Start your Engines, almost time to hit the ice!!
Well, a few more weeks and the prospects will be taking to the ice in the prospects tournament in Kitchener. Time to see who will push the current players for a spot. Most of the players who were in Hamilton last year should be there. The US College players will only come if they pay their own way, so I think that it is safe to say McDonough and Fischer will be present, but some of the other guys may opt out. Who do you think will shine?
The ones who excel will be invited to the main camp and then Gainey and Carbo will have a good idea of who should make it, if not to start the season, then part way through. Then we may see some trades to set things up!
Players that should be nervous include, Dandenault, Begin, Boullion, and even Latendresse. Depending on how some of the centres play, Lapierre may be one looking over his shoulder. Gainey has already said that Chipchura has the 4th centre spot to lose. Plekanec and Koivu aren’t going anywhere, so that leaves Begin and Lapierre walking on pins and needles!
If nobody steps up and Sundin decides to play with the Rangers as has been rumoured, or retires, Gainey may opt to make a trade! There really isn’t much in the way of centres who would be available. At least not the kind that could be classified as impact players. There was a rumour that Edm and Mtl were going to trade high level prospects. Schremp was brought up by one poster, Ryan O’Mara was another. Someone else thought it could be Gagner, but that seems unlikely, although there is the London connection with Kostitsyn.
Of course there are those who want Bowmeester, or Schneider. One poster suggested Gaborik who would look good with his speed in the Mtl system. Who knows what Minnesota would ask for in return. Injuries are also a concern. If Mtl wants to take a chance on a skilled speedster, maybe Havlat would be worth thinking about, Chicago did well without him and talk was they would move him to add role players to play with their young core. As with Gaborik, injuries are a concern, but he did finally have the surgery to correct his shoulder problem, so who knows! neither player fills the big centre role, but Detroit proved that great two way centres are worth more than a big offensive centre.
So, should Mtl stand pat and take the wait and see position and give the young guys the chance to excel, or do you think they need to make the big trade now! The longer it takes Sundin to make up his mind, the less likely I think it is that he will be signing with Mtl.
Who would you move and for whom? How do you think Mtl stacks up against the competition in the East? Lot’s of teams made changes, did Mtl keep up? Can the young guys prove that last year wasn’t a fluke? It sure is going to be fun to watch them try!!