Commandant

London was about to draft Grigorenko first overall in the import draft..... Grigorenko told them he was staying in KHL and not to bother. Roy went to Grigorenko and talked to him, convinced him to come over to NA for this season and got him to come to Remparts and drafted him 2nd overall. Roy was much loved as Radulov's head coach and GM with Remparts. All reports were that Radulov adored him, he got the enigimatic player to produce like a superstar every night. Remparts have a long history of Russian players on the team since Roy got there,, but those are the big two. Gratchov, Bashkirov, Steffanovich, Kugryshev, Savard was GM before and was Gainey's assistant pre lockout. Carbo was the coach of a team that went to absolute shit, and imploded in much the same way as the current team is imploding. Some of his players are still on the roster. I want no remnants of that administration.... none. That he is no longer on speaking terms with Gainey doesn't matter to me.

Lets assume fair market value is 4.5 million (Erik Cole money). If he wants fair market value, and isn't willing to do the home town discount; then I'm not worried about re-signing him now. If I have to pay fair market value, I'm offering him that on July 1st, or offering a replacement fair market value on July 1st. If I have to pay full price, I'm trading him for all the future assets I can get today. If he wants 4.5 million, he''s a good player, but is by no means irreplaceable on July 1st, if he decides to go elsewhere as a UFA.

I don't know if any one person has the time or energy to do both on a full time basis in the NHL as it currently stands. And even if someone does has the energy to do both without burning out, I don't think you hand such a position to a guy who would be a rookie in both jobs. Sounds like you'd be setting him up for failure to me.

Agreed, I put 3 years 12 million on the table and give him a deadline.... take it, or you're traded.

Apparently,, but I haven't seen it. I was just reporting what I've heard. My analysis is much more indepth when I actually see the game.

1) Boivin is not a hockey guy. We need a hockey guy at the top of the organization. Boivin as president isn't even possible, Geoff Molson is the owner and he's made it clear that chair is his now. 2) I agree Patrick Roy has been a better GM than a coach in the Q. Agree 100% with that. I just don't like throwing him straight into the GM chair. Thats why i looked for a GM he could work with and who could teach him to GM at an NHL level. His relationship with Lacroix, plus Lacroix's experience seemed natural... at least for some time, with Roy eventually becoming GM once he's learned how. I think Patrick is the type of personality I want, a guy who will do things his way and tell the media to F off when necessary. But I also think he needs time to learn and because of that ego, he needs someone he respects and Lacroix could be that guy If health issues are a problem for Lacroix, find another guy Patrick will respect to train him. 3) I don't think its possible to keep Randy. He's not winning enough, and that was the only way to get the media off him. I like him, and think he was put in an impossible situation, but I don't think he can stay.. I also think this management group needs to all go. The only guy I'd keep is Timmins. 4) Agree completely on Patrick being good with the Russians. Don't agree that we need Quebecker grinders.... I don't care where the Grinders or the talent are frrom... bring in the best players even if they are from Mars.

I've thought a lot about this, and I really think we need to do what the Leafs did with Burke. Not that I want Burke, but I want to go out and find the best guy available, throw money at him, whatever is necessary, and restore credibility to the franchise for the media, fans and the league. 1) lure Pierre Lacroix away from the Avalanche President position... put whatever money/job titles on the table that are necessary.... put him in Charge. 2) sign Patrick Roy as coach... let Lacroix (65 years old) start training him to eventually take over as GM 3) draft Roy's protege #2.... Grigorenko. 4) trade with Nashville for the rights to Roy's protege #1... Radulov. Give this ruderless ship an instant rudder and some direction going forward. Savard and Carbo are gonna be seen as having ties to the current administration, I dont think we can have that. Put a whole new direction in charge.

41 career playoff games.... 11 career playoff goals. on about the same pace he puts up in the regular season. he is what he is... a 20-25 goal scorer. A guy who looks great on some nights and awful on others. And a forward who is willing to go to the net and brings a physical presence. I'm careful not to overpay him, but he does bring good things on a 2nd/3rd line. We've just expected more because of his history (draft year and rank) and we're never gonna get this.

Keep doing them. Losses are better than wins now. This is the opportunity to get the franchise forward the team has lacked for over 20 years.

On top of that.. what guarantee do you have of even acquiring that stud D. Stud Ds cost a ton in a trade. Or if we are talking a UFA like Suter.... he'll be highly sought after. Like Brad Richards who was alway going to NewYork there is no guarantee that he hasn't already made up his mind and we'll even get a chance. Its fun to play fantasy GM, but just having freed up money might not be enough to get a D better than Markov.

The post is more a criticism of the whole way the team handicapped Cunneyworth and didn't give him a real chance wit the team on the day he took over than it is about Martin. Martin was fired, fine... but the timing of the actual firing, and the press release from Molson the next day, gave Cunneyworth zero chance from day 1. Put him into a long road trip with games every other day.... then christmas break... then more road games, before he could even come back to montreal and have two days of practice. The day to fire him was either after the November 26th game vs Pittsburgh (before the west coast trip and when there were 4 days off between games) or December 31st after the Florida game (again the break). Lets also remember that Martin went got 9 pts in his last 7 games behind the bench, he was fired for overall performance, not his most rcent games.

JM's firing changed a lot.... we still had a chance at the playoffs on the dy JM was fired... now we've been sewered... 3-8-0 since then. The fact he was fired on a game day, the last home game before the long christmas trip with Cunneyworth having zero practice time with the team.... huge mistake. How do you put a new coach in place, with no opportunity in the schedule to put his stamp on the team. Then you had Molson come out the next day and issue that press release, they cut the legs off the coach, made him a lame duck his second day on the job. The players knew then, he had no chance of being hired long term and as such any attempt to install discipline in the players would fall on deaf ears. The way this was handled was a gigantic error on management's part... probably their biggest all season

We have a ton of 2nd line talent now, but a massive dearth of first liners. Hence the real need to get to the top of the draft.

Gallagher apparently injured by a big open ice hit tonight.... MIA in the 2nd period. The hitter... Patrick Holland. DUN, DUN, DUN.... Edit: Gallagher done for the night. Holland ended the night with 2 assists in an 11-4 win.

Why do we always agree 100% on these things? Are you a long lost brother?? Gauthier's moves taken in a vacuum are good, but the way he is running the organization and the timing of everything sucks now. He needs to go. Hve to admit though, the last sentence scares the hell out of me.

Steve Quailer extends point streak to 10 games with one asslst

Kristo news. The Good: Former Habs Scout, and current McKeen's Editor and TSN correspondent Grant McCagg on HF was saying that he's heard Kristo is going to turn pro at the end of the year The Bad: Kristo was given a 5 minute major and Game Misconduct for a hit from behind tonight. The Ugly: The video <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_EYSOBZ5XXU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yeah, this never happens in teh NHL.... noone talks before noon, but players like Martin Biron negotiate an entire contract are are ready to sign at 12:15 PM.

Cammalleri is a diva.... like an elite NFL WR, there is no doubt about that in my mind. He wasn't coddled and wasn't producing and shit blew up. He's Terrell Owens in a hockey jersey. High maintenance? yes, but worth it when he's producing.

I want a person with the personality of Burke; but I disagree with Burke's method. Yes, hes done all those things, but the way he's built his team, I don't think they have the assets to take the steps between playoff contender and cup contender. He's backed himself into a corner cap wise, gave away Seguin and Hamilton, the elite young talents they'd want to add to the roster and is still missing key parts such as a number 1 centre. I dont thnk the future of the Leafs is as rosy as the Toronto media portrays.

Just guessing, if they don't break up the DD or Eller lines. Bourque of course is ineligible to play tomorrow.

Bournival 1 goal 2 assists last night as Shawinigan beat St. Johns, meanwhile teammate Ellis' point streak ended. Tonight Bournival right back at it 2 goals 2 assists in Shawinigans win over PEI... and Ellis with 1 goal 1 assist

Phantoms win 5-4 First goal was weak under Mayer's blocker Second goal was weird, landing on top of net, bouncing off, hitting mayer in the back and landing in the back of the net.

Gomez - Plekanec - Blunden. What a line.

When we traded for Gomez, other NHLers still believed he was a premier playmaker who would help them score goals. He gave us some credibility. He doesn't do that anymore obviously.