Moderator: Morris_Shatford
And Leblanc was not a reach at #18 so its all good, hope to see him in Montréal soon, 20 pounds heavier!!
MONTREAL -- The 2009 NHL Entry Draft is now in the books and the Canadiens have added eight fresh prospects to the Habs' family.
After picking local product Louis Leblanc in the opening round on Friday night, the Canadiens kicked off their Saturday by selecting Finnish centerman Joonas Nattinen at No. 65 overall.
The 6-foot-2, 183-pounder played in the Finnish Junior league last season where he had 38 points in 30 games, including 29 assists. The playmaking center from Jamsa, Finland is a well-rounded two-way player who suited up for his homeland at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships in Ottawa, where he had three points in six games and was the third best faceoff man in the tournament at 63 percent.
Nattinen becomes the fourth player to ever be selected 65th by the Canadiens and the first Finn nabbed by Montreal on Draft day since 2003, when Oskari Korpikari got the call at No. 217 overall. While it may be too soon to tell for Olivier Fortier who went 65th in 2007, no player chosen at this spot by Montreal has ever reached the NHL, with far from household names IIka Mikkola and Lee Brodeur being the other two players.
Next up for the Canadiens at No. 79 was Mac Bennett, a blue line selection from Warwick, RI. The 6-foot rearguard posted 11 points in 15 games at Hotchkiss, a prep school in Connecticut, in an injury-shortened season. Ranked 40th among North American skaters, Bennett vaulted 23 spots since the midterm rankings. He will be attending the University of Michigan in the fall of 2010.
Now fully recovered from a sprain of his right MCL, Bennett is eager to continue his development.
“This summer I’ll just be working out a lot, trying to get bigger and stronger,” said Bennett. “ I’ll probably stay of the ice for a while and work as hard as I can off the ice.
“I don’t shy away from the physical part of the game, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a checker," added Bennett. "I’m more of an offensive defenseman, quarterback on the power play type of guy. If I have to hit or I have to fight, I can do that too.”
Bennett isn’t short on NHL bloodlines. His grandfather is former Bruins goaltender Harvey Bennett (1944-45) and his uncles, Curt and Harvey Bennett Jr. both played in the NHL. Curt was drafted by the Atlanta Flames and went on to suit up for 580 NHL games. Harvey Jr. played 268 NHL games with five different teams (Pittsburgh, Washington, Philadelphia, Minnesota and St. Louis).
In the fourth round, Timmins and the Canadiens ventured back overseas, reaching out to explosive scoring Alexander Avtsyn of Moscow Dynamo at No. 109. The 6-foot-2 right winger had a dominant season in Russia, piling up 56 goals and 110 points in 76 games.
“Montreal is a very good city and a very good team; the team with the most tradition in the NHL,” said Avtsyn with some translation help from Nikolai Vakourov, the Habs’ Russian scout. “I hope to come to North America after next year.
“I play a physical style with lots of speed and a hard shot but I need to work on my game away from the puck. I will work hard to do it," added Avtsyn. "I try to play the same way that Ovechkin plays. Having the Russians around the Canadiens dressing room will definitely make it easier to be comfortable in Montreal, too.”
At No. 139, the Canadiens returned to their own backyard, selecting Gabriel Dumont of the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The speedy centerman amassed 49 points in 51 games, including 28 goals.
A native of Degelis, QC, the 5-foot-9 pivot helped lead the Voltigeurs to the President's Cup and a berth in the Memorial Cup.
“I’m a hardworking player and I try to pattern my game after guys like Maxime Talbot and Ryan Smith,” said Dumont. “I still have some work to do on my skating. I’ve been working at it for the past two years and I’ll keep at it this summer to continue improving.”
A well-rounded player, Dumont also scored a team-high four shorthanded goals to go with his three game-winners.
“I know that my ticket to the NHL might be as a defensive forward on a third or fourth line and I’m going to keep fine-tuning my defensive play,” said Dumont.
In the sixth round, with the 169th overall pick, Gainey and Co. staked their claim to Shannonville, ON native Dustin Walsh. The 6-foot-2 centerman spent the past season tearing up the OJHL, posting a team-high 63 points in 44 games for the Kingston Voyageurs, including 32 goals.
Gainey made Michael Cichy the 199th overall selection, nabbing the 5-foot-11 pivot out of the USHL. In 56 games for the Indiana Ice, the New Britain, CT native paced his squad with 76 points, including 17 power play markers.
The Habs weren't done yet, as they made a trade with the Stanley Cup champion Penguins to get the 211th and final pick of the day. Renown for his obscure hidden gems, Timmins picked Petteri Simila, a goalie from Finland who guarded the crease for Karpat Jr. last season.
Snayr wrote:Don't know how legit it is, but I'm hearing rumbles that Komi is about ready to ink a 6 year/24 million dollar contract with the Habs. Personally I would be happy with that contract, you guys?
Snayr wrote:Don't know how legit it is, but I'm hearing rumbles that Komi is about ready to ink a 6 year/24 million dollar contract with the Habs. Personally I would be happy with that contract, you guys?
vinsanity09 wrote:looks like Scott Gomez in a Canadiens now! I was a big fan of him when he was with the Devils, but didn't follow him when he signed with the Rangers
oh ****! I knew that he had a big contract but 7.35 millions a year!? damn he better be producing more then 58 points this year
link: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283329
Snayr wrote:Hal Gill - 2 years/4.5 mill
That's the first good move I've seen by Gainey in a while now.
vinsanity09 wrote:Cammalleri for 5 years, 30 millions. a litle excessive but I won't complain. I'm just wondering if he'll be able to score 39 goals again without Iginla
Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey has just met with the Montreal media at the team's Brossard training facility to discuss his team's entirely new face. He said his work this free-agency season is "probably done."
There are conversations ongoing, though not in any hurry, with Alex Kovalev. Colour Alex Tanguay gone. Ditto long-time captain Saku Koivu.
En français, Gainey said he was trying to find talent, not necessarily size, and feels he has achieved that.
He said the neither Kovalev nor Mike Komisarek exchanged contract numbers, hence Gainey's immediate pursuit of other players.
Gainey added that chemistry played a role in his acquisitions, which is part of the reason why Brian Gionta was brought in to play with Scott Gomez and Mike Cammilleri; Tanguay wasn't seen to be the solution there.
There was discussion about the new captain, so we've seen the last of Koivu in a Canadiens jersey. Gainey said head coach Jacques Martin will be in town next week and the captaincy issue will be talked about then.
