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Briere vs. Jagr: Did the Habs make the right choice?


Psycing

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Both Briere and Jagr carry an Annual Average Salary of $4 million (Jagr would have to obtain a full bonus of $2 million to get all of it). Briere is younger, Jagr has more points (so far). Jagr's deal is only for one year, Briere's for two. Briere is fast, but small. Jagr is big, but slow. Briere is French Canadian, Jagr is Czech.

So, did the Habs sign the right veteran to shore up the top nine? Hindsight is 20/20, but the season is still young.

Thoughts?

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No. I'm sure we're all looking at Briere's cap hit now and it hurts a little. Jagr could have brought what our team really needed, which is size on the wing in our top 6. People will probably bring up playoff performance, well blah to that. Its very important but I think Jagr would outplay Briere in the playoffs this year. Want Briere that bad try trading for him at the deadline if he had a decent season. At least if Jagr isn't bringing it offensively he has size and grit not to mention unparalleled swag for the room.

Oh no wait scratch that, Briere's French.

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Kinda like picking whether I like Bruins or Leafs more. Both are fugly choices, but if I had to chose the least worst option; lil French fellow over the other.

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It's a no brainer - Jagr!!!

This is not a bruins - leafs choice. This is a Isles vs Chicago choice.

People keep bringing up Briere's playoff stats. He sucked last year and didn't make the playoffs.

Jagr may not have scored but created a lot of room for his line mates. He also was playing hard and looked more snakebit than just lousy - which is what Briere has looked for the last two years.

Jagr on the other hand is an idol for almost every player and his workout regime at 40+ would be an example for Gally squared, Eller, maxpac and kids like Bournavil. He would have been perfect with pleks or the Maxpac/DD LINE.

Henri Richard had great playoff stats too, should we bring back that lil French guy too???

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am I the only one who recalls how destructive to goalies the Plekanec and Jagr combo is EVERYTIME they play together anywhere?

We obviously made the wrong choice, we wanted to bring in the washed up, bought out, poster boy for the fans, and forgot that the fans rather see a productive top 6 acquisition. A fact NJ currently is enjoying, and we are not. And save me the playoff stat argument, a much more productive, confident, second line center version of Briere pulled those off. we are a few seasons, a couple concussions, and 9 minutes of ice time a game away from that version of Briere, therefore we will never see that kind of production from him here.

What we needed was size, strength, and a recently productive winger for our top 6, Jagr was the closest thing to that within our means. I was upset when we chose Briere in the summer over him despite all the rumors, and i'm even more upset about it now when I look at Jagr's stats. I tried to put my Hab shades on, and hope maybe Briere will come in and be his sniping, 50+ point self again in his home town, but the shades are off, and i've come to terms with the fact we made a mistake, and these things happen.

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What makes you think would sign here, it's 3 years in a row he declined. Enough said.

Briere who I'm not a big fan of actually hasn't been too bad, especially when paired with pleks and gionta.

There are numerous underachievers offensively.

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I didn't want either. Jagr is size, but he doesn't use it. At 23 games this year, he had 0! checks. I'm not sure when or if he broke that streak, i just remember reading it at the time. His stats are inflated because he's getting first line and first pp time on a bad team. He's too old, and didn't want to sign here, it wasn't like they chose Briere over him.

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I'm 100% in Habs29's corner on this. Briere is completely useless and his last good playoff was two years ago - exactly the same as Jagr. The Pleks-Jagr chemistry is an added bonus; by contrast, everything about Briere's profile was the exact opposite of what the Habs needed, except for this supposed playoff excellence (which, again, is not as clear-cut an advantage for Briere as the standard propaganda would have us believe). Add to that that Jagr is a "glamourous" player whose presence would likely have pleased the fanbase just as much as that washed-up turd Briere's French name, along with the length of Briere's deal, and you cannot but conclude that there was ZERO rational case for choosing Briere over Jagr. It was just a plain stupid-assed move by Bergevin. Which pretty much everyone thought at the time, as I recall.

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I'm 100% in Habs29's corner on this. Briere is completely useless and his last good playoff was two years ago - exactly the same as Jagr. The Pleks-Jagr chemistry is an added bonus; by contrast, everything about Briere's profile was the exact opposite of what the Habs needed, except for this supposed playoff excellence (which, again, is not as clear-cut an advantage for Briere as the standard propaganda would have us believe). Add to that that Jagr is a "glamourous" player whose presence would likely have pleased the fanbase just as much as that washed-up turd Briere's French name, along with the length of Briere's deal, and you cannot but conclude that there was ZERO rational case for choosing Briere over Jagr. It was just a plain stupid-assed move by Bergevin. Which pretty much everyone thought at the time, as I recall.

i agree with both of you. For the record jagr did not turn us down we turned him down, this year at least and the last 3 I believe. He wanted to come to Montreal, we said fork off. Briere has been completely useless, at least jagr is tough on the puck. You could look briere off the puck. We needed another 5ft fork all smurf like a hole in the head. Having said that I love gallagher. This was a major disapointment for the team. DD is 100% better than briere and that is really sad.

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I'm 100% in Habs29's corner on this. Briere is completely useless and his last good playoff was two years ago - exactly the same as Jagr. The Pleks-Jagr chemistry is an added bonus; by contrast, everything about Briere's profile was the exact opposite of what the Habs needed, except for this supposed playoff excellence (which, again, is not as clear-cut an advantage for Briere as the standard propaganda would have us believe). Add to that that Jagr is a "glamourous" player whose presence would likely have pleased the fanbase just as much as that washed-up turd Briere's French name, along with the length of Briere's deal, and you cannot but conclude that there was ZERO rational case for choosing Briere over Jagr. It was just a plain stupid-assed move by Bergevin. Which pretty much everyone thought at the time, as I recall.

To be fair, the Canadiens were never confirmed to be I'm the hunt, it was only rumored. There was another line of thought that the rumor was the work of his agent to drum up more offers. I don't think MB takes Briere over Jagr when all of his free agent acquisitions are to add size and grit. The only confirmation on Jagr in free agency is that he goes to the highest bidder.

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To be fair, the Canadiens were never confirmed to be I'm the hunt, it was only rumored. There was another line of thought that the rumor was the work of his agent to drum up more offers. I don't think MB takes Briere over Jagr when all of his free agent acquisitions are to add size and grit.

I am actually talking about what Jagr said, that he wanted to play in montreal but there was no interest maybe he was lieing but i doubt it.

here's a quote from Eric Engel

We don't have to wonder as to whether or not Jagr would consider Montreal. It's his preferred destination. He wants to play with Tomas Plekanec, but we all know that he's not taking a pay cut to do so. And we also know that Bergevin, and Gauthier before him, passed on Jagr last year.

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I didn't want either. Jagr is size, but he doesn't use it. At 23 games this year, he had 0! checks. I'm not sure when or if he broke that streak, i just remember reading it at the time. His stats are inflated because he's getting first line and first pp time on a bad team. He's too old, and didn't want to sign here, it wasn't like they chose Briere over him.

Using your size isn't always about hits, come on now, Jagr is one of the best of all time at using his size and strength to drag defenders on his back to the net and still make a play happen.

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I don't doubt Jagr wanted to play in Montreal. However, people should understand that Jagr's number from when he signs is never the same number from what he originally asks for at the start of free agency. He wanted more than $4.5M from Montreal before he signed to that with Dallas. Same goes to the $4M he got from New Jersey. However, Montreal seemed set on one of the buyout players and had a specific number they were unwilling to take less from. Briere was actually offered more from Nashville around the $5M range.

I have no doubt that Jagr in the lineup right now, we'd be definitely scoring more. That said, we're not at the half point yet. If Briere pots only 20-30 points and come playoff times does nothing, I'll be right there with people agreeing the signing was a bust. But if he pots 20-30 points (which is where I thought he'd be when we signed him) and helps us score in the playoffs? Worth every dime. Even on nights like tonight.

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I don't doubt Jagr wanted to play in Montreal. However, people should understand that Jagr's number from when he signs is never the same number from what he originally asks for at the start of free agency. He wanted more than $4.5M from Montreal before he signed to that with Dallas. Same goes to the $4M he got from New Jersey. However, Montreal seemed set on one of the buyout players and had a specific number they were unwilling to take less from. Briere was actually offered more from Nashville around the $5M range.

I have no doubt that Jagr in the lineup right now, we'd be definitely scoring more. That said, we're not at the half point yet. If Briere pots only 20-30 points and come playoff times does nothing, I'll be right there with people agreeing the signing was a bust. But if he pots 20-30 points (which is where I thought he'd be when we signed him) and helps us score in the playoffs? Worth every dime. Even on nights like tonight.

well I wish Briere went for the money then cause he ain't worth much here. If I am not mistaken Jagr got 2 million plus 2 million bonus. I like that deal a lot better than Briere.

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well I wish Briere went for the money then cause he ain't worth much here. If I am not mistaken Jagr got 2 million plus 2 million bonus. I like that deal a lot better than Briere.

Well, stuck with Briere now and just got to hope he does contribute over next 50 games and his experience is of some value in the playoffs?

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Well, stuck with Briere now and just got to hope he does contribute over next 50 games and his experience is of some value in the playoffs?

Yeah I know Don doesn't mean I have to like it but I sure as hell hope he gets a boatload of goals in the p/o's

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Ask me after the playoffs....I can't believe the level of bitterness here, but I still think if he scores some big goals in the P/O's all will be forgiven.

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