He's our captain. Sure he's not a super talented 1st liner, but he's a pretty damn good 2nd line center.
He's our captain ...he's not a super talented 1 th liner ...
You just give the good reason to trade him . Koivu is paid to be our best player and our captain , but he's not able to do the job . After all those years , it's now clear that Saku is just a 30-40 games player . And after that , he doesn't have any more juice .
His line is the worst one of all our lines . Most of the time , it's the one on the ice , when the other teams are scoring . Enough of that . We have to clear his 4,75 m$ and try to sign Drury or Briere this summer .
It is miracle that this guy is still playing hockey after all he went throught. He has not the same stamina that others have and he CAN'T pace himself goes some lazy russians have grabbed their ***** all year long. Saku is trying, but the poor guy is out of gas. He needs help ****** it. He's obviously not part of the problem. He is the heart and soul of the team and works hard every shift of every game. I can't see why some people want him traded.
So what ? we keep the team as it is , stay as we are , still a loosing tam , because it's a" miracle that Koivu is still playing "( 30-40 games per year ) .
Works hard every shift ? you didn't look the last 20 games !
I would love to see Koivu given a shot with atleast one accomplished winger. I think it would make some of the people that think he should be traded...hmmm...think twice.
I would like to see Kovalev or Higgins or Ryder given a shot with at least one accomplished center . I think that it would make some of the people that are sticked on him , think twice .
IMO the fans who believe that changing captains would transform the present Habs into contenders are a posse of whining dunces. Show me the depth of quality players the Habs have compared with other teams and I might offer you a slight morsel of compassion, but nothing more. Would stripping Koivu of his C make Aebischer a competent goatender or shore up the porous blueline crew or make Kovalev and Samsonov 40-goal scorers or cure Perezhogin of his hooking penalties or allow Bouillon to carry or pass the puck out of his zone without causing up to skip a heartbeat? Would it add a step to Latendresse's skating? Would it rally the recently dreadful PK or cure the epidemic of wild shooting that has befallen the team?
In the end.....isn't the success of the team that counts and not the love affair with one individual? Everybody respect Koivu the man who keep getting bad news after another and battle through it. Every man respect Koivu the hard-working player who despite not being the most vocal captain (only what we've heard, we're not in the room...) is leading by example with his work ethic.
But at one point, like every other moment in life, could it be time for change? I mean sure Koivu would be much better with better wingers, and Kovalev would be much better with a better center and so on.....but the reality is we can't obtain those guys by trading Niinimaa or Garth Murray. At one point some were saying that Higgins was exactly what Koivu needed but then Saku is still looking for a great winger? I believe that while both Koivu and Kovalev are good players, they won't change the pace of games, they would need somebody else to do it for them. They're not initiators, they're not proactive, they're "reactors".
The one thing I didn't like with Saku is that when he called himself a passer, that we should not expect him to score that many goals 'cause that's just not his game. Well first, even though that's the reality, I took it like he was telling me as well that he might not be in a point of his life, with all his personal battles, that he's willing to again sacrifice his body and all to be a determinant factor in a game and to stop expecting something he wasn't able to give. Totally normal, absolutely, but strictly in a hockey business, it's not good for us, and let's say it's not enough for a team to have a #1 center that give himself the limits he's giving....
So in a time like this one, we need proactive guys who has the character and strentgh to change the pace of a game by bodychecks and grittiness and some abilities to score the most important goal.
But then, it all becomes irrelevant 'cause of that great salary cap that I'm beginning to hate already, both guys have enough question marks beside their name to scare away some teams and I don't see us having the best of any trades involving both guys. So last things is indeed trying to mix them properly with better guys using the UFA that won't sign here and trade them or getting some UFA in the off-season. 'Cause it's not via draft picks that you'll be able to help them soon, as a matter of fact, there's a great chance that the day you'll see those picks, both guys would have been declining.....
But then if you do this exercise for Saku and Kovy, I don't see why it wouldn't apply to the rest of the team. Is that normal that the boards receives 100 times more passes than their teamates, there's no transition game whatsoever in that team, and how could get the puck when everytime a d-man has it, they give it to the other team via the boards and glasses. And what about winning some 1 on 1 battles along the boards once in while, where's the grit, the desire to win and all.....It goes much much deeper than only Saku and Kovy....We were surfing on a great start of the season, but people don't remember that most of our wins, weren't great wins, mostly lucky, sometimes only 'cause of our goalies, and we kept saying that once the goalie and the special teams would stop working we would be in deep trouble.....and again that has to be more than Saku's or Kovy's problem....
As far as stripping him of the C is totally irrelevant, if the C is given to him 'cause he's leading by example, and let the others be vocal, who cares really. If the job is done, what's the problem. Saku works, Souray talks.
Last thing, I'm wondering if the same posters who can't stand thinking that Saku might be traded and calls posters bandwagon jumpers 'cause the subject has been raised and everything will jump ship if he's traded......'Cause again, it's the Habs success that counts not the individuals.....
I know it's not right of me but every post/thread that has something to say about Koivu, Latendresse or Kovalev I look at the username and it usually fits. Either has a francophone ring to it or a european flavour, depending on the player being bashed. I'm sorry to those who don't like it but it's what I've observed.
I know it's not right of me but every post/thread that has something to say about Koivu, Latendresse or Kovalev I look at the username and it usually fits. Either has a francophone ring to it or a european flavour, depending on the player being bashed. I'm sorry to those who don't like it but it's what I've observed.
Just goes to show how much of an influence the media has on the sheeple.
Since Koivu's clean health streak, he hasn't been himself, I think he needs to get injured to play well. I personally am not a fan of Koivu, he's a snob and still knows no french... and he's -17, not helping the team much.
I know it's not right of me but every post/thread that has something to say about Koivu, Latendresse or Kovalev I look at the username and it usually fits. Either has a francophone ring to it or a european flavour, depending on the player being bashed. I'm sorry to those who don't like it but it's what I've observed.
So my name being french means I obviously have something against english speaking people? That's ridiculous. I speak english at home all the time and I have lived in many more places other than Montreal. I'd be the first to get on a French-speaking player's case and I hate how RDS always just talks about the Quebec born players.
And I wasn't bashing Koivu. I was raising the question of wether or not he truely he is the leader we can rely on to win a cup. I already said I think he's a great guy and a good player. Obviously, some of the CH fans aren't able to have a real neutral analysis of their "Sainte-Flanelle".
I heard a CTV guy on the radio discussing the attitude that some players have towards playing here. The point was that the extreme manic nature of the fan base becomes too much. There's so little perspective, and the weekly change from, 'I love you, I hate you' becomes tiresome. Players talk.
I had thought Gainey was making headway on this issue but it's a step forward and 2 back. At a point, I think players have to ask, 'do I need this ?'
I guess you're right, we do have the team we deserve. I often listen to Ron on CKAC after a game. It's incredible how many people sound like headless chickens on those lines.
I guess you're right, we do have the team we deserve. I often listen to Ron on CKAC after a game. It's incredible how many people sound like headless chickens on those lines.
I guess callers on open line shows can re-inforce stereotypes a bit, whether it's Ron on CKAC, Tony on 990, or wherever.
It seems like a Hab fan social phenomenom wherein since the team has had legendary succees, we feel we know more or are owed more.
This team was bouncing around fine and the bottom fell out. It fell out more spectacularly than anyone could've predicted, and it's natural to a point to wonder why or point fingers.
Like I said before, it has to be evaluated whether Koivu's return on the market justifies moving him. I don't belive so, but how could I know another GM's thoughts here ?
Some fans have their agendas with Koivu, some of them post here. I don't see Pascal being one of them if that's what he's been accused of here. I disagree with the premise of him being the issue in terms of leadership. I think Koivu's given a lot to the city and been a pretty good example . Maybe his time has come to go, I don't really think it's a good idea but it bears discussion at least.
Yeah, there are fans that are influenced by media innuendo. Gainey wouldn't go on the record with Marc Defoy in a coffee shop, so he'll get negative press for it. Some guys have had it out for Koivu because he doesn't cater to media the way they'd like. Keep in mind when you read something that journalists on both sides of our media use their columns for personal reasons.
IMO the fans who believe that changing captains would transform the present Habs into contenders are a posse of whining dunces. Show me the depth of quality players the Habs have compared with other teams and I might offer you a slight morsel of compassion, but nothing more. Would stripping Koivu of his C make Aebischer a competent goatender or shore up the porous blueline crew or make Kovalev and Samsonov 40-goal scorers or cure Perezhogin of his hooking penalties or allow Bouillon to carry or pass the puck out of his zone without causing up to skip a heartbeat? Would it add a step to Latendresse's skating? Would it rally the recently dreadful PK or cure the epidemic of wild shooting that has befallen the team?
It's not that we suggest to strip Koivu , but to trade him . So , if you combine him with another player , or that you trade him and do the same with Markov and Souray , you can get something good in return , and you can get free space to sign a free agent this summer . You can also resign Markov and Souray this summer , too .
Koivu 's departure isn't an end . We don't suggest to simply take him off the team . We suggest to look if we can get something in return that would be better for for the team , once added with other trade(s ) , signing .
I would like to see Kovalev or Higgins or Ryder given a shot with at least one accomplished center . I think that it would make some of the people that are sticked on him , think twice .
By saying that, you are telling me that you think that Kovalev, Higgins and Ryder are accomplished enough to deserve playing with an accomplished center.
Sadly they are not....maybe Kovalev was a few years ago, but not now.
