Begin could return in 2 weeks??

[puck7x]

Just saw on RDS (TV not site) that Begin will resume skating with the team within the next few days and could return 2 weeks from now...

Thats great news considering we thought he'd be out until March...

Sorry Ch_NL , looks like Perreaults time on the 4th line (and on the team) is up... unless of course someone else gets injured.

[jeppa]

I think it's great news! Would be nice to have him back in action. He's our perfect 4th line center, who can fill in for Juneau if it's necessary on the 3rd line.

With Begin close to returning, you have to assume Perreault's time with the Habs is coming to an end. I think it's for the best, Riberio has proven himself as our 2nd line center at this time, and Perreault just isn't effective on the 4th line.

He would be welcomed though, if either one of our scoring centers got hurt. But that's his only roll he could fill on the club now, there's just not a good roster spot for him anymore.

I think another team can benefit from his services though, but don't expect more than a midround draft pick.

[ch_nl]

Thanks for the tought...

This is really hard. I wan't Perreault to stay with the team. But on the same time I wan't the team to perform well.

And I really think (and hope) that both of those wishes can be united.

It's hard to say negative things about the team when things are doing great but I have some concerns after all.

1. Joseph Juneau.

Is this his last season? If it's not, will he play in Montreal next season? And if it is shouldn't we have a suggestion of whom to replace him? Gainey said something about bringing in a right handed center. Will it be a deadline trade?

2. The Blueline

Souray and Quintal. Is this Quintals last season? Or will he stick around for another year. If he will we have to separate them. Souray is a left. Having him with Brisebois?

Markov and Brisebois. Im fine with that. But don't rush Markov into play. And I do think that Markov miss a native in the locker-room. His play has not been so good since Petrov left. Perezhogin?

Rivet. Many speaks of him like he was a top 4 defender. Is he? I think he's value is higher than his performance. And if I'm right he should be traded. Or keep him as the 7th or 6th defenceman.

When will Beauchemin have is chance? And will Komisarek or Hainsey be ready for a 82 game season?

But if Quintal places his skates on the shelf I hope we bring in a puck-carrying russian defenceman. Who is not afraid of hitting and doesn't make "Rivet-plays"

3. Chad Kilger.

Buy out his contract? Not if we can trade him. Like I wrote earlier. Doesn't score nor scare. We are wasting his time. His career will be better of somewhere else.

4. All the prospects.

Right now I feel that we have more prospects than we can handle on forward position. Perezhogin, Balej, Plekanec, Hossa and Higgins.

We can't develop them all. Some will fail and some will succes. But it has to be in the right enviroment. Ryder will still need someone more experienced on his side. And why use a hot-shot-prospect on the fourth?

And at the same time we have to concider size. We may have to trade one?

5. Niklas Sundström

UFA at the end of this season? Will he return to Sweden just like three of his best friends did? Per Svartvadet, Hans Jonsson and Andreas Salomonsson are playing for MoDo in Elitserien. Will Sundström follow? If he does I think a prospect should take his place. But that's it. No more prospects on the line-up if we wan't to be a contender for the play-offs.

6. Yanic Perreault.

Keep him, keep him, keep him. Leathal on the PP. We could find a spot for him on the third or second line with a player with defensive skills. The righthanded center for the third could be that person.

7. Andreas Dackell. Im pretty sure that when Juneau is out Dackell will follow. Most of his scores has come along with Juneau. And I think that he could be replaced by a younger player.

That would give us something like this: ( If I'm the one to choose)

Zednik - Koivu - Ryder

Bulis - Ribeiro - Dagenais

Perreault - New right handed center - Prospect

Langdon - Begin - Prospect

[jeppa]

Perreault on the 3rd line? No, if we don't start playing with 3 scoring lines.

And leathal on the PP? He hasn't shown much of that this year.

[ch_nl]

Hmmm...

Perreault has 5 PP goals this season. Only one player is better and that's Souray.

Perreault has 18 point this season in 38 games. And latley his been playing on the fourth line.

And he is still the 6th best in scoring this season. Better than Bulis, Dagenais and Juneau.

And the best face-off stats with over 64%.

But in the end it's up to Gainey. If he wan't to keep the best face-off guy in the leauge.

And if Juneau, Dackell, Kilger and Sundström is on their last season with the Habs I think that a spot on the third line with two players with defensive skills could be a good third line.

[jeppa]

Okey, he hasn't shown much lately. I'm having a hard time believing they would dress Perreault and just play him on the PP unit.

And he's not even playing on the first unit. I think it's time to realize, he's better off somewhere else.

[ch_nl]

But I just might be Yanic Perreault biggest fan outside Quebec. It's hard to let go.

I almost cried when Benoit Brunet left.

And I had a hard time when Vincent Damphousse got traded.

It's almost the same thing with Perreault as it was with Brunet. My favourite habs. (Sniff)

But I do think it would be a stupid thing to get rid of him. He WANTS to play with the Canadiens. I'd chose to play here for less money. He is the best face-offer in the NHL. He is one our best offensive players.

But he's not tough. And he's not a Selke candidate.

But if he was playing on the same line as a Selke contender and a big tough gritty one I don't think anyone would complaint about Perreault play.

And we know that we get about 45 points per season if we use him on the power play.

And maybe he could give us 35 per season playing as an lonley offensive threat on a thrid line?

Plus, we aren't paying him THAT much money.

[Habs77]

Trade Perreault & Sundstrom for a utility big player in his 20s... or even just picks.

I add Sundstrom because we'll have to offer over 2M to retain him as a RFA next year... no way that's going to happen.

We get at a discount right now because SJ is paying part of his salary as agreed to in the Hackett trade.

So he's basically another UFA, and one we probably can't afford (or want to) re-sign. Might as well get something for him while we can.

Plus we need to make that 3rd line bigger as the playoffs approach... already Ward is looking good there, but when Dackell returns what happens then?

As for trading Dackell too, he's cheaper and has been here longer... and has had a very good season so far (they always do in their last contract year don't they?... only 1 year deals I say).

When Bégin returns, with Ward on the 3rd line Kilger will still have a spot on the 4th line... but on the wing.

[ch_nl]

I agree on Sundström.

But it's hard when I like them both so much. But I realize that Sundström never came to his rights in Montreal. He's a guy that seems to enjoy water-skiing and fast boats. And maybe Montreal isn't the right place for him.

But Perreault... Find a spot on the third for him and use him on the power play!

Dackell should be gone when Juneau retires. If Juneau does I doubt that Dackell will have an contract offer from Canadiens.

I feel sorry for Andreas. He will never win the cup. Why? Because he is a perfect "building" player.

He creates space on the ice and does his best every night. And at a low price. So teams that's are in the team-building phase always needs a Andreas Dackell. But as soon the team improves, Dackell is out.

So Nashville, Washington or Pittsburgh for Dackell?

I place my bet on Nashville.

[jeppa]

How can you find a place on the third line for Perrault, when our coach wants to play with a defensive 3rd line? It just doesn't make sense to me.

And 35 p on the third line for the money he's making is not that good. I would rather see a prospect in that roll.

The problem with Perreault is that he's very streaky. Just look at his numbers last year. In the first half he played on a very high level and was on pace for 35-40 goals, what happend? He finnished with 24. If he wasn't so inconsistence he would still be our 2nd line center and we would be very happy with him.

I think he would fit great on a team with 3 scoring lines as their 3rd line center. But you have a different view ch_nl and I'm ok with that as long as I can have my opinions.

:king:

:ghg:

[ch_nl]

Sure.

It may be different but no-one can say I'm wrong until Perreault has been tested with two defensive players on the third.

[jeppa]

So you mean, we should trade for 2 great defensive wingers, just so we can keep Perreault? Man you really like him

[ch_nl]

I think we allready got one of them. Jan Bulis.

I like having Zednik on the first more than Bulis. I think Zednik and Koivu have more chemistry than Bulis and Koivu.

But Zednik takes more "space" on the ice than Ryder. Thats way I think Bulis is being used on the first...

And I think Gainey will add a righthanded, defensive, physical center for the third line. And that could give us a line with Perreault and Bulis on the wings with the yet unknows center. And I do believe such a line could work well as a third line.

I think every line needs some offensive. Even the third and fourth, and that's why I think Perreault should be used on the third. But that's if this is Juneaus, Dackells and Sundströms last season in Montreal.

[Quebecois]

I have to wonder why everyone wants a huge overhaul in the lineup when we have won 6 of 7 games? The top two lines are working right now, why mess with them?

[puck7x]

Originally posted by ch_nl

I think we allready got one of them. Jan Bulis.

I like having Zednik on the first more than Bulis. I think Zednik and Koivu have more chemistry than Bulis and Koivu.

But Zednik takes more "space" on the ice than Ryder. Thats way I think Bulis is being used on the first...

Well thats nice and everything , but your forgetting someone in the whole mix... MIKE RIBEIRO... The guy is our leading scorer and ever since he has been benched he has been outscoring everyone on the team (including Saku Koivu) , I'm not ready to take away one of his wingers (Zednik) at this point ... I realize that the main chemistry on his line is between himself and Dagenais , but Zednik has a huge part in the lines success as well... Why break it up? Just to make Saku happy , and give him a better winger? Not fair to Ribeiro...

[ch_nl]

I agree.

There's no need to change in the line-up right now. But some of our heroes might not be around next season.

Juneau, Dackell and Sundström are possible somewhere else.

And if that's mean that we have to bring in new players those lines also have to work.

And maybe that's also means that Bulis replaced on the first by Zednik and Zednik will be replaced by another one. Chain reaction.

As I see it, Some players are hot together. Ribs and Dags. Zednik and Koivu. At the same time I think we should keep Ryder on the first. That means that the first line is given. Unless Ribeiros line should be the first line. But I don't expect that to happen untill two year or so.

The second line could use a more experienced player. Right now we don't have such a player, but maybe that's a hole we could fill by trading deadline.

The third line seems to be to most open line. And I think everybody knows what I think by now. Perreault, Bulis and a big, physical, defensive minded, righthanded center. Jeff O´Niel, Dave Scatchard, Michael Peca type of player.

The fourth should be centered by Begin. Use a prospect on the wing in order to give him NHL experience and keep the other wing open depending on the opponent team. Alternate Langdon and a prospect.