Gainey To Go After Elias

[KoZed]

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/207444.html

Patrick Elias devrait entendre parler de Gainey

Patrick Elias deviendra joueur autonome samedi et selon ce qu'a appris RDS, Bob Gainey s'apprête à lui faire une offre.

Elias est l'un des joueurs autonomes les plus convoités.

Parions toutefois que le Canadien ne sera pas la seule équipe à partir à sa chasse.

L'attaquant pourrait demander un salaire d'environ huit millions de dollars par saison.

Elias a connu sa meilleure saison en 2000-2001 alors qu'il avait marqué 40 buts et récolté 96 points.

Simple translation: RDS learned that Gainey is about to make an offer to Elias.

[sbhatt]

I can't see it happening...but thinking about Elias at LW and Kovalev at RW...you could plug just about any center between them and have a killer line.

[JLP]

Starting next season with Elias would be an improvement over Dagenais.

[Natural Mystic]

Starting next season with Elias would be an improvement over Dagenais.

LoL.

Can't predict it happening, but if it did.. thats the only move that needs to be done, not to meantion it would KICK ASS.

[kaos]

I highly doubt it. Montreal doesn't have the cap space, and so far Gainey hasn't been able to get rid of Aebischer, Zednik or Ribeiro, nevermind Bonk....who would all probably have to go to fit Elias and his contract onto this roster

[stjrandy]

Making cap space would be easy to fit a player like Elias into the roster. Remember it's what you've spent at the end of the season not what you start the season with. The players who should be gone and replaced with cheaper players have been discussed over and over. Kaos has mentioned them already.

If you eliminate ..

Bonk 2+ million

Ribiero 1+million

Zednik 2 million

Bulis 1 million (already gone)

Sundstrom 1 million (already gone)

Aebisher 2 million

Bouillon 600,000 (already gone)

Simpson 300,000 (already gone)

This is almost 10 million right there. Add the fact that the cap rose to 44 million and the payroll is sitting at roughly 27 million after the UFA and trade bait players arre factored in.

Bob has lots of money for UFA signings.

I hope that he's able to sign Roenick , Elias,and Arnott. These players would replace Bulis,Ribiero,and Bonk and would be huge upgrades at the same time.

Higgins Koivu Ryder

Kovalev Arnott Elias

Plekanec Roenick Perezhogin

Murray Lapierre Begin

Downey Kostitsyn

[jetsniper]

Theres no way any team should be able to sign Arnott, Roenick and Elias all at the same time. Elias will run the max (8.8 mil) or close to. Lets say 7.5. Throw in Arnott and 5.5 and Roenick at 3-4 and you've got almost 17 mil spent on 3 players. Add in the fact Roenick can do better than a 3rd line (he'd get first line duty in Calgary) and he has actually stated he wants to play in Toronto or Ottawa.

Wishful thinking but no way that happens. You have to find people who actually want Bonk, Ribs and Zedniks contract. Which right now are very few.

[kaos]

Making cap space would be easy to fit a player like Elias into the roster. Remember it's what you've spent at the end of the season not what you start the season with. The players who should be gone and replaced with cheaper players have been discussed over and over. Kaos has mentioned them already.

This is almost 10 million right there. Add the fact that the cap rose to 44 million and the payroll is sitting at roughly 27 million after the UFA and trade bait players arre factored in.

Bob has lots of money for UFA signings.

I hope that he's able to sign Roenick , Elias,and Arnott. These players would replace Bulis,Ribiero,and Bonk and would be huge upgrades at the same time.

Unfortunatley your numbers don't work. Right now Montreal has said they'll qualify most of their restricted free agents. So Montreal will have a salary cap of roughly $39 Million dollars when you consider:

Higgins (900K ) Koivu (4.75 M) Ryder (2 M)

Perezhogin (800K) Plekanec (690K) Kovalev (4.5 M)

Kostitsyn (850K) Bonk (2.4 M) Murray (700K)

Zednik (1.98 M) Begin (1 M) Dowey (600 K)

Ribeiro (1.3 M)

Markov (1.75 M Rivet ($2.5 M)

Souray (2.4 M) Komisarek (1 M)

Dandenault (1.75 M) Streit (650 K)

Bouillon (assuming he signs $1.5)

Huet ($3 M)

Aebischer (2.1 M)

Danis (850 K)

All numbers are approximate.

Nobody seems to know the true amount for some players.

So now there is only $5 Million under the cap. Although Montreal won't spend more than about $41 Million because they want to save room for injury callups and trade deadline aquistions.

So really there is about $2 Million in room.

Of course Montreal can always try and trade Bonk, Aebischer, Ribeiro, Zednik and whoever. But its very difficult to deal guys like these, who have high salaries and are underacheivers, without bringing back a player who makes an equivalent salary. So really there is no point in trading them if your not going to save any cap space.

The only guy who they may reasonably be able to move is David Aebischer, and that only brings them $2 Million in savings, provided another player doesn't come back the other way.

So as of right now there does not seem to be a whole lot of room for UFA signings. I think unless Gainey pulls of some sort of trade over the next week or weeks, there won't be any players coming to Montreal, unless Bouillon doesn't sign. Then Montreal will probably have to find a depth defensman.

Theres no way any team should be able to sign Arnott, Roenick and Elias all at the same time. Elias will run the max (8.8 mil) or close to. Lets say 7.5. Throw in Arnott and 5.5 and Roenick at 3-4 and you've got almost 17 mil spent on 3 players. Add in the fact Roenick can do better than a 3rd line (he'd get first line duty in Calgary) and he has actually stated he wants to play in Toronto or Ottawa.

Wishful thinking but no way that happens. You have to find people who actually want Bonk, Ribs and Zedniks contract. Which right now are very few.

Exactly. Very wishfull thinking.

[KoZed]

Bob can't really sign more than 1 high-profile UFA at this point. He has to trade some players before thinking of adding more.

[Tony]

Don't get too excited, I highly doubt Elias will sign in Montreal.

[InsaneHABSfan]

Montreal needs to solidify a Center or Promote Plekanec to the 2nd line Center spot before offering money for another winger. Unbelieveable...........

Edited July 1, 2006 by InsaneAVSfan

[gohabsgo252006]

Reports have that the habs have made a 5 year offer to Elias ranging from 6.8-7.3 per year and that the habs are definitely still in the race.

GO BOB GO

SIGN ELIAS WOOO

[brboo]

Reports have that the habs have made a 5 year offer to Elias ranging from 6.8-7.3 per year and that the habs are definitely still in the race.

GO BOB GO

SIGN ELIAS WOOO

I read the same thing. That should definitely be enough to sign him

Imagine koivu kovalev and elias on a line together

[sbhatt]

I read the same thing. That should definitely be enough to sign him

Imagine koivu kovalev and elias on a line together

Makes much more sense to keep Koivu, Ryder, and Higgins in tact...then roll out Kovalev, Elias, and ???whoever. Give both lines equal icetime....essentially two 'first' lines.

[Tony]

RIS just reported that contract talks with Elias are going in the right direction. Take that for what it's worth.

[InsaneHABSfan]

RIS just reported that contract talks with Elias are going in the right direction. Take that for what it's worth.

Wow, the most sought after forward. I am amazed that the Habs are doing this.

[brboo]

Makes much more sense to keep Koivu, Ryder, and Higgins in tact...then roll out Kovalev, Elias, and ???whoever. Give both lines equal icetime....essentially two 'first' lines.

Yeah, If only Ribs wasn't such a bust last year. Could possibly get a center in a trade.

[lazy26]

Makes much more sense to keep Koivu, Ryder, and Higgins in tact...then roll out Kovalev, Elias, and ???whoever. Give both lines equal icetime....essentially two 'first' lines.

I'm sure Pleks would do fine between Elias and Kovy... In fact, I'm sure *I* would!

It'd be crazy if we got Elias... He'd certainly do better than our last #26

[gohabsgo252006]

I need an update, I've all over this stuff all day trying to hear anything more.

[lazy26]

I need an update, I've all over this stuff all day trying to hear anything more.

Agreed

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Well...I dunno about 7 mil a year for Elias...if you look at his career numbers, he's not exactly a model of consistency in terms of point production:

GP G A PTS +/-

1998-99 74 17 33 50 19

1999-00 72 35 37 72 16

2000-01 82 40 56 96 45

2001-02 75 29 32 61 4

2002-03 81 28 29 57 17

2003-04 82 38 43 81 26

2005-06 38 16 29 45 11

The dip in production between 2001 and 2003 bothers me. He seems to be a point-a-game player who occasionally spikes upwards toward stellar production (2000-01, last season), but also dips to sub-par, Ribeiro-like numbers.

Kovalev has a far better career record, and he's signed for WAY less.

Admittedly, Elias would make us a substantially better team - the question is whether Bob's rumoured offer makes sense under a cap system, given these stats.

Thoughts?

Edited July 1, 2006 by The Chicoutimi Cucumber

[lazy26]

Well...I dunno about 7 mil a year for Elias...if you look at his career numbers, he's not exactly a model of consistency in terms of point production:

GP G A PTS +/-

1998-99 74 17 33 50 19

1999-00 72 35 37 72 16

2000-01 82 40 56 96 45

2001-02 75 29 32 61 4

2002-03 81 28 29 57 17

2003-04 82 38 43 81 26

2005-06 38 16 29 45 11

The dip in production between 2001 and 2003 bothers me. He seems to be a point-a-game player who occasionally spikes upwards toward stellar production (2000-01, last season), but also dips to sub-par, Ribeiro-like numbers.

Kovalev has a far better career record, and he's signed for WAY less.

Admittedly, Elias would make us a substantially better team - the question is whether Bob's rumoured offer makes sense under a cap system, given these stats.

Thoughts?

You raise a valid point... Elias' numbers haven't always been great.. BUT I think he's a much better rplayer than his points show, AND he's done very well in the past two seasons...

MOST important... he's flourished in the new NHL..

all things to keep in mind...

[gohabsgo252006]

Don't forget also that his sub-par numbers came in the super defensive first system that has been employed by NJ, while Kovy was with the highflying pens.

Elias is a great scorer, playmaker and responsible defensively I have no doubt signing him will be a HUGE step towards our ultimate goal.

[fromage]

I feel the teams needs Arnott more than a need for Elias. Or hell, get both.

Kovalev can put 90+ pts in the new NHL easily, if he had a decent playmaker. Ribeiro basically leeched off Kovalev this season, you need someone to complement Kovalev.

[lazy26]

I feel the teams needs Arnott more than a need for Elias. Or hell, get both.

Kovalev can put 90+ pts in the new NHL easily, if he had a decent playmaker. Ribeiro basically leeched off Kovalev this season, you need someone to complement Kovalev.

I'd take Elias or Arnott... Both are still up for grabs...