I'd give him another shot, 1-2 year contract at roughly the same numbers as today.
See what a new GM and coach can get out of him, give him one final, SOLID shot at being part of the solution rather than the problem.
As much as we can "hope" we can replace his production internally, we can "hope" a new GM and coach can bring the best out of him. I sincerely doubt we find better bang for the buck on the open market.
And I'd rather have Leblanc pot 15 goals to go with Kostitsyn's 15 than simply replacing them. I we remain in the business of hoping...
he should make no more than a 3rd r 4th liner! where was this guy last night when he was on the ice? 1 hit 1 blocked shot no goals in 15 games. 3.75 million is 2.5 more than he is worth!
EVERY SINGLE COACH in Akosts NHL career has treated him this way. Maybe its the player for once.
Ya, and where are they now? We havent had proper coaching or management in years. Our biggest problem is asset management. This organization has had such poor leadership for years. Bad deals, bad coaching, piss poor handling of rookies, smothering styles of play, etc. it all starts at the top. If Kosty is such a problem, why is he here and all his coaches are gone?
Anyway, hopefully this is the year it all changes. I am so glad we are hitting rock bottom and not fighting for a playoff spot. Maybe a couple good picks and a new coach and gm will change things for the better.
Ya, and where are they now? We havent had proper coaching or management in years. Our biggest problem is asset management. This organization has had such poor leadership for years. Bad deals, bad coaching, piss poor handling of rookies, smothering styles of play, etc. it all starts at the top. If Kosty is such a problem, why is he here and all his coaches are gone?
Anyway, hopefully this is the year it all changes. I am so glad we are hitting rock bottom and not fighting for a playoff spot. Maybe a couple good picks and a new coach and gm will change things for the better.
Andrei has the talent and ability to be a rugged player who scores 30 goals and 60+ points, year in and year out. Instead, he's a 20 goal scorer, 45 point guy, who sleeps for long stretches and then has a streak of awesome intermittently. The AK way: consistently inconsistent. Thus, he is expendable.
Ya, and where are they now? We havent had proper coaching or management in years. Our biggest problem is asset management. This organization has had such poor leadership for years. Bad deals, bad coaching, piss poor handling of rookies, smothering styles of play, etc. it all starts at the top. If Kosty is such a problem, why is he here and all his coaches are gone?
Anyway, hopefully this is the year it all changes. I am so glad we are hitting rock bottom and not fighting for a playoff spot. Maybe a couple good picks and a new coach and gm will change things for the better.
The GM's are scared **** that he will "finally" wake up, and become a player as useful as his younger bro Sergei.
The GM's are scared **** that he will "finally" wake up, and become a player as useful as his younger bro Sergei.
AK: All the tools. No toolbox.
Of course he'll go somewhere else and have success. Which ex-hab doesn't? And I'm not saying he doesn't share some of the responsability, but again, I believe it's a problem with asset mangement. They NEVER should have broken him up with Eller or Pleks. Why play a scorer on the fourth line, with little ice time, with Gomez?! We can't just keep chasing guys out of town. I could understand getting rid of guys who don't fit management's philosophy if we had long term coaches/management who had a clear plan. But we haven't had that for years. I mean, jeez, we lost Roy because of Tremblay! And we all know what happened after that. Do we really need to lose more players because of coaches who won't be here in a couple months?
Of course he'll go somewhere else and have success. Which ex-hab doesn't? And I'm not saying he doesn't share some of the responsability, but again, I believe it's a problem with asset mangement. They NEVER should have broken him up with Eller or Pleks. Why play a scorer on the fourth line, with little ice time, with Gomez?! We can't just keep chasing guys out of town. I could understand getting rid of guys who don't fit management's philosophy if we had long term coaches/management who had a clear plan. But we haven't had that for years. I mean, jeez, we lost Roy because of Tremblay! And we all know what happened after that. Do we really need to lose more players because of coaches who won't be here in a couple months?
You're going overboard here. Do not compare Roy/Tremblay to losing AK. AK has had ample opportunities to get his head in the game. Yes, he's playing with Gomez...that doesn't mean he should stop hitting, start whiffing on one-timers, stop moving his feet, lose puck battles, not show any effort, etc. You can only blame other players so much.
If he played on an offensively talented team with gifted players he'd be a much better player, but alas the Habs are not that kind of team and it would take a long time for them to get to that point...that makes AK expendable. He's not a guy you build your team around. He's a complimentary piece that will ask for $4M. Why would a rebuilding/retooling team re-sign him? Makes no sense.
At first when Gomez said AK was probably the best liked guy in the room I was impressed and thought maybe he was worth having around for the good vibes.....
In reality, if this floater is popular I have serious problems with this team. Winning isn't popularity. Winning is born in an attitude. If AK gave everything game in game out and got no production I'd be ok... but he's not producing and not putting out the effort.... he should be unbelievably unpopular in the room. This is the attitude that needs to change. Imagine the good vibes if the guy was a leader and trying... instead he's a popular loser....
Andrei has the talent and ability to be a rugged player who scores 30 goals and 60+ points, year in and year out. Instead, he's a 20 goal scorer, 45 point guy, who sleeps for long stretches and then has a streak of awesome intermittently. The AK way: consistently inconsistent. Thus, he is expendable.
You and other people act like there is little value in a 20 goal scorer. This is completely wrong. Kostitysn's (20 goal, 40 point 2nd line wingers) don't grow on trees even if they are easier to find than star players. You need them in the middle of the depth chart if you want to have forward group that's any good.
Stop obsessing on who you want AK to be an you'll see the value in having the AK that exists. No team is going to have 4 30 goal wingers in their lineup. Very few are going to have 4 25 goal wingers. If your 4-5th winger is a guy like Kositsyn, your depth at that position is fine.
Also look at how few AK level players are availble in FA this summer. To replace him you're looking at stuff like trying to rehabilitate Dustin Penner. Unless you think they can land one of Parise or Semin. Plus the LW position in Montreal is very weak past Pacioretty. There is Bourque the 2nd/3rd liner then a bunch of nothing then Geoffrion.
Don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see AK get his 100th RS goal as a Hab. He'll probably leave the team soon but I'd like to see him hit the milestone with the team that got him this far. Be a shame for him to reach that milestone somewhere he's only been for 5 minutes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by habitue
Nashville would be the best place for him...
According to what criteria? Because his brother is there? Because they need scoring help? Why do you think Nashville has the optimal conditions for getting the best out of AK? I'd be curious to know.
When I think of what factors may favour AK for any potential future team, I think of the following:
- a team that plays either a puck possession style of game or doesn't shy away from a more skilled/creative approach to the offensive side of the game than Montreal.
- a team/coach that would be willing to play him with skilled players and could forgive him if he makes a mistake when he tries to apply his skills to the game.
- a team or a city that has some Russian/Belarussian presence within it. As I understand it, the city of Montreal has quite a Russian contingent and I think that would be something very attractive to AK. My knowledge of North American cities isn't great though so I don't know where else (other than perhaps NY which seems pretty diverse) has any significant Russian population.
I think if a team/city covers those bases, they are the most likely to appeal to AK. While I think he'd do okay in Nashville, I wouldn't regard the Preds as the ideal team/location for him. Too defensive and not enough skill on the team for it to be the ideal place for him.
If any of the following teams have a Russian community nearby and their team has interest in him, I could see these as being better locations for AK: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Chicago, Colorado, Vancouver, and maybe Edmonton, Philadelphia and perhaps St.Louis and a couple more. Maybe even Ottawa if he wants to stay close to where he already is. Anyways, just my thoughts on the matter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by habitue
But if even Poile doesn't want him, it means a lot.
If even Poile doesn't want him right now, that could merely mean he doesn't want to meet the Habs valuation of AK. If Poile isn't interested in AK if he reaches free agency, then that would be more significant IMO.
He has 12 goals this year yet people keep calling him a 20 goal scorer. I don't get it.
Its about the average amount of goals you get in an 80 game season from Kostitsyn.
The term people should use for AK is 30-35 ES point scorer because that's were his value lies. Consistently in the 180 of forwards at ES and basically your run of the mill 4th winger on the depth chart.
He has 12 goals this year yet people keep calling him a 20 goal scorer. I don't get it.
Everyone on this team except for one line is under-performing though. On a bad team everyone is sunk down, plus we have a coach who has no idea how to use anything but one line offensively.
Using this season to determine any Habs value is not going to make sense.
Of course he'll go somewhere else and have success. Which ex-hab doesn't? And I'm not saying he doesn't share some of the responsability, but again, I believe it's a problem with asset mangement. They NEVER should have broken him up with Eller or Pleks. Why play a scorer on the fourth line, with little ice time, with Gomez?! We can't just keep chasing guys out of town. I could understand getting rid of guys who don't fit management's philosophy if we had long term coaches/management who had a clear plan. But we haven't had that for years. I mean, jeez, we lost Roy because of Tremblay! And we all know what happened after that. Do we really need to lose more players because of coaches who won't be here in a couple months?
Please, PLEASE...
Never, ever compare AK to Patrick Roy....
Ya, and where are they now? We havent had proper coaching or management in years. Our biggest problem is asset management. This organization has had such poor leadership for years. Bad deals, bad coaching, piss poor handling of rookies, smothering styles of play, etc. it all starts at the top. If Kosty is such a problem, why is he here and all his coaches are gone?
Anyway, hopefully this is the year it all changes. I am so glad we are hitting rock bottom and not fighting for a playoff spot. Maybe a couple good picks and a new coach and gm will change things for the better.
Well Claude Julien won a cup since he left, so that's not bad.
Other than that, how do you coach a player who doesn't do what he's supposed to do? At the end of the day, he's supposed to be a professional hokey player and be at least somewhat self motivating. It's not up to the coach to make a player play well, it's the coaches job to try to get the most out of what's he's got. AK simply doesn't have his head in the game most nights. He has one of the lowest hockey iqs I've ever seen. I mean how many times has he made a nowhere pass to an opposing player? Or a do nothing play that ends a rush or leads to a turn over? A coach can tell him not to do those things as many times as he likes but if the player keeps making the mistakes ALL THE TIME, than the responsibility has to fall on the player at some point.
AK has all the talent in the world but he'll never hit or come close to his potential because his brain won't allow him to get there. He is what he is and if we can con some other desperate gm to take him than we should be all means go for it. He's not part of the solution here.
All I hear from AK is that he wants to stay but all I see on the ice is someone who's looking to be traded. You would think in a contract year that there would be alittle more intensity in his game but it seems we have another Kovalev-lite.
As for signing AK for 1 year and letting AK and Bourque battle it out, their both signed now and AK has had games to show he's more valuable then Bourque to this team.
I'm sure AK knew the writing was on the wall when we traded what we thought was a sniper (cameltoelarry) for a "powerforward" making pretty much the same money and does the same job with the same motivational problems. If that wake up call never really got into AK's head, then AK has played himself out of town and he only has himself to thank for it IMO.
Don't know about anyone else, but I'd love to see AK get his 100th RS goal as a Hab. He'll probably leave the team soon but I'd like to see him hit the milestone with the team that got him this far. Be a shame for him to reach that milestone somewhere he's only been for 5 minutes.
Would love to see it. I have always been a big fan of AK (although I do think it is time for the Habs to move on).
