Montreal Canadiens

[ericdaoust]

I don't think it has been posted here, but according to Pat Hickey from The Gazette, Plekanec could be willing to waive his no trade clause:

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/...e-clause-agent

I've been wondering for a couple of weeks now what kind of return would Plekanec fetch if he was traded.

And what if he is packaged with picks/prospects?

With the emergence of Desharnais, and the need to give more ice time and better linemates to Eller (who could easily become a bigger version of Plekanecin the near future) and the strong possibility of drafting a big center at the next draft (Grigorenko), Plekanec could be expendable.

Don't get me wrong. I think that Plekanec is a consumate professional, and I don't have anything negative to say about him. His work ethic is amazing, and he does show up for every game.

But if a big scoring winger (ala Bobby Ryan) can come to the Habs in return of Plekanec and other assets, it is worth it.

Your thoughts?

I doubt they will even try to move him so I think it's a moot point. It's not a great time to trade him anyway given his poor stats. He's signed for so long that they are better off waiting till he has a better season if that's their ultimate goal. In the meantime there's nothing wrong with having good depth.

[Excelsior]

Any word on his return to the lineup? Thanks.

[ericdaoust]

Any word on his return to the lineup? Thanks.

Which player are you referring to?

[ross10019]

Which player are you referring to?

He was referring to Gionta.

It is almost certain that he will miss the rest of the season with that bicep tear.

[ericdaoust]

He was referring to Gionta.

It is almost certain that he will miss the rest of the season with that bicep tear.

Especially now with the team in dead last and a couple years left on Gionta's contract, the last thing he wants is an injury during a meaningless game that shortens his offseason.

[Excelsior]

He was referring to Gionta.

It is almost certain that he will miss the rest of the season with that bicep tear.

Okay thanks.

[ericdaoust]

I have a busy day and won't get home till pretty late but will offer some thought on what the Habs do (and don't) get done today.

[Bomm Bastic]

Kos to Preds for....????

[ericdaoust]

Kos to Preds for....????

2nd + 5th. The 5th is the conditional one that the Habs sent to Nashville as part of the Gill trade. It's a bit bland as a return as I was hoping for one of Watson, Budish or Radulov to be in the deal but I can understand that teams were not throwing big bills onto the stage as the Habs were showcasing Kostitsyn. There is a lot to like about this player, but there is equally much to dislike.

[ross10019]

2nd + 5th. The 5th is the conditional one that the Habs sent to Nashville as part of the Gill trade. It's a bit bland as a return as I was hoping for one of Watson, Budish or Radulov to be in the deal but I can understand that teams were not throwing big bills onto the stage as the Habs were showcasing Kostitsyn. There is a lot to like about this player, but there is equally much to dislike.

It's not a great return for AK no matter which way you slice it, even taking into account his poor performance this year and his middling reputation. The Preds were captive on this deal, he is such a perfect fit for them, they could have had more.

I would have been on the phone with 10-15 other GMs actively shopping AK and seeing what they had to offer - I would be willing to bet Gauthier only spoke to Nashville.

Given the return, I would have preferred to sign AK again for another year and see what he can do next year, same deal, he would probably have taken it.

[Chicleteur]

It's not a great return for AK no matter which way you slice it, even taking into account his poor performance this year and his middling reputation. The Preds were captive on this deal, he is such a perfect fit for them, they could have had more.

I would have been on the phone with 10-15 other GMs actively shopping AK and seeing what they had to offer - I would be willing to bet Gauthier only spoke to Nashville.

Given the return, I would have preferred to sign AK again for another year and see what he can do next year, same deal, he would probably have taken it.

I'm a 100% behind you on this one Ross. I'm really dissapointed about this deal. We should have gotten something better.

[ericdaoust]

I'll probably be around here to offer some thoughts around 7PM. My appointment was cancelled so I'll have more time tonight. I understand the frustration regarding Kostitsyn. You guys can vent here in the meantime.

[ericdaoust]

Andrei Kostitsyn: A lot of people dislike this because the return lacks teeth. It would have been nice to get a #1 pick or a developing prospect on the verge of graduating to the NHL. But teams were not buying scoring forwards today. Instead, defencemen and two-way forwards were in high demand. Kostitsyn was the only player of his type to be traded. Maybe Gauthier could have held out for more, and maybe he could have gotten more. That we don't know, but given Kostitsyn's weaknesses I think this was an alright deal overall. Not great, but solid. I give this one a B-grade. I don't want this player for the 4+ million he will likely get this summer.

Brad Staubitz: I actually like the pickup because I dislike seeing rookies brought in to play five minutes a night. Let Staubitz be that guy while the promising rookies develop in Hamilton.

Travis Moen: His injury is probably more severe than the team is saying. Still, I would have loved to see him moved. He is having a great year and he is going to sign his next contract based on his production this year, likely north of 2 million. But it's important to remember that Moen was a below-average player the first two years that he was here. I don't want to see the team waste more cap dollars on a guy that can be replaced in August once the free agency dust settles.

Chris Campoli: Plain and simple, I am disappointed that he is still here. He is terrible. His only asset is skating. I would have liked to see him packaged for whatever marginal prospect was available. Maybe that was too much for other teams to handle.

Mathieu Darche: Of all the pending UFAs, Darche is the one I am most open to seeing return. He would likely re-sign for under a million and he knows his role. He is also good enough to catch fire on a scoring line for a short period of time, which is very valuable to teams as injuries inevitably hit any roster during a season.

Thanks to those who offered their thoughts. Agree or disagree, it's fun to put our thoughts out there and share our own perspectives.

[ericdaoust]

Blake Geoffrion up, Louis Leblanc down. Brad Staubitz should make his debut. Here is where I hope we see the coach do the right thing. Passengers should get minimal minutes. Young players with a future on the team should get priority. They should play for next year and set the lineup with that in mind. See if they can develop some chemistry ahead of next season's training camp. I would like to see something like this:

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Cole
Eller-Plekanec-Bourque
Palushaj-Geoffrion-White
Gomez-Nokelainen-Staubitz

Gorges-Subban
Emelin-Diaz
Kaberle-Weber

Scratch: Campoli


I could be missing some injured/returning guys and if so I'll make corrections. But you get the gist of what I'm saying here...

[LeTrefle]

Blake Geoffrion will wear #57 in honor of his grandfather (Bernard Geoffrion #5) and his great-grandfather (Howie Morenz #7).
Per RDS
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/336068.html