Komisarek the Cruncher

They have Sanford and they are very pleased with him. St-Louis is not looking for a goalie, far from it. We in the east don't know Sanford very well, but he is a very good goalie. Aebi would not be an upgrade for them. There are no teams looking for a goalie.

Not that he was awesome defensively, never will be, but he had grit and looked much more energetic on the ice compared to last year. He was sort of a powar forward, without the crushing bodychecks, but was rough along the boards and would win most of his battles. As for playing injured, honestly, a herniated disk is hell. I give him a thumbs up for playing all year with this injury and still managing to score 30 goals. You can't compare that to the bumbs and bruises the guys get along a season, Ryder gets those also. I agree that the sophomore jinx is stupid and is not an excuse. I just wanted to point out that sometimes players do have bad seasons for whatever reasons. If is disk if fine this year, whatch him go and you will see why I'm so high on him and I'm still willing to give him a another year or 2 before saying that is a bum and that we should get rid of him. 30 goals is not something we can afford to turn our back to right now. Maybe in a year or 2 when the young guys have proven to be legit goal scorers.

That would be just brilliant, getting rid of our only 30 goal scorer when offense is our biggest weakness. Sometimes I just don't get where people get their ideas from?? Do you even think before posting???

Right on man. Exactly my line up and the one we will have. Look at the playoffs guys, we will have similar lines. Perez-Plek-Zed was awesome in the playoffs, they were our best line. Higgins-Koivu-Ryder was dynamite at the end of the season. If we can get Shanahan to support Ribs and Kovy, we wil have a very good team. In the "new" NHL, the PP is very important and Ryder is our only "pure" goal scorer. Can't have all 21 guys to be good defensively. Ryder is extremely valuable to us. People seem to forget that he played with an herniated disc all season last year. If back to being healty, he could be a gritty and energic as he was before the lockout. Dandenault was rock solid in the playoffs. Played much better under Gainey then Julien. At 1.7M$, trust me, he will play. I want to keep an expereinces guy like him who's rock solid in the playoffs and as Cup experience. Streit is nothing more then a 7th D. How people quickly forget. He was much better in his rookie season. Do you know what a herniated disk his? Probably not because it fuc..ing hurts and takes the wind out of you, and Ryder played with one all season long last year. He was a very intense player is rookie season, winning most battles along the boards. Also, it was is 2nd season. He will come back with a vengeance this year.

I just don't see any teams really interested to the point of giving us something good in return. As much as I wanted Aebi to go, we will get a better return if we wait until the season when a goalie gets seriously injured or fails to do the job. I'm willing to give him up for not much only to free cap space if we need to free up cap space to sign Shanahan, and only Shanahan. Sanford is not known, especially to us in the east, but he is a very good goalie. St-Louis is not lloking for a goalie. Detroit seems to go the Belfour or Hasek way As for Florida, maybe Keenan doesn't want to go with Auld, and that's a maybe, but he won't give up much for a goalie since he doesn't have to, Auld is a decent goalie. Maybe if he chokes, then BG will be in a position to get a good player in return. Don't forget that Biron is also available. Plus the 2 options in Anaheim and San Jose. Looks like a tandem of Huet and Aebi to start the season. In 1 way it's good, it will force Huet to be sharp and play well. A little pressure and competition never hurts.

Dawm Ryder, up is not as difficult to sign as he was last year. I see him leaving down the road (in a few years) if all he cares about is $$$

Looks like Garon for Huet was a steal for us Too bad there was that throw in of Bonk in the deal, he takes up too much cap space

Man I'm got dawm fed up of people refering to Higgins as a fuc..ing center. The guy was moved to wing in is 1st season in the AHL because the Habs saw him more as a winger, not a center. He as the grit and skills to go along the boards, like a true winger. All of this when we had no depth and no prospects at center, which proves that they did not see him as a center. STOP saying the guy is a center, he's NOT. He asn't been in years. He would probably feel out of position at center. Elias played as a center before, but everybody refers to him as a winger, not a center, SAME for Higgins. When Koivu went down last year (season and playoffs) and we had nobody to fill in is place, did they move Higgins to center...NO. Sorry, I had to get that one off my chest. We only need a top LW for a year probably (2 top), Shanahan is perfect. We have Higgins, Perezhogin, Kostitsyn and Latendresse. 2 of them will pan out to be top LW for our top 2 lines this year or next year. I'm willing to give the young guys a chance. We have depth at LW for the future, none at top 2 lines center. As for PK, we have Koivu, Bonk, Begin, Plek, Murray and Higgins who can play there, no need for additional PK players. Bulis and Sundstrom were plugs to fill the roster, be-bye is the key word for them. Like I said, replacing Ribs should be our main concern for next year. We are more then adequate at all other positions.

I can't stand Ribs. I hope he goes away quickly. Motivation won't change the facts that he is extremelly slow, small and easily pushed aside and off the puck, that he is not physical and afraid of the boards and that he as no shot and not that good at face-offs. Motivation can only make him more responsible defensively, which would be a big plus already. He's simply not what we need to be a top team. Yes we are stuck with him for now, apparently, and hopefully Carbonneau will be able to make him dedicated and more responsible defensively for the time we are STUCK with him. Getting Shanny would be great, I would not be worried about that line because of Shanny and Kovalev. A Shanny-Ribs-Kovy line would be a major upgrade on last year's line where the LW was a revolving door. Besides, we always have Plecks to take is place once he shows us once and for all that he needs to go ASAP.

No thank you, I will pass on all 3, especially Perreault. The fact that Perreault's name is mentionned makes Ecklund's post a big joke.

Savard is going as assistant coach with Therrien. http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/207619.html

I hate the NBA, the teams change completely every years, there is no loyalty, guys get picked up all the time, no consistency in any teams. Thank God for the NHL and the RFA rules.

I'm not a bandwagon fan, I'm a realistic fan. We bearly made the playoffs last year and there is no guarantee that we will make it next year. We had the cap space and the UFA market is the perfect time to get something witout giving up young talent in return. Everybody adresses their needs with UFAs first and then you are stuck hoping that teams will take our Zedniks, Aebischers and etc. They don't need them. Not the greatest startegy. I know that trades are still avilable, but it takes 2 to dance, its much harder to make a trade then to sign a UFA. A bunch of teams are near the cap and all those teams won't be interested in our high priced players we want to trade away, they will want our young guys, and those, I don't want to trade. I will be really disapointed if we have the same team as last year.

That's it, I'm officially pist Looks like nobody wants to come here Thank you stupid fans that yell and complain for nothing and thank you arsh medias for making our town a place to avoid for UFAs. Looks like we will have the exact same team as last year. With most teams improving, getting in the playoffs will be difficult. I don't know if I can stand another full season of anemic offense and boring play from my Habs :?- I was looking forward to signing that offensive help we needed and to next season, now, I don't care, I really do not want the same team as last year.

Yes it does count against the cap, its been mentionned everywhere, and the hit is all this year, not over 2 years since this is not a buyout.

At least BG tried, but in the end, that 7 years in what made the difference and he's not worth it. He will be 37 the last year of his contract. For 7M+, we can get Arnott and Shanahan and we would be a better team with those 2 then just Elias. GO BG, get us these 2 guys please (at least 1)...I can't stand it, I need a UFA signed soon , I'M going nuts

How can you ignore money in a cap system, it's critical to pay guys the right price otherwise you get a bunch of AHLers playing on your team,,,that's not smart management. The Laffs are going nowhere with Raycrap, lousy D (although Kubina helps, they still have a lousy D) and no forwards except the aging Sundin. BG is looking at offense, not defense. He's probably talking to Elias, Arnott and Shanahan right now...at least I hope !!!!

5M$ for Kubina..LOL Way the go JFJ, make sure to bring in a UFA to please the Laffs fans by way over paying him... LOL. Kubina is worth 4M$ top, and I mean TOP.

LOL Johny Rougeau is a poster like you and me. So is "qssvisionz" next to Johnny Rougeau. Those are random posts by fans put there by RDS. Look at the picture above the name, its the same for both (Johnny and qss) and it represents "you" the fan, which is why its a guy pointing at us. Sorry, no arm intended, but that one is just too funny. Click on the link "Chroniqueurs" just above "Pierre Houde" to see to full list of contributors on RDS.

On Sports30 show on RDS, they said that the deal with Bouillon is far from bing done. They said that they were told that Bouillon is seeking 2.2M$ and the Habs are offering 1.7M$, which I think is more then enough. Looks like BG might go after a UFA D tomorrow....unless Bouillon caves in and shows that he really wants to stay in Mtl, the only team that ever wanted him in the past when all other teams past over him as if he was garbage. Show some respect Bouillon for the team that allowed you to be where you are today. He's starting to get on my nerves...ungreatfull prick.

Shanahan at a reasonable price would be awesome. He's a LW, which we don't have a lot and he was only paid 2.28M$ last year. At 37, he can't be asking for the world, I would take him at 2.5 to 3M$. Him and Arnott at 4.5M$ would be awesome. Get rid of Aebischer, Zed and Ribs, that's already 5.5M$ saved.

I disagree, Perez played very well in the playoffs. In fact, the whole Perez-Plek-Zed line played great. Perez add grit and played hard in all the games. The kid as a lot of potential and I can't wait to see what he will do this year.

It would be too funny if Aebi goes to Detroit to shine above Theo and the AVs.. Talk about a trade coming back to bite in the ass....

Just look at their cap situation, they have close to 32M$ for 10 players (including Belfour's and Domi's buyouts) and that excludes Raycrap's salary and possibly Roberts' 2.5M$ they seem to want and get ??? No room for a 4-5M$ guy in Laff town. They can't even aford McKee at 3M$... The Laffs are going to be as funny as last year. Johnny Rougeau as no column on the RDS site. Forget about Arnason, BG won't even come close to him with a 10 feet pole....

Ecklund is a moron who doesn't look at the cap situation of most teams before putting up stupid rumors. The Avs, the Laffs, The Flyers and other teams are already maxed out...no room for big signings, just affordable cheap guys. The Laffs are already at 32M$ (including Belfour's and Domi's buyout) and still need to sign 10 players and they want to get Roberts at 2.5M$ ???? Go ahead JFJ, please get Roberts Rumors of Arnott going to the Laffs are too funny. They can't afford a 4-5M$ guy anymore.