Since I've nothing new or particularly relevant to talk about, today I'm going to touch on several rumours and questions surrounding the Habs.
Trade talk abounds. Bob Gainey was reportedly at the Rangers-Penguins game last night. Was he scouting the Penguins for Friday night's game? Probably not. Reports indicate the Rangers are interested in moving Petr Prucha. Not sure who they would want in return, but the Rangers are under intense pressure to be a dominant team this year after signing Chris Drury and Scott Gomez to huge contracts in the offseason. Prucha would obviously be an upgrade on Guillaume Latendresse for that second line, but it seems that a deal like that would send the wrong message to emerging young players in the Habs' organization.
The other rumour that's been circulating is equally mind-boggling. It's been reported that a deal with the Oilers has been discussed involving Michael Ryder for Shawn Horcoff. This is a strange deal, the Canadiens seem to have a wealth of centres already, so trading one of our first line wingers for another one seems counterproductive. What would that mean for our lines? Plekanec moving to a wing? To the third line?
If I were in charge of the Canadiens, I would put my faith in the young core of Higgins, Plekanec, Komisarek and Markov, the veteran leadership of Hamrlik, Koivu and Kovalev and of course the goaltending of Cristobal Huet and Carey Price. Unless they can get a huge return for one of the goalies in the minors or a non-roster player. The only guys I consider expendable on the current roster are Guillaume Latendresse, Mikhail Grabovski (who both have tremendous upside) and Mathieu Dandenault.
It would be nice to see Maxim Lapierre back on the team, drawing penalties and being a stitch in the side of opposing players. Another guy who has been impressive for the Hamilton Bulldogs is Sergei Kostitsyn. Andrei's little brother played his junior hockey last year for the London Knights on a line with Sam Gagner and Patrick Kane, who are both having solid starts at the NHL level. Not sure if there's a spot on the Habs for the younger Kostitsyn right now, but as long as he stays patient and continues to develop, the sky's the limit.
It's exciting to watch the Canadiens young talent emerging. Chris Higgins seems to be back at, or better than, his pre-injury form of last season. Tomas Plekanec seems to be adjusting to his linemates and getting comfortable with Kovalev at his side. Mike Komisarek is coming into his own and can now be considered a top-tier defenseman in the Eastern Conference. Latendresse has been much better and playing with great energy since being a healthy scratch.
The veterans have been great too. Koivu and Kovalev are tearing it up. Huet has been the early-season Huet we all know and love. Hamrlik never makes mistakes. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done in a huge way.
The future looks bright, let's not do anything rash.
Showing posts with label Trade Rumours. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trade Rumours. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Quel Mauvais Jeu
And the goat from last night's game is...... Tom Kostopoulos. That giveaway following a beauty of a power play goal by Alex Kovalev was just awful, he had all the time in the world and coughed it up to maybe the worst guy in the league to cough it up to. He and Dandenault are getting way too much ice as far as I`m concerned.
Mike Boone of the Gazette mentioned the other day that Brisebois and Hamrlik have been his favourite defensive pairing so far this year. I agree. While Brisbois has had a few cringe-inducing giveaways, his overall play has been great. You can`t say enough about veteran presence on the blue line. They consistently avoid getting beat by faster players by making smart plays and staying out of the box. Brisebois` pass to Kovalev on the third goal last night was off the charts.
The Cardiac Canadiens seem determined to play nail-biters all year long. This team has played six games so far, five of which have been decided by one goal. The lone exception was Saturday`s 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes, with the `Canes third goal coming on an empty net. Whether it`s Florida or Ottawa, the Habs continue to play to the level of their opposition. Another tough test coming up on Saturday as the boys seek their first home win of the year against the Sabres. Hopefully they will increase on their total of two goals in two home games so far this year.
Trade rumours abound. It`s hard to believe that reputable media outlets actually report this stuff, but the Alex Tanguay for Alex Kovalev rumour has been going for a while, and was fueled by Kovalev`s quasi-controversial remarks this week. The reality is that Tanguay is coming off a career season, has a no-trade clause, and is a far more valuable player than Kovy. I couldn`t be happier with the way AK-27 has performed so far this year, but Tanguay is younger and less likely to criticize his coach or franchise.
PJ Stock spoke with Sens coach John Paddock earlier this week on the Team 990`s Stock Exchange and when PJ pressed him about the Kovalev-Carbo situation his main remark was ``At least he cares`` Kovalev is a great player when he wants to be. He wants to win. He does not deserve the firestorm of negative attention created by his comments.
Finally, the officiating. Many Habs fans will tell you that the refs are anti-Canadiens. It`s difficult to analyze these things objectively, but there are a few things worth noting in the young season.
1. The Sens were not called for offsides on two occasions last night.
2. The refs were VERY quick to blow the whistle on a goalmouth scramble early in the third period last night when the puck was definitely not covered up.
3. Mike Komisarek absorbed a high-stick and some serious facial damage from Mats Sundin, who gets away with murder every night. Andrei Kostitsyn took an elbow and a dirty hit from Gary Roberts against Pittsburgh while already engaged in a one-on-one battle in the corner. These are penalties, and they went uncalled.
While Habs fans are quick to turn on their team, they are also the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the league. And the loudest. It`s no coincidence that they tend to boo the officials when they take the ice most nights. They know what they`re seeing. La Foule will be in full effect once again on Saturday night, and you know the Canadiens want to give them their money`s worth every time out. It`s just that they have difficulty doing it.
Habs at home: 0-2, 2 GF
Habs on the Road: 2-1-1, 12 GF
It would be nice to hear that U2 classic a few times tomorrow night.
Mike Boone of the Gazette mentioned the other day that Brisebois and Hamrlik have been his favourite defensive pairing so far this year. I agree. While Brisbois has had a few cringe-inducing giveaways, his overall play has been great. You can`t say enough about veteran presence on the blue line. They consistently avoid getting beat by faster players by making smart plays and staying out of the box. Brisebois` pass to Kovalev on the third goal last night was off the charts.
The Cardiac Canadiens seem determined to play nail-biters all year long. This team has played six games so far, five of which have been decided by one goal. The lone exception was Saturday`s 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes, with the `Canes third goal coming on an empty net. Whether it`s Florida or Ottawa, the Habs continue to play to the level of their opposition. Another tough test coming up on Saturday as the boys seek their first home win of the year against the Sabres. Hopefully they will increase on their total of two goals in two home games so far this year.
Trade rumours abound. It`s hard to believe that reputable media outlets actually report this stuff, but the Alex Tanguay for Alex Kovalev rumour has been going for a while, and was fueled by Kovalev`s quasi-controversial remarks this week. The reality is that Tanguay is coming off a career season, has a no-trade clause, and is a far more valuable player than Kovy. I couldn`t be happier with the way AK-27 has performed so far this year, but Tanguay is younger and less likely to criticize his coach or franchise.
PJ Stock spoke with Sens coach John Paddock earlier this week on the Team 990`s Stock Exchange and when PJ pressed him about the Kovalev-Carbo situation his main remark was ``At least he cares`` Kovalev is a great player when he wants to be. He wants to win. He does not deserve the firestorm of negative attention created by his comments.
Finally, the officiating. Many Habs fans will tell you that the refs are anti-Canadiens. It`s difficult to analyze these things objectively, but there are a few things worth noting in the young season.
1. The Sens were not called for offsides on two occasions last night.
2. The refs were VERY quick to blow the whistle on a goalmouth scramble early in the third period last night when the puck was definitely not covered up.
3. Mike Komisarek absorbed a high-stick and some serious facial damage from Mats Sundin, who gets away with murder every night. Andrei Kostitsyn took an elbow and a dirty hit from Gary Roberts against Pittsburgh while already engaged in a one-on-one battle in the corner. These are penalties, and they went uncalled.
While Habs fans are quick to turn on their team, they are also the most passionate and knowledgeable fans in the league. And the loudest. It`s no coincidence that they tend to boo the officials when they take the ice most nights. They know what they`re seeing. La Foule will be in full effect once again on Saturday night, and you know the Canadiens want to give them their money`s worth every time out. It`s just that they have difficulty doing it.
Habs at home: 0-2, 2 GF
Habs on the Road: 2-1-1, 12 GF
It would be nice to hear that U2 classic a few times tomorrow night.
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