CoRvInA

Stillman very do-able... most likely Florida will shed that payroll but they are still in the hunt for a playoff spot IMO not too far off. Still 6 points behind 8th with a game in hand. Im curious about NJ and what they have... I dont think they consider us too much of a threat to deal with us conference rivals... Tomorrow (today) we will be able to look at them in detail. Make your bets boys!

I understand your view, but we see differently then. Come trade deadline anything is available for a price for some teams, and to others it could mean saving a buck or two. To acquire a top 4 d-man that is in a his last year of contract, it could only take a Pick and a Picard.... hehe i like that word play. Same goes for a top 6 forward. So yes it takes two to tango but you portray a top 4 dman acquisition almost at the same level as acquiring a top pairing Dman. to me very different

Seriously? we can trade Picard we can trade Weber Carle...

Wiz or no Wiz on the PP we are now 22 straight PP without a Goal

that picture of Avery on RDS.ca http://www.rds.ca/ is hilarious!!!

As I was seeing the highlights of the not so spectacular Panthers vs Habs games. I found myself caught in my thoughts.... as I gazed at Gionta in slow-motion scoring his gutsy, talented and albeit lucky rebound goal. Gutsy because at 5foot 6, you have to have major 'cojones' to venture anywhere near the blue paint. And yet, as those images passed by my retinas... I pondered what if Gionta was playing for free... (cue Squeeeeking record scratching noise!!) Yes, what if all the players on the Habs team were playing purely for the love of the game... wouldn't that goal be even sweeter?!?! And I admit, that a chill of human-empowering sensation ran through my spine! But whatever your opinion, the question merits a reiteration (its been discussed countless times.. but maybe not since the fall of the Soviet Union)... What if, say the NHL had a policy where each player, coach and official had to have an off the ice job, where u guaranteed you punched in 40 hours a week. And you were remunerated according to your daily job remuneration.. etc etc... Wouldnt that screw up everything now! In the end we would be left with 1930-50s level hockey playing with jolly and inspiring teams that would fight to remain in the Premier league, along with beer bellies and drama and fist fighting stories across the continent. Then my thoughts arrived at this... So, if we dont want 1930s hockey then why the hell do we still play on 1930s size rinks with a ######edly hard puck and boards that crack legs, arms and skulls??!?!?! Hockey players today occupy more room and space than ever before on the rink, and now we even have 4 officiating reffs on it!!! So is the fragility of this league and professional sport, so apparent in nature... that the issue of changing the size of the rink immediately becomes a non topic for the league and owners??!?! So What, if we lose 500 seats in the resizing. Isn't the evolution of the game more important!?!? And if that isn't the intent, why can't the safety of our players, who earn millions and make others earn millions, be the motivational purpose?!?!... Will we have to wait for Crosby or Ovechkin to retire prematurely for this to happen??! I wanna know how many concussions and game ending incidents occur on European rinks, and compare that to American Garage leagues through to the NHL. Enough skewed interpretations... Make this game the best in the world, make it the best sport in the world, why does the all mighty dollar stand against all things right in this world? Go habs Go

Oh true!!!! your right! Renaud Lavoie is the reporter who has been known to have "scoops" I had more faith in him before his tweeting days... now it seems he tweets about anything. But it is known he has inside info... I still preffer him than Francois Gagnon

Indeed I think Gill has earned his spot. Especially now that PK performs much better when paired with him. PK needs to spend another year NOT as a top pairing D, and with Gill, why not. Therefor, Markov needs a top Pairing partner; Wiz or someone else perhaps even Gorges? This means we require another top pairing Dman to fix Spacek's mistakes and take over if Markov or the other top D man is hurt. I for one don't think Hammer is up for that again... and if he were he would have to sign at a discount price. no way we can fit him at +4mill a season Markov - Wiz or (Top 2-4 D for around 4 mil that can play +23 min) this may vary if Markov signs cheap Gorges - (Top 4 D under 4mil can play 20 min) or *Spacek* Gill-PK Weber *Spacek* needs to go. Unless we have such depth in our D, that Spacek can be utilized for 15min per game tops. This means we have kept: Markov, Wiz and either Hammer or acquired another top 4 D for next season. Yet again if the team does not keep Gill, Spacek might play with PK and more importantly play Spacek on THE LEFT!!!.

hmmmm Hot girl.... Reg Chicoutimi's comments. I think the time to throw the towel is once the playoffs are over (if he sucks in them). Remember Gomez shined last year in the post-season. And like we mentioned before, JM still has to try him at the wing or on the fourth line. I think even Cheechoo and Redden had stunts all over before being dumped in the minors. But then again doesnt Gomez have a NMC?

other way around...unless your just referring to the PP. JM will have to try Gomez on the wing, with Desharnais and Pouliot

I repeat, If he has to, or wants to play in a team as a first pairing Dman (i.e. around 25 min a game) he or at the very least his agent will want more than 4 mil a season. no doubt if the Habs sign other top pairing Dmen (Markov + Wiz and say regher etc) or Hammer is looking for a long term deal without the high responsibility of a first pairing D all 82 games, then in theory he could ask for less then 4mil. It depends what role Hammer wants or is prepared to give

OMG Lavoie... Someone has to remind him Less is More... He talks so much that when he follows through on the description of the game he is already 5 secs behind of the action... 5 secs is A hell of a long time in Hockey! Why do these oldtimers decribe play by play as if it were radio? is it intended for the visually impaired? On a PP: We can see Wiz got the pass on the right side of his stick.. no need to say he takes 3 no, 5 strides to the left, and heads over to the middle then pivots to the left to draw the attacker away from Weber who by the way has his family in town (add a giggle from B.Brunet and a comment how expensive that is for a rookie)... and by the time he says that weber takes a shot and deflects on a D.. Carey Price already is passing the puck to Pk subban who just replaced Weber who isn't even on the rink anymore!!!

ok! I await the personal messages!

Requesting streams publicly is not permitted. - dlbalr

Absolutely true Chicoutimi, seeing our present D-core all dandy-rosie is ludicrous. 1)Hammer wants at least 4 mil a year if he has to play like the first Dman again so my guess is "Bye bye" 2)Wiz will want 4mil a year and if PG can't sign him now before the season is over then chances are that its "bye bye" 3)If Markov isn't upset with Mtl he may sign with a hometown discount for around 4mil a year, otherwise Washington will have him 4)Gill needs to sign for no more than 1.6mil and add more good Dmen A player like Regehr or any other number 4 dman wants to play in a team where he is number 4! not number 6 nor number 1 (if he is paid like a number 4). So I see adding another Dman like this can only aid us with this season AND the next.

Zach Stortini on waivers... 25 year old bruiser. CAN he be tought to go infront of the net and take pucks to the face and deflect them in?

so nobody talking about Camm travelling with the team? looks like a week or two left for him

I too, am for getting the Brazilian!

get them players that can stand their ground at the crease!

Question 1: Should the Habs consider bringing back Alexei Kovalev this season? Question 2: For the Habs to go deep this season, is a backup who can handle more games required? Question 3: Roman Hamrlik and Hal Gill - At year's end, re-sign both, one, or neither? R:/ 1) if a) we are desperate enough, as long as its cheap and Kovy is 200% healthy. Carbo said he would pick him up for cheap at the trade deadline if he were healthy because he is 2nd to none when he feels like playing. And I believe that... does Kovy believe that?!?!?! R:/ 2) 50 games in and truth be told YOU and I Can't answer that.. Auld needs to play more, before a decision can be made here R:/ 3) Yes to both if Hall signs for no more than 1.8 mil Yes for hammer if he can play for 3mil a season (which he wont) so bye bye hammer

Absolutely! but this is as much a diagnosis as is a cure... specifying what "Niche" is available and required for this team and ANY team for that matter. I now see why they went after Eller and Boyd. I also see why they made Pouliot Lapierre and Latendresse go crazy... trying to fit them into this VAcant Niche. Take Pacioretty for example he may have been among the top of poack in the AHL, along with Desharnais... YEt at the beginning of the season you could say that Boyd Eller and Pacioretty value was pretty equal... therefor getting a player to fit that role is tough but not impossible... they need better scouts and continue pushing and trying out new players to fit the mold.

screw the competition. I wanna see Richards and PK together at the dinner or reception or better yet get into a fight while signing autographs!

according to a source in Danslescoulisses.com... The Habs refused to let Muller out of his contract to go coach with New Jersey. And yet preferred to let Guy Boucher go. The Habs were (or maybe still are) inclined to keep Muller. Could he go become headCoach in Hamilton next year?!?!

I wrote about the must have and must not have variables during a game... 2 of the "must haves" were not met and one important "must not have" was reached during that flyers game... and thus our loss But I must add another variable or sub-bullet to those.. 6) We need garbage goal ready and "effective" players in each line. which means talent and a lot more size in the crease. I recall the flyers scored 2 "garbage goal" that night. one of which was Carter's, and I clearly recall how he didn't budge when our D pushed him and he still scored. So this is possibly the most clear example where size is needed. We now only have Darche and Pacioretty that have been successful at scoring those types of goals (others have tried but failed) I for one am a "we ARNOTT interested" because of his age, but he will provide that size up in the crease (provided he has the guts) and he may be able to score as many garbage goals as Darche can. We need Big gutsy soft handed players playing in each of our lines! get him for a year, and start recruiting more

Ah I see!!! thanks B!