Take a seat in the GM Chair... your offseason moves:
And so the offseason begins...
A lot of talk here in HF habland about who should stay, who should go, who should be brought in.
Here are a few scenarios of the offseason moves I'd make sitting in Gainey's chair, and the lineup I'd like to see next october:
(remember, this is all in good fun, no need for personal attacks but please feel free to flame away!)
Scenario 1: To Lang or not to Lang' Trades
To Det: Zednik, 2nd or 3rd
To Mtl: Lang
Some people have mentioned Aebisher in this deal, but I think Detroit would rather get some cap space to make a move for a guy like giguere and to sign a UFA dman.
To TB: Aebischer
To Mtl: Modin
TB needs any cap space it can find to try to resign Richards, not too mention goaltending help.. Modin is a bigger stronger version of Bulis with more finishing touch.
Say Bye-Bye
Ribs, Sunny, bulis
Resign
Huet (at no more than 3.5 per hopefully), Ryder (1.8-2mill) Bouillion (1 mill), Simpson (700-800gr tops) ... not sure who the other FA are from our current roster
Sign
Langenbrunner (up to 3 mill/per over 3 years)
Line-up Higgins- Koivu- Ryder (build on great chemistry from end of season drive) Perez- Lang- Kovalev (Lang/Kovy chemistry + maturing skills of perez=dangerous) Modin- Pleks- Langenbrunner (Skills, speed, grit + D responsible = Great 3rd line) Begin-Bonk-Murray (Best 4th line in hockey) Downey, Lapierre, Ferland, Kots (Some skill and some grit to deal with injuries)
Markov- Rivet
Souray- Komi
Bouillion- Dandy
Cote, Simpson, Streit (?)
I like how our D looked in the playoff drive and vs the canes... With Komi improving, Dandy getting comfortable and bouillion coming into his own, this D core can match up with any in the NHL.
Huet
Danis
salary: about 5 million increase
Scenario 2: FA Frenzy Trades
To Cgy: Ryder
To Mtl: Leopold
Cgy needs the goal scoring help, Leopold is expendable with their d-core, and would be a good addition for us... maybe we have to add a later pick (3-4th)
To Mtl: 3rd or 4th pick overall
To chi/Washington: Souray, Zednik, 1st rd pick (16th overall), goalie prospect (Danis/Halak)
I think both of the teams would bite on this package, leaves us with cap space for the FA signings, and one of Toews, Jonshon, Kessel, Staal...
Say Bye-Bye
Sunny, Ribs, Huet, bouillion, simpson, bulis
Line-up Higgins- Koivu- Selanne (could Higgins play lethinen's role making this one of the best lines in hockey?) Perez- Arnott- Kovalev (Arnott brings the Centre size everyone is praying for...) Murray- Pleks- Langenbrunner (Skills, speed, grit + D responsible = Great 3rd line) Begin-Bonk-Lapierre (Solid energy line) Downey, Ferland, Kots (Some skill and some grit to deal with injuries)
Trades
To TB: Aebischer, 1st & 2nd pick, Ryder, Kots
To Mtl: Lecavalier,
Say Bye-Bye
Sunny, Ribs, simpson, bulis
Sign
Huet, Bouillion,
Line-up Higgins- Koivu- Tender (If tender is ready, this line could dominate) perez- Lecavalier- Kovalev (the golden child returns home, the next great french canadian habs centre) zednik- Pleks- Murray (Skills, speed, grit + D responsible = Great 3rd line) Begin-Bonk-Lapierre (Solid energy line) Downey, Ferland, Locke (Some skill and some grit to deal with injuries)
Sign Selanne(9M$/2 yrs)
Sign McKeee(7.5 M $/3 yrs)
Sign Francis Bouillon
Sign Cristobal Huet (4 M $/2 yrs)
Qualify and sign Mike Ribeiro
Trades:
To Vancouver: Richard Zednik, Radek Bonk
To Montreal: Todd Bertuzzi
To Tampa Bay: David Aebischer
To Montreal: 2nd round pick 2006
Bertuzzi I think will be a salary dump, I really don't think he will go for a fair value around the league. they might not save that much off the original deal but Zednik can easily be shopped around and they have to take a bad contract (lesser one) when u trade Todd.
To Vancouver: Richard Zednik, Radek Bonk
To Montreal: Todd Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi I think will be a salary dump, I really don't think he will go for a fair value around the league. they might not save that much off the original deal but Zednik can easily be shopped around and they have to take a bad contract (lesser one) when u trade Todd.
If ever Bert gets dumped, I suppose it would be to get some prospects, picks or something... with maybe a leadership/experience old guy to help teach the sisters how to win in the playoffs.
If ever Bert gets dumped, I suppose it would be to get some prospects, picks or something... with maybe a leadership/experience old guy to help teach the sisters how to win in the playoffs.
vancouver wanted higgins in the trade+a def for bertuzzi! they don't give a **** about bonk,like us.
In your 2nd scenario, the case can be made that Huet is as valuable a UFA than any of those that you advocate. Find a way to keep Huet, then sign whomever else you have money left for.
Your trade scenario with Lang is intriguing, as is signing Langenbrunner.
The Theodore trade really turned into an albatross that we got rid of, and makes a lot of this speculation reasonably feasible... and fun.
I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks is the best thing to do with Higgins next year? He plays well with Koivu, so he could stay on the 1st line, but with Perezhogin, Kostitsyn, Kovalev, Ryder and any potential UFA/trade guys coming in (as an example, Selanne) all in the running for top 6 spots next year, how about using him on the 3rd line with Pleks at centre? Reasoning being that if Pleks is deemed ready for the 3rd line C job then he and Higgins already have years of chemistry together so they work well. they are both quick and defensively responsible, won't put their team in trouble and although not big hitters, can get the job done. They also have offensive skills and could provide the basis of a third line that not only shuts down the other team, but can cause some trouble at the other end of the rink. He would get plenty of ice time on the third line too.
How would you guys use Higgins next year? (without assuming we trade half our current team and sign most free agents out there)
EDIT - and yes, as mentioned above, the idea of getting Lang is interesting. Not only for filling the 2nd line C job but for finding someone who has in the past shown good chemistry with Kovalev. The more dangerous that guy is, the more dangerous the team is.
To Vancouver: Richard Zednik, Radek Bonk
To Montreal: Todd Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi I think will be a salary dump, I really don't think he will go for a fair value around the league. they might not save that much off the original deal but Zednik can easily be shopped around and they have to take a bad contract (lesser one) when u trade Todd.
Why would the Canucks even consider this?
They save next to nothing in the deal and massively downgrade the team. If this is the best deal the Canucks could get I'd hope that they would just hang onto Bertuzzi.
They save next to nothing in the deal and massively downgrade the team. If this is the best deal the Canucks could get I'd hope that they would just hang onto Bertuzzi.
Because they sympathize with our desire to win a Stanley Cup and would hurt their franchise to help ours. Do I have to explain everything ? Sheesh.
MIller Time, your 1st scenario is interesting. Modin,Fedotenko, are solid players, and anything's possible. TB may aim higher in nets though. I think any GM would be smart to chat with Feaster on a regualar basis, because his decisions are likely to have a domino effect on a few players. Lang makes sense to me. Another year with Pleks not having to do more than he may be capable of, a year for Chipchura to develop. Bonk's last contract year. Presuming Arnott will find someone to overpay, Lang could make sense if Detroit wants to re-toll a bit.
The problem with dealing though is that you know where the conversations start.
Ok, here is mine (trying to be somewhat realistic, though obviously it's likely there will be fewer moves than this):
Unrestricted Free Agents
Sign Cristobal Huet; $1.5 Million / year, 2 years.
Sign Aaron Downey; $450 K / year, 1 year.
Sign Jason Arnott; $3.75 Million / year, 2 years.
Sign Pavel Kubina; $3 Million / year, 2 years.
Re-Sign
Mike Ribeiro; $1.3 Million / year, 2 years.
David Aebischer; $1.75 Million / year, 2 years.
Mike Komisarek; $1.1 Million / year, 3 years.
Michael Ryder; $1.2 Million / year, 1 year.
Christopher Higgins; $1 Million / year, 2 years.
Alexander Perezhogin; $900 K / year, 1 year.
Garth Murray; $475 K / year, 2 years.
Mark Streit; $450 K / year, 1 year.
Yann Danis; $650 K / year, 2 years.
Trade
The Montreal Canadiens trade C Mike Ribeiro, RW Michael Ryder, and a 3rd round pick in 2007 to the Chicago Blackhawks for LW/RW Mark Bell, D Jim Vandermeer, and a 2nd round pick in 2007.
The Montreal Canadiens trade G David Aebischer and their 2nd round pick in 2007 to the Tampa Bay Lightning for LW Fredrik Modin and a 3rd round pick in 2007.
The Montreal Canadiens trade LW Richard Zednik, D Sheldon Souray, and C Radek Bonk to the Minnesota Wild for C Mikko Koivu and D Kevin Klein.
Roster 2006-2007:
Fredrik Modin - Jason Arnott - Alex Kovalev
Chris Higgins - Saku Koivu - Mark Bell
Andrei Kostitsyn - Tomas Plekanec - Alexander Perezhogin
Garth Murray - Mikko Koivu - Steve Begin
Aaron Downey
Andrei Markov - Mike Komisarek
Pavel Kubina - Craig Rivet
Mathieu Dandenault - Jim Vandermeer
Mark Streit, Jean-Philippe Cote
Cristobal Huet
Yann Danis
I also really want to see Mikhail Grabovsky, Alexei Emelin, Matt D'Agostini, Mathieu Aubin, and hopefully Ryan O'Byrne in Hamilton.
Why the hell do you people want to trade Souray!?! If we lose him were screwed! In my eyes Markov is a good defencemen but IMO Souray is more important than Markov
Why the hell do you people want to trade Souray!?! If we lose him were screwed! In my eyes Markov is a good defencemen but IMO Souray is more important than Markov
I don't necessarily want to trade Souray, but in my example, it was for a salary dump.
I'd take Kubina over Souray in a heartbeat, and for the price, I'd take Vandermeer as well.
To Tampa Bay: Ribeiro, Aebischer, Zednick 2nd Round Pick
To Montreal: Brad Richards (sign 4 years 6million per), 3rd Rounder
Dandenault moves to forward
Sign one dman: get one of Chara (6.5-7mill won't happen, not enough money for this move), Redden (6mill still not enough money for this), Jovo (maybe at 4-4.5m, but still a lot), McKee or Kubina (2.5-3 million, could get one of them), Keith Carney (1.5-2million, fall back option)
Resign Huet: 2.5-3m per year for 2years and an option
Why the hell do you people want to trade Souray!?! If we lose him were screwed! In my eyes Markov is a good defencemen but IMO Souray is more important than Markov
Don't agree, I don't want to especially go and offer Souray to everybody, but in the meantime, to get some, you have to give some, and depending if we are more succesful in the UFA market with d-men than we could be with forwards, well the only player, that has some value and that could be expendable is Souray. Rivet and Markov and Komi are locks, the others have no real value.
But Markov is much much more important.....How many puck moving defenceman with some kind of hockey sense do we have??? How many can give that great first pass??? Souray won't give you that, you know....And defensively, Markov is pretty deceptive, will always do the job without the big bang that Souray tries and misses sometimes....Having said that I would keep Souray but if there's better in the market, he'll be the odd man out for me. Though he seems to like it here, seemed to be a real team player as well.....
I see a lot of movements in the minds of many posters and i think yall are way off base here. The big mistake is trying to stack your team and waste cap space all in one summer. The succesful teams will build from within and sign one significant UFA a year if needed. Thats what i think we'll do. This team has the chance to be a force for years to come, Gainey knows it and he will pursue his plan like he did this year with Higgins, Plek and Perez. Next year we will see Lapierre and Kosts. For the UFAs up front i only see Arnott as an option and if it doesnt work promote Plekanec. Some dont like Arnott but hes a better option than Ribeiro or Lang and he knows Gainey, Carbonneau and Muller (Future assistant).
IMO Gainey will shop Souray and he could get us a good center or future top 4 D. Why trade Souray? Hes physical but cant move lateraly and the most mistakes prone on D. A guy like Mckee would be an upgrade (Forget Redden and Chara). Zednik, Ribeiro and Souray could be used as trade assets. Bulis, Sunny, Ribeiro all need to go. Zednik also but hes the last on that list that should go.
I see a lot of movements in the minds of many posters and i think yall are way off base here. The big mistake is trying to stack your team and waste cap space all in one summer. The succesful teams will build from within and sign one significant UFA a year if needed. Thats what i think we'll do. This team has the chance to be a force for years to come, Gainey knows it and he will pursue his plan like he did this year with Higgins, Plek and Perez. Next year we will see Lapierre and Kosts. For the UFAs up front i only see Arnott as an option and if it doesnt work promote Plekanec. Some dont like Arnott but hes a better option than Ribeiro or Lang and he knows Gainey, Carbonneau and Muller (Future assistant).
IMO Gainey will shop Souray and he could get us a good center or future top 4 D. Why trade Souray? Hes physical but cant move lateraly and the most mistakes prone on D. A guy like Mckee would be an upgrade (Forget Redden and Chara). Zednik, Ribeiro and Souray could be used as trade assets. Bulis, Sunny, Ribeiro all need to go. Zednik also but hes the last on that list that should go.
I agree, except for maybe the trading Souray part. I don't think that Gainey will go anywhere near blowing this team up as some are suggesting. I could see him getting and upgrade for the 2nd line centre and an upgrade on Bouillon. Other than that I think we'll see promotion from within and build on the experience our rookies got this season.
Myself I think that Ribeiro, Sundstrom, Bulis, Simpson and Aebischer are gone through trade or UFA. I think a package of Aebi+Ribs/Zednik/picks could land us something decent.
I'm curious to hear what everyone thinks is the best thing to do with Higgins next year? He plays well with Koivu, so he could stay on the 1st line, but with Perezhogin, Kostitsyn, Kovalev, Ryder and any potential UFA/trade guys coming in (as an example, Selanne) all in the running for top 6 spots next year, how about using him on the 3rd line with Pleks at centre? Reasoning being that if Pleks is deemed ready for the 3rd line C job then he and Higgins already have years of chemistry together so they work well. they are both quick and defensively responsible, won't put their team in trouble and although not big hitters, can get the job done. They also have offensive skills and could provide the basis of a third line that not only shuts down the other team, but can cause some trouble at the other end of the rink. He would get plenty of ice time on the third line too.
How would you guys use Higgins next year? (without assuming we trade half our current team and sign most free agents out there)
EDIT - and yes, as mentioned above, the idea of getting Lang is interesting. Not only for filling the 2nd line C job but for finding someone who has in the past shown good chemistry with Kovalev. The more dangerous that guy is, the more dangerous the team is.
Personnaly, probably not next year but in one more year or two, I would like to see a Higgins-Plek-Latendresse line.
Why the hell do you people want to trade Souray!?! If we lose him were screwed! In my eyes Markov is a good defencemen but IMO Souray is more important than Markov
Probably becaus Souray is our weakest link on the left side... (Defensively speaking).
I see a lot of movements in the minds of many posters and i think yall are way off base here. The big mistake is trying to stack your team and waste cap space all in one summer. The succesful teams will build from within and sign one significant UFA a year if needed. Thats what i think we'll do. This team has the chance to be a force for years to come, Gainey knows it and he will pursue his plan like he did this year with Higgins, Plek and Perez. Next year we will see Lapierre and Kosts. For the UFAs up front i only see Arnott as an option and if it doesnt work promote Plekanec. Some dont like Arnott but hes a better option than Ribeiro or Lang and he knows Gainey, Carbonneau and Muller (Future assistant).
IMO Gainey will shop Souray and he could get us a good center or future top 4 D. Why trade Souray? Hes physical but cant move lateraly and the most mistakes prone on D. A guy like Mckee would be an upgrade (Forget Redden and Chara). Zednik, Ribeiro and Souray could be used as trade assets. Bulis, Sunny, Ribeiro all need to go. Zednik also but hes the last on that list that should go.
I agree. Arnott would be a nice replacement for Ribeiro. I think we badly need another puckmoving defenseman though. Otherwise, the kids have to play, for sure.
Ryder is getting on my nerves too though. I like how Bonk played down the stretch though. I don't know if he can do it again tho.
