Willey101

He's been a healthy scratch before this season as well I believe. I mean the kid deserves to sit because of his lousy start to the season with 3 games and only 3 assists for what is supposed to be a power forward is troubling. But I wonder if the kid needs a change of scenery because he has not lived to expectation.

That's just nuts. Take the Wings for instance for the past 3-4 years we've seen Kronwall-Stuart. Lidstrom-Rafalski as the top 2 pairings and then a rotation of the #5-6 guys......so much stability.

Okposo is the dog house? He'd look good as a 3rd liner on this team now wouldn't he.

Just seems crazy. Imagine 13 D-men used, that's crazy. Then add the guys that were either already on the team or draft picks: Subban, Weber, Emelin, Markov, St-Dens, Nash, Souray, Rivet, Hamrlik, O'Byrne, Carle, Dandenault, Brisebois, Komisarek, Streit, Bouillon...thats about all I can think of. Together that's 29 d-men used in 4 year and 13 games. I find this mind boggling how there is such a rotation.

Still I see that perception. 2011: 4 of the 7 were D 2010:2 of the 5 2007: 6 of 9 2006: 4 of 6 Apart from 2008-2009 there just always seems to be a preference to draft D-men. There just seems to be a preoccupation with our D. I mean forget about the drafting just look at the amount of D-men that we've traded for or signed as UFA's in the past 4 years alone. Campoli, Gill, Spacek, Mara, Sopel, Wisneiwski, Diaz, Picard, Bergeron, Leach, Schneider, Janik, Gorges. 13 D-men used over the past 4 years that were not Habs draft picks. This doesn't even include the names of players who really never played for us or the guys we have discarded. I wonder how many teams in this league have used anywhere near the amount of guys we have.

I am with you on this one. I do not know what to make of DD. He is horrific in the faceoff circle one night but then the next night he wins 70%. The guy looks horrible defensively but then is used on the PK. He is physically outmatched by so many players and yet produces offensively on an almost nighty basis. Who the heck is DD? I don't know whether he is replaceable or an important piece of this puzzle.

Same was said for Brunstrom, Lahti, Gustavsson.....sometimes they are wrong

Didn't Pahlsson play Rw that playoff. I believe the line was Moen-Niedermeyer-Pahlsson. They alog with possessed like play from JS Giguere were the main reasons why Anaheim hoisted the cup.

At the same time remember we where playing against a really bad team. Carolina looks like they are going nowhere fast.

Eller and AK46 seem to have good chemistry with one another but I wonder what happens if Gomez is the 3rd piece to that puzzle. Eller likes to carry the puck so what happens if he is asked to be the finisher instead? I think right now we cannot touch that 2 and a half men line because they are doing well. And I think Cammalleri needs to play with Plekanec. Personally I would prefer Ak46 moves back to the 1st and then Gio and Gomez play alongside Eller. I don't know for some reason I really cannot stand Gio playing with pleks.

At the same time there have been some late round options but Timmins generally seems to want to go with a D-man. I would like to see the team take a chance and move up to specifically acquire a player similar to what they did with Tinordi. If you are going to take a chance do it with a big kid with size and some grit instead of taking chances on guys like Kristo or Archambault or any other of the skilled smaller forwards.

Do we have what it takes down the middle.......thats the question. Do I like having Plekanec/DD/Gomez as our top 3 centers.......no way. That's way too small for a playoff run. Even the Wings who are small down he middle have alot more size than that. If it is true that Gomez played LW then I would be working on the defensive side of his responsibilities in practice and will continue to use him on the wing because size is so crucial down the middle. I know I originally said I would prefer Eller on the wing but I've changed my mind. With that said we still need faceoff help. Eller is horrible, Desharnais is so-so, Plekanec is average and Nokaleinan is effective. As a collective however they struggle. Kind of brigs me to the trade option and acquiring that big center. Let's be honest here how good would Eric Staal look on this team. I know to acquire a guy of his ability would require one hell of a trade because he is Carolina hockey but what would it take. Obviously Carolina is not shopping him so we'd have to throw out something too good to resist. I would however make a pitch.

It started before the game. For 2 practices Emelin was paired on the ice with Andrei Markov. Although I have no clue what was actually said out there I think Emelin took leaps and bounds just by being on the ice with him. magine not only having to adjust to a whole new game but having to do so while being instructed in a language that you don't speak. A return of markov will have tremendous dividends on the play of Emelin. As for the game itself he played well. I won't lie and say he was a superstar but you can tell he is more comfortable with the angles and rink size of the NHL. The hit on Tlusty was a really really Komisarek-esque hit that we have not seen in quite some time. He tried throwing his body around a few more times usually choosing to be an aggressor instead of simply removing someone from the play. Emelin is really strong on his skates. There were a couple of plays where players were either cutting to the net or trying to get position in front of Price and he stood his ground, did not back up and effectively took players out of good scoring positions. As for his shot blocking he is alot better then I think most of us thought. He doesn't only get hit with the puck he blocks shots. I means truly makes himself look big along the ice and taking away shots. Again still green and still needs to work on his D-coverage and positioning but you can see he has the tools to easily be a top 4 pairing in this league.

Someone will always pay. Has Erik Cole really every done much better? Yes Cole once hit 29 and once hit 30 goals but he is usually around the 20-26 range. Nathan Horton is usually in the 20-26 goals range and is making $4.0. Would I want to pay AK46 $4.0 per season, no, but teams will always overpay and that's the problem. Personally I would see if we can sign him for a 3-4 year contract in the $3.25-$3.5 range like you said but since that seems unlikely then I would be shopping him right now to see what we can get. Nashville is hungry for scoring so why not search that market.

I believe it was Omark and a 2nd for Franson. I think the question for this team is do we make a deal for a forward or for a D. If we hypothetically make a deal for a D then what happens when the healthy return? Markov, Campoli, Subban, Gorges, Spacek, Gill and then Emelin, Diaz, Weber. That's 9 D-men. If we add another then does this mean we are dumping one of 2 of the players already in the line-up? If I am Gauthier then I am not make a trade for the sake of a trade. Go out and target a few guys who you are interested in. For me I look around the league and think perhaps Staal in Carolina is unhappy. Shea Weber needs to be resigned in Nashville. Problem is that to lure one of these guys is going to require a big return. Would you for instance part with Tomas Plekanec, Yannick Weber and Nathan Beaulieu perhaps even have to throw in a 2nd rounder for Eric Staal?

Kid looked good last night. Personally I saw him a step behind in terms of speed but his offensive mindset, his gritty nature to me is what is most impressive. Gallagher really reminds me of Kristo with perhaps a little bit more offensive abilities. I still do not see that up and coming dominant offensive star but with Leblanc, Kristo, Gallagher we have some great 2nd and 3rd liners on the horizon.

When was that because it shows him as a center his 1st year in the NHL and a center while he played junior. After last night though I think I would ride him on LW. 2/10 in the faceoff circle. Perhaps it is time to switch things up a little bit and place Cammy with Plekanec and drop Gionta back to Gomez and Eller?

Back to the topic....man I thought Emelin looked really good last night. He was credited with 7 hits, 7 blocked shots and almost 20 mins of ice time. He still does not look 100% comfortable and is still adjusting to less space and less time but man does this kid look good. I truly hope that Martin decides to sit Diaz for a few games once the team starts to look a little more healthy and then uses Emelin for a good 10 games in a row to truly see what we have.

If it was up to me then you'd see Subban and Gorges in and around 30 minutes but on different pairings. I would have ahead Henry and would have gone with something like: Gorges-Weber Emelin-Subban Henry-Diaz Even though those are the units I would mix and match the lines to prevent Henry from playing more than about 11-12 minutes and play Diaz in the 15-17 range.

I don't think so. He played center for Tri-City in the WHl and center while playing in the BCHL. He's pretty much been bred as a center his entire career.Maybe played a few games at wing in Jersey though?????

This will sound condescending but it isn't. I don't get it though. You say he cannot produce because he doesn't have a PP quarterback in Markov yet then argue he's the best player in the playoffs even though Andrei was not around. So does he not care in the regular season but then tries in the playoffs? Granted the playoffs are more important but anything under 30 for Cammalleri in the reg season is unacceptable. He is paid to produce and he isn't. And when someone making that much money is not producing then it is time to move on.

I'm not saying he is the solution I am saying he provides something different and an element that we need. The fact he is a 3rd pairing guy is think is irrelevant because that's his game. He has limited mobility but provides leadership and toughness. A guy like John Scott for instance who's been in the NHL for the past couple of years would not be a top pairing guy in the AHL either. Woywitka might be a #4 with the Bulldogs (except for this year with the injuries). Guys like Staubitz in Minny, Shane O'brien...i mean we are not talking about guys who although NHL d-men all of a sudden translates into top pairing players in the AHL. Simply players who provide an element we are lacking.

I guess $6 million for 19 goals is acceptable then. Cammalleri is only as good as the people around him. Why on earth would we pay elite superstar money of $6 million for a player who cannot perform unless he has an elite player with him? Players who make that much money should eb able to carry teams on their back. Be able to produce no matter who they are playing with. Cammalleri has been beyond a disappointment with the Habs except for that one playoff. Why are people defending him? He was brought in to score goals and simply isn't. If he was good in other aspects of his game then perhaps we could let this slide but he is also extremely lazy defensively, rarely gives a second effort back checking. $6 million for less than 25 goals is a bust.

Don't really like the idea of Cammalleri and his $6 million price tag on the 3rd line. I still think something is going to change via trade but until then I would re-unite Cammy with Pleks, re-unite Gio and Gomez. Although I prefer Eller a center I think he has to go to the wing. I would personally go with: Cammalleri-Pleks-Kostitsyn Pacioretty-DD-Cole Eller-Gomez-Gionta Moen-Nokaleinan-Darche Until White returns that is.

We are unidimensional. Throw our Weber, Spacek, Diaz, St-Denis on D. Same old story. Small, speedy, physically inept, unable to move bodies from in front of the net oh yes but they help on the PP now ranked 27th. I find it funny how when he name Henry is mentioned people always knock the fact that he is slow. Gill is slow. Yet other teams in this league use these types of players on a nightly basis and seem to be fine. Not us though, we cannot go with slow big players because they will be exposed and ultimately hurt us out there. It's an argument I am getting really tired of hearing. Perhaps off the rush a guy like Henry will have difficulty but the way the Habs play our bigger concern should be containment in the defensive zone and right now our little PEE WEE d-men cannot clear the front of the net and cannot contain 90% of NHL forwards along the boards without us having to double team. Funny how that's never mentioned though.....all we hear is that he is slow.