2008 Offseason: Habs Edition

[Snayr]

So Ryan O'Byrne just got a new 3 year deal. He will make 700 thousand in the first year, 750 thousand in the second year and 1.4 million in the third and final year.... rds.ca

http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app/?serv ... eid=368483

[sh00n]

Gooooood.

Makes things a little more complicated in terms of signing Sundin now though. Unless he's willing to take a slight pay cut to join us?

[Snayr]

I'm sure we'll be able to clear some capspace if need be... I wouldn't worry about it.

[Shaazzam]

Hey dudes, thought I'd swing in to check out some Hab news. It's so hard to find anything living in Toronto, especially if you don't look that hard!

Sundin in MTL would be awesome and would cause me no amount of joy in ribbing one of my boys who is THE die hard Leaf Fan. Although he's not a brain dead one. But him losing his captain to the hated Habs would be great for me!!!

[Snayr]

And it would be good news for us as well. Feel free to swing by anytime man, the more the merrier!

Some more news in Habs land is that the Habs signed rookie Max Pacioretty to a 3 year deal today. Bob and the coaching staff must see a lot in the kid to have signed him at so young an age. And Guy Lats is going to have to watch out or he'll lose his spot on the club.

http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app/?serv ... eid=368613

[sh00n]

If we actually land Sundin, I'd even suggest experimenting with Latendresse/Sundin/Kovalev as the first line. If Sundin could make Antropov look good, he's Latendresse's only hope. If CementFeet can't cut it with Sundin, I say trade him. Then bust out the Tanguay/Sundin/Kovalev line.

[Snayr]

Apparently Lats has been doing a quick skating training thing this summer to increase his speed on the Ice, so we'll have to see how he comes out training camp.

[Shaazzam]

Then bust out the Tanguay/Sundin/Kovalev line.

That would be gross.

Tanguay might score 40 goals playing with those two.

[Snayr]

I'd be down with that, and then put the Kostitsyn bro's on a line with Koivu, and then do a Pleks, Higgins and maybe Lats line, then a Lapierre, Kostopoulos, and Laraque line. Dang. That'd be sick lol. Scoring prowess like mad and! an intimidating 4th line!

[ygrr]

if we can get Sundin,

Id see a

Tanguay-Sundin-Kovy
A.Kostityn-Plekanec-S.Kostityn
Latendresse-Koivu-Higgins
Laraque-Lapierre-(Begin or Tom K)

[sh00n]

I'd be down with that, and then put the Kostitsyn bro's on a line with Koivu, and then do a Pleks, Higgins and maybe Lats line, then a Lapierre, Kostopoulos, and Laraque line. Dang. That'd be sick lol. Scoring prowess like mad and! an intimidating 4th line!

You have to put Higgins with Koivu. Koivu just takes Higgins' game and throws it through the roof. Then you pair them with Laraque so he can let them skate around and do whatever they please and he can protect them. Third line you put the brothers with Plekanec, and fourth line I'd put Lapierre, Begin and Kostopolous.

Tanguay, Sundin, Kovalev
Higgins, Koivu, Laraque
S. Kostitsyn, Plekanec, A. Kostitsyn
Lapierre, Begin, Kostopolous

Markov, Komisarek
Hamrlik, Gorges
Bouillon, O'Byrne

I left Dandenault off with the rumors of him being bought out/traded. I heard we may be bringing PK Suddan up this year too.

[Snayr]

I dunno man, I'd rather see the Koivu line you have as a 3rd line and move the Pleks line up to 2nd. That's way too much offensive power to have as a 3rd line.

[sh00n]

I guess, but either way there really shouldn't be defined 'lines' with this team if we land Sundin, because our third line is going to be potentially better than some teams' first lines. Utterly ridiculous offensive power. I see Tanguay just exploding this year no matter who he's with.

[Snayr]

Yeah, I was just putting it into context. Also, rumours that Sundin has signed with the Canucks are swirling around. I hope they're not true... but it's worrisome.

[UTMCretin]

Considering the Canucks have the (much) higher offer, I wouldn't hold my breath on Sundin becoming a Hab.

Which isn't to say there's no chance at all, it just means you would likely suffocate before anything occurs. Mats Sundin has officially become the Brett Favre of the NHL.

[ygrr]

I heard the same thing on Rds.ca about Sundin probably leaning towards Vancouvers offer. I’m sorry but if he joins the canucks, this just shows how players really just plays for money. One minute he's talking like money isn’t a factor and that he wants to finish is career with a championship contender, the next minute he's interested in a 10 mil a year offer from Vancouver(or maybe his agent is the one more interested )

Sorry to break it to ya Mat but Vancouver suck's in my opinion... They struggled last year and they don’t look that much improved this year especially with Naslund out. I don’t know if the wings have any cap space but I was sure he would land there someway, somehow.

I got to admit that as a fan, I have no power or right to decide on his choice and he probably doesn’t give a s*** about my opinion but if he is to join the Canucks, I would be more disappointed then frustrated. Let's just hope we don’t pull a Brière on him. Whatever the choice is, Habs for life!

Edit: Oops my bad, I just surfed on rds.ca and now they are reporting the Sundin story for joining the canucks is falses but it says he mentionned if he does come back, he will play for a full season!

[sh00n]

Yeah, I was just putting it into context. Also, rumours that Sundin has signed with the Canucks are swirling around. I hope they're not true... but it's worrisome.

Agreed. But his agent and TSN came out and said the rumor was false and Sundin told a paper in Sweden today it wasn't true.

Basically, if he wants to go to a bad team for a lot of money, he should just go back to the Leafs. I think the Rangers might be out of the equation now with some of the signings they've made, plus they want Shanahan back. I really do hope Montreal lands Sundin. But if not I want Shanahan badly.

[sh00n]

According to HockeyBuzz:

Some quotes from various sources who have emailed me this evening.

An Assistant GM:

"They (the Canadiens) finally feel they are going to get him (Mats). They are dying to make an announcement soon."

A Scout:

"People have stopped buying that the Leafs are going hard after Mats. Everyone is startin gto assume it will be the Habs."

A Swedish Player:

"Mats is preparing tonight for something that is coming soon. Many of us wold be shocked if it made it past Monday....and even more shocked if it wasn't Montreal."

A senior NHL person:

"It is all falling into the Habs lap. The Rangers are out of it and Mats does owe it to himself to play another season. To try and bring Stanley back to Montreal for the Centennial."

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=16342

!

[Snayr]

Sh00n I like your style man!! And I like those people who said those quotes too!!

Also, it's been rumored that we're going pretty hard after Jay Bouwmeester (Sp?) and have offered a pretty nice package. The deal would not cause any less cap space for us either, so we'd still have cap space to sign Sundin!

[ygrr]

Wow Shoon!
U made my day!
Love this comments...Now the waiting game....
If we get Sundin,
I say trade Koivu,dandenault,1st round pick for Gaborik