JCPetit Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 According to Marc de Foy, from Le Journal de Montreal, the defenseman Alexei Yemelin is close to signing a one year contract with the Habs. The news should be announced next week, while Montreal general manager Pierre Gauthier. Une entente dans une semaine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'll believe it when I see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCPetit Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'll believe it when I see it. The timing would be good -- for him and for the team. I am also a bit skeptical, but we'll see soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 The timing would be good -- for him and for the team. I am also a bit skeptical, but we'll see soon enough. Yeah, I want him to be signed but I've heard this rumour for like 5 straight off-seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Skepticism is the appropriate response. (It's depressing to ask how much better the Gainey Rebuild would have been if picks like Perezhogin, Yemelin, etc., had actually stuck around). How good is this guy likely to be at this point, anyway? Hasn't he missed the window to fully maximize his development by competing against the best on the planet? Just asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trizzak Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Just saw a "highlight" package on hockeyinsideout for Yemelin. Every hit looked dirty... that has me a bit concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Just saw a "highlight" package on hockeyinsideout for Yemelin. Every hit looked dirty... that has me a bit concerned. Every hit? That video only showed about 2 or 3, with multiple replays of each. Ditto with the replays of goals. Granted, I think it's widely known that he's a borderline dirty player, and I'm probably being a little generous by saying borderline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Skepticism is the appropriate response. (It's depressing to ask how much better the Gainey Rebuild would have been if picks like Perezhogin, Yemelin, etc., had actually stuck around). How good is this guy likely to be at this point, anyway? Hasn't he missed the window to fully maximize his development by competing against the best on the planet? Just asking. You want depressing? Think about Nashville, a team lacking in gamebreakers, losing the absolute best forward they've ever drafted to the KHL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 You want depressing? Think about Nashville, a team lacking in gamebreakers, losing the absolute best forward they've ever drafted to the KHL. No kidding! That sucks, man. If Yemelin lays dirty hits, that's OK by me. We're competing against teams like Philly and Boston that have made deliberate attempts to injure an integral part of their success. Having one guy like that around wouldn't hurt us one bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saskhab Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 If Yemelin lays dirty hits, that's OK by me. We're competing against teams like Philly and Boston that have made deliberate attempts to injure an integral part of their success. Having one guy like that around wouldn't hurt us one bit. I'm not 'okay' with dirty hits, per se, but it'll be sweet having a guy like that on a rookie contract... little financial commitment, could play a decent amount of minutes, and if he gets suspended for a few games it doesn't hurt us that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I'm not 'okay' with dirty hits, per se, but it'll be sweet having a guy like that on a rookie contract... little financial commitment, could play a decent amount of minutes, and if he gets suspended for a few games it doesn't hurt us that much. Just to be clear - this has gotten me in trouble before - I absolutely despise dirty hits. And I despise the NHL for rewarding teams that deliver them. But I have no desire to martyr the Habs to the NHL's unconscionable folly. Back in the heyday of goon hockey, the habs played with class, but also had enough physical toughness to be able to kick the sh*t out of the Flyers when necessary. In an era of vicious hits, we similarly need to have one or two guys around who can respond in kind. Otherwise we condemn ourselves to dropping line ninepins while our opponents laugh all the way to the next round - while attacking us for the henious sin of 'diving' in the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalhabs Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Id love a Kasparaitis kinda player against some teams but be certain that we would need one or two big guys good at fighting. Do you even dare to think what Boston would do if Yemelin came in and sent someone like Bergeron or Recchi to hospital with a dirty hit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Id love a Kasparaitis kinda player against some teams but be certain that we would need one or two big guys good at fighting. Do you even dare to think what Boston would do if Yemelin came in and sent someone like Bergeron or Recchi to hospital with a dirty hit? I dunno...how did they react when Cooke ended Savard's career? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trizzak Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I like physical players, but I don't like dirty, physical players. Subban's hits were awesome this season, and that's because they were clean. But I'll withhold judgment on him until he plays some games in a Habs uni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habs rule Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 big tough MEAN best news I have heard in a while. He plays with an edge. We need a good stay at home defenceman to replace hamerlick. Make happen it happen PG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trizzak Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Well now my defense pairings are all askew... Does this mean Gill doesn't come back? Mind you, I still assume Markov and Wiz will be back (or a Wiz replacement will be signed)... Markov - Wisniewski Spacek - Subban Yemelin - Gorges Weber ? If Yemelin makes the team, I reckon he will be given gentle minutes with a steady partner until he proves he can handle his own. Spacek doesn't have the endurance to play 2nd pairing minutes, but what do you do? Subban at least has the wheels to cover Spacek's slowness. Things make much more sense if Spacek is traded, but I don't know how likely that will be with his contract and a limited NTC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDriveFor25 Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Wow! Our D could be SCARY good if all things fall into place... Markov - Gorges Subban - Yemelin Wiesniewski - Spacek/Weber/Gill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTH Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Well now my defense pairings are all askew... Does this mean Gill doesn't come back? Mind you, I still assume Markov and Wiz will be back (or a Wiz replacement will be signed)... Markov - Wisniewski Spacek - Subban Yemelin - Gorges Weber ? If Yemelin makes the team, I reckon he will be given gentle minutes with a steady partner until he proves he can handle his own. Spacek doesn't have the endurance to play 2nd pairing minutes, but what do you do? Subban at least has the wheels to cover Spacek's slowness. Things make much more sense if Spacek is traded, but I don't know how likely that will be with his contract and a limited NTC. I think Gill is brought back no matter what, probably instead of Wisniewski (because of the difference in salary). Ideally we keep both and ditch Spacek but we'd probably have to package him with Gomez because the odds of there being more than one lunatic GM in the NHL willing to take these contracts is low. We can't expect Yemelin to be more than a bottom pairing d-man to start the season so I don't think we should let go of any of our regulars to make room for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trizzak Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 I think Gill is brought back no matter what, probably instead of Wisniewski (because of the difference in salary). Ideally we keep both and ditch Spacek but we'd probably have to package him with Gomez because the odds of there being more than one lunatic GM in the NHL willing to take these contracts is low. We can't expect Yemelin to be more than a bottom pairing d-man to start the season so I don't think we should let go of any of our regulars to make room for him. Spacek could be traded for another bad contract (Dumont in Nashville for 4 mill?). It's just finding the right fit and working around his limited NTC. Different convo for a different thread though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sakiqc Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 If Emelin plays with the Habs, I see him paired with Markov. 1- Markov would be an ideal mentor 2- We can hope for a good Russian connection/chemistry 3- Would be resembling the good duo back in the days of Markov-Komisarek 4- Would be a well balanced duo: offense + solid defense (+Markov is one of the best defensive dmen in the league, so no huge pressure on Emelin deep in the zone) Subban Gorges Markov Emelin Weber Spacek Picard Martin can always dress 7 dmen and split Emelin's time if he can't play 20 min.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toronthab Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I don't want dirty hits. There is far too much reckless disregard for the very lives of others. Any attempt to hit with a reckless disregard, technically legal or otherwise should be ushered out of the NHL like the plague that it is. We don't need cheats and cheap shot artists. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCPetit Posted May 12, 2011 Author Share Posted May 12, 2011 According to Bob McKenzie, the deal is signed and sealed. If it's true, I now am in the camp of those who believe that the Habs will do everything to keep Markov in Montreal. It means that Wiz, Sopel, Mara and Hamrlik won't be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chicoutimi Cucumber Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 According to Bob McKenzie, the deal is signed and sealed. If it's true, I now am in the camp of those who believe that the Habs will do everything to keep Markov in Montreal. It means that Wiz, Sopel, Mara and Hamrlik won't be back. No question, they will re-sign Markov. I have every confidence that they intended to do so regardless of the outcome with Emelin. This is an interesting development, though. I've been fairly relentless in saying the Habs need to add another top-4 guy if they want to contend, whether it be Wiz or someone else. Instead it looks as though they're going Markov-Emelin Subban-Gorges Gill-Weber Spacek Whether this is an upgrade depends on Emelin. According to Bozo MacGuire, he is a legitimate top-4 guy 'right now.' But I think BTH is correct, we have to be realistic and expect him to serve more as a #5 guy at least until he finds his feet. For all we know he will end up benched, like Subban was. In any case, this seems to me a somewhat risky strategy; it banks on Emelin becoming a top-4 guy in short order, and on PK continuing to progress, and most crucially, on Markov not getting seriously injured again. Subtract his name from the D listed above and behold: only one guy who has shown he can impact a power play, and that guy is an NHL sophomore. Yikes. It appears that the Habs's pro scouting has serious faith in both Weber and Emelin. If they're right, then we have a cap-friendly, highly effective D corps. If they're wrong, we're counting on things breaking our way and will likely pay for our optimism. Or else contending this season was never the objective and this is more about quietly rebuiling. In short, I could be happier with the strategy they appear to have chosen, but at least it's interesting and looks promising for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wamsley01 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 No question, they will re-sign Markov. I have every confidence that they intended to do so regardless of the outcome with Emelin. This is an interesting development, though. I've been fairly relentless in saying the Habs need to add another top-4 guy if they want to contend, whether it be Wiz or someone else. Instead it looks as though they're going Markov-Emelin Subban-Gorges Gill-Weber Spacek Whether this is an upgrade depends on Emelin. According to Bozo MacGuire, he is a legitimate top-4 guy 'right now.' But I think BTH is correct, we have to be realistic and expect him to serve more as a #5 guy at least until he finds his feet. For all we know he will end up benched, like Subban was. In any case, this seems to me a somewhat risky strategy; it banks on Emelin becoming a top-4 guy in short order, and on PK continuing to progress, and most crucially, on Markov not getting seriously injured again. Subtract his name from the D listed above and behold: only one guy who has shown he can impact a power play, and that guy is an NHL sophomore. Yikes. It appears that the Habs's pro scouting has serious faith in both Weber and Emelin. If they're right, then we have a cap-friendly, highly effective D corps. If they're wrong, we're counting on things breaking our way and will likely pay for our optimism. Or else contending this season was never the objective and this is more about quietly rebuiling. In short, I could be happier with the strategy they appear to have chosen, but at least it's interesting and looks promising for the future. But this is how Stanley Cups are won. If we all got to wait until a player develops to make our decisions, we would all be GMs. Everybody looks at things in hindsight and says, wow, what a genius that GM was in allowing veteran A to leave when he had youngster B to fill the hole. C.C, I don't see optimism in this post, I see "I am going to protect myself from pain, just in case the worst case scenario unfolds" attitude that has permeated through this franchise for the better part of a decade. It happened all season. They are done now that Halak is gone. They are done now that Markov is gone. They are done now that Gorges is gone. They are done now that Pacioretty is gone. They are done now after blowing that 2-0 lead on the Bruins. They are done now trailing 2-1 late in Game 7. They had 9-10 different occasions where the citizens of this board buried them and left them for dead, are we going to spend another season of this? This team should have beaten the Bruins and now the Bruins are favourites to reach the Cup Final. The Habs have a young core, two potential superstars and now positive rumours of Emelin coming over is met with more negativity. Over and over this fanbase buries its young before realizing that they are still kicking. What if Markov gets injured again? Well what if Weber is Streit 2.0 and Emelin does come over and is a solid 4th with a mean streak that keeps teams honest? What if Pacioretty returns fully healthy and continues to develop? What if Desharnais is actually a legit top 6? What if Gomez just had a bad season and bounces back to 60 pts? What if Kristo/Tinordi/Leblanc are further ahead than we anticipated? What if Price makes another leap next season? For every negative possibility there remains an unknown positive that could happen. You are painting a picture like the Habs need their main core to have career seasons like 2008 in order to be good. In September nobody thought Pacioretty would amount to anything or that Subban would be more than a 6th guy easing into the league. Price was a major question mark and most thought he wouldn't be able to handle the pressure. Every team still playing is getting performances that they didn't expect in September. Tampa didn't even have Roloson. Thomas started the season in a tandem. Couture wasn't expected to be a top 6 forward. Vancouver didn't expect that they would be in the Conference Final with zero production from the Sedins and Kesler playing his face off. Be positive. You were the one saying this was a stealth rebuild two years ago and now that it is working and you seem to be right, you are pointing out how it could fail. This is the best position the Habs have been in since the 1998 season. I am going to sit back and enjoy. I have spent years looking for reasons they will fail and it didn't make me feel any better when they ultimately did fail, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patience is a virtue Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 I love this rant Wamsley. Couldn't agree more - be optimistic. Face reality and the challenges ahead, and do so planning for the worst, but gunning for the best. (ah, it sounds so cliche when i try to summarize) If Emelin comes in for under 1M, that leaves money for one more impact player up front or on the backend. Let's say they go for the Wiz as that impact player (not exactly a wealth of UFA impact forwards to choose from) so the D looks like this to start the year: Markov-Wiz Subban-Gorges Spac-Emelin Weber - two way Mara one way, or Picard two way If Weber becomes Streit-like and Emelin adapts well - watch out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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