Montreal Canadiens

[ericdaoust]

Been busy with the UHL prospect draft as well as school and family stuff so I'll touch on a number of things here...

Erik Cole signing
============

On the payroll this one is tough to swallow. The salary is fine but the term is concerning for a guy that plays a crash-and-bang style. But on the ice he should be a very useful player. Clearly the team could benefit from adding size, but adding a slug who can't skate would hurt their effective transition game. Cole on the other hand is a very good skater so he can bring the size and big hits without lacking in the all-important areas. In a lot of ways he resembles Max Pacioretty who has had success bringing size and grit to the Gomez/Gionta line while being able to keep up with them in skating.

Andrei Kostitsyn may begin the season on the top unit but make no mistake about it - Erik Cole will play most of the season on the scoring lines. Kostitsyn is far too inconsistent and will get the Benoit Pouliot role as a depth scorer.

Petr Budaj signing
=============

Budaj is the new backup to Carey Price but not a lot changes. This position is very unattractive to free agents so the Habs will never be able to sign a great backup. Instead they have to lean towards good guys with character and positive attitudes. Budaj brings this while being a slight upgrade over Alex Auld.

Brian Willsie signing
==============

This is most likely a signing for the Bulldogs but it is worth noting that Willsie is a veteran of 381 NHL games and can bring size, grit and defensive awareness to a team. He may get into a handful of games while playing similar to Travis Moen.

Nathan Lawson / Peter Delmas
=======================

I like this duo for Hamilton next year. Delmas has impressed and was signed to an entry-level conract. Pairing him up with a minor-league vet makes a lot of sense. Delmas needs time to develop and with the top goaltending spot secured there won't be any pressure on him to save the world anytime soon.

Michael Blunden for Ryan Russell
========================

I think this is a very underrated move. Power forwards take an eternity to hit their stride and at age 24 Blunden is not a finished product. He may have an extra gear and at the price they paid (a probable career AHLer) this one could pay dividends.

Blunden has NHL experience but unfortunately in Columbus he could not be effective when called up because the club also had Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett as scrappers. I like to think that he has yet to receive a real chance to shine as a player in the NHL. He could get his chance in Montreal but if he makes the team he will probably spend some time in the press box as the 13th forward.

[ross10019]

Erik Cole signing
============

On the payroll this one is tough to swallow. The salary is fine but the term is concerning for a guy that plays a crash-and-bang style. But on the ice he should be a very useful player. Clearly the team could benefit from adding size, but adding a slug who can't skate would hurt their effective transition game. Cole on the other hand is a very good skater so he can bring the size and big hits without lacking in the all-important areas. In a lot of ways he resembles Max Pacioretty who has had success bringing size and grit to the Gomez/Gionta line while being able to keep up with them in skating.

Andrei Kostitsyn may begin the season on the top unit but make no mistake about it - Erik Cole will play most of the season on the scoring lines. Kostitsyn is far too inconsistent and will get the Benoit Pouliot role as a depth scorer.

Pretty solid analysis right there, agree wholeheartedly, thanks Eric. Ideal would have been a 3-year deal for around 3.5 per, but needed to give him a bit extra to convince him to come.

What excites me most about this signing is that it is one more step at building a team that has the look and feel of a Stanley Cup champion, from a character perspective. That plus guys like Cole, added to Gionta, Gill, Markov, are great mentors for the young guys coming up - future core players like Eller, Pacioretty, Subban are going to learn how to WIN from these guys.

These are great times to be a Habs fan, the future looks very bright.

[ross10019]

I can't wait to see this kid Diaz in action. Eric, do you think he'll see some NHL time this year? A few cups of coffee or up for a nice stretch? I guess it depends on injuries, but you have to think they value him higher than Weber since it seems he can bring a more gritty two-way game to the table to go with his excellent offensive skills. I'd like to see him come up and Weber traded for prospects/picks, and add a decent stay at home 2nd or 3rd pairing Dman like Hannan or O'Brien.

[ericdaoust]

I just did a quick calculation (for fun) of a potential Scott Gomez buyout that could happen next summer. At the rate that the cap is going up I don't see any reason not to bite the bullet and make room for a real player to help the team win.

http://capgeek.com/buyout_calculator...06&buyout_d=20

[ericdaoust]

I can't wait to see this kid Diaz in action. Eric, do you think he'll see some NHL time this year? A few cups of coffee or up for a nice stretch? I guess it depends on injuries, but you have to think they value him higher than Weber since it seems he can bring a more gritty two-way game to the table to go with his excellent offensive skills. I'd like to see him come up and Weber traded for prospects/picks, and add a decent stay at home 2nd or 3rd pairing Dman like Hannan or O'Brien.

I don't think Diaz will see NHL time this year unless he can first pass Brendon Nash on the depth chart. Nash had a rough second half so we'll see this year what he's truly made of but as it stands I think he's the first option to call up. I also think that Weber could be used as a forward and Yemelin wins the #6 spot. That's just my gut feeling though. They could put Weber in the press box too. They've done it before.

[loco man]

I don't think Diaz will see NHL time this year unless he can first pass Brendon Nash on the depth chart. Nash had a rough second half so we'll see this year what he's truly made of but as it stands I think he's the first option to call up. I also think that Weber could be used as a forward and Yemelin wins the #6 spot. That's just my gut feeling though. They could put Weber in the press box too. They've done it before.

I am seriously considering adding Weber as my last D, as he is sitting on the wire and there are ZERO options available.

I assumed second PP duty and 6th D or 4th line fwd, but I only want him if playing somewhere on the regular. Having a one way contract seems to demonstrate a belief that he can contribute over the entire season.

Can you expand a little on his role and projections for this year and beyond?

Thanks

[LeTrefle]

[QUOTE=ericdaoust;738823]

The one-year deal offered by the Habs was probably for the same price. Hamrlik received a two-year offer for 3.5 per so he is off to Washington!

RDS reported that the deal was 1 year at 3,3M$.

[ericdaoust]

[QUOTE=LeTrefle;741769]

RDS reported that the deal was 1 year at 3,3M$.

I think if they offered 3.3M for 2 years he would be a Hab right now. In a sense I don't blame them from backing away from giving multiple years to a 35+ player. Remember that there is a rule about the 35+ signings that are longer than one year... if the guy retires or gets bought out the full cap hit still applies.

[ross10019]

I don't think Diaz will see NHL time this year unless he can first pass Brendon Nash on the depth chart. Nash had a rough second half so we'll see this year what he's truly made of but as it stands I think he's the first option to call up. I also think that Weber could be used as a forward and Yemelin wins the #6 spot. That's just my gut feeling though. They could put Weber in the press box too. They've done it before.

Oh there is no question in my mind that Yemelin, gets the 6 spot, it's either that or he goes back to Russia and the Habs brass didn't go to all this trouble to see yet another Russian draftee bolt. Plus Yemelin is NHL-ready, judging by the impact he had in the KHL last year. I think you're right that they use Weber to spot start at D and W, and in the press box from time to time, and they probably sign a vet Dman at a certain point to bring toughness and leadership, like Mara last year (could very well be Mara again this year, wouldn't be surprised). I agree it's tough to see Diaz getting in, but I see a cup of coffee for this year, to see what he can do in the big show.

[ericdaoust]

Ryan White signed a one-year, 625k contract according to habsinsideout.com. This is considerably lower than his 850k cap hit last season so I assume he did this to get a one-way deal. The two-way version would have an AHL salary of roughly 100k so by signing close to the league minimum he assures himself a place in the NHL when it comes time for the final cuts. I don't have confirmation yet on the one-way deal but I think it's a safe assumption.

[ericdaoust]

It's the dog days of summer so I'll post this FYI news which is not fantasy relevant...

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569318

Erik Cole will be wearing #72 this season and he explains why. Damn those retired numbers are really complicating matters these days eh?

[LeTrefle]

It's the dog days of summer so I'll post this FYI news which is not fantasy relevant...

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569318

Erik Cole will be wearing #72 this season and he explains why. Damn those retired numbers are really complicating matters these days eh?

To stick with this # thread, D.Desharnais will switch from #58 to #51.

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/322819.html
Desharnais wore the number 51 with the Hamilton Bulldogs, and with the Cincinnati Cyclones during his stint in the East Coast League.

[ericdaoust]

To stick with this # thread, D.Desharnais will switch from #58 to #51.

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/322819.html
Desharnais wore the number 51 with the Hamilton Bulldogs, and with the Cincinnati Cyclones during his stint in the East Coast League.

I like having Desharnais with a number in the 50s because in the NFL that's a linebacker number and he's anything but a linebacker.

[ericdaoust]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=371793

Habs acquire D Mark Mitera for D Mathieu Carle. I don't know if there is any gain or loss here because I don't know if either dman ever makes an impact at the NHL level. Mitera has size but I don't think he has the physical game to back it up. Meanwhile Carle is a decent puck mover with issues in his own end.

[mister_mcgoo]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=371793

Habs acquire D Mark Mitera for D Mathieu Carle. I don't know if there is any gain or loss here because I don't know if either dman ever makes an impact at the NHL level. Mitera has size but I don't think he has the physical game to back it up. Meanwhile Carle is a decent puck mover with issues in his own end.

yeah I dunno if that has much effect but anytime the Habs add some size it makes some sense