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I think one thing we've learned as fans is the need to not put players in a position where they can't succeed. This city will eat them alive. I think that's one reason why Kostitsyn has worked so well on the third line. With that said, I can see Bourque - Eller - Kostitsyn as a dynamite third line. And on some nights, it may even be our first or second line depending on their play and the minutes Cunneyworth gives them.
Who are the other forwards?
xx - Desharnais - Cole
Pacioretty - Grigorenko - Gionta
Bourque - Eller - Kostitsyn
xx - White - Blunden
I don't have Plekanec there because we either have to deal him or Desharnais, and the latter won't fetch us anything. Plus, after the trade of Cammalleri, I see this as an end to the season with us ending up in the lottery where we better draft a center. Not to mention that any deals Gauthier makes is just going to make things worse so maybe that's a blessing in disguise.
Draft Grigorenko and package Plekanec with one of Tinordi / Beaulieu / Subban for a game-breaking winger with size. Look at Ryan or Perry. Do what it takes to land them. As long as we have our first this year and two left out of Tinordi / Beaulieu / Subban in the system, it's worth it. Cole can shift to the left side if necessary. If we can land Getzlaf, draft that Forsberg kid.
Now the only reason I have Desharnais as our #1 center is to insulate Grigorenko and not give him the pressure of being the #1 guy. I see Eller emerging at some point of the season as the #1 center next season, depending on who we draft / deal for.
What about our D?
We have enough assets here to make it work. With the emergence of Emelin, I believe we're really only a stabilizing D man with size away from being stable on the back-end. I've been saying it a lot, but we need the second coming of Pronger. Not just because he's a pain in the ass to play against, but he'll sort out the locker room and demand respect. People know that he'll knock someone's teeth out if need be and that's the attitude that it takes to win in the playoffs. Emelin needs some help.
It's pretty obvious what the lines are:
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Subban
Kaberle - xx
Diaz, Weber
Who's available:
Gomez (likely using a cap exemption in the summer as part of the new CBA)
Gionta (nobody will take him at his age, size and salary)
Moen (though I'd like to keep him)
Plekanec (need more size at center)
Desharnais (we won't get fair value for him)
Kaberle (will be lucky to get rid by the deadline)
Weber or Diaz (we'll have to deal one to get bigger with Kaberle likely not being movable unfortunately)
This season of turmoil will hopefully be the end of it. Hopefully Molson puts in a management team that will rival the class of the Detroit organization, something we haven't seen here since Serge Savard. It's time we do what's right and set things right from the top down. Enough is enough. Right now our management team looks like a bunch of kids who don't know how to handle the current situation. Public apologies for hiring coaches, trading for bad contracts, firing coaches on game days, trading players during the game, etc. It's all too much. We've become a laughing stock and we need to bring back the class of the Montreal Canadiens. If Molson can't monetarily or won't, he's the wrong owner for us. That's what we need.
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