Moen Hurt Blunden Recalled

[Kaboom]

Or do you think they will double shift a forward? thoughts?

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday that forward Michael Blunden has been recalled from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

The 24-year old right winger registered eight points (3 goals and 5 assists) in 17 games with the Bulldogs this season. Blunden added 49 shots on goal.

Blunden was first recalled by the Canadiens on October 23. He was held pointless in eight games. The 6’04’’ and 211 lbs forward served seven penalty minutes and totaled 14 hits, while averaging 5:01 of ice time per game.

The Toronto-born Blunden was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Ryan Russell on July 7, 2011.

[hab29RETIRED]

We will probably see Darche being double shifted, since he scored last night.

[Chris]

They should brign up Blundeen, but they won't.

JM will probably just dress 8 defenseman.

[Kaboom]

They should brign up Blundeen, but they won't.

JM will probably just dress 8 defenseman.

LMAO so true and darche to the front line

[Colin]

Blunden. Just done.

[Willey101]

I would think Blunden but I would love to see Dumont recalled and then play Nokelainen as the 3rd line winger. Like to see what he can do in a shut down roll.

[Commandant]

Blunden up. Darche on the third line now.

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[JMMR]

Blunden good for the guy if he plays though I believe he is no longer waiver exempt.

[Willey101]

I liked NokeLainen on the 3rd yesterday. Think he has the tools to maybe be a shut down winger as well. Was therefore kind of hoping to potentially see Dumont called up for 4th line ice along Darche and Blunden.

[illWill]

We will probably see Darche being double shifted, since he scored last night.

It seemed like he was on the ice the whole game last night. I was shocked when he shot it on net and scored, instead of dumping it in the corner and change. Perhaps that's what he meant to do?

[bbp]

It seemed like he was on the ice the whole game last night. I was shocked when he shot it on net and scored, instead of dumping it in the corner and change. Perhaps that's what he meant to do?

That would explain how it went in if he was aiming for the corner

[Willey101]

Who was it that was arguing about shooting it from the perimeter being a mistake? Guess he left after some of the recent goals we've scored.

[BCHabnut]

I liked NokeLainen on the 3rd yesterday. Think he has the tools to maybe be a shut down winger as well. Was therefore kind of hoping to potentially see Dumont called up for 4th line ice along Darche and Blunden.

I was hoping Dumont would get a try too. Maybe he isn't playing that well. He had a great camp.

[dlbalr]

Blunden good for the guy if he plays though I believe he is no longer waiver exempt.

Same deal as last time. As it was an emergency recall, he's exempt for waivers until 30 days or 10 games elapse, whichever is first.

As for the cap effect, this puts the Habs back into LTIR which means I get to pull more hair out re-inputting the formulas I just took out last week when they got out of it.

[JMMR]

Same deal as last time. As it was an emergency recall, he's exempt for waivers until 30 days or 10 games elapse, whichever is first.

As for the cap effect, this puts the Habs back into LTIR which means I get to pull more hair out re-inputting the formulas I just took out last week when they got out of it.

Thanks for all the hard work!!!

[Helmethead]

Same deal as last time. As it was an emergency recall, he's exempt for waivers until 30 days or 10 games elapse, whichever is first.

As for the cap effect, this puts the Habs back into LTIR which means I get to pull more hair out re-inputting the formulas I just took out last week when they got out of it.

I really appreciate your insight Brian. Although I don't post much, I always come here for your insight and thoughtful analysis.

Honnest to God, have u ever thought of teaching a capology course? I've been doing some research on the subject lately and can't find anyone (individual or institution) with any credibility that teaches it.

I would be honored to be your first student.

[dlbalr]

Thanks for all the hard work!!!

I really appreciate your insight Brian. Although I don't post much, I always come here for your insight and thoughtful analysis.

Honnest to God, have u ever thought of teaching a capology course? I've been doing some research on the subject lately and can't find anyone (individual or institution) with any credibility that teaches it.

I would be honored to be your first student.

Thanks for the kind words.

As for a capology course, there are more qualified people than me out there. Not sure anyone has attempted it either, short of perhaps that course that Sports Management Worldwide runs. Truth be told, I'm fortunate to have some good contacts who have been kind enough to shed some detailed insight so that I can turn around and use that in my capsheet and on here/in articles. Explaining it to others is not a strong suit of mine though. Heck, I can't even get the LTIR projections to balance out entirely (I can get them within a hundred bucks or so which means there's something slightly askew with one of my formulas but considering they won't be in LTIR all that long, I'm not going to bother spending a whack of time trying to solve it...).

[Commandant]

I was hoping Dumont would get a try too. Maybe he isn't playing that well. He had a great camp.

He just came back from being hurt.

[BCHabnut]

He just came back from being hurt.

It's funny. He is the team's best shutdown prospect and he is tiny. The team's best offensive prospect is also tiny.

[Commandant]

It's funny. He is the team's best shutdown prospect and he is tiny. The team's best offensive prospect is also tiny.

I don't know about naming Dumont our best shutdown prospect. I think Bournival is a much better shutdown prospect... and he's 5'11 or 6'0 depending where you look. In terms of potential Fortier has just as much as Dumont too IMO, but he's just always injured. Fortier is also 6'0".

On Dumont I think he's decent, but hes become massively overrated in the Habs fan base. Yes he had a good training camp but thats a 2-3 week stretch. He hasn't maintained that level of play in Hamilton even when he has been healthy. Nor did he play at that level for Hamilton last season. Lets not confuse ourselves here, he had a great 2-3 weeks, but he hasn't yet shown the ability to maintain that level of play consistently.

On Gallagher another common theme between Dumont and Gallagher is that they are both 5th rounders... by the time you get into that point in the draft everyone has issues. Anyone with talent and size is already gone, so I don't mind taking a talented guy missing the size.

[BCHabnut]

I don't know about naming Dumont our best shutdown prospect. I think Bournival is a much better shutdown prospect... and he's 5'11 or 6'0 depending where you look. In terms of potential Fortier has just as much as Dumont too IMO, but he's just always injured. Fortier is also 6'0".

On Dumont I think he's decent, but hes become massively overrated in the Habs fan base. Yes he had a good training camp but thats a 2-3 week stretch. He hasn't maintained that level of play in Hamilton even when he has been healthy. Nor did he play at that level for Hamilton last season. Lets not confuse ourselves here, he had a great 2-3 weeks, but he hasn't yet shown the ability to maintain that level of play consistently.

On Gallagher another common theme between Dumont and Gallagher is that they are both 5th rounders... by the time you get into that point in the draft everyone has issues. Anyone with talent and size is already gone, so I don't mind taking a talented guy missing the size.

I actually haven't heard anyone other than me say that about Dumont. I think Bournival may have more offensive upside. Having said that, I think Eller is probably the bet shutdown prospect we have. I'm hoping to see him develope into a 2nd liner, but after 1 1/2 seasons in the nhl, he looks more and more like a shutdown guy every game.

[Commandant]

He's 22.... Plekanec didn't really start putting the points on the board until he was 24. He also had 2 full years in the NHL before he really got going. The more and more I see of Eller he has talent, I think its just waiting to break out. I really think its gonna come, its just a matter of when. Could be next month, could be the start of next season, could be the all star break next year, who knows. But I think its coming. Look at the coast to coast goal he nearly scored last game, he's that close.

Also I think we need to redefine "shutdown guy"... there are so many top 6 forwards who are "shutdown guys" today. The carbonneau like third line centre is dying. The 3 scoring lines, and using one of your top 2 lines to match against the other team's best seems to be taking over. Might be cyclical, might be evolution, I don't know... but its happening.

I agree that Eller has great defensive skills and is looking like a "shutdown guy" but i don't think this is gonna prevent him from being an offensive player either.

Here's a non-comprehensive list of guys their current NHL team is using in matchups.

Montreal - Plekanec

Boston - P. Bergeron

Pittsburgh - J. Staal

New Jersey - T. Zajac (when healthy)

Rangers (and previously Dallas) - B. Richards

Vancouver - R. Kesler

Detroit - P. Datsyuk and H.Zetterberg

Chicago - Toews and Dave Bolland

Minnesota - Mikko Koivu

Los Angeles - Mike Richards

San Jose - Joe Thornton

Washington - Brooks Laich

Florida - Stephen Weiss

Calgary - Olli Jokinen

Colorado - Ryan O'Reilly

Columbus - Jeff Carter

All these guys are asked to play against top lines, but also bring offence.

[BCHabnut]

He's 22.... Plekanec didn't really start putting the points on the board until he was 24. He also had 2 full years in the NHL before he really got going. The more and more I see of Eller he has talent, I think its just waiting to break out. I really think its gonna come, its just a matter of when. Could be next month, could be the start of next season, could be the all star break next year, who knows. But I think its coming. Look at the coast to coast goal he nearly scored last game, he's that close.

Also I think we need to redefine "shutdown guy"... there are so many top 6 forwards who are "shutdown guys" today. The carbonneau like third line centre is dying. The 3 scoring lines, and using one of your top 2 lines to match against the other team's best seems to be taking over. Might be cyclical, might be evolution, I don't know... but its happening.

I agree that Eller has great defensive skills and is looking like a "shutdown guy" but i don't think this is gonna prevent him from being an offensive player either.

Here's a non-comprehensive list of guys their current NHL team is using in matchups.

Montreal - Plekanec

Boston - P. Bergeron

Pittsburgh - J. Staal

New Jersey - T. Zajac (when healthy)

Rangers (and previously Dallas) - B. Richards

Vancouver - R. Kesler

Detroit - P. Datsyuk and H.Zetterberg

Chicago - Toews and Dave Bolland

Minnesota - Mikko Koivu

Los Angeles - Mike Richards

San Jose - Joe Thornton

Washington - Brooks Laich

Florida - Stephen Weiss

Calgary - Olli Jokinen

Colorado - Ryan O'Reilly

Columbus - Jeff Carter

All these guys are asked to play against top lines, but also bring offence.

.

Which is exactly why I'd like to see a Paullson, Madden, Stekel, Peca, Carbo style player on the team. I love pure shutdown guys. They free up offensive forwards to do what they are paid for.

[Commandant]

.

Which is exactly why I'd like to see a Paullson, Madden, Stekel, Peca, Carbo style player on the team. I love pure shutdown guys. They free up offensive forwards to do what they are paid for.

I think that group is a dying breed. Peca being the exception because he could score too. Heck Carbo in his prime wasn't bad either, and was a top scorer in junior (though his late years ie Dallas was all defense no offence). But I'm not big on the Steckel type other than to do what Nokaleinen is doing (4th line minutes, some PKing, a few key faceoffs). I don't want a purely defensive third line.

I also think those style of players would only serve to make our "sit back and play defence" mentality for protecting a lead worse.

The fact that the guys I mentioned earlier, the Kesler style guy, can both take care of their own end, and are scary if they get an offensive chance is a huge part of what makes them effective IMO. If you are playing against them, you have to be careful, you can't go balls out on offense against them and just know that even if they get a scoring chance, you can bet on your goalie bailing you out most of the time. They are talented players who will capitalize if you make a mistake. This puts some fear in the guys facing them, and actually helps them a lot.

While I agree that Plekanec needs help on our team... I think that help comes from a 2nd line C who can score and play a two way game, not adding a pure shutdown type.

I mean this is such a copy cat league.... the last 4 cup finals have been Vancouver - Boston, Chicago - Philly, Pittsburgh - detroit, Detroit - Pittsburgh; every single one of these teams are in the group I mentionned above.

[BCHabnut]

I agree about having a 3rd line centre who is offensive, and I preffer the shutdown guy to play on the fourth line, but a few of those teams also had players that were good in that role like Talbot, Draper, madden, and Betts. Bolland and Malhotra are pretty damn solid too. I totally agree with what you are saying and there is a reason Datsyuk has owned the Selke, but I would love for my fourth liner to be a true shut down centre. Noke has actually impressed me recently with his play in his own end. Especially the Vancouver game, he seemed to make the right decision often when they were killing penalties early in the game. I have always appreciated and understood the role that these players have. Paullson and Moen were especially good at it during their stanley cup run.