Which would you prefer?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Habs29, I like where you're coming from here. The Flyers/Bruins should indeed be our model because our core is NOT in fact that of a bad team.

The issue with AK46 is not that he sucks, it's that he's an expiring contract; if there are real doubts about whether we can sign him, then since we have no chance of making the playoffs, we should move him. Of course, to discern this, Gauthier absolutely must deviate from the idiotic policy of not negotiating during the season. He should be on the blower with Kostitsyn's agent ASAP to figure out whether Kosty wants to stay or is just putting in the time before he can go cash in elsewhere. There's also the question of how much you're willing to pay to keep Kostitsyn. UFAs are almost always overpaid and you're known to be extremely hostile to even a whiff of overpayment.

I'm also not sure why it's so screamingly urgent to move Kaberle. You need veteran D, he has played well for us so far, and contrary to popular myth that is NOT a crippling contract. Stop thinking he's the guy Carolina got stuck with - out of shape and under-prepared - and start recognizing him for the player he is, an efficient puck-moving defenceman who helps the powerplay considerably and is only overpaid by maybe $500 000.

Other than that, I think you're spot on.

[hab29RETIRED]

IMO, PG needs to start the new year negotiating with Gorges, Ak46, Eller, Price and Subban.

You try and lock up Ak46 for 6-7 years at $4m, I'd go as high as $4.5m. You have to offer term, otherwise you have no chance to sign him. If he doesn't sign, you move him. But you have to AGGRESIVELY try and resign him.

I'd offer Gorges the same term for $3.5m. I'd go as high as $4m, but really push hard to keep The annual hit closer to $3.5m - which with a signing bonus should be doable. As incentive to both, I'd offer both a $6m or $7m signing bonus (depending if it is a 6 or 7 yr deal) payable July 1st.

I'd offer price 10 yrs/$50m, with a $10m signing bonus on July 1. Front loading allows you to offer less money and thereby reduce your cap hit at $5m/yr, rather then the minimum $6.5m/yr that price's agent will seek.

Another incentive of front loading would be it would offer lock out insurance for the players next year.

With Subban and Eller, it would be harder to lock them up long term, since they don't have goid numbers this year. But I would still try and offer them more then they are worth now, by trying to buy 3-4 years of their UFA years.

Habs29, I like where you're coming from here. The Flyers/Bruins should indeed be our model because our core is NOT in fact that of a bad team.

The issue with AK46 is not that he sucks, it's that he's an expiring contract; if there are real doubts about whether we can sign him, then since we have no chance of making the playoffs, we should move him. Of course, to discern this, Gauthier absolutely must deviate from the idiotic policy of not negotiating during the season. He should be on the blower with Kostitsyn's agent ASAP to figure out whether Kosty wants to stay or is just putting in the time before he can go cash in elsewhere. There's also the question of how much you're willing to pay to keep Kostitsyn. UFAs are almost always overpaid and you're known to be extremely hostile to even a whiff of overpayment.

I'm also not sure why it's so screamingly urgent to move Kaberle. You need veteran D, he has played well for us so far, and contrary to popular myth that is NOT a crippling contract. Stop thinking he's the guy Carolina got stuck with - out of shape and under-prepared - and start recognizing him for the player he is, an efficient puck-moving defenceman who helps the powerplay considerably and is only overpaid by maybe $500 000.

Other than that, I think you're spot on.

[BlueKross]

Right at the momment this probably is where we are headed. I also like AK, but I would move him if we can't get him signed bythe trade deadline along with any other UFA that you want going forward. We all know part of the reason we are in the pickle we find ourselves to-day is all the assets they let go for NATA. I think H29R has covered pretty well who should stay if possible and what we should be looking for in return. What I don't want to see is some Herculean swapping to get us into play-offs. At this point, most of our eggs need to go into next years basket.

[hab29RETIRED]

Right at the momment this probably is where we are headed. I also like AK, but I would move him if we can't get him signed bythe trade deadline along with any other UFA that you want going forward. We all know part of the reason we are in the pickle we find ourselves to-day is all the assets they let go for NATA. I think H29R has covered pretty well who should stay if possible and what we should be looking for in return. What I don't want to see is some Herculean swapping to get us into play-offs. At this point, most of our eggs need to go into next years basket.

Agreed. However, we need to be aggressive in trying to resigning the UFA's we want. PG has to get that stick out of his ass that seemed to have been left by Gainey and do what other good teams do - make use of the exclusive renegotiating period in the CBA and resign your guys by the trade deadline.

Having laid out my plan, I have no confidence in PG actually doing any of this. I think the two most likely scenerios would be him trying to make another desperate move to get someone to make a last push for the playoffs, or not even bother offering AK46 a contract and moving him for a mid round 2nd overall pick or a late round 1st pick. I could also seeing him making a similar move with Gorges. Neither Gainey, nor PG seem to have any grasp of how to operate under the salary cap. It would be one thing, if they had an owner like the Rangers or Flyers do, where they are willing to eat lousy contracts, instead of letting the Gomez experiment run two years longer then it should have.

[BlueKross]

Agreed. However, we need to be aggressive in trying to resigning the UFA's we want. PG has to get that stick out of his ass that seemed to have been left by Gainey and do what other good teams do - make use of the exclusive renegotiating period in the CBA and resign your guys by the trade deadline.

Having laid out my plan, I have no confidence in PG actually doing any of this. I think the two most likely scenerios would be him trying to make another desperate move to get someone to make a last push for the playoffs, or not even bother offering AK46 a contract and moving him for a mid round 2nd overall pick or a late round 1st pick. I could also seeing him making a similar move with Gorges. Neither Gainey, nor PG seem to have any grasp of how to operate under the salary cap. It would be one thing, if they had an owner like the Rangers or Flyers do, where they are willing to eat lousy contracts, instead of letting the Gomez experiment run two years longer then it should have.

You are pretty much thinking like I do. I don't mind PG, in fact I think he has done a better job than Gainey in regards to assets. I don't mind a meat for meat trade as long as the assets coming back are for the future Candiens success. I would say this, this year is not over, however if we do not dramatic improve soon, it is imperative that we do make some trades much along the line you have talked about. We cannot afford to stand pat.

[Dalhabs]

Id love for Crosby to make a full return to the game and us trading for the Pens Staal brother because I think he would fit like a glove on our team as a top2 center.

[Commandant]

Not necessarily....it's all about who you draft.

Look at Subban, for example, who was a second round pick, versus David Fischer who was a high first rounder...

Not the same draft... Subban was picked after McDonagh and Pacioretty. 2007 was excellent work by Timmins, and he followed up those three with Olivier Fortier and Yannick Weber in the third... Stejskal (5), Conboy (5), Torp (6), and Kishel (7) late.

2006 by comparison was a poor year

Fisher, Ben Maxwell (2nd), Mathieu Carle (2nd) and Ryan White (3rd),Pavel Valentenko (5), Cameron Cepek (7).

[kenadian]

I'd prefer this season to be over................

BUT I'd also prefer we QUIT drafting out of the US-college system for a while................or at least WAIT a couple rounds (like the other teams do..)

[Commandant]

I'd prefer this season to be over................

BUT I'd also prefer we QUIT drafting out of the US-college system for a while................or at least WAIT a couple rounds (like the other teams do..)

You mean waiting like Dallas, the NY Rangers, Phoenix and Toronto who all drafted out of the NCAA, NTDP, or USHL in the first round last season while we were drafting out of the QMJHL?

or

Like Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Florida, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, San Jose and the NY Islanders did with 1st rounders in 2010?

or

Like Minnesota, NY Rangers, Columbus, Vancouver, and Anaheim did in 2009?

Seems to me we aren't the only team looking at the US in round 1; and Leblanc, Pacioretty and McDonagh all look like sucessful picks. Tinordi is well on his way, and only Fisher seems to have been a mistake.