacks and shootout failures, cause once injured, a player can never quite get back to 100% (maybe 90-95%) and might do fine in first 2 periods but always fade a bit in 3rd? Same as Bourque is hooped, basically for year and will never quite get back the lost conditioning due to seaon schedule. I also like to blame Martin for being stubborn and even if aint working he still stuck with same PP group, or kept giving Gomez 20 minutes/game for a year and 1/2, even if he easily earned a press box seat.

Well seeing as Bourque has outscored both Cammalleri and Kostitsyn over last 3 years, and you call both those 'top 6', seems odd to dismiss Bourque dosent it? And i think no one will argue the Habs are deep (why they shouldnt be planning a parade for next spring), but with only $6m in cap space and Subban to sign, it is highly unlikely to find another top six to squeeze under cap, unless trade Kaberle to Detroit or some other such thing and then part with a pick/prospect or 2 and maybe a roster player for a Marleau-type player. When can go with hand they are dealt now and hope a rookie or 2 can shine and not sell the future to maybe get to 2nd round of playoffs if all the stars align? The Habs have tried that sneaking into playoffs by patching holes for almost 20 years now, need to instead, maybe; go with youth and build/develop from within and look more long-term, which it seems Bergevin is doing or has planned.

Kostitsyn might just not be Bergevin's type of player? I like both Jagr and Whitney, but not for a rebuilding team, last year i was 50-50 on Jagr. Latendress has only played 20 some games in last 2 years, so can Habs go out on a limb and make room for both Armstrong and he? Armstrong at least has had a couple/several good years and has more grit. Sens and Habs could both have a steal at the salary's they are paying?

I wouldnt touch Whitney nor Jagr, especially at salary they got and age, both are perfect for a contender to maybe put em over the top, but Habs are predicted to miss playoffs, sneek-in maybe, but no one thinks they can contend this year. So injury actually may work well; to see how Leblanc would work next to Plekanec, or maybe get to see if Gallagher is as good as we all hope he is or possibly ready for prime time (I know he is a RW)? Maybe even move Eller to 2nd line and Leblanc centre 3rd line? Who knows, but i am a bit more optimistic and really dont think Bergevin missed the boat by not signing the 3 you mentioned.

chance maybe went from 0% to 1% and a major set-back for Bourque, which is too bad. Instead of the kid whose going back to Sarnia, i am thinking Leblanc may step up.

I would look to those who had no training camp last fall to showed marked improvement with both Eller and Leblanc coming in bigger and stronger. and of course Markov is a given and Gorges should be 1/2 step quicker and better than ever. But Eller will end up at 2nd line centre by end of season, so he is the winner.

HoF not a higher honour than a one year wonder who cant even play the position well? a la Green with Caps, can put up points but defend, not a chance. So i would call that type a 4th forward undeserving of a defender honour that should of gone to good d-man like Chara/Lidstrom/Weber/Pietrangelo; whose balance of scoring/defending skills is far superior and i would of just ignored the extra 20 points Karlsson got. They already have the Richard and numerous other scoring trophies for point getters.

I agree with all you say but; Ray Bourque was most overrated d-man of all time, so i hope he never becomes that, even Bruins fans will admit he was overrated (mostly because he was never a good leader and jumped ship to get a cup on a team that could carry him, thanks to Sakic and Roy).

Not a chance in the world Karlsson is the best d-man in world! Maybe best offensive d-man or 4th forward in the NHL for 1 year is it, he aint no hall of famer quite yet. Defensemen normally are good at defending, the swede aint, he cant hit, clear front of net and also some d-men kill penalties, none of which Karlsson does. Karlsson had 71 points, while Subban had 74 points in their 1st two NHL seasons. So explain to me again why Karlsson is a better d-man? Subban does it all and is very likely to equal the offense of the swede over their careers. I would guess 60:40 that Subban gets 1 Norris some time (maybe a bit biased, but i think his upside is pretty darn high)?

But it is August and cant simply agree. Sure it is way too early, but in general sending him back to junior, especially missing last year, seems the smart move in long run and i thought the same about Gallagher last year.I know Habs could really use the skill on LW for sure, but i think patience would pay off more.

I still would stick him with the likes of Zibenijad/Schiefele and an extra year just seems the prudent thing, even if he looks good in a 9 game trial. He is just not in same catagory as Nugent-Hopkins and Landeskogg, Where one is just an extreme skilled player and the other was called before the draft "NHL ready" (as Ryan Murray is) and he surely was.

anywhere from $3.5 to 5.5 seems fine with me, i would say he is easily as valuable to Habs as Taylor Hall is too the Oilers and he got $6/year and when a mediocre player like Wideman gets $5.25/year that also raises the bar.

Hey, i hope he runs over Yemelin in training camp and makes Price look like a sieve and i am sure there is great pressure to fast track Golden Boy, but no chance i dont think and lock-out will solve that question.

i am glad you think so highly of him, but team is rebuilding, few people even think habs will make playoffs and none seriously think team is a contender, so no need to rush Galchenyuk is there, let him get a ton of icetime and 1st unit PP time in junior and pack on a few more pounds by next fall. Both Leblanc and Bournival were tops in physical testing in their draft year and both are supposedly very hard working also. But still means little if they havent ever lined up vs a Chara/Stamkos type player, who trains just as hard and are much bigger/stronger or faster and with only 1 year playing vs teenagers in OHL, Galchenyuk would likely be at a severe disadvantage. But no matter with lock-out only a few weeks away, he will play where he should and just too bad Yakupov will be playing overseas and not on his line.

Right on, all sounds good; but reality is he will play in OHL and unlikely he will even match Stamkos's last year with Sarnia with 105 points, if he does great, but "too good for" the OHL i just dont buy it? Not sure why playing wing would have any negative affect on his development? Still havent heard of any domestic guy with only 1 year CHL experiance jump straight to NHL? So my money is on 1 more full year in OHL.

White was Calgary's best centreman in junior if i remember correctly ( he took key faceoffs at least). But not sure if he has even been used at centre in Hamilton has he?

Vehicular homicide is what it is called, not an incident and seems a very bad analogy for quite trivial err/mistake.

I think Eller or Plekanec would do just as well centering those 2 and DD would do just fine on any line. But it seems that on the road that DD could likely benefit from playing 3rd ine centre and let the 2 better defensive centres in Eller/Plekanec take the tougher match-ups? Or have Eller at centre and Deharnais on 2nd line with Gionta? But would be a bit short at centre unless Leblanc shows he can handle it? But will be curious to see how Therrian sees his best line combos?

So you think his wingers in the QMJHL- then ECHL- then AHL and now the NHL have all carried him everywhere he has played and excelled? In every league he has lit it up and the NHL is no different, he had 60 some points in his 1st full season, so really dont see how you can justify being even a bit pessimistic about him and what he brings. I do pick on him for being poor on faceoffs and simply being small, but the little bugger produces and even put him with Moan and Armstrong and i bet those 2 guys would be very happy. And he has shown a positive progression up till now, so real question is, just how good can he be? Is he going to be as good as a Marc Savard, seems a very similar player; Martin St.Louis-type is likely just a better goal scorer and skater, but who knows? Very few players have had as good a start to career and if he puts up 70+ points this year it probably shouldnt surprise and maybe a young Gomez-like #s are too come?

As Mowers said, his job is to be intimite with about 10-15 AHL/NHL teams, so maybe his 'supposed' lask of correct prognostication talent will have zero impact on his real job, which will likely involve stats, rosters and facts on those 10-15 teams, again i see it is as just another good sign that Molson is opening cheque book to hire more help.

DD can play well with anyone, he is just a good playmaker and smart, like a Markov he makes rest of linemates better, wouldnt matter if he is centre or wing/1st or 3rd line.

If ignore last 2 years, over last 5 years before those, ol Markov averaged 59points/82games, which would put him at #2 for past year and if he even can put up just a 40+ point season it would be a big bonus and 40 points is an easy target if he plays 70+ games, so even if he aint producing at 55 point level he will still help all those around him, cause he is just a very smart player. I am not too worried at all about Bourque and look more to his career #s than 1/2 year on the bottom team in East and 20 goals is a good target; same production as Kostitsyn, people will likely bitch that he should get more or is too streaky or not this or that, but in end will be a well spent $3m. I think Leblanc and Eller with both shine this year and continue to show why there were 1st round picks. And still think there is zero chance Galchenyuk isnt in Sarnia for 1 more year.

good that Nystrom was invited. Nice to see Pribyl had a 2 goal game in euro trophy tourny and Archambault had good 1st game. Pribyl, Nygren, Dietz, Thrower, Archambault, Kristo, Bennett?, and Nystrom? all should be headed to Hamilton next fall eh.