Ovechkin in Montreal...

The latest rumour on the street is that Alexander Ovechkin could possibly be interested in joing the Canadiens in the next few years. He becomes a restricted free agent next season and is good friends with our best defenceman, Markov.

Is there any truth to this rumour? Potentially. Is Ovechkin interested in joining a team that sells out every game? Considering he has top 3 in the league potential, it would be a shame to see his talent go unnoticed in Washington where they only get a lousy half full rink on a regular basis.

So where do we stand on the Ovechkin line? Well, lets just hope Markov talks to his friend frequently in the near future and is able to sell him on the city. After that, its up to the big guy, Gainey, to come up with an offer that is in the $10 Million range.

But lets not hold our breath, after all, wasn't Koivu suppose to lure Selanne?

Hamrlik or Souray?

With the season close to 1/4 of the way through, I feel confident to say that Hamrlik was a better choice for a top two defenceman than was Souray. This statement has nothing to do with the fact that Souray has only played a handful of games.

I enjoyed Souray on the Habs. One of my favorite things about Souray was his mean streak and his strength for protecting himself and his teammates. There was the fight against Darrin McCarty in which Souray absolutely demolished him. McCarty left bloodier than any fight I could remember. Souray's shot was also something to dream of. However, Montreal tried too much to get Souray the puck on the point.

This years powerplay seems much more balanced. They are using Markov more effectively, who is leading the NHL in goals for a defenceman, Streit, and all the forwards. It makes it much harder for a team to defend against because they have multiple weapons.

Now lets look at Hamrlik. He is not as offensive as Souray, but he is a good quarterback with the puck. He moves the puck out of the zone and logs big time minutes. His under rated strength is his defensive ability. We all remember the Spezza around Souray goal. I don't expect to see any of those with Hamrlik. He is strong 1 on 1 and knows where to be.

So, I wish the best of luck to Sheldon, but must admit, Hammer time is a good replacement.

Habs Win a Big one Against Boston

In a fight filled, high scoring game, the Canadiens beat the Bruins 7-4. There was some pretty tense moments in the game like when Assistant Coach Kirk Muller wanted to fight ex-coach Julien but the team stuck together and stood up for each other and destroyed them scoring 7 goals.

The scoring was pretty balanced and it was nice to see Ryder get two assists coming off a goal in a terrible game for the team against Buffalo. Montreal will be much stronger if they can get Ryder going.

This was an important game for the Canadiens because they needed to shake the attitude and effort that went into the game on Friday night against the Sabres where they came out flat and never really got going. This Habs team continues to surprise people as people are waiting for this team to fold like they have in past seasons. The one thing that they have going for them that they don't have last year is that they have two very good goalies and they are both healthy so far.

We shall see but I looking for a top 6 finish in the east.

Habs Win!!! Komisarek Scores in OT

The Habs beat the Leafs tonight 4-3. My prediction was 4-2 but 4-3 is pretty close. Komisarek had a great game and finished off with an overtime break away goal to win the game.

Kovalev had an outstanding game along with Kosty and Pleks. Price played a great game with 40 shots although the top line with Koivu, Higgins, and Ryder was mostly ineffective. The Canadiens will need productivity from this line going into the all star break to ensure that the playoffs are reached.

Time to make fun of all those Leaf fans you know!!

Leafs Tonight...Price vs. Raycroft

The Habs face the Leafs tonight in the most storied rivalry in all of sports. For Montreal, they have young hot shot Carey Price in net while the Maple Leafs counter with under achieving Andrew Raycroft.

I would look for the Canadiens to use their speed to over power the slow moving Leafs. With Kubina injured, expect McCabe and Kaberle to get over worked and likely run out of gas. Montreal will look to lay a spank down early after the weekends collapse to the Senators. I expect Kovalev will have a great game as he was mostly ineffective in the game with the Senators. I would look for one of his patented wrist shots from the outside hash marks in the top of the net.

Ryder is also due and if he can get some shots quick and one scores, expect the flood gates to open right up and the Habs to ride that momentum. Ryder is getting chances, he just needs to put the puck in the net and give the Canadiens another dangerous weapon up front.

The Habs will have to rely heavily on Komi and Markov to contain Mats Sundin, the Leafs only real threat. If Sundin is contained, Price could pull out some good numbers.

My prediction is a 4-2 win for the Habs.

Vinny Lecavalier to the Habs?

Higgins Scores 40 Goals This Year?

I recently read an interview with Chris Higgins and he stated that he was capable of scoring 40 goals this year. I have no reason not to doubt him as he is showing that he has the potential.

In his first campaign as a rookie he showed lots of potential and lit the light 23 times. In his second season he was able to put the puck in the net 22 times, although it should be known that he missed a quarter of the season due to injury. This year, Higgins is looking healthy and is playing the best hockey I have ever seen him play.

His play seems to be elevated by confidence which could stem from greater respect from the organization, which can be demonstrated by his 'A' on his sweater. Higgins seems to be playing a stronger, more physical game which is leading to more scoring chances and more shots. His energy level has been raised and he is showing more comfort in his stick handling abilities. He is getting more and more shots which can only translate into goals.

We can only hope for a full season of Higgins and I think that he is being groomed to be the next Captain on the Montreal Canadiens. As for 40 goals, we will just have to wait and see.

Another Divisional Game

After a dissapointing loss to the Leafs in a game where they really didn't show a lot of energy or enthusiasm, the Habs seem to be doing a good job versus the Sabres. Huet was looking much better after a less than good game on Saturday night.

The score is currently 1-0 Canadiens and they seem to be getting lots of chances to score. The goal that they did score was a perfect pass from Kosty and a nice play by Pleks to squeek it under the goalie.

This is a very important game for the Canadiens as it is another divisional game which seems to mean that it is another must win game. Besides from the Senators, the conference is going to be a nail biter.

Here's hoping for a great third period....

Be Glad We are not the Leafs

This morning I think we should be happy that we are not the Leafs and that we are not being managed by JFJ. When we look at the Leafs minor league team, the Marlies, you don't see many players who look like they will ever make it up to the big leagues and have productive careers. The one guy who might do something is Justin Pogge, but his hype has dropped off since his world junior accolaides.

When we look at the Bulldogs, and I live in Kitchener so I have seen a number of Bulldog games, we have lots of good young talent. Look at our lineup on Thursday night, we had five of our home grown First round picks in the line up.

When we look at our potential stars in the making, we can include the likes of Sergie K., who likes like he will likely be better than his older brother Andrei. Who else do we have?

Ryan O'Byrne
JP Cote
Pavel Valentenko
Corey Locke
Janne Lahti
Maxim Lapierre
Matt D'Agostini
Jonathan Ferland
Duncan Milroy

I am not saying that all these guys are going to make it big in the NHL, but what if 1 out of 3 make it to have successful NHL careers? That gives the Habs a wealth of talent to pull from and a lot of opportunities to trade some of there young talent to pick up that final piece of the puzzle.

The Leafs have traded away all of their draft picks in the past so that they now have for the most part, and team of old men, and a farm system that has been depleted from years of abuse, and no cups to show for it.

Times are looking good for the Canadiens, but the Leafs appear to be heading into another 40 years of cuplessness.

Stanley Cup Underdog?

After watching last nights game against the Flyers, I went to bed with a feeling that the Habs could possibly be one of the most under rated teams in the NHL. The game against the flyers, who are doing pretty well, was domination. The game was not even close.

Kovalev scored on of his famous goals. He scored the exact same goal against the Thrashers. He is hot, he is playing well, and he is playing well defensively. Hopefully Ryder finds his stride because Koivu and Higgins are playing great and generating tons of offence.

There are not too many people who predict a team like the Canadiens to make any noise in the playoffs but who gave Edmonton a chance two years ago? The Habs are built for speed and smart defence. They try hard and they are playing with confidence. Those are most important when the playoffs come around.

They simply need to keep trying hard and don't let there great start end up like last season where they fell apart after Christmas. But this team is different than last year, they are older, more responsible, and are being led by a coach who has a little bit more experience.

Next spring should be exciting.

Ryder Writing His Own Ticket Out of Town?

Coach Guy called out Ryder today stating that Ryder is a shooter and getting one shot a game is unacceptable. Ryder currently has 2 goals this year and is clearly off to a bad start. Being the Habs highest goal scorer the last two years, Montreal's offence would be much more potent with an effective Ryder.

In my last post I mentioned that the Canucks were looking for a top six forward. Could they possibly looking for a guy like Michael Ryder? I believe it is possible. However, what would Vancouver be able to offer? Montreal needs goal scoring and you don't get scoring by trading a goal scorer.

The simple fact still remains, Ryder has signed to one year contracts in a row so I don't see Ryder having any more years in Montreal after this one. But if this season continues as it started for Ryder, he is going to have trouble signing a big contract.

Trade Looming with the Canucks?

It was recently reported that a number of Vancouver scouts and the assistant GM were in attendance for the Atlanta game on Tuesday night. It is believed that the Canucks are looking for a top six forward to improve upon their pitiful offense.

I can't see Montreal trading away a top six forward to improve on their team because they are stacked in net, and their young defence is coming along quite well. I can't see Montreal even considering a trade with the Canucks at this point but maybe Gainey has a plan that no one can figure out.

This sounds like nothing more than a rumour, but only time will tell.

Price Starting at Home for the first Time

Well Carey Price has officially started his first game in the NHL at home in Montreal. It seems as though he will continue to play with his cool, calm, and collected nerves. It ensures consistency.

There is no doubt that Gainey and Carbo are grooming Price for the starters position. The question is, when will this 'Change of the Guard' begin? Is Huet going to get traded before the trade deadline?

I would argue that if Huet and Price continue to play they both are now and no injuries plague either players, I predict that Huet will complete the year in Montreal. However, if Price gets hot, and starts a number of games in a row, watch out, you might see Huet dealt to a team that has an injury or a team that is lacking goaltending....possibly the leafs?

The bottom line is that Price is going to be the future of the Habs and Price is going to be good enough to take the Habs to the big dance during his career.

Habs Tickets....

I have been waiting since last September to get Habs tickets as I was late last year to logging into the ticket site and they were all gone for the games I tried. This year, I was not going to be left out again.

I live in Kitchener, Ontario so the game needed to be on a Saturday, and it needed to be after Christmas as I have too many obligations before Christmas. I narrowed it down to a games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Toronto. Pittsburgh was my first choice as I would love to see Crosby and Malkin skate up and down the rink with my own eyes. Unfortunately, the tickets for Pittsburgh were all gone in a matter of minutes. I had three computers refreshing when 12:00 hit to login and I still couldn't get the tickets I wanted.

I had to settle for the Washington game on January 5th. It was my third choice, but I am still super excited. I look forward to seeing Ovechkin and Semin, but mostly, to see Montreal light up the Caps.

I will be in the white seats and can hardly wait and will post all about the game.

Cheers!

Samsonov Shipped Out and Other Notes

The Habs have finally relieved themselves of the expensive underachieving veteran Sergei Samsonov. The trade was made on Saturday June 16th with the Chicago Blackhawks. The deal sent Samsonov to the Hawks for 6'5, 244 lb defencmen Jason Cullimore and for smallish forward and former Hamilton Bulldogs Tony Salmelainen. Not long after the trade Gainey bought out the remainder of Cullimore's contract to make him a UFA. The deal frees up roughly 3 million in cap space for the Habs to put towards a bid for big name free agents like Briere and Drury. The 34 year old Cullimore collected 7 points least year while playing 65 games. Salmelainen is 25 and recorded 17 points in his rookie campaign with the Hawks.

Its been well known that Samsonov was on his way out. As early as November of 2006 he was already complaining about ice time and shortly there after asked for a trade out of Montreal. Bob tried to accommodate the disgruntled winger but there were few teams lining up to acquire the services of a small forward making over 3.4 million and producing very little. He was even put on waivers for any team to pick up for FREE and still there were no takers. When all was set and done he finished the year with 9 goals and 26 assists and was a healthy scratch for a total of 19 games. Not the production and ice time you expect from a player being paid that much and who was your big off season free agent signing.

Valentenko Signed: The hulking Russian defencmen who was predicted to sign this year has done just that. He signed a 3 year entry level contract with Montreal and will most likely start the season in the AHL to hone his skills. Things were also starting to look up for a fellow Russian defencmen Alexei Emelin. It had been reported that he had agree in principal to a contract with Montreal and all he had to do was commit to coming to North America and sign the dotted line. Not so fast. Then this past weekend there was a report the Emelin had signed a new 2 year contract with AK Bars Kazan of the RSL. The report appears to be true although he was supposed to be under contract with Lada for one more year. Either way it looks like Habs fans will have to wait a little longer to see the young defencmen in action.

Komisarek and Higgins Re-sign: 24 year old Chris Higgins and 25 year old Mike Komisarek have both signed new 2 year contract with the Habs. They are 2 of the 4 young players that are RFA who were starting to make big contributions to the team. The other two, Plekanec and Perezhogin have yet to re-sign. Although Perezhogin did sign a contract in the RSL and will not be back with Montreal. Higgins started last year off the way he ended his rookie year posting 13 points in as many game. Then in a game against New Jersey he was hit into the boards awkwardly and sprained his ankle which put him out of the lineup for an extended period of time and was never really able to pick up were he left off. He finished the year off with 38 points in 61 games. Komisarek had a career year and played on the teams top defensive duo with Andrei Markov. He recorded 4 goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 82 games. They will both make 1.5 million this coming year and 1.9 the following year.

Yashin a Hab???

The latest word coming out of the speculators is that Alexei Yashin is interested in playing in Montreal along side fellow Russian Alex Kovalev. I am not sure what to make of this. I have despised Yashin ever since the whole fiasco that occurred in Ottawa.

However, I sat and thought about this one. What I have realized is that Yashin could be an asset to the Canadiens if the money is right. The right price for the Canadiens is no more than 2-3 million a season for no more than two years. The key is that Gainey can not get locked into a contract for a player who has had a history of being trouble in the locker room and being lazy on the ice. If it doesn't work out, Gainey would have to find someone to take him off his hands which will be much easier if he has a manageable contract.

Will Yashin take a much smaller salary than he is used to? Well I guess that depends on how much he wants to play in Montreal.

Whether you agree or disagree that Gainey should consider Yashin as that big center to support Kovalev you can't deny that his potential point production is attractive for a guy who puts up just under a point per game and could be part of a dynamic punch with the other big Russian.

Samsonov, Going, Going.....

The word on the street is that Gainey is about to continue his offseason tune up by buying out the contract of unhappy, non-productive Sergei Samsonov. This should cost the Canadiens 1.2million for the next two seasons.

The most important part of this buyout should be to remove the bad attitude which can be contageous. The other thing it does is ensures an open roster spot for some of those up and coming Bulldogs like Kostitsyn, Chipchura, or possibly Grabovski.

I am really looking forward to seeing who is going to move up from the Bulldogs to replace some of the open roster spots.

Bulldogs Take Home The Calder Cup

That's right folks, The Hamilton Bulldogs are the first pro hockey team in Ontario to take home a championship since the Toronto Maple Leafs did it in 1967. Wow must really suck to be a leaf fan :). Anyways the Bulldogs ended up taking the series 4-1 with the 2-1 victory on Thursday night over the Hershey Bears. The same Hershey Bears that defeated the Bulldogs in 1997. This is the first championship in Bulldogs history which has been around for 11 years.

Ajay Baines scored the winning goal almost at the midway point of the 3rd period. It was a shorthanded marker (his second in as many nights) and was a beautiful set up by Maxim Lapierre who also had the opening goal of the game. The Baines - Chipchura - Ferland line has been the most consistent for the Bulldogs in the 2007 playoffs. While the line is the so called checking line for the team, they also chipped in with timely goals when needed.

Carey Price was once again solid in net for the Bulldogs and took home the playoff MVP award. He became the 3rd player in AHL history to have played junior hockey the same year as starting for a AHL team and winning the MVP award. You all may know this already but the last goalie to accomplish this feat was the one and only Patrick Roy in 1985. Of course the year after he did that the Montreal Canadians won the Stanley cup. It has been a very impressive year for Price. To go along with this MVP award of the AHL playoffs and winning a Calder cup championship, he also won the award for the most outstanding goaltender in the entire CHL this year AND won gold for team Canada at the World Junior Championships where he was named top goaltender and MVP of the tournament. All this being accomplished before the tender age of 20 is pretty darn impressive and has all habs fans like myself and the habs brass drooling over what he will be able to do for the habs in the coming years.

The Price is Right Bob!

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Bulldogs game in which they took a commanding lead on the Calder Cup finals with a 3 games to 1 advantage. The entire team impressed me. However, there was one player inparticular that really caught my attention.

Carey Price the 19 year old who still played in the WHL this season looked like a seasoned veteran. The amount of confidence this guy shows reminded me of the good old days with Patrick Roy guarding the net. Price also showed how calm he was and had to do very little acrobatic saves because his positioning was sound and he as always right in the right place to make the stop.

I do not suggest that Carbo and crew should be rushing this kid up to the NHL but Habs fans you can be certain that this guy is the real deal. Hopefully he gets another year or two to mature in the AHL before he gets bumped up to the big club. We would not want to rush him and cause a similar fate for him as Marc Andre Fleury faced. However, when the time is right, you can be sure that Price is for real and that he is going to be an elite goaltender in the NHL.

Expect to see Price bringing home the playoff MVP when the Bulldogs bring home the Calder.

As for Bob Gainey and his decision to draft this guy, well done, and we can't wait to see the full potential of Price.

Valentenko Hamilton Bound??

Reports out of Russia are saying that Montreal 2006 5th round draft pick Pavel Valentenko with be leaving his team, Neftekhimik from the RSL (Russian Super League) to join the Montreal Canadians. Pavel's stock rose considerable last year with his play in the RSL and also with his all-star performance at the 2006 World Junior Championship for team Russia. In the tournament he scored 2 goals and chipped in with 1 assist while posting a solid +3 rating. He was also a final cut from the Russians mens World Hockey Championship which says a lot for the 6'2, 202lbs, 19 year old. If he had made the team he would have played alongside present Hab Allstar Andrei Markov and another Hab draft pick Alexei Emelin. Valentenko will most likely start the year in the AHL with Montreal's top pro affiliate The Hamilton Bulldogs.

On a side note the Habs effort to get Alexei Emelin over to North America looks like it has failed. There was optimism that he would be joining Valentenko over in NA because his team, Lada, was unable to pay the contracts of its players for the last few months. Emelin tried to take the team to court to get his contract voided, which has 1 year left on it. His team ended up paying him the money he was owed and therefore was unable to void his contract. With the chances of Russia signed the recent player transfer agreement not looking good look to see Emelin skate along side his Russian counterpart in early 2008 with the Bulldogs.

Kovalev and Carbonneau Make Amends??

It was reported on SportsNet that Alex Kovalev and Coach Carbonneau have had a discussion and worked out there differences. Is this to promote Kovalev's trade value for the off season so Bob can get as much as possible? Or is this an attempt to promote a healthy atmosphere for next season?


No one will deny that Kovalev had an off year last year, not even Kovalev himself. However, this does not mean that Kovalev's better days are behind him and that he can't contribute to the Habs next season. Anyone who watches any games in which Kovalev plays has likely seen both sides of him. One side being seen as lazy, and the other side being the most talented player on the ice. It seems to be a mystery as to why some shifts/games he is playing with all his talent while other games he seems to be 3rd line material at best.

The simple fact that the Habs need more scoring should ensure that Kovalev stays in Montreal for next season. The Habs need to take the chance on him because for the 4.5 million dollars his contract is worth per year, it is unlikely that they can fill his *potential* with another forward for that kind of money. Do you recall the playoffs last year when Kovalev was playing with a fire under his ass? The guy is sometimes touted as the most highly talented guy in the NHL. I think this is a fair gamble for the Habs to take and I think that Carbo has accepted some of the blame for the problems that Kovalev had.

Put him on the top two lines and Kovalev will put up points this year. If he stays healthy and is playing on the top two lines, I expect Kovalev to put up 70 points next year.

Only time will tell...

Habs Offseason So Far

Bob Gainey and company have been rather busy since the Montreal Canadians season was ended by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After deciding to let Jaroslav Halak go play in the World Championships for team Slovakia he immediately signed 19 year old goaltender out of the WHL's Tri-City Americans Carey Price to play for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

He then went on to sign Andrei Kostitsyn's younger brother Sergei from the OHL's London Knights and Matheiu Carle out of the QMJHL. Price, Kostitsyn and Carle have all been with the surprising Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL who are currently beating the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup finals with a 2-1 series lead.

After that Gainey moved on to probably the 2 most important issues, trying to resign both Andrei Markov and Sheldon Souray. Souray coming off a 26 goal 64 point campaign where he also broke the NHL record for PPG scored by a defencemen in one season with 19. With all these good stats Souray had there was also some bad ones. He was a team worst -28 and made his way on the highlight of the night a few times but for the wrong reason. It is believed he could make more then 6 million over 4 years on the open market but the Habs will likely be looking to sign him for something much less. Reports are that he was offered a 4 year deal worth anywhere from $4.25-$5.25 per year. Markov on the other hand had another solid season with 49 points and a +2 rating. He was given a 4 year deal worth $5.75 million a year which was more than I personally thought he would get but then again Montreal NEEDS him more then they need Souray.

Some smaller moves by Gainey was trading for the twin brother of WJC stand out Kris Russel, forward Ryan Russel from the New York Rangers and went on to sign him to a 3 year pro contract. NYR were unable to come to terms on a conract with Russel so they accepted a 7th round pick in this years draft instead of losing him for nothing. Last year he played for The Kootney Ice of the WHL and was on a line with current Montreal draft pick Ben Maxwell. He is a good offensive player with good vision but is small which is his weak spot.

The Habs also signed Finish Elite League player Janne Lahti to a 1 year contract. The 25 year old had a solid season for HPK last year netting 20 goals and 14 helpers. He is a big (200lbs, 6'2) winger who also has a scoring touch. Both players are expected to start in the AHL next year with Lahti maybe cracking the big clubs roster.

It is said that Montreal will try to be active in the free agent market. If they can get rid of underachieving winger Sergei Samsonov's salary that will free up some valuable cap room to help them sign players like Chris Drury or Daniel Briere. If they are unable to sign Souray look for the Habs to turn they're attention to Nashville's defencemen Kimmo Timonen or San Jose's Scott Hannan.