Looking forward

[Fanpuck33_]

No matter the outcome of game 5 (and hopefully 6 and 7), I would like to discuss next season. (I pray that there is one.)

Of our Group III FA, I say resign Kovalev, Langdon, and maybe Dowd. (We lose Dackell, Juneau, and Perrault) Quintal I say we sign if we can get him around 1 million.

Of the Group II, I say we keep Begin, Damphousse, Garon, Hossa, Ribs, Ryder, Souray, Sunny (at about 1.5 mill), Vydreny?, and Zednik. (We lose Dwyer, Fuchaud, Jarventii, Traverse)

There aren't that many great FA out there. I looked over the list, and and I would like to see them make a move for Barnaby and Glen Murray. On D, maybe bring back Mattheiu Schneider. Not really a lot of top-notch FA this year.

How are guys like Kastsitsyn, Perezhogin, Higgins, Plekanec, Hossa, and Hainsey doing? Do any of them have a good shot at making the team out of camp next year?

With a lack of D-men available, I think they need to work a trade for a big, top 4 D-man. I would like to free up Rivet's 2.5 million too.

What do you guys think?

[habsfan_69]

i agree with all suggestions man would glen murray be a good pick up but i cant see montreal signing him i hope kastistyn get signed and goes to camp because i wanna know how good this guy really is. I want higgins and parazhogin to make the lineup ive seen em in hamilton and man do they look good kovalev would be a good mentor to parazhogin and kastistyn

[Fanpuck33_]

I hope Kasts impresses in camp and makes the team. I would love him to play like Zherdev in Columbus. Higgins would unfortunately be stuck on the third line, how is he defensively? A good 2 way player would be nice. Perezhogin and Hossa are likely to play LW next year on the Ribs-Ryder line. I hope Hossa will break out like Ribs did this year. If not, hopefully Perezhogin will be ready. Either way, I would like a more proven player on the 2nd line. D is the biggest concern in my opinion. Komi will play every night I believe, and hopefully Hainsey can finish well in Hamilton and make the team and play every night.

[puck7x]

I may regret saying this later... but...

Before these playoffs when anyone suggested trading Theodore I would laugh at them, I thought the idea was crazy, why trade your #1 goalie? A hart winning goalie... Why risk making another Roy-type trade?

But now my opinion has changed.

Theodore will never be Roy, nobody will. Theodore probably wont come close to Roy's career numbers and accomplishments. So we're not trading another Roy if we traded Theodore. A goalie is SUPPOSED to win the big games, a goalie is supposed to step up his game in the playoffs .... Theodore is not doing that, in fact he's playing worse then he has in the regular season. I have little faith and confidence in Theodore in these playoffs anymore (But let me say... Game #4 was NOT his fault) ...

I'm not saying we should just go out and trade Theodore, but now I'm <u>open</u> to exploring the idea...

Who knows, maybe my opinion will change in a few games (if we last that long) , maybe Theodore will turn it up and steal a few. But the fact remains that he's been average-to-poor in the first 4 of the series.

[Edited on 2004-4-14 by puck7x]

[habsfan_69]

Higgins is a excellent 2 way player. i would like to see hainsey break out of his shell and find a spot in the lineup maybe take rivets spot. komi will just continue to get better the more he plays maybe he will play for quintal who looks to be pretty hurt. some playoff experience will do him good. that would be nice if hossa does have a breakout year i dunno if he will be as good as ribs but if he could get 30-40 pts im happy. i hope all of montreals prospects are as good as the scouts say they r and i hope there is another ryder out there.

[Fanpuck33_]

Originally posted by habsfan_69

Higgins is a excellent 2 way player. i would like to see hainsey break out of his shell and find a spot in the lineup maybe take rivets spot. komi will just continue to get better the more he plays maybe he will play for quintal who looks to be pretty hurt. some playoff experience will do him good. that would be nice if hossa does have a breakout year i dunno if he will be as good as ribs but if he could get 30-40 pts im happy. i hope all of montreals prospects are as good as the scouts say they r and i hope there is another ryder out there.

If all our prospects are as good as they say they are, we'll never have room for them all, haha. I agree with Puck, I would be open to trading Theo at this point. With Garon, we lose something, but it's not too massive. Theo could bring in some great talent.

[habsfan_69]

theo is letting in a few weak ones but i dont think trading him is the answer. everytime montreal trades a big player they shine somewhere else like the john leclair trade it still haunts us today and i think if u trade theodore itll haunt us. i think he plays way to many games thats why hes shaky. hes no marty brodeur

[Fanpuck33_]

I'm not saying I want to trade Theo, but I might be open to it. I love the guy, but this series is proving he isn't a true great goalie. I want to keep him, but if the right offer comes along, I wouldn't hate it. Like Puck, last year I would have gone nuts if they had traded him. But he might not ever be the goalie he was in 2001-2002. Maybe I'm just blowing this series out of proportion, I am just pissed about what has happened. I am just so upset, I might say anything!

[habsfan_69]

theo played extremely well this season to get us here. he is a solid number 1 goalie. maybe hes not the superstar he was in 2002 but he still gets the job done if he can steal a couple in this series i think we will all change our minds.

[Fanpuck33_]

I hope as much as anybody that Theo stands on his head and saves us. I am a huge Theodore fan, but I have been really disappointed in him. He knows this team need him in order to win. He has admitted to losing focus during games recently, I don't like that at all. That's not what I expect from him, especially in the playoffs. I think he will be a habs for years to come, but he needs to shape up. I very much doubt he will leave, and I don't want him to leave.

[Ribeiro]

Trading Theodore is idiotic. This coming from a fan for well over a dozen years. Who are the Habs going to put in net? Garon? Oh yeah, that's a huge improvement /sarcasm.

A "Roy-trade" comparison is illogical. Patrick Roy demanded a trade, Theodore has demanded nothing.

Sign Quintal.

Although Coaching was crappy on both sides.

Personally, I would like to see Perreault resigned just because he's a useful player. For cheaper of course as he's not getting any better.

Julien can take a hike. I don't like him, or his decisions. And no he did not make the team "so much better." Ribeiro and Ryder's breakout seasons did. Watch the Powerplay, it looks like an amateur was handling the team. The lines keep on getting switched up, and nothing gets better.

I guess it's just personal preference, but I do not like Julien.

[puck7x]

If your goalie cant win games in the playoffs, then what good is he really? Goalies can win all they want in the regular season, but if they arent bringing it in the playoffs then they are pretty much useless.

I never said trade Theodore, I said I was open to the idea. I'm still 90% in favour of keeping him...

And yes, I understand the problem of filling his spot if we DID trade him. Thats why I'd be very careful about it.

[JLP]

1 Theo is is letting in soft goals in this series

2 Those goals have cost us two close games

3 Now we will probably lose the series

4 Those betting against us will make money

5 Las Vegas is only a short flight from Mtl

6 Theo's family is involved in gambling

7 Therefore Theo is throwing the series

PS:

I am kidding

(but, there is a nagging thought back there...)

Anyway I'll be in Vegas next week, if I see a bunch of Quebecois picking up a big bag of money, we'll know.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Originally posted by JeanLucPilon

1 Theo is is letting in soft goals in this series

2 Those goals have cost us two close games

3 Now we will probably lose the series

4 Those betting against us will make money

5 Las Vegas is only a short flight from Mtl

6 Theo's family is involved in gambling

7 Therefore Theo is throwing the series

PS:

I am kidding

(but, there is a nagging thought back there...)

Anyway I'll be in Vegas next week, if I see a bunch of Quebecois picking up a big bag of money, we'll know.

I doubt it's true but i had the same nagging thoughts about Theo throwing the games.

[Prime Minister Koivu]

Originally posted by puck7x

If your goalie cant win games in the playoffs, then what good is he really? Goalies can win all they want in the regular season, but if they arent bringing it in the playoffs then they are pretty much useless.

I never said trade Theodore, I said I was open to the idea. I'm still 90% in favour of keeping him...  

And yes, I understand the problem of filling his spot if we DID trade him. Thats why I'd be very careful about it.

The market is full of overpaid, under achieving goalies. we wouldn't get bugger all for him. Who wants a 5+ million dollar goalie who can't play playoff hockey?

[Ribeiro]

If your goalie cant win games in the playoffs, then what good is he really? Goalies can win all they want in the regular season, but if they arent bringing it in the playoffs then they are pretty much useless.  

Theodore can play in the playoffs. Look at the team in front of him, no defense.

Yet he's made many big saves. Most of the softies have been caused by bad decisions on the defense's part.

You haven't seen a bad playoff goalie until you've watched Cloutier.

[Fanpuck33_]

Of course Theo is better than Cloutier, who has a great D in front of him. I have just been very upset at Theo's performance. He has made great saves, but too many soft goals. I am not ready to trade him yet, but if we make the playoffs next year and we lose in the first round, it might be his time to go. (And depending on the offer, I might let Theo go now, but this is probably just the disappointment speaking, as normally I am a huge Theo supporter.)

[simonus]

montreal is underdog in this series, it makes little economic sense for anyone to push for montreal to throw the series... they don't need to - they are expected to lose anyways. The money would be for boston to throw the series.

Also - I really don't think theo would do it.

1) He's a competitor, a star.

2) He makes 5 million dollars a year. It would make more sense for his connections to shake him down than push for him to throw a game.

3) Modern tax enforcement and gambling surveilance makes big fixes more difficult than in 1910's.

4)Theo makes a hell of a lot more money if he proves himself a steady, winning goalie than if he folds.

Also - blah! Whatever, it really isn't worth talking about.

[Fanpuck33_]

Realistic lines for next season:

Kovalev-Koivu-Zednik

Hossa-Ribs-Ryder

Barnaby-Higgins-Ward

Bulis-Begin-Sundstrum

Komisarek

Brisbois

Markov

Souray

Matvichuk

Hainsey

Scratch: Quintal, Langdon, Bouillon, Dowd

I would like to see Perezhogin or Kastsitsyn on the 2nd line, but I don't know if they are ready. In addition, this must be Hossa's make or break year, as this year as for Ribs. If I am correct, if Ribs had not made the team out of camp, we would have had to place him on waivers before sending him down. I believe this is Hossa's situaiton this upcoming year. (Please correct me if I am wrong.)

I only see us being able to sing 1 solid D-man in free agency, as there aren't that many available this season. I would like to see Barnaby come in too. He plays hard and has decent enough skill to allow Higgins to play on a defensive 3rd line with some offensive punch. I have heard Higgins is a solid 2 way player, so I think solid time on the 3rd line will be good for him. I don't want to bring in Palffy for size and injury reasons, and Glen Murray is the only top notch forward out there, and I doubt we get him.

Do we possibly sign and trade Kovy? Perhaps, if we can bring in a guy like Jovanowski, then we can use Perezhogin or Kastsitsyn on the top line.

I realize I have moved a few guys from RW to LW and vice versa, but that's not really a big deal. The D pairings I am usure of who plays left and right, so I might have those messed up, which is why I only listed 6 guys and no pairings.

I think that team could finish 4-5 in the conference, although there is a lot of youth and inexperience.

[Ribeiro]

(And depending on the offer, I might let Theo go now, but this is probably just the disappointment speaking, as normally I am a huge Theo supporter.)  

You're not going to get much of a tempting offer.

For a Goalie like Theodore, they might trade another All-star goalie. What would be the point of that?

They may trade a few star players for Theo and maybe a grinder. So we gain some good stars, but lack talent in net.

They may trade a star player and a par Goalie. Again, we gain talent on the team but lose in goaltending.

It's hard to make a good trade off of a former MVP and All-star like Theodore. You're probably going to lose a lot more than gain.

[rocketrichard]

For next season I would like to see them get a good pick in the first round and see a couple of trades. I would like to see them bring up higgins and I agree he would be on the third line but he would still be there and he's a good 2 way player. I want to see something in Defense maybe Derik Morris or Bryan McCabe so that they do have a stronger Defense and maybe improve with a little more fire power on the second line with someone like Matt Cooke or Shawn Donavon. Ya know what I mean. It might increase out goals per game and our goals against average if we pick up some of those Defense I mentioned.:hlogo::hlogo:

[Fanpuck33_]

In light Brodeur's second half, I am wondering about him. He has had Stevens and Neidermeyer always in front of him, along with other solid D-men. This season when he lost Stevens and Rafalski, he only got 2 more SO and hasn't been very good. 3 cups is hard to argue with, but I am wondering if he is truly as great as I thought. Maybe the D in front of him is what allowed him to seem to stand on his head. Either way, I still think he is the best goalie active in the NHL.

[ricucity]

Tell me if I am wrong, but I thought we were still in the playoffs.

Let's do this IF we are eliminated.

[puck7x]

Originally posted by Ribeiro

If your goalie cant win games in the playoffs, then what good is he really? Goalies can win all they want in the regular season, but if they arent bringing it in the playoffs then they are pretty much useless.  

Theodore can play in the playoffs. Look at the team in front of him, no defense.

Yet he's made many big saves. Most of the softies have been caused by bad decisions on the defense's part.

You haven't seen a bad playoff goalie until you've watched Cloutier.

I've only seen Theodore play GREAT in 3 playoff games... The OT game vs NJ a long time ago... And the last 2 games of the Bruins series in 2002. In every other game he has been good, or average, or just bad. Great goalies are supposed to be consistantly great in the playoffs. I have every right to be upset with Theodore's performance...

[Quebecois]

Too early to give up on Theodore i think. We need to be a bit more patient, it's hard, but he deserves at least one more season before we can pass judgement on him. If he pulls the same no-show next playoffs then i'll probably jump on the bandwagon, but until then i want Theo on the team.