hankhab

Sending Samsonov to the minors would rid us of the cap hit all together, as he is less than 35 years old, but it would probably do nothing for the Bulldogs dressingroom.

All signs seem to indicate that Kovalov will be back, at least for the start of the year. Samsonov will be bought out, no doubt. I think we'll see a forward brought in via trade at draft day, hopefully another centre, of the first or second line caliber. If BG manages to resign both Markov and Souray, it might not be possible to bring in a top tier defenceman, but another trade for a puck moving d-man could happen. I expect a couple of AHL guys to make strong bids to make the team. I don't expect Johnson back, and wouldn't be surprised if one of our young guys gets traded, ie, perez, or maybe even Ryder (even though I'm a fan and fellow newf). I would be shocked if we landed a Brier or Drury via free agency.

To hear a lot of you talk, Daniel Briere is a superstar who will win us the Stanley Cup if we sign him. Get real people. He is a very skilled, very small player, but he is not a superstar. Should we open the vault for him next year? Hell no. This team is building through the draft, and the fact is, we may begin next season with much the same roster as this year. Habs are 2 years from being a contender, if things keep deceloping as they are. This is not a bad thing, as this team is loaded with young talent. If we can unload Samsonov and/or Kovalov next year, and get the rest of the team signed, then Gainey will look to sign someone, but that player will not be some savior. Trust me, in 2 or 3 years when we have Price stopping everything, and guys like Latendresse and Kostytsin are hitting there stride, we'll all be happy for the slow rebuilding.

Aha! Now we really begin to see the quandry with this team next season. Make no mistake, Perezoigen, kostitsen, Latendresse, Lapierre, are all very talented young players who need ice time to develop. There are several more in the AHL this year as well. It begs the question, what does Gainey do over the summer? As samsonov showed, its no use for us to sign a middle to bottom tier forward, as our young guys are probably better than those guys, given equal ice time. If we go with all youth, we will be in a dogfight to make the playoffs, again. Are we patient enough to wait another year or 2 before becoming contenders? If so, we trade our tradable veterans, like Koivu, Kovalov, etc for younger guys who are not quite there yet, and suffer through another up and down season. If not, then we trade some young guys for a couple of good, solid veterans, and pick up an ufa or 2, and go for it next year. The Gainey approach is probably somewhere in between those two options. I don't know what the right answer is..anyone have any thoughts?

I guess we could all talk about this all day long, but the truth is, who knows? My feelings are, if we could have gotten a real good young goal scorer for Souray (we really need one), then yes, we should have made the deal. But, if we were offered offensive prospects (we have lots of those) and draft picks (we have 2 first rounders), what would we have accomplished, really? Remember, the players the oilers aquired are not proven NHLers, they are prospects who have shown nothing yet. I would have loved for Gainey to have picked up an impact player, but if there was one being offered, I think he would have went for it. So, chill out, guys, even if we fail to make the playoffs, there is no need to hang Bob.

Just reading a clip about how important this upcoming stretch of games is for Habs. I think a road trip is going to be great for these guys, as sometimes the team seems to play better away from home. I think if we can get 4 out of 6 points in the next few games, the confidence will be back, and this team makes the playoffs. Hopefully Higgens is ok, if not, I'd like to see Kostitsyn called up and played on the first line with Koivu and Ryder. I think our lineup is going to look very differnt after this stretch, as I think Gainey has something brewing. I think Halak has looked good, last night goals were not his fault, as 2 were point blank deflections. Hopefully we'll see him ride out the rest of the regular season. Keep Abby on the bench please!

I think we'll see Souray, along with, and this is total guesswork, Kovalov, traded together or in seperate deals, for some promising youth. The current rumors are San Jose being very interested in Souray, so maybe something happens there. After 2 pretty good games by Halak, I doubt we'll be seeing a trade for a goaltender, unless its a minor deal for Garon. I think Gainey will make 2 or more changes on Thursday or Friday. At this point in the season, some youth would be welcome, as veterans like Kovalov, Sampsonov , Rivet, etc have underperformed this year. Also, If we get rid of a couple of forwards, I think we'll see Kostitsyn here for the remainder of the year. I'll be back to gloat or eat my words after the deadline passes!

In my opinion, its because of poor work down low by the d-men, and not enough hussel afterwards. We allways seem to cough up the puck and then take a penalty as a result. As good as Souray and Rivet have been in some areas, they are terrible when attempting the pass out of the defensive zone. And Ninnima is the worst, he doesn't move his feet, and seems to be called for hooking at least once every game. I think we'll be better when Bouillion and Dandenault get back.

Actually, I think it was Ryan Vandenbusche (spelling probably wrong), but yes, it was a great moment in sports, watching his stupid head hit the ice, then bleeding...maybe thats why his comments are so dumb?

I,m not sure we should be holding our breaths for a trade..Bob picked up Traverse as a 7th because he's waiting for Cote to get healthy, at which point he'll be sent to the AHL, and if someone picks him up on waivers, not big loss there. Also, Perezoigen may well start in the pressbox, but I think if Ribs doesn't perform well early, he'll soon be the odd man out, with Plekanec taking his place on the 2nd line, Bonk centering the 3rd and begin the 4th. I think Bonk will have a much better year this year. That would give us... Ryder Koivu Higgens Samsonov Plekanic Kovalev Johnson Bonk Perezoigen/Latendresse Murray Begin Latendresse/Perezoigen Markov Komisarik Souray Rivet Dandenault Streit Traverse Huet Abeshier Strong, deep forward lines, great goaltending..but scary weak defense after Markov/Komi, which may eventually force some sort of trade.

I like Latendresse on the 4th line with those 2..he'll have to work like a dog to keep up with Murray and Begin along the boards..which is exactly what a well hyped rookie needs to do to stay in the lineup. My prediction..don't look for more than 10 minutes a game and maybe 10 to 15 goals from him this year, but he sure will learn a lot!

Perezoigen didn't exactly light the league on fire last year, Kostitsyn would have done just as well, so you really can't use that. Plekanec is a more rounded player, better defensivly, but without the same offensive upside. If I'm not mistaken, he spent 3 full years in AHL. And hey, sorry about the moron comment, not trying to start anything nasty with you.

I don't think body weight is Ribs problem. His biggest problems are mental..his lack of effort, his mouthing off to the media about fellow players, his poor defence..his diving..I could go on. He has all the skill he needs to be a top 2 centre, but I fear he will never become the player he could be. He has gotten where he is based on pure talent, has never had to work as much as some other players, and sadly, it shows. He'll be out of NHL hockey in 2 or 3 years, I predict. I really hope I'm totally wrong, and Ribs explode with a great year, but I won't hold my breath.

Only a moron would give up on a 21 year old with as much natural talenty as Kostitsyn. His struggles thus far may have to do with his poor english, and thus communication skills, and the fact that he was largely a one man show in his junior days, and hasn't learned to get open and play well with out the puck. Trust me, this guy is going to be a hell of a winger in a few years. If his buddy Grabovsky (sorry bout the spelling) gets healthy and they play a while in Hamilton together, I think they will light it up. He's a 21 year old kid, he'll be the first callup this year. He may excell this year, maybe in 2 or 3. Gainey will wait as long as he has to.

Hey all, hockey season is approaching again, thus I will spend a few evenings this week taking part in a few hockey pool drafts. I allways take at least one habs in each pool, so my question to you all is..who would be the fisrt habs you would take in a pool this season? Last year I had Koivu in one draft and Kovalev in another. This year, strong candidates are those 2 plus Samsonov, Ribero, Higgens and Ryder. Lets hear some ideas! p.s. Its a points pool, straight up, no goalies

I'm starting to believe Lats will stick this year, maybe Kots gets sent down and promised first callup status, or maybe forcing a trade. Lats, if he sticks, will be given heaps of ice time the first 10 games, as he can still be sent down then.

Do you really think adding Dumont, Chara and Shannahan would improve us that much? Dumont is a goal scorer, but is he really as good or better than Samsonov? I really don't think he's as good. He's more injury prone, tends to be soft on the puck, and isn't very big. Chara signed for 7 mil a year in Boston, why would he have come here for 3.7? Also, he wasn't very effective in the playoffs last year, was he? As for Shannahan, I think he would be a nice addition, but what this team really needs is a stud of a first line center, who can play 25 minutes a night, put the puck in the net, and play the whole season long. The only player resembling that who was available this summer was Jason Arnott, and he's far from injury proof. And, by all accounts, he was persued by Gainey, but chose to sign elsewhere.

Well, I certainly hope you're right, and I'm wrong, on this one. I have little confidence in Ribero being productive this year. Bring on that number one centre!

No Matter what we, or the media might think, if Carbo and Gainey don't believe this guy is ready, then he won't play. My opinion? If a guy has the skill, and has learned everything he has to in junior, then giving him 10 to 12 minutes a game in the NHL, spending time with him in practise, and gradually giving him more and more responsability, is exactly the way to speed up developement. Doesn't work, will ruin the kid, some of you may say? Look back at the early careers of Owen Nolan, Joe Thorton, Patrick Marleau, etc. Guys can really develop this way. Despite what many think, if a rookie doesn't score 30 goals in his first year, it doesn't mean he hasn't developed.

I'm sorry, but must disagree. Rookies other than those of the Crosby calibre can definatly help out this year. Kostitsin, if he ever gets his bearings, has elite level skill, no matter what you may think. Latendresse has great hands, and could also be another Higgens or Ryder this year. The fact is, its never easy to call which guys will have an impact, not many people seen Ryder coming, for instance. So why do you laugh when someone points out a rookie that they think might have an impact? Do you have a crystal ball?

No surprises with the cuts today..I think Carbo will quickly pare down the roster, and hopefully get the set lines going, well before the season starts. The only late cuts will be the guys who actually have a real chance of making an impact..Latendresse, Kostitsin, Chipchura, etc. And, if Latendresse and Kostitsin aren't ready for 2nd or 3rd line, they will be cut as well. I think Chipchura, as a 2 way player, might hand around as a fourth line guy, getting 10 to 12 minutes a game in NHL, if he really impresses at camp.

Healey's an idiot, don't know how he still has a job. Among his former predictions..."the union will never agree to a salary cap"...and last year.."The Canadiens never make the playoffs..playing the Maple Leafs is their playoffs"..he is constantly praising the leafs, and making excuses for them when they lose..I usually just change the channel when he's on now. And, with the hiring of Tie Dummy, TSN is now officially (as if there was ever any doubt), The leafs Stupid Sports Network (TSSN?).

I agree, it'll be Jancevski...former star pick, and more experience than the others. No way will there be a trade, as Bouliion won't be out more than a month or so, and Strait can be the sixth till then.

I'd bet on Kosti...he was dominant at wjc, and he just needs to learn to use his linemates better. I think Latendresse could step in, but because of the 7 years/free agent rule, we won't see him till he's been in AHL for a year, which means in 2 years, unless he really impresses this year or next. Chipchura will definatly play in the AHL this year.

Prediction...Bonk stays with habs, gets 20 goals, 45 points..it is the last year of his contract, and he's healthy, and will be playing his ass off, just wait and see.