Comments on: Gainey You Need To Start Negotiating Now

By: sakurulz

sakurulz — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 21:31:22 +0000

i agree with u im startin to doubt hell last here too but he has more chance to do it than ovalev…he has been here all his life it wouldnt be an easy call for him to leave!!!but i agree with u…

By: Drifter

Drifter — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 13:00:21 +0000

The ONLY WAY my answer would ever be yes in that situation is if all negotiations with Ovechkin failed for a contract. He apparently is looking for 9-10 million a year. I agree with you that it would be a rediculous trade, but I was saying that it's something that won't happen, and also that it would be smarter for WSH's GM to trade for several first rounders, a proven starter, and some prospects and NHL roster players to improve the team than lose Ovi for nothing. That's all.

I know it's not going to happen ever, but meh, a man can dream. lol

By: sercote

sercote — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 12:27:38 +0000

There's no way Ovechkin is leaving Washington.And even IF there was,there's not a chance in hell they would give him away for three UFAs,a struggling 24 year-old rookie and a handful of draft picks.Think about it.Ovechkin is gonna be the NHL top goal-scorer for the next 15 years,along with Kovalchuk.If you turn it around and you put yourself in WSH GM's shoes,would you make that trade?If your answer is yes,that's the reason why you're not GM in the NHL.

By: habsgod

habsgod — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 08:50:59 +0000

FAIR ENOUGH BUT I STILL RANK HAMRLIK AHEAD OF STREIT BUT WITH STREIT BEING OUR TOP 4 DEFENCEMAN THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TOP 4 THOUGH!!I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL MCDONAGH JOINS US NEXT YEAR !!IF WE RESIGN STREIT AND MCDONAGH JOINS US WE'LL HAVE PROBABLY THE BEST TOP 5 IN THE LEAGUE!!WITH

           1.MARKOV
           2.KOMISAREK
           3.HAMRLIK
           4. STREIT
           5.MCDONAGH
THAT TOP 5 LOOKS AWESOME AND IT DOESN'T INCLUDE,EMELIN,FISCHER,CARLE,VALENTENKO YET AND WHEN IT DOES IT WILL BE A SCARY DEFENCE!!!

By: habs_punk

habs_punk — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 03:06:25 +0000

Koivu wants to play for a contender. This year and the next will be HUGE factors in whether he decides to stay in Montreal.

By: sakurulz

sakurulz — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:29:22 +0000

You're a funny guy...Mark Streit n.3???
Mark Streit is one of the weakest dmen in his own one..that guy will never be more than a 3rd pairing dman on an ordinary team!

With the amount of youngsters comin up, i wouldnt be surprised Streit walks at the end of th season..

For Komi, obviously Gainy wll resign him...
Kovy will maybe finish his contrat in Mtl but after that hell be gone, i say Gainey trades him by next summer!!

Koivu i think will get resigned for less $$$$ and finish his career here in Mtl...he helps young guys which will son fill up the roster!

For Halak and Ryder, again, come back on earth nand if you don'twant him, what makes you think a professional NHL GM will give a lot for them????

We ae falln in the TorontoVancouvercategory of fans with dumb trades...

By: KingCanada

KingCanada — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:06:27 +0000

First of all resigning players doesnt count as "major changes" lol

Anyways if ur thinking of trading Ryder and Halak they would never be enough to trade for Cheechoo, Hossa, Richards or Tanguay. Those are al first line material players.

Halak is a long shot NHL starter and Ryder is a one trick pony who goes threw slumps because people figure him out.

By: PointMeAtTheSky

PointMeAtTheSky — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:06:40 +0000

It's never too early. You don't want to risk losing your talent. Montreal has ALOT of re-signing to do in the coming year.

08 FA:

UFA:
Ryder
Smolinski
Brisebois
Streit
Huet

RFA:
Kostitsyn
Grabovski
Jorges

09 FA:

UFA:
Koivu
Kovalev
Begin
Kostopolous
Bouillon
Dandenault
Komisarek

RFA:
Higgins
Plekanec
Chipchura
Latendresse

That's almost the whole team.

Most of those players should be resigned. The Habs have a good mix of young up and comers and veterans. Guys like Begin, Smolinski, Kostopolous and Dandenault are perfect cheap grinders who can help with the development of Chipchura and Lapierre. Hey..that makes your 3rd and 4 lines right there..

Smolinski-Chipchura-Dandenault
Begin-Lapierre-Kostopolous

Like I said, young up and comers with veteran role-players.

As for the top 6..well, Koivu, Higgins and Plekanec are your core there. So that's half of it right there.. The Kostitsyn brothers would also probably be there, so that leaves one spot. Candidates for that position include Latendresse, Kovalev, Ryder..I'm not sure if D'Agostini is top 6 or a grinder, but he should make the team eventually.

So you have Higgins-Koivu-_______
Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kostitsyn

Again, you don't have to keep all of Smolinski, Kostopolous, Begin and Dandenault. If a younger guy can take the role, then fine.

As for defense, your top 4 has to be Markov-Komisarek and Hamrlik-Streit
The other two spots would be for the prospects to fight for I guess.

In goal you have Price starting with Halak as the back-up(I'm not convinces he's a number 1 goalie,). But I guess Danis could fill that role as well. Huet could help in the development of Price, so he's not thrust into the number 1 job all along. We maybe re-signing him for 2 years would be a good idea.

By: Drifter

Drifter — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:26:40 +0000

I do agree that cornerstones such as Higgins and Komisarek should be locked up long term, and they will in the final years of their contract. This is the organization that honed them and I can't see them going elsewhere when they are so appreciated here.

Koivu and Kovalev will be locked up and we will make a run at the cup, no question. hat it comes down to is finding that finisher and a little bit more size.

I say package Ryder and Huet. We just don't have the money to keep Huet around and he's a proven starter in this league. With Price playing like he is, he's only going to get better. We have most of the future of this franchise in place at the moment. Brisbois, Boullion, Georges and Streit are probably gone after this season because of the amount of talent we have on the back end waiting to get in. The youth will give us a better chance to win. Streit is a fine utility guy but he could be packaged nicely with Ryder and Huet to bring in a first line scorer.

Rumor has it that Ovechkin is having issues resigning with Washington. I wonder if we packaged Huet, Ryder, Grabovski, Streit, and 2 1st round picks, could we make a proper pitch for him.

He'd fit under our cap at the point I think even with his massive contract, although I haven't done the math.

We have the prospects to replace Smolinski when he goes as well as others. The kostitsyn brothers on a line would be sick. Even if we couldn't resign Kovalev. And that's a big if.

That trade would improve Washington and Montreal great deals.

I can see it now, even if it is a long shot

Higgins - Koivu - Ovechkin
A. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - S. Kostitsyn
Latendresse - Chipchura - Kostopolous
Begin - Lapierre - Dandenault

Komisarek - Markov
Fisher - Hamrlik
O'Byrne - Yemelin

Price
Halak

Tell me that team isn't dangerous as all hell. Please remember, this is just wishes and that's only if Kovalev wouldn't sign or we couldn't after an Ovechkin signing...which is near impossible right now. lol

Here's to hoping Gainey does something....anything.

By: THEGREATHAB

THEGREATHAB — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 12:56:02 +0000

I did list Streit as the number 3, I think in a year or two he will be more valuable than Hamrlick, just by how much he has progressed since hes been in Montreal. I dont know about the names that I mentioned, I was just saying they all have been rumored to be coming to Montreal.

As far as Kovalev, I think he will walk after his contract is up. Im basing this on last year, right now he seems motivated and the media is leaving him alone. But as soon as he starts to slip again the media will be on him and he will want out again.