I want a defenceman too, but there is no need to do it now... It can easily be done with our capspace at the deadline.
We are gonna be all in this year.
Agreed. I would have loved to have one to start the season, but I have a feeling that we'll be big buyers at the deadline or if the right deal comes about during the season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chomsky
You mean the Red Wings with Osgood and Conklin in the nets? Can't wait to see how this duo can do this season.
I'm far from being a fan of either goalies, but they both had an excellent season last year. Also, the Red Wings would play with a defenseman in net and they'd win, or so it seems.
No one here will convince me that we are as good of a contender today as the Red Wings.
The only weakness right now is a #4 d man. I think that will rectified later on in the season when a trade for one may be made. Other than that, we have three balanced lines and a crash and bang line that will hem in the opposition.
The only weakness right now is a #4 d man. I think that will rectified later on in the season when a trade for one may be made. Other than that, we have three balanced lines and a crash and bang line that will hem in the opposition.
Which is pretty much O'byrne...
I'm not hating on him (Dan), but as many other posters I do not feel 100% confortable with a rookie D on the second pairing. He has good potential, but right now, I'm not sure he'll get the job done. There are some concerns about his game... but his potential and big body are playing in his favour.
I'm not hating on him (Dan), but as many other posters I do not feel 100% confortable with a rookie D on the second pairing. He has good potential, but right now, I'm not sure he'll get the job done. There are some concerns about his game... but his potential and big body are playing in his favour.
What you're forgetting is, if it weren't for Bouillon, O'Byrne would be our 6th D. And with Brisebois on the roster, O'Byrne should only see maybe 40-60 games.
If you're not hating on him, as you say, how do you propose a team brings in a stay at home defenceman with some regular season & playoff experience?
I think this could work. Finally an oppertunity to put the kostys together without leaving Kovalev on a hopeless line. Then kovy also gets tried with Lang which is a plus. I say give Koivu Tanguay to work with if higgins doesn't work out, then try higgins with lang and kovalev to see which works best.
Was wondering what you guys thought of these lines. I'd really like to see the Kostitsyns play together for a bit.
Last edited by Beakermania*: 09-18-2008 at 12:15 AM.
first , the d-unit isn't that good . Last season , Komisarek and Hammer had very good season , but will they repeat their performance this year ? Our offensive was on the top of the league last season . Not our defensive . Our transition game was better than the previous seasons , but we were still in the middle of the NHL for the GA .
The next hole is the one in the Habs budget ; too much money is spend for buttom line players that are repleacable ( sp ? ) ; Bégin - Dandeneault - Brisebois - Bouillon - Kostopoulos are eating too much cap space , considering that we have a lot of depth in our farm team . I would prefer have Chipchura and Maxpac or D'Agostini and 2-3 extra M$ to spend for a dman , than having Bégin-Dandeneault - Kostopoulos .
first , the d-unit isn't that good . Last season , Komisarek and Hammer had very good season , but will they repeat their performance this year ? Our offensive was on the top of the league last season . Not our defensive . Our transition game was better than the previous seasons , but we were still in the middle of the NHL for the GA .
The next hole is the one in the Habs budget ; too much money is spend for buttom line players that are repleacable ( sp ? ) ; Bégin - Dandeneault - Brisebois - Bouillon - Kostopoulos are eating too much cap space , considering that we have a lot of depth in our farm team . I would prefer have Chipchura and Maxpac or D'Agostini and 2-3 extra M$ to spend for a dman , than having Bégin-Dandeneault - Kostopoulos .
Brisebois is eating too much cap space? He's nearly at the league minimum.
Kostopoulos is a good hard-working 4th liner who makes under $1M.
Brisebois is eating too much cap space? He's nearly at the league minimum.
Kostopoulos is a good hard-working 4th liner who makes under $1M.
Natey you know full well Brisebois' bonuses count against the cap(I believe 1.4 mil), and only until such time has passed that he can't receive his bonuses does that space become available.
Hey everybody, Moon Man is back. Other than a slight issue with defense (which seems to be an issue for 70-80% of teams out there), if the next biggest issue we have is ice-time, then that's super-duper. No better problem to have than everyone fighting for a steady job. Bob Gainey must feel like a plantation owner from the Grapes of Wrath.
Apart from what was already mentioned here like another 4th D or a bonafide defensive forward, my main problem is to know if this years line up ,with BGL, will be enough to compete physically vs the other teams, We re not as small as we used to be and not as easily intimated (Or I m hoping so) than the previous years, but will it be enough ? Will a team of goons like the Bruins will suffice to push us to a 7 game serie again? because that s the only thing they did, they have no talent,(almost) so they worked hard, played hard, and paid the price. And I think we didnt do enough of it. We were easily outmatched in the physical aspect of the game during the PO, and that will often play with the mental aspect of the game too.
And are we good enough 5 vs 5 and defensively collectively ?
Brisebois is eating too much cap space? He's nearly at the league minimum.
Kostopoulos is a good hard-working 4th liner who makes under $1M.
Yeah. All though I see his point, if we're getting someone at deadline they'd cost only 1/3 of their contract right?
Also, I agree with natey here, Kostopolous is worth the $ and so is Brisebois.
With Dandenault I agree he wastes cap space, but bouillon? Give Bouillon a chance to get back to original form, he was good 3 seasons ago and beyond and was decent last season. I know he's expensive but unless you put him on waivers nobody will take him, so he's more worth having then not.
I want a defenceman too, but there is no need to do it now... It can easily be done with our capspace at the deadline.
We are gonna be all in this year.
It's not so much the cap space I'm worried about. But what it is going to cost us (players/prospects/draft picks) by obtaining such a defenseman at the deadline.
The past has shown that deadline deals are quite expensive. I just hope we didn't miss out on obtaining one now. When there are a few teams more willing to trade for less, since they are up against or over the cap ceiling.
It's not so much the cap space I'm worried about. But what it is going to cost us (players/prospects/draft picks) by obtaining such a defenseman at the deadline.
The past has shown that deadline deals are quite expensive. I just hope we didn't miss out on obtaining one now. When there are a few teams more willing to trade for less, since they are up against or over the cap ceiling.
I'm thinking we'd need to give up a 1st overall pick and/or maybe a prospect.
Thing is though, I think if we got a star defenseman at the deadline, we would probably become the #1 contender, who knows maybe even win the cup. If that happens it's worth losing a prospect or a pick.
If a hole does pop up during the season, it will be the lack of a checking line to protect a lead. I think we'll see a lot of line shuffling in the 3rd period if the Habs have the lead.
I agree with this. I've been worried about having good shutdown guys with enough talent to play possession (Draper or Malone-types, I guess).
Basic lineup is better than last year, but it won't show that much if Habs have injuries to key players.
Last year, habs had 2 better than average second line centers (koivu + Pleks) and 3 fourth line centers (Lapierre-Smolinsky-Chipchura).
This year, Habs have 1 better than average second line center (Pleks), 2 second line centers (1 year older Koivu + Lang), and 2 fourth line centers (Lapierre and Chipchura). So it's slightly better than last year, but it's still look like a hole to me.
But the addition to that mix of Laraque and Tanguay, + the year of experience gained by many players could make up for that hole.
All in all, habs are better. But not better enough to reach Detroit or the "over-the-top" talent in Pittsburgh. But you never know comes playoffs time. Chemistry, intengibles, hot goalie, rookie breakthrough in mid-season, trades, etc., can change the picture.
You do realize that finishing 22th for points among all centers makes Pleks an average 1st line center and that Koivu (31st) is a better than average 2nd line center as is Lang (34th).
I mean, who do you see has better second line centers than Koivu or Lang to name them with the innaproppriate title of "average 2nd line center", and I mean, besides the Malkins and other great centers of this world who are bonafied top 10 centers but play on the same team than another bonafied top 10 center????????
You do realize that Pleks is only 25, right??
You do realize that there are good probabilities that he hasn't hit his cealing yet?
Does someone else tie your shoes in the morning before you go out?
I'm not hating on him (Dan), but as many other posters I do not feel 100% confortable with a rookie D on the second pairing. He has good potential, but right now, I'm not sure he'll get the job done. There are some concerns about his game... but his potential and big body are playing in his favour.
I'm not worried, I think highly of O'B but if things aren't working out, then there's Gorges/Brezzy to cover plus if he takes a step backwards in his development I would think that Gainey will address it in time with some sort of trade or Gainey vodoo magic.
I'm thinking we'd need to give up a 1st overall pick and/or maybe a prospect.
Thing is though, I think if we got a star defenseman at the deadline, we would probably become the #1 contender, who knows maybe even win the cup. If that happens it's worth losing a prospect or a pick.
Yeah depending on who will be available. I agree that we would probably have to give up that much. But off hand, I don't know if there are any star defenseman that are going to be available at the trade deadline.
If there are, they would have to have an expiring contract. Because if their contract carries over to next season. We might run into problems re-signing our own RFA/UFA's next season.
I'm not concerned about O'Byrne's being a weak spot because of his physical immaturity or inexperience. He's 23, so he's past his adolescent growth spurt and he's gotten more muscular. He played 3 years at Cornell, a season + part of another with the Bulldogs, and a partial season with the Habs. He didn't look that bad when he was put on the PK. Compared to Brisebois, he offers some obvious advantages as well as disadvantages.
With Dandenault I agree he wastes cap space, but bouillon? Give Bouillon a chance to get back to original form, he was good 3 seasons ago and beyond and was decent last season. I know he's expensive but unless you put him on waivers nobody will take him, so he's more worth having then not.
Not to mention that Bouillion is our best PKing defensemen. To me, Bouillion is an ideal 6th defensemen, and his contract doesn't really bother me at all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jedrik
I agree with this. I've been worried about having good shutdown guys with enough talent to play possession (Draper or Malone-types, I guess).
I think having three good offensive lines definitely changes this. We can now go heavy wieght with heavy wieght and let them play matchups. Last playoffs we didn't have the third line, that Lapierre and Dandenault line couldn't matchup against anyone. Now that we have three solid lines we can put our Plekanec line against the other teams best line and win the other two matchups with Lang and Koivu. If our fourth line is playing well we can even try to hem their second line in their zone and that would shift our offensive lines down and we would win the matchups dearly. It is going to be pretty hard to match up our offense this year.
Not to mention that Bouillion is our best PKing defensemen. To me, Bouillion is an ideal 6th defensemen, and his contract doesn't really bother me at all.
I think having three good offensive lines definitely changes this. We can now go heavy wieght with heavy wieght and let them play matchups. Last playoffs we didn't have the third line, that Lapierre and Dandenault line couldn't matchup against anyone. Now that we have three solid lines we can put our Plekanec line against the other teams best line and win the other two matchups with Lang and Koivu. If our fourth line is playing well we can even try to hem their second line in their zone and that would shift our offensive lines down and we would win the matchups dearly. It is going to be pretty hard to match up our offense this year.
The problem with Cube is that he's part of the overweight we can't carry to keep the better players who will be looking for new contracts, AND msot importantly, we have over 12 defensive prospects to try out and develop with the team, and unfortunetly for Cube, young defenseman start from the bottom pairing, so he, Dandy and Breezer will probably not be here after next season.
