umpalumpa55 Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 I am all for Gainey goin on a shopping spree like the blue jays did this offseason, but that will most likely not happen. If he gets a top 6 forward and a top 4 defenceman i will be estatic, but even if he does nothing, the team still looks solid, if not spectacular Kovalev koivu Perezhogin awesome first line, especially if zhogs explodes like i think he will Ryder Ribeiro Latendresse solid line that i think will be matured far enough by next year Kostitsyn Plekanec Higgins explosive and speedy, good defensively and can do major offensive damage Murray Begin Bulis Shut down defensive line begin and murray dealin the hits, and bulis snipin 'em Expendable guys like bonk, sunny take up water polo in the summer and find their new passion Defense will be pretty much the same....unless Emelin makes a jump to the nhl next year which would be awesome as markov could take him under his wing....but i would definitely change the lines drastically......this is also what it SHOULD be this year!!!! Markov Boullion Souray Rivet Komisarek/ Streit Dandenault Huet Danis Aebisher gets sent to the ECHL AHAHAHAHAHAHAH Fun stuff Speculating :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habschris Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 How is basically having the same line up "solid" when they have been a poor team for the past few years. This team needs to lose atleast 6 players and have them replaced by talented rookies and or a couple of good free agent signings. The D core you have listed is poor at best currently why would they will be any different next year? They need atleast 2 new Dmen next year and a top 6 forward. Players like zednick, sundstrom, ribiero, Souray, Rivet Dandenault can all be replaced. Also your line up is very small, which is a big problem with the current team. This team needs a pretty big facelift from the current roster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 well.. I dont think Bonk is going anywhere, so you gotta work him into the lineup (hopefully can turn it on a bit next yr). Also don't think it makes sense throwing Boullion on the first pair... A) Aebi is a FA next season... B) He is not as bad as his last 2 games suggest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Although I would like to see more rookies in the lineup, I doubt that we'll see Latendresse in the Habs uniform next season. He'll likely go back to Drummondville, play in the WJC, and sign an NHL contract over the following summer. Also, Gainey must find another scoring center for his top 2 lines; Daniel Briere would be a great choice. They also seriously need another scoring defenseman, and I would also like a bigger, more physical, reliable defenseman like Denis Gauthier. The lineup I would like to see next season is something like this (I know it's very young, but it is also talented and more balanced): Perezhogin-Koivu-Kovalev Kostsitsyn-Briere-Ryder Higgins-Plekanec-Latendresse Lapierre-Chipchura-Begin Markov-Komisarek Souray-(Scoring D) Gauthier-Rivet We could keep Bouillon as the 7th defenseman (there will be plenty of depth in Hamilton is injuries occur), as well as Milroy and Downey as backups. The others can be be bought out, traded, waived, I just don't care. The first line can score, we all know that. The second line can also score a lot of goals, especially is they quickly develop good chemistry. The third line can get hot too, and the forth line should be quite reliable, and will give a chance for rookies to gradually adapt to the NHL. However, I know very well that Chipchura will be with the Bulldogs, Latendresse in the juniors, Ribeiro, Bouillon and Dandeneault will all be back as regulars, and that Kostsitsyn might not even get a chance right out of camp, or is he does, it will be on the forth line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revvvrob Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 plus - isn't Bulis a UFA this off-season? some commentators speculate that he won't resign with the Habs ... BTH - do you have any insider knowledge for us? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 I have a feeling that Bulis wants a shot at regular scoring duties and if he can't be promised that here he will go elsewhere. I would hate to see him go, but if he gets a shot that he feels he deserves somewhere else, then all the luck to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 (edited) I have a feeling that Bulis wants a shot at regular scoring duties and if he can't be promised that here he will go elsewhere. I would hate to see him go, but if he gets a shot that he feels he deserves somewhere else, then all the luck to him. I don't really mind Bulis either, he's not a bad player, but a guy like Duncan Milroy could probably do a similar job at a lower price. If we can save some money by not resigning Bulis to land a Daniel Briere or a Jason Arnott instead, I think that would be worth it. That's what the Red Wings have done this year: they kept their key players, they gave more responsibilities to current roster players like Holmtrom, and they gave a chance to some [cheap] guys like Mikael Samuelsson and Jason Williams. Besides, Bulis has had plenty of time to showcase his talents, but he failed to become a consistent contributor to the team'success. Any moron with decent skills can be a good "defensive" player in the NHL; time to give a chance to the next moron. Milroy might surprise us. Edited March 20, 2006 by CerebusClone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Aebischer in the ECHL? What have you been smoking? Aebischer against the Canes, he played great. Aebischer against the Pens, not great. It takes time for a goalie to adjust to a new team's defense. Rob Blake alone should be a big adjustment for Aebischer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Bulis a moron are you kidding me? For a guy who has spent most of the season on the third line, he is tied for second in goals and is sixth in team points. Maybe Gainey should try him back at centre with two solid wingers I never thought of that until now but when he chipped in was when Kovy and Koivu were out think about how great he could be with Kovy on his wing. Bulis has proved he can finish this year. I sure hope he signs in Montreal he comes to work every night he rarely takes a game off oh and one more thing he has the best +- on the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Bulis has proved he can finish this year. I sure hope he signs in Montreal he comes to work every night he rarely takes a game off oh and one more thing he has the best +- on the team. Bulis has proved that he was able to capitalizing on a scoring chance 1 time out of 20. How many good scoring chances did this guy get this season... he should have much more than 17 goals (including 4 in a single game). Offensively, Bulis was really hot for about a month; other than that, he did nothing except skating around and missing chances. I don't mind having Bulis on the team, he's useful as a third-line defensive forward, but you just cannot expect him to contribute offensively on a regular basis. However, he's already making over 1M this year, and since he'll be coming off his best offensive season with perhaps a 20-goal season, his agent will probbaly be asking for nearly 2M, which is a little expensive for a guy who could very well get 25 points next season. Like I said, if the money we can save by giving Milroy a chance instead of re-signing Bulis and/or Sundstrom can help us land a Daniel Briere or a Jason Arnott, then the team would be better off. With a little NHL experience, Milroy can probably also be reliable defensively while putting up 25-35 points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Ok well not all players score on all of their scoring chances, yes Bulis has struggled at times even hitting the net at all. But it is not as though Kovy, Koivu, Ryder and the rest of the bunch have been capitalizing on all of their chances as well. Bulis proved he could score last year in the Czech elite when put in a scoring role he was 3rd overall in league scoring. He was also a great scorer in junior, he has never been given a shot playing centre with two great or even one great winger. Why not give him a chance with how he has produced this year it can’t hurt for a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebusClone Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 (edited) At some point we need to let go of players that "might produce if put with other good players" to get players who actually score goals and contribute offensively. That's all we have: guys with some decent skills who might, perhaps, one day, get more points if put in an ideal situation. Bulis is at a point where he'll be looking for a bit more money, but he's never been a consistent contributor for this team. Therefore, I think it's better to give the young guys a chance instead, and keep our money to get a couple of players who will produce. Bulis does nothing for this that Plekanec cannot do, and Tomas will do it for cheaper. That would also open a roster spot for another kid, like Milroy or perhaps Chipchura if he has a strong camp, who might surprise us, and contribute to the team's success. Edited March 20, 2006 by CerebusClone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoZed Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 (edited) Milroy's a fringe NHLer who'll probably only be that for most of his career unless he finds a job on a reconstructing team. Habs have way too much talent in the pipeline superior to him and coming up faster than him. You'll most likely see Lambert, Lapierre and Ferland in Montreal before you see Milroy. As for Bulis, he's doing what he's told to: play sound 2-way hockey and plug in holes when necessary. He reminds me of Benoit Brunet: jack-of-all-trades by master of none. Every team need that kind of players and those we had that could do the same job are already in Montreal, and none in the system is well-rounded enough to replace him yet. Edited March 20, 2006 by KoZed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Maybe Gainey should try him back at centre with two solid wingers For whatever reason that did not cross my mind either. Perhaps Bulis could be a fix for the second line center problem, at least for the rest of the year. I realize Ribeiro has been playing better, but I would still like to see someone else in that spot...Plekanec or Bulis...hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Some interesting ideas so far. Even though the post suggests if the Habs don't make any moves, I am going to suggest Gainey will. Kostitsyn - Koivu - Perezhogin Ryder - UFA - Kovalev Bulis - Plekanec - Higgins Begin - Bonk - Murray Markov - Komisarek UFA - Souray Rivet - Bouillon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenadian Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Maybe we need to call TY and his crew in for an "extreme makeover"............... :king: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beliveau1 Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Bulis was not signed to score goals - he was added to this roster because he has a solid defensive game. Goals from players like that are considered a bonus if they do what they are intended for - a few more goals would be nice, but the real problem is the fact that the goal scores aren't scoring. It's not pretty to watch(unless you are a defense coach) and it isn't for all the glory, but he's been far better at it than a lot of guys this year. Why do you think the Habs always carried players like Jarvis, Carbonneau, Gainey, and a host of other two-way players when they were winning all those cups? It's an integral part of a championship team - why do you think the Islander's & Oiler's with all those offensive oriented players couldn't win a cup until they added those solid two way guys like Goring and McTavish. If all it took was a bunch of scorers then Gretzky should have won the cup every year he played...... Bulis is doing his job and you better believe that of all people, Gainey knows just how important that role is! Watch him on his checking assignments, positional play and on the PK - for a coach there's not much too complain about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smon Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 If Gainey makes no offseason moves -- I'd honestly say the powers that be might very agitated. Hold your horses before snapping, people..Think about it. Theodore was dealt for cap space. If we aren't going to be using the cap space on anything aside from giving Mikey Ribs, Huet, Bulis and Ryder contract extensions, it's a waste. It should be earmarked for upgrades, and I expect nothing less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 YEah I have to agree with habschris... how can this team, which hasn't been all that great this year, suddenly improve drastically next year. I agree there won't be any major changes, with the exception that Streit will probably be gone and if Cote has a good camp, he'll probably earn a spot. I don't wanna see Gauthier on this team. The guy is brutal. I don't know why people are so high on him??? He's almost immobile, just a pylon that occaisionally hits people. And takes really dumb penalties. I'd rather see a Willie Mitchell, Paul Mara, Filip Kuba, Andeir Zyzuin or Dany Markov come here, but I don't think any of those are going to happen either. I'm really hoping Latendresse has a great camp and makes the team. But I'm sure he'll make his way to Hamilton. I'm pretty sure that the age to play in the AHL is 19 and not 20. But maybe it has to be by a certain date? And Beliveau1, thats great to mention all those teams like Montreal with Jarvis, Carbonneau and Gainey, and the Islanders with Goring, and Edmonto wtih McTavish and Tikanen...yeah those guys were great players, and those were great teams, but what those teams have that this team doesn't is superstars. THe Bossy's, Trottier's, Potvin's, Roy's, Gretzky's, Messier's, Coffee's, Naslund's, etc.,etc. Montreal has a team full of Bulis's ...and no superstars. Thats what hurts this team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matsnaslundsuperfan Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Kaos, that was a fantastic post. Thank you for acknowledging Mats Naslund as one of the greats. One hell of a player. Too bad the last guy wearing number 26 didn't amount to much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trizzak Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 If Gainey made no offseason moves... we'd have a lot of RFA's and UFA's leaving the Habs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaos Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Kaos, that was a fantastic post. Thank you for acknowledging Mats Naslund as one of the greats. One hell of a player. Too bad the last guy wearing number 26 didn't amount to much. Yeah Mats wa alright. This current version of the Habs could use a guy like him. This franchise has gone so long, 10 years, without a franchise player. That has to be the longest streak in the league. I wonder when the next guy will come along that'll pick this franchise up and carry it on his back? Montreal has to eventually get lucky and find the late 1st round steal or 2nd round pick like LA with Frolov, Philly with Gagne or Tampa Bay with Richards? Cause other than that Carey Price pick, Montreal isn't going to have a high first round pick? Even the Price pick was just after Crosby, Pouliot, JOhnson and Ryan..the guys that Montreal could have used the most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozhab Posted March 26, 2006 Share Posted March 26, 2006 The Habs had a chance at Gagne but chose Chouinard instead. Chouinard never really got a chance to have a crack at a regular spot 'cos management was too mired in older players' histories instead of biting the bullet, accepting that rebuilding needed to be done and giving ice time to younger players for development. Being the GM of the Canadiens must be one of the hardest jobs in the league - a storied franchise with fans that are accustomed to success year in year out, and demand it. Doesn't really leave a lot of room for patience, does it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 (edited) I would like to see... Selanne - Koivu - Higgins Koivu could play as great as he is capable during the Olympics with Selanne in the lineup Kostitsyn - Kovalev - Perezhogin Kovalev can very well the mentor of two russian youngsters. he can do it Plekanec - Ribiero - Ryder Adding Plekanec to the Ribiero - Ryder duo give that line more defensive ability Murray - Bonk - Bégin The Energy line. Bégin is giving Bonk a new life, they are great partners. Spare : Bulis , Downey , Zednick I really don't know where to fit them in the lineup Gone : Sundstrom No need for this guy anymore, plus he is an UFA after this season. Leafs, Bruins, feel free to take him. Markov - Komisarek Souray - Rivet Simpson - Bouillon Spare : Dandenault Gone : Streit Nothing much to say, I put Dandenault 7th because IMO he is our worse D overall this season. I have a feeling Streit will try his luck elsewhere in the league. Huet Aebischer Ok that's almost the same team we already have :hlogo: Edited March 28, 2006 by Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonus Posted March 28, 2006 Share Posted March 28, 2006 Selanne is interesting to me primarily as someone to pair on a line with Koivu in the event that we also grab a top trio calibre centreman to take the heat off the line... I dont quite understand the concept of moving kovalev to center, please elaborate. I personally think a Zhog-Kov-Kost line would be one of the lesser defensively responsible top lines around. Not to mention that Kov is a prototypical winger. Also, I think Simpson is FA after the season and I dont personally envision him as an everyday player on a contending team. I doubt they carry Dandenault as a 7th considering his salary (although not always the best reason to give a guy a spot, it just seems kinda weird). Also, dont forget that Dandenault has come on of late. The third line intrigues me in that you seem to want to move to a more 'euro' style lineup.. I can't figure out a reason to keep zed as a spare part considering a: the salary and b: his trade value (although I don't necessarily know what that is at this point). I imagine we see Zed moved on Draft day. Definitely an interesting and different allignment, but I don't know... Welcome again to the board Jean, nice to see you getting into the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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