I have a hard time believing he slows down Plekanec or Kostitsyn. They feed off of him. Andrei can create things on his own, we all know that. Plekanec on the other hand, is very complimentary.
So he plays slow but he doesn't slow them down? Wow, he really is magic.
Anyway as I was saying, it's not so much Kovalev vs Koivu...It's;
Koivu vs Plekanec, Maxwell, Chipchura, White, Lapierre
Kovalev vs Higgins, Latendresse, S.Kost, A.Kost, D'Ago, Pacioretty, etc.
Kovalev is much more easily replacable than Koivu.
Koivu's still got game, come playoff time there is no doubting the Captain's importance. That's not about to go out the window anytime soon. We see the impact Koivu has on our young players night in and night out, which, imo, is equally invaluable.
As for Kovalev vs Tanguay next July, typically you'd go with the younger guy though you'd also have to keep in mind Kovalev's conditioning... there's a lot of hockey left in him yet. It's too early for me to start picking one over the other, I'll safely say I'd love to keep them both with it fitting nicely in the cap.
I don't think we should base our answers on point production but rather the players' style. Tanguay I feel makes those around him better, where as Kovalev [I feel] requires others around him to make him better. His style of play can be irritating at times and I feel that he's not going in the same direction as Carbo is. He likes to slow the game pace down, and I don't feel he utilizes his linemates like he could.
It's early, but judging from the last couple of games where Pleks hasn't been himself, that's true. That line doesn't gel at all when Pleks isn't going. (Kovy plays well against Tim Thomas, and the goal he had in that game was an odd play.) Plus when Kovy gets frustrated he stops skating and backchecking.
I would not put the name "Chipchura" and the word "offensive" in the same sentence. Jason Ward and Chad Kilger are the types of players that Chipchura is closer to in style and talent.
As for Maxwell, let's wait until his first pro season in Hamilton ta make a real judgement on his abilities and possibilities to make the NHL soon.
Chad Kilger is a far better skater than Chipchura or Ward.
Somehow, I think Koivu, Kovalev, and Tanguay will all be re-signed, along with Komisarek. The rest of the UFAs probably will not, but Lang is a possibility.
Unless both of these guys take a huge pay cut, we won't be able to retain them both.
Someone should try to come up with a scenario where we could sign both of these guys AND Higgins, Plekanec, Komisarek, Koivu, Chipchura, Latendresse... Cuz from my calculations it is very much impossible. Not to mention we have to give ourselves a little breathing room to sign Price in the season after.
1 good year and Kovalev becomes a priority....Yikes.
Kovalev is our best forward man, of course he is our priority. Not only is he the most talented player on the ice, he is a great leader for this club. And IMO, he is second priority behind Koivu.
So he plays slow but he doesn't slow them down? Wow, he really is magic.
Anyway as I was saying, it's not so much Kovalev vs Koivu...It's;
Koivu vs Plekanec, Maxwell, Chipchura, White, Lapierre
Kovalev vs Higgins, Latendresse, S.Kost, A.Kost, D'Ago, Pacioretty, etc.
Kovalev is much more easily replacable than Koivu.
Slow down as in limits their production. These guys aren't Heatley, Spezza & Alfredsson.. Your not going to get these 3 guys with 80-90 pts on the same line. Those days of hockey, are long gone. With a few, very few, exceptions.
Kovalev is our best forward man, of course he is our priority. Not only is he the most talented player on the ice, he is a great leader for this club. And IMO, he is second priority behind Koivu.
Kovalev is our best forward? Really?
Kovalev last year was our best forward, that's for sure. But the year before? No, really not....
This year? Well, we'll see won't we?
He's our most skilled player, that's for sure. Most effective? On va voir.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoHabsGo247
Slow down as in limits their production. These guys aren't Heatley, Spezza & Alfredsson.. Your not going to get these 3 guys with 80-90 pts on the same line. Those days of hockey, are long gone. With a few, very few, exceptions.
I never said he limits their production. I said he slowed them down. As in they aren't as explosive as they could be.
Last edited by Habs10Habs: 10-19-2008 at 04:41 PM.
1 good year and Kovalev becomes a priority....Yikes. Who's our money player in the playoffs?
Koivu... He's always our best player in the playoffs and by a good margin.
I wont touch the one year argument... we'll go in circles.
I am aware of koivu's play in the playoffs. Its one of my favorite argument towards the koivu haters when they bash him. Having said that, Kovalev has been a very good playoff performer with the habs too.
I dont think the decision is as simple as you like to make it seem.
And only in his 2nd (or was it 3rd?) comeback was he really slow, and much less effective.
A less effective Lemieux>>most everyone else. A line doesn't necessarily have to have 3 speed demons to be effective. Better Kovalev plays with quicker players than slower ones.
Then again there's also what Kovalev has done for the young russians on the team, would they be so confident already, Kostistsyns of course, without his mentoring?
I think they will let Kovy walk.. Kovy is a great player, he is extremely skilled but he has trouble to play with his linemates, most of the time he plays his own game, he isnt easy to understand and create chimestry with.. Also I think he will be in a position to ask alot of money, he isnt getting younger and I would be surprised to see Gainey invest on him under a cap era..
Tanguay, I wouldnt be surprised to see Gainey resign him 15 millions for 3 years, he is still young and fit perfectly in this team, he is also a valuable contributor at the point on the PP.. I really liked what I saw from him so far this year, even physically he is surprising..
Koivu well.. How dump I was to think he might be finished.. He is proving me quite the opposite and I wouldnt be surprised to see Gainey resign him for 1 year, 5 millions.. He looks rejuvanated and Im just so reassured to see him play like this.. Its gonna be year by year with Koivu..
We have Komi to resign as well.. I dont know whats the deal with Komi so far this season but he doesnt look 100% healthy.. I hope Gainey will resign him as cheap as possible but 5 millions seems to be fair at this point..
not by a GOOd margin...lets not forget what kovalev has done in the playoffs for this team, in 3 different occasions no less...
I'd still say it's a good margin. Koivu leaves everything out on the ice. He might not produce much more, but we get all that he has out of him. Koivu has been our heart and inspiration in the playoffs for a long time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hackett
I wont touch the one year argument... we'll go in circles.
I am aware of koivu's play in the playoffs. Its one of my favorite argument towards the koivu haters when they bash him. Having said that, Kovalev has been a very good playoff performer with the habs too.
I dont think the decision is as simple as you like to make it seem.
I think it is. Let me ask you this, which team looks better?
The PP will be great as long as Markov is Markov. Tanguay is a far better even strength player than Kovalev, and that's where this team will need help over the next few years.
Kovy is the only pending UFA who has come out publically and said he wants to retire as a Montreal Canadien...he will hopefully back this up, if BG tries to get him to take a hometown discount, if that happens Koivu hopefully will follow, and Tanguay and so on, and so on, that's what a winning team can do for the organization. Ask Stevie Y...Joe Sakic etc...let's hope we can keep them together for a couple of more years...
You are not factoring in replacement for the players leaving. Even if all the replacements come from within the organisation, that's about 700K per (2.5 to 3mil for the four of them.
