hab29RETIRED Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Well, I'm not a big one for worrying about what the other teams are doing - I hear the same song and dance every year about how we 'haven't done enough to keep up,' etc., but usually there's some clubs that fall back as well as move forward. Despite that, you're right; like I've been saying for a while, we are probably not a playoff team, because our top-6 is too weak and our defence corps too reliant on 'maybes' (maybe Emelin will keep improving, maybe Markov will come back into form and stay healthy, and holy crap let's hope PK misses zero time due to injury). The best hope perhaps lies, not in Gomez suddenly becoming an NHL player again, but in the theory that a much stronger bottom-6 will lead to a strong top-6. Maybe a Pleks who doesn't have to grind it out on the PK will have more in the tank for offensive purposes, for instance. Maybe greater team toughness will give forwards besides Patches and Cole a little more confidence and room out there. Maybe a few extra goals from the bottom lines will lead to a few extra wins over a long season. Add in a healthy Gionta and perhaps - which nobody ever contemplates - continued improvement from Desharnais as well as Eller, along with a renewed and revitalized team dynamic as everyone grabs for a fresh start (e.g., even Bourque wakes up) we might squeak it out. We might. But, again - that's a lot of maybes. Too many. I can live with the defence corps as an experiment, but I strongly feel that Bergevin needs to add a forward with at least the potential to be in the top-6. Just imagine if one of our top-6 FW gets injured. Not a pretty thought. The issue I have with our bottom six upgrade is that we didn't really upgrade where we need it the most - at Centre. If pressure is going to be taken of Pleks, we need a shut down centre, or at least someone who can be counted on to take a defensive zone face-off on the PK. Instead we stocked up on tough gritty fourth line wingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueKross Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 I concur with the gist of what you and CC are saying. I stated that all we have done is backfilled in the bottom. Have we done enough to replace what we lost? I don't know. I doubt if our penalty kill remains as effective as last year. Have we addressed the power play which was dead last for good parts of the year? Maybe with a healthy Gionta. I believe we are still missing a part. I would be good with any part that would strengthen the top two lines whether it be a center, winger or defenseman specifically in the area of power play. I see visons of the past, where power forwards cycle down low on us forever, and we have nobody big enough to knock them off the puck. That is another area of concern for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hab29RETIRED Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Not exactly a rumour, but in my drive into the office this morning, the guys on the FAN 960 in Calgary probably debated for 15 minutes of whether it would be a good move for Calgary to trade Bouwmeester for Gomez. Straight up. No shit. I couldn't believe they were even talking about a deal like this, let alone going on how great of a deal it would be and that Gomez would automatically become the Flames #1 centre. Even after they talked about his offensive struggles, his cap hit, they thought he would be a good value at $5.5M this year and $4.5M next year. They also said that if Gomez was a UFA this year, he'd easily get a $3M/3yr deal, since centres are at such a premium. I'm not a Bouwmeester fan myself - he plays tons of minutes, great skater, lots of skill, but has never won anything and I don't think he has even been in the playoffs. He is overpaid at $6.7M, but he would be better then having Gomez. I also think that he would be a hell of a lot easier to move then Gomez. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davehab Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Not exactly a rumour, but in my drive into the office this morning, the guys on the FAN 960 in Calgary probably debated for 15 minutes of whether it would be a good move for Calgary to trade Bouwmeester for Gomez. Straight up. No shit. I couldn't believe they were even talking about a deal like this, let alone going on how great of a deal it would be and that Gomez would automatically become the Flames #1 centre. Even after they talked about his offensive struggles, his cap hit, they thought he would be a good value at $5.5M this year and $4.5M next year. They also said that if Gomez was a UFA this year, he'd easily get a $3M/3yr deal, since centres are at such a premium. I'm not a Bouwmeester fan myself - he plays tons of minutes, great skater, lots of skill, but has never won anything and I don't think he has even been in the playoffs. He is overpaid at $6.7M, but he would be better then having Gomez. I also think that he would be a hell of a lot easier to move then Gomez. I would do this deal....we get a useless player for a usefull player, done deal. never gonna happed tho....nobody is that dumb.....oh wait isn't feaster throwing money at players like Wideman. maybe there is hope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I would do this deal....we get a useless player for a usefull player, done deal. never gonna happed tho....nobody is that dumb.....oh wait isn't feaster throwing money at players like Wideman. maybe there is hope I dunno, I think we probably could come up with some sort of package with a Gomer-Boomer deal as its core...the question is whether we want to be locked into Boumeester's massive contract going forward. He'd solve a lot of problems on our back end, but wouldn't you rather have Gomez's $7 mil available for purposes other than a #2/1a defenceman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I dunno, I think we probably could come up with some sort of package with a Gomer-Boomer deal as its core...the question is whether we want to be locked into Boumeester's massive contract going forward. He'd solve a lot of problems on our back end, but wouldn't you rather have Gomez's $7 mil available for purposes other than a #2/1a defenceman? Bouwmeester and Gomez have the same number of years remaining on their contracts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willey101 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 If we had the chance to dump Gomez for Jbo then it is a no brainer. Jbo eats up alot of minutes and would look amazing alongside Subban freeing up Gorges for markov. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalhabs Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 "Just for you mr Feaster we will add top Dman Kaberle to the deal." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willey101 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 If kaberle changes teams you'd have to think it's detroit or nowhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueKross Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 Not exactly a rumour, but in my drive into the office this morning, the guys on the FAN 960 in Calgary probably debated for 15 minutes of whether it would be a good move for Calgary to trade Bouwmeester for Gomez. Straight up. No shit. I couldn't believe they were even talking about a deal like this, let alone going on how great of a deal it would be and that Gomez would automatically become the Flames #1 centre. Even after they talked about his offensive struggles, his cap hit, they thought he would be a good value at $5.5M this year and $4.5M next year. They also said that if Gomez was a UFA this year, he'd easily get a $3M/3yr deal, since centres are at such a premium. I'm not a Bouwmeester fan myself - he plays tons of minutes, great skater, lots of skill, but has never won anything and I don't think he has even been in the playoffs. He is overpaid at $6.7M, but he would be better then having Gomez. I also think that he would be a hell of a lot easier to move then Gomez. How long is a New York millisecond? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willey101 Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I think we have to realize that Gomez cannot be dealt friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EHIW_HWL Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 If kaberle changes teams you'd have to think it's detroit or nowhere I could maybe see Toronto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I could see a team like Detroit or Vancouver trying to get Kaberle. However your not gettign much back and you'll be gettign a bad contract back as part of the deal. I don't think he is impossible to move. If your not getting a better Dman back somehow, why move him. Your bottom pair can't be Bouillon and Weber / Diaz. Unless your looking to draft in the top 5 again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willey101 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I just don't see kaberle being of interest anywhere. Vancouver doesn't have room for him. Detroit does well with problematic players so maybe there is something there but realistically no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I just don't see kaberle being of interest anywhere. Vancouver doesn't have room for him. Detroit does well with problematic players so maybe there is something there but realistically no No problem at all, keep him, a top offensive puck-moving d-man (albeit a soft 3rd pairing guy) can be very usefull for a team that has had little offense for years. But what to do with the 2 swiss guys if Kaberle cant be moved?? they both cant sit in press box can they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 No problem at all, keep him, a top offensive puck-moving d-man (albeit a soft 3rd pairing guy) can be very usefull for a team that has had little offense for years. But what to do with the 2 swiss guys if Kaberle cant be moved?? they both cant sit in press box can they? To me, Diaz is a bonafide top-6 with the roster as it stands now. I think Weber gets dealt or even waived in training camp depending on the cap situation. A rotation scenario involving Diaz, Kaberle, and Bouillon with regards to the #5 & 6 spots is also something I think we'll see at times. On the rumour front since this thread has gotten right off the rails, there are lots of Twitter rumblings with Hjalmarsson and the Habs again today. I've been expecting Montreal to trade for him ever since the Bergevin hiring. No inside info, just a hunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 To me, Diaz is a bonafide top-6 with the roster as it stands now. I think Weber gets dealt or even waived in training camp depending on the cap situation. A rotation scenario involving Diaz, Kaberle, and Bouillon with regards to the #5 & 6 spots is also something I think we'll see at times. On the rumour front since this thread has gotten right off the rails, there are lots of Twitter rumblings with Hjalmarsson and the Habs again today. I've been expecting Montreal to trade for him ever since the Bergevin hiring. No inside info, just a hunch. Another LH de? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Another LH de? Just fits the style of D I think they're trying to add. Another defence-first, shot blocker who can log top-4 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine of Loving Grace Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Sadly the Hjalmarsson rumours sound exactly like every other rumour as they involve either Bourque or Weber. I have a hard time seeing the fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 I don't want the Habs to do the same as they did with AK46. And that is trading Kaberle without improving the roster. If traded, Kaberle should be part of a package to land something big. Even with his contract, if you make your package interesting enough, the return can be great. IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazy26 Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Sadly the Hjalmarsson rumours sound exactly like every other rumour as they involve either Bourque or Weber. I have a hard time seeing the fit. I have to agree, but I must say that I'm rooting for Hjalmarsson to come to Montreal if the price is right. He'd be a perfect fit to solidify our D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Dont see the Swede as a big upgrade nor needed (but i never even noticed his play before) and still say Yemelin will do fine as partner for Markov or Subban. But even Chicago was crying for a top 4 guy last year, so i doubt the Swede is that good at ll. But Bergevin should know i suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine of Loving Grace Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Every team seems to cry for a top four guy. I remember hearing over and over that LA wasn't going to do much in the post-season after losing Jack Johnson and not replacing him. "You can never have enough d-men" has turned into, "You will never be satisfied with the amount of D-men you have." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Every team seems to cry for a top four guy. I remember hearing over and over that LA wasn't going to do much in the post-season after losing Jack Johnson and not replacing him. "You can never have enough d-men" has turned into, "You will never be satisfied with the amount of D-men you have." Did the people who said this see Jack "MAB" Johnson play defence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine of Loving Grace Posted July 13, 2012 Share Posted July 13, 2012 Did the people who said this see Jack "MAB" Johnson play defence? Likely not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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