The forwards the Habs should look at from the UFA's are Paul Gaustad (Buf)Shane Doan (Phox) and Zach Parise (NJD)Gaustad is always a Habs killer in the faceoff circle and at 6'5 and 215lbs he's not easily moved.Doan a RW at 6'1 and 223lbs would give the Habs another power forward and leader not to mention Price's cousin.Parise the LW with speed,skill and youth so long term 27yrs.Gaustad 29yrs. Doan 35yrs.On defence Wideman,Carle and Gleason all good defencemen under 30 to help with veteran leadership.All three capable defencemen any one of whom would be good until Tinordi,Bennett or any of the other defence prospects are ready.Jeff Schultz of Washington would be better or Shea Weber depends on Gauthier's silver tongue trading prowess.
Now take into effect I guessed on most of the salaries and based it on what I think fair value might be, obviously many will disagree with some of them but just guessing. I feel pretty confident with this lineup. You also have cap room to make a splash if need be.
Fowards:
AK46 or Bourque can be switched with Leblanc on the top line but we need to give the kid a chance. I think Konopka would be a great 4th line centre who is big, physical, can drop the gloves, good faceoff guy and that 4th line will be pure energy.
Defence:
Hopefully Markov is back and healthy next year and the addition of Gleason would be huge in the backend. Karberle needs to go and we'll take whatever to get rid of him hopefully.
Goalie:
Price is going to get around 6 to 6.5 guarenteed if you like it or not.
FORWARDS
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Erik Cole ($4.500m)
Rene Bourque ($3.333m) / Lars Eller ($1.500m) / Tuomo Ruutu ($4.200m)
Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.500m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Tanner Glass ($1.000m) / Jay McClement ($1.500m) / Brandon Prust ($1.000m)
/ Ryan White ($0.625m)
DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Alexei Emelin ($1.200m)
Josh Gorges ($3.900m) / P.K. Subban ($2.500m)
Shane O'Brien ($1.300m) / Tomas Kaberle ($4.250m)
Raphael Diaz ($1.000m) / Matt Carkner ($0.900m)
GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($5.000m) / Peter Budaj ($1.150m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $60,583,333; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $3,716,667
I don't see how Gomez, will be staying after this year, unless something magical happens. I think he is gone to the AHL or bought out.
Weber I see being dealt. I don't see how we have a need for him anymore with Subban, Diaz, Kaberle, and ....... Markov.
That is the worst first line in the NHL. If thats the Habs forst line, they should start thinking lottery pick already. AWFUL
Wait til you see the defence
Our biggest chance to contend was when Price and Subban were dirt cheap. These days are over. Now we're gonna have to get other big talents on ELCs aka draft high. It's a cycle.
Assuming the Cap increases 3.3 million, here's my dream team. We trade Kabby, Gill, Campoli at the deadline. Trade/Bury Gomez. Then Saku convinces Teemu to do a season with the Habs, and then we sign Parise and Wideman in the off season. Then we win the cup.
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Zach Parise ($7.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Teemu Selanne ($4.000m)
Andrei Kostitsyn ($4.000m) / Lars Eller ($2.000m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Saku Koivu ($2.500m) / Erik Cole ($4.500m)
Rene Bourque ($3.333m) / David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Ryan White ($0.625m)
Jeff Halpern ($0.625m)
GOALTENDERS
Peter Budaj ($1.150m) / Carey Price ($4.750m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $67,600,000; CAP PAYROLL: $67,458,333; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $141,667
There's a problem with having Eller ahead of Desharnais, let alone Koivu.
Having traded Cammy for Bourque, we are now in need of a #1 sniping winger, and I think Parise would be the best fit. Tinordi really impressed me during the WJC, and I think a half year stop gap guy like Mara would be a good fit until Tinordi is ready which I don't think will be the full year. Assuming Markov will be back, I think that'll be sufficient on D. And then we need to address the 4th line center issue, and Gaustad is probably the best fit. This is assuming we can trade Gomez, Weber and Kaberle for a bag of pucks.
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Zach Parise ($7.250m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Erik Cole ($4.500m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / David Desharnais ($0.850m) / Louis Leblanc ($1.170m)
Rene Bourque ($3.333m) / Lars Eller ($2.250m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Mike Blunden ($0.080m) / Paul Gaustad ($3.000m) / Ryan White ($0.750m)
GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($7.000m) / Peter Budaj ($1.150m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $61,720,833; BONUSES: $512,500
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $2,579,167
Last edited by hogtownhabsfan: 01-18-2012 at 07:42 PM.
Signing B and C level free agents like Gaustad, A Kost, Ruutu, etc, is business as usual for us. Sign players to plug the holes and finish 8th-10th in the conference with no chance at the cup.
Let's do what Ottawa has done and trade away all the overpriced vets (Cole included only because he's old now) and play / trade for young players.
Pacioretty - Plekanec - Cole
XXXXX - Eller - Gionta
XXXXX - Leblanc - XXXXX
XXXXX - White - XXXXX
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Subban
XXXXX - XXXXX
Price
Budaj
Try to land another two 1st round draft picks and draft the biggest two centres including Galchenyuk and a solid defenseman like Rielly or Dumba as well.
Cultivate:
Beaulieu, Tinordi, Kristo, Gallagher, Holland, Galchenyuk etc.
Win the cup by 2017!!!
That's the idea but maybe trade for a couple 1st round picks for this and next draft.Same for 2nd round picks we already got two for 2013 just need one more this year.
1. I would keep AK
2. Would try to trade Gionta for good prospect
3. No other GM wants Gomez so we have to keep him
Rene Bourque - Plekanec - Ruutu
Paco - DD - Cole
White - Eller - Ak
Darche - Gomez - Blunden
Extra forwards : Leblanc and whatever good 4th line center out there. (they are cheap and available)
Markov-Emelin
Gorges - Diaz/webber
Kaberle - PK
extra D:
Price/Budaj
whats nice about it is that is super doable.
in my dreams parise instead of ruutu
Teams with two 30-goal scorers in combination with having at least ten 10-goal scorers have the greatest chance of making the playoffs. It appears that having scoring depth is the key to playoff success as well.
That's the idea but maybe trade for a couple 1st round picks for this and next draft.Same for 2nd round picks we already got two for 2013 just need one more this year.
The problem with rebuilding for five years from now is we have nothing to trade that will fetch us any picks and not much on the farm (i.e., no size).
But we do have a decent skeleton crew with size with Bourque now, and IF Markov returns. I've liked everything PG has done, except for the huge Kaberle mistake, not getting rid of Gomez in the offseason, and signing Budaj. Not a fan of Kosty either, but he's a necessary depth evil at the moment. Maybe he really is a depth guy on a Cup winner - who knows? I prefer the players Boston uses on their third line tho - grit with skill and heart.
If Markov can't make it happen by next season, then blow it up. Otherwise, I would be aggressive in going after the Doans, the Parises, the Gleasons. That would put us over the top into contenderland for a couple years.
In this league, you can only compete for a couple years anyway. And if we draft well during those years AND win, players will want to come here.
I think the main reason players have not wanted to play here in the past is because there is a lack of balance, so they have guys playing roles that don't suit them: Koivu-Higgins-Ryder playing a cycle game against bigger/faster men. WHAT? Expecting Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri to dig out pucks for themselves constantly AND play a two way game. WHAT?
We have had capable hockey men, but they missed at the draft (Getzy, Kopitar, Parise, Lucic, Giroux, etc.) and they set the only course they could for a Stanley Cup, overpaying small players to pay the price and roid and hope goaltending would get us there. We couldn't rebuild, because we didn't get the first rounders right. So, it was a matter of just making the playoffs with this puck possession idea (code for: collapse, counter and pray).
Last edited by tinyzombies: 01-20-2012 at 12:05 PM.
