Log in & Sign up
You are not logged in.
About Kevin Mio
Full Name
Kevin Mio
About
Kevin Mio is a Montreal Gazette editor who grew up playing hockey, watching the Canadiens every chance he could on television and reading articles about the team by some of the people he works with today. He still remembers going to the Forum with his father to watch the Canadiens and was even fortunate enough to skate on Forum ice with his minor hockey team.
From Mats Naslund to Saku Koivu, he has always enjoyed watching the small, speedy and skilled players, while also admiring the gritty players that are essential to any team’s success.
From his one-on-one interviews with members of the team to a look at other coverage of the Canadiens, he will keep fans posted on their favourite team and looks forward to sharing his love of hockey with other passionate fans.
Boone's Online Eeee-mail
Share the agony and ecstasy of Habs fandom and read live blogs from every game with Gazette columnist Mike Boone.
The Puckcast
Weekly commentary and inside info about the Canadiens straight from the Gazette's experts.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Follow Habs Inside/Out on Twitter, featuring live updates from Gazette feature writer Dave Stubbs.The Other Wing
The Other Wing features regular Habs commentary by some bloggers we like.
The Rules
Habs Inside/Out encourages lively debate, but there is a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism, profanity and behaviour that we deem to be offensive. We will, without warning, ban those who do not abide by this simple rule, so as to maximize the enjoyment of readers and participants of both sexes and all ages.
Habs Inside/Out main RSS feed
Mike Boone's RSS feed
PuckCast RSS feed
Other Wing RSS feed
Site concept and design by User Generation
Most Commented
Most commented posts from the last 7 days:
Resources
Player info: League info:
Habs Inside/Out: Absolutely everything about the Montreal Canadiens
For editorial inquiries, contact Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan (scowan@thegazette.canwest.com).
For advertising inquiries, please contact your Gazette sales representative (gazadv@thegazette.canwest.com).
©2008 The Gazette, a division of Canwest Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited.
Terms and Conditions
Privacy Statement
It's a sad state of affairs when HIO announces the signings of Bell and Latendresse and I decide to check out comments as I usually do and read the comments that many bloggers made vs Latendresse in particular.
There is such an animosity and downright dislike for a player that I haven't seen since Brisebois, the year Gainey defended him, rightly so I might add, in the newspapers and media in general. The people who comment so negatively about Latendresse border on being downright bigots. I really don't understand such comments. It seems to me that such hate doesn't have its place on this blog.
Certainly negative comments are welcomed: but it would help to read negative comments that are balanced in regards to team-mates, a career perspective, the role a player plays on the team, etc... But this isn't the case at all. It's downright bigotted, biased and personal.
I've followed the Habs for over 50 years and have rarely read such diatribe about one single player in all these years. In French we say "un poids deux mesures". Those of you who understand French will understand. Those of you don't should check it out and learn to make more balanced and mature anaysis of Latendresse.
Your attitude is downright dirty and despicable. It's somewhat shameful to read these commentaries when they border on the worst of abominations: hatred of someone for any reason these 'minds' can muster. Wake up and learn to appreciate what each player brings to the team. Put your emotions "off" the radar once in a while and breathe normally for a change.
Grow up!
Georges Drouin
I am perhaps the biggest LaSlowesse detractor on the site, but not for any emotional or bigoted reason. He is simply one of the least talented players I have ever seen in the NHL in over 50 years of watching. He is painfully slow, doesn't check worth a darn, never fights and rarely, if ever, delivers a big hit. He sticks out like a sore thumb. He may eventually learn to check a little bit, but he should have been learning these things in Hamilton a long time ago. When the Kostitsyn's have to play in the minors for years and this guy never suits up for one minor league game then I have to ask why. It can't hurt that he's a francophone in Montreal.
The Habs are now at $53,289,000 with only two players to sign - Dags and Pleks. (I'm assuming that MaxPac makes the team).
LaSlowesse remains while everybody else is shipped out. I guess the secret is to shamble slowly along on your ankles, never develop a shot, never fight, never win a battle for the puck in the corner and have a francophone name.
I have no problem with giving him one more year to prove himself, especially at $800K. I'd rather have a kid who can get better than an aging pud who peaked eons before arriving on Montreal or sucked from the get-go (Smolinski, Samsonov, Johnson, Sundstrom, Bulis, Juneau, Dackell, Dowd. . . the list goes on).
Our home-grown kids are the key to any real success we'll achieve down the road.
dude for $800,000 this is a steal. prob the best value on the team.
Do you actually watch when he's on the ice or have you just decided that you don't like him for no apparent reason? He has a good shot, wins many battles for the puck along the boards and, yes, he is French. He's 6' 2" and 235lbs. You can't teach that.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Beliveau is the best that ever was.
I never take my eyes off of him when he's on the ice. I have never seen him hit anybody with authority. He rarely, if ever, wins a battle on the boards (he's too slow), and he is just a 3rd-liner 12 goal scorer at best. he is a lousy checker too - he hangs around waiting for the other guys to do the work and hopes to jam in their loose pucks. I keep watching for him to do anything in the slightest bit remarkable but so far - rien.
How about this for REMARKABLE...
Mike Fisher 0.4 points per game 6 Million
Dainius Zubrus 0.5 points per game 3.4 million
PJ Axelsson 0.4 points per game 1.8 million
Jonathan Cheechoo 0.4 point per game 4 million
OR LATENDRESS 0.5 points per game...800k???????
HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE COMPLAIN...
Big Dif is Latendrese's points would be higher if he was allowed to get an assist for every puck he gives away that ends up being scored against Montreal! But then that would make Josh Gorges the highest point getter in the league then followed closely by Lats!
So would Kovalev get a point for every dumb penalty he takes that we get scored on?
Two points for taking a penalty DURING a Powerplay???
You clearly don't know, watch or understand hockey if that is your opinion. The best example that I can think of this year where Latendresse stood out as an IMPACT player was against Ottawa late in the year. He scored two goals when nobody else at forward stepped up(his entire line notwithstanding) and the other goal scorers in that loss were Andrei Markov, Roman Hamrlik and Mathieu Schneider. I believe I'm correct on that, I apologize if I'm not. Anyway, he is physical, he does have a scoring touch, he does have good hands and he does give an effort all of the time, oh, and he is always in the corners battling for the puck and more often than not wins those battles. You must be drunk, if that is your analysis of his play you need to get into soccer or something. Just because he doesn't have Marion Gaborik speed doesn't mean that he's ineffective. And another thing, when he played in the world junior championships for Brent Sutter, Sutter was playing all of the Western Canadian kids and sat Latendresse for the majority of the tournament. Finally gave him regular shifts in the semi-final and gold medal game and he played his *** off. Shows you how he responds to adversity. THAT'S WHY HE GOT SIGNED. I'm just dissapointed that he wasn't signed long-term, but maybe that will come.
I played competitive hockey until I was 30. I watch every game. I have never seen LaUseless win a battle on the boards - never. I have never seen him plow an opposition player - really plow him. I have never seen him even threaten mayhem to an opposing player, let alone drop his gloves. He gets about 5-10 assists a year - he is a non-passer. His shot is lousy. And - he may be the slowest player in both the NHL and the AHL. Other than that, he's a beauty.
I was taught french in school
I agree with you G-man. Gui is a good one with good upside.
And some of these posters... well, it just makes you wonder what must be going on for them in the rest of their lives.
I'll just add my voice to the yes side here. Yes to signing Lats and at such a great price too. He has the size and continues to develop. Hope to see his skating improved this season.
i'm saying yes to the one-year deal :) great thinking, Bob. we can only hope this is the last year :)
Lats is the Walmart NHL greeter, let's see if he dons a blue vest to play, I guess Lats and Bob both shop at Walmart.
I dont know what to think about Shawn Belle. He's big. At 235 he's a moose. His +- in Hamilton was excellent.
He isnt going to put points on the board but he looks like a steady, reliable performer.
If Hamrlik went down long term and our PP was performing well, maybe he warrants a call up to fill the spot.
Can this guy make the team out of training camp?
A good signing at a decent price for a 15-20 goal scorer. This off season Gainey made some moves that I liked, and other I didn't. What's done is done, and instead of repeating what has already been said, here's a look into this coming season...
- Pacioretty, S.Kostitsyn & D'Agostini appear to be competing for the final spot on the second line. Pacioretty is the only one of the three that I could see having success on either of the four lines, but won't be rushed if management decides he needs another year in Hamilton. S.Kostitsyn is responsible enough defensively to play on either of the top three lines, but would be useless on the fourth line. He'd be better off in Hamilton refining his game. D'Agostini, IMO, should only make the team if he proves during training camp & pre-season games that he is a top-six forward. He is useless playing in any role that does not require him to score, as he is not strong enough defensively.
- While some think that Latendresse hasn't done anything to warrant being promoted to the second line, IMO he has. He's coming off a strong season, and really came into his own in terms of his game and his role on the team. While it would be disppointing to break up him & Lapierre, if none of the Patches, SK74 or Dags crack the second line, he may be our only other option. While some may see him as a last resort, he has the size we've been missing in our top-six forwards and has steadily improved since he came into the NHL. He capable of 20-25 goals if he plays consistently on one of the top two lines, which is about right for a second-line player.
- Plekanec will be resigned, and if he is not traded Gainey will be happy to have him as his second-line centre. He is a legit 20-goal scorer, who is capable of reaching 30. Those stats seem about right for a second-line centre. Not to mention his stats should improve this year considering how much better his linemates are, both in terms of skill and drive. Expect him and AK46 to have bounce-back years.
- Chipchura only getting a one-year deal, IMO is Gainey's way of telling him that this year is make-or-break for him. While I'm hoping he takes this oppotunity and runs with it, it's possible that he just doesn't pan out. In that case, depending on his progress down in Hamilton, IMO Maxwell should be considered for fourth-line centre. That'll give him the chance to learn the ropes in the NHL without too much pressure and then we can ease him into the role of second-line centre once he is ready, which is what he projects to be.
"Hard work always beats talent, if talent doesnt work hard."
Great comments - I made a similar argument for Lats below...although I am not high on Lats, I can see Martin giving him a chance - but not on the first line, and I don't think Pacioretty is completely healthy enough to solidly compete as hard as he might want for that spare forward position.
I agree D'Ags probably will have a hard time cracking this lineup. SK74 is much better defensively, I would even go as far as say he'd be dynamite on the 3 line with Moen and Laps. Moen has decent hands, and may benefit from Sergei's thread the needle passes.
But lets give Lats his shot, but AK47 deserves a top line shot. Ak74-Gomez-Gionta, very similar to Elias-Gomez-Gionta, those guys combined for 222pts (97goals) in 05/06, and had a decent year in 06/07 as well. If AKost continues to play physical (140 hits last year), he'll make a lot of space for the other guys, and he certainly can keep up with those guys - something that I don't think anyone can argue - Lats is just not fast enough for Gomez, and Gionta - he's also probably not fast enough for Pleks and Cammy - however he could just park himself in front of the net like a good little 6'3" two-hundred and thirty pounder ;-)
GOOD CALL!
SERGE, MOEN AND LAPI WILL BE AN AMAZING LINE! SURPRISE OF THE SEASON!
THEY CAN ALL PUT IN THE NET, AND THEY ALL PLAY MEAN AND HARD!
With Pacioretty's recent injury problems, letting him at least start the year in Hamilton would be a good idea. No sense rushing him if he's not ready.
Dags will probably end up in Hamilton to start the year, as he is too weak defensively. Considering Jacques Martin's coaching style, D'Agostini has ways to go. With a good training camp, S.Kostitsyn should be a top-nine forward. Agree he along with Lapierre & Moen would make a pretty good third line.
I agree that Lats definately not earned a spot on the top line. IMO all he's earned is a chance at being a top-six forward. Whether he runs with the opportunity, or is brough back to the third line where he seemed so comfortable last year, it seems like a win-win situation. He probably won't be able to keep up with the likes of Plekanec and Cammelleri, but that doesn't mean he can't be effective. Just look at Holmstrom with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. As for A.Kostitsyn, he does deserve the chance to play on the top line. He would also bring a little physicality to a line of players who play ont he edge.
For all those hoping we let Plekanec go, or trade him and have Cammelleri play centre, forget about it. He hasn't played centre since his early years with LA, and has even stated that he feels more comfortable playing the wing. I just hope that his line gets enough minutes to justify having a $6 million man on it.
"Hard work always beats talent, if talent doesn't work hard."
Good points -- I like your Gomez Gionta AK47 line and love your description of AK47 ;--)
D'agostini is terrible defensively and will not make this team. doubt jaques martin will find a use for him.
-17 in 52 reg season games, and a team worst -5 in 3 playoff games.
Look who was coaching the kid.
when looked at from a point per game perspective, Lats has improved every season
19 yrs/old .3625 20 yrs/old .379 21 yrs/old .464
when you throw in his first +4 season last year and 140 hits in only 56 games. it's more then fair to say he has improved nicely since his rookie year.
if he stays healthy he gets any PP time, look for him to score 25+ goals and maybe hit 50 pts this coming year.
you heard it hear first
Latendresse made the team as a francophone player his first year. If his name was Jones he plays in the minors.
That being said, he has acquitted himself quite nicely and has done well given that he sees no pp time and plays with a centreman with no puck skills.
GUi was never projected to fly down the wing Lafleur style and rifle slapshots past the goalie. That's not his game. To criticize the guy for that reason is stupid. All teams need a muscle guy that can work the boards, play a puck posession game down low and pot goals from around the crease. That is how Martin will use Gui.
John Leclair couldnt skate like the wind or blaze slappers off the rush either but he scored a lot of goals and dominated the slot and corners. I would hate to give up on Gui shy of his 25 birthday and then see him blossom like Leclair did.
When Lats goes into the boards to win the puck, he is successful more often than not...and he is as strong as an ox (no comments about smarts, please!). He has that part of the game down tight, and has also learned to use his body for banging and crunching - what he now needs to learn is how to pay the price jamming up the front of the net, ala Holmstom....if he can learn that, he has a place on the Habs for life.
I agree with you on that - Power Forwards take a while to develop, and GOD FORBID we have a repeat of Leclair. However we can't forget that Lindros had a big influence of Leclair's stats, but that's not to take away from what he was; an absolute beast that destroyed us every single time he came into our house.
I think we already do, and he just went to NYR for Gomez.
higgins compared to leclair? 6' 200 lbs to 6'3" 235 lbs. Higgins scoring 25 goals would be considered a good year,leclair scores 25 while playing on the legion of doom line would get him booed out of town. A much more realistic comparasion for higgins is antoine vermette.
Umm....you mean Higgins? I'm not sold on Higgins to be honest. Although it's no mystery that he has blazing speed, I just don't think he's got that "touch" - and who's gonna make him look good? Maybe if he gets paired on the top line with Gaborik, and Dubinsky...actually that line might be pretty good ;-)
Regardless, Higgins is no John Leclair I think that's pretty clear. In Leclair's fourth year he scored 51 goals, Higgins scored 12 last year, topping at 27 in 07/08 - playing on a top line with Koivu/Ryder/Kostitsyn/Lats.
I'm not worried about Higgins destroying us - Price won't have to stop much, he'll be missing the net most of the time anyways.
@JasonM: That would be Setoguchi and he scored more than 30 goals last season...
Then look at any of our young guys and their first 3 seasons:
Higgins rookie year 23 goals 38 pts in 80 gms, 06-07 22 goals 38 pts in 61 gms, 27 goals 52pts in 82 gms
Pleks rookie year 9 goals 29pts in 67gms, 20 goals and 47 pts in 81 gms, 29 goals 69pts in 81gms
AK46 rookie year 1 goal 11pts in 22 gms, 26 goals 53 pts in 78 gms, 23 goals 41 pts in 74 gms
Ryder rookie year 25 goals 63 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 55 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 58 pts in 82 gms
SK rookie year 9 goals 27 pts in 52 gms, 8 goals 23 pts in 56 gms
Latendresse 16 goals 29 pts in 80 gms, 16 goals 27 pts in 73 gms, 14 goals 26 pts in 56 gms
Now look at those stats forget his ice time and how much pp he had. All these guys had better pts and goals per game than latendresse in their first 3 seasons. Now what has he accomplished? Even SK was on better pace his first two seasons in the nhl and his rookie year he did better than latendresse last season!
Now explain me why latendresse cracked the lineup before AK46? Why does he deserve the spot on the second line above Sergei? SK has more pts per game than latendresse and has more skill too.
Now will all you latendresse lovers please shut up. He is getting better and he did great last year as a third line player. I liked him playing with lapierre and he should stay there this year too!
S.K. PLAYED LIKE DOGGY DO LAST YEAR,DON'T EVEN BRING UP HIS GANG LAND WANNA BE 'S ***.....
Perhaps it's escaped your attention that Latendresse is 22. He was younger than everyone on the list when he cracked the NHL, and promptly demonstrated he belonged by being one of the team's better goal-scorers.
Besides. "Please compare Latendresse's points to people who have more icetime and PP time and pretend that makes sense, and now shut up"? Yes, that's a very compelling argument.
Please. You're embarassing yourself with your ignorant, hateful bashing. It's okay to dislike Latendresse, but at least be honest with him.
Although I don't agree with how his comments were adressed, I do tend to agree with theme of Richrebellion's comments.
I simply don't agree that Lats is has earned his first line shot....at least not yet. I think that spot belongs to Andrei Kostitsyn and nobody else, not Gionta, not Cammalleri, not Pacioretty, and certainly not Latendresse. Who flanks him on the opposite wing...well I think it's obvious it will be Gionta or Cammy, but I'd prefer Gionta for simply the reason that I think Cammy and A. Kostitsyn are similar players. Don't tell me that AK47 is on his off wing, because he rocks it on his off wing anyways.
You could promote Lats up to the 2nd line with Cammy, but personally I would like to see Sergei with Cammy as SK74 is a pure passer and if he can play on a line with a goal scorer, well than along with the centre, Cammy's got 2 guys tossing him the puck. Latendresse can not offer that same perk; the perk who should be offering, ie: screening the net, and hits, he's gotten much better at (140 Hits last year, that's a good number), but I just am not 100% convinced. BUT - He deserves a shot on that second line, and as much as I love Sergei's game, Lats really does deserve the shot. Anyway's Sergei's a pretty damn good defensive forward - he used to kill penalties for Dalle Hunter in London. He had 21 blocked shots last year, that's as many as our dear departed Saku Koivu, Robert Lang, Kovalev, and his brother, and he did this in 20 less games than most - He was also plus 8 on his giveaway, takeaway ratio, all the while with poor coaching.
So I say give Lats his 2nd line shot - lets see what he can do with that - but he does NOT deserve that 1st line position - let's play our highest paid in-house groomed forward on the 1st line shall we?
So how old is SK? His stats are there and better. The reason why he is younger than everyone is because fans like you pushed carbo's hand. Everyone went crazy for him in pre season 2 straight years and it worked somehow!
Now if you want to keep using the icetime/ PP excuse then clearly you havent even read what I said. Why wouldnt the guy who brought him into the nhl at 19 want to give this guy a shot? Why would he reward other players who according to you are worse than him more icetime and pp time? I mean it would make more sense for carbo to try and prove everyone hes right by giving the guy more icetime to improve his stats, which would show he made the right choice no?
Im ignorant i just showed u guys who played, are playing and are fighting with latendresse for a job on the top lines stats of their first 3 seasons and why they deserved more icetime and you continue to try and push this guy?
I dont dislike anyone on the habs trust me, all I want is from them to win and if they can do that with latendresse on the first line then so be it. But guess what hes not the best man for the job, I loved him playing with lapierre on the third line and would love him there again this season. I think for the best chance to win its better to have d'agostini or SK on that second line.
The fact of the matter is this I know I wont convince you or all the people who love this guy. But I dont have to, I dont have to convince anyone. Martin and Gainey will decide where he fits on the team and they will be very fair and know way more about the game then any of us. Guess what when the season starts he will be on the third line! IDIOT
SK is Lats' age, but he got given plum icetime and PP time, and he certainly wasn't better than Lats this year. Dismissing icetime and linemates and PP time as irrelevant is completely ridiculous. Most scorers put up much of their production on the power play. Many scorers don't put up the five-on-five numbers Latendresse does, either.
Latendresse became a NHLer at 19 because he dominated his second straight training camp. It certainly was early, but a 16-goal rookie season clearly demonstrates that he was a ready NHLer.
I've long stopped trying to understand Carbonneau. He misused Alex Tanguay, his best forward, and took a young scorer like Latendresse and insisted he play like a grinder -- not surprising since he really wanted everyone to play like a grinder. I used to think there had to be some sort of method to his madness but the bottom line is, he just doesn't understand scorers or distribution of icetime. In hindsight his bench management for the Habs was quite atrocious across the board.
If Lats starts the season on the third line I'll be extremely disappointed. He's clearly the fourth-best winger on the team and he's earned a top-six shot twice over. He's clearly better than d'Agostini, and about the only one who has an argument is Sergei Kostitsyn -- but unlike Latendresse, Kostitsyn regressed last year.
Now i wont argue that having better linemates results in better stats. But then is latendresse is as good as you all say he is why couldnt carbo see it? Ok you wanna say he didnt manage the team right but he still put his best players on the top 2 lines. Latendresse was there at some points throughout his 3 year career but never stuck. Everytime he went up his stats didnt get better and you could see he didnt fit in with the players he was with.
As for if he was ready at 19, I dont think he was he was taken over AK46 that season and in the end andrei came in and proved he is a way better player. You wanna blame Carbo for putting latendresse on the third line it goes the same way for putting him in the nhl there were guys ahead of him that didnt get their shot and have shown in their time in the nhl they are better players.
Now you keep mentioning his age and what guys have done what he did at his age. But ok when he was 19 I understand the 16 goals but why hasnt he improved drastically? I mean Higgins was a rookie at 21 and in his rookie year he scored 23 goals. Latendresse is now 22 but has 3 years of nhl experience under his belt so logically he cud easily have scored 23+ goals this season.
The second line already has proven 20 goal scorers on it either way you look at it. AK has 2 20 goal seasons, Pleks has 3 and if u move cammalleri down hes got way more. So if you wanna have the best line possible it would only make sense to have a playmaker wud it not? Sergei is a great playmaker and u say he regressed but look at his pts per game last season compared to latendresses second season. gui had .37 pts per game in his second year, sergei had .41 pts per game so even his regression is better than latendresses progression.
So how can you possibly think that SK is not more suited for the job than latendresse? He is the type of player the line needs and when you compare their first 2 seasons sergei has the edge. Plus if AK46 ends up on the second line im sure he would have much more chemistry with his brother than latendresse. Anyway you look at it I rather sergei on that line, I dont hate latendresse I just love the habs and the guy best suited to play on that second line is Sergei not Gui.
Latendresse was rushed into the NHL before he is ready. The bad Rap. came from those who expect him to play like a veteran. But he has shown steady improvement on his two weakness (skating and puck handling). His strength is puck protection along the board and get in front of the net to pick up a loose puck. If he can continue to improve his puck handling, he could score 20 goals this season.
For all those apologists sticking up for Lats get over it. The people that don't like him don't like him for a reason. The guy is a brutal skater an rarely scores off the rush. If he wasn't french he wouldn't have made the team.
It's beginning to sound a lot like Leafs culture here. As soon as a guy gets the ch on the chest he is a star. Gimme a break!
Lats is projected as the next great power forward by the guys on l'Antichambre. Don't hold your breath. He is destined for 3rd line status. Can he fire the puck. Sure . He might be a guy to throw out on the pp in the slot and have a great passer distribute the puck to him .
But lets be clear the next great Power forward? Not in your life.
We want bold moves. Buy out BGL and get some more scoring here!
I do not believe buying out BGL is possible without it counting against our cap, and as 24Cups pointed out we are perilously close to the cap ceiling right now.
That would leave trading BGL and I doubt anyone will take him off our hands for a draft pick, if he could be traded at all. And if he could be traded we'd therefore have to take someone and their salary.
Given the corner that Bob has painted the team into for the next several years it may be why Lats got a one year contract. No room for next year. Demonstrate this year that you are a keeper or so long.
As for Lats, he is below the Kostitsyns, and Pleks on who underperformed last year.
Except when u buyout a contract only 2/3 count towards the cap and it can be spread over 2 the length that is left over so his cap hit wud be .5 for each of the next four years instead of 1.5 for the next 2. And considering all he does is complain about ice time, is injured half the season and when he does play will only fight guys who are heavy weights and have done nothing ill take the .5 cap hit over 4 years.
GO GUI!
Wait for Price to bloom...it's his 'Prime Time' in 3-4 years.
Lats is goinna hab a breakout year,GUI,GUI,GUI......
Lat's, has been a disappointment thus far maybe, he's still young but its frustrating watching him trying to skate, cement hands, 2 steps behind the play. Hopefully, he improves and utilizes his physic and play a more physical role, more passion.
Does this work? Puts some size on the top two lines...
Latendresse-Gomez-Gionta
Pacioretty - Camallerri - Kostitsyn
E.
If latendresse cracks the top line I would be disgusted! He has absolutely no shot at playing on the top line and wud even be a surprised on the second. Expect him on the third.
We all love MaxPac but pencilling him in a top-6 role is a bit premature. I think he starts in the AHL (though I hope he'll surprise!), I'd keep Cammy on the wing, and go Cammalleri-Plekanec-AKost.
Until last year I was never a big Latendresse fan, I never really thought of the guy as using his size enough and he was really slow...but I have to say i was impressed with him last season, I thought he made big strides working on his skating, and the guy was one of our bigger hitters last year, and I think keeping Lats on the same line with Lapierre is the best thing 4 him because they both bring the best out of each other and I can't wait to see Travis Moen on that line as well, thats going to be one line I know I'd hate to be out there against
I really like Gui and thought he did a great job in the second half of the season working with Lapierre. He also has a lot of upside. I know some here get down on him and I have trouble understanding that.
Under the circumstances, we should not be expecting any more than he has given to this point in his career and has shown progress every year so should get much better. Big picture is all good when it comes to this player.
One-Year deal, time for him to show up for more than once every eight games. Otherwise, adios at Trade Deadline for draft picks or part of a player package.
He shows flashes of being a good player right now, but not much more than that. He has to be consistent to be a top Six man, he could be there, but he needs to prove he can be good every game and not turn over the puck on every 2nd pass he makes.
- Captain Koivu Forever
I suspect the one-year deal at that price was his idea, not a ploy to ship him out in a trade otherwise they would have signed him longer. I think he wants this year to prove himself ready for something longer term with better value.
I think the one year deal will allow him to file for salary arbritration next year,he hopes to have a big year then cash in next summer.
nhl.com has latendresse with only 11 giveaways in 54 games...the least on the team (albeit he'd have around 25 if he played a full season)...kovy led all forwards with 64 giveaways.
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
Good pickup.
Cheapest 20 goal scorer in the league.
Hopefully he'll be given a chance to have solid playing time and a healthy season. Just love this guy, one of my favorite players. He'd be a top 6 forward in many other teams and will THRIVE. Let's not screw up with him as well.
When did he score 20?
What playoff team would latendresse ever crack the top 6? He is a good 3rd liner and will remain there and has not shown any promise of being that great power forward. How this guy became your favorite player boggles my mind! I think you should start watching the other guys on the team like Markov, AK46, cammalleri, gomez and gionta and if your looking for some young guy to love pick pacioretty or dags because they will be great players one day.
Im not trying to be an asshole I just dont like people overexaggerating his skills and what he is capable of but I do like him on the 3rd line with Lapierre.
Looks like Lats has one year to prove himself before he becomes a mainstay in Mtl.
sholi2000.com God Bless Our Infantry 2PPCLI
Not to rag on the guy because I think there is an upside to him, but I kinda see Gui as the Shane Andrews of hockey (Expos reference). A guy that finishes the year with 20 home runs but fans can't remember any meaningful ones. Stats that look good on paper a year later but don't mean much during the season. Overall though good value for money...balances out the Gomex contract :)
I hope he continues working hard and improving but it seems like every year we expect it to be his breakout year...if he can turn himself into a John Leclair post-Habs type of player that would be awesome.
Wow!! Shane Andrews....3rd baseman that could't hit the curve ball.
Latendresse gets a bad rap. He's big, young and can score.
If he got more aggressive and nasty he could turn into a top notch big forward in this league.
GuI skates well enough if he uses his size to better effect. He can score and he is big enough to tangle with most other players. His problems are all between his ears.
Gui and his agent know that a breakout season of 20-20 will grab him a big raise in arbitration and Bob wants to motivate him to reach his potential. This deal is a win-win and people should be excited about what Gui can do.
Gets a bad rap? From who? This guy hasnt done anything to impress me except bang in a few easy goals. He wont score 20 goals this year and wont crack the top 6 forwards.
He will be a career 3rd liner and will maybe crack 20 goals a couple of times. He will never be a top notch big player in the league so watch what you say. I dont think he is even comparable to getzlaf, nash or any other top notch big forward.
"Gets a bad rap? From who?"
Generally from fans like you.... Nash? Really??? *facepalm*
He gets a bad rap from you, for example. You need to get over your personal dislike of him and notice what he's accomplishing with how little he's been given -- even if you don't consider his icetime-prorated stats it's pretty damned impressive.
Lats is clearly top-six material at 22 already. At that age, a lot of current top-six forwards were still in the minors.
There's no way Lats is clearly top 6 material. Where do you get this? He's never scored more than 16 goals or reached 30 points. If he's in the top 6 on your team, then your team is not very good. I think he was starting to show what kind of player he is last year. A 3rd line, banger, who maybe can pot 20 goals a year. A very valuable player, if he can mature and continue on his progression. He definately is not a top 6 forward now and might never be. He'll never score 30 goals. Doesn't mean his role isn't an important one.
The reason why people get frustrated with him, is because he was brought to Montreal as maybe a future Staal. If people would have calmed down over his size and took him for what he was, we all would have been a lot easier on him. Same thing happened to Higgins and maybe same thing will happen to Price. Really hope not on the latter. Too much unmerited hype, too soon. Because we're all starving for young star players.
Then look at any of our young guys and their first 3 seasons:
Higgins rookie year 23 goals 38 pts in 80 gms, 06-07 22 goals 38 pts in 61 gms, 27 goals 52pts in 82 gms
Pleks rookie year 9 goals 29pts in 67gms, 20 goals and 47 pts in 81 gms, 29 goals 69pts in 81gms
AK46 rookie year 1 goal 11pts in 22 gms, 26 goals 53 pts in 78 gms, 23 goals 41 pts in 74 gms
Ryder rookie year 25 goals 63 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 55 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 58 pts in 82 gms
SK rookie year 9 goals 27 pts in 52 gms, 8 goals 23 pts in 56 gms
Latendresse 16 goals 29 pts in 80 gms, 16 goals 27 pts in 73 gms, 14 goals 26 pts in 56 gms
There are the stats of some of the guys who have played top six for habs that came up through the system. he doesnt compare to any of them and if you compare him to SK who is the same age has done better in pts per game if you match them up and is a point per game guy in the ahl.
Now why gui got the pass to the nhl at 19 blows my mind, you think he deserved to make the team over AK 3 years ago? No but because he was french and had a decent pre season the fans screamed for him and carbo gave in.
As for his ice time once again theres a reason for that and its because he doesnt have the skill to play top line minutes.
His season this year already projects to 20-20 (give or take a couple of assists) and he doesn't get PP scoring. If he plays a full season, 20-20 certainly isn't too much to ask. If he plays on the top six and manages to be productive on the PP, I'm honestly hoping for more.
lats will top off as a 25g 50 pts player...but that's more than enough to be a complementary top 6 winger...he'll never lead his line, but he won't be the slouch of it either...the only thing we can hope for is that as his career prolongs...and he becomes more desperate to be an NHL performer...he takes on a bit more of a mike knuble type role...an immovable object in front of the net on the PP and scores 30 goals a year by just tapping pucks in
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
Considering what he's already done 5-on-5 on limited icetime, I think that if he tops off at 25-25 it'll be a significant disappointment.
The guy pots as many goals at even-strength as literally anyone on the team, and he doesn't get plum icetime or offensive linemates to do it. He only plays 13:30 per game. If he was more productive on the power play, he'd be in 25-25 range over a full season right now.
And keep in mind he's only 22. Guys his age are not supposed to be 20-20 NHLers. We haven't seen the best of him by a long shot. I think 25-25 isn't his ceiling, it's what we can reasonably expect from him next year if he finally gets second-line minutes.
I'm flaggerbasted by how underrated this guy is.
Um first off Lapierre had more than him and he plays the same minutes! Theres a reason why he doesnt get alot of minutes or PP time and thats because he doesnt have the skill. Hes been given more than one shot at the top line to prove what he can do and each time he failed.
Everyone blames his 16 goals due to his ice time and that he doesnt play on the pp. IT's NOT AN EXCUSE!!! If he was that good trust me Gainey and co. would have seen it and given him more ice time. Guess what they didnt which goes to prove my point.
Yes he is young and is getting better but just doesnt have the skill to be in the top 6. If compared with guys like AK46, Pleks and Sergei he is not in the same skill level and you can see it. He will never be more than a 25-25 guy and id be surprised if he cracked 20 this season.
Ive honestly had enough of this guy already, I liked him last year on the third line but people like you are delusional and his abilities. They keep thinking he will get better but has done nothing outstanding in 3 seasons so dont expect much this season.
I blame his 14 goals last season to only playing 56 games, he scored at a rate of 0.25 GPG, which based on an 82 game season is 20.5 goals. You still really believe that he's already reached is maximum goal scoring potential during his age 22 season? I agree with you that he's a third line player with Max this year, however you are really selling his long-term potential short.
Well if he's only ever a 25-25 guy then I for one will be ecstatic! Lord knows how much adulation a certain Newfoundlander got this year for being a 25-25 guy!
Latendresse being the equal to the almighty Michael Ryder?? I'll take that in a heart beat!!
First off ryder did more than 25-25 and look at his first 3 season in the nhl! Way better than Latendresse, he scored 25 in his first season what did Gui do?
Then look at any of our young guys and their first 3 seasons:
Higgins rookie year 23 goals 38 pts in 80 gms, 06-07 22 goals 38 pts in 61 gms, 27 goals 52pts in 82 gms
Pleks rookie year 9 goals 29pts in 67gms, 20 goals and 47 pts in 81 gms, 29 goals 69pts in 81gms
AK46 rookie year 1 goal 11pts in 22 gms, 26 goals 53 pts in 78 gms, 23 goals 41 pts in 74 gms
Ryder rookie year 25 goals 63 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 55 pts in 81 gms, 30 goals 58 pts in 82 gms
SK rookie year 9 goals 27 pts in 52 gms, 8 goals 23 pts in 56 gms
Latendresse 16 goals 29 pts in 80 gms, 16 goals 27 pts in 73 gms, 14 goals 26 pts in 56 gms
Now look at those stats forget his ice time and how much pp he had. All these guys had better pts and goals per game than latendresse in their first 3 seasons. Now what has he accomplished? Even SK was on better pace his first two seasons in the nhl and his rookie year he did better than latendresse last season!
Now explain me why latendresse cracked the lineup before AK46? Why does he deserve the spot on the second line above Sergei? SK has more pts per game than latendresse and has more skill too.
Now will all you latendresse lovers please shut up. He is getting better and he did great last year as a third line player. I liked him playing with lapierre and he should stay there this year too!
Relax Max, I was just replying to your post where you said "He will never be more than a 25-25 guy". I was merely trying to point out that being a 25-25 guy isn't the worst thing in the world...as evidenced by the near universal adulation Ryder got last year for essentially being just that.
You say 25-25 guy like it's a bad thing...it isn't.
Gui is a third liner with upside who is making $800k a year. When you have a player sign for that little who has any upside at all it's pure gravy.
cheers!
Whos max?
I agree its not a bad thing at all i just dont think hell reach that this season. Im happy we signed him for cheap and hell be great on our 3rd line just dont agree with people thinking he should have the 2nd line spot given to him for 20 games to see what happens. People earn spots by their play and he hasnt earned it yet.
I agree with the third liner with upside for 800k is pretty gravy!
Heh, Relax Max is something my 6th Grade french teacher used to say...it stuck for some reason ;)
Personally I think Latendresse was so over-rated that now he's under-rated
If I had to hasard a guess, I'd say Lapierre had more than Latendresse because he didn't miss 25 games with an injury.
As for giving him icetime, let me remind you that his coach has been Guy Carbonneau. He's not someone whose opinions I trust for line-building or distribution of icetime. He couldn't even recognize Alex Tanguay as his best 5-on-5 weapon and gave his best forward a paltry 16 minutes a game.
You're so seriously underrating him, it's not even funny. He's got a great deal of puck skill and combined with his hitting ability that's why he is so intriguing. You don't quite seem to grasp what he's accomplished, especially at his age.
Max had one more goal 15 to 14 and Max played in all but 3 games.
First off carbo was the reason he was in the nhl at 19 any other coach wud have let him stay in the Q! So if your trying to say he wasnt treated well by carbo then it makes no sense since carbo gave this guy every opportunity to play. Latendresse has rarely been benched or made to sit in the press box!
As for tanguay you just proved my point what a good forward cud do with lil ice time! He played less games than latendresse with more goals and more points!
I have yet to see his puck skill but he does hit which is why he is perfect for the 3rd line.
This will be the last year that he gets slammed here. It is going to be a real breakout season.
Franklin the Beagle, 7/1/2002-7/13/2009
even if he got more ice time, and opportunities doesn't mean it'll reflect his scoring ability at a constant rate...kovy got unlimited ice time and his numbers fluctuated...i think asking lats to score more than 50 points a year is tough cause his skating ability is not amazing
another stat people overlook about latendresse is that he had a team low 11 giveaways in 54 games last year and ranked 3rd on the team in hits with just under 3 hits per game...lats inability to skate with the puck keeps his game simple with chipping the puck out which limits his giveaways, but may also limit his linemates playmaking ability as he's not passing the puck (to cause a giveaway)
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
Lats' scoring rates have consistently increased year-over-year, so he's definitely been improving. I think that with more icetime and better linemates he'll be able to maintain something close to his current rate. Of course, he might also get more PP points, which would help since right now he's strictly a 5-on-5 producer (something, I might add, that the Habs are in dreadful short supply of).
The guy gets such a bad rap it's getting ridiculous. I have no idea how you can take a positive stat like low giveaways and try to spin it into a knock on his playing style. O_O
It's great that he doesn't have many giveaways but at the same token he is not exactly a "puck carrier" so comparisons to someone like Kovalev are somewhat meaningless. He just parks himself somewhere and tries to shoot at the net. It was Laps and TtB that were doing most of the skating on that line.
I got nothing against him personally and he is good value for the money but we got to keep him and his abilities in perspective. Maybe down the road at 25 - 30 yrs old he will be lights out but for now he's still got to earn his place to play every night.
well it's not a knock on his playing style but his role and style on the team..he's not asked to go out there and create fancy plays with lapierre...their roles are to chip the puck deep and work for every inch...and they create scoring chances that way
if lats played on a line with plekanec and d'agostini on the 2nd line...and he chipped the puck...are you really expecting plekanec and d'agostini to be able to grind for the loose puck?
i was trying to point out that lats has to play with players that allow him to keep his role simple
- thanks for everything, saku koivu.
I think Lats would do better with puck-possession players, actually. Get Plekanec or Gomez or whoever to gain the zone, then Lats can go position himself in an open spot to make use of his shot, or go in front of the net to screen for the RW who is presumably a good shooter. If the puck ends up in the corner Lats has the size and strength to go fetch it, and the hands to pass it along or even stickhandle. He doesn't NEED to dump and chase.
It worked nicely when Lats was paired with Koivu and one of Tanguay or Ryder over the years. Then he'd get replaced by Higgins when #21 got back from an injury.
Last year I felt that Lapierre and Latendresse were plainly incompatible because Lapierre and Dandenault (he was their wingers) were masters at chipping the puck then being too late when they got to the D-man. Since then Lapierre learned to forecheck effectively.
I'm sure Jacques Martin will find a nice role for Lats... and looks Belle signing looks like BG is still tinkering around =)
In case anyone cares... :)
MONTREAL, QC –Montreal Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today the signing of defenceman Shawn Belle to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2009-2010 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Belle, 24, competed in 60 games with the ‘Dogs last season accumulating 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) along with 93 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 235-pound blueliner also played in six post-season games with the Bulldogs recording one goal and 16 penalty minutes. In four AHL campaigns, the native of Edmonton, Alberta has amassed 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) and served 321 penalty minutes in 241 regular season games with Iowa, Houston and Hamilton. In nine NHL games, all with the Minnesota Wild, Belle has earned one assist. The St. Louis Blues 1st round, 30th overall selection at the 2003 NHL Entry draft has also represented Canada at the World Junior Championships on two occasions, winning the silver medal in 2004 and the gold medal in 2005.