Am I over-reacting after another crappy effort?

[hab29RETIRED]

Okay after watching ANOTHER crap effort and ANOTHER game where Price is superb, but thanks to the bums in front of him gives up 4 goals, I'm thinking do we have enough pieces to do ANYTHING in the playoffs this year??? looks like another 2nd half collapse on the way or a quick and done playoffs.

Gets me thinking. Do we NEED a BIG shakeup in personnel or to the core of the team????? Is our core good enough to do anything until (IF) Galchenyuk realizes his potential???? By then will some of the veterans (Pleks) still be a strength???

Gets me thinking of who's on this team and what's in the pipeline.

Expiring Guys we NEED to dump next year:

Gionta - washed up and doubt MB has the cohones to move him at the deadline

Bouillon - washed up

Expiring guys who SHOULD be moved at the deadline:

Diaz - skilled dman, but not a guy who is going to help us take the next step.

Guys we need to move:

Briere- garbage

DD - one dimensional and entirely dependent on Maxpac

Bourque - what you would get if a Skunk, cockroach and a rat were to have a 3 way and mate

Gorges - too much money for a 5th dman and overpaid to be a cheerleader

Guys who need a kick in the ass:

Prust - hasn't come close to resembling the guy we saw last year

The Guys that keep you hoping that this team has a future:

-Price - top 5 goalie

-Subban - top 5 dman

-MaxPac - one of the best contracts for a young scorer

-Gallagher - the little energizer bunny that keeps going games and games after the rest of his team quits

-Galchenyuk - a star waiting for a breakout

-Pleks - poised to be captain and only consistent player not named Price

-Emelin - SHOULD regain pre-injury form next year (HOPEFULLY)

Question Marks:

-Markov - is first half Markov or second half Markov closer to the player we'll see next next year

-Eller - can he be consistent if he has consistent line mates who don't have hands of stone or sound like Moen

Bright Lights in Hamilton, who hopefully make it in the big city:

-Beauleau - hopefully he stays in Montreal the rest of this year

-Tinordi

I've been thinking, is this enough to hope for the future, or do we need to make a drastic move??? A few weeks i suggested Pleks as being the only guy who could bring the return needed and keep the young core in tact.

What about a more drastic option?? What could Price bring??? Would a team like the Oilers throw major young players and picks to to make us think about moving Price???

Before anyone starts bringing up the Roy trade, i'm talking about the type of return Roy SHOULD have yielded (Sakic or Forsburg), if Houle had gone to see the wizard of oz for a brain. Could Price Yield Hall and Eberle?? Hall and a 1st this year and next (with the eye clearly on next year's top pic)???

Price is standing on his head and we are still getting killed.

[DON]

Yes

[JGC21]

The team just isn't clicking with what Therrien's trying to teach them. I have no idea what's next... a big trade? A coaching change? Me thinks MB will play it safe and do nothing except dump Bourque for a 3rd round pick.

[mineral]

The team just isn't clicking with what Therrien's trying to teach them. I have no idea what's next... a big trade? A coaching change? Me thinks MB will play it safe and do nothing except dump Bourque for a 3rd round pick.

5th round.

[mineral]

And how do you dump guys (next year) who are free agents?

Hab29, you need to find some quaaludes or a doob and chill, brah! Just looking at the number of question marks at the end of your sentences and i know you're ready to kick a baby

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Bourque is no roach descendant, roaches are resilient.

As for overreacting, I'd like to start getting game by game refunds from CenterIce, but these guys will still make the playoffs.

If anything, a mini slump might get MB to do some wheeling and dealing, and I want a shakeup. Not some half assed trade for a Davis Drewiske, or an expiring contract, something in the top 4 or top 6.

Perhaps Beailieu is on a bit of a showcase for someone like Dwight King?

[illWill]

Perhaps Beailieu is on a bit of a showcase for someone like Dwight King?

Thanks but no thanks

[habs rule]

Thanks but no thanks

I would trade bourque and briere for him.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

Thanks but no thanks

Why not? Dwight King is a power forward and would be a twenty goal scorer with Pacioretty/Desharnais. Beaulieu could be great, but we have a surplus of pmds.

[Chris]

because Beulieu has good size, great speed and can move the puck. He is very young. You don't trade players like that. You have seen the garbage defense this team throws out on the ice every night, #49 has been one of the better ones out there the past few games. Let him play and develop.

[Meller93]

I'm also on board that we won't get value out of trading beaulieu. In 3 years he could be a top three defenseman with his skill level. Maybe he'll just be a bottom six PP guy, but that guy really shows flashes of brilliance sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future he was worth more like Wayne Simmons in terms of forwards.

I think that our next best chance at a cup comes when pk, price, and Pacioretty are the "veteran" players at around 30 years each. By then, Gallagher Galchenyuk, Eller will all have also reached close to their prime. Our defence, if it turns out well could include pk, Emelin, Tinordi beaulieu, (Patern could really turn out to be a great bottom 6 guy) and possibly one of thrower nygren or dietz.

Now, none of us want the team to do bad, obviously, but netting a plethora of quality picks from shipping out Gionta (2nd) Markov (1st ) Murray (2nd or 3rd cause playoff contenders pay for size) Briere (3rd) Bourque, (bag of pucks).

That's gives of a heavy depth of fairly high picks, which could all be great youth by the time we have my aforementioned veterans. Not to mention an entire bag of pucks!

Add to that our current prospect pool, Hudon, Mccarron, Lehkonen, Reway, Vail, Bozon, Collberg, De La Rose, Fucale, Crisp.. I'm even forgetting some, but there's reason for optimism with that train of thought.

Easier said than done 8)

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I'm also on board that we won't get value out of trading beaulieu. In 3 years he could be a top three defenseman with his skill level. Maybe he'll just be a bottom six PP guy, but that guy really shows flashes of brilliance sometimes. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future he was worth more like Wayne Simmons in terms of forwards.

I think that our next best chance at a cup comes when pk, price, and Pacioretty are the "veteran" players at around 30 years each. By then, Gallagher Galchenyuk, Eller will all have also reached close to their prime. Our defence, if it turns out well could include pk, Emelin, Tinordi beaulieu, (Patern could really turn out to be a great bottom 6 guy) and possibly one of thrower nygren or dietz.

Now, none of us want the team to do bad, obviously, but netting a plethora of quality picks from shipping out Gionta (2nd) Markov (1st ) Murray (2nd or 3rd cause playoff contenders pay for size) Briere (3rd) Bourque, (bag of pucks).

That's gives of a heavy depth of fairly high picks, which could all be great youth by the time we have my aforementioned veterans. Not to mention an entire bag of pucks!

Add to that our current prospect pool, Hudon, Mccarron, Lehkonen, Reway, Vail, Bozon, Collberg, De La Rose, Fucale, Crisp.. I'm even forgetting some, but there's reason for optimism with that train of thought.

Easier said than done 8)

Ugh. I remember hearing back in 2010-2011 that 2013-2014 would be the year. Subban, Pacioretty, and Desharnais would be in their prime, and Price would be the top goalie in the NHL. (Along with Tinordi and Beaulieu shoring up the blueline in the top 4, with Cammalleri and Gio providing veteran scoring.) I wasn't on the boards in 2007, but I'm sure we thought the same thing about 2010 when we were in first place under Carboo and had some great young talent waiting in the wings.

[KoRP]

The way I see it the Habs have 4 top talents at the moment, Price, Subban, Patcioretty, and Plekanec. Markov on the slide down from elite, and Galchenyuk looking to being a top line player soon. That is the core for now, and they don't have the supporting cast it seems to beat anybody right now. IMO Beaulieu has shown us that he is better than the rest of our defense in terms of skating and skill outside Subban's skating and Markov's skill. So if I was going to look at who I could trade if I were GM, I would be frozen by any other GM's lack of interest in our underperforming players, into just getting what I can out of expiring contracts and looking forward to how I could improve the team for next season. Trading our prospects to try and patch this lineup together for the playoffs is just stupid, Gainey and Gauthier stupid. I would ice Subban , Beaulieu, Patcioretty, Plecanec and Eller as a 5, and replace Eller with Galchenyuk when he returns. I would mix and match what I could out of the rest of them, and let them do something toward getting some kind of chemistry together and have the lines stay together for more than 4-5 shifts. Then I would change the "identity" of the team any way I could this season, by moving anyone outside of that top 5 that would bring me size, grit and desire for next season and beyond if in the form of picks.

Habs aren't even close to contenders, and all we are doing is burning out Price by pretending we are, Bergevin doesn't need to make the same old mistakes that previous management made, trading gold for shit to get 2 or 3 home playoff games per year, and no real shot at a cup......I really feel the team needs a shake up, and the only players I would not trade are Subban, Price, and Galchenyuk. All other's I would listen to any offer that got the Habs bigger, tougher, grittier, and more intense. Outside of that, let the season play out, and see what can be done for next.....

[Meller93]

Ugh. I remember hearing back in 2010-2011 that 2013-2014 would be the year. Subban, Pacioretty, and Desharnais would be in their prime, and Price would be the top goalie in the NHL. (Along with Tinordi and Beaulieu shoring up the blueline in the top 4, with Cammalleri and Gio providing veteran scoring.) I wasn't on the boards in 2007, but I'm sure we thought the same thing about 2010 when we were in first place under Carboo and had some great young talent waiting in the wings.

I see exactly where you're coming from, but don't you think the gally's are probably a better young duo than desh/pac? And Pacioretty subban a better group than Gio Plek? And to that, during the gauthier era our prospect cupboard was bare. We've probably had as many picks in two years with MB as we had in four with goat. Not to mention a lot of 2nds.

I remember when kristo was our FIRST pick one year. That isn't the case now.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Trading Price is a true panic move. I'd much rather trade Pleks. But other than that, Habs29, I love your post. You're asking what I see as the "deepest" question facing this organization - one that I've also raised in various posts on this site over the season - which is whether the Canadiens actually have the organizational ingredients in place to become contenders in the foreseeable future.

I've expressed my doubts about that before. These doubts flow from one basic question: where are the elite young forwards in the system? Patches is the real deal. Galy, OK, a bona-fide possible star. It is becoming harder and harder to have faith in Eller given that he has looked like a plumber for the entire season except for the first two weeks. The bottom line with Lars is that he has been offensively mediocre for the overwhelming bulk of his time on the Habs. That shows no sign of changing any time soon. Gallagher is a tremendous player, but not one who will produce elite numbers; he's like a 20-30 guy. And that's IT for promising young forwards at the big-league level.

So, Hamilton. What is there? Louis Leblanc, who projects to be a good third-liner maybe? I know we've got a decent crop of talent further down the ladder, but a lot of it seems to be on the smallish side, and besides - who knows when those guys will be in Montreal, and how good they will finally be when they get here? If the plan is to rely on the wave of players currently in junior to supplement Galy as the basis of a contending team, then we're looking at becoming contender in what, maybe 6 years' time - an era when Pleks and Markov and Gorges and a number of other 'core' players will be gone, and Patches and Price will be entering their mid-30s (!). That's an eternity in hockey terms. And it's also too far in the future to make reasonable projections. In short, it's wishful thinking.

The D looks better with Beaulieu and Tinordi as serious near-future additions to a core based on Subban and Emelin - assuming Emelin can remember how to play hockey. If Bergevin can finally get off his ass and acquire a top-4 UFA defender with several years left in the tank, we might legitimately be able to declare ourselves set on the blueline, no matter what happens with Markov. On defence, then, I think we can reasonably see the outlines of a possible contender provided smart moves are made. But I see nothing analogous up front.

If that is right, then Bergevin needs to make a bold move that will alter the structural dynamics of the organization by bringing in at least one potentially elite young FW. And that's where we come back to ideas like Habs29's suggestion of packaging Pleks for someone like Evander Kane. That's just a example of the kind of bold, franchise-shaking move we may need to make it the goal is TRULY to contend. But nothing in Bergevin's behaviour thus far suggests an appetite for that kind of move.

I am afraid that the next 5-6 years will resemble the previous 5-6 years: the Habs as a "pretty good" team, with a fanbase perpetually telling itself that contention is "just around the corner."

[hab29RETIRED]

i've calmed down a bit after last night. But this team does need a serious shakeup.

No way would i trade a Beaulieu unless we were getting a Eberle, Kane or Hall type player. That is why the habs are were they are by trading future studs for washed up duds. Can you imagine if we had a defence with a top 4 of Subban, Mcdonough, Markov, Emelin??

I do think that we need to get rid of garbage right away that is just taking up space and development opportunities for young players. I'm referring to stinkier than a skunk Bourque, as well as washed up has beens like Bouillon and Gionta (yes the captain gives it his all, but he just doesn't have much to give anymore).

I'd also move Gorges and try and get a Rivet like return while we still can and the rest of the league clues in that he is in a serious decline. Teams that need veteren defence stay at home defence and leadership like Edmonton or Buffalo may bite to get a character guy to mentor their young players.

I like diaz, but he doesn't represent what we need and we're not playing him. With every game Diaz is sat his value declines like Del Zotto;s did - lets just move him now.

DD is producing, but I think if Galchenyuk or Eller got that much time with Gallagher and MaxPac that' probably put up better numbers. Let's move him while he is still producing.

It's no secret that I've hated MT since he cost us the playoffs during his first stint. I also think that too many people are attributing the turnaround last year on him. Let's face it, 2 years ago that team under the PG was a three ring circus. The players had checked out and the team was hurt. Last year was a fresh start. If a couple of player moves doesn't turn this team around, dump the coach.

It's ridiculous to go on like this with Price keeping us in games and keeping us from getting more embarrassed than we are and still letting in 4 goals a game. We need to change something, otherwise after the olympics, if this keeps up, he's going to check out as well.

[DON]

I see exactly where you're coming from, but don't you think the gally's are probably a better young duo than desh/pac? And Pacioretty subban a better group than Gio Plek? And to that, during the gauthier era our prospect cupboard was bare. We've probably had as many picks in two years with MB as we had in four with goat. Not to mention a lot of 2nds.

I remember when kristo was our FIRST pick one year. That isn't the case now.

Kristo is 10th in AHL rookie scoring, so not a bad pick at all, but I know what you are getting at.

The trend of shipping out picks for Moore, Tanguay, Sopel, Mara didn't make Timmins very happy I would guess. But that trend will be back once Mgmt feels team is ready to challenge I would assume (like Bruins-Pitt etc have done recently in effort to bolster playoff runs).

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

The team right now is looking terrible for one main reason: Markov and Emelin are both stinking out the joint. You can't have two of your top-4 playing like that and expect to win, especially when you only have three legitimate top-4 defencemen in the first place.

My timeline is a bit more expansive than Habs29's. I agree that this is the calendar year in which Bergevin will finally have to start making moves to effect the transition to an era in which we become true contenders. That does mean dumping scrap like The Human Turd, the Hero of the Quebec Nation, Gionta, Diaz, whatever - and upgrading in 1-2 key roster spots, such as the top-4 on the backend. But I don't think it has to happen by this year's trade deadline, because the goal was never to contend this season. We need to see the retooling happen between now and next October. But we cannot go into next season with a patchup lineup like this one. That is crap.

[hab29RETIRED]

Trading Price is a true panic move. I'd much rather trade Pleks. But other than that, Habs29, I love your post. You're asking what I see as the "deepest" question facing this organization - one that I've also raised in various posts on this site over the season - which is whether the Canadiens actually have the organizational ingredients in place to become contenders in the foreseeable future.

If that is right, then Bergevin needs to make a bold move that will alter the structural dynamics of the organization by bringing in at least one potentially elite young FW. And that's where we come back to ideas like Habs29's suggestion of packaging Pleks for someone like Evander Kane. That's just a example of the kind of bold, franchise-shaking move we may need to make it the goal is TRULY to contend. But nothing in Bergevin's behaviour thus far suggests an appetite for that kind of move.

I am afraid that the next 5-6 years will resemble the previous 5-6 years: the Habs as a "pretty good" team, with a fanbase perpetually telling itself that contention is "just around the corner."

It's only a panic move if you get a Roy like return. Price's value is sky high right now and unless he stars for Canada and wins the gold, it's probably as highest its going to be. Even salary wise, Price at $6M for around 4 more years is a bargain, considering what Lundquist signed for and what Miller will get.

I don't want to move Price - I think he is clearly in the top 5 maybe in the top 3 goalies in the league (needs to actually win a couple of play-off rounds before I put him him in the top 3). But as much as I love Price, a goalie is easier to get than a top 3 forward. IF and that's a BIG IF, a team like Edmonton that has had HORRIBLE goaltending, but have a number of young stars or potential future star forwards (Hall, Eberle, Nugent-Hopkins, Yakapov, Perron, Gagner) were willing to give up a Hall+ do we make the move?? If Colorado offered up sakic or Forsburg for Roy, i would have made the move, regardless how much i loved Roy. Chances are slim, they'd part with Hall, but IF they did, would you make that move??

If Buffalo were to offer Miller (yes I know he is on an expiring contract), Grigerenko, Meyers and their #1Next year for Price, diaz and DD, would you make that move???

We are going to have to give up something substantial to get something substantial. Our biggest trading chips are:

• Subban - no way I move the most exciting and dynamic Hab, since Lafleur
• Price - clearly established himself as a top 5 goalie in the league and should not be moved unless we get a king's ransom as return. Given what Mad Mike paid for Depietro, imagine what a desperate Edmonton team may offer
• Galchenyuk - may finally be the elusive, big, skilled centre we've been waiting for for 25 years
• MaxPac - would be a lateral move for another scorer, which makes no sense, since he is signed for 5 more years on an amazing contract
• Galleghar - Yes he's small, but the fact that he and Price were the only ones who really showed up last night, is why I'd want him as long as he can play, and yes, he will probably breakdown by the time he is 30, unless he is even tougher then he is playing. In any event, I don't see Galleghar netting us a top 2 dman or a top 3 forward.
• Pleks - Mister do everything, but score on the breakaway or shootout. Kills penalties, excels on PP (if MT would give him the ice time he deserves), solid 5 on 5, regular 20 goal scorer and shut-down centre, but maybe the wrong age, considering the window
• Markov - Would probably get a #1 pick (which would be a #20-#30 pick) and prospect, but not really a player who will change the dynamic of the team right away
• Emelin - Would bring a marginal 2nd liner, a good 3rd liner or a prospect, but not a game changer
• Eller - WOuld bring a good prospect or pick, but not someone who can help us right away
• DD - Is probably moveable again, but may not bring more than a pick or a prospect/pick mix
• Bourque - will need to find someone dumb enough to give us a 4th rounder for 2 more years of his crap. WIth the cap going up, someone MAY gamble and give up a 3rd round pick. If i'm a GM, i don't even give up a puck or hockey tape for a piss of garbage like Bourque
• Moen - Draft pick or prospect from a contender
• Diaz - draft pick/prospect or bottom pairing dman, or 3rd liner
• Gionta - draft pick/prospect, depth player
• Briere - I can't see anyone with the exception of Buffalo interested and it would probably be for a third/4th liner

That's about it. All other players including our top kids (Beaulieu, Tinordi), are not going to get us an impact player. It would be a risk moving them, since they have tremendous upside. Other prospects (Leblanc, Patyern, Collberg), are going to net a 3rd liner or a marginal 2nd liner.

So when I look at who can we move, or who I'd be willing to move, IF the move would net a BIG return (top 3 forward or top 2 dman), there are really only two choices - Price or Pleks.

My preference is Pleks as well, but I am worried about Price's psyche after the olympics, if the team is playing like they are in front of him and he no longer has anything to look forward to.

I've expressed my doubts about that before. Where are the elite young forwards in the system? Galy, OK. It is becoming harder and harder to have faith in Eller given that he has looked like a plumber for the entire season except for the first two weeks. The bottom line with Lars is that he has been offensively mediocre for the overwhelming bulk of his time on the Habs. That shows no sign of changing any time soon. Gallagher is a tremendous player, but not one who will produce elite numbers; he's like a 20-30 guy. And that's IT for promising young forwards at the big-league level.

I say move DD. Give Eller his spot and give him a chance to see if he can put up better numbers. At least than we'll have given him the chance before writing him off. As long as DD is an option, MaxPac is going to campaign to play with him and will sulk. Move DD, and Maxpac will probably sulk for a while, but than will eventually have to get going.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

I see your point about Price. But as much as I advocate a nervy move, that may be a little TOO nervy What if this year's Price is the Price we see for the next 5 or 6 years? He's only 26 after all.

Moving DD and giving the keys to Eller isn't a bad idea. Even if Eller disappoints, you're only a year or two away from being able to move Galy into the top-6.

I've recently converted to the "trade Markov" school. No, he won't get you a Kane, but surely a return analogous to what TO got for Kaberle is not out of the question. We would be a stronger organization for doing this. Hope that between Beaulieu and Diaz, you can fill the void. And hey, you save $5.5 mil in cap space, hopefully to be used in acquiring a top-4 defenceman via the free agency market or other means. This seems a quintessential case of shipping out a declining veteran while he still has value and trusting your youth to fill the void - exactly what good teams do.

[dlbalr]

If Buffalo were to offer Miller (yes I know he is on an expiring contract), Grigerenko, Meyers and their #1Next year for Price, diaz and DD, would you make that move???

Short answer: No

Long answer: Heck no

Longer answer: Trading a franchise goalie signed long-term for a pending UFA that is a major issue in the locker room, an underachieving 1st rounder, an overpaid and underachieving defenceman, and a 1st who may be a regular on the team by the end of the decade (2015 pick, 2 junior years, 2 AHL years takes us to 2019-20) is not a smart way to do business. (Buffalo is likely picking top-5 this year, we don't know where they'll be next.) If Miller were to re-sign, then you're running into serious cap issues and facing a situation where the goalies/d-men take up more than 50% of the cap. That would be a brutal move to make.

[hab29RETIRED]

I see your point about Price. But as much as I advocate a nervy move, that may be a little TOO nervy What if this year's Price is the Price we see for the next 5 or 6 years? He's only 26 after all.

Moving DD and giving the keys to Eller isn't a bad idea. Even if Eller disappoints, you're only a year or two away from being able to move Galy into the top-6.

I've recently converted to the "trade Markov" school. No, he won't get you a Kane, but surely a return analogous to want TO got for Kaberle is not out of the question. We would be a stronger organization for doing this. Hope that between Beaulieu and Diaz, you can fill the void. And hey, you save $5.5 mil in cap space, hopefully to be used in acquiring a top-4 defenceman via the free agency market or other means. This seems a quintessential case of shipping out a declining veteran while he still has value and trusting your youth to fill the void - exactly what good teams do.

I have no doubt that the Price we are seeing is the Price that we may see for the next 10 years. I just see two guys that can net us top line talent. There are a lot more goalies available than position players.

Again, I'd rather move Pleks. But we do need more top end talent on this team and need to dump a lot of garbage.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

The thing about Price is, IF he can carry this level of play into the playoffs on a regular basis, then we are in a rare position of not needing an overpowering roster to become contenders, because we have a dominant goalie. Think of it as the "Roy" model - if you can get a strong, not a dominating, team in front of him, then you have a chance to win the Cup every single year.

So that alters the picture. We don't need to become Chicago II if we have a goalie like that. We just need to ice a lineup that is a notch below Chicago's, instead of three notches below (which is where we are now). In that sense, Price may be an irreplaceable asset.

[hab29RETIRED]

Short answer: No

Long answer: Heck no

Longer answer: Trading a franchise goalie signed long-term for a pending UFA that is a major issue in the locker room, an underachieving 1st rounder, an overpaid and underachieving defenceman, and a 1st who may be a regular on the team by the end of the decade (2015 pick, 2 junior years, 2 AHL years takes us to 2019-20) is not a smart way to do business. (Buffalo is likely picking top-5 this year, we don't know where they'll be next.) If Miller were to re-sign, then you're running into serious cap issues and facing a situation where the goalies/d-men take up more than 50% of the cap. That would be a brutal move to make.

Trading for Miller would mean being willing to open the the vault to resign him. Buffalo is going to be a basement dweller for at least next year if not longer. Next year is McDavid. Supposed to be the best player since Crosby. This is the type of move Pollack used to make.

Myers is starting to turn things around under Nolan. Main issue in Buffalo is they had the Gainey model for player development and they rushed Grigernko in like Gainey rushed in Ribs, Lats and MaxPac.

Myers is a legitimate top 3 dman with size and skill. It takes time for those guys to develop. Remember how long it took Pronger to put it together?

Grigs will be a stud. Gauranteed. If in three years we have Galchenyuk and Grigs as our #1 and #2 centres, we'd be solid.

[KoRP]

Trade Price ? Trade Price is just crazy talk.... I'd trade Max, Pleks, Markov and even Subban before Price...... getting a goaltender is easier than what maybe a top 3 forward? Nope.... it's not.