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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 17:12:31 GMT -5
Lack of roughness and character on defense Too many similar assets up front (smalish/softish/offensive vet player) Lockerroom cancers (rats) that did not hesitate to sabotage the ship Problem 1 still exists Problem 2 is pretty much solved if the 3 offensive lines model is used for the rest of the season Problem 3 may change with a new coach at the helm or it could stay the same
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 21, 2003 17:15:09 GMT -5
With good coaching the holes will become more obvious to us and less obvious for other teams. We're exposed as a weak team physically. That's not likely to change but we can still have some speed,pride and grit. We have small players like Petrov and Audette buf of course there are bigger guys like Koivu I'm sure AS is looking for a big left handed physical stay at home D man to pair with Brisebois but he won't give up anything to get that kind of guy and that's ok cuz we have sourray who'll eventually come back... one day ... in an unclear future ... this year or next one ... maybe There's also the PF matter but ... we'll have to raise one in our farm. There's not much AS can do right now. We have to be patient ... If something happens it's gonna be a the trade deadline ... Maybe nothing is going to happen ... Like last year. What would be good is Nolan for ... anything something. Like some ppl said on the FLO game thread Koivu would be awesome with Nolan in front of the net. We would gain instant credibility.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 17:16:52 GMT -5
We only get Owen if we give up Zed IMO.......
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Post by Habsolution on Jan 21, 2003 17:28:39 GMT -5
We only get Owen if we give up Zed IMO....... Counter offer : Czerkawski, Audette, Dykhuis Oh and I forgot Hackett ! See ... AS just can't do anything to upgrade this team How many years left to ON's contract and when is he going to be an UFA ? Do you know of a site that gives up this info ?
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jan 21, 2003 17:32:56 GMT -5
I am not convinced that Nolan is on the downslope yet. 30 isn't that old and he still has quite a few good years left. Plus, you will be paying for the name and what he can bring to a team. Players like him don't grow on trees and the price will be high because of that. I wouldn't mind having him but I think that the price would be too high for my blood. I am not ready to give up on our propects or Zednik. Now, I have mentionned this in another thread, but I think that it fits in well with this thread too. It has been mentionned a few times that our quality players have been targets in games, Markov and Koivu in particular. It is quite obvious that other teams don't fear the Habs and why would they. Who will defend our good players? Brisebois? It's to laugh at. I have been saying for a while now that we need a brawler to put a little fear into the opposition. An idea came to me while reading an article regarding Peter Worrell. The article went on to say how CJ was the single most infuencial coach he has ever had. Peter obviously has a lot of respect for CJ. And he is definitely scary...even to me watching TV!!! I wonder what it would take to pry him from the arms of the Panthers. If we were to have him, Kilger and another big guy on the 4th line, I doubt that so many liberties would be taken towards Markov and Koivu. If they did, there would be a price to pay. And I ain't talking about a kiss from Brisebois. Comments?
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 17:34:08 GMT -5
Hmmm..
I remember Owen Nolan signing a 5 year deal before the 2000-01 season...right after his monster 1999-2000 season.
He makes 5.25 million per year. Man he would be an awesome pickup.
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 17:35:19 GMT -5
Now, I have mentionned this in another thread, but I think that it fits in well with this thread too. It has been mentionned a few times that our quality players have been targets in games, Markov and Koivu in particular. It is quite obvious that other teams don't fear the Habs and why would they. Who will defend our good players? Brisebois? It's to laugh at. I have been saying for a while now that we need a brawler to put a little fear into the opposition. An idea came to me while reading an article regarding Peter Worrell. The article went on to say how CJ was the single most infuencial coach he has ever had. Peter obviously has a lot of respect for CJ. And he is definitely scary...even to me watching TV!!! I wonder what it would take to pry him from the arms of the Panthers. If we were to have him, Kilger and another big guy on the 4th line, I doubt that so many liberties would be taken towards Markov and Koivu. If they did, there would be a price to pay. And I ain't talking about a kiss from Brisebois. Comments? IMO...to get Worrell...you are going to have to give a pretty big return(for a goon)...
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jan 21, 2003 17:36:38 GMT -5
IMO...to get Worrell...you are going to have to give a pretty big return(for a goon)... Considering the major lack of size with the Habs, I would be willing to give up a lot for him. Now, how do I categorize a lot? That's a good question. There are the obvious guys like Audette, Dackall, Dykhuis, Traverse..but I doubt Keenan would want this crap. It all depends on what Fla is looking for I guess.
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Post by Viper on Jan 21, 2003 17:47:38 GMT -5
CJ IMO essentially has no excuses. I figure this season they might blame the bad first half, but next season, they have to be in the playoffs, from the 10th game onwards. With the time AS has had, the selection of his own coach and the re-vamping of this team to AS's liking, plus the payroll we have, if this team isn't an obvious playoff team in one year, I'll be calling for AS's head on a platter. This is so true I can't even add to it other than i agree wholeheartedly. the only thing i'll add is i wish AS had gone with the guy he wanted long ago. MT never got the job done that AS wanted nor many of the fans for that matter. the thing that makes me wonder about the whole thing though is if Mt never really was the guy AS wanted why the off season extension
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 17:57:07 GMT -5
Hmm...the famous extension...probably because of the 2nd round of the playoffs thing?
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Post by Viper on Jan 21, 2003 18:07:05 GMT -5
Hmm...the famous extension...probably because of the 2nd round of the playoffs thing? somehow i don't buy that was AS that blind to the Theodore / Koivu momentum no other reason behind our entry into post season last year. make up any story at all but the bottom line is THeodore's superior season and Saku's emotional comeback excluded this team is in the top five of last years draft IMO.
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Post by TheHabsfan on Jan 21, 2003 18:10:44 GMT -5
This is so true I can't even add to it other than i agree wholeheartedly. the only thing i'll add is i wish AS had gone with the guy he wanted long ago. MT never got the job done that AS wanted nor many of the fans for that matter. the thing that makes me wonder about the whole thing though is if Mt never really was the guy AS wanted why the off season extension I agree with Marc here...AS got some guff from the press for firing MT now, imagine what it would have been like if he would have canned him after they made it 2 series into the playoffs. AS didn't have a choice but to wait for MT to wear out his welcome. AS would have pulled the trigger a couple of weeks ago if not for Hartley's firing in Colorado.
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Post by legaspesien on Jan 21, 2003 18:50:34 GMT -5
I'm sure AS is looking for a big left handed physical stay at home D man to pair with Brisebois but he won't give up anything to get that kind of guy and that's ok cuz we have sourray who'll eventually come back... one day ... in an unclear future ... this year or next one ... maybe San Jose are in the same boat than us with Hackett with Bryan Marchment
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 21, 2003 18:57:59 GMT -5
but why would they need Hackett with Nabokov around?(I am assume you are suggesting a Hack for March swap?)
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Post by GoMtl on Jan 21, 2003 19:04:03 GMT -5
im waiting for the next major goalie injury. then at full value we can send them hackett for a good prospect or an average strong d-man. can't be expecting much more, and we will get less if there isnt some sort of an injury. unless the b's get desperate and savard is willing to deal with them
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Post by JFM on Jan 21, 2003 19:08:10 GMT -5
Back to the Owen Nolan subject. I wouldn't be to thrilled to pick him up mainly due to the (likely) high price to acquire him. IMO he would be another addition to the overpaid list of players already on the current roster. Yes he is a power forward. Yes he still is his prime. Yes he would be a legitimate 1st liner here. BUT he is wildly inconsistent. You never know which Nolan will show up from week to week. I hate to say this, but IMO the Habs will have to draft and develop their own power forward. That is why I wouldn't mind too much if the Habs collapse this year and get a top 10 pick for this year's draft. There are MANY potential quality power forwards available.
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Post by PTH on Jan 21, 2003 19:20:31 GMT -5
This is so true I can't even add to it other than i agree wholeheartedly. the only thing i'll add is i wish AS had gone with the guy he wanted long ago. MT never got the job done that AS wanted nor many of the fans for that matter. the thing that makes me wonder about the whole thing though is if Mt never really was the guy AS wanted why the off season extension Well, first MT was a kind of interim coach - but he did that well enough to deserve to stick around for a while, then he had the Koivu situation and Theo who became better than life - you can say it was the players who did it, but when things seem to be looking up, it's hard to fire the coach, even if you happen to think he's not the right guy. As to the extensions - I think the one after the playoffs was a gut reaction, to protect MT - without the extension he wouldn't have had a chance at controlling this team, and the press would have roasted AS for not putting MT in a position to succeed.
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Post by Yossarian on Jan 21, 2003 23:26:10 GMT -5
It is sort of an unwritten rule in sports that you do not leave your coach hung out to dry by not giving at least one year security beyond the current, or upcoming season. CJ got two years. Based on what merit? In the NFL, Steve Mariucci had one more year on his contract, and was looking for an extension. Instead of SF being stuck with a contract for him for at least two years, knowing they possibly wouldn't be happy with the direction of the team given past progress, they simply cut him loose. If MT hadn't been given his extension at the end of last year, with only the following season on his contract, it would look severly bush league on the habs with MT going into the season with only that left on his contract. No serious coaching candidate would ever consider coaching in Montreal. MT's contract extension was a natural tendancy that occurs in sports, and had less, or little to do with the performance of the team last year, IMO.
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Post by Rhiessan on Jan 22, 2003 2:26:52 GMT -5
As much as I would LOVE to get Nolan the biggest problem would be having to give up prospects and draft picks to get him. If I remember correctly SJ is trying to keep a strict salary structure and got alot of their big money players to buy into it, some of them even taking no raises or even paycuts with the exception of the hold outs Nabokov and Stuart(I think it was Stuart). Now with their season starting to go in the dumper again I fail to believe this is anything but a thinly masked salary dump so where ever he goes it's not gonna be alot of salary going the other way which of course is exactly what we would need to do. Besides this team would be better served with a big left d-man.
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Post by Doc Holliday on Jan 22, 2003 8:19:00 GMT -5
Problem 1 still exists Problem 2 is pretty much solved if the 3 offensive lines model is used for the rest of the season Problem 3 may change with a new coach at the helm or it could stay the same That's wishfull thinking Marc. Changing line combos and utilization doesn't change the fact that we have too many smallish or softish players. Petrov, Ribs, Perreault, Audette, Chow (not small but plays small), Juneau, Dackell, Gilmour, all these player don't bring a physical game. They're not all bad players, some will contribute offensively, some defensively but none of them provide constant physical play. As for the cancers, what do you think will happen if Julien starts scratching Chow... Or if Julien does a decision and takes a direction that doesn't please Juneau...
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Post by MPLABBE on Jan 22, 2003 11:20:15 GMT -5
Going with 3 offensive lines(as Julien is doing now) can solve a part of the problem, Doc...a player like Czerkawski who has no spot on the team if the Habs go with 2 offensive lines/1 defensive line/1 4th line with no purpose on it..now potentially has a spot..
Yes we still have too many smurfs but at least one of them should not be as useless as he was before.
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