Habs Contract Update

[Tony]

Didn't see this posted anywhere.

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/252937.html

Quick translation cliff notes:

-Gainey has started contract talks with Andrei Kostitsyn.

-Contract talks with Streit have yet to begin. They should in a couple of weeks.

-Gainey said he'd contact all his potential UFAs within the next two weeks. He mentioned Streit, Smolinski and Ryder.

-Streit admitted he'd like to re-sign with the Canadiens but Gainey said it has to make sense in terms of contract.

-Management is currently working on many scenarios to manage their cap in short term and longterm viability.

-Some examples are to give Chris Higgins and Mike Komisarek lengthy contract extensions before they become UFAs.

-The team are also analyzing the situations for Koivu and Kovalev who are entering their final year of contract next season.

-Gainey said right now their focus is to examine the cap situation for next season and the following one because it's going to have some longterm repercussions if it's not handled properly.

-The only key item GMs seem to have agreed on during these GM meeting in Detroit is not to disclose specific information in regards to player injuries.

Well, looks like the Habs have been keeping busy. At least Gainey and his staff are crunching numbers.

[MAK]

-Gainey said he'd contact all his potential UFAs within the next two weeks. He mentioned Streit, Smolinski and Ryder.

reading between the lines here: Gainey will call all potential UFA to thank them for their help and wish them good luck with their respective new team.

[InsaneHABSfan]

reading between the lines here: Gainey will call all potential UFA to thank them for their help and wish them good luck with their respective new team.

Hahaha thats funny....

UFAs will have some interest in Montreal if their key concern is Winning.

Kovalev and the young guys really came through this year!

[Tony]

I don't know why but I have a weird feeling Bob is going to talk with Ryder to see if they can reach an agreement.

He said it himself, he didn't think Ryder had a bad season. It was Gainey who pointed out that had Ryder's ice-time not be reduced, he'd be a 30 goal scorer this season seeing how his even strength goals were almost the same as last season.

[Habitforming]

I don't know why but I have a weird feeling Bob is going to talk with Ryder to see if they can reach an agreement.

He said it himself, he didn't think Ryder had a bad season. It was Gainey who pointed out that had Ryder's ice-time not be reduced, he'd be a 30 goal scorer this season seeing how his even strength goals were almost the same as last season.

Being a Leaf fan and a UFA I can only see him in T.O. :puke:

[Tony]

Isn't that hearsay?

I heard he grew up in the Habs side of NF and cheered for them *shrugs*

[saskhab]

Being a Leaf fan and a UFA I can only see him in T.O. :puke:

As someone who has seen a lot of "Habs fans growing up" snub Montreal, it should be pretty common knowledge that who you cheer for growing up has little bearing on who you decide to play for when you get the chance. You're surprisingly not the same person in your late twenties/early thirties as you were in your formative years. You make decisions based on what's important to you now and for the forseeable future, not what was once important to you in your childhood.

Ryder is more likely to end up playing for Boston than Toronto, IMO. Julien was the coach that really believed in him.

[Tony]

Anaheim also has interest in Ryder.

Either way, Ryder will not have a hard time finding a new team to play with this summer.

[koivu-11]

Anaheim also has interest in Ryder.

Either way, Ryder will not have a hard time finding a new team to play with this summer.

Can someone say San Jose ?

Edited June 5, 2008 by koivu-11

[Wamsley01]

As someone who has seen a lot of "Habs fans growing up" snub Montreal, it should be pretty common knowledge that who you cheer for growing up has little bearing on who you decide to play for when you get the chance. You're surprisingly not the same person in your late twenties/early thirties as you were in your formative years. You make decisions based on what's important to you now and for the forseeable future, not what was once important to you in your childhood.

Ryder is more likely to end up playing for Boston than Toronto, IMO. Julien was the coach that really believed in him.

Mario Lemieux was a Habs fan. Lecavalier was a Habs fan. Robitaille was a Habs fan. Broduer was a Habs fan etc etc.

Money and opportunity talks. I don't think Sydney Crosby has Gainey on speed dial for the second he becomes a Free Agent.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Mario Lemieux was a Habs fan. Lecavalier was a Habs fan. Robitaille was a Habs fan. Broduer was a Habs fan etc etc.

Money and opportunity talks. I don't think Sydney Crosby has Gainey on speed dial for the second he becomes a Free Agent.

Hull, Howe, Gretzky, Sakic, Blake never made to the laughs either which proves they are not as valued by great hockey players as the dreamland laugh fans think.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I don't know why but I have a weird feeling Bob is going to talk with Ryder to see if they can reach an agreement.

He said it himself, he didn't think Ryder had a bad season. It was Gainey who pointed out that had Ryder's ice-time not be reduced, he'd be a 30 goal scorer this season seeing how his even strength goals were almost the same as last season.

But that's the thing. Gainey did indeed defend Ryder, but the point remains - he is not, in Gainey (or Carbo's) judgement, a top-6 forward on a GOOD team. But he is also fairly useless as a checker or two-way player. Sounds as though Bob has him pegged as the type of guy who fits best on mediocre clubs and carves out a nice little niche for himself on that basis. So while I don't doubt that Bob would re-sign him as useful depth, I DO doubt that Ryder would accept the role/salary that that entails. And I also agree, TO seems somehow inevitable.

[Easy Ryder]

There are some contracts that have not been mentionned yet.

Some first rounder signed lately, Pac is the next one to be signed.

And if he signs it will not be to go to Hamilton. Management would have to make space for him

in a line up that is already young on the wings.

This would make an opening to a major trade.

Am i the only one who see Latendresse as a trade bait ??

[Chris]

Yes, you and a few others see Lats as trade bait. HE IS 20, Big, good hands scores goals even though he plays on the third line. The habs have KNOW ONE ELSE like him. He needs minutes with top players and PP time and he'll be 25-30 goals. For the life of me i don't understand why people bash this guy, per minute he probably produces more then anyone on the team. You don't teach size. Give the guy a few years, big guys take longer to develop. He needs to work on his skating.

Pacioretty won't be signed this year, I doubt any college guys get signed this year. Pacioretty, McDonagh, Fisher will be signed next year where thye will have a much better chance of making the big club. Fisher will need AHL time, the other 2 won't.

Gainey is fair, never says anything bad about anyone, he will talk to all the UFA's, it doesn't mean they'll be signed. Smoke is interesting, he sucked during the year, he found his nitch down the stretch and was on the habs best playoff line. The question there is can Chipchura do the same thing.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Trading Lats at 21 seems absolutely crazy to me. He really should get another 4-5 years before you can truly begin to arrive at some reasonable guess of what he'll be in his prime, which will be about 6-7 years from now (!). The mere fact that he's taking a regular shift in the NHL at that age (and scoring a decent amount considering the lack of PP time) is fairly prodigious in itself.

I've feared all along that the Habs would give up on him too soon - just as we did with Ribeiro and, God helps us, John Leclair - simply because everyone gets sick and tired of waiting around for the guy to get really good. This is the trouble with players that young.

[Wamsley01]

Trading Lats at 21 seems absolutely crazy to me. He really should get another 4-5 years before you can truly begin to arrive at some reasonable guess of what he'll be in his prime, which will be about 6-7 years from now (!). The mere fact that he's taking a regular shift in the NHL at that age (and scoring a decent amount considering the lack of PP time) is fairly prodigious in itself.

I've feared all along that the Habs would give up on him too soon - just as we did with Ribeiro and, God helps us, John Leclair - simply because everyone gets sick and tired of waiting around for the guy to get really good. This is the trouble with players that young.

I am amazed at the criticism that Gui and Price take. Exactly 2 years ago they were both playing junior hockey and everybody

was projecting these guys as impact players in 4-5 years. What did I miss here? Don't they still have 3 more years to go?

If Lil TlTs is slow out of the gate next season will he get thrown under the bus as well?

Add to the fact the enormous amount of guys who threw Ribiero under the bus for years and are now angry the Habs gave up on the kid at the age of 26! TWENTY SIX!

I don't like Ribiero and I will not create a revisionist history in which I say I did, but then again I don't care that he is gone.

But do we need to weed through threads stating that if Price does not play well in Game 5 that it will determine his future as a money goalie or that Lats should be traded

because his future projects out as a 3rd line player. Why the impatience? We have already waited 15 years to return to glory. What is another couple years?

[saskhab]

Why wouldn't MaxPac play in Hamilton if he was signed? He's eligible to play in Hamilton (all collegiate players are, even at 18). The 20 rule is just for major junior players as part of the CBA to keep the Canadian leagues strong.

Also, Weber is pretty much certain to be signed to play in Hamilton next year.

Edited June 6, 2008 by saskhab

[Easy Ryder]

Ok it's just me, i get it. I just think that to land a big name in a trade you have to give something good.

UFA players this year are not very interesting.

So to fill some needs it's the youth or a trade.

To stay in the topic signing Pac and see him at the camp would give us a better idea of what to think.

[Athlétique.Canadien]

Why wouldn't MaxPac play in Hamilton ...

I tend to agree saskhab. Chris may be correct and he may remain in College but the way Timmon's has been talking about him lately you have to wonder. They feel he is ready so I guess we will see. Can't wait for Patch-E-Orr-Etty.

Just thought I'd throw the pronunciation into the post just in case people don't know how it sounds. That's what they called him at the Juniors.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Athlétique.Canadien

[KEEP26]

I am amazed at the criticism that Gui and Price take. Exactly 2 years ago they were both playing junior hockey and everybody

was projecting these guys as impact players in 4-5 years. What did I miss here? Don't they still have 3 more years to go?

If Lil TlTs is slow out of the gate next season will he get thrown under the bus as well?

Add to the fact the enormous amount of guys who threw Ribiero under the bus for years and are now angry the Habs gave up on the kid at the age of 26! TWENTY SIX!

I don't like Ribiero and I will not create a revisionist history in which I say I did, but then again I don't care that he is gone.

But do we need to weed through threads stating that if Price does not play well in Game 5 that it will determine his future as a money goalie or that Lats should be traded

because his future projects out as a 3rd line player. Why the impatience? We have already waited 15 years to return to glory. What is another couple years?

first of all price and gui are not even on the the same page...price takes alot of heat because his a goalie, and goalies always take heat when they lose and your a god when you win...sorry but its part of the job and all great goalies know that..the problam with gui is he made it in to the nhl to fast, he should of been in the ahl longer so he could come in his own down there, not in the bright lights of montreal..we need to make the trades that make the team better, and if tradeing gui or any other player makes the team better, you got to do it...

we didnt trade ribiero because he sucked, we trade him because he was a bitch, he was shit in the dressing room, the trade from montreal was a wake up call to ribiero and made him a better playerand person...in dallas he didnt have the french media standing up for him, so he had to learn to carry him self..

[Chris]

I just meant he is on a very good Michigan team with a coach who does very well with getting his players NHL ready. His size and speed is NHL ready, it's the little things he'll need to work on. Same with McDonagh, he looked very good in the games i saw him in,i beleive his coach is an ex NHler and those Wisconsin guys seem nhl ready after a year or 2.

Fisher is very good in his own end, skates well, i have seen no offensive upsida other then a good first pass.

[Wamsley01]

first of all price and gui are not even on the the same page...price takes alot of heat because his a goalie, and goalies always take heat when they lose and your a god when you win...sorry but its part of the job and all great goalies know that..the problam with gui is he made it in to the nhl to fast, he should of been in the ahl longer so he could come in his own down there, not in the bright lights of montreal..we need to make the trades that make the team better, and if tradeing gui or any other player makes the team better, you got to do it...

we didnt trade ribiero because he sucked, we trade him because he was a bitch, he was shit in the dressing room, the trade from montreal was a wake up call to ribiero and made him a better playerand person...in dallas he didnt have the french media standing up for him, so he had to learn to carry him self..

They are on the same page because they are 20 and the expectations thrust upon them are unrealistic. That is the parallel. I don't care what position they play or who is better, and I guarantee you that a 21 year old Martin Brodeur in New Jersey

and 21 year old Luongo in Florida/NYI did not put up with the same type of BS that Price has to in Montreal. It does not matter what position they play. But that is the market and that is the reality. But just because

it is reality, does not make it right.

I have stated a million times that any player is tradeable to the chagrin of many on this board. But WHY would you trade a kid with 1st line power forward potential who is 20?

THe only way you do is if you are acquiring a young first line star in return. (And it is in reference to a package, so please "who would trade a first line star for Gui?" rebuttals please)

The Blueprint is in Detroit/New Jersey/Colorado of the last 10-15 years. Those teams rarely made a habit of trading young studs unless they got an All-Star in return.

Primeau was traded for Shanahan, Nolan for Ozolinsh, Sundin for what turned into Claude Lemieux.

Lats is scratching the surface and he is a lot more productive than surface level analysis would indicate. He is somebody that Gainey should only trade if he becomes the key to the blockbuster

that could put the Habs over the top. Otherwise, everybody should relax, sit back and enjoy when he justifies the faith that Gainey places in him.

Edited June 6, 2008 by Wamsley01

[Chris]

I think it's funny people going crazy about changes when this is the best team put on the ice in 15 years, with an ok playoff run. Most of the good players are 25 and younger.

So let's get rid of those guys, makes alot sense.

[KEEP26]

They are on the same page because they are 20 and the expectations thrust upon them are unrealistic. That is the parallel. I don't care what position they play or who is better, and I guarantee you that a 21 year old Martin Brodeur in New Jersey

and 21 year old Luongo in Florida/NYI did not put up with the same type of BS that Price has to in Montreal. It does not matter what position they play. But that is the market and that is the reality. But just because

it is reality, does not make it right.

I have stated a million times that any player is tradeable to the chagrin of many on this board. But WHY would you trade a kid with 1st line power forward potential who is 20?

THe only way you do is if you are acquiring a young first line star in return. (And it is in reference to a package, so please "who would trade a first line star for Gui?" rebuttals please)

The Blueprint is in Detroit/New Jersey/Colorado of the last 10-15 years. Those teams rarely made a habit of trading young studs unless they got an All-Star in return.

Primeau was traded for Shanahan, Nolan for Ozolinsh, Sundin for what turned into Claude Lemieux.

Lats is scratching the surface and he is a lot more productive than surface level analysis would indicate. He is somebody that Gainey should only trade if he becomes the key to the blockbuster

that could put the Habs over the top. Otherwise, everybody should relax, sit back and enjoy when he justifies the faith that Gainey places in him.

they make great money, and live most people dream..there going to be alot BS....it comes with being a nhl player...of course Martin Brodeur in New Jersey

and 21 year old Luongo in Florida/NYI didnt have the same bs...that why luonge left florida, he want to play in a place that give a shit about hockey, good and the bad..i didnt say trade gui, i said he should still be in the ahl finding his game..not in montreal...he came up to early...like roy said if gui wasnt french he wouldnt off made the team so early, and some of thats true...gui was put in a bad spot. i feel bad for the kid, his going to be a good player...this is why we have a hard time getting good french players to sign...to much BS from the media ...

[Marky-Mark]

Being a Leaf fan and a UFA I can only see him in T.O. :puke:

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ryder signing with Pittsburgh.I doubt the Pens will be able to sign Hossa, and Ryder might just fit in to

their plans.