Report: Canadiens sign Swedish forward

posted by Mike Boone at 5h26 EST on May 25

According to Swedish media, the Canadiens have signed signed the 23-year old free-agent centre/LW Mikael Johansson, from the Swedish champion Farjestad (Karlstad). This has been confirmed by Farjestad's director of sports, ex-Hab Thomas Rundqvist (2 games for Canadiens in 84/85).

Johansson, who's 5'10" and weighs 182 lbs., has scored 95 points in 203 games in the highest Swedish league with Farjestad. Johansson was originally drafted by Detroit in 2003 (9th round). He had an unspectacular 6 goals and 28 assists in 49 games and was minus-4 with Farjestad this year, down from 15-24 and plus-11 in '07-'08. He was 1+3 in 11 playoff games.

From a European scouting site:

Johansson has seen a great development as of late. A skilled player that can be used both on the wing as well as play center. He is a good skater with impressive hockey sense and fine technical skills. Controls the puck with ease and stickhandles smoothly through traffic. Not very big, but plays with some grit and handles larger opponents well. Could improve some aspects in his defensive game.

This would be the fourth time a Farjestad player has been with the Canadians; Kjell Dahlin, Thomas Rundqvist and Jonas Höglund.

The Canadiens reportedly signed Johansson to a one-year, two-way contract for $1.075 million.

And Russian media reports that Alexei Yemelin (Ak Bars Kazan, KHL champion) is negotiating with the Canadiens. He was a Habs' 3rd round choice in 2004. He had only three assists in 51 games this season.

Comments

Submitted by fofe510 on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 16:07.

I just noticed something rather humorous. It seems whenever someone on this page wants to challenge the idea that size matters, they point to Detroit. Why not mention the hundred-plus previous Stanley Cup winners? The bottom line is that you do need to be strong to be successful in the NHL, and being bigger makes it easier to be strong. Detroit seems like a much stronger team than us. Maybe the Habs should work on more strength conditioning. I suppose a compromise of opinions could be made. In Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers," he examines NBA players, specifically using Michael Jordan as example. In the NBA, size does not equal ability. However, you do need to be big enough (forgive me for forgetting the precise height at which he deemed NBA success reasonable). As long as you are big enough, you can succeed, but any additional height does not matter very much. 5'10", 182 pounds is probably big enough, but it's getting close to being too small. It is safe to say that the current Montreal Canadiens roster is too soft. A lot of people feel that bigger players would help address this problem. On the other hand, so could a good coach. I guess everyone here on either side of the debate has raised some good points. Cheers to all. Go Habs go!

Submitted by habrez on Wed, 05/27/2009 - 17:26.

throwing some malcolm gladwell down. i used him on posting i wrote on habs i/0 2 months ago about the correlation between goalie draft order and the likeliness of their success, following gladwells article in the new york times about the lack of a correlation between quarterback passer rating and their draft number(i.e vokoun vs luongo or aikman vs leaf. i'm surprised you didn't mention what month of the year johansson was born in? june by the way.

Submitted by HABZ24 on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 13:00.

oh just great, another small european that doesnt score much. we need a tuff big rugged canadian guy who plays with passion and desire who can put many pucks in the net. fire gainey that bumm.

Submitted by The M on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 03:03.

i think this guy is going to score 40 goals this year for the Habs

Submitted by crabvader on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 22:18.

Honestly guys, Emelin is the cream of the crop in Russia when it comes to defensemen. I will crap my pants if we sign him. Hopefully the motherland isn't where he intends to play his whole career. We need this guy BADLY.

Submitted by Habitant in Surrey on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 21:31.

...Henri Richard is ...and remains ...ONE of my Top-5 all-time ...but ...of course ...We also had Big Jean ...have We become 'allergic' to any player over 6' ??? ...200 lbs ??? ...wake me up when We sign a Vinny or Malkin clone Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049

Submitted by crabvader on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 22:16.

I heard that we signed Malkin's no-talent brother Marcel-eri Bur-kin. Remember Valeri Bure and Marcel Hossa? But yeah...big guy...please.

Submitted by Number31 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:51.

I'd like to welcome Johansson to the team! Now I wait until we hear Emelin has signed and is coming over to play.

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:39.

Bet he can't wait for the support of the Montreal fans! You guys going to boo him in his first game cause he's 5'10? Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 01:47.

If he is anything resembling Pleks then sure, why not?

Submitted by db on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:29.

This years Janne Lahti..

Submitted by king ddd on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:08.

can some one explain to me why valentenko necer made the team! but o'byrne !!!??? did

Submitted by showey47 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:47.

the bigger question is why did the breezer make the team instead of valentenko? Say what you want about ryan but he did play well in his first call up 2 season's ago. Nobody could have expected the regression in his play in the past season just like most of the other youngsters did. I would not give up on him yet,guys that are 6'6" and fairly mobile don't come around very often. He has a grand total of 70 career nhl games under his belt,thats 176 less games then josh gorges. Thats more than 2 full nhl seasons of experience. Where was josh gorges over 2 full years ago? He was considered a 7th dman at best,look how much he has improved since.

Submitted by fofe510 on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 14:21.

I strongly agree with you about not giving up on O'Byrne. I also strongly agree with you about Breezer not being worthy of the roster. A lot of people pick on O'Byrne, but he's 24 years old! Anyone remember Zdeno Chara's days on the Islanders when he was that age? Defensemen age like wine, generally speaking, because their duties rest on responsibility and awareness rather than speed and strength and "skill" (a term I despise because it seems to rule out any physical ability as skillful). Once he gets his head around the game, he may very well become an elite defenseman, because that 6'6" frame can't hurt much. I thought O'Byrne played a lot better this season once he came back from Hamilton. Before that, it was ugly. Also, he throws a lot of hits (though I suspect he could throw a few more, maybe a bit harder too). We need more physical players, and it is much easier to simply develop the ones we've already got.

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 01:53.

The Breezer MUST be signed and given a #2 role behind only Markov. I can't imagine my Habs watching experience without Breeze in the lineup. Not having him will just feel unnatural and even eerie. OB should be given a decent chance, say same as Gui! got and not being yanked out of the lineup after every mistake. Like I said in the past, Habs need to start with the new GM and coach first. The GM that will stop drafting or picking up washed up or geriatric players and a coach that will put his personal feelings aside, treat players equally and fairly, mentor and oach the youngsters appropriately and most of all have contol of the team. Until this happens Habs will be same as they were this year - another insignificant team nobody takes seriously.

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:55.

Answer: Breezer was a 7th defenseman pegged to play very, very limited minutes and games. That changed because OB had some major difficulties. It would not have done Valentenko any good to play the minutes Brisebois was supposed to. He'll get his chance. Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by Exit716 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 23:34.

It would be cool if Gainey and the brain trust actually hire a coach that played defense in the NHL to show the guys how to play defense. This Doug Jarvis experiment isn't exactly working.

Submitted by ProHabs on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:25.

O'Byrne provides the team with additional revenue with his purse snatching. This new signing sounds like the next coming of Niklas Sundstrom. Exactly what the team needs. Lets go and find another Juha Lind next.

Submitted by TorontoHabsFan on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 18:53.

Remember guys, he's on a two-way contract - so he only earns $1m IF he's with the big team. If he's in The Hammer then he's making a small percentage of that (I don't know the exact break down, but I think it's around 10%...anybody know for sure?) Basically he's a no risk Free Agent signing...he works out, great - we got something for literally nothing. If he doesn't? Oh well, he goes back to Sweden and we forget the whole thing ever happened. (In case you haven't noticed, there's been a huge push in the last few years to sign European and NCAA free agents, they can make up for gaps in drafting...especially for teams that have traded away picks)

Submitted by showey47 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:33.

Nice to read a voice of reason,the guy is a hab for one day and 75% of the posts here are people complaining that he's 5'10" instead of 6'5". He cost us abosolutly nothing except money,no draft picks,nothing in a trade. It was also very smart to get him to agree to a two-way deal. His numbers in sweden are also very comparable to some guy named fabian brunnstrom,you know the guy who was highly touted last year out of sweden. Some posters here should at least have to common sense to watch him play before passing judgement.

Submitted by ooder on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 22:38.

common sense? this is habs inside out..it's quite a rarity to find common sense here :) --- we need a kovalev

Submitted by New on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 18:45.

Well, I wish Johansson and Yemelin all the best and hope they make it to the NHL. Must be exciting, and a bit scary for them. Big step. Shows character on both their parts.

Submitted by RudeMood19 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 17:12.

Start bringing up our young defensemen, and get Yemelin over here

Submitted by Harani on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 17:06.

In other news, Patrice Brisebois's Essentials: http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=... Get to know it coz I have a feeling his signing is going to be revealed next. Get comfortable!

Submitted by Fire_Laraque on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 16:17.

I think the next sensible thing is to Trade Lapierre. He is WAY too big for this team now. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" -Gregory Stewart on Grabovski.

Submitted by Chuck on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 16:19.

One could do worse than to sign Detroit's castoffs.

Submitted by fuhgawz on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 15:52.

way to soon for people to make judgment calls on this guy NONE of us have seen him play .....and i dont think any of us have even played at his level so i am not going to speak on if the guy is any good or not. Fact is we need some depth ....... and who knows ...... one never knows when you find the next Zets or Forsby ------- its a long shot .... but a shot none the less ----- one thing i will say about all Swedes or Fins ..... they are tough !! .......as small as Saku is pound for pound the guy has balls

Submitted by Dintrox on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 15:36.

I'm not getting to excited about the signing. He is on a two way contract. He could end up not suiting up for the Canadiens like Janne Lahti the finnish forward signed a couple seasons ago. Let's hope that Emelin signs.

Submitted by crabvader on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:57.

I doubt he's etched in as a fool-proof plan. He's probably a depth player who will see some games if one of our centers goes down next year. Unless he plays terrific with the Dogs. Remember, he's on a 2-way contract. He's a plan-B or even plan-C type of player. Every team needs one. Remember, our backup plan centers last year were...ummm Kyle Chipchura and he didn't exactly pan out. So when we sign a center this year, he'll be our UFA or trade plan-A. You just don't want to end up like we did when Lang went down. So that's why this guy was signed, I think. We should also remember he's a winger who CAN play center, so I might even be wrong about him being a replacement center and they probably want to see if this guy can step it up and make the club. Either way, it isn't such a terrible thing, signing this guy.

Submitted by howtathor on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:46.

Just what we need, another 5'10 center!

Submitted by Mr.Hazard on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 16:06.

Well someone has to replace Koivu when he leaves! Ex nihilo nihil fit

Submitted by crabvader on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:45.

PLEASE SIGN EMELIN!

Submitted by StevieRay on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:55.

Whoa .. I see he played Tier 11 Jr "A" in Truro NS with the Bearcats in 2001-2002 I live nearby and go to some games ..don't recall him as a player but I'm gonna check with one of their executives to the see what his character was like ... Quite a jump ! Although that was 8 years ago

Submitted by nunacanadien on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:36.

Sell the team already, get rid of Gainey before he locks the habs into a triple aaa team that is disguised as a pro hockey team! Another small european player who skates fast and who can cough up the puck just as fast ala Lapierre style, or more reminiscient of Koivu style!

Submitted by slapshot777 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 19:16.

Unless you've seen this player actually play, then you should not be passing judgement on his play or heart. He could turn out to be a diamnd in the rough or a bust, but nonetheless he is an aquisition for nothing and we lose nothing if he does nothing. At least give the guy a chance to prove himself before you go Ape Shat on the guy. There in a nut shell is part of our problem as a habs fan, not all but some are very critical of the players we have before we ever see them play or if they are yong and make mistakes. This is called growing pains and we are going to have to grow with them without critisism if we truly want our team to grow and develop and have players want to come here rather than take a pass on the Habs.

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:09.

Lapierre plays a european style? Now I've heard everything. _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by cbass on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:59.

I didn't know Lapierre was a European.

Submitted by Omit on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:46.

I guess you've seen him play then, right?

Submitted by Joe Biden (not verified) on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:56.

Just get the Breezer signed and plan the parade. The Spengler Cup is ours!!!

Submitted by HardHabits on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:54.

Some food for thought taken from http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/story/11777103/rss New Wild GM Fletcher promises to make team faster Fletcher promised to bring the aggressive, physical style Pittsburgh has used to come within two wins of the Stanley Cup Finals. "Why back up and cede the ice to your opponent when you can force the issue up the ice? ... We want to dictate the pace of the play against our opponent," said Fletcher. Sound familiar?

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:42.

I don't get why is it so hard to take a look at the WHL or any other CANADIAN league, for a change. I admit that size is not everything and we have our share of big useless players (Laraque, Komi, OB). If it were Detroit picking up this guy I'd say that they knew what they were doing and that he might be a real deal. But with Timmins' record I think this guy is going to be another small perimeter player good perhaps only in the beginning of the season at best, while other teams just start to get going.

Submitted by Number31 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 20:47.

The Habs currently have 25 Canadian prospects, and this year's draft didn't happen yet.

Submitted by king ddd on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 16:37.

jeez now that you mentioned timmins.. i just realised how much i hate him.. all those missed picks! arrrrrrrrrrrh!

Submitted by mrhabby on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:00.

size always matters.

Submitted by Hockey Socks on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:51.

For those ragging on his stats, the Swedish Elite League isn't known for its scoring. Zetterberg never scored more than 15 goals in Sweden before coming over to the NHL. Petr Forsberg maxed at 19 goals, while Mats Sundin had 18 points before he joined the Nordiques. All the European leagues are like that. Alexander Ovechkin had the following point totals in the four years prior to signing with the Capitals: 4, 15, 23, and 27 with only 13 goals as his career high. Johansson had 39 points, the same as Fabian Brunnstrom, in 2007-08, not far off from Nicklas Backstrom's 40 before he crossed over to the NHL. I'm not saying he'll be the next Zetterberg, but if Hakan Andersson saw something in him, then we should at least take a wait-and-see approach. --- From Game 1 to the Stanley Cup Final. I'll be there.

Submitted by LudaKrishna on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:34.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8470878 honestly we all don't know what this guy can bring to the table MMW most of u will be eating your words next season those stats aren't outstanding, BUT they aren't SUPER bad either by the looks of the stats it seems like he's another passer...anyways after all the re-signings and signings are done then we can judge the next year canadiens. and really we shouldn't say this player sucks until we see him play in the NHL. alot of pessimests here i see

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 14:07.

What I like about his stats are that a) they show a pretty steady improvement, b) check out the PIM, the kid's obviously not afraid to mix it up, and c) look at his playoff points- it's clear he ups his game when the games count. Also- there seems to be some confusion re his height. He's listed as 5'10" on the NHL database. _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by my future habs on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:30.

time to change the Montreal Canadiens name to : the Montreal Midgets! Bob's on the job.

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:24.

And cue the inevitable bleating about size. First, the guy's obviously strong if he's 5'8" and 180+ pounds. Second, the pro scouting on him says he's got grit and can handle big players- wasn't that our #1 priority? Third, I do agree that a million per seems high. For those of you who missed this analysis when I ran it last summer: there is absolutely NO relationship between team average size and success. Here are graphs showing the lack of relationship between size (as team average BMI) and team regular season point total: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3323/3188731985_749a101d6b_o.jpg and the same graph for BMI vs position in standings: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3188731897_7de5f7a515_o.jpg I don't care about size. Size is the most simplistic and unimaginative way to assess a player's talent- witness Ryan O'Byrne. He's huge, but he plays like a guy half his size. Size is meaningless. I'm more interested in knowing who this kid is replacing, because the Habs aren't paying him 1 million to play in Hamilton. _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by saskhab on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:42.

$1m is a $875,000 rookie deal with some bonuses on top, and it's a two-way contract. The Habs can easily play him in Hamilton if he doesn't make the team, or struggles to start the year. It won't be a huge concern to them if he is in the minors. He's simply a prospect, he isn't a huge investment.

Submitted by fofe510 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:52.

Look at any Stanley Cup winning team and tell me that having some big players in key roles isn't a prerequisite for success. All you've proven is that size isn't EVERYTHING. It's still a factor that we have to address though. Hockey is a physical game and it's a lot easier to be strong when you're taller and heavier than your opponent.

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:57.

I agree that size isn't everything, but the main point is that size is one of the least important determinants of success. I have yet to see a single team set out with the single-minded goal of beefing up on size, and end up improving markedly. Toronto and Philly are two examples of teams that made a commitment to getting "big" only to see that strategy fail in terms of winning games. _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by Timo (not verified) on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:06.

Great, another small "talented" forward to be pushed around and just take cap space. Bob's at work!!! Fantastique!

Submitted by Habsrule1 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:42.

Over a million seems steep when looking at his stats. I'm not really concerned that much about his size. I don't believe we lost because of our lack of size. That said, I hope we do sign a couple bigger guys to balance things out a bit. The summer hasn't even begun. There is much more to come! Go Habs Go!! "I can't hear what Jeremy (Roenick) is saying because my Stanley Cup rings are in my ears" - Patrick Roy

Submitted by my future habs on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:23.

just what we need, another midget. put him on a line with Koivu and call it "the midget line". and you know if he's a Detroit reject, then he's crap, and that's what his stats are!

Submitted by saskhab on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:50.

Detroit is the smallest and most European team in the NHL. Yep, we shouldn't want more small Euros... who would want a team like Detroit? People need to realize something... Boston wasn't bigger than us, we're on average the same size as the Bruins (6'1", 205 is about both team's average). Lucic and Chara are huge, but the rest of their team is generally below average in size. Savard, Bergeron, and Krejci aren't exactly behomeths down the middle; and Ryder, Recchi, Kessel and others aren't that big either. We didn't lose this year because we were small.

Submitted by fofe510 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:57.

Detroit is not the smallest team in the NHL. Europeans are fine, but Detroit is not a small team. All teams average out with roughly the same size/weight. It's about where you have your big guys. Scorers can be small but it helps to have large centres and grinders. I agree though, we lost this year because we were injured, not small. That said, we could certainly afford to add some size to our lineup. Last season, Gainey acknowledged our need for a large centre. Clearly he was indicating that our lineup was too small down the middle. Unless we re-sign Robert Lang, we will be back in that position, where we don't have a centre that can avoid getting easily muscled (Koivu seems to be losing his fire).

Submitted by santeri on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 15:20.

Check the size of Detroit's top four centres: Datsyuk 5-11, 197 Zetterberg 5-11, 195 Filppula 5-11, 174 Draper 5-10, 192 Now tell me, which one of them are pushovers.

Submitted by fofe510 on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 14:23.

Detroit is a bit of an anomaly, I will admit. But if you don't think there's a correlation between size and strength (and therefore, not being a pushover), you are mistaken.

Submitted by 1010 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:42.

Good point. Boston is not a big team. In fact their GM has stated that the number one priority for him this summer is to add a couple of bigger forwards to his line-up. TO NEXT YEAR...

Submitted by Bahamut-Prime on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:58.

One thing about size is it's not average size that matters you need a few big guys to clear out some space for the others. Second that Detroit passed on him given their history of finding some gems in late rounds isn't promising. Also his stats aren't that great and he seems like he'll only be useful if he's putting up points. I'd expect to see him in the AHL this season and then head back to europe. Here's hoping I'm wrong.

Submitted by saskhab on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:39.

1. No one is guaranteeing this guy will be a NHLer of any kind, let alone a successful one. He's a prospect that is a late bloomer. 2. Detroit drafting him and not signing him doesn't make him any better or any worse of a player. They lost his rights back in 2007, when he wasn't doing much of anything. He started to show improvement the following year, when he was no longer Detroit property. 3. It's not like we're signing him instead of an equivelant UFA prospect that is 6'4" 225 lbs., the size argument is irrelevant. 4. I do expect him to start in the AHL, much like Ville Leino did for Detroit this past year (and like Brunnstrom should have for Dallas). He obviously has holes in his game that he needs to work out. 5. I don't disagree that big players don't have particular advantages. Obviously, it's how you use the size you do have that is important. In general, though, the reason we weren't competitive with the high end this year was our lack of high end talent, not our lack of size.

Submitted by mrhabby on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:14.

size matters.

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:26.

No, it doesn't. _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by HardHabits on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:41.

your girlfriend's been lying to you ;-)

Submitted by Chorske on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:58.

Some folks is showers, others is growers. ;) _______________________________________________________________ Il faut commencer avec le travail, et finir avec le talent. -BG C'est la pire job au hockey. C'est pour ca que tout l'monde veut la job. -Jacques Demers

Submitted by Fire_Laraque on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:56.

We should not compare with Detroit. They have Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Cleary, Holmstrom... etc. With these players and the way they were developed, even the smalest team is amazing. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" -Gregory Stewart on Grabovski.

Submitted by saskhab on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:47.

Exactly. But having a big team with mediocre talent isn't better than what we have either. Size is largely irrelevant. It's not like our players with good size (Komisarek, O'Byrne, Latendresse, Lapierre, Laraque) were our best players this year. This size issue seems to be an obsessive one around here... it's not the reason we lost, and it's not the reason other teams won. It's also incredibly false... we aren't a small team. Remember the 2002 Habs team? Now THAT was a small team.

Submitted by fofe510 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:48.

Size definitely matters. It's not the be-all-and-end-all, but it is absolutely relevant. Come on. This is a contact sport. Size helps. It was rather convenient to leave Markov, Kovalev and Lang off that list of large players, wasn't it? It's also not just a rumour that we're a small team, if you actually examine facts before stating your opinion.

Submitted by saskhab on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 13:35.

What facts are you basing it on? Markov is listed as 6'0", so I don't know what you consider large (by that definition, then Mike Ribeiro would've been considered large). Fair enough on Lang and Kovalev, though 6'2" is a bit of a stretch for a "big" player, they have good strength to go along with it. The point I'm making is that size is only a "small" factor in building your team. Hockey is more about creating advantages against an opponent and exploiting those to your favour. The team that is most successful and that exploitation is the one that will win. Speed is supposed to have been one of our team's key advantages, but we didn't harness it well. Teams with a size advantage have to figure out a way to harness that advantage well. I'd argue we need to acquire more players who have a higher "Hockey IQ", or players that make good decisions in tight situations over size.

Submitted by HardHabits on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:45.

I tend to agree. Grit, heart, desire to win, mental toughness, etc. Those qualities are more important. But add size that to.... Small players can play roles or be components of a great team (St.Louis, Mats Naslund, Brian Gionta, Theoren Fleury, etc.) but to build a team with them? Smurfy!

Submitted by j2c on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:48.

He is on the small size, but looks to have tremendous skill. Here are some youtube videos of him. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOq8z0otd7g&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKY8tahKpVA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3S6ynr27wM&feature=related

Submitted by fofe510 on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 13:38.

lmao @ the third video. REAL skill there.

Submitted by Robert L on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:28.

He looks real good when no one touches him. He's the next Janne Lathti maybe.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/

Submitted by doug19 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 23:12.

What and where is Lathti? A special coffee?

Submitted by Thomas Le Fan on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:37.

Oh great! Another smurf.

Submitted by TorontoHabsFan on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:21.

Or we could just...you know...wait and see him play before sh*tting all over him. Just a thought...

Submitted by Fire_Laraque on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:41.

Something tells me that, when you score 26 goals in 200 games in Sweeden and you weight 180 lbs, you are not going to be doing so good in the NHL. Just a hunch though. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD" -Gregory Stewart on Grabovski.

Submitted by doug19 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 23:13.

One goal every 8 games is prolific for Montreal!

Submitted by likehoy on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 11:57.

well you never know, could be a slow developer or a defensive forward like niklas sundstrom... he might be the fit beside lats and laps...adding some skill and more responsibility. - Pride + Envy = Second Place

Submitted by Hayward4Price on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:12.

Meet our next #1 centre...identical in size, skill and style as Saku...a little earie. Hopefully he will learn to speak French so he has an easier go at this whole "captain of the habs" thing! :)

Submitted by mrhabby on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 10:05.

never heard of him.

Submitted by HardHabits on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 09:30.

Go Smurfs go!!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by Barts on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 09:21.

Great news, another runt Euro... exactly what this team needs right?

Submitted by Xtrahabsfan on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 09:00.

Ball breaking news ....thanks:(

Submitted by G-Man on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 08:39.

Welcome to Smurfland, where everything is smurfy! Seriously, are the Habs becoming The Incredibly Shrinking Hockey Team? __________________________________________________________________________________ Beliveau is the best that ever was.

Submitted by MikeL on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 08:38.

Great news about Emelin. Hopefully he hasn't been in the RSL too long. Some say his development may have suffered by waiting so long to come to NA. As for the Swede - it can't hurt. At worst, he plays in Hamilton all season.

Submitted by cbass on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 12:28.

First off, the Russian Super league is better calibre than the AHL. Second, we're not giving a guy a million plus to play in Hamilton.

Submitted by MikeL on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 15:36.

First off, the AHL is obviously more similar to the NHL than the RSL. Emelin is a rough, in your face, defenseman and was often penalized for things that would be let go over here. In other words, he would have more room for growth in a league that better suits his attributes. Second, if he is on a 2 way deal, we don't pay him a million in the minors. It's a small percentage of that.

Submitted by smiler2729 on Mon, 05/25/2009 - 08:07.

Yay, another European!!! P.S. And for all you Price-bashing/Huet-lovers, how about that Cristobal Huet, eh?

About Mike Boone

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Mike Boone

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About
I grew up in Park Extension, within walking distance of Dickie Moore's Dairy Queen on Jean Talon. Moore had a place on L'Acadie Blvd., and we used to see him driving around in his convertible with a Samoyed and a very dishy wife. While "studying" at McGill University during the 1960s, I used to attend games at the old Montreal Forum. My fellow undergraduate reprobates and I would scramble up the stairs to get centre-ice spots in the top standing room section, where aged ushers didn't know or care what we were smoking. I stood out in the cold for six hours to get tickets to the 1975 New Year's Eve game between the Canadiens and Central Red Army. With the exception of the birth of my daughter, the 3-3 tie was the greatest event I've ever seen in my life. The Canada-U.S. Gold medal game comes close .... but I wasn't there. I've been a professional journalist since 1974, when I joined the Montreal Star sports department. I've covered the 1976 Olympic Games, the 1979 Expos, pop music and MSO tours of Europe and Asia (classical musicians are WAY more fun to drink with than athletes). I wrote a TV & Radio column for 20 years and, since 2000, have written a City column for The Gazette. The best part of being a Habs Inside/Out contributor is attending games at the Bell Centre. I think it's a great building: noisy, raucous and packed to the rafters with Montrealers and visitors who live for hockey. And I still get goosebumps every time Michel Lacroix booms out "Accueillons nos Canadiens ..." Having seen the Boston Red Sox win two World Series and the Pittsburgh Steelers add a couple Super Bowl titles, I suppose I can die happy ... but not before another Stanley Cup parade. And I'd really like my daughter to see a historic New Year's Eve game. I like all the players. Covering baseball gives me a profound appreciation of pro athletes who aren't jerks. My weltanschauung was summarized by the late great Bill Hicks when he said "all matter is merely energy condensed to a slow vibration, we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively, there is no such thing as death, life is only a dream and we are the imagination of ourselves." Have a nice day.

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Report: Canadiens sign Swedish forward

posted by Mike Boone at 5h26 EST on May 25

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