These are the players we need to keep in my Opinion!!!!
Forwards: Bonk, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Latendresse, Begin, Johnson, Samsonov and Murray(only because he is under contract).
Defencemen: Markov, Dandenault, Komisarek, Streit and Bouillion.
Goalies: Huet
Gone: Koivu, Kovalev, Downey, Ryder, Souray, Niinimaa, Rivet and Aebischer.
We have Kostitsyn, Lapierre and Grabovski who are ready for the NHL, Cote and Biron in the minors and both of them could make the jump.
There will be all kinds of free agents looking for a place to play so we could pick up some good players to replace Koivu, Kovalev, Ryder, Souray, Rivet and let Halak and Danis fight it out for the backup goalie role.
It's time to make some changes, I'm getting sick of seeing the team do the same damn thing every year.....finish the season around the middle of the conference, lose in the second round of the playoffs and then no new players in the off season to improve the team.
Only if we pick up a solid 1st line center and keep Koivu for the 2nd line, because he can't cut the mustard as the teams top center....we've seen that....heck....he's not even a good team leader.
Thats the main reason I don't want to keep him, he doesn't stand up and lead the team and he doesn't lead by example on the ice either....his time is up in Montreal...IMO.
There's players that are replaceable. Some others aren't. There's players that are more difficult to substitute (Souray, Huet) but aren't untouchables.
I mean, players like Higgins, Komisarek, Lapierre, Bégin, Plekanec and Koivu are players that you must keep. They give their 110% every night, and seriously affordable. Everything else is tradeable, you can build a team with these players and do some lateral (A guy like Lecavalier, Thornton, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk) and vertical moves (Kostitsyn, Halak).
That's how you build a team. Look what Nashville and Anaheim did.
There's players that are replaceable. Some others aren't. There's players that are more difficult to substitute (Souray, Huet) but aren't untouchables.
I mean, players like Higgins, Komisarek, Lapierre, Bégin, Plekanec and Koivu are players that you must keep. They give their 110% every night, and seriously affordable. Everything else is tradeable, you can build a team with these players and do some lateral (A guy like Lecavalier, Thornton, Ovechkin, Kovalchuk) and vertical moves (Kostitsyn, Halak).
That's how you build a team. Look what Nashville and Anaheim did.
By the way, Anaheim unloaded Fedorov 5M$/year * 3 years for an AHL-er. With this cap space, they signed Scott Niedermayer.
Gainey can do the same this year. Honestly, I'd prefer see us as sellers this year as buyers. This team has an unresolved problem, and It won't be with a Tkachuk, Guerin, Roenick, or any freakin' player for our most precious prospects that it will be solved.
How do we call this? One step behind, Three steps forward.
These are the players we need to keep in my Opinion!!!!
Forwards: Bonk, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Latendresse, Begin, Johnson, Samsonov and Murray(only because he is under contract).
Defencemen: Markov, Dandenault, Komisarek, Streit and Bouillion.
Goalies: Huet That's 28.5M or so for 15 players
Gone: Koivu, Kovalev, Downey, Ryder, Souray, Niinimaa, Rivet and Aebischer.
We have Kostitsyn, Lapierre and Grabovski who are ready for the NHL, Cote and Biron in the minors and both of them could make the jump. That's another 3.5M or so for 6 players when you also include dollars for a backup goaltender. By the way, according to his coach, Don Lever, Grabovsky is not yet ready for the NHL but I'll take your word for it over his for now.
There will be all kinds of free agents looking for a place to play so we could pick up some good players to replace Koivu, Kovalev, Ryder, Souray, Rivet and let Halak and Danis fight it out for the backup goalie role.
It's time to make some changes, I'm getting sick of seeing the team do the same damn thing every year.....finish the season around the middle of the conference, lose in the second round of the playoffs and then no new players in the off season to improve the team.
Well, you have about $15M left to spend on two marquee forwards, one a center and one a winger.
Who are the two best free agents out there you would go after? Don't forget to do a FAN-TASTIC job, because our defence is not upgraded.
Huet
Halak/Danis
Markov-Komisarek
Streit-Dandenault
Bouillon-Cote
Biron (Spare)
Great Centre-Great Winger-Samsonov
Plekanec-Perezhogin-Higgins
Bonk-Johnson-Begin
Lapierre-Kostitsyn-Latendresse
Murray-Grabovsky (spares)
That's no better than this year, I think. Within the top 20 players, ignoring the spares, we've given up Souray, Rivet, Koivu, Kovalev and Ryder in exchange for Cote, Biron, Great Centre, Great Winger and Kostitsyn.
At some point, some will realize that this isn't a video game. You don't just trade a third of your team, and then magically just sign any player you want.
Its funny there is so many free agents around come off season, yet none of them want to play in Montreal, and somehow you think it will be different this time round.
At some point, some will realize that this isn't a video game. You don't just trade a third of your team, and then magically just sign any player you want.
Which is why I challenge people to say which UFAs they would make offers to, and for how much.
Its funny there is so many free agents around come off season, yet none of them want to play in Montreal, and somehow you think it will be different this time round.
Hey, with $15M to spend on just two guys, he should be able to convince a couple to make the sacrifice!
Which is why I challenge people to say which UFAs they would make offers to, and for how much.
Briere 2/3 years 5.5 per.. if that doesn't get it done i wouldn't sign any UFA. no samsanov part deux, no plan D s.
Centre right handed shot, good for a point a game at least. Seems to work hard everynight, not a old goat either.
Kovy makes over 4 million per season for 60 points and doesn't work hard game in game out imo. Koivu about the same but overall i think he's a hard worker. Samsanov 3.75 ouch
One of these contracts has to be moved going forward.
I say we splurge and spend that extra bit of money on someone who consistently put up better numbers than 60 points.
if Briere every becomes UFA maybe he won't.
Hey, with $15M to spend on just two guys, he should be able to convince a couple to make the sacrifice!
If recent history indicates anything, even when Montreal has offered equal or more money than other teams, they haven't chose Montreal.
And this 15 million number that people have come up, not only trying to unload that much which is highly unlikely, is inflated and probably doesn't include Markov getting around 5 million a year. Plus Higgins is do for a raise.
The other thing, the defense is horrid going by what people have suggested. And why would anyone sign here after you've just dismantled your team. The only guys who would come are money hungry players who don't care about winning, and would you want that in Monteal.
These are the players we need to keep in my Opinion!!!!
Forwards: Bonk, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Latendresse, Begin, Johnson, Samsonov and Murray(only because he is under contract).
Defencemen: Markov, Dandenault, Komisarek, Streit and Bouillion.
Goalies: Huet
Gone: Koivu, Kovalev, Downey, Ryder, Souray, Niinimaa, Rivet and Aebischer.
We have Kostitsyn, Lapierre and Grabovski who are ready for the NHL, Cote and Biron in the minors and both of them could make the jump.
There will be all kinds of free agents looking for a place to play so we could pick up some good players to replace Koivu, Kovalev, Ryder, Souray, Rivet and let Halak and Danis fight it out for the backup goalie role.
It's time to make some changes, I'm getting sick of seeing the team do the same damn thing every year.....finish the season around the middle of the conference, lose in the second round of the playoffs and then no new players in the off season to improve the team.
At some point, some will realize that this isn't a video game. You don't just trade a third of your team, and then magically just sign any player you want.
These are the players we need to keep in my Opinion!!!!
Forwards: Bonk, Plekanec, Perezhogin, Higgins, Latendresse, Begin, Johnson, Samsonov and Murray(only because he is under contract).
Defencemen: Markov, Dandenault, Komisarek, Streit and Bouillion.
Goalies: Huet
Gone: Koivu, Kovalev, Downey, Ryder, Souray, Niinimaa, Rivet and Aebischer.
We have Kostitsyn, Lapierre and Grabovski who are ready for the NHL, Cote and Biron in the minors and both of them could make the jump.
There will be all kinds of free agents looking for a place to play so we could pick up some good players to replace Koivu, Kovalev, Ryder, Souray, Rivet and let Halak and Danis fight it out for the backup goalie role.
It's time to make some changes, I'm getting sick of seeing the team do the same damn thing every year.....finish the season around the middle of the conference, lose in the second round of the playoffs and then no new players in the off season to improve the team.
you want to keep Samsonov and Bouillon, but you don't want to keep Koivu? come on!
I'm very dissapointed with Saku's play at the moment, but he was by far our best player before the huge slump... He was a ppg player with a subpar supporting cast. I know he's paid too much and he doesn't play well right now, but he's a keeper imo.
Hey, with $15M to spend on just two guys, he should be able to convince a couple to make the sacrifice!
... and then we're stuck with two guys making $15M instead of two guys making $9M, and the Habs melodramatists are off wondering how on earth to get rid of Briere/Datsyuk/whoever and their ridiculously overpaid contracts, etc, etc. Except suddenly we have even less to spend on the rest of a roster around them too.
