Spending money

[cfposi]

If we're going to ice a make-shift checking line, Streit might as well play forward with Smoke and Begin.

Smoke is a little expensive for a 4th line center...I Hope our O-lines will look like:

Grabs/Lats - Koivu - Ryder

Higgs - Pleks - Kost/Kovy

Lats/Grabs - Smoke - Kovy/Kost

Begin - Chips - Lapierre

[saskhab]

Smoke is a little expensive for a 4th line center...I Hope our O-lines will look like:

Grabs/Lats - Koivu - Ryder

Higgs - Pleks - Kost/Kovy

Lats/Grabs - Smoke - Kovy/Kost

Begin - Chips - Lapierre

I'm assuming we brought in Smoke to be the C who matches up against opponents top lines. I wouldn't put him with offensive minded wingers with defensive defecencies (which is every winger you paired him with)

It could be a Streit-Smoke-Lapierre combo, though, if Begin isn't up for that kind of duty.

We certainly didn't sign Smoke to run 3 offensive lines. We're running a 2-2 line breakdown just like last year. The 4th will be mainly the young guys.

I don't know if Lahti can play a checking line role yet, though. He's the wildcard.

[cfposi]

Good points....really, I don't care about the lines next year...as long as we let them develop and resist from rotating lines every period!

[Chris]

Wait a minute, I had an arguement with everyone but 1 person on this board about Streit being a top 4 Dman. If he is such a great Dman why does everyone have him in there lineup as a forward? Doesn't make sense.

Put him on D where he belongs. The Habs have too many forwards as it is.

[saskhab]

Good points....really, I don't care about the lines next year...as long as we let them develop and resist from rotating lines every period!

I really do hope this Lahti kid brings something good.

This summer really could change in a hurry if we found a new team for Kovalev, though. I really don't know where he fits for next year at all.

I'm disappointed with our acquisitions, but I fully realize this team is a work in progress. I just really didn't like the term and salary for Hamrlik, although I like him as a d-man to a certain level.

[CoRvInA]

Again, about $7.5m in cap space... but that doesn't include raises for the 3 RFA's: Ryder, Plekanec, and Gorges. Their cap hit right now in the total is their qualifying offer ($2.2m for Ryder, $495k each for Plekanec & Gorges). And we also have 1-2 more roster spots available to use (up to a 23 man roster).

Thanks Saskhab

great now with Ryder going to arbitration he's getting 3-4 Mil and were gonna have 4-5 Mil in cap space

And Gainey is done... or at least seemingly.. he might still be flying low key typical BG tactic.

I guess Yashin was asking more than 3 Mil ..Bah!!!... Folly!

[JMMR]

Wait a minute, I had an arguement with everyone but 1 person on this board about Streit being a top 4 Dman. If he is such a great Dman why does everyone have him in there lineup as a forward? Doesn't make sense.

Put him on D where he belongs. The Habs have too many forwards as it is.

Streit could be a perfect match for Hamrlik.

[saskhab]

Wait a minute, I had an arguement with everyone but 1 person on this board about Streit being a top 4 Dman. If he is such a great Dman why does everyone have him in there lineup as a forward? Doesn't make sense.

Put him on D where he belongs. The Habs have too many forwards as it is.

It's pretty obvious that Carbo sees him as a forward when everyone is healthy. Unless we ditch one of our bottom pair guys, I don't see them using Streit back there, even if I think we desperately need his puck moving skills and mobility back there.

If O'Byrne is making this team, then Streit is playing on Smoke's wing.

[BTH]

Wait a minute, I had an arguement with everyone but 1 person on this board about Streit being a top 4 Dman. If he is such a great Dman why does everyone have him in there lineup as a forward? Doesn't make sense.

Put him on D where he belongs. The Habs have too many forwards as it is.

I prefer him as a forward than as a D but I consider him a solid #4 defenceman (not top 3, not bottom pairing - a #4).

[saskhab]

Very minor adjustment with Kostopoulos signing...

I added Kostopo but dropped Lahti... Now there are no players on the roster that didn't end the season with a NHL team. Since Kostopo only makes $900,000 and Lahti $850,000, our cap figure only went up by $50,000.

So we're at $42 778 333 now based on this 21 man roster:

Higgins - Koivu - Ryder (RFA)

Latendresse - Plekanec (RFA) - Kovalev

Begin - Smolinski - Kostitsyn

Murray - Lapierre - Kostopoulos

Markov - Komisarek

Streit - Hamrlik

Bouillon - Dandenault

Gorges (RFA)

Huet

Halak

For reference, here's the salaries of players/prospects who are supposedly close to making the team:

Carey Price, G: $2 200 000

Kyle Chipchura, C: $942 800

Janne Lahti, LW: $850 000

Mikhail Grabovski, C: $725 000

Corey Locke, LW: $620 400 (RFA)

Ryan O'Byrne, D: $612 500

Duncan Milroy, RW: $609 950 (RFA)

J-P Cote, D: $544 500 (RFA)

Jonathon Ferland, RW: $495 000 (RFA)

And the salaries of the players that are most likely to go to lose their roster spot:

Garth Murray, LW: $600 000

Josh Gorges, D: $495 000 (RFA)

Jaroslav Halak, G: $491 667

Just so you can cut and paste players into a 23 man roster based on the total so far.

[TruthMonger]

I'm guessing Murray is gone and Lahti will remain, but as you said, that's just a cut-and-paste of similar numbers.

Nice job on this, by the way. Love having the running total.

[cfposi]

So, based on what we have today, I came up with these lines as the most likely (by my estimation). I have also included as extras, those who are left out, or those who deserve to be ont he team this year (in the very least):

O-Corps:

Kovy - Koivu - Ryder

Higgs - Pleks - Kost

Lats - Smoky - Lapps

Begin - Chips - Lathi/Kosto

Extras:

Murray

Locke

Grabs

Milroy

Ferland

D-Corps:

Marky - Komi

Hammy - Streit

Dandy - Bouillon

Extras:

Gorges

O'Byrne

Janny

Cote

There just seems to be too much in our laps right now. Although I understand the benefits of depth, it seems to me that by signing Kosto and keeping either Kovalev or Ryder, we have (yet again) taken chances away from well deserving young guys. We seem to be ok on D, but our lines SHOULD look more like this next year.

Lats - Koivu - Ryder/Kovy

Higgs - Pleks - Kost

Lathi - Smoky - Lapps

Begin - Chips - Milroy

Extras:

Kosto

Grabs

Locke

I base this on 3 things:

1) Either Ryder of Kovalev are gone for prospects/picks (Ryder more likely)

2) Kosto is kept as depth/grinder and we let murray go (finally)

3) Grabs and Locke get priority call-up for injuries next year.

Just my thoughts....but I just can't imagine how we will use all of these players next year. Eventually Hamilton will become a hindrance to the development of our young talent. I understand this organization's belief in being patient with the youth, but we already have guys in hamilton losing jobs because of a lack of space. I dunno...just a thought.

[Habitforming]

So, based on what we have today, I came up with these lines as the most likely (by my estimation). I have also included as extras, those who are left out, or those who deserve to be ont he team this year (in the very least):

O-Corps:

Kovy - Koivu - Ryder

Higgs - Pleks - Kost

Lats - Smoky - Lapps

Begin - Chips - Lathi/Kosto

Extras:

Murray

Locke

Grabs

Milroy

Ferland

D-Corps:

Marky - Komi

Hammy - Streit

Dandy - Bouillon

Extras:

Gorges

O'Byrne

Janny

Cote

There just seems to be too much in our laps right now. Although I understand the benefits of depth, it seems to me that by signing Kosto and keeping either Kovalev or Ryder, we have (yet again) taken chances away from well deserving young guys. We seem to be ok on D, but our lines SHOULD look more like this next year.

Lats - Koivu - Ryder/Kovy

Higgs - Pleks - Kost

Lathi - Smoky - Lapps

Begin - Chips - Milroy

Extras:

Kosto

Grabs

Locke

I base this on 3 things:

1) Either Ryder of Kovalev are gone for prospects/picks (Ryder more likely)

2) Kosto is kept as depth/grinder and we let murray go (finally)

3) Grabs and Locke get priority call-up for injuries next year.

Just my thoughts....but I just can't imagine how we will use all of these players next year. Eventually Hamilton will become a hindrance to the development of our young talent. I understand this organization's belief in being patient with the youth, but we already have guys in hamilton losing jobs because of a lack of space. I dunno...just a thought.

No Matter how many times I look at it...Begin has to go.

Lahti is younger cheaper and more skilled. He stays.

What happens if S.Kostitsyn, Aubin , Grabovski, D'agostini, or someone else off the radar performs well enough to stay with the habs?

We all assume if someone stays it will be O'Byrne, Valentenko, Cote etc...but it is always a D.

So someone has to be moved no matter what, in reality..two must go.

I understand their value to the team but in shear numbers, why did we sign Kostopoulos and Smolinski again??

[tokyohabs]

I think absolutely one of Cube/Dandy is gone somehow, maybe in a package deal. Gorges and O'Byrne to fight it out for the last spot.

good point about Begin, or someone. What to do if Kostisyn and Grabovsky have great camps, on a team that struggles for creativity? Even a guy like Subban? How Mighty Ducks are we getting?

There is no way we will have Milroy and Chips starting, with Kostopolous on spot duty. Kostopolous will start.

[lazy26]

No Matter how many times I look at it...Begin has to go.

Lahti is younger cheaper and more skilled. He stays.

I think Lahti will be on the 3rd line, so Begin will get most of his time on the 4th, with some other shifts and PK thrown in. Begin may not look good on paper, but he blocks shots, stands up for his team, plays hurt, and always plays his heart out. No way does this guy lose a spot on the team

[JMMR]

I think Lahti will be on the 3rd line, so Begin will get most of his time on the 4th, with some other shifts and PK thrown in. Begin may not look good on paper, but he blocks shots, stands up for his team, plays hurt, and always plays his heart out. No way does this guy lose a spot on the team

I agree Gainey signed him to a 1 mil a year deal for the other things he brings, but he has to stay healthy when he plays injured as he did last year he does not make the team that much better. But when he is healthy he can be an inspiration.

[saskhab]

I must say... as much as I've trashed the term/value of the Hamrlik deal, he does help sort our D issues out quite a bit at least short term.

As far as Lahti goes, none of us really know much about him, so I find it hard to plug him in anywhere. It's much different than when Streit came over... we (the fans) knew we had Streit and had been following him for 2 years and had an idea of what game he played.

So, IMO, there's one F spot open, and it's between Lahti, Grabovski, Locke, and Chipchura for the regular spot. Milroy, Ferland, and Murray are in a seperate battle, IMO, for the 14th forward spot.

It looks like we'll be able to comfortably handle a full 23 man roster this year.

[Zowpeb]

The Habs will not bring a guy in until they know he's ready...

I read a quote from Timmins the other day about the draft saying that with contracts and the new CBA you want to be really sure a guy is ready on his rookie contract or you waste it. Seeing that philosophy in the organization is a good thing and will serve them well. I don't think O'Byrne will see more then a handful of games in the NHL this year...jmho.

Frankly, I think that's why Lats making the team was a mistake last year. You can't afford to rush these things...Lats will be UFA eligible at a very young age and the team could lose him right before he actually enters his "prime" and starts producing...

[Chris]

BG already said that Obyrne, Dandy and Komi should be the right side D next year. Everything he says he does. So i think the writting is on the wall for Bouillon, Gorges or Streit in trades. The right side seems set. 3 player 1 spot.

As for Lats, it's simply up to BG to lock him up for a long term deal before he hits UFA. I am cinfident he will. He signs the people he needs to.

[Habitforming]

I think Lahti will be on the 3rd line, so Begin will get most of his time on the 4th, with some other shifts and PK thrown in. Begin may not look good on paper, but he blocks shots, stands up for his team, plays hurt, and always plays his heart out. No way does this guy lose a spot on the team

I love Begin and what he brings...but we know what he brings and he isn't going to get any better.

Lahti seems untapped, and there were enough teams chasing him as a free agent that he has great skill. For some reason I can't seem to get him out of my mind on the first line with Saku. I think Carbo will try the two finns together and be very happy with the results, I know Lahti would love the opportunity.

I can't see him coming to N.A. to take a diminished role without getting the chance to prove himself as a scorer...that was the reason we signed him he creates offense and is clutch.... not because we liked the way he skates.

Begin just seems to be the guy that we can lose with no risks. We sure can't trade off Lapierre or Chipchura to keep Begin, so he looks out of place now.

[Chris]

It will be interesting with the lines, Does anyone know what kind of player Lahti even is? Koivu as seen last year atleast needs one winger who knows where the D zone is, your top line can't be minus 70. That's disgusting.

[saskhab]

BG already said that Obyrne, Dandy and Komi should be the right side D next year. Everything he says he does. So i think the writting is on the wall for Bouillon, Gorges or Streit in trades. The right side seems set. 3 player 1 spot.

As for Lats, it's simply up to BG to lock him up for a long term deal before he hits UFA. I am cinfident he will. He signs the people he needs to.

He didn't actually say O'Byrne has a spot, he says right now (as in that moment, at the press conference) he has Komi, Dandenault, and O'Byrne on the right side, with 5 LH shots on D (Markov, Hamrlik, Bouillon, Streit, and Gorges). He then mentioned that Hamrlik is comfortable playing either the left or right side. Nowhere did he say that O'Byrne had made the team, just that he was in the mix come training camp.

[Fanpuck33]

I hope to see Begin on the 4th line. He's an important cog on this team, as is shown when he is injured. However, with his style of play, he is injured a lot. I say play him on the 4th line to limit his icetime while still keeping his attitude and energy around. No way we should move Begin.

[saskhab]

It will be interesting with the lines, Does anyone know what kind of player Lahti even is? Koivu as seen last year atleast needs one winger who knows where the D zone is, your top line can't be minus 70. That's disgusting.

Well, Higgins is good defensively... before his injury, the line of Higgins-Koivu-Ryder was a plus. When Latendresse got put there, it started slipping into the minus, and Higgins couldn't return to form so that line's +/- rating just kept sliding.

Just shows how important of a player Higgins is to our team.

[JMMR]

I hope to see Begin on the 4th line. He's an important cog on this team, as is shown when he is injured. However, with his style of play, he is injured a lot. I say play him on the 4th line to limit his icetime while still keeping his attitude and energy around. No way we should move Begin.

Not many teams would take Begin and his 1 millon per year deal knowing his injury concerns. He is a habs unless Bob waive him which I do not see happening anytime soon.