Ryder signs

[Athlétique.Canadien]

well, glad to see him signed for less than 3 mil, but the 1 year term sucks for us. heading into UFA year, what's the benefit? bad for us if we want him, and tougher to trade for any real value as the season progresses.

I agree. It's too bad the Ryder ship will have to come in one day - eventually. Once upon a time we could have kept Recchi if Molson had wanted it. A new era later, now we have the Ryder issue. This time it's not Molson but instead the cap. What do you do? :?-

Edited July 30, 2007 by Athlétique.Canadien

[smon]

Well, it's not exactly the ideal contract for the Canadiens, as it sets up a scenario where he will walk away for nothing if not traded/re-signed, but you better believe there was no way his agents were gonna let him pass up UFA status. You can also count on Ryder probably not returning after this upcoming season - either Gainey will have to overpay big time to keep him (which likely isn't worth it), or he'll score a long term deal on the free market.

The number is good though - 2.95M is a fair deal either way you slice it for a 30 goal scorer

[InsaneHABSfan]

This guy is an overachieving eigth round pick, so if he walks at the end of the season I do not see what the big fuss will be. Life goes on and Montreal will get stronger with a graduating bunch of talent on the farm team and other 30 goal scoring free agents.

Edited July 30, 2007 by InsaneAVSfan

[simonus]

This guy is an overachieving eigth round pick, so if he walks at the end of the season I do not see what the big fuss will be. Life goes on and Montreal will get stronger with a graduating bunch of talent on the farm team and other 30 goal scoring free agents.

there are only so many 30 goal scoring free agents at any given time and they are not always so easy to sign.

[tokyohabs]

This time it's not Molson but instead the cap.

I don't think the cap has anything to do with it. Ryder is a mediocre player who can be used in a package to upgrade. He clearly is not enamored with playing for us, r.e. all the 1-year deals.

If we trade him early, before the season, he can play out the season then sign with whoever he wants (laffs). We get our upgrade, some other team can try to sign him long-term if they want. It won't happen with us.

[habs rule]

I don't think the cap has anything to do with it. Ryder is a mediocre player who can be used in a package to upgrade. He clearly is not enamored with playing for us, r.e. all the 1-year deals.

If we trade him early, before the season, he can play out the season then sign with whoever he wants (laffs). We get our upgrade, some other team can try to sign him long-term if they want. It won't happen with us.

I find it interesting that our leading goal scorer is mediocre I wonder how the rest of the team feels about that since they must be less than mediocre. Ryder has filed for arbitration every year he can, he has also signed reasonable contracts every time.

This is a situation that is unusual to say the least. He may be traded or he may sign another contract who the hell knows, everybody reads so much into the arbitration thing. HE ALWAYS SIGNS FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT. Who says he doesn't like the Habs who knows? we have to wait and see and let Bob handle it. He knows what he is doing we don't!!!!!!!! :hlogo:

[TheAussiePosse]

I find it interesting that our leading goal scorer is mediocre I wonder how the rest of the team feels about that since they must be less than mediocre. Ryder has filed for arbitration every year he can, he has also signed reasonable contracts every time.

This is a situation that is unusual to say the least. He may be traded or he may sign another contract who the hell knows, everybody reads so much into the arbitration thing. HE ALWAYS SIGNS FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT. Who says he doesn't like the Habs who knows? we have to wait and see and let Bob handle it. He knows what he is doing we don't!!!!!!!! :hlogo:

Good call. I mean, Ryder is no Cheechoo or Tanguay, but he's not earning an exorbitant amount either. 3 million for 30 goals? I'll pay that.

Onya, Bob!

[SAKS-AVENUE]

there are only so many 30 goal scoring free agents at any given time and they are not always so easy to sign.

The more I think about it the more I like this deal. The 30 goaler is coming cheap. Which at trade deadline will be a cheap pick-up for anyone trying to rent a goal scorer . If there isn't much cap space he will be perfect other teams.

Also, I could see him included in a Hossa deal......I think Ryder could do really well in Atlanta, trying to keep up with ILYA

[KoZed]

Ryder's fate depends on how many goals Lats and Kosty will score. If they start scoring regularly, Ryder will become useless and be a trade bait. If the kids cant be reliable enough, Bob might just hold on to Ryder for the rest of the season.

[bar]

Ryder just can't win with some people.

Theres a scary view here with some people that your pay should reflect where you were drafted, wtf is up with that? When he was taken in the draft should have NO effect on his contract.

[Easy Ryder]

Ryder is now tradable as much as any next year UFA.

Some people on this board including me have doubts about the team success next year, mainly

because of the many unkowns, but other teams have higher unknown factors and less stability, so

the habs can hopefully work on that early in the year.

But for the season beginning Ryder is an experienced goal scorer and as Kozed just stated everything

will depends on the kids performance.

If the kids are allright, Ryder AND Kovalev may go, way before the deadline.

[tokyohabs]

I find it interesting that our leading goal scorer is mediocre I wonder how the rest of the team feels about that since they must be less than mediocre. Ryder has filed for arbitration every year he can, he has also signed reasonable contracts every time.

This is a situation that is unusual to say the least. He may be traded or he may sign another contract who the hell knows, everybody reads so much into the arbitration thing. HE ALWAYS SIGNS FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT. Who says he doesn't like the Habs who knows? we have to wait and see and let Bob handle it. He knows what he is doing we don't!!!!!!!! :hlogo:

Stalking me?

I'm sure the Habs are reading my posts daily to figure out who is mediocre on the team and who isn't.

Mediocre is too strong for Ryder, I admit. But he has serious flaws in his game, flaws that have been there since early on, when I was really happily surprised, flaws that don't really seem to have improved much. He may always sign for a reasonable amount, but the bizarre annual head-game I'm sure Bob can do without...though as you point out, who knows? Maybe Bob likes the adrenaline rush of livin' on the edge.

Question for all the Ryder fans out there: if Ryder (plus...) brings us Marleau in return, is this a good thing?

[ShortHanded]

Question for all the Ryder fans out there: if Ryder (plus...) brings us Marleau in return, is this a good thing?

definitely! although I suppose I should say it depends on the "plus"...

[Tony]

For sure, Marleau is a franchise guy. The other stuff Montreal would have to add has to be significant.

[Colin]

Bye bye Mike. Whether it be soon or through UFA at the end of the year, you're days in Montreal are numbered.

[RobRock]

I don't think the cap has anything to do with it. Ryder is a mediocre player who can be used in a package to upgrade. He clearly is not enamored with playing for us, r.e. all the 1-year deals.

If we trade him early, before the season, he can play out the season then sign with whoever he wants (laffs). We get our upgrade, some other team can try to sign him long-term if they want. It won't happen with us.

How many multi-year deals has he turned down?

[Partisan]

You know as much as i agree that Ryder has flaws in his game, he's a born goal scorer still which is the hardest thing to do in the NHL.

Reading the comments i hope we dont bitch Beauregard if he ever comes to make the team in a few years by saying well he's unidimensional....

Anyway i think Ryder wont spend much more years in Montreal but i'm asking myself is it Ryder that wants 1 year contract or the Canadiens?

He surely could be a trade factor depending on how the season goes...

I hope we do make the series, i feel a pessimism in many CH fans which is usually bad before the season even starts.

[BTH]

I find it interesting that our leading goal scorer is mediocre I wonder how the rest of the team feels about that since they must be less than mediocre.

Poorly reasoned.

This is Ryder's last season in Montreal. I'm not sure he'll go in a trade though, Gainey'll want to keep him so that we can make/make a push in the playoffs.

[newf]

This guy is an overachieving eigth round pick, so if he walks at the end of the season I do not see what the big fuss will be. Life goes on and Montreal will get stronger with a graduating bunch of talent on the farm team and other 30 goal scoring free agents.

... what a turd of a statement

[smon]

I don't understand the hate-on for this guy. I'm not the biggest fan of his style of player, but every team needs a guy who has just has a knack for the net.

Honestly, for once the Canadiens struck gold drafting someone in the late '90s. I remember reading about Ryder as a junior Hull Olympique when he was drafted, didn't think an 8th rounder would get anywhere - but when Julien was promoted he brought up this kid with him and he's proven at the very least that he was equal to the faith Julien had in him.

30 goal scorers aren't dime a dozen, you know. So yes, he has quite obvious flaws (skating, playmaking, defensive zone), and certainly doesn't score the pretty goals - but he can at least consistently put the puck in the net.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I don't understand the hate-on for this guy. I'm not the biggest fan of his style of player, but every team needs a guy who has just has a knack for the net.

Honestly, for once the Canadiens struck gold drafting someone in the late '90s. I remember reading about Ryder as a junior Hull Olympique when he was drafted, didn't think an 8th rounder would get anywhere - but when Julien was promoted he brought up this kid with him and he's proven at the very least that he was equal to the faith Julien had in him.

30 goal scorers aren't dime a dozen, you know. So yes, he has quite obvious flaws (skating, playmaking, defensive zone), and certainly doesn't score the pretty goals - but he can at least consistently put the puck in the net.

Good point, smon. I think there's a wider issue here.

Montreal fans seem almost pathologically prone to devalue good players, especially offensively-minded ones (Souray, Ryder, and even Brisebois come to mind). (You'll seldom hear anyone attack a checking forward, for instance, on the grounds that he can't score and is therefore not a 'complete' player. But there are lots of people who think that Ryder or Souray are garbage because 'all they do is score' and they can't defend).

I don't really understand it. But my theory is that it's a product of having a piece-of-crap team for so long. The weakness of the team as a whole leads fans to place unreasonable demands upon any 'core' player who has obvious flaws in his game. They then conclude that we'd be 'better off without him' or that we should keep him only at well-below market value. Thus, you have people who are more than happy to see Ryder go, drive Brisebois out of town, click their heels at the loss of Souray, etc., etc..

I don't deny that some players really are liabilities, or that some players might be better used as trade bait for a more fundamental upgrade of the 'core'. In fact I strongly think that we should use Ryder in just that way. But the overall culture of hockey in Montreal would be greatly improved if fans and media were to stop attacking our core players, as individuals, for being 'garbage' because they're not better players than they are. A player like Ryder would look great on San Jose or Ottawa: he'd be a lethal secondary scorer on a strong team. But on mediocre Montreal, he becomes our *best* scorer, and then we resent him. It's unfair to the players involved and were management to act on these attitudes, we'd be an even worse team. Relatively few players can be Bryan Trottier (the 'complete' offensive player) or Bob Gainey (the offensively-challenged but hugely effective defensive player). Habsland would be a better place if more fans could accept that.

Edited August 1, 2007 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[Nilan]

I don't think the cap has anything to do with it. Ryder is a mediocre player who can be used in a package to upgrade. He clearly is not enamored with playing for us, r.e. all the 1-year deals.

If we trade him early, before the season, he can play out the season then sign with whoever he wants (laffs). We get our upgrade, some other team can try to sign him long-term if they want. It won't happen with us.

if i see one more "mediocre" comment i think i'll barf. come on guys, are we that narrow minded? 30 goals on a mediocre team is not medicore! and the man has always scored big goals. and did improve his corner play and passing last year. i dont get it. yes, he has pushed the evelope with the arbitration talk, but keep in mind he started making coin quite a few years later than many others.

on top of this, he's a likable guy, has never done or said anything to soil the CH, speaks highly of his teamates, and doesnt mope or bitch to the press when he's in a funk. He also only has 3 yrs of NHL experience under his belt.

Keep in mind he also just signed a below market deal to avoid arbitration.

[tokyohabs]

if i see one more "mediocre" comment i think i'll barf.

Ryder is mediocre.

Puke! Puke! Puke! :puke:

I don't knock Souray or Ryder simply because I enjoy it, or I am pathological, blinded by the glory teams of the 70's. But there are massive tracts of fans who see absolutely nothing wrong with players like this, whereas their deficiencies negate a lot of their positives (moreso in Souray's case, I think).

One thing that stuns me is how overvalued our players are by some. I wonder if some people remember that we failed to make the playoffs, and therefore that players are very much expendable. If I knock Ryder, it is because I think he can be used as trade bait for an upgrade, not because I get a kick out of knocking him. I sure don't resent him for scoring goals.

He is inconsistent over the course of the season and scores in bunches, but he gets his goals, sometimes big ones. He doesn't moan and plays hard - I have never doubted that. As stated, Ryder would look great on a different team as a second-line scorer on a strong team. But on a playoff-less team, you have to improve, and one way is by trades. We'd have to give up a lot to get something good back. Which leads to the pointlessness of criticising defensive, no-offense players (don't get me started).

I sure don't think we should cut him. I'm perfectly fine with having him on the team, as long as there is improvement around him. But he is far from perfect and I think that we'd be better to package him in a big trade for a big upgrade.

[habs rule]

Poorly reasoned.

This is Ryder's last season in Montreal. I'm not sure he'll go in a trade though, Gainey'll want to keep him so that we can make/make a push in the playoffs.

huh? what the hell did YOUR reasoning have to do with that statement?

[Nilan]

Ryder is mediocre.

Puke! Puke! Puke! :puke:

I don't knock Souray or Ryder simply because I enjoy it, or I am pathological, blinded by the glory teams of the 70's. But there are massive tracts of fans who see absolutely nothing wrong with players like this, whereas their deficiencies negate a lot of their positives (moreso in Souray's case, I think).

One thing that stuns me is how overvalued our players are by some. I wonder if some people remember that we failed to make the playoffs, and therefore that players are very much expendable. If I knock Ryder, it is because I think he can be used as trade bait for an upgrade, not because I get a kick out of knocking him. I sure don't resent him for scoring goals.

He is inconsistent over the course of the season and scores in bunches, but he gets his goals, sometimes big ones. He doesn't moan and plays hard - I have never doubted that. As stated, Ryder would look great on a different team as a second-line scorer on a strong team. But on a playoff-less team, you have to improve, and one way is by trades. We'd have to give up a lot to get something good back. Which leads to the pointlessness of criticising defensive, no-offense players (don't get me started).

I sure don't think we should cut him. I'm perfectly fine with having him on the team, as long as there is improvement around him. But he is far from perfect and I think that we'd be better to package him in a big trade for a big upgrade.

every team has to (or wants to) improve, kind of stating the obvious, no? i dont think anyone would complain about ANY player on the habs (saks included) being traded for a better player. i did, and do, take offense at the statement that he is mediocre though.