nam

Now I know I will get roasted for this one, but for fun... If anyone is coming to Montreal I'm guessing Plekanec is going the other way and Hamrlik will be on the move in that deal or to someone else with little or no salary coming back. Dallas was reported to have been looking to move Richards who is a 7.8M hit the next two years, maybe Hamrlik and Plekanec would be the basis for a deal for Richards. They are looking to shed salary, but equal would have to go back the other way, but would be in multiple players instead of one. Last 2 Seasons: Plekanec: 161GP 108P +6 26 Years Old (1 Years Remaining On Contract) Richards: 130GP 110P -31 29 Years Old (2 Years Remaining On Contract) Hamrlik: 158GP 60P +11 35 Years Old (2 Years Remaining On Contract) Richards at this point would seem like a gamble as he has declined in his production the last few years. '05 82GP 91P 0 '06 82GP 70P -19 '07 74GP 62P -27 '08 56GP 48P -4 So over the last 4 seasons Plekanec is +20 and Richards is -50. Also looking at the Dallas roster, they have 3 forwards and 3 D-men signed past this year. 2 UFA goalies, 2 UFA D-men, 5 UFA Forwards, 2 RFA D-men, 3 RFA Forwards. Look like a team this past off-season? Would that fix the second line centre problem in Montreal? Maybe, but it would also create a defensive liability and losing a good PK guy that can score.

Not entirely true. If a team takes him in 2 years the hit is 5.8M, in 3 years 5M and for the last year of his contract 4.5M. Those numbers are all affordable for his contract (which is front loaded). The cap hit is the average of the contract from when the team takes him if I am not mistaken. So for the next five years is 8M, 8M, 7.5M, 5.5M and 4.5M. We eat two years of that and suddenly there is a guy with a decent contract who's production has been constant since the lockout. I checked and he has been in the top 29 centers for scoring and face-offs since the lockout and averaged 68 points a season.

Just throwing this out there as we all know Bob is unpredictable. Does anyone have some predictions for the draft? Anything from trades to the player they pick. From http://habsprospects.hockeyhq.net/ 2009 1st round pick - Montreal 2nd round pick - Colorado (from Montreal via Calgary - Leopold trade, Tanguay trade) 2nd round pick - Atlanta (from Anaheim via Washington via Montreal - Schneider trade, Huet trade) 3rd round pick - Montreal 3rd round pick - Montreal (from Atlanta - Schneider trade) 4th round pick - Montreal 5th round pick - Montreal 6th round pick - Montreal 7th round pick - Montreal And the next year as Bob may want to keep picks this year as its a deep draft and in Montreal. 2010 1st round pick - Montreal 2nd round pick - Montreal 2nd round pick - Chicago (from Toronto via Montreal - Lang trade, Grabovski trade) 3rd round pick - Atlanta (from Montreal - Schneider trade) 4th round pick - Montreal 5th round pick - Montreal 6th round pick - Montreal 7th round pick - Pittsburgh (conditional, from Montreal - Kemp trade) A few events that could possibly take place (make sense with various rumours and a few wishful thinking): Rights to Koivu to the Wild for Benoit Pouliot...or maybe weasel in a trade for Bouchard (although small and skilled is not really the need right now). Rights to Komisarek to NYI for one of 31, 47 or 56 picks. Gainey trades down (a la '06) and acquires a lower 1st and 2nd round pick. FYI NAZEM KADRI is a huge Habs fan. Draft: Leblanc, Kassian, Shore, Carter, Budish (Could be a steal this year), Caron, Despres.

Fire trUCK

I hurried home from work for?

*Note: Prospects over and underachieve, this articles information is gathered from following many of these players over the last few years and hockeysfuture. I’m not saying it will happen, simply a current overview. Currently the Montreal Canadiens sit in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. This is largely due to the proven depth of their farm system which has been built mostly of the last five years (See my previous article on how the Canadiens current team was built for an in depth breakdown). This season the Canadiens have not been as healthy as they were last year, players missing significant time include: Price, Koivu, Komisarek, Higgins, Tanguay, Laraque and Dandenault. The farm has played a role in the success of the team with D’Agostini, Chipchura, Maxwell, Pacioretty and Weber all being called up (Weber has played one game sitting out the previous three). As much as it has been a downfall that significant players from the team have missed time, the team has been able to at least see where a few of their prospects sit in terms of being NHL ready. This becomes and important factor this year as the Canadiens have many contracts to renew this off-season. Koivu, Kovalev, Lang, Tanguay, Begin, Kostopolous, Bouillon, Dandenault, Brisebois and Komisarek are all unrestricted free agents at seasons end while many others are restricted free agents. One would think with the exceptions of the captain Koivu and the number one shut-down defenseman Komisarek that prices, current production and young replacements will be the factors as Gainey has shown that he will not re-sign players to ridiculous contracts. Koivu has shown that he will take a home town discount and Komisarek is a premier shut-down defenseman whom should be re-signed at almost any cost. With the possible lowering of the cap and the weaker economy, it may be the end of the over spending to bring players to a team, just in time for Gainey as he has his work cut out for him. Montreals prospect list is deep, yet not spectacular. The forwards have been tested this year while the defence, where the true depth has accumulated, has not seen as much action. Including Koivu the Canadiens have possibly four top-six forwards that could be elsewhere next fall. On the wings currently with the team the Kostitsyns could possibly take over the top spots, although they along with Higgins (when healthy) have struggled at times this season and not shown consistency. Pacioretty has top line potential but may need more time to develop. D’Agostini has shown glimpses of being able to fill those spots, but recently also showed that he is inconsistent and is likely to be a second or third line secondary form of offence, not to be counted on nightly. Past that on the depth chart are Greg Stewart (who will likely be a fourth line energy player) and Danny Kristo (who is likely at least four years away). At centre the Canadiens have Thomas Plekanec who has taken a step back this season and Ben Maxwell who projects as possibly a second line centre, but showed this season that he is a couple years away. Kyle Chipchura and Ryan White look to be solid third or fourth line centers which can chip in offensively, but with Maxime Lapierre there is no room for all three in the next few years. Mathieu Aubin, Brock Trotter and David Desharnais have shown they can score at the lower levels, but are long shot top line NHL players. The defence depth which has not been tested this season may possibly be the most impressive. While Markov is signed for two more seasons and turned 30 this season, Gorges is signed for two more seasons and is 24, in the next five years there will only realistically be a need for three to four full-time defensemen in Montreal, depending on Komisarek this summer as well as assuming for the purpose of this article that Markov and Gorges re-sign later. Hamrlik will be 36 when his contract expires in two years. Similar to the forwards Montreal has many solid but not necessarily top line defensive prospects. Ryan McDonagh currently has the potential to be a top shut-down defenseman similar to Komisarek, while as much as he has shown he is not ready currently, O’Byrne also possesses potential to be a second pairing shut-down defenseman with his size and mean streak. David Fischer and Mathieu Carle are projected as puck-moving defensemen and have decent size; Fischer needs to fill out his frame while Carle needs to improve defensively. P.K. Subban and Yannick Weber are projected PP quarterbacks and both put up solid numbers in the OHL; Weber has continued this in the AHL while Subban showed his talent level on the world stage just a short time ago. Two wildcards are the Russian defensemen; both are currently in Russia and are of similar style. Yemelin and Valentenko are not liked by opponents and combine size with a mean streak, some have linked their qualities to one Darius Kasparitus. Valentenko was in Hamilton but signed a three year deal in Russia; however, this deal does allow him to leave if he should choose to come back to Montreal after this season. Family and money were an issue; one year in the KHL may have fixed that problem as he was not going to make enough in the AHL. Montreal thought they had brought Yemelin over a couple years ago, but a last minute deal was made in Russia, his contract expires at the end of this season and it is said that he would like to come over. Pierre Macquire of TSN says Yemelin is one of the best defensemen outside the NHL; it will be interesting to see how his transition goes as he does currently spend much of his time in the penalty box in Russia. Now for the actual breakdown of this article: *Note: Some players are used in multiple positions; I’m jus using the ones used more often than not. Also assuming most of these young players will reach their anticipated potential by the predicted time. Sources are various articles from the web (hockeybuzz for the contract info) as well as the “Hockey News Yearbook.” Montréal’s current centers include Koivu (UFA), Lang (UFA), Plekanec (RFA), Lapierre and Chipchura (RFA). Up and coming centers include Maxwell, Trotter and White, none of who would appear to really be threats to the current centers. Maxwell and Trotter are offensive projects while White is a third of fourth line player. One would think if Chipchura is ready that Lang or Koivu will not be back next season. This still leaves Montreal with Lapierre who is 23 years old, Chipchura who is 22 years old and Ryan white who is 21 years old. Barring White or Chipchura moving to the wing, it is likely that one of these two will be traded or spending much of the first part of their career in Hamilton. Immediate future: Sources of Offence Koivu (34) (UFA) Primary Lang (38) (UFA) Secondary Plekanec (26) (RFA) Secondary Lapierre (23) Limited Chipchura (22) (RFA) Limited White (20) 3rd or 4th Limited On the wing (not including what is currently a call-up) Montreal consists of Kovalev (UFA), Tanguay (UFA), Higgins (RFA), Latendresse (RFA), Begin (UFA), Kostopolous (UFA), Laraque and the Kostitsyns. Up and coming wingers include Pacioretty, D’Agostini (RFA) and Stewart (RFA). That brings the total of NHL ready (not necessarily reached their potential) wingers to 12. Again Tanguay and Kovalev would be the most difficult to replace and one or both will likely be re-signed. Laraque and the Kostitsyns are signed past this year and will likely be a big part of the team in the near future in their respective area of expertise. Higgins has been bitten by the injury bug the last couple of seasons, but projects as a second line winger; however, he has also been inconsistent and could be the Canadiens version of Coliacovo with the team and fans holding on to the players “potential” when they should be entering their prime (around 28 years of age). Latendresse is still young especially for a power forward and it is not likely Montreal would let him go, or that another team would put together and offer sheet. Begin, Kostopolous and Stewart are all the same type of player, all are fan favourites, yet it is not likely that all will be in the organization next season. One would think that Begin or Kostopolous will not be resigned unless they take a pay cut as Stewart is a current younger, cheaper option for an energy line. D’Agostini was fast out of the gate but his offence has tailed off, one would think he will be a regular or used in a trade by next season as the wings on the second and third lines are deep in Montreal (At times he has reminded me of Erik Cole, other times Michael Ryder). The Canadiens are very high on Pacioretty, this season will be the test if they believe he can maintain his level of play on a top line or be sent back to Hamilton. The re-signing of Kovalev, Tanguay and even possibly Higgins may depend on Pacioretty’s ability to take over their possible vacant position at seasons end. Higgins name has been in trade rumours that last couple of years and even with his injuries still holds value; if Tanguay and Kovalev are re-signed Higgins could likely be traded depending on his price tag. As an RFA this year he is also eligible for arbitration and or could be signed to an offer sheet. Immediate Future: Sources of Offence Kovalev (35) (UFA) Primary Tanguay (30) (UFA) Primary Higgins (25) (RFA) Secondary A.Kostitsyn (23) Secondary (Could soon be primary) S.Kostitsyn (21) Secondary Latendresse (21) (RFA) Secondary D’Agostini (22) (RFA) Secondary Pacioretty (20) Secondary Stewart (22) Limited Begin (30) (UFA) Limited Kostopolous (29) (UFA) Limited Laraque (32) Primary Source of Fisticuffs The Canadiens Defence is where the biggest change will likely be starting this summer. The current regulars are Markov, Komisarek (UFA), Hamrlik, Gorges, Bouillon (UFA), Brisebois (UFA) and until his injury Dandenault (UFA). Within the next couple of years names that you should get familiar with are the up and coming McDonagh, Fischer, Weber, Subban, Carle, Yemelin, Valentenko, Belle (RFA), everyone’s favourite target O’Byrne and maybe even Torp. Excluding Komisarek the Canadiens have the opposite problem on defence as they do at forward. Markov, Hamrlik and Gorges are all signed until the ’10-’11 season which takes care of 3 top 4 defensemen. Re-signing Komisarek would leave Montreal with a solid top 4 until the ’10-’11 season. The real changes will happen on the lower pairings with the likely retirement of the Breezer and Dandenault & Bouillon becoming free agents. It is likely that two even possibly all three spots will be vacant next July, if any hope to return a pay cut will likely be required. O’Byrne, Weber, Belle and Carle have all have at least experienced a few NHL regular or pre-season games. As much has he has struggled this season, O’Byrne projects as a second pairing shut-down defenseman. His puck handling was exposed this year, but he is still valuable with his mean streak and mobility for his size. He was a key component in the Hamilton Calder Cup and simply needs time to round out his raw talent in Hamilton or on another team, the Montreal spotlight will only hinder his development as the expectations are now higher than when Komisarek when through a similar stage. Belle is solid defensively but does not offer much in terms of offence. The opposite can be said of Carle and Weber who are good with the puck but need to work on the play in the defensive zone. Valentenko spent last season in Hamilton so his transition from Russia would not be as unpredictable as Yemelin. McDonagh and Fischer are still in school and will likely require at least a partial season in the AHL to familiarize themselves with the speed and lengthier schedule. Subban who was previous a liability in his own zone has appeared to round out his game and could be on the fast track to the NHL with his offence. Other than the World Junior Championship I have not really heard on saw much of Torp, he missed all or most of last season; however, I did read in a recent interview that he would like to come to North America. Immediate Future: Where They Fit Markov (30) #1 Defenseman Komisarek (26) (UFA) Top Pairing Shut-Down Hamrlik (34) Top 4 Gorges (24) Top 4 Bouillon (33) (UFA) Top 6 Dandenault (32) (UFA) Top 6/Reserve Brisebois (??) (UFA) Top 6/Reserve Belle (23) (RFA) O’Byrne (24) Top 6 Carle (21) Top 6 - Puck Mover Weber (20) Top 6 – PP QB To summarize, even though Montreal has been missing many regulars this season, the farm is stocked with enough talent to allow the team to continue almost as predicted prior to the season. This has given management a good look at young players to help make decisions on the many regulars that can walk on July 1st or which players could potentially be trade bait. The Canadiens are in a good position with no real outrageous contracts left on the books; the cap could potentially lower as well and UFA’s may have to start taking less money especially to stay on a competitive team. Most positions that could be vacated this season look like they could be replaced with a player already in the system. The defence will be interesting over the next few years with Subban (19), McDonagh (19) and Fischer (20) all likely turning pro next season or at the end of this season in time for play-offs. They may not be future Lidstrom’s, but all three posses top four potential. Along with the possible arrival of Torp, Valentenko and Yemelin in Hamilton may have one crowded blueline next season with a possibility of six new defencemen. *Quick Fact: Montreal has 10 potential NHL defensemen drafted from 2003 to 2007. Those included have shown the potential from their performance in the WJC or in a minor league. It’s likely that we will see a trade, a release (contract not renewed) or a career minor leaguer in the near future from a few of them as due to their age there is not room for all. O’Byrne (24), Belle (23), Yemelin (22), Valentenko (21), Carle (21), Fischer (20), Weber (20), McDonagh (19), Subban (19) and Torp (19). 4 signed in North America, 3 playing in Europe and 3 unsigned in Junior likely pro next season. Side Topic: Anyone hear that teams in the KHL can not pay all of their players to the huge contracts they were signed to? Montreal’s has Perezhogin, do you thing he will come back? Or have any real trade value?

Redemption for Tuesday

Side note from being at the game. I did get on the Kiss cam, damn g/f cut it short left me hanging. And I did get into it with Sparty, he uses that tail as a weapon! Tanguay was the best forward out there, Begin and Kostopolous are always working, the Kostitsyns make some little plays together that I never noticed before and am still not sure how they pull it off. Price was spectacular....again. Not sure if Georges will ever score a goal, he had a chance or two, but he is one of only a few that is always physical and will keep the puck in at the offensive blueline. I have a pile of pic's, will see how I can load them for everyone to see. I also have video of all the Canadiens shoot-out attempts, I was in the Ottawa corner so I saw all of the Canadiens goals. There were more habs fans then sens fans in the building and around the city it seemed, always out numbering the home team no matter where we were.

I'll bring the spare set for that, I don't want to be at the Scotia Bank Place longer than I have too, hostile territory. I'll be the guy (hopefully as long as all goes well) dancing in the corner, and on peoples cars in the parking lot. Section 130 if anyone else is around there, leaving now!!!

I'm going to this game, 5th row from the glass in the corner, hopefully I can see everything. My first live Habs game, they had better turn it up so its not a waste of money and a drive up.

I actually called the Higgins Hat-Trick, not sure why or how, but it happened.

I wasn't saying we did not have any good picks, I was just pointing out how poor our first round record was. I could have added in the rest although I didn't think anyone would read it if it got even longer. Vokun(expansion), Beachemin (waivers), Robidas (waivers), Tucker (trade to Tampa), Conroy (trade to St.Louis) all never really did much in Montreal, and why they were never mentioned as well as they had no significant impact on how the current team was constructed. Ward was never more than a 4th liner other than maybe one year, he had 28 points in 81 games with the Rangers. His next highest was 14 with Tampa, hardly acceptable for a 11th overall pick. That still leaves your list relatively weak compared in length and skill compared to the current organization. Out of that list the ones who had a current impact as of this season would be Balej (Kovalev)(Steal), Rivet (Gorges, Pacioretty)(Armed Robbery), and Markov.

I really hate the Flyers and Bruins...but I don't think there is a word that describes how much I do not like the Leafs. If the franchise were a person I wouldn't say I would want them dead (like a holla back girl), I just wouldn't want the to be alive...anymore.

Other than the Leafs which I can't really help, I have always had it in for the Bruins for some reason. Not a fan of them at all, they have some players I wouldn't mind, but as a franchise I love watching Montreal beat them. Flyers are dirty, always have always will be.

Drafting is anything but an exact science, some teams have shown a much better track record than others over the years. Some teams remain competitive due to good draft choices while others remain stagnant due to poor choices, both regardless of draft position. A teams minor league affiliate as well as scouting staff can have a huge impact on the NHL teams success, not necessarily instantly, but over a period of time. Teams with affiliates which have good coaching and a solid foundation can turn picks which may have gone on to be career minor leaguers to NHL players. Most of the credit however should be given to the scouting staff and the people responsible for the picks. With the Montreal Canadiens things started to turn for the better when Trevor Timmins and Bob Gainey were brought in, Timmins from Ottawa and Gainey from Dallas. Throughout the 90’s the Canadiens had a good run of bust picks as well as some poor trades on ones that did work out. Gainey and his cup in Dallas and Timmins and his solid draft record in Ottawa. During the pre- Gainey & Timmins era (1990‘s before 2003(Bob) 2002(Trevor)) the Canadiens picks were mediocre at best as there is still only one remaining with a positive impact on the organization. 1990 - Round 1 - 12th - Turner Stevenson - 644GP 190Pts in the NHL. 1991 - Round 1 - 17th - Brent Bilodeau - 0GP in the NHL 1992 - Round 1 - 20th - David Wilkie - 167GP 36Pts in the NHL. 1993 - Round 1 - 21st - Saku Koivu - 727GP 592Pts in the NHL. 1994 - Round 1 - 18th - Brad Brown - 330GP 29Pts in the NHL. 1995 - Round 1 - 8th - Terry Ryan - 8GP 0Pts in the NHL. 1996 - Round 1 - 18th - Matt Higgins - 57GP 3Pts in the NHL. 1997 - Round 1 - 11th - Jason Ward - 335GP 81Pts in the NHL. 1998 - Round 1 - 16th - Eric Chounard - 90GP 22Pts in the NHL. 1999 - No first round pick, of the 11 players picked that year one (Matt Carkner now in the Ottawa organization) player played a total of 1 game in the NHL. 2000 - Round 1 - 13th - Ron Hainsey - 245GP 85Pts in the NHL, currently playing in Atlanta. 2000 - Round 1 - 16th - Marcel Hossa - 237GP 61Pts in the NHL. So from 1990 to 2000, a span of ten years, the Canadiens picked two players that were more than a third liner to a complete bust. Hainsey was lost on re-entry waivers to Columbus and Koivu is still with the team. The next two years which are still pre-Gainey & Timmins era, began to for the Canadiens into the team they are today. Komisarek and Plekanec were taken in 2001 and Higgins in 2002. Following that the Canadiens have gone on an impressive draft streak including current players such as A.Kostitsyn, Lapierre, O’Byrne, Halak in 2003, Chipchura, Yemelin, Grabovski, Streit and Stewart in 2004, Price, Latendresse, S.Kostitsyn, D’Agostini in 2005, Fischer, Maxwell, Carle, White, Valentenko in 2006, McDonagh, Pacioretty, Subban, Weber in 2007. The players listed above from 2001 to 2007 have made an impact currently with the team, by trade or have a good chance to make it in the next few years and or are making an impact in Hamilton. One notable missing as he only played one game as a member of the Canadiens, but was solid with their minor league affiliate is Corey Locke, drafted in 2003. The current roster boasts a wealth of home grown talent, most of which has been picked by Gainey and Timmins. The following is not exactly how lines should be or what side each person is on, but how they were acquired, not including the picks traded for picks to move up or down in the draft. Age shown in (). A.Kostitsyn (23) Plekanec (25) Kovalev (35) (Rd 1 10th Overall ‘03) (Rd 3 71st Overall ‘01) (Trade) Tanguay (28) Koivu (33) Latendresse (21) (Trade) (Rd 1 21st Overall ‘93) (Rd 2 45th Overall ‘05) Higgins (25) Lang (37) S.Kostitsyn (21) (Rd 1 14th Overall ‘02) (Trade) (Rd 7 200th Overall ‘05) Begin (30) Lapierre (23) Laraque (31) (Waivers) (Rd 2 61st Overall ‘03) (UFA) Dandenault (32) Chipchura (22) Kotsopoulos (29) (UFA) (Rd 1 18th Overall ‘05) (UFA) Markov Komisarek (Rd 6 162nd Overall ‘98) (Rd 1 7th Overall ‘01) Hamrlik O’Byrne (UFA) (Rd 3 79th Overall ‘03) Brisebois Gorges (Rd 2 30th Overall ‘89 & UFA) (Trade) Bouillon (Undrafted & Waivers) Price (Rd 1 5th Overall ‘05) Halak (Rd 9 271st Overall ‘03) Kovalev was acquired for Jozef Balej (Rd 3 78th Overall ‘00) and Rd 2 51st Overall ‘04 Pick. Gorges was acquired with Rd 1 22nd Overall ‘07 Pick (Pacioretty) for Craig Rivet (Rd 3 68th Overall ‘92). Tanguay was acquired with Rd 5 138th Overall ‘08 (Trunev) for Rd 1 25th Overall ’08 & Rd 2 ‘09. Lang was acquired for Toronto’s Rd 2 ‘09 Pick, previously acquired with Greg Pateryn (Tor - Rd 5 128th Overall ‘08) for Mikhail Grabovski (Rd 5 150th Overall ‘04). Personal Observation: Latendresse is only 21 years old, he was taken the same year as Price, S.Kostitsyn, D’Agostini, yet many people talk about him not living up to his potential and demanding trades. He is a young power forward who will need time to develop. He was taken in the second round, yet he has the pressure of a high first round pick. A player of similar size and skill is Todd Bertuzzi who was drafted 2 spots behind Koivu in 1993, but never really had a NHL breakout season until 99-00. A current accurate comparison could be Steve Beriner, he was a mid first round pick who played in the same junior league as Latendresee and is a couple years older. So when you look at Bernier, think two years back and Latendresse is not really bad opposed to what many people think. As you can see the current team is make up of many Canadiens draft picks and the missing parts were brought in using other picks and drafted players. The bulk of this group was constructed over a five year span from 2001 to 2005 drafts, 2003 and 2005 being the most productive. Even though the Canadiens current line-up contains many of their own picks, the system remains strong as they have not traded away many picks or prospects. The Hamilton Bulldogs won a championship in 2007 with a few key members of the Canadiens today. They struggled last season due to these losses, but are looking just as strong this year with a large group of the Canadiens prospects graduating from the junior ranks to the AHL. The following is a brief list of the current players in the system which have a legitimate chance of playing in Montreal at some point this year or in the next few years as they have stood out at the Junior world stage, the AHL or in the Canadiens camp. 2004 - Round 8 - 246th Overall - Greg Stewart - Hamilton AHL 2004 - Round 3 - 84th Overall - Alexi Yemelin - Russia 2005 - Round 6 - 190th Overall - Matt D’Agostini - Hamilton AHL 2006 - Round 1 - 20th Overall - David Fischer - Minnesota NCAA 2006 - Round 2 - 49th Overall - Ben Maxwell - Hamilton AHL 2006 - Round 2 - 53rd Overall - Mathieu Carle - Hamilton AHL 2006 - Round 3 - 66th Overall - Ryan White - Hamilton AHL 2006 - Round 5 - 139th Overall - Pavel Valentenko - Hamilton AHL 2007 - Round 1 - 12th Overall - Ryan McDonough - Wisconsin NCAA 2007 - Round 1 - 22nd Overall - Max Pacioretty - Hamilton AHL 2007 - Round 2 - 43rd Overall - P.K Subban - Belleville OHL, Canada WJC 2007 - Round 3 - 73rd Overall - Yannick Weber - Hamilton AHL 2008 - Round 2 - 56th Overall - Danny Kristo - USA WJC 2008 - Round 5 - 138th Overall - Maxim Trunev - Russia - 3rd Overall Pick CHL Import Draft (Portland) To summarize, the organization has improved in their scouting and drafting over the years which has directly impacted the franchise for this season and many seasons to come. If the Canadiens can keep this trend there will never really be a need to tear down and rebuild completely (See Detroit). By surrounding their current players with young talent which allows for better development, the cycle can continue for years.

I have been excited for him since he was drafted in 2004. I think he could be Sheldons replacement on the Powerplay. He was the Suiss captain and logged a ton of minutes on the national team and his regular team on a bigger ice surface. He is not a liablility on the ice and can contribute at all point and positions. Others my dissagree but I think he is one of the most underrated players out there, I'm not saying he is an all-star caliber underrated, but he does everythin well, just not one thing amazing to get noticed.

Check on the Habs site under sympatico highlights.

Did anyone notice last night that the team played a gritty hard working game, this only really started to stand out when I saw Ribeiro (yes I said RIBEIRO) actually throw a check in the corner. If he could start to play like this when Saku returns we should have nothing to worry about as his offence has picked up the last few games as well. The other think I noticed was Tomas Plekanec, this guy was doing it all. He was making moves which turned into scoring chances. On two goals specifically he used a couple nice moves and backhands to set up and score goals. The future looks bright as he is also a sound defensive player. The only bad thing I noticed from the game was the lack of playing time for certain players. I could see the call-ups not getting as much tim (even though they scored) but where was Higgins? I haven't really seen him in a few games, he Plakanec and Perzehogin should be getting regular shifts.

He reminds me of another Steve Begin, just give him some time to develope an offensive upside. And we all know how much we love Begin.

My thought exactly, why let Danis sit on the bench when is could play almost every game in the minors. Let Huet sit and play once in a while.

I agree, ribs does have a chip on his shoulder, but it sounds like a joke (being the two are friends and even if they weren't I'd think ribs would have more sense than to say that about a team/line-mate

Pretty sure Souray is better than Salei when not playing well, there is no point in acquiring him. And Sykora is too expensive, we have kids that can step in on the socring lines, leave Bonk alone on the checking line, maybe after his injury fully heals we'll see the Bonk of old. There is no point in any trades bringing in forwards, there are plenty in the system(Sykora has 2 years after this). The only trade needed is for a top D-man, which Salei is not.

Bonk was aquired as a 3rd line checking center and thats what he is doing. He is shutting down oppenents and you don't see him giving the puck away all the time. Just because he isn't scoring goals doesn't mean he is not valuable, look at his original linemates (Sundstrom and Bulis). They are 3 playmakers on one line so points would naturally be hard to come by, just because they aren't scoring means we need to trade them. That's what the firls two "Scoring Lines" are for, they seem to be doing their job as "Checking Line" pretty damn good. Maybe if everyone would realize we don't need 4 scoring lines they would appreciate these players, two of three used to be top line players and now re-invented themselves as checking line players will some offensive upside (need to have a goal scorer on the line instead of 3 playmakers), I didn't see everyone write that Joe Juneau should be traded, he was the same type of player (over 100 pts in his rookie season then defensive specialist). So CH_NL and especially PB is Bonk that bad? No, he doesn't get the offensive number because he's playing defensive minutes (although recently on the PP due to injuries), and with defensive players in a defensive role. He has done a damn good job in the role he's been given, let the scorers score and the checkers check. Need to keep the pucks out of the net as much as you need to put them in, lay off Bonk he'll be fine. Also maybe that groin injury keeps nagging him, playing though pain? That would drop ones play, look at Koivu, this week off should rest all.

He is likely the best defensive forward on the team in terms of shutting down a specific player or line, and can chip in offensively, he is consistent and doesn't usually have a bad game. He's a safe reliable player, I don't think there would be a need to move him especially with lots of cap room in Montreal.

Hi simonus Wow, Bonk at #1centre... I think they need speed and grit like Saku has. Begin or Plek might be the answer but you are right and it will probably be Bonk. Corey Locke brought up to the big club would be interesting as he has wheels and can score. I really like the Bulis-Begin-Sundstrom line. Locke doesn't really have wheels, he is a slow playmaking center that has some finish. He's more of a Ribeiro type minus the attitude and is smaller at 5'9 170lbs.