Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I do not want to trade Komisarek in any way, but if he has a huge year and is demanding 5-7M per season DO you really think Komisarek could ask for that kind of cash? I love the guy, but he's no offensive threat. HE can get you between 3 and 5 goals and another 12-17 assists, but thats about it. I just don't see him asking that much. Offer him 24 million over 6 years, and I'm sure he'll take it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) I like the last few posts here. As sick as it sounds, the loss of Ribeiro is beginning to haunt us, but I don't want to reopen that can of worms Wamsley, you might be right. I may be in denial here given the roster issues and cap realities. Didn't rumours have Florida asking for Komi back as a return for Jokinen? That gives a hint of how any move to acquire an elite C is liable to go down. On the other hand, saskhab is also perceptive. Part of our apoplexy at the thought of trading Komisarek may have to do with that fact that we don't really need that Koivu replacement - not yet. If we were desperate enough at C, we'd be more willing to embrace the move. It may instead be worth continuing to bide our time, hoping that Saks can continue to bag us 60-70 points for long enough that a solution will present itself, whether (unexpectedly) from within the system, or via UFA, or from a trade of the Marleau variety (by which I mean, for a C whose value has artificially deflated in a particular organizational setting, due to coaching/system conflicts, or whatever). A final possibility is the ol' switcheroo - AK 74 turns out to be excellent at C and blossoms into an elite talent; Tanguay returns to C and finds that, as a mature player, he's better at it than he was. Edited September 5, 2008 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 DO you really think Komisarek could ask for that kind of cash? I love the guy, but he's no offensive threat. HE can get you between 3 and 5 goals and another 12-17 assists, but thats about it. I just don't see him asking that much. Offer him 24 million over 6 years, and I'm sure he'll take it! What if he gets PP time? What if he makes the leap to All-Star? Mike Green went from entry level to 5M+ last season out of nowhere. Jay Bouwmeester just got 4.8M. I would rather have Komisarek Tom Gilbert, Joni Pitkanen, Ryan Whitney, Andrej Meszaros all at 4M per season. All younger than Komisarek. If he repeats last season he will be looking at 5M+, wether he chooses to offer a hometown discount or not is a whole other matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) I like the last few posts here. As sick as it sounds, the loss of Ribeiro is beginning to haunt us, but I don't want to reopen that can of worms Wamsley, you might be right. I may be in denial here given the roster issues and cap realities. Didn't rumours have Florida asking for Komi back as a return for Jokinen? That gives a hint of how any move to acquire an elite C is liable to go down. On the other hand, saskhab is also perceptive. Part of our apoplexy at the thought of trading Komisarek may have to do with that fact that we don't really need that Koivu replacement - not yet. It may instead be worth continuing to bide our time, hoping that Saks can continue to bag us 60-70 points for long enough that a solution will present itself, whether (unexpectedly) from within the system, or via UFA, or from a trade of the Marleau variety (by which I mean, for a C whose value has artificially deflated in a particular organizational setting, due to coaching/system conflicts, or whatever). A final possibility is the ol' switcheroo - AK 74 turns out to be excellent at C and blossoms into an elite talent; Tanguay returns to C and finds that, as a mature player, he's better at it than he was. I don't want to deal Komi. But I fully support CerebusClone's reasoning. I agree that barring a ridiculous contract demand you keep Komisarek and create a dominant defensive team. And hope the centre position sorts itself out. If it does not, you see how McDonagh develops and trade Komisarek then. His trade value will not plummet over the next couple years. Ottawa did not want to let Chara go, Tampa did not want to trade Richards and Boyle. But there is no way around it. Timmons continued success will be the biggest factor in the future success, but Gainey has already had to let 4 assets walk with very little return. Somebody's favourite player is going to be showed the door and the outcry will be huge on this board (see Huet trade). But we are just entering year 4 of the New NHL and the landscape has changed. The day of developing the Big Three is over. Shrewd tough decisions are just around the corner for this team. The window has now opened, and the decisions that Gainey makes in the next year or two will go along way in determining wether the Habs become the Wings or the Lightning. Edited September 5, 2008 by Wamsley01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Vlasic got $3.1m per with no offensive numbers to back him up, and including no unrestricted years (they were all years he would've been a RFA), so I'm not sure what that means for Komisarek, but I think it shows that defensive defensemen will be getting pretty big coin, too. Not as much as offensive blueliners (San Jose gave Carle $3.5m the previous year, so when you take into account one year inflation that's a decent difference), but still darn good money. It wouldn't shock me to see Komisarek get $5m or more on the open market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Vlasic got $3.1m per with no offensive numbers to back him up, and including no unrestricted years (they were all years he would've been a RFA), so I'm not sure what that means for Komisarek, but I think it shows that defensive defensemen will be getting pretty big coin, too. Not as much as offensive blueliners (San Jose gave Carle $3.5m the previous year, so when you take into account one year inflation that's a decent difference), but still darn good money. It wouldn't shock me to see Komisarek get $5m or more on the open market. Jeff Finger anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) Mike Green went from entry level to 5M+ last season out of nowhere. Jay Bouwmeester just got 4.8M. I would rather have Komisarek Agreed, but Green had a 56 point season (which places him in the top 10 defensemen in the NHL.) Bouwmeester has put up 37, 42 and 46 point seasons on a lousy team. As much as I love Komisarek, I don't think he's worth 5 million+ per year. HE could probably get 4.5 million but not much more than that! Edited September 5, 2008 by Habsfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) Agreed, but Green had a 56 point season (which places him in the top 10 defensemen in the NHL.) Bouwmeester has put up 37, 42 and 46 point seasons on a lousy team. As much as I love Komisarek, I don't think he's worth 5 million+ per year. HE could probably get 4.5 million but not much more than that! I don't think Finger is worth 3M+, I don't think Chara is worth 7.5M, Campbell 7.1M, Timmonen, Redden, Jovanovski 6M+ etc etc. It is the new NHL. Komisarek can decide to go UFA at 27 and easily receive an offer of 5M+. It really does not matter what we feel he is worth. If Komisarek had as much PP time as Bouwmeester (275 minutes more than Komi) he would have close to 30 points. Remove Bouwmeesters 14 PP points and he is in the low 20s last season. It is about opportunity, and if Komisarek ended up on a team where he was used on the first unit PP, he would be a hell of alot more productive. He will never be Andrei Markov, but he could sure as hell be McCabe or Souray given the right circumstance Edited September 5, 2008 by Wamsley01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Jeff Finger anyone? No thank you! I don't think Finger is worth 3M+, I don't think Chara is worth 7.5M, Campbell 7.1M, Timmonen, Redden, Jovanovski 6M+ etc etc. It is the new NHL. Komisarek can decide to go UFA at 27 and easily receive an offer of 5M+. It really does not matter what we feel he is worth. If Komisarek had as much PP time as Bouwmeester (275 minutes more than Komi) he would have close to 30 points. Remove Bouwmeesters 14 PP points and he is in the low 20s last season. It is about opportunity, and if Komisarek ended up on a team where he was used on the first unit PP, he would be a hell of alot more productive IN that case, it's all the more important for Bob to get him signed early(before X-mas) to a long term contract! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 No thank you! IN that case, it's all the more important for Bob to get him signed early(before X-mas) to a long term contract! I would love for Bob to lock him up to 4M per season. I just think that Komisarek can smell the $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I would love for Bob to lock him up to 4M per season. I just think that Komisarek can smell the $$. At the Golf Tournament on Tuesday, Komisarek told reporters that he wasn't interested in trying the free agency market! We'll see just how truthfull he really was! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 7-8 years for 35-40M$ for Komi and I'll be FREAKING happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 7-8 years for 35-40M$ for Komi and I'll be FREAKING happy. I think that the longer the term of the deal is, you can offer a little less to the player, and he'd be willing to accept.(because he knows his future has been secured.) ie: if you offer Komi a 3 year deal, he won't take anything less than 5 million per year...but if you offer him an 8 year deal, he might accept something in the range of 34 to 36 million$ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 As I mentionned before, I'm a huge Mike Komisarek fan, and I'll be very happy if we can sign him for something like 36 millions for 8 years (4.5M per season), which seems quite reasonable to me for sides, and also plausible since I doubt he's a greedy SOB looking to the jackpot. That's what my heart is telling me... However, my brains are looking at the fact that although Komisarek is a great physical shutdown defenseman, we also have Ryan O'Byrne who's in a similar mold, Valentenko who's earned quite a reputation already in the AHL at the age of 19/20, McDonagh who's been compared to Chelios in terms of physical play, Emelin who could perhaps sign next year, as well as some wild cards like Stejskal (I have some high hopes for him) and Paquet who also like to play a very physical brand of hockey. Meanwhile, our best prospects at the centre position are the oft-injured Ben Maxwell and the undrafted Brock Trotter. It's just something to think about, but the best case scenerio should be to resign Komisarek on the long term, and finding some other way ti find a good, relatively-young offensive centre to be with us for many years. It's possible, just not easy... ps. I mentionned Emelin, but I think it's too late for him. We cannot garantee him a roster spot with the Canadiens anymore, which means he could end up earning next to nothing in Hamilton, or at best earn about 850K for three consecutive years. That's a pretty big risk considering the opportunity cost of being a big star in the KHL, and earning millions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 ps. I mentionned Emelin, but I think it's too late for him. We cannot garantee him a roster spot with the Canadiens anymore, which means he could end up earning next to nothing in Hamilton, or at best earn about 850K for three consecutive years. That's a pretty big risk considering the opportunity cost of being a big star in the KHL, and earning millions. Agreed. I think i've lost hope of seeing Emelin in a Habs uniform...I've got a bad feeling about this player(and his situation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habsfan Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 (edited) from rds.ca Sundin rencontrerait le CH Vendredi 05 septembre 2008 RDS.ca Mats Sundin (Photo PC) Selon TSN, Mats Sundin va rencontrer la direction du Canadien avant de retourner en Europe, lundi. Sundin et ses représentants JP Barry et Claes Elefalk ont par ailleurs rencontré le directeur général des Maple Leafs de Toronto, Cliff Fletcher, vendredi matin. Joe Nieuwendyk, récemment embauché comme adjoint à Fletcher, a aussi participé à la discussion. Fletcher a déclaré au Globe and Mail que la rencontre avait été cordiale mais qu'elle n'avait produit rien de particulier. Fletcher a expliqué que Sundin lui avait dit ce qu'il ne cesse de répéter depuis des semaines, qu'il n'a pas l'intention de prendre une décision hâtive concernant son avenir. "Je ne lui ai pas demandé et je ne lui ai pas fixé une date butoir," a ajouté le patron par intérim des Leafs. Quoi qu'il en soit, Sundin chaussera les patins en soirée au Air Canada Centre dans le cadre d'une partie bénéfice. Sundin, qui est à Toronto afin de participer à un match disputé au Centre Air Canada et dont les profits seront versés à un organisme faisant la promotion du `droit de jouer', continue d’alimenter les rumeurs sur son avenir dans la LNH alors que les camps d’entraînement approchent. « Peu importe ce qui se passe, même si je ne joue pas demain ou peu importe, les Leafs seront toujours dans mon cœur », a soutenu Sundin jeudi. « Lorsque je vais me retirer, peu importe ce qui se produit avant, rien ne va changer ça. » Six équipes se seraient montrées intéressées aux services de Sundin dont Toronto, le Canadien, les Canucks et les Rangers. From tsn.ca SUNDIN MEETS WITH LEAFS' FLETCHER AND NIEUWENDYK Sources tell TSN Mats Sundin and his representatives JP Barry and Claes Elefalk met with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher Friday morning. Joe Nieuwendyk, recently hired as Fletcher's assistant was also involved in the discussions. Sources say Fletcher outlined his plan for the team this season and assured Sundin that Toronto will keep the door open for the 37-year-old captain in the event he decides to resume his career. "It was a very relaxed meeting," said Barry on AM640 Radio in Toronto. "It was a chance to reconnect since Mats was in town and talk about the changes on the Maple Leafs and make sure Mats was aware of everything that was going on with the team." Sources say Sundin is also expected to meet, or speak with the Montreal Canadiens before returning to Europe on Monday. Sundin, who is in Toronto for the inaugural Festival Cup charity hockey game at Air Canada Centre, continues to mull over his future plans as NHL training camp approaches. "Whatever happens to me, whether I'm not going to play tomorrow or whatever, I know Toronto's always the team in my heart," Sundin said Thursday. "When I retire, whenever that happens, that's not going to change." As many as six teams have expressed interest in Sundin's services, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. And when Barry was asked if it was a matter of either rejoining the Maple Leafs or retiring, Barry made it clear other teams are in the mix. "No, I don't think that's the case but I think the decision-making process is down to Toronto and another team because that's the way he's always felt," Barry told AM640 Radio. The unrestricted free agent said he was flattered by the suitors over the summer, and added that he cherished the time he spent in Toronto. The Leafs' most recent captain explained that no matter what happens, he'll always remain in close ties with the city. "This is the best hockey town to play in, in the world," Sundin added. "Right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs don't have the best hockey team in the world. The fans in Toronto certainly deserve to have a team that competes for the Stanley Cup every year." When asked the latest date when Sundin would return to the NHL, Barry provided a rough timeframe. "January 1, maybe. Not many players would come back after a date like that," Barry told AM640 Radio. "He listens to everything everyone has to say but he's just not there yet to make a decision." Last season, Sundin enjoyed one of his best seasons, finishing with 32 goals and 46 assists for 78 points in 74 games and leading Toronto in scoring for the fourth straight year. Edited September 5, 2008 by Habsfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted September 5, 2008 Author Share Posted September 5, 2008 As I mentionned before, I'm a huge Mike Komisarek fan, and I'll be very happy if we can sign him for something like 36 millions for 8 years (4.5M per season), which seems quite reasonable to me for sides, and also plausible since I doubt he's a greedy SOB looking to the jackpot. That's what my heart is telling me... However, my brains are looking at the fact that although Komisarek is a great physical shutdown defenseman, we also have Ryan O'Byrne who's in a similar mold, Valentenko who's earned quite a reputation already in the AHL at the age of 19/20, McDonagh who's been compared to Chelios in terms of physical play, Emelin who could perhaps sign next year, as well as some wild cards like Stejskal (I have some high hopes for him) and Paquet who also like to play a very physical brand of hockey. Meanwhile, our best prospects at the centre position are the oft-injured Ben Maxwell and the undrafted Brock Trotter. It's just something to think about, but the best case scenerio should be to resign Komisarek on the long term, and finding some other way ti find a good, relatively-young offensive centre to be with us for many years. It's possible, just not easy... ps. I mentionned Emelin, but I think it's too late for him. We cannot garantee him a roster spot with the Canadiens anymore, which means he could end up earning next to nothing in Hamilton, or at best earn about 850K for three consecutive years. That's a pretty big risk considering the opportunity cost of being a big star in the KHL, and earning millions. Another option is to go with the bird in the hand (Komisarek) and trade one of those high-end prospects on D that you mentioned, in return for a comparably high-end prospect at C, from some organization that needs to bolster its back end. There's a lot to like in that scenario - whether it's even remotely possible, that's another question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Another option is to go with the bird in the hand (Komisarek) and trade one of those high-end prospects on D that you mentioned, in return for a comparably high-end prospect at C, from some organization that needs to bolster its back end. There's a lot to like in that scenario - whether it's even remotely possible, that's another question. The only somewhat high-end prospect we have at the defense positon is Ryan McDonagh, however he probably wouldn't fetch anything we can use this season, only for the future. Perhaps we could try to deal for a guy like Derick Brassard, so that he could be paired once again to Guillaume Latendresse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 SUNDIN MEETS WITH LEAFS' FLETCHER AND NIEUWENDYK Sources tell TSN Mats Sundin and his representatives JP Barry and Claes Elefalk met with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher Friday morning. Joe Nieuwendyk, recently hired as Fletcher's assistant was also involved in the discussions. Sources say Fletcher outlined his plan for the team this season and assured Sundin that Toronto will keep the door open for the 37-year-old captain in the event he decides to resume his career. "It was a very relaxed meeting," said Barry on AM640 Radio in Toronto. "It was a chance to reconnect since Mats was in town and talk about the changes on the Maple Leafs and make sure Mats was aware of everything that was going on with the team." Sources say Sundin is also expected to meet, or speak with the Montreal Canadiens before returning to Europe on Monday. Sundin, who is in Toronto for the inaugural Festival Cup charity hockey game at Air Canada Centre, continues to mull over his future plans as NHL training camp approaches. "Whatever happens to me, whether I'm not going to play tomorrow or whatever, I know Toronto's always the team in my heart," Sundin said Thursday. "When I retire, whenever that happens, that's not going to change." As many as six teams have expressed interest in Sundin's services, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers. And when Barry was asked if it was a matter of either rejoining the Maple Leafs or retiring, Barry made it clear other teams are in the mix. "No, I don't think that's the case but I think the decision-making process is down to Toronto and another team because that's the way he's always felt," Barry told AM640 Radio. The unrestricted free agent said he was flattered by the suitors over the summer, and added that he cherished the time he spent in Toronto. The Leafs' most recent captain explained that no matter what happens, he'll always remain in close ties with the city. "This is the best hockey town to play in, in the world," Sundin added. "Right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs don't have the best hockey team in the world. The fans in Toronto certainly deserve to have a team that competes for the Stanley Cup every year." When asked the latest date when Sundin would return to the NHL, Barry provided a rough timeframe. "January 1, maybe. Not many players would come back after a date like that," Barry told AM640 Radio. "He listens to everything everyone has to say but he's just not there yet to make a decision." Last season, Sundin enjoyed one of his best seasons, finishing with 32 goals and 46 assists for 78 points in 74 games and leading Toronto in scoring for the fourth straight year. I find it strange that Sundin is contemplating a mid-season return when he stated that the reason he did not accept a trade at the deadline was that he wanted to be part of a team throughout the whole season (training camp through the Finals) and did not want to be a hired gun. If he goes back on that and signs anywhere but Toronto the Leaf fans are going to disown him for not helping the rebuild. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecurb Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 As I mentionned before, I'm a huge Mike Komisarek fan, and I'll be very happy if we can sign him for something like 36 millions for 8 years (4.5M per season), which seems quite reasonable to me for sides, and also plausible since I doubt he's a greedy SOB looking to the jackpot. That's what my heart is telling me... However, my brains are looking at the fact that although Komisarek is a great physical shutdown defenseman, we also have Ryan O'Byrne who's in a similar mold, Valentenko who's earned quite a reputation already in the AHL at the age of 19/20, McDonagh who's been compared to Chelios in terms of physical play, Emelin who could perhaps sign next year, as well as some wild cards like Stejskal (I have some high hopes for him) and Paquet who also like to play a very physical brand of hockey. Meanwhile, our best prospects at the centre position are the oft-injured Ben Maxwell and the undrafted Brock Trotter. It's just something to think about, but the best case scenerio should be to resign Komisarek on the long term, and finding some other way ti find a good, relatively-young offensive centre to be with us for many years. It's possible, just not easy... ps. I mentionned Emelin, but I think it's too late for him. We cannot garantee him a roster spot with the Canadiens anymore, which means he could end up earning next to nothing in Hamilton, or at best earn about 850K for three consecutive years. That's a pretty big risk considering the opportunity cost of being a big star in the KHL, and earning millions. I'm impressed that you know about Stejskal and Paquet as possible future physical shutdown defenseman. We do have an abundance of them The thing is that I don't think we have seen the best of Komisarek yet. As Wamsley pointed out he doesn't get any PP time. In fact in his NHL career he doesn't have a PP point. But, he has the skills to play on the PP. You know, we think Komisarek has been around a long time but he has only played 295 regular season games in the NHL. Thats 3 and a half seasons and change. For most dmen it takes 3-4 years to become accustom to the pace of the game in the NHL and he's now playing a great defensive game. I think the last thing that will come around for him is his offensive game. We've seen his point totals rise slowly and he's now a 20 point dmen if you project his totals during the last 2 years over 82 games. If you add PP time and let him join the rush more I could see him being a 30-40 point dman. Maybe having Komisarek play with a good defensive dman will allow him to explore his defensive potentail. I'd think about playing O'Byrne with Markov and possibly Komisarek with Hamrlik. I so agree we need to find a longterm solution at C, I also agree that we have a little more time to do it if we can re-sign Koivu for a couple of more years. But, Gainey really needs to be agressive in pursuit of that C. It doesn't have to be a centre that's already established in the league. A good young centre whose progress might be blocked by the depth in front of him would be a good move. As would a top prospect already not in the NHL, we have an elite scouting staff they should be able to give Gainey a list of top centre prospects in other organizations. Or, maybe we need to make a trade to move up into the top 5 in a good draft for that C. All options should be explored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I'm impressed that you know about Stejskal and Paquet as possible future physical shutdown defenseman. We do have an abundance of them The thing is that I don't think we have seen the best of Komisarek yet. As Wamsley pointed out he doesn't get any PP time. In fact in his NHL career he doesn't have a PP point. But, he has the skills to play on the PP. You know, we think Komisarek has been around a long time but he has only played 295 regular season games in the NHL. Thats 3 and a half seasons and change. For most dmen it takes 3-4 years to become accustom to the pace of the game in the NHL and he's now playing a great defensive game. I think the last thing that will come around for him is his offensive game. We've seen his point totals rise slowly and he's now a 20 point dmen if you project his totals during the last 2 years over 82 games. If you add PP time and let him join the rush more I could see him being a 30-40 point dman. Maybe having Komisarek play with a good defensive dman will allow him to explore his defensive potentail. I'd think about playing O'Byrne with Markov and possibly Komisarek with Hamrlik. I so agree we need to find a longterm solution at C, I also agree that we have a little more time to do it if we can re-sign Koivu for a couple of more years. But, Gainey really needs to be agressive in pursuit of that C. It doesn't have to be a centre that's already established in the league. A good young centre whose progress might be blocked by the depth in front of him would be a good move. As would a top prospect already not in the NHL, we have an elite scouting staff they should be able to give Gainey a list of top centre prospects in other organizations. Or, maybe we need to make a trade to move up into the top 5 in a good draft for that C. All options should be explored. I actually really like Joe Stejskal, and think we could have a little gem on our hands. He's a but raw of course, but his first season with the Big Green was quite impressive. He's a natural athlete on any field as well as a top student in the classroom, which I find tells a lot about the quality of his character. Actually, one of my main concerns is whether or not he'll be fully dedicated to hockey considering he has other options. As for Paquet, I don't think he progressed as much as he should have in the last 2 years. As Coach Roll mentionned, Paquet's indiscipline as a sophomore made it very hard for him to take on more responsabilities, and his last season was ruined because of injuries. With all the depth the Canadiens now have, Paquet might have missed his chance... hoeepfully he'll finish his NCAA career strong, and earn himself a pro contract. As for Komisarek, I fully agree with you, and I've been saying for some time that we need to give him some powerplay time. I don't think he was drafted only for his defensive skills, and he has quite a bit of success at the NCAA and AHL levels; actually, his 30 points in 56 games as a rookie with the Bulldogs made him practically at par with the team's best offfensive defenseman at the time, M-A Bergeron. I think Komisarek had the hockey sense and skills to be quite successful on the power play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 Just what I was thinking, Wamsley. I think the Leaf fans have good reason to blame him now. As I mentionned before, I'm a huge Mike Komisarek fan, and I'll be very happy if we can sign him for something like 36 millions for 8 years (4.5M per season), which seems quite reasonable to me for sides, and also plausible since I doubt he's a greedy SOB looking to the jackpot. That's what my heart is telling me... However, my brains are looking at the fact that although Komisarek is a great physical shutdown defenseman, we also have Ryan O'Byrne who's in a similar mold, Valentenko who's earned quite a reputation already in the AHL at the age of 19/20, McDonagh who's been compared to Chelios in terms of physical play, Emelin who could perhaps sign next year, as well as some wild cards like Stejskal (I have some high hopes for him) and Paquet who also like to play a very physical brand of hockey. Meanwhile, our best prospects at the centre position are the oft-injured Ben Maxwell and the undrafted Brock Trotter. It's just something to think about, but the best case scenerio should be to resign Komisarek on the long term, and finding some other way ti find a good, relatively-young offensive centre to be with us for many years. It's possible, just not easy... ps. I mentionned Emelin, but I think it's too late for him. We cannot garantee him a roster spot with the Canadiens anymore, which means he could end up earning next to nothing in Hamilton, or at best earn about 850K for three consecutive years. That's a pretty big risk considering the opportunity cost of being a big star in the KHL, and earning millions. Using O'Byrne or Carle or Weber to get a prospect on the level of Cogliano is fine by me. But not Komisarek, he's far better than O'Byrne will ever be. You say they are comparable players but it is a 1st pairing and a 3rd pairing defenceman with similar traits and styles, they aren't comparable in talent or value. I wouldn't move Subban either, no prospect has been such an instant fan favourite in the past few years other than Price and Latendresse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCHabnut Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I think that the price for trading Komi should be very high. He is a beast, and last year was really his coming out party. A guy like him is harder to replace than we think. Komi was hurt in the playoffs, and look at his battle with Lucic. He is too big a cog in this machine now. I know what you guys are saying, but it kind of hurts to imagine trading him. He battles with the top players of every team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecurb Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I find it strange that Sundin is contemplating a mid-season return when he stated that the reason he did not accept a trade at the deadline was that he wanted to be part of a team throughout the whole season (training camp through the Finals) and did not want to be a hired gun. If he goes back on that and signs anywhere but Toronto the Leaf fans are going to disown him for not helping the rebuild. When Sundin actually helps the re-build by not signing with the Leafs? Toronto fans If Gainey is the last GM Sundin talks to before going back home to decide if he wants to retire, methinks we're his other option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecurb Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 I actually really like Joe Stejskal, and think we could have a little gem on our hands. He's a but raw of course, but his first season with the Big Green was quite impressive. He's a natural athlete on any field as well as a top student in the classroom, which I find tells a lot about the quality of his character. Actually, one of my main concerns is whether or not he'll be fully dedicated to hockey considering he has other options. As for Paquet, I don't think he progressed as much as he should have in the last 2 years. As Coach Roll mentionned, Paquet's indiscipline as a sophomore made it very hard for him to take on more responsabilities, and his last season was ruined because of injuries. With all the depth the Canadiens now have, Paquet might have missed his chance... hoeepfully he'll finish his NCAA career strong, and earn himself a pro contract. As for Komisarek, I fully agree with you, and I've been saying for some time that we need to give him some powerplay time. I don't think he was drafted only for his defensive skills, and he has quite a bit of success at the NCAA and AHL levels; actually, his 30 points in 56 games as a rookie with the Bulldogs made him practically at par with the team's best offfensive defenseman at the time, M-A Bergeron. I think Komisarek had the hockey sense and skills to be quite successful on the power play. I love talking about our prospects, but this is probably not the right place to do it. I'll have to checkout the prospect side more :hlogo: I say sign Komisarek ASAP, I believe this might be his coming out season. Is there anyone more relaxed on the Habs right now then Komisarek? He doesn't have to be our enforcer anymore. Yup, sign him now, I'd go 4.5-5M, but not more then 6 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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