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what do we need for next year ?


MAK

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I kind of agree, but there's not much out there. I think it is imperative to establish a true 3rd line for next year. Koivu and Higgins are definite options. I also think it's time to give Latendresse a real shot on a scoring line. Higgins needs to be given a clear role and I think on the 3rd line he'd flourish. We saw hints of these type of things in the year, Koivu checking, Higgins playing a support role. I think it's something to strive for.

I often found myself wondering (aloud, in excessively colourful language) if Higgins should find out what he is. He often was asked to do different jobs during the season and the playoffs. He had really poor stretches during the year. He checks, then is told to score more, then improve his defensive play...1st line, third line, different linemates...I think Higgins is tailor-made for the third line. Maybe his goals go down, but his overall usefulness will improve. Koivu centre, Lapierre on the off-wing? Or save Koivu for your #2 line, but Higgins needs to be sorted out.

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Pat Hickey says re-signing Streit will be Gainey's top priority but he never quotes or paraphrases Gainey so my guess is that he is just giving his own predictions.

All signs lead towards Brendan Shanahan leaving the Rangers. He was only moments away from signing with us last time, I think we have a strong chance of signing him and he would be perfect for us.

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Pat Hickey says re-signing Streit will be Gainey's top priority but he never quotes or paraphrases Gainey so my guess is that he is just giving his own predictions.

All signs lead towards Brendan Shanahan leaving the Rangers. He was only moments away from signing with us last time, I think we have a strong chance of signing him and he would be perfect for us.

You piss on Habs once, don't come back begging. I guess if he takes smolinski like money we could take him. he would make latendresse look like a rocket :lol:

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Pat Hickey says re-signing Streit will be Gainey's top priority but he never quotes or paraphrases Gainey so my guess is that he is just giving his own predictions.

All signs lead towards Brendan Shanahan leaving the Rangers. He was only moments away from signing with us last time, I think we have a strong chance of signing him and he would be perfect for us.

I think Shanahan is on the steep side of decline now. I get the feeling that if we did sign him that he would turn in to a Smolinski for us - useless (although he had some great games in the playoffs).

Speaking of Smolinski, I will be one pissed off fan if Gainey resigns him!

Edited by Prime Minister Koivu
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More Canadians and less Euro's. The Habs just have too many. North American players always seem to step up their game more in the playoffs when it counts most.

Yeah, I'd hate to have Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Franzen, Hasek, etc...

All we need is a little more experience and a complimentary player or two... maybe a big winger who can score to take Ryder's spot... this team just needs to brew a little longer. The pieces are almost in place.

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I think Shanahan is on the steep side of decline now. I get the feeling that if we did sign him that he would turn in to a Smolinski for us - useless (although he had some great games in the playoffs).

Speaking of Smolinski, I will be one pissed off fan if Gainey resigns him!

Agreed on Shanny. As for Smoke... I agree to a point, but it wouldn't be a horrible move if he did come back. I have no idea if Chips is ready or not... haven't seen him play since he got sent down. He needed to be more assertive, better on the draws, and of course, improve his skating (and strength).

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Agreed on Shanny. As for Smoke... I agree to a point, but it wouldn't be a horrible move if he did come back. I have no idea if Chips is ready or not... haven't seen him play since he got sent down. He needed to be more assertive, better on the draws, and of course, improve his skating (and strength).

At 2m? Seems steep.

Shanny, I'm for as many Irish lads on the team, but no thanks.

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SHanahan is finished. Like marky and komi said, he would make Latendresse look like a rocket. He's slow and old. No thank you.

WHat the Habs need is a power forward for the first two lines. Seeing as the Kovy, Plex, A, Kosty line look sgood, i'd say we need a power forward for the second line. If you can't find one, then give Latendresse a real chance to play with some talented forwards (Koivu and S. Kosty). Give Higgins the role of being the leader on the 3rd line. He'll never be a 40 goal guy, but he could be the best 3rd line player in the league!

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At 2m? Seems steep.

Shanny, I'm for as many Irish lads on the team, but no thanks.

Smoke won't find a single team signing him for $2m this summer. So if we were to sign him, it'd be for less than this past season.

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Pat Hickey says re-signing Streit will be Gainey's top priority but he never quotes or paraphrases Gainey so my guess is that he is just giving his own predictions.

All signs lead towards Brendan Shanahan leaving the Rangers. He was only moments away from signing with us last time, I think we have a strong chance of signing him and he would be perfect for us.

No way...Shanahan is old and worn out. He looked terrible in the playoffs and had no goals in that second series against Pittsburgh. Shanahan needs to retire. No way he fits in on this team. Montreal missed out a few years ago in signing him when he had something to offer, and they should make a mistake now in signing him when hes got nothing left.

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I think it is imperative to establish a true 3rd line for next year. Koivu and Higgins are definite options.

I also think it's time to give Latendresse a real shot on a scoring line.

Streit is a tough case for this team.

I think Rolston would be the most perfect addition we could make. He's the best 2-way C on the market, with size (6'2), speed, a good shot and would get our PK out of the dumpster (playoffs aside, we were pretty awful for most of last year). He's 35, so, like Kovalev and Koivu, his best years are behind him. But Koivu has lost a lot of his speed (his key and most dangerous weapon), and could possibly not be with the team past his contract's end next season, so a 2-year deal for Rolston could be great to tide us over until Maxwell/Player X arrive.

Plekanec, Rolston and Koivu would allow us to roll three solid, two-way lines, without needing to constantly shuffle. We'd have great special teams, and more experience/leadership that we need (since Carbonneau is still lacking it).

Kovalev and A. Kostitsyn, S. Kostitsyn and Higgins, Latendresse and Paccioretti/D'Agostini could be great.

The fourth line, with Chipchura, Stewart, Begin, Kostopolous, Lapierre and Grabovski fighting for a position, would be pretty darn tough.

- I wouldn't be surprised to see Grabovski/Chipchura and one of our young wingers packaged for a big-gun forward.

- Streit and Halak might be traded for picks, although obviously not very high ones. Our depth of youth Ds can replace him easily.

- And Dandenault is all but bought out, following Gainey's conference yesterday (confirmation by omission). Brisebois and Smolinski shouldn't be brought back unless they're making under $1.0 million (total including bonuses) - we don't need the depth that badly.

Markov, Komisarek, Hamrlik and Gorges are set on our Top 4. O'Byrne is almost guaranteed the 5th spot (no sophomore slump now, Ryan), and Bouillion, Carle, Valentenko and Subban will fight it out over 6/7. Bouillion wasn't too good this year, but next year is a contract year, so that's good for us.

Edited by TheAussiePosse
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I like the idea of Rolston, but I thought he was a winger.

He seems to play all positions, but he has decent face-off skills and can actually play C, unlike Higgins or Kovalev or Begin who are stronger on the wing.

And would anyone be adverse to taking a run at Demitra? Imagine him on the point on our PP, with Kovalev on the off-wing ... *salivates*

If only we still had our favourite Slovak, Ricardo Zedniko.

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He seems to play all positions, but he has decent face-off skills and can actually play C, unlike Higgins or Kovalev or Begin who are stronger on the wing.

And would anyone be adverse to taking a run at Demitra? Imagine him on the point on our PP, with Kovalev on the off-wing ... *salivates*

If only we still had our favourite Slovak, Ricardo Zedniko.

He was 40.6% on the year, but still.... he'd look good with Chips and Higgins.

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He seems to play all positions, but he has decent face-off skills and can actually play C, unlike Higgins or Kovalev or Begin who are stronger on the wing.

And would anyone be adverse to taking a run at Demitra? Imagine him on the point on our PP, with Kovalev on the off-wing ... *salivates*

If only we still had our favourite Slovak, Ricardo Zedniko.

That's what I like most about Rolston, when we need 3 good centers, he comes in handy and when we need a winger to play with Plekanec or Koivu, he's still useful. There's almost no chance he leaves Minny though from what I've heard.

And as far as I know, you only get two buy outs per CBA and we already used ours up on Cullimore and Salmelainen from the Samsonov trade. So I don't think buying Dandenault out is an option.

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Rolston definitely tops my wish list, for both the Habs and the Jackets. I think he'd be a great fit in Montreal specifically. He could play wing on a top line when needed or anchor a two-way shut-down line. On the powerplay, I think he'd be able to replace Streit on the point. He's got a heavy shot, good one-timer, and is responsible defensively. He's also bolster the penalty kill and add some short handers.

That being said, I doubt he leaves Minnesota.

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Dont yell at me but would Kyle McLaren be a decent addition to our blueline, I know hes been injured but hes still a monster.

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Dont yell at me but would Kyle McLaren be a decent addition to our blueline, I know hes been injured but hes still a monster.

with gorges and obyrne I think we're more than ok on D

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Dont yell at me but would Kyle McLaren be a decent addition to our blueline, I know hes been injured but hes still a monster.

I love his physicality! Imagine him, Komi and Obyrne, that would be one tough Blueline.

If Mclaren is the case, then I would be okay with Streit leaving.

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I love his physicality! Imagine him, Komi and Obyrne, that would be one tough Blueline.

If Mclaren is the case, then I would be okay with Streit leaving.

I will never forgive Mclaren for what he did to Zeddy in 2002. No Thanks.

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I'd rather O'Byrne get pushed into a greater role than signing a lug like McLaren. McLaren's best years are behind him, he's been on the decline in San Jose and Rivet surpassed him there quite easily.

O'Byrne may not be a better D than McLaren next season, but he will be in 2 years.

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Let's not forget that we have some AMAZING d-men on the cusp of making the NHL.

Valentenko is supposed to be a really mean d-man. He's 6'2" and weighs 215 pounds.

Then there are Carle, Emelin, McDonough, Fisher, Subban etc.etc.etc. All these guys will be playing i the NHL in the next 5 years!

We don'T need help on the blue line.

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Let's not forget that we have some AMAZING d-men on the cusp of making the NHL.

Valentenko is supposed to be a really mean d-man. He's 6'2" and weighs 215 pounds.

Then there are Carle, Emelin, McDonough, Fisher, Subban etc.etc.etc. All these guys will be playing i the NHL in the next 5 years!

We don'T need help on the blue line.

Yep. I've also heard plenty of suggestions for another puckmover, but Subban, Carle, and McDonagh aren't that far off, so I think it's just impatience.

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Gainey's already said he has no interest in getting another D. He wants a forward.

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The very first that Montreal needs to do it get some size and scoring presence up the middle.

Montreal should make a serious run for Marleau/Thornton in San Jose. Rumours persist that Marleau is not getting

along with Ron Wilson and with San Joses playoff failures again this spring, either one could go.

I'd be more that willing to send Koivu to San Jose for Marleau. Probably not straight up. Something else would have to go to San Jose, maybe a young guy like Latendresse, a prospect or a higher draft pick...say one of the second rounders.

Latendresse is expendable. He showed nothing in 2nd year to say he's a keeper, with no points and limited physical play( he disappeared in the Philly series).

He's also way to slow to fit into the Montreal system.

Brisebois, Smolinski and Ryder can take a hike. Saving close to $6 Million a year.

Of course Gainey is going to look for a top notch UFA winger...but will probably get burned again. One good year does not mean Montreal has suddenly become so very attractive, as the media and high taxes are still a burden. Although the great attitude shown by the fans this year may make Montreal a little more attractive to some players.

Chipchura should be ready to step into an NHL job, Lapierre, Begin, Kostoplous, Higgins, the Kostitsyns, Plekanec, Kovalev and Mark Streit (who will hopefully be resigned as he is very versatile) will provide the corp to move ahead. Add the UFA, and one or two young guys from Hamilton (forget Grabovski he seems to be headed to Europe), hopefully somebody with some size like that Greg Stewart kid. And there you have a team that is close enough to last years team not to mess the chemistry alot, yet bigger and more able to adapt to the rigours of the NHL playoffs.

Of course Price and Halak remain in net.

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