the good news: Bob Gainey is our GM, and would not be so classless to trade our Captain. the bad news: if the team asked him, I have no doubt Koivu would waive his clause. He wouldn't want to stay where he isn't wanted, it's not in the mans nature.

RGM. As you so aptly stated, he got a shot last season and didn't capitalize. Lapierre, last season, thought he had it made. Didn't get to play a single game until just before Xmas. BUT when he got his chance, he didn't lose it. This year Lapierre believes a lot in himself and is showing it off in ea of the ist 4 games. Another aspect is that Chipchura didn't do anything that I'm aware of this past off-season to better prepare: i.e. power skating, face-offs, etc... I got the impression that he thought Lapierre would simply give it back to him again. Didn't happen. Chips should have done what Laps did. When Laps was benched las year, he thought it out and decided to do 3 things: 1) lose weight and eat better; 2) go back to his game,i.e. front of net-size-hits-hands; 3) power skating training in off-season. I've been watching him closely, his straight away speed is MUCH better and his lateral movement is significantly faster-fast enough to lay the body on his opponents (12 hits in 4 games). Chips should have done like Laps. Didn't. Probably too late now. I agree w Boone. There are many other teams who could use him. But he has to get back on his game if BG is to find a suitable destination for him. We better get used to it. Players will have to earn their ice time-BIG TIME. This year there are no free rides. Not for a game, not for a shift. This is why Dandenault has played so far. He saw his chance, understood his attributes (speed, size, 'polyvalence' as we say in French, attitude). Chips has to work on attitude first, make every shift count in Hamilton, beat out the competition (especially from Desharnais) and regain his confidence. When this happens, in Bob he can trust, he'll end up serving the needs of the appropriate team. Georges D.

I think he can play in the NHL ... but not for this team. He's just too darn slow, and lacks the compensatory attributes that Gui! has: size and good hands. But Chipchura was a captain in junior and a the Worlds. He's a solid citizen, a hard worker, yada-yada. He'll never be an All-Star, but cripes, there are 30 teams in the league. Surely he could be a role player somewhere.

Funny, how the media calls the Europeans selfish in todays NHL. Nope, I don't buy this BS from Labbe about Gaborik being selfish and fragile? It is absolutely absurd when the media say that Europeans are taking jobs away from North American players as well. Our team is blessed with a mixture of skill coming from the Europeans (Kovalev, Kostitsyn brothers, Pleks, Hamrlik, etc.) and the toughness and grit coming from the North American born players in Komisarek, Lapierre, Tom K, etc. Judging by the pictures taken at the practices on the blog, the team has no cancer on the team but chemistry among everyone (I hope)! If we have a chance to land the Slovak in Gaborik, he could be the missing piece for our quest for the Cup. Kovalchuk from Atlanta is another guy I would love to have but I am only dreaming if he were to don a Habs' jersey. I hate to see the Saku Koivu go but hockey's a business. Here today and gone tomorrow, just like the real wotld. "We will win the Cup only with Carey Price in the nets"

I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but if there is someone I would consider trading for it would be Kovalchuk. Alongside our playmakers, this man would challenge for the Richard trophy. I know, he's not on the market, there's no talk bout him being on the market, he is under contract for next season as well as this one. But Atlanta is still a pathetic franchise (though Little is looking good) and it seems to me that this time next year the Thrashers may be looking at the same situation with Kovalchuk as the Wild are with Gaborik. Even more, the Thrashers may not want Ilya - with the economy tanking, weak franchises like the Thrashers may be looking to slash payroll. He seems like a long term target to me. He's actually younger than Gaborik and much more durable. I'd take him over Marian any day of the week and twice on Sunday. _____________________________________ "Deserves" got nothin' to do with it.

You;re right on all points, it's just pure speculation becaue his brother is there. He has a no trade clause, Bob can't pull any triggers without Saku wanting it, and I sure don't see that heppening this year.

Yikes! My suggested overtime format and other sports talk

how does the saying go: There are only two institutions in Western civilization that truly grasp ceremony - the House of Windsor and the Montreal Canadiens. it would be really classless to trade our captain during this centennial year, unless he asks for it...

lol... yeah never too early to panic in Montreal. let it never be said we're not myopic.. err passoinate.. about our Habs! Thank goodness we're only 3-0-1... oh my gosh.. but we've already slipped to 13th place in PP%. i totally get the Habs took their collective foot off the pedal the other night against the Bruins, but i dunno.. we came away with 2 points (fluke bounce off the boards). Maybe i'll eat my words in April, but i think it's folly to lament the point we 'gave' them at this point in the season. The Bruins are not a bad team (and with Bergeron back and Ryder in the line-up, much improved in my view) but if that point turns out to make a difference in April, then we've got waaaay more to worry about. As always, thanks for the Puckcast fellas.

So true.

I believe I had an ecko-cardiogram before. They rub a probe like object on your chest which then shows the heart at work on the monitor. I remember seeing my own heart beat...very cool experience.

hahaha :) poor Breezer can't get a break.

yep

I believe that what Pat meant is that Cherepanov died immediately at the bench and no intervention would have saved him. Then enlarged heart the player had, if confirmed, would give credence to Pat Hickey,s p o v. Georges D.

I speak softly and carry a big shtick ...