Dealing for a franchise player, kinda seems obvious
Aside from Koivu though, I'd probably cry like a little ***** if ever Higgins were moved. He's not a scoring superstar however he plays the complete game, even when slumping in offensive production he is invaluable in every other aspect, his heart is in it in Montreal, he wants to win here.
Higgins is a keeper......ON PAPER. You might say "oh he has a good heart, he works hard, he's a complete player". But then I remember last year and all the hair pulling moments, all the deceptions, how disapointing he was and frankly it becomes easier when talking about trades to get a top player.
27 goals...and a very good 2 way player, i'm getting tired of this higgins hate, he's a good player, and loves Montreal. and i don't want to give up that kind of player for a guy who's made out of glass.
27 goals...and a very good 2 way player, i'm getting tired of this higgins hate, he's a good player, and loves Montreal. and i don't want to give up that kind of player for a guy who's made out of glass.
That and the fact that we have some many unrestricted free agents... he's a RFA.
I would far and away trade Lats before Higgins... its not even close on which is already the better player and will have a better career.
27 goals...and a very good 2 way player, i'm getting tired of this higgins hate, he's a good player, and loves Montreal. and i don't want to give up that kind of player for a guy who's made out of glass.
27 goals...and a very good 2 way player, i'm getting tired of this higgins hate, he's a good player, and loves Montreal. and i don't want to give up that kind of player for a guy who's made out of glass.
Like I said 27 goals: that looks good on paper. But if we look at all the missed plays and shots and poor decisions last year it was worst! Not only that but his line was dreadful defensively last year, teams kept scoring when Koivu and Chris were on the ice. Where is this "Higgins is a good 2 way player" comes from?
Like I said 27 goals: that looks good on paper. But if we look at all the missed plays and shots and poor decisions last year it was worst! Not only that but his line was dreadful defensively last year, teams kept scoring when Koivu and Chris were on the ice. Where is this "Higgins is a good 2 way player" comes from?
I don't know how you came up with "dreadful" to describe a situation where Higgins had a +/- of 0 (way better than the year before).
Don't sweat the missed shots that much. Most goal scorers miss most of their shots. What counts is how many go in. Higgins was a low-1st line winger last year in goals.
Like I said 27 goals: that looks good on paper. But if we look at all the missed plays and shots and poor decisions last year it was worst! Not only that but his line was dreadful defensively last year, teams kept scoring when Koivu and Chris were on the ice. Where is this "Higgins is a good 2 way player" comes from?
27 goals, steady improvement every year, responsible in his own end, yeah sounds like a bust to me. He is one of the best penalty killers we have ever seen and you ask where the "good two way player" comes from? The only valid point in your post is that he missed opportunities on shots but the rest is not true. He doesn't make poor decisions and is NOT dreadful defensively. At least try to support your unwarranted hate of the guy with some factual data before posting an opinion that can be picked apart so easily with minimal effort.
Like I said 27 goals: that looks good on paper. But if we look at all the missed plays and shots and poor decisions last year it was worst! Not only that but his line was dreadful defensively last year, teams kept scoring when Koivu and Chris were on the ice. Where is this "Higgins is a good 2 way player" comes from?
I think he actually scored them on the ice, same placeas the rest of the guys.
Where does the 'teams kept scoring' come from ? I think the dreadful defensively part comes from 2 years ago when Koivu and Ryder had a large minus, which mainly came from when Higgins was out. He wasn't much when he came back to the line after his injury but I don't think his numbers compared to the guys playing in his absence.
When you talk disapointment, it's more personal perception, he wasn't a disapointment, you were disapointed.
I am getting sick and tired of the trade rumors involving Chris Higgins.
Can’t the poor guy be left alone at once!
He supposedly had a bad season last year, but yet he potted 27 goals and with a little luck he would have scored 15 more, given all the opportunities he just missed.
He’s still young, has plenty of talent, skates like the wind, has tons of leadership, is responsible at both ends of the rink, enjoys Montreal, loves the Habs since he’s young, never complains and is a great bargain at around 1.5 Million$.
With half our team going UFA at the end of the year, who in his right mind would trade a guy like this? On the contrary, he should be one of the cornerstones of our franchise for the next several years!
PS: BTW, all the above reasons are why the other teams in the league keep asking for him in any talks with the Habs!
The reasoning behind it isn't hate for higgins. It's the fact that our top 9 is pretty full. We have Pacioretty who needs to come up, latendresse who cannot be demoted to the 4th line because he's been great. There just isn't any room for higgins unless he's going to perform as the 70-80pt guy we all projected him as.
It's tough to get a spot in Montreal now is all, and I have heard rumors that Higgins is unhappy here. I don't know if that is true, but out of all of our players to me, he seems like he'd be a likely candidate for being unhappy because a lot of fans seem to be turning on him now and he's had a lot of trouble finishing in recent time.
Who knows though, he can come back, he has played really well before. It's also the fact that, the higgins/koivu/ryder line did so poorly last season and now that it's tanguay/koivu/lats they've been pwning, so the question is, do you bring higgins back and break of a line with some obvious chemistry? Or do you stick him on the 4th line where already we have 4 players cycling a spot on that line.
Bottom line, there just doesn't seem to be any room for him unless he really performs well, but other teams will know just from pryor scouting that he IS a solid player and will return to form if given a change of scenery, plus his salary is good, which when combined with a package deal makes him a sweet center peice.
Fans want us to win the cup this year and feel that if Higgins could fetch us another star defenseman or somebody who is a real game breaker, then do it. Because cups oppertunities don't just come every year, they need to be taken when you get the oppertunity. If Gainey thinks losing higgins would help us to gain a cup this year, I think he'd pull the trigger on a deal like that.
Just my thoughts on the situation but I think I'm right.
The reasoning behind it isn't hate for higgins. It's the fact that our top 9 is pretty full. We have Pacioretty who needs to come up, latendresse who cannot be demoted to the 4th line because he's been great. There just isn't any room for higgins unless he's going to perform as the 70-80pt guy we all projected him as.
Pacioretty doesn't have to come up, he has trouble enough adapting to the AHL at this point.....His overall game is far from ready at least not this year to compete in this level.
While it's not hate, I don't mind seeing Higgins name popping up in trades idea 'cause he has actually a nice value, he's still a player we don't want to let go, but to have some you need to give some. I obviously prefer to see Higgins name than Dandenault's....
Having said that, I would have to see a guy that bleeds red white and blue being traded. Sure everybody that is playing here loves it and all, but you do have the feeling that Higgy likes it a lot here and would be devastated. He'll get over it, still as far as fan point of view, you always like to keep the guys who'll do everything for the team they like so much. I think we haven't seen his ceiling yet, so I wouldn't trade him.....again....especially for a guy so injury prone, a guy that will make our salaries go way up, a guy that if everything that is said about his demands as far as his salary his concerned, is truly desilusional and could end up being a headcase. What will it do to the chemistry....we don't know.
Unless Gaborik signs a long term and not overblown contract with the Habs, then Higgins is NOT going anywhere.
Rumors are still only rumors, but there is no doubt that BIG talks between the Habs and the Wild are going on and thats NOT just rumors. Leaks are coming from both sides about all this.
So what's holding things up? possibly Gainey not wanting to part with Mcdo? or is it a commitment from Gaborik to the Habs? maybe both.
Add to the mix, that the Habs would need to make some cap room and again Gainey does not want to get stiffed in that regard also.
If Gaborik wants 10 years at 10 mil per season ( a rumor) then Gainey walks for sure, in fact most teams would.
The one big fact ( elephant in the room) that is known for sure, is the Mr. Gaborik wants out of the Wild no matter what.
Like I said 27 goals: that looks good on paper. But if we look at all the missed plays and shots and poor decisions last year it was worst! Not only that but his line was dreadful defensively last year, teams kept scoring when Koivu and Chris were on the ice. Where is this "Higgins is a good 2 way player" comes from?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mcphee
I think he actually scored them on the ice, same placeas the rest of the guys.
Where does the 'teams kept scoring' come from ? I think the dreadful defensively part comes from 2 years ago when Koivu and Ryder had a large minus, which mainly came from when Higgins was out. He wasn't much when he came back to the line after his injury but I don't think his numbers compared to the guys playing in his absence.
When you talk disapointment, it's more personal perception, he wasn't a disapointment, you were disapointed.
Ahh... once again the voice of reason....
Quote:
Originally Posted by neofury
The reasoning behind it isn't hate for higgins. It's the fact that our top 9 is pretty full. We have Pacioretty who needs to come up, latendresse who cannot be demoted to the 4th line because he's been great. There just isn't any room for higgins unless he's going to perform as the 70-80pt guy we all projected him as.
Woah, Woah, Woah.... Pacioretty has done nothing at this point in the AHL to prove he needs to be up with the team. Why are we rushing Pac... hes 19.... let him rip up the AHL and adapt to the long schedule before we say he has to be up. If you think he's gonna outperform Chris right now... I'm sorry you are sadly mistaken.
There is no room in our top 9 for Chris Higgins?? Umm Tom Kostopolous can be bumped.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neofury
It's tough to get a spot in Montreal now is all, and I have heard rumors that Higgins is unhappy here. I don't know if that is true, but out of all of our players to me, he seems like he'd be a likely candidate for being unhappy because a lot of fans seem to be turning on him now and he's had a lot of trouble finishing in recent time.
Everytime i see Chris on the ice... in practice... in pictures with the team, he has a genuine huge smile on his face... I don't buy that he's not happy in montreal. Higgins, Komi, Price and Gorges look like great friends. Higgins is an A here. We all know his feelings on the Habs organization before this. I don't buy these Higgins is unhappy rumors. I haven't seen them from any reliable source.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neofury
Who knows though, he can come back, he has played really well before. It's also the fact that, the higgins/koivu/ryder line did so poorly last season and now that it's tanguay/koivu/lats they've been pwning, so the question is, do you bring higgins back and break of a line with some obvious chemistry? Or do you stick him on the 4th line where already we have 4 players cycling a spot on that line.
Ummm you replace Tom Kostopolous and bump him to the fourth line.... its pretty easy. Even if Andrei was healthy Higgins would be on the Lang line.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neofury
Bottom line, there just doesn't seem to be any room for him unless he really performs well, but other teams will know just from pryor scouting that he IS a solid player and will return to form if given a change of scenery, plus his salary is good, which when combined with a package deal makes him a sweet center peice.
Fans want us to win the cup this year and feel that if Higgins could fetch us another star defenseman or somebody who is a real game breaker, then do it. Because cups oppertunities don't just come every year, they need to be taken when you get the oppertunity. If Gainey thinks losing higgins would help us to gain a cup this year, I think he'd pull the trigger on a deal like that.
Just my thoughts on the situation but I think I'm right.
Higgins is a solid player who is in form now.... why does he have to return to form?? He's never been out of form. Oh he's struggling right now with 0 pts you say?? He hasn't played a game yet.
Higgins is a guy Gainey said no to when the Hossa deal broke down... i don't think we are in a hurry to trade him.
Last edited by Beakermania*: 10-20-2008 at 09:50 AM.
Dangerous Top 9, I can't wait to see Higgins with Lang and S.Kost, Higgins probably would have 2-3 goals this year if he would be at T.Kost's place.
I'm sick and tired of this BS statement "Chris Higgins is a playoff performer, consistent effort and a player that you win cups with".
What did he done in his 2 playoffs appearances ?!? The guy dissapeared and had an incredible 9 points in 18 games. oouhhhh That's not what we call a playoff warrior sorry. A consistent player ?! How many times were he called out by fans on this board with threads like: Higgins needs to bury his chances, Higgins needs to wake up, What's wrong with Chris Higgins and so on !!
Higgins won't win you anything, plain and simple. Stop thinking that he's a playoff warrior or whatever, because HE IS NOT !! He is a complimentary player, boarder line 2nd line forward, good 3rd line checker, but nothing else. Higgins was place in offensive situations because we had nobody else to do the job that time. Place guys like Vanek, Nash, Heatley and Gaborik in the same situations and they would've probably scored 50 goals.
Now with the Emergence of Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn, Guillaume Latendresse, the arrival of Lang and Tanguay, Higgins will have a limited role offensively and will be place in a role that fits him better : the 3rd line grinder, who will works in the corners to get the puck, who will backcheck first in his zone and who will be able to produce from time to time.
Higgins will finish the year with around 35-45 points if he stays with the Habs, mark my words !!
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