I'll never understand the obsession Habs fans have with this guy..never
No obsession here. I appreciate his qualities and I believe he might be a good complement to Pouliot and Desharnais. He's strong on the boards, good hockey sense, good passing. DD-BP has been lacking a finishing touch... Kovy might a solution, hence why I bring him up here.
Although admittedly I wasn't totally against the idea of bringing him in before the deadline. But that would have been only short term as I would totally be against him long term and messing with the team's chemistry long term.
If he's a $1 million or less and signed for 3rd line / PP time, not as a front line player. Absolutely.
He's durable and 100x better than dressing Moen or Halpern on the top two lines when injuries hit. If he's happy in a lesser role when people are healthy and can contribute 30 points and some experience, I don't see the issue.
His dressing room issues were overblown as far as I have ever read. He seemed like a decently popular guy.
His play has dropped off though, so again, ONLY if he doesn't mind a mentor 3rd line role and taking in a million or less.
Lucius, that's exactly the reasons why I was considering him as a potential UFA interesting for the Habs. I believe the same thing as you, regarding the overblowing regarding his "attitude"... I don't think Gainey would have tried to resign him would he be a "cancer".
As a deadline deal I'm all for Kovalev. An entire season though? F that. I don't want him teaching our third liners bad habits.
I'm the same, I would have been fine if we picked him up at the deadline. As Kovalev usually saves his best hockey for the playoffs. For next season though, I can't see Kovy as a third line player, so who from our top 6 would you demote?
I'll never understand the obsession Habs fans have with this guy..never
Well, it might have to do with one of the best season a forward put up in Mtl in the last 20 years... and the best season a habs team put up in the last 15 years.
But Kovy is finished... so the answer is a clear : **** no !
I don't think we need a PP specialist up front. Next season we have:
Plekanec
Pacioretty
Cammalleri
Gomez
Gionta
Desharnais
Kostitsyn
Pouliot
Eller
...all competing for PP time. We already have Desharnais as a bottom 6 PP specialist. I think we need to add the opposite of Kovalev - a strong even strength presence. Someone like Glencross or Gordon.
I'm the same, I would have been fine if we picked him up at the deadline. As Kovalev usually saves his best hockey for the playoffs. For next season though, I can't see Kovy as a third line player, so who from our top 6 would you demote?
I wouldn't demote anybody on the Top-6.
Plek-Cam-AK
Gom-Gio-Paccio is a lock for the top-6 IMO.
We already have many "utility players", we need more offensive spark plugs with certain physical caracteristics. Kovy is not the toughest player out there, but he certainly could play a 3rd line / puck cycling / control / offensive creativity on this team, I believe.
Well, it might have to do with one of the best season a forward put up in Mtl in the last 20 years... and the best season a habs team put up in the last 15 years.
But Kovy is finished... so the answer is a clear : **** no !
He had one excellent year sandwhiched in between 3 bad to mediocre years. Yes, it was a great season (the one he finished with 84pts) but overall, he was way overrated as a Hab and continues to be to this day.
He's just not a very good hockey player anymore...he still got alot of skill, but can't contribute in a team environment anymore IMO. More style than substance
As a upcoming UFA, considering the weak performances he's been having in the last seasons, he might be a cheap UFA. Would you be interested on hiring him for a season as a PP specialist 3rd liner? I was thinking about this and he might be the kind of winger you woud like to play with players like Desharnais and Pouliot. We know how good Kovy can be in Montreal...
I am not sold on the idea because of Martin's coaching style though. Netherless, what's your opinion on the subject?
Yes if only because in a limited role with less pressure and less pay, he'd be more than worth it. Having another guy who can get into the zone with the puck as well as keep it there on the PP? Habs fans who wouldn't want this guy for cheap are just haters. It's the same people who probably wanted to trade AK+1st for Penner or have hated on any Euro player on our team in the past.
Haters gonna hate, even though he's one of the most productive forwards we've had in the last decade
But yeah Kovy only shows up 1/5 games, that's why his stats were never in the 20-30pt range.
If your name isn't Penner/insert American/Canadian name here, and you're talented but inconsistent, you're a lazy sack of ****.
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Originally Posted by Kensai Akatsume Ryu
No obsession here. I appreciate his qualities and I believe he might be a good complement to Pouliot and Desharnais. He's strong on the boards, good hockey sense, good passing. DD-BP has been lacking a finishing touch... Kovy might a solution, hence why I bring him up here.
No, let's just assume you're infatuated with the guy so we can all go back to being ignorant and spewing our personal biases.
It couldn't possibly be as a result of past success on our team and the fact that he's big, controls the puck well, can enter the zone and keep the zone (something our team can't even do on the PP this year), no it must be you just are infatuated with Kovalev
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Originally Posted by 417
He had one excellent year sandwhiched in between 3 bad to mediocre years. Yes, it was a great season (the one he finished with 84pts) but overall, he was way overrated as a Hab and continues to be to this day.
He's just not a very good hockey player anymore...he still got alot of skill, but can't contribute in a team environment anymore IMO. More style than substance
Yeah but let's face it, given a limited roll on the 3rd line with a ton of PP time, he'd still be doing better than Pouliot has done this year given a similar role. (Not saying Pou won't bounce back next year, just saying Kovy likely wouldn't be a liability)
With the cap going up, if he'd sign cheap 1mil/1year to retire a hab, I'd give him that honor. I think he has enough left in the tank to play on the 3rd like and PP. I don't just think that, I actually believe he could help the team and would've taken him at deadline. I don't expect him to play 1st line minutes and PP, and I think with fair expectations he'd be dynamite for us again. Again though no sleight on Pouliot, just saying Kovy probably given the same place right now could be achieving more. For a guy whose apparently "finished" that's pretty funny. We've all seen what Kovy is capable of when he's on, and he would show up for the playoffs. That being said he's been relied on too heavily in Ottawa, some seasons with us and now even Pittsburgh.
If he isn't the guy you're expecting to be the game breaker, he'd be fine on our squad. Problem is in Montreal a lot of people would have that expectation, truth is I think Kovy likes playing here, cause of the fans and pressure.
No obsession here. I appreciate his qualities and I believe he might be a good complement to Pouliot and Desharnais. He's strong on the boards, good hockey sense, good passing. DD-BP has been lacking a finishing touch... Kovy might a solution, hence why I bring him up here.
Wasn't necessarily referring to you when it comes to obsession (more the legion of Habs fans who showed up at the Bell Centre to protest Gainey cause he didn't re-sign him)
I'd love to get a player with a finishing touch for Pouliot/Desharnais...but I don't think Kovalev provides that. Other than stickhandling, Kovalev is a pretty useless player these days...
Yes if only because in a limited role with less pressure and less pay, he'd be more than worth it. Having another guy who can get into the zone with the puck as well as keep it there on the PP? Habs fans who wouldn't want this guy for cheap are just haters. It's the same people who probably wanted to trade AK+1st for Penner or have hated on any Euro player on our team in the past.Haters gonna hate, even though he's one of the most productive forwards we've had in the last decade
But yeah Kovy only shows up 1/5 games, that's why his stats were never in the 20-30pt range.
If your name isn't Penner/insert American/Canadian name here, and you're talented but inconsistent, you're a lazy sack of ****.
No, let's just assume you're infatuated with the guy so we can all go back to being ignorant and spewing our personal biases.
It couldn't possibly be as a result of past success on our team and the fact that he's big, controls the puck well, can enter the zone and keep the zone (something our team can't even do on the PP this year), no it must be you just are infatuated with Kovalev
I wouldn't want Kovalev back for free...and I didn'tw ant AK traded at all, and i'm not a "Euro hater". He's just not a very good hockey player anymore (Kovalev).
He's a player who can only fit in a top 6 role, but doesn't produce enough to warrant that icetime. He's also not getting any younger and his production has drastically gone down EVERY year since he recorded his 84 points with the Habs.
I'll never understand the obsession Habs fans have with this guy..never
For the show, pure and simple. If you don't win, you have to rely at having a good show. He was giving it....from time to time.
Besides, his elbow on Tucker makes me like him for ever....
Thing is.....Gainey did make an offer to him. So chances are Gainey also was kinda obsessed with him, to give him that kind of money....But frankly, not knowing what would be the other options....I was not totally against it. I was curious to see, since we didn't want to sign Koivu, what Kovalev would do. He loved it in Montreal and while we keep hearing the "He wouldn't have done it here" type of responses for some of our ex-players....any chance a "He would have been able to do it here" applies in that case? More than it did in Ottawa and Pittsburgh?
Obviously, there's other ex-players I'd take over a lot of people here but as of now, Kovalev isn't really one of them.....unless you have to use Moen or Halpern on the first 2 lines...then, almost everybody would fit right in.
For the show, pure and simple. If you don't win, you have to rely at having a good show. He was giving it....from time to time.
That's so lame IMO...I want the Habs to win, I couldn't careless about watching Kovalev hog the puck around the ice for an entire shift only to lose it and watch the Habs lose. But hey...to each his own.
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Besides, his elbow on Tucker makes me like him for ever....
Agreed...don't get me wrong, I liked Kovalev when he played for the Habs. But his time as come and gone, he'll never be as good as he was that one season. I'll always like Kovalev while he was a Hab, doesn't mean I want him back now though...
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Thing is.....Gainey did make an offer to him. So chances are Gainey also was kinda obsessed with him, to give him that kind of money....But frankly, not knowing what would be the other options....I was not totally against it. I was curious to see, since we didn't want to sign Koivu, what Kovalev would do. He loved it in Montreal and while we keep hearing the "He wouldn't have done it here" type of responses for some of our ex-players....any chance a "He would have been able to do it here" applies in that case? More than it did in Ottawa and Pittsburgh?
Kovalev not signing that deal was a blessing in disguise...
In a nutshell? His dominance against the bruins. And this goal, among many others.
He gave us hope during the hard times.
Meh...that's great. He helped the Habs advance to the 2nd round a few times. In the grand scheme of things, I don't put too much stock in 1st round series accomplishments. They mean what they mean (not much).
Domenic Moore scored the 2 GWG last year vs. the Caps and Pens...doesn't mean I picketed outside the Bell center when he wasn't retained.
I don't know if it an age thing...but it doesn't take much for Habs fans to find a hero these days.
