Comments on: What I would want gainey to do in my dreams

By: JuicemaN

JuicemaN — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:55:37 +0000

only the great players want to play in Montreal? Wow many of you habs fans have a lot to learn. You apparently think you still need to stock up on french canadians, and you think great players always default to Montreal???? I'm a Leaf fan and even I'm not blind enough to think great players only want to play here.

Players want to play where the going is good at the time....towards the end of their career they may want to play in Montreal or Toronto, Detroit, NYR....but let's get one thing straight........Montreal hasn't had anybody "great" since Roy and it looks like it'll be at least until Crosby is a UFA before that'll happen again.

By: JuicemaN

JuicemaN — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:51:02 +0000

The title of this article is likely the most terribly worded title in the history of HTR…I'm not sure if you want Gainey to "do things to you in your dreams" or if you mean you want him to make moves to the roster that you think will likely only happen in yuor dreams.

By: gregpb

gregpb — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:25:27 +0000

I am by no means a Habs fan. However, I hate to see them miss the playoffs. The Habs # 1 Priority is to re-sign Markov, trade Kovalev and Samsonov for anything and I mean anything, sign JS Gigeure and make a strong bid for Briere. Trading Koivu would be a huge mistake. Any guy that battles cancer and comes back to continue to be a great captain is a keeper. Let Souray walk and use that money on Briere and Giguere respectively.

Potential trade:

To Chicago: Kovalev and Samsonov

To Habs: Adrian Aucoin and 4th round pick.

OR

To Tampa Bay: Carey Price, Samsonov, 2nd rounder

To Habs: Brad Richards and Marc Denis

By: bigscoup

bigscoup — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:24:40 +0000

I agree...But he is NO first line center

By: bigscoup

bigscoup — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:19:56 +0000

Im just wondering who would set up Lecavalier…Without a real playmaking center he would never hit 50 goals in montreal…Not that we will get him anyways

By: sdopus

sdopus — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:56:12 +0000

To quote Spector from one of his posts today:

"As for Koivu, it's sickening to read comments from Montreal fans and some pundits who want him traded or suggest he's not leading the team. This guy plays his heart out in every game, as his stats indicate. He's never whined about his situation, never demanded a trade, never staged a contract holdout and never demanded more than his worth. It's not his fault that the depth around him during his career hasn't been good. He's doing all he can, plays through pain (which accounts for his offensive drought back in February), including with an eye still damaged since last spring, and makes his linemates better. Trading him away is a stupid idea and those who suggest he's not a real leader or a good player obviously do not know what they're talking about. "

Enough said.

By: Les-Habitants

Les-Habitants — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:41:10 +0000

Oh, and as to the Koivu remarks (lol, sorry couldn't help myself), I reallly disagree.
Koivu's value to the team is so underrated it blows my mind. As a leader, you literally couldn't ask for more. Here is a skilled player who comes in and plays his heart out, every night. He leads by example on the ice via his work ethic, and is a leader in the lockeroom. As a captain, he has now the veteran experience and has demonstrated himself a great playmaker in the NHL and internationally. Why would you want to get rid of a guy like that??

Koivu remains the heart and soul of the Habs, and I think Edmonton is a great example of what happens when you overlook that.

By: Les-Habitants

Les-Habitants — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:21:37 +0000

Danny Markov is a great d-man, and reallly underrated, but I'd be surprised if Detroit didn't re-sign him.

Buffalo will re-sign Briere, even at the loss of Drury. That being said, last season Briere said he'd be willing to re-sign with Buffalo at even LESS then his current 5 mil, if it would keep the team in tact.
Translation: Briere ain't going anywhere.

Also, our team is a better team with Souray then without...just think about it.

By: Les-Habitants

Les-Habitants — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:42:50 +0000

I'd have to disagree with a couple of your comments, but here's my 2 cents:

#1 - Get rid of Samsonov.
It's been really clear that he doesn't fit in, let alone want to play, in Montreal. The best solution is a quick buy-out, and while that cap hit sucks, it's addition by subtraction.

#2 - Sign Markov and, yes, Souray too
I don't think I need to justify why Markov is a must sign. As for Souray, let me just say this: as a team, you want to build your team towards one that could win a cup. That is the ideal, and should be the goal for Gainey. Keeping Souray is a step towards that goal, as having this all-star defenseman would be a definite plus. He has a great shot, plays in all game situations, logs huge minutes, hits, and is a leader to boot. Keeping him would help the Habs reach that goal sooner.

#3 - Sign an offensive forward
My god, its about time, don't you think? If avaliable, go after Shanahan, Selanne, Smyth, Kariya and/or Drury/Briere (although I think Philly is going after one of those two with big dollar bills in hand).
If none of those are avaliable, I don't suggest going after a second-tier talent like Zubrus but rather, be specific.
One name I'd really suggest is Michal Handzus: can play LW or C, is a great two-way player, and plays every game. In fact, when July 1st hits, I want Gainey knocking on his door.

After that, there are a bunch of little things: letting Ninniima and Aebisher, signing the RFAs (and Ryder to a 3yr deal, as next year he'll be UFA), and taking a good, long look at our defensive pairings. Dandenault was a disappointment this year, so managment should at least take a look at him. Also, it's time to look at Chipchura, Grabvoski, O'Bryne, Milroy and other prospects to see whether they can fill certain positions on the team. The future lies in the youth, that there is no denying.

By: WDF

WDF — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:36:28 +0000

Remember when you buy players out, the salary is still counted against the cap. So you wouldnt have 15 million. I doubt Timonen will leave Nashville, Danny Markov would be a good pick up, and Briere…well if Buffalo had to pick between either Briere or Drury to stay with the team…They will pick Briere. Drury i doubt will sign in Montreal. A realistic signing for the Habs would be to sign Whitny. He wouldnt cost as much as Briere, but can give you almost the same amout of points.-wdf