Scratch Hossa from Habs plans

I am eager to see who will be Carbonneau's "Whipping Boy" this comming season now that Mr. Ryder is gone on to get the respect he deserves. I say Higgins. He was not too impressive last year. Was practally invisable in the playoffs..... It was funny how everyone was on the Ryder bandwagon the first three years he was a Hab. Higgins will suffer the same fate.......

$7.4 million on a one year deal. Oh yeah, Hossa is more concerned about winning than money. Closer to the truth is: Hossa saw that teams weren't knocking his door down with mega-buck long term deals or one like Vancouver is rumoured to have offered Sunin. So, a year from now the free agents list may not be as bountiful as it was this year. He may be the only top dog available. That would be the time to cash in and Hossa knows this. Playing for Detroit this year can only enhance his value. $7.4 mil this year is nothing to sneeze at, but next year....Ka Ching!

Watching the Wings playing last season left no doubts in my mind that here we had, 3 years after the new officiating regulations were put into place.... the first concrete and most complete exemple of how teams should want to play the game if they want to become and remain top teams and cup contenders in a newNHL. I see the high-tempo two-way offensive game displayed by the Wings as being a formula without equal in the new on-ice environment of the NHL. Its all about being offensive literally and collectivelly ... with and without the puck. Teams having the most speed and puck handling habilities down their lines have the most chances to succeed when adopting the pro-active anti-passive system of play that is required to compete at the highest of level possible in this league. Most traditional hockey fans would now probably have expected a team like the Wings to bring in some basic toughness and grittyness to round up their profile for the next season but Ken Holland is no traditional hockey fans and his team will keep moving ahead because of it.... and now with a dash of Marian Hossa to make shure of that.

For those who want to criticize Bob Gainey for not being as good a GM as Holland or Pollock, you are comparing apples with oranges. Holland and Pollock, great GMs, inherited winning teams with solid organizations. Gainey, however, took over a totally dysfunctional team left over from the latter part of Molson's ownership days. The Habs did not even have a scout for the province of Quebec. In a short period of time, he's built one of the best organizations anywhere in the NHL. There is not one GM who could have done a better job, especially in this lunatic asylum of a Province.

Here's my theory: As far as overspending goes, a good GM needs to balance the payroll to provide a good balance of salaries not just in a single year but over multiple years. As players improve and their salaries increase, it only makes sense to plan to let players go as their projected value exceeds a GM's ability to pay it under the cap (eg: Streit). Imagine all of our players have better years this year, and the next, etc. Even without adding new players or retirement, as they contracts expire we would eventually blow out the cap. A good GM needs to identify their core, lock them in for their best value years and then let them go if they don't become a core player (eg: Ryder). The reality is that a GM also needs to overpay for the top talent required to compete for the cup. They also need to provide a steady influx of young undervalued recruits to be able to overpay for the top end talent. We have seem to have all of these ingredients except the top end talent and we also have room under the cap. Once we're done signing our remaining RFAs, we should have 7-9 million left; we're currently at 10.9 million available. This suggest we can sign a player you or I might value at 5-8 million, ie: top end talent @ 7-9 million) I say spend it if the owner will allow it and your core is locked in. There is no bonus for building a cup winning team under the cap. There is no award for points per million spent. We have a great team locked in for this year and finishing the year with 10 million of cap space benefits no one but the owner. Now, even if we miss the boat now, we have a second kick at the can in Feb at the trading deadline so I won't be too upset if we come up empty but finishing the year with cap space in a year you are poised to make a run while missing a key ingredient, that would be powerfully uncool.

I know this all WAAAYY off topic, but I work here in S. California as a supervisor and as such, wear a suit and tie to work everyday. I have searched in vain for a "Montreal Canadiens necktie" Does ANYONE know where I can purchase one???? (Yes I look on eBay all the time). Any help would be much appreciated!!!!

I am re-posting my post from below, as I hadn't meant it to be a reply to any particular post. To all the Gainey bashers who've been posting. Bob, IMO, is doing a great job. Regarding the comment below that Detroit has never gone thru a rebuilding process, I guess the poster is young....Detroit went decades without winning the Cup. Where did they learn their winning tradition??? Scotty Bowman, who learned it in Montreal. Sadly, there were many reasons why the Habs were in the state they were before Gainey came along, ownership issues, poor management and drafting, and the Canadian Dollar. All of those issues have been dealt with, and BG has now rebuilt the Habs to be a team to be reckoned with. Where did Bob learn?? From playing for and watching Scotty Bowman. The past decade is what it is, but what Bob is doing now will reap years of winning seasons and restore the Habs to what they've been throughout most of their history. Once we have won a Cup or two, which will happen very soon, we will be regarded at the same level as Detroit, and vets will take a pay cut to sign for the chance to win a Cup, just as Hossa did today. As it is, were are now on the short list of many elite players. Why, because they see the potential this team has. To use a quote from the movie "Field of Dreams"..."build it and they will come"....well Bob is well on his way to having this team built. Just sit back and enjoy and watch them come. Best wishes to all Habs fans, whether you agree or disagree.

Guys, its not the GM its the player and their agent...commmmmmon its very simply they simply would like to play somewhere else because they are all seissup - they're afraid of the media, taxes, schools, language, i don't know if i would be a hockey player that can be a hero in montreal, in its 100 anniversary year, after the year the habs had....wow....i will definitely take it

Team 990 had James Murphy from Hockey Talk on and he said that Gainey now has many trade talks going on and a few have ceased but others are ongoing.

Ive been/am critical of Gainey, but this time I approve of him. Some of these contracts being given out are just completely ridiculous (Redden, Streit, Theodore, Finger, etc), and a lot of them are by first timers who don't know that much about hockey. I mean Id like an impact player but not at any cost.

It's a smart move by Detroit to sign Hossa for only one year, plus Hossa is showing that he wants to win the cup badly. Imagine if Detroit and Pittsburgh are finalists again next year, and Pittsburgh wins the cup. Then it would be poor (in the Stanley Cup cents) Hossa.

Another cup for Detroit.

I would just like to make clear that my critical comments about Bob are related to his position as GM, not the person. We all are aware of the tragic events which have impacted his life, and how he has absorbed them with quiet dignity. I cannot imagine how I would react to such horrible occurrences. As a player, and as a man I have the utmost respect for him. Bob Gainey exemplifies the word CLASS. BUT, I withhold the right to be critical of his record as GM. Please do not confuse the man, with the job. Thanks.

All these so called habs fans trashing Gainey obviously know nothing about the business that is professional hockey. Bob Gainey is a class act. Both as a player and a GM. He won a cup in Dallas and has turned our once sad team into a true contender for years to come ( not for 1 like Tampa's GM). One star does not make a team. We have a solid core of YOUNG TALENTED players and some very talented vets (Kovy,Koivu,Markov,etc..) Bob picked Tanguay, a talented playmaker/scorer to complement our existing cast of players. He will make a couple more moves that help the TEAM and next year we will still have money left to sign key guys such as Komi,Kovy,etc... WAKE UP. BOB IS A GREAT GM AND A CLASS ACT . YOU ARE A SIDE SHOW, DESPERATE FOR ATTENTION

I think Marcus Naslund may be a good fit for our club as well. He was one of the best offensive players for a few years. He may revitalize his career with the Habs. He would be a lot cheaper than 20 million over 2 years. Tanguay and Naslund and still some money freed up. I'd bring Hainsey back into the picture as well.

The tone on this site went from up beat to hostile awfully fast.

Bill, the Red Wings have Cleary there as a specialty player which can't be replaced by Sundin or Hossa. To win the cup you need these type of hard working aggressive players. The Habs could learn from this and especially some of their fans who obviously don't know much about hockey. If you even suggest that players like Cleray and Draper don't make a difference then i'm glad your not Bob Gainey. As a matter of fact you lack an understanding of hockey in general. Go cheer for the leafs and leave the chat to real Canadiens fans.

Having just read the statement by Sundin I'm as impressed as always withh two people - Mats and Bob. Mats is a class act. Just like last year with the Leafs the decision about his playing future is his to make - as he wants it. We don't know his reasons and we have no right to. He acts and speaks with integrity. If he does end up here, I'd hate to be someone who bashed him for doing that. And as for Bob - while others were chasing Mats yesterday Bob already knew what we're just finding out. Why? Because he locked in early, and had a chance to talk to Sundin. If by chance Bob is holding out because he thinks that Sundin might enter the show later (and there is not major negative to waiting for us - we can use that money on an opportunity later) then I applaud him all the more. Though it doesn't take signing Sundin (or anyone in particular) to win my appreciation. It takes building a great team - and that project is moving very nicely. IMCO ~Listen to the smart dog!

I think we are all pissed at Bob Gainey for not signing Jeff Finger, not signing Sundin for 3.5 million or for not trading Michael Ryder for Sidney Crosby. I mean what is he doing???

What is the true measure of a GM? What do Holland and Pollack have in common? The ability to continually upgrade their teams through the draft, and unbelievable off season acquisitions. Today Holland was able to sign Hossa FOR LESS MONEY, what brilliance. And Gainey? Silence, broken promises, and excuses followed by platitudes. Why is it that Detroit never has to go through a rebuilding process? Why has Montreal been in one for a decade? The answer is obvious, Ken Holland. Without a brilliant, innovative and risk taking GM the Stanley Cup is a pipe dream. How much longer do the Habs go with Bob's slow and steady approach? It was a black day when we let Scotty Bowman go.

I've noticed that there are some guys bashing Gainey over the past 24 hours in terms of UFA signings (or lack of). I would only ask one question: which UFA signing do you wish we had made? (Stuart and Hossa would have been great but it certainly appears that they were never really up on the board.) I can't see any signings that I'm really envious of, and there certainly are a lot of them that are totally nuts. We're still in the Sundin hunt so let's see how it all shakes down. The Original 24 Cups

Anybody read Mats Sundin's statement? Is it just me or did he sound like an ailing grandfather who gathers his children to tell them that he loves them and thank them for taking good care of him. Just plain weird. Seemed a little self-centered.

From Mats' statement, just released: "I am simply not close to being ready to make a decision about resuming my career at this time." ...So maybe tomorrow he can say: "I am now a little closer to being ready to make a decision about resuming my career at this time." ...then on Friday: "I am starting to get close to being ready to make a decision about resuming my career at this time." ...then next week: "Okay, I think I can now finally say that I am now beginning to close in on being close to being ready to make a decision about resuming my career at this time." ...then in 2010:

Is Detroit actually out of the Sundin chase? They've got about 2.5 million left. If they could clear out another four million, they could squeeze him in, assuming he is willing to take a discount to play there. They could begin by moving Cleary, who makes nearly 3M.

A couple of thoughts that I haven't seen discussed much: HABS NEED The one thing I think the Habs most need a wise veteran with some cup rings and good playoff skills to help mentor the young guys. A 2 million dollar guy, late in his career. BEST TRADE Erik Cole to Edmonton. Thanks! SELF-RIGHTING SYSTEM Everyone is talking about how this new agreement has made these crazy UFAls. deals. True, but the system may right itself.... Now that players know they can get a big payday on July 1 by holding out (Finger, Ryder, Huet, Theo). It could bring more guys out in coming years and better fill the market, meaning more reasonable salaries. Just a thought. ~Listen to the smart dog!

Last season, nobody would've guessed the Habs would have done as well as they did, mainly because nobody predicted the season Kovalev had nor the development of our young guys. I don't see why we should overpay for a big free agent when these are only going to be better next season. I do agree that we may need one more big gun to help them contend past the first two rounds of the playoffs, but nothing worth $10 million. The Kostitsyns, Higgins, Komi, and the gang are the future and heart of this team - not Sundin or Jagr.

finally a player who follows up on his word of his desire to play for a Stanley Cup contending team. However, he did sign for a single year. While he better hope that he does not sustain a serious injury during the course of the season, this is a win-win situation for him, regardless of whether or not he wins the Cup. He'll easily rack up the points, playing alongside Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Lidstrom. In the case that he does win the Stanley Cup, watch for him to sign a mega-deal with a rebuilding club, that will pay him more on a yearly basis than any superstar in the league.

Sundin tells everybody to leave him alone... for now. http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242264&lid=headline&lpos=secStory_nhl

Avery to Dallas 4 yr. 15.5 mil!

Wow, I wasn't ready for this signing. Hossa is gambling that he doesn't get hurt next year but he also is showing some stones in doing what he believes in. Holland continues to show that he is a genius. Gets Hossa as a rental for one year and it doesn't impact on his signing of Zetterberg or Franzen the year after. In fact, he now will get to choose between Hossa and Franzen when next summer arrives. Who knows, he may even get to keep both! The addition of Stuart is just the icing on the cake. The goaltending is the only question mark on this team, although Osgood did it this year so who can say. Conklin is a decent backup at a very cheap price. Pittsburgh has got to be pissed big time. The Original 24 Cups