Fallen star Ryder will be hard to move

last year was there a bigger free agent disappointment than samsonov?

was there a worse trade than leclair and desjardins for recchi ten years ago, after which leclair showed his megastar potential?

how about tonight's visitor, mike ribeiro?

it's time to look in the mirror. we don't allow offensive players to prosper here and they haunt us later, even though samsonov has not done so and won't. ryder will.

Just a thought. Everyone keeps referring to Ryder as a sniper. From what I've seen in most cases, snipers can hit the net, and have some sort of offensive flair and creativity. Ryder is a one dimensional player that needs a good set up man aka Kovy. If Ryder is to break out of any slump, why not put him on #2 P unit as he wasn't working out with Koivu and Higgins, maybe it is a psych issue. While I am not a fan of Ryder, letting him rot in the box does nothing for his value to other teams as a trade. He should be a 3rd liner on a team that needs to focus on offense more. I watched Chipchura as a junior, he is a very capable set up man. Move Lapierre to the wing and roll 3 lines, not 4. If a solution can't be found before the trade deadlne then dump him for a pick. We need him to pick it up quick though or we're just wasting cap space on him...and unless he's good at laundry, I'm sure other teams won't pay him to sit in the press box.

It is my view that Ryder has benefited from an enormous amount of patience on the part of his coaching staff as well as his fellow line & team mates.

It is also my view that the team's management could have handled the situation a little better. However, few teams, if any, would be in a position to assume the related risks of persisting with a player this far gone. Ironically, I do not believe the fans have completely given up hope.

Never the less, there are games to be played and we happen to have several young gunners ready to assume his position. I sincerely hope he comes out of his slump, however, not at the expense of the team.

On the up side(if there is one)... He has held his head as high as can be expected, and has maintained an air of dignity and poise. Perhaps someday he'll look back on this as a tremendous learning and character building experience.

Bottom line... I believe Ryder has great potential, but I cannot envision him rising out of the ashes this season... and thus, sadly... not with the Canadiens.

Until then...
Game on!

Who wants an overrated "sniper" who is a defensive liablity? Not me nor the Habs. Sure he's lowered his +/- stats this year thanks to Guy and his staff but that can drastically change back to his old ways wherever we dump him to an NHL that wants him. Sorry Michael, we all have personal issues we have to cope with but you are supposed to be a role model to young Habs fans out there! Winners find there ways to come back and find their way to be put on a Wheaties box, but you have disappointed and shocked alot of Habs fans.....but not me.

"We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

Yes exactly Timo. When Carbonneau benches Ryder and puts Defensemen as forwards, what does that do to the slumping Ryder's confidence? Snipers and goaltenders need babying. Yes I agree some of it is Ryder's fault, that its up to him to snap out of it but, at the same time, Carbonneau hasnt made it easy for him in the least. But as I said in a post somewhere about Stephane Richer, every goal scorer here in Montreal gets crucified at one point or another. So in my opinion I wouldnt want Ovechkin in Montreal as the same fate would await him...eventually. The blueprint of the modern day habs is to be like the NJ Devils of the 90s. Mind you that blueprint wins championships.

Well... what were they expecting? Sitting Ryder every game and dressing a defenseman instead is more telling than Ryder's miserable stats. This is like posting a front page ad in all cities' leading newspapers saying "We think Ryder sucks!" Sure, now you're gonna get something decent in return. I am afraid that once they move Ryder he will turn into another John Leclair. I am sure that's what Gainey is afraid of also, but the reality is that no matter what Ryder may or may not do for the other team, he sure as hell won't do much for this one. I am sure that his relationship with Carbo is damaged beyond repair so putting him back in the line up is not even an option anymore.

Maybe carbo should take some HR and inter-personal relationships courses. He just does not know how to handle this side of the game.

Carbo seems to be in love of playing D-men as forward. That is equivalent to "play not to lose" vs "play to win". As for Ryder's case, both him and the management are at fault. The statistics aside, his play just didn't look good and there was no chemistry with his line mate. Carbo's defensive PK style system didn't help player like Ryder. He prefer to use another defensive minded player instead of Ryder. We miss Ryder's quick release. Carbo's system is not giving him opportunities to use it. Now we are shooting ourself in the foot. It becomes a lose-lose situation.

habs freek ,I have to agree with you on DTD,and on the comment he made to smart dog was uncalled for and rude,mabe he needs to pick another team to bash.....I think he does this to get attention.I tried to listen to his comments,but he gets to mad when we lose and takes it out on everyone.So DTD please try to be nice to your fellow fans and I wish you a merry christmas........

Ryder has two problems, the first is mental and the second is physical.

Mental Problem:
After two years of arbitration he feels he is not being paid what he is worth, he needs to see a sports psychiatrist to put him in the right frame of mind and become a productive team player.

Physical Problem:
He showed up in camp in average physical condition due to the mental problems created by his arbitration, lost confidence as he was a step or two slower than the more fit players who worked their butts off in the summer. He does not get the message the coaches are giving him, they tell him to work hard in practice, the coaches are really saying you need to work allot harder than everyone else to get a chance, he needs to become stronger and faster because the depth chart on the Habs has risen and there are now more players that can fill his spot.

Questions:
Is Ryder really a 30 goal scorer? The answer is only with the Habs, he would never have gotten the chance to play as much on the power play with any of the top 20 teams in the NHL last year.

Unless he makes the effort mentally and physically to get better, in today's NHL he is really an average 3rd or 4th line forward.

Most times for a player that is in this frame of mind only a trade can save his career, the biggest motivator will be to prove everyone wrong.

Ryder is currently his own worst enemy.

A TALE OF TWO SNIPERS

JASON BLAKE
the 40 goal man, has scored 1 more goal then Ryder since near the start of the season - mid OCT, THREE MONTHS of HOCKEY! He averages about 17 MINUTES PER GAME and those minutes have STAYED CONSISTENT. NOW, has he been scratched, benched, ridiculed, called out, demoted to secondary lines, demoted to grinder lines, demoted to hotdog stand, demoted to sweeping floors? answer:GRAND TOTAL OF ZERO. NEVER. HE HAS PLAYED EVERY GAME IN AN EFFORT TO GET HIS SNIPING BACK ON TRACK AND PRODUCE GOALS - REMEMBER - GOALS are needed to WIN - SNIPER IS VERY IMPORTANT - HOCKEY 101.

RYDER
25, 30, 30 GOAL SEASONS - Started the year sharp with 1/2pt per game, massive improvement on his defensive responsibilities, team is winning and then WHAM, maybe LATRON is 1st line material experiment #1 of many, and WHAM Higs can't find the net, its RYDERS fault! - so begins the endless shuffle and now Mr R-Sniper is avg less than 10mins/game on 3rd and 4th units where even in that role he is doing his job, but still ends up eating hotdogs and all the while keeps a great atitude, never a bad word or WHINING to the press, what a tEAM PLAYER...BUT NOT HOW YOU GET PRODUCTION FROM A SNIPER.

CARBS ONLY TRUE TEST of the season has been his handling of the RYDER DEBACLE, and he has in my opinion FAILED - although I think CARB has performed very well on all other aspects of his tenure.

GOING FORWARD, I hope soon, very soon, TONIGHT. that RYDER is back in the lineup, even on the 3rd or 4th line. Kostop should sit or Streit back to D and let Gorges sit.

We need our GUNS GUNNING.

---------
1. until the problem in my picture is solved...we will not be Champions.
2. Delenda Est Torontium....
3. your not a Hab fan till you watch & UNDERSTAND "The Rocket"

I remember steve shutt who was not a great skater but who could score goals fast on the trigger he went to power skating school one summer if I remember right.Turned into a very good player

There 2 proven 30 goal scorers on the team, and one of them is sitting---unreal. Until some of the younger players comes along and prove they can score 25-30 goals per season then the proven scorers should be in there. If Ryder was 35-40 yrs then I could understand it being on the end of his career, however, at 27 --- no you dont sit him especially on a team that need scoring. Maybe Carbo wants all defensive specialist who can score 10-15 goals a year, and go nowhere. I have been a avid Habs fan for more years than probably anyone else on this site and I've seen many coaches come and go with the habs, some of whom were good and some not so good, but I dont think any of them sat their 30 goal scorers.

I hope Ryder gets a chance to play somewhere.He is young and will get over this slump but not in Montreal.Your right when its said he sits on the road and then put in at home where he hasnt a chance to build he confidence.

The man shouldnt have ever been benched, players go into slumps. I dont recall the leafs benching Jason Blake or taking him off his line. In my opinion a coach in the NHL shouldnt have to teach pros too many things, where a coach is invaluable is the mental aspect of a player like confidence building etc -so blame the teacher, not the student in this instance. I dont mind Carbonneau but he could be less trigger-happy at times.

Richard B
I imagine we will give Ryder away...and he will turn out like John Leclair!!!

Listen here, other players in this league have slumps, but you dont see them outcasted to the press box or the third or fourth line. Can someone with a grain of sense explain how you motivate a player from these places without a line of BS, If Gainey is so displeased with Ryder then throw in the towel and put him on waivers. And no crap about nothing in return. Carbo has no intention of playing him, only in front of the home crowd so they can practice their boo bird song, seems like they should get an music award. Problem is,once Ryder goes,whos turn is it then to be picked on.I surely hope he gets moved soon, and more than likely acheive what Riberto has done.