Yashin To Be A Hab?

In the land of make-believe comes a story from RDS (TSN's sister station) siting that Alexei Yashin would like to play for Montreal.

Oh yeah, the story comes up with some "good" reasons. Those of course being that Yashin is friends with Markov, Kovalev and our good friend Samsonov. Oh yeah, and he practices in Koivu's home town. Of course that last part is like saying, "I once had an Aunt that visited the Big Ben. So I'd love to play in Real Madrid with David Beckham."

Seriously, if the Habs sign this guy, then my respect for Gainey will fall straight through the floor. This would be the worst signing in the HISTORY of the Habs. First, you get a guy who's old (34) and nearly feeble (history of injury problems). He's a dressing room cancer and totally useless in the playoffs (as he proved yet again this year).

Gainey, I hope you're listening. Don't you freaking DARE grabbing this guy. Don't make me cheer for the Leafs! Oh I'll do it! I'll get painted all blue and make up a sign about marrying Don Cherry and everything. You watch!

Habs Sign Markov

The Habs have finally signed one of their defensemen and it was the one with the highest priority. According to TSN.ca, Andrei Markov has been signed for 4 years. While the terms were not disclosed, it is fair to say (based on this report) that it was worth about $5M.

I personally think that's way too much money for Markov, but at the same time, the UFA market is pretty slim and this is one Russian that actually enjoys playing in Montreal. So all-in-all this is a good signing.

Now we have to wait to see if Gainey can sign Souray. My guess is Souray would make as much if not more than Markov. So that's $10M (minimum) locked up on two players, one of whom is terrible in his own end (I'll let you guess which is which). So with that kind of dough spent, who can the Canadiens possibly sign in the UFA market this year?

Smells like a trade is the only possibility.

Gainey Waiting

The Montreal Gazette recently published a story about how the various UFA and RFA contract talks are coming along for Bob Gainey.

The answer is that Gainey is waiting... Should we be surprised? The guy is patient, we have to give him that. He's not going to rush into anything. But how much is too much?

Gainey has yet to buy out Samsonov. But that's not a big deal to me. Instead of spending the money, affecting the available cap space and getting nothing in return, Gainey is instead exploring all trade possibilities. Even if we get some pucks in return, that's better than a buyout. My guess is the trade will be for a conditional draft pick (1st round if Samsonov does well and 2nd if he doesn't).

Markov hasn't been resigned yet, but then again, that's just posturing by his agent. Add to the situation that Markov is busy at the World Championships, and maybe this makes sense too.

Souray had surgery (as stated in an earlier post), so Gainey is waiting on the results. That's a good thing because it may mean that we can sign Souray for less money. It's a bad thing because July 1st is coming pretty fast and apparently no results will be know for a month.

Do you remember how well Andrei Kostitsyn did when he finally got a chance to play for the big club this season? Well, his little brother Sergei is just as good. And he hasn't been signed yet. If he is not signed by July 1st, then he is eligible to go back into the draft. And we lose another potential star.

Stop waiting around and do something! How 'bout using this opportunity to sign Ryder and Higgins?

Montreal Canadiens' European Vacation

The IIHF is looking to host a mini tournament between 3 European teams and an NHL team. According to this post on the TSN.ca Web site, the Montreal Canadiens are the IIHFs team of choice.

While it would be awesome to see, I'm not sure the result would be what we would want. You see, the Habs kinda suck. We're not talking an exciting team like Pittsburgh, or an all around talented team like Anaheim. We're talking about a team that is average in every way.

The NHL has a reputation of being the best hockey league in the world. And the Canadiens are the most storied franchise within that league. Now imagine what happens when the Habs go to Europe and get pounded... Ouch... That's like getting beat by your little sister.

On the other hand, it does seem like good publicity and an all-around good time. Fun is to be had by all! But that's not what a tournament is all about.

Personally I think that there should be a sort of "World Series." That after the Stanley Cup is won, the winner goes to Europe to play their champion. Now that would be exciting! Logistically it is impossible, of course.

In order to have a World Series, the Stanley Cup team needs to remain intact. This is not something that can happen unless the Series takes place before July 1st. Even if it does, it means that the GM of the Stanley Cup team has less time to manage his resources than other teams. So the solution is to make sure the NHL playoffs finish sooner. To do that, it means either condensing the season (same # of games, just more frequently), starting the season earlier or shortening the season. All these options affect the owner's bottom line, so those are out.

That's really too bad. This would be a fantastic way to bring excitement to a game that so desperately needs it. Perhaps the solution is an exhibition game between the European and NHL all-stars?

And They're Out

In one foul swoop, all the ex-Habs I listed in a previous post are officially out of the playoffs. I guess that means none of them can say, "nah na-na boo-boo."

Perezhogin Indirectly Highlights Habs Problems

Well despite what was said to the media, Perezhogin has gone back against his word and signed with a Russia team (Salavat Yulaev) for $1.7M. He sites financial and family concerns as being the reason for the decision. (Truth is, that's more than Gainey was likely to offer him.)

Media speculation is that the "real reason" for the signing is that Perezhogin felt that other players (primarily Latendresse) were getting preferential treatment from the coaching staff... And you know what? He might be right...

At times during the season Latendresse looked pretty good. But more over, he was pretty sub-par. He did well on Koivu's line while Higgins was injured, but really, who wouldn't? Yes, I know he was a rookie, but aside from being a fan favourite, I saw no reason to keep him in the lineup for more than the first 10 games.

Meanwhile, guys like Kostitsyn were toiling in the minors because there was no roster room. Then, when injuries started to mount and there suddenly was room on the roster, the coaching staff still called up another French guy instead. How do you suppose that made Kostitsyn feel considering the coaching staff keeps calling up guys with less NHL experience and less skill than him?

I have nothing against French people (I am French). All I'm saying is that it seems somewhat odd. I would not have expected this from Julien (a Frenchman too) had he still been there. And ask yourself, would Scotty Bowman have done that?

Latendresse started to get better as the year rolled on. He gained more confidence and the puck started to bounce for him. So while Carbo and his crew may have started him on the road to stardom, have they now caused irreprable damage to the rest of the team?

So Perezhogin is gone. No big loss. Samsonov was pissed and didn't play. That could've gone better. Kovalev... Well, who knows what his problem was... I'm seeing a trend here. Who's next?

Habs Still In It

Well, ex-Habs that is... When the playoffs started, a few of the Habs from the last 2 seasons were in the mix. Here is the list:

Vancouver - Jan Bulis
Dallas - Mike Ribeiro
San Jose - Craig Rivet
Rangers - Marcel Hossa
Islanders - Richard Zednik

Of these 5 players, only two have been eliminated; Zednik and Ribeiro. I can't say I'm upset about Ribeiro, but I do feel bad for Zednik. For a few years we all cheered for him as our leading scorer. Then he has a bad year and it's all boos. That being said, he only seems to have one move; around the back of the net, on the backhand, one hand on the stick, the other holding off the defenceman. I'm really quite surprised he was never clocked as he circled the net.

All of the remaining 3 players have played quite well.

Bulis is proving he is a very good checker. He was just as good in Montreal, but for some reason every coach that had him insisted on putting him on the first line to try to get him to score. Well, they must've seen something I didn't because I don't think he was ever a scorer. Glad to see the Canucks using his strong points.

Marcel Hossa isn't lighting things up, but he is making things happen. He's showing a level of effort he didn't in Montreal. He's always been on the edge of being a star in this league. He's still not there, but maybe a run in the playoffs will give him that motivation he needs. If he can make the Finals, he's already one up on his brother.

But the best of the bunch has been Craig Rivet. I was really surprised to see him get traded this season, but in hind-sight, it makes sense. Rivet is San Jose's top minute player and with 5 points in 8 games, he's also making a difference offensively. A team player in every sense of the word, Rivet is a class act all the way. He's also the most likely of the former-Habs to make the Finals. Even though Anaheim will beat San Jose in the next round (and eventually take the Cup), I still wish Rivet the best of luck.

Worldly Habs

As reported on the Canadiens.com web site, the Canadiens playing in the World Championships are doing quite well.

Andrei Markov (who earlier this week cited his insistance on returning to the Habs) has collected 3 points (1G, 2A) in helping his team go 3-0 to finish the round-robin. The Russians are looking quite good at this point, even though they've played some weaker teams.

Tomas Plekanec has collected 4 points (2G, 2A) and has guided the Czechs to a 3-0 finish as well. Although, like Russia, the Czechs are also in a weaker division.

Mark Streit (aka "Captain Switzerland") hasn't collected any points so far, but a even rating and only 2 goals against in 2 games seems to indicate a strong defensive performance. But is that as impressive when you factor in that they've played Latvia and Italy? I think the true test will be tomorrow's game against Sweden.

Finally, Jaroslav Halak has carried his impressive NHL run into the Worlds. He has continued to surprise. He's played only 1 game so far and stopped all 24 of Norway's shots to earn himself a shutout. He did not play against Germany. I'm not sure if they plan to dress him against Canada tomorrow. If they do and he shuts them out, well now that will be impressive!

Of note, David Aebischer is also there, but since he won't be a Hab as of July 1st, I havn't consider him. Plus, he hasn't dressed yet.

Perezhogin to Remain in NHL

Alexander Perezhogin's agent - Don Meehan - has stated that his client has rejected a contract offer from Avangard Omsk of the Russian Super League. I guess that means he's either close to a deal with the Habs, or he's making a statement that he wants to stay with them.

Meehan also represents Markov.

Assistant GM Patrick Roy

Patrick Roy is giving the Canadiens some advice. Take Angelo Esposito in this year's draft.

Apparently this kid has what it takes to be a star in the NHL. His numbers weren't so hot this season, but Roy says it was because the guy was putting too much pressure on himself. (Because that couldn't possibly happen in the NHL.)

I'm not too familiar with those that are in this year's draft. Truth be told, it's kind of a weak year. And it's because of this that there are rumours that the Habs will package their two first round picks to try to snag an experienced player.

If you have to pick between drafting and trading (making the leap that there is no other possibility, of course), I think they should do the latter. This team has been rebuilding for too long. Get a guy and make a run.

Sheldon Souray's Super Shoulder Surgery

Sheldon Souray went under the knife. According to TSN.ca, Souray went in for surgery to fix his shoulder. The story indicates that the shoulder has been bothering Souray for the better part of last season.

So the way I see it, this can go one of two ways...

1. Souray's reconstructed shoulder adds even more power to his slapshot. Awesome though this may be, I feel bad for the goalies. Maybe they'll be allowed to wear more padding when Shelly's on the ice?

2. Souray's bad shoulder was the only thing that made him score last season. Yup, maybe the pain forced him to be more accurate?

Kovalev Unhappy?

According to recent reports posted in the Sovietsky, Kovalev is grumbling. But what can be more Russian than that?

According to the report (which is sure to be denied), Kovalev feels that he was treated unfairly by the Canadiens management. He spoke briefly of cliques in the Habs dressing room, but more over he felt that the coaching staff did not play him enough. Blah, blah, blah, whine, bitch, moan...

Of note, some speculate that this is why he "suddenly" had vertigo and a sore elbow that forced him to miss 9 games overall this season.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what he said or didn't say. Nor does it matter what management did or didn't do. The fact of the matter is: Kovalev had a terrible year by his own standards.

So now the rumours are flying that Gainey will buy him out. Well, I seriously doubt that will happen... First, there are 2 years and $9M left on his salary, so that will amount to $1.5M per year off the cap for the next 4 years. Second, Kovalev has an "I'll show them" type of attitude. So if everybody told him how crappy he was this year, he may just turn around and tear up the league next year (even though it's not a contract year).

Careful not to wake the Lion... The Artiste is tempermental...

Add to all of this that Gainey has said that he will go out and get some talent this off-season and maybe, just maybe, Kovalev will finally have the tools.

Support for Gainey & Carbo

According to a recent poll, 83% of Canadiens fans support Bob Gainey. Further to that, 63% believe that he is one of the 10-best GMs in the NHL. I, for one, have to agree. This is the man that built the Dallas Stars. If there is any knock on him, it that sometimes, he's too patient...

As an example, over the course of the last off-season, Gainey could have signed Shanahan. Shanahan himself said he wanted to be a Hab and that he was "this close" to signing with them. Admittedly, there were other factors that prevented this, but had Gainey acted a bit quicker... Well, who knows?

So while Gainey meticulously scoured the UFA market for talent to help his team, those that were available were being snapped up. So that left Gainey to make some rash decisions. Niinimaa and Samsonov were huge, expensive busts. Maybe that's an argument to remain patient, but there has to be some kind of middle ground.

As for head coach Guy Carbonneau, he also has the support of fans. 90% per cent of those polled want to see him back behind the bench coaching the team for the 2007-08 season. I'm on the fence here. I have yet to be convinced by Carbo. I like him and I think he is a fantastic assistant coach. But as a coach, I just haven't seen it yet.

Avery a Hab?

Recently the Gazette indicated that the Habs should have got Sean Avery. The reasoning was that when the Rangers got him, suddenly the team got better. Obviously he could have done the same thing for the Habs, no?

Well I say no. Avery is another one of the cancer players. There are certain guys that everyone in the league hates (even their own teammates). Avery is one of those guys.

Sure Avery turned things around in New York. The only explanation is that he just "fit in" over there. The fans took to him and his play on the ice improved. Maybe he just respects the people in New York more because guess what? He did jack squat for the Kings.

So no. Avery in Montreal is a bad plan. Plus, we have Begin. And people actually like him.

Markov to Avoid UFA?

Rumours from the Gazette are that Andrei Markov will remain a Hab.

Currently in Russia, Markov has told his agent (Don Meehan) that he wants to stay with the Canadiens. This prompted Meehan to say (publically) that Montreal has a good chance of re-signing Markov.

Meehan will travel to Russia to "speak" to Markov during the world championships. (This is presumably to tell him about all the cash he could get if he went UFA.) Given Markov's attitude towards the Habs and the Habs' attitude towards him, it's a very good bet he's sticking around anyway.

We'll see though... Money has a funny way of changing people's minds...

Recent Rumours - Souray gone, Briere in?

Rumour #1
Apparently Habs GM Bob Gainey is "stuck" with the underachieving Alex Kovalev for at least another season because Kovalev has two more years at $4.5 million (per season) remaining on his contract and no other team will touch him.
My Take: Personally I think that's crap. Kovalev had a bad year, there's no doubt there. But I think this guy puts more pressure on himself than anybody. So if he wants to play, watch out. Now it's up to management to get him to want to play. We're not stuck with him, we want him. We just need to light a fire under his ass. My opinion of the oft-patient Gainey is that he will give Kovalev at least this season to prove himself.

Rumour #2
Sheldon Souray could be on the list of UFA defencemen the Philadelphia Flyers could target this summer.
My Take: Duh! Souray, if he gets UFA status, will be targetted by a lot of teams. This is a pretty stupid rumour. The Habs will try to sign him; of this there is no doubt. It all comes down to money. And it will take at least $5M for him to stay.

Rumour #3
Janne Niinimaa's NHL career may be over as it's believed he's going to Europe to play next season.
My Take: I personally don't care what happens to this guy. But if his career in the NHL is over, it just means that teams have finally realized that this guy is more of a hinderance than anything.

Rumour #4
It's believed that the Canadiens will make a "serious offer" to either Daniel Briere or Chris Drury depending on which of the two become UFA. Briere is preferred.
My Take: While this would give the Habs some much needed "star power", it won't make them that much better. A good move to get either one, no doubt, but not addressing the real needs. The Canadiens need size and skill down the middle, not another small forward. I'd still applaud the move though.

Rumour #5
Recently (as seen on TSN.ca) there have been rumours that the Canadiens are for sale. While normally this doesn't bother the average Habs fan, it does come at a crucial point in the Canadiens' development. For example, if it turns out that the new owner is a cheapskate, then forget about signing anybody and making any sort of run at the Cup for a long time. On the other hand, if they guy is out to win (like Ottawa's ownership), then maybe he'll put something into the team that might help us. Really, it's 50/50. But, that being said, the Montreal Gazette is now reporting that the Canadiens are not for sale. Good... One less distraction.

Year in Review (06-07)

So I don't know about you, dear readers, but I am torn as to how to feel about the Canadiens' performance this past season. It was truly a rollercoaster and that's really not a good thing. There were lots of good things that happened this year, don't get me wrong, but at the same time, there were lots of bad things too.

So I've compiled a "Year in Review" type of entry below. I've seperated the good from the bad. As I'm a pecimist at heart, I will start with the bad. But the good thing about that is that this entry will end with all the good things and will leave you feeling all warm and squishy inside.

Bad Things

• Janne Niinimaa. Trading away Ribeiro was not a bad thing. But who we got for him was. Niinimaa was making scads of cash and was riding the pine all year. I understand why Gainey got him, we were short on defensemen and "Ribs" just had to go. It just so happened that Niinimaa was available. Well, #6 was a flop and every Habs fan knew it would be. So here's to you, Janne! I'm glad you're gone.
• Sergei Samsonov. Apparently "Sammy" wanted out of Montreal as early as late-October. Wow, not even a month into the season and he'd already given up on the Habs. Maybe that explains his piss-poor stats, maybe it doesn't. Every time I saw him play, he was a ghost. Every so often he'd show up, but even on those rare occasions, he just didn't fit. I don't blame Gainey for this one because at the time of the signing, it looked like a winner to me. On the other hand, this signing still didn't address the needs of the team.
• Never addressed the team's needs. One thing this team desperately needs is a big scoring center. A guy like Lecavalier would be perfect. Expensive, yes, but perfect... We never got someone like that. Apparently we were in the running for Arnott in the off-season last year, but lost out. Personally I think Arnott would have been another cancer in the dressing-room, but that's not the point. It was a long time before the Feb 27 deadline and never did we make a move to address this obvious concern. Hopefully Gainey has learned the lesson.
• Five-on-five. Koivu, Ryder, Souray and Kovalev (4 of the top 5 point-getters for the Habs) finished a combined -93 this year. The team was -159. 'Nuff said.
• Consistency. The Habs started off the season in great shpe. At one point, there were only 5 points back of the Sabers for tops in the league! But then they flopped... Then they got a bit better, but flopped again... Then they got good again for the end of the year. But lossed in 2 straight must-win games. Jeez. What are we, the Oilers?
• Carbonneau. I love the guy, I do. But he really looks like he picks his lines using a Tarrot cards! Every game his lines change and sometimes even during the game. It's hard to gain any sort of momentum if you're always adjusting to new linemates. Rumour has it that non-other-than Scotty Bowman talked with him and gave him advice (specifically to do with linemates for Kovalev). After that, the lines settled and Kovalev was actually somewhat productive. Maybe that's a lesson learned? Score another one for Scotty.
• Kovalev. We all say it. "He has such tremenous talent. If only he'd wake up and use it." Maybe we all expect it and it isn't true? Maybe he has his contract so he doesn't care? Maybe he was hurt? Maybe it was just an unlucky year (he did hit a lot of posts this year)? Whatever it was, hopefully we'll get a better Kovalev next year.
• Choice of call-ups. Who the Hell were half these kids? EVERYONE in Montreal knew that the next kid up should be Kostitsyn. But we called up Lapierre, Grabovsky, and Milroy before him. Would things have been different if Kostitsyn had played more? Maybe not, but I still question the choices. What about guys like Cote or Chipchura?
• Entertainment. My bias makes the Habs entertaining. But what this team lacks (but does not need) is a superstar. I'm so sick of cheering for a team that hails the 30-goal scorer and sub-point-per-game getter. Think about it. Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Washington are notable teams. Not because they're good (becaue they aren't really), but because of guys like Crosby, Kovalchuk and Ovechkin.

Good Things

• Ribeiro. A cancer in the dressing room and an ass on the ice. Glad to be rid of him, despite the fact that his heart was in Montreal and he really was giving a good effort.
• Halak. A surprise for sure. I would have thought that Yann Danis would be the call-up considering he has experience. So another questionable call-up here. But it paid off, so what the heck. Rumour has it that he is a lock for the back-up role next year. I'm not so sure. If Carey Price is as good as his draft status says he is, Halak might have a run for his money. That being said, Gainey will probably let him cut his teeth in the minors for a year first.
• Carey Price. He was dominant at the World Juniors. Wouldn't it rock if the Habs could get a superstar? Only time will tell.
• Ryder. Another 30-goal season. I don't know what it is about this guy that I like so damn much. I guess it's the idea that he's not all that different from you and me (except for being in better shape). Before this year, he had zero moves, just a shot. He seems like sort of a lucky fluke type of guy. That's probably what's so endearing.
• Koivu. It seems like every year this guy plays with more heart. I mean, his EYE doesn't work and yet he still sets career highs in goals and points! If he's not this club's leader, who is?
• Souray. He barely gets onto the 'good' side because his defensive game is so attrocious. But really, you have to admit that without his big shot on the powerplay, the Habs wouldn't have gotten as far as they did. I wonder if he'll be this good after he gets a new contract?
• Powerplay. #1 in the league. Thank you Jarvis.
• Penalty kill. Muller had this team rolling early in the season. But then the team fell apart and the PK really suffered as a result. All-in-all though, I think this was a postive year for the PK. Especially when you consider Muller is a first-year coach (at the NHL level).
• Rivet. He was a minus defenseman, but his partner was Souray. All-in-all he was a reliable and underrated d-man. And when he got traded, he was professional and even spoke to the media to defend Gainey. A class-act all the way. I hope he does well in this year's playoffs because he deserves it.

Conclusion
The Habs are young. They are guided by a very intelligent man in Bob Gainey. Give it a couple years and they will be in the hunt. Coaching is questionable, as is goaltending (or at least unproven), but I still think the team is headed in the right direction.

I'm just so damn glad the Maple Leafs didn't make the playoffs.

Mission Statement

This blog will be dedicated (hopefully) to all the goings-on within the Montreal Canadiens organization. Occasionally, I'm sure, I will branch out to other hockey news and rumours, but moreover, I'm going to try to keep this a Habs blog.

What I will do is watch every game (as time permits) and comment on them. Not the comments you see on TSN.ca or even the Canadiens.com web-sites, but actualy commentary. I will also keep an eye out for the various trade rumours and report them as quickly as I can. Analysis on signings and trades will also be something you can count on here.

Hopefully this will become a source of information for you if you're a Habs fan.