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What needs to happen in 2010 for us to be a contender.


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Gorges is great offensively??

As far as the offensive D on the habs, I think he is. He can actually carry the puck out of the zone with the rush, now he needs to work on (as so all the habs, rookies and vets) not panicing in the defensive zone.

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i dont think we have seen this team at full forces yet..so to judge this team as a team is impossible because we just got health..i think the only guys we should move is the guys we are not sure if they be back or if they what to play for the habs..i got faith that we are going to have a good 2nd half..iam just worry about losing guys or nothing

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I want to echo Colin's perceptive post. I agree on Spacek. At the time, not attending too closely to the cap issues, I thought it a good signing - the acquisition of a top-4 defenceman who could give us the long-needed depth (behind Hamrlik and Markov) in running the PP and helping the transition game. After all, he seemed to do all those things on Buffalo. But he's been a big "meh" so far. Solid, respectable, a decent all-around D-man...but not all that huge an upgrade on Gorges, and locked in for his declining years to boot.

Spacek actually isn't all that overpaid. Propaganda aside, none of our players are really massively overpaid except Gomez (who I confess to simply liking as a player; always did). It's more the death of a thousand cuts: $500 000 -1 mil for Gionta, $500 000 for Gill, $500 000 for Cammy, $1 mil for Hammer, etc.). But that being so, pinching pennies by unloading Spacek, while it would hurt us in the short run, would be a wise move longer-term. Some contender will want him at the deadline. We should consider it.

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I want to echo Colin's perceptive post. I agree on Spacek. At the time, not attending too closely to the cap issues, I thought it a good signing - the acquisition of a top-4 defenceman who could give us the long-needed depth (behind Hamrlik and Markov) in running the PP and helping the transition game. After all, he seemed to do all those things on Buffalo. But he's been a big "meh" so far. Solid, respectable, a decent all-around D-man...but not all that huge an upgrade on Gorges, and locked in for his declining years to boot.

Spacek actually isn't all that overpaid. Propaganda aside, none of our players are really massively overpaid except Gomez (who I confess to simply liking as a player; always did). It's more the death of a thousand cuts: $500 000 -1 mil for Gionta, $500 000 for Gill, $500 000 for Cammy, $1 mil for Hammer, etc.). But that being so, pinching pennies by unloading Spacek, while it would hurt us in the short run, would be a wise move longer-term. Some contender will want him at the deadline. We should consider it.

I have been saying the same thing for the past two years - overpaying adds up. Gainey always seems to overpay whoever he signs. I think the only contract he signed that was hailed as a good move $ wise was locking up Gorges for 3 years. I just don't understand why the habs can't do more of that???? In a cap system, all you really need to do is overpay 6 players by $500,000 and you screw yourself over in being able to add a #4-6 forward or #3/4 dman, or being able to pickup a solid player at the deadline.

Back when Laraque was signed I said that in a cap system you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT sign a 4th line part time player whose role is to just fight for $1.5M, and a lot of people on this site said it was ONLY $1.5M and the habs need toughness and that Laraque can control the play along the boards, is tough to knock of the puck and adds a lot of intangibles. For the past fifteen years the habs have been trying to get tougher by picking up fringe, energy guys and they still haven't learned that just doesn't work. What the habs needed and need now is toughness and size in their core players - NOT in their fringe players. Even if Laraque had not turned out to be the Gentlemen Jim of hockey, the salary, the three year term and then no trade clause - which for me was the clincher of stupidity. Who signs a goon with a no trade clause - even if it is a limited NTC?????

Spacek is overpaid given the term. If the Spacek deal was for two years, I'd have no issue with it, bcoz, lets face it a defence of just Markov, Hammer, O'byrne and Gorges would have been even more scary.

The other issue i had was that the habs added Spacek, Gill and Mara, with really only Spacek having any potential at all of being able to play a #3 or #4 role. If you are going to be picking up free agents, why try to fill #5/#6 positions through the UFA market rather then trying to move kids on the farm, or letting O'byrne or Gorges stay in those roles??? These kind of UFA signings would not have been necessary if we didn't let our own UFA assets always walk away, rather then trying to move them at the deadline. I know it was a centennial year - its a point that has been harped on enough, but given the performance of the team leading up to the deadline, the habs had no business hanging on to as many UFA's as they did. I think the only two guys that Gainey actually tried to move last year were Begin and Dandenault. Similarly, making the decision not to play Ryder and then hanging on to him and lose him to free agency is just terrible asset management.

Can you imagine some of the holes we could have filled and dept we could have picked up, if we had moved, Ryder, Streit, Souray, Kovy, Tanguay, Komisarik??? Gainey did a great job onloading Rivet. Why he hung onto these other guys to try and just squeak into the playoffs, or in Streit's case, not sign him when he was affordable is beyond me.

I like Gomez too and what he brings to the table, but we can't afford the luxery of what he brings at a $7.3M cap hit.

If Gainey can unload Gomez and Spacek before next year, I think we have something to build on and have the flexibility of resigning our own RFA's during the next two years (Pouliot, Price/Halak, MaxPax) and UFA's (Pleks, Markov). I think Spacek may be easier to move if one of the top 5-6 contenders lose a key dman, but Gomez is a different beast. I know it is going to be hard, but for the past two years the rangers tried to move Gomez and it was pretty much the consensus that his salary was unmovable. But Gainey bit out of desperation. I think there are a few franchises that may be desperate (i.e. Atlanta if they can't retain Kovulchuk, Nashville, Columbus), that are at risk in their markets and need a big name player that might bite at the 4 years Gomez will have left.

If we can't move their salaries we run the risk of being unable to retain our better players and RFA's and I know I may be being overly negative, but I just can't us seeing being able to become a contender with so many salaries dragging us down. Everybody talks about moving Pleks and Halak (which I really am not in favour of), but their salaries come out to under $4M. How can we possibly pick up a guy like Carter as has been suggested in the media when he is already making $5M and only has a year left. Even if we bought out Laraque and traded for Carter, what do we do in two years time when Carter and Markov are free agents??? It's been said that Hamrlik's salary is going to come of the books, but you still need to pick up another #2 Dman. Even if someone like Subban steps up next year and becomes the stud dman we all hope he will be, you still have to resign him as a RFA in two years time.

IF you look at the long-term picture and our salary commitments, I find it very hard to optimistic about our future.

Edited by hab29RETIRED
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I would not be upset if Bob did sign Plex for a reasonable contract. I just see a rare opportunity for our club to make a major deal for a major impact player or players depending on who we package. I do not remember the last time we had true bargaining power. How many years had we wanted to make a huge trade with "Ryder, Halak and a second" as our key trade pieces?

I do have a small warning alarm going off inside of me regarding Plex though. It feels so much like Theo in his one great year.

Spacek played some great hockey and helped to save us from oblivion when Markov was down. He is not a superstar and is not making superstar money. We are a little spoiled with Markov because he is a superstar but he isn't making superstar money. Markov is worth 7 million and will likely get it in his next contract.

I love Gorges but Kozed is right on about him. A hard working, balls to the wall, give all you have player with little size and little skill. He will battle anyone in the corner for the puck but once he has it he has no idea what to do with it.

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I have been saying the same thing for the past two years - overpaying adds up. Gainey always seems to overpay whoever he signs. I think the only contract he signed that was hailed as a good move $ wise was locking up Gorges for 3 years. I just don't understand why the habs can't do more of that???? In a cap system, all you really need to do is overpay 6 players by $500,000 and you screw yourself over in being able to add a #4-6 forward or #3/4 dman, or being able to pickup a solid player at the deadline.

Back when Laraque was signed I said that in a cap system you ABSOLUTELY CANNOT sign a 4th line part time player whose role is to just fight for $1.5M, and a lot of people on this site said it was ONLY $1.5M and the habs need toughness and that Laraque can control the play along the boards, is tough to knock of the puck and adds a lot of intangibles. For the past fifteen years the habs have been trying to get tougher by picking up fringe, energy guys and they still haven't learned that just doesn't work. What the habs needed and need now is toughness and size in their core players - NOT in their fringe players. Even if Laraque had not turned out to be the Gentlemen Jim of hockey, the salary, the three year term and then no trade clause - which for me was the clincher of stupidity. Who signs a goon with a no trade clause - even if it is a limited NTC?????

Spacek is overpaid given the term. If the Spacek deal was for two years, I'd have no issue with it, bcoz, lets face it a defence of just Markov, Hammer, O'byrne and Gorges would have been even more scary.

The other issue i had was that the habs added Spacek, Gill and Mara, with really only Spacek having any potential at all of being able to play a #3 or #4 role. If you are going to be picking up free agents, why try to fill #5/#6 positions through the UFA market rather then trying to move kids on the farm, or letting O'byrne or Gorges stay in those roles??? These kind of UFA signings would not have been necessary if we didn't let our own UFA assets always walk away, rather then trying to move them at the deadline. I know it was a centennial year - its a point that has been harped on enough, but given the performance of the team leading up to the deadline, the habs had no business hanging on to as many UFA's as they did. I think the only two guys that Gainey actually tried to move last year were Begin and Dandenault. Similarly, making the decision not to play Ryder and then hanging on to him and lose him to free agency is just terrible asset management.

Can you imagine some of the holes we could have filled and dept we could have picked up, if we had moved, Ryder, Streit, Souray, Kovy, Tanguay, Komisarik??? Gainey did a great job onloading Rivet. Why he hung onto these other guys to try and just squeak into the playoffs, or in Streit's case, not sign him when he was affordable is beyond me.

I like Gomez too and what he brings to the table, but we can't afford the luxery of what he brings at a $7.3M cap hit.

If Gainey can unload Gomez and Spacek before next year, I think we have something to build on and have the flexibility of resigning our own RFA's during the next two years (Pouliot, Price/Halak, MaxPax) and UFA's (Pleks, Markov). I think Spacek may be easier to move if one of the top 5-6 contenders lose a key dman, but Gomez is a different beast. I know it is going to be hard, but for the past two years the rangers tried to move Gomez and it was pretty much the consensus that his salary was unmovable. But Gainey bit out of desperation. I think there are a few franchises that may be desperate (i.e. Atlanta if they can't retain Kovulchuk, Nashville, Columbus), that are at risk in their markets and need a big name player that might bite at the 4 years Gomez will have left.

If we can't move their salaries we run the risk of being unable to retain our better players and RFA's and I know I may be being overly negative, but I just can't us seeing being able to become a contender with so many salaries dragging us down. Everybody talks about moving Pleks and Halak (which I really am not in favour of), but their salaries come out to under $4M. How can we possibly pick up a guy like Carter as has been suggested in the media when he is already making $5M and only has a year left. Even if we bought out Laraque and traded for Carter, what do we do in two years time when Carter and Markov are free agents??? It's been said that Hamrlik's salary is going to come of the books, but you still need to pick up another #2 Dman. Even if someone like Subban steps up next year and becomes the stud dman we all hope he will be, you still have to resign him as a RFA in two years time.

IF you look at the long-term picture and our salary commitments, I find it very hard to optimistic about our future.

Again, the issues that are of concern with you and many of us habs fans, are for the most part valid. I don’t agree entirely in your assessment to resolve those issues as internet GM’s. I have come to accept the fact Gomez will be with us for at least a couple of years and think his play will eventually become acceptable ( not the money ). The same holds true for Hamrlik his play is acceptable it’s just we look at him as a financial burden that would free up cap dollars. I really don’t believe either will be moved.

I suggest to you the same question when I suggested to fire Gainey. I was asked ,who would you get to replace him that is BETTER?. I agree with your assessment of Gainey as a Below average GM, his cap and asset management , for me has always been suspect.

Spacek, the scouting reports on him are very clear, ‘ he has difficulties when playing his off side (RD)’ He is left handed and we ask him to play the right side, is this his fault?. Keep in mind O’Byrne is the only RH d-man on the roster today, and as far as I am concerned ,O’Byrne is playing so much better than I expected.

The pit-falls are simple and understood by almost everyone. There are ways where it could be made to work, that means trade and as usual, personal preference will be argued forever on this site. I have my own solution worked out with only teams that need help, this will never happen because Gainey has no history of multiple team trades.

Realistically, we can’t sign both Price and Plekanec . Price can be replaced, Plekanec cannot be replaced so my vote is package Price, AK, SK to St.Louis for Perron, Junlund, Andronov and Conklin. Trading Conklin to Edmonton after. Why Perron, he is being moved all over on different lines and is now listed on their depth chart as third line LW when he is RH. This suggests he could be available.

Carolina has real problems, I would trade the rights to Emelin with Weber and D’Agostini for, Rights to, Babchuk and get Jiri Thusty. Getting Babchuk brings the same point shot as Bergeron only he is RH and 6’5” only available next season ,( playing KHL)

There should be no question that in order to improve all areas, the caliber of player and cap management we are going to have to overpay slightly to get other GM’s to even look at the offers.

Some day I will post my complete trade just to piss Habsy off. . .might even do it in the wrong thread. There are some that are void of ideas and solutions that would rather post a negative response to everything, rather than build on ideas.

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Again, the issues that are of concern with you and many of us habs fans, are for the most part valid. I don’t agree entirely in your assessment to resolve those issues as internet GM’s. I have come to accept the fact Gomez will be with us for at least a couple of years and think his play will eventually become acceptable ( not the money ). The same holds true for Hamrlik his play is acceptable it’s just we look at him as a financial burden that would free up cap dollars. I really don’t believe either will be moved.

I suggest to you the same question when I suggested to fire Gainey. I was asked ,who would you get to replace him that is BETTER?. I agree with your assessment of Gainey as a Below average GM, his cap and asset management , for me has always been suspect.

Spacek, the scouting reports on him are very clear, ‘ he has difficulties when playing his off side (RD)’ He is left handed and we ask him to play the right side, is this his fault?. Keep in mind O’Byrne is the only RH d-man on the roster today, and as far as I am concerned ,O’Byrne is playing so much better than I expected.

The pit-falls are simple and understood by almost everyone. There are ways where it could be made to work, that means trade and as usual, personal preference will be argued forever on this site. I have my own solution worked out with only teams that need help, this will never happen because Gainey has no history of multiple team trades.

Realistically, we can’t sign both Price and Plekanec . Price can be replaced, Plekanec cannot be replaced so my vote is package Price, AK, SK to St.Louis for Perron, Junlund, Andronov and Conklin. Trading Conklin to Edmonton after. Why Perron, he is being moved all over on different lines and is now listed on their depth chart as third line LW when he is RH. This suggests he could be available.

Carolina has real problems, I would trade the rights to Emelin with Weber and D’Agostini for, Rights to, Babchuk and get Jiri Thusty. Getting Babchuk brings the same point shot as Bergeron only he is RH and 6’5” only available next season ,( playing KHL)

There should be no question that in order to improve all areas, the caliber of player and cap management we are going to have to overpay slightly to get other GM’s to even look at the offers.

Some day I will post my complete trade just to piss Habsy off. . .might even do it in the wrong thread. There are some that are void of ideas and solutions that would rather post a negative response to everything, rather than build on ideas.

I can't believe you singled me out by name. Thank you, as I read more than I post. Now I've just got to hear your fantasy trade. You mean it's even more lunacy than the above mentioned trade?? flipping Ty Conklin to Edmonton? I don't care what "thread" you do it in. How am I being negative? Because I accused hab29retired of being negative? I read all of his posts, but I doubt I'm alone in thinking he comes off a little strong in his views, but that's his style. It's official, I've gotta hear your trade, please enlighten us!!!

Edited by Habsy
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Again, the issues that are of concern with you and many of us habs fans, are for the most part valid. I don’t agree entirely in your assessment to resolve those issues as internet GM’s. I have come to accept the fact Gomez will be with us for at least a couple of years and think his play will eventually become acceptable ( not the money ). The same holds true for Hamrlik his play is acceptable it’s just we look at him as a financial burden that would free up cap dollars. I really don’t believe either will be moved.

I suggest to you the same question when I suggested to fire Gainey. I was asked ,who would you get to replace him that is BETTER?. I agree with your assessment of Gainey as a Below average GM, his cap and asset management , for me has always been suspect.

Spacek, the scouting reports on him are very clear, ‘ he has difficulties when playing his off side (RD)’ He is left handed and we ask him to play the right side, is this his fault?. Keep in mind O’Byrne is the only RH d-man on the roster today, and as far as I am concerned ,O’Byrne is playing so much better than I expected.

The pit-falls are simple and understood by almost everyone. There are ways where it could be made to work, that means trade and as usual, personal preference will be argued forever on this site. I have my own solution worked out with only teams that need help, this will never happen because Gainey has no history of multiple team trades.

Realistically, we can’t sign both Price and Plekanec . Price can be replaced, Plekanec cannot be replaced so my vote is package Price, AK, SK to St.Louis for Perron, Junlund, Andronov and Conklin. Trading Conklin to Edmonton after. Why Perron, he is being moved all over on different lines and is now listed on their depth chart as third line LW when he is RH. This suggests he could be available.

Carolina has real problems, I would trade the rights to Emelin with Weber and D’Agostini for, Rights to, Babchuk and get Jiri Thusty. Getting Babchuk brings the same point shot as Bergeron only he is RH and 6’5” only available next season ,( playing KHL)

There should be no question that in order to improve all areas, the caliber of player and cap management we are going to have to overpay slightly to get other GM’s to even look at the offers.

Some day I will post my complete trade just to piss Habsy off. . .might even do it in the wrong thread. There are some that are void of ideas and solutions that would rather post a negative response to everything, rather than build on ideas.

And then package Gomez, Markov, Hamrlik, 3 1st rounders for Malkin and Crosby, then deal Malkin to the capitals for Bäckström and Mike Green. Then we use a timemachine and bring in Stephane Richer to play with Crosby and then get Jose Theodore of 2002 and were set.

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I can't believe you singled me out by name. Thank you, as I read more than I post. Now I've just got to hear your fantasy trade. You mean it's even more lunacy than the above mentioned trade?? flipping Ty Conklin to Edmonton? I don't care what "thread" you do it in. How am I being negative? Because I accused hab29retired of being negative? I read all of his posts, but I doubt I'm alone in thinking he comes off a little strong in his views, but that's his style. It's official, I've gotta hear your trade, please enlighten us!!!

LOL . . .Exactly my point, why not create a ‘idea’ for yourself, outlining you’re pearls of wisdom, as to why the suggestion is madness, at best. also how you would resolve the cap issue?. Even better do some research for a change and come up with a improvement, or at the very least a point by point reasoning as to why this is lunacy . Then we all can build from there.

I fine Hab29 articulates his concerns very well and he does have suggestions to build on.

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Cant we all just get along..iam a betting man and i bet gomez is not going anywhere as the team was build around him..(unless tampa bay trades vinny to us,ever i dont think that might be the greatest move,but habs fan what him)

i been thinking that why no ones wearing the C this year, maybe bob got a trade in place for vinny but waiting for the end of the year so the cap would work this year...lol i hope this gets everyone going

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Looks like this thread has gone over a cliff. :huh:

Lets try to bring it back to some sense of reality again. :wacko:

Although i enjoyed the sarcasm of Dal... :clap:

and certainly like the question around why the team has not picked a Captain yet... :?-

and yes don't we have some cap space to work with? ;)

finally, if BG does not make a move this year and puts us into the final months of this season to fend for ourselves with what we have, I expect a few trades and moves that will change the makeup of this group for next year. :clap: IT has to happen...

At this point I like the idea of staying H E A L T H Y! :puke:

The push to the Olympics will be fun and the Final stretch will be exciting I'm certain of it.... GO HABS GO!

Happy New Year! and all the best for 2010. GO HABS GO! :hlogo:

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You know, you're absolutely right about Spacek being used on the wrong side. I forgot about that. For years I have issued qualified defences of Patrice Brisebois's tenure with the Habs on the grounds that his notorious -34 season was a product of his being forced to play on the wrong side; and here I am grumbling about Spacek, who is being abused under the same circumstances. I withdraw my critique of Spacek!! :hlogo:

Nonetheless, that's still a dubious contract.

PM Koivu is wise to have unease about Plekanec. The reason is simple. He is playing this season with consistent, go-for-broke courage. He did the same thing in 2008 and in the second half of 2007. But he did not display the same intestinal fortitude in 2009, nor in the first half of 06-07, and never yet in the playoffs. The Pleks of 2009 was a player often praised for "working hard," but he worked really hard along the perimeter and tended to avoid traffic.

So the question with Plekanec is whether he is consistently able and/or willing to play confident, balls-to-the-wall hockey on a nightly basis. This question simply cannot be answered in a contract year when he has the greatest incentive he will ever have to pack his guts night after night. Gainey has to make a call based on his knowledge of Plekanec the man.

I don't envy Gainey this decision. No one has any way of really knowing how Plekanec will pan out long term. It's essentially unknowable. And yet if he guesses wrong - if he rewards a 65-point player with a massive contract, or if he deals away the new Pavel Datsyuk - he will never be forgiven. That's a tough job, man!

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LOL . . .Exactly my point, why not create a ‘idea’ for yourself, outlining you’re pearls of wisdom, as to why the suggestion is madness, at best. also how you would resolve the cap issue?. Even better do some research for a change and come up with a improvement, or at the very least a point by point reasoning as to why this is lunacy . Then we all can build from there.

I fine Hab29 articulates his concerns very well and he does have suggestions to build on.

Just don't single me out again v-habs, please. Take a look at some of the other posts since your trade of the century. And consider some of the top contributors to this site. None of them suggest off the wall, fantasy drivel. The Cucumber, Wamsley, Colin, Kozed, Chris, Fanpuck, Simonus, to name but a few. Just imagine the names they can all come up with, it makes the average person roll their eyes. Another EA sports trade. You're right though, I'm not closely monitoring the daily situation in St. Louis. I promise, I won't comment on your trades anymore. Happy New Year.

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I would not make a big move. I may be mistaken, but I think that this team, if it remains healthy, can surprise us.

The only adjustment I would make, if I was Gainey, would be to trade Halak. But there are conditions:

1. I would trade him before the trades deadline, only if we had improved our position in the standings to the point that missing the playoffs would be unlikely.

2. I probably would put one or two players, including a defenseman (Mara or Gorges) and a draft pick (or a prospect like D'Agostini or Trotter), to get a better, right-handed defenseman.

3. If I feel that my young defensemen in Hamilton are ready to play in Montreal and replace Mara or Gorges, I would go for an extra winger, preferably a young man capable of scoring 20 to 30 goals. Hopefully, this would give us the opportunity to see Subban in Mtl before the end of the season.

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I would not make a big move. I may be mistaken, but I think that this team, if it remains healthy, can surprise us.

The only adjustment I would make, if I was Gainey, would be to trade Halak. But there are conditions:

1. I would trade him before the trades deadline, only if we had improved our position in the standings to the point that missing the playoffs would be unlikely.

2. I probably would put one or two players, including a defenseman (Mara or Gorges) and a draft pick (or a prospect like D'Agostini or Trotter), to get a better, right-handed defenseman.

3. If I feel that my young defensemen in Hamilton are ready to play in Montreal and replace Mara or Gorges, I would go for an extra winger, preferably a young man capable of scoring 20 to 30 goals. Hopefully, this would give us the opportunity to see Subban in Mtl before the end of the season.

There are times when I also think that meddling with the roster might cause more harm the good. On the other hand, I always seem to return to reality and know we are only short one true scoring winger and perhaps a RH d-man. I would rather our competition be forced to react. However, I am concerned ( perhaps overly ) that our competition will make their needed improvements and pass us by, and then we will be back to react mode.

Whether we like it or not, the Leafs are a much improved team than they first indicated. Keep in mind, as usual we play the last game of the season against them, would hate to see them knock us out of a playoff spot as they did two years ago because we were missing 1-2 upgrade players over today’s roster.

Boston just acquired Miroslav Satan that might replace the loss of Kessel for basically peanuts. We shouldn’t take this move too casually he still has value at age 35 in a playoff race.

ASSETS: Has a deadly shooter's touch and loads of deception to his game. Is virtually unstoppable on breakaways and a major scoring threat on special teams.

FLAWS: Tends to get lazy at times. Doesn't use his size nearly enough. Gets down on himself when not scoring goals.

CAREER POTENTIAL: Top six winger.

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More controlled, systematic play. (This is on Martin)

Continued production from the top 2 lines. (This is on Pouliot, Kostitsyn and health)

I also think it would make a difference if we could upgrade our 12th forward. It sucks that we have one of D'Agostini and Laraque on the ice every night. I'd rather have a Kostopoulos in that spot or a Mike Johnson.

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I don't have the competence to add much of anything to the interesting discussion , but I do want to thank you guys for such interesting considerations . I tend to see our glass as very much half full, not half empty, and come to think of it I rather think we're at least 3/4 full at this point.

The myriad discussions and minutiae, including historic tax burdens Bob must contend with in competition for players; especially given the US indifference to social justice, just reinforces for me how incredibly difficult the Mtl mgr's job is.

He must contend and keep hope alive every year. He must progress and renew, attract, judge and trade in a bowl circumscribed by a cap.

God bless this New Year for all of you and especially, the gang whose balls and our hopes are on the line with every act, uncle Bob et co.

Cheers

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The only move Bob can REALISTICALLY make is trading Halak...and I'm not even sure he's gonna do it. Mostly because i don't believe Halak's value throughout the NHL is very high!

That might change after the Olympics, but right now, we will NOT get a top 6 forward for Halak.

What the Habs need is to stay healthy and continue to play aggressive hockey. Not the passive crap they were playing just before they went on the road trip!

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More controlled, systematic play. (This is on Martin)

Continued production from the top 2 lines. (This is on Pouliot, Kostitsyn and health)

I also think it would make a difference if we could upgrade our 12th forward. It sucks that we have one of D'Agostini and Laraque on the ice every night. I'd rather have a Kostopoulos in that spot or a Mike Johnson.

Funny you should say that, I always thought Mike Johnson was very undervalued here and was a great 3rd line player for us.

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Just a reminder THE OLYMPIC TRADE FREEZE BEGINS MIDNIGHT FEB 12, ENDING MIDNIGHT FEB 28 2010.

The trade deadline is March 3rd. so there really isn’t that much time to get any trades completed

I understand O'Byrne is not making the trip to Washington ??????

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