Habsy

It's sad, but all this return to Quebec City talk is damage control. The league looks anti-canadian in the way it has handled the Jim Balsillie situation, so it allows a meeting with a mayor to look good. Next on the agenda, pretty pictures of plans for a new arena, with those spotlights that interlock at the entrance. Followed by interviews with local restaurant and bar owners excited about potential new business. All this for an arena that'll never be built. People from Quebec City can regale us all they want about metro populations, corporate support, the fact that it's not a government town. It's just not enough. Consider the start up costs. A 50 million dollar payroll, and a 400 million dollar new arena. I'd love to see it, but in my opinion it's not possible.

I almost, sorta, but not really feel sorry for Komisarek. He looks awful, a useless meat-head.

WOW. That's the logical next step!! I like that...When and only when Bob want's to step down.

When one of your points is Steve Bégin, your thread should be closed. Fire a GM because of an oft injured 4th liner like Steve Bégin? C'mon. And we finally have a proper coach, can we give him a month to at least put his system in place. This sounds more like loaf-nation.

Waiting for franchise players to become available because of cap problems is preposterous.I don't know how else to put it. The cap would have to drop to levels unheard of in pro sports. Imagine Bob trying to explain that to whomever he has to answer to, he'd be fired on the spot. I can't believe my two favourite contributors to this site, Cucumber and Wamsley, are even entertaining this notion. Crosby, Ovechkin, Nash, Luongo??? This is not the arena football league.

So we keep Hamrlik at 5 million until he's 45 years old? In the same paragraph you have us trading all our best players? For what? All our spectacular young guns that recquire big contracts? You are well aware that we can't get free agents here, unless we overpay. You're also well aware that we haven't drafted very well, essential in a cap world. All the wealthy teams are in trouble, if the cap falls like some of you are predicting. Gomez makes too much, that's about the only problem we have.

Wamsley, I'll take that bet!!! I believe if it does go down, it means a slight adjustment. We lose a Metropolit kind of player.

Sorry, it's not short sighted. Price get's Hamrlik's money. Hamrlik get's replaced by Subban. The only contract that is difficult to move, if needed, is Gomez. Cammalleri stays for the next 10 years, and scores 350 goals in the process. If Gionta doesn't work out, he can be traded to this long list of teams (sarcasm) that have money to spend when the cap falls off a cliff. Which, by the way, isn't going to happen. Bob did what couldn't be done, sign some free agents, get younger, and correct a poor drafting record. We drafted Duncan Milroy before Cammalleri was selected by the Kings. LOL.

You're without a doubt, one of this sites top contributors, a must read. However, the idea that everything has seemingly fallen apart because of short term thinking is way off base.

If the cap drops, Burke will put millionaires in the minors. It's a team that can afford to do that. He has that felixibility. Phil Kessel can score 350 goals over the next ten years. I'm a third generation leaf hater, this is a good move.

I don't care about details, Kessel is a good player. The leafs are getting better, should be interesting.

I don't like him in Ottawa at all. After last years drama, I fully expect him to have a great season, and burn us on some winter night with an OT goal. I'm expecting this to be his last, great year.

I agree. I'm surprised it's taken this long to come out. The Leafs don't want another team in southern ontario, and neither do the Sabres. Also the other American owners don't want to try and sell tickets to a game featuring a team from a city nobody's ever heard of, Hamilton, it all makes sense.

Metro Quebec has a population less than 800,000. The only way a team moves back, is if the salary cap drops by 50%. There's just not enough corporate money. It's a nice place to visit, but it can't support NHL hockey at todays prices. That's why they left in the first place. It's all about money.

My prediction, Travis Moen lay's the wood to Komisarek, totally drills him. In doing this, he becomes our Lucic, and forever has Komi's number!!

Then we resign Dandenault, he wants to stay.

Awesome, I sure hope so!!!

One night in the car, I was listening to my sirius satellite radio, a french language sports show. Eric Fichaud, the retired goalie, said something about Plex. For what it's worth, he said Plex skates 150 mph, but takes the long way to get to the puck. He said he was known for this, and was easy to defend against. Sure, he LOOKS like he's working hard, dancing and darting in and out of traffic, but, well, you see his point. Now, c'mon, I think Fichaud's right on...

I love your first line, with Latendresse, I'm so hoping he develops into a productive, power-forward type.

I hear you, the cap is certainly an issue. At least you made me laugh, not being able to use the word talent!!!!

Bottom Line, and it's an obvious observation, we've lost a lot of talent for NOTHING. Our opinion of each player, the contract status, the time of year, the centennial. The freaking weather, I don't care, it's shocking.

He didn't even mention Quebec City. As if the team was always in Denver. Ancient history I guess.

Ya, and Beauchemin appears to have signed for the same money as Spacek...

That's wonderfull news, he's going to kill us next season, guaranteed.

Wamsley, I love how you describe Pierre Mcguire, as the McDonalds of analysts, selling a BRAND. I often find myself getting sucked into some sort of McGuire vortex that I can't shake. I can only hope that he takes some time off this summer.