kaos Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 I would have no problem with Bonk signing a 3 year deal at no more than $6 Million totall salary. But I don't think thats going to happen. Not to mention that he probably wouldn't go for that, the NHLPA probably wouldn't like it very much either. ANyways, some other GM will give him $2.5 to $3.5 Million per year based on his excellent play this year. Jsut the same way Bobby Holik has always managed big paycheques. Teams are always looking for decent two way centres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 The other part of that equasion for Bonk is if lapierre can handle fourth line duties, what are you going to do with Chipchura, a great third line center potentially. I would rather lock up Johnson. Chipchura may be able to handle the duties between Perez and johnson next year. Plus the money you save on Bonk could land you the #2 center the Habs have been looking for. For one, i like Bonk and he played great down the stretch last year and has continued it this year. He will be the toughest decision whether to keep him or not. I feel the team will be alot younger next yeaar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortHanded Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 The other part of that equasion for Bonk is if lapierre can handle fourth line duties, what are you going to do with Chipchura, a great third line center potentially. I would rather lock up Johnson. Chipchura may be able to handle the duties between Perez and johnson next year. Plus the money you save on Bonk could land you the #2 center the Habs have been looking for. For one, i like Bonk and he played great down the stretch last year and has continued it this year. He will be the toughest decision whether to keep him or not. I feel the team will be alot younger next yeaar. On one hand, I agree with you. On the other hand, I don't know if Chipchura is ready. I'm a big fan of his, and I've heard lots of good stuff, but those are big shoes to fill. Still, keeping Bonk, if he won't agree to a pay cut, will cost an arm and a leg. On the other hand, we don't score a lot of goals, and our shut down line is a big reason we win by keepign the other teams' goals out. I don't envy habs management their decision, but I think I'll be happy with what they do if they keep one of Bonk or Johnson, which ever one can give us more bang for the buck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanpuck33 Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 It's amazing. Last year, when everyone expected him to be putting up points, people bashed Bonk relentlessly. Now that those expectations are gone, people are finally seeing how good a 3rd line center he is. He was doing the same things last season, at least after he returned from the groin injury, but nobody noticed until this year, when the expectations of offense were gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 I noticed him. He is a great 3rd line center. That line is probably one the the top 5 checking lines in the league. Shorthanded, I just don't know enough about Habs prospects to know if they are ready or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortHanded Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 I noticed him. He is a great 3rd line center. That line is probably one the the top 5 checking lines in the league. Shorthanded, I just don't know enough about Habs prospects to know if they are ready or not. Neither do I Chris, but I just recognize that we don't have enough room under the cap to sign all the guys who are playing wonderfully this year who will cost us a lot of money next year. Something's gotta give. The prospects, or kids in the system, will always cost less than the established vets, and in the new NHL, with the salary cap, that's something that's gonna dictate who stays on the team and who goes. My guess: next year we don't have Aebischer, or Niniimaa (won't miss him much) and one of Bonk and Johnson are gone to be replaced by a kid in the system. I wouldn't be surprised if Begin is gone too. Not saying I like it, but the numbers just don't add up. I HOPE we can sign all three of our D that are unrestricted, just because Marky and Souray are amazing, and we have no one in the system to replace Rivet, but I'm not sure that we can afford them, plus all the guys who are restricted who'll get (deservedly) a big raise this offseason.... Lots of decisions for management... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark_faerie87 Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 "Special teams is the domain of excellence for Montreal, ranking first in power play and second in penalty killing efficiency and, just because I keep forgetting to mention them, praise is necessary for the line of Radek Bonk, Mike Johnson and Alexander Perezhogin, who are a combined plus-25 on the season." http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=548 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oleg Petrov Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 (edited) I'm glad Bonk is having a great season, and I wish him well, but unless he's willing to take a million, he has to be dropped July 1st. I'm guessing he'd be better next year than Lapierre or Plekanec or Chipchura as the third-line centre, but all three of these guys will be floating around minimum wage next year, and giving them the job would help their development. I believe Plekanec was the third centre last year while Bonk was getting his act together on the fourth line, and from what I remember, he was doing a pretty good job, too. Bottom line: as nice as it would be to have Bonk again next year, the choice is between keeping him and both of Markov and Souray. Edited December 27, 2006 by Oleg Petrov Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 please don't call $450,000 minimum wage... I'm working for minimum wage $7.75 an hour... call it league minimum... it makes me sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoRvInA Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 it occurs to me.... assume bonk and johnson are not signed next year with what is left in our team and farm....What is our best 3rd line combo? or better yet do we have what it takes to have at least as good a 3rd line as this season? or do we need at least one of those guys to stay? (ref (Bonkers and Johnson) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoRvInA Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Bonk won great faceoffs in the third period vs TB in the 5 2 win. back to Bonk and the second centerman... If the team does trade for a centerman... it is only logical to think that one of the following two players will for sure be traded in return... even if the other teams wants a Dman Regardless if the team providing the centreman requires a centreman in return or not... the Habs have to deal either Bonk or Plekanek for obvious reasons! if plek stays in the team that means he either dropes to the Thrid line or the fourth line. which will move things too far unless both Downey and Murray are traded... this is why one of them would have to go... I just hope Pleks performance of tonigths is just the beginning... that would save us alot of resources!! and make Bonk and Johnson play even harder which would as well create a domino effect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexstream Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 If Bonk was born in Ontario Don Cherry would kiss his ass. If Bonk was born in Quebec Pierre Bertrand would campain to name a street after him. Bonk's been doing a hell of a job this season. He deserves consideration for the Selke. How bad do you think LA feels letting Bonk and Huet go for Garon? It's still two surname, but you got them wrong it's Bertrand Raymond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortHanded Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 it occurs to me.... assume bonk and johnson are not signed next year with what is left in our team and farm....What is our best 3rd line combo? or better yet do we have what it takes to have at least as good a 3rd line as this season? or do we need at least one of those guys to stay? (ref (Bonkers and Johnson) Corvina, I think we have to keep one of Bonk and Johnson next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoRvInA Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Corvina, I think we have to keep one of Bonk and Johnson next year I agree!... unless the team signs a 6 Mil Centreman than we have no choice but to move Lapierre and Pleks to replace Johnson and Bonk whom we have to let go off... (blame it on the cap) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsmith Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Bonk's well worth keeping at his current price. The leafs signed Peca for 2.5 to do exactly the same job. Holik was always more physically dominant than Bonk'll ever be, plus he was wildly overpayed, so hopefully he's a bad comparison. Johnson's played well, but he's tailed off and you have to admit- he's soft and he dives. If we can only keep one, I'd keep Bonk. But no long term deal! Converting Bonk and Perezhogin into shut-down guys was a stroke of genius by Carbo and/or Bob. And personally I don't doubt for a second that Gainy got Bonk to be a shut down player, not a scorer. It is sort of his area of expertise, after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 The problem with keeping Bonk over Johnson is that the Habs will have a #3 and #4 center to replace Bonk, Chipchura and Lapierre. They don't have (that i'm aware of) a RW third line checker ready to step in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fromage Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 (edited) Converting Bonk and Perezhogin into shut-down guys was a stroke of genius by Carbo and/or Bob. Bonk is fine as a shutdown guy. But Perezhogin = Afinogenov potential in my books. Could be a top 6 forward in a couple years. For sure. Edited January 3, 2007 by fromage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShortHanded Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 The problem with keeping Bonk over Johnson is that the Habs will have a #3 and #4 center to replace Bonk, Chipchura and Lapierre. They don't have (that i'm aware of) a RW third line checker ready to step in. I'd rather keep Johnson too, but not for that reason. In my opinion, Chipchura isn't ready for 3rd line duty next year. Make that Plex next year, and Chipper the year after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullsmith Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 Bonk is fine as a shutdown guy. But Perezhogin = Afinogenov potential in my books. Could be a top 6 forward in a couple years. For sure. I agree Perezhogin shows great upside, but in the meantime they've found him a role he can excell in. And if he does start to light it up, and he's got the shot and the speed for it, it will NEVER hurt that he's learned to play defensive hockey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortcat1 Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I'm ambivilant as to whether I would prefer to keep Bonk on next year. Yes, he's been outstanding but there's always the situation where a player really puts in a great year during his contract year. Then, it's coasting time after that... Not to say that Bonk will coast but, I wonder. If he stays because that's what Gainey wants then ok... he can continue to contribute and be a 'teacher' to those who can and want to learn from him. If he goes, for the same reason, then ok... we do have players coming up who would fit into that role... maybe not as well at first but certainly cheaper and will be able to grow into it. On top of that, they'll likely be hungry for it and hungry to keep it. For me, it's win-win whatever happens... GO :hlogo: GO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMR Posted January 4, 2007 Share Posted January 4, 2007 I'm ambivilant as to whether I would prefer to keep Bonk on next year. Yes, he's been outstanding but there's always the situation where a player really puts in a great year during his contract year. Then, it's coasting time after that... Not to say that Bonk will coast but, I wonder. If he stays because that's what Gainey wants then ok... he can continue to contribute and be a 'teacher' to those who can and want to learn from him. If he goes, for the same reason, then ok... we do have players coming up who would fit into that role... maybe not as well at first but certainly cheaper and will be able to grow into it. On top of that, they'll likely be hungry for it and hungry to keep it. For me, it's win-win whatever happens... GO :hlogo: GO! I would have to 100% agree. If he goes I am sure Carbo can make another player do the same job possibly a litter worse or possibly better. The guy might not as good shut down but might have better offensive upside and speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.