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Thread: Montreal Canadiens

  1. #76
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    Default James Wisniewski analysis

    First off, thanks to MoreCanadianTeams for making some very good points. I'll expand on that as I analyze the pros and cons of James Wisniewski

    Pros

    I like the choice of player. In my previous article about replacing Markov in the offseason, I listed Wisniewski as a possibility as the Habs look to use the free cap space to shore up many areas of concern. Now he's in Montreal and could be re-signed before July 1st should the Habs follow the plan I outlined.

    Right now, it's clear that guys like Gorges, Hamrlik and Spacek need lowered ice time. Gorges has been playing hurt for a while and the Hamrlik/Spacek duo is getting slower each game. Wisniewski was getting 23:14 in ice time per game this season with the Islanders (4:56 on the PP and 1:34 on the PK). This should help the distribution of minutes on the back end at even strength and on special teams.

    Wisniewski is indeed a player that brings toughness. The team has no enforcer and Max Lapierre is the only true agitator on the team. Travis Moen actually leads the team with 3 fights and we're almost half way through the season. Although Wisniewski has no fighting majors this season and is by no means a goon, look for him to get himself involved in the rough stuff down the stretch. Good for roto leagues.

    Offensively we know he can bring it. He has 22 points in 32 games this season. That includes 3 goals and 16 points on the power play. He instantly becomes the team's top offensive blueliner. I think he'll continue to get the same kind of power play time but he has more weapons to work with. His points-per-game should remain steady, but may drop a bit because he had such a hot start.

    As far as PK Subban goes, I think this means he'll spend the 2nd half of the season on the second PP unit (Hamrlik on the 1st pair). Less ice time and less responsibility. That's a good thing when it comes to turning his season around. But it's time to keep him in the lineup and let him work his way back up the depth chart. Weber needs to be demoted following tonight's game. Enough is enough with the young guys getting so many healthy scratches. Both Subban and Weber need constant ice time at one level or the other. Time to coach these guys properly. Let Picard ride the pine.

    Cons

    By no means is James Wisniewski a perfect player. He has a long history of injuries which is a major concern. He also gets suspended from time to time, and the hand/mouth gesture wasn't his first time. Here's the distribution of games missed in past seasons:

    2009-10: 13 games
    2008-09: 29 games
    2007-08: 14 games
    2006-07: 15 games

    Essentially he's good for a dozen games on the shelf per season. He's a good minute muncher but it's important that the coaches don't overplay him and expose him to these injuries.

    Wisniewski is also not a great defender. He's quick and hits well which makes him an average defender. But his decision making can be suspect from time to time. I know the Islanders are not a +/- heaven, but his -18 on the season is very telling.

    And finally, the contract is a concern. He is a UFA after the season. Unless they are able to sign a better free agent defenceman, letting him walk would be a huge mistake and would hurt the value of this trade. I think Wisniewski would be smart to re-sign in Montreal given the team's history of being a statistically favorable situation for puck moving defencemen. It would help him maintain relevance throughout the life of the next contract he signs which will help him stay valuable when his next contract runs out.


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  2. #77
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    Default Canadiens 0, Capitals 3

    I arrived home with 7 minutes left in the 2nd period. The score was 2-0 Caps and the Canadiens were flat the whole 2nd half of the game. I'm not sure how things looked before that point so I won't go into too much detail with my game report.

    Price looked great in the back half and overall allowed 2 goals on 28 shots (3rd goal was empty netter). There isn't much he can do when the team scores 0 goals and only has 6 shots in the 3rd period while trying to come back from a two-goal deficit.

    Subban and Weber appear to be extremely gun shy right now. They're both afraid of making a mistake that puts them back in the press box. That was total mismanagement of two defencemen that are an important part of the team's future. Both were guilty of the big one-timer slap shot that is easily blocked by the forward standing in front of them. They are not being creative and thus are very predictable.

    Stats that tell the story:
    -Like I mentioned, only 6 shots in the 3rd period while trailing by 2. That's not good enough.
    -No power-play goals on 5 chances. This is the Caps we're talking about. They're not the 2003 Devils when it comes to defending. No excuse for not cashing in on those chances.
    -Capitals won the faceoff battle 36-16. That facilitates the Caps' defensive zone break-out and extends possessions in the Canadiens' zone. With the skill in Washington this is a recipe for disaster.


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  3. #78
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    Good stuff Eric, looking forward to the game tomorrow night. Hope they can get some offense going, especially on that PP. I don't know if they've had a chance to practice while on the road but it sure doesn't look like it.
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  4. #79
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    Finally got to read your post on the future Habs. Great stuff, rep given.
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  5. #80
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    http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312360.html

    RDS (french) reports that Alex Picard and Tom Pyatt are healthy scratches tonight. Josh Gorges misses a 2nd straight game basically resting wear and tear.

    My own conclusions:
    -Travis Moen was not directly referenced in the article but his return to the lineup pushes Pyatt into the press box. That's the only thing I can see from this development. Moen had missed a game with the flu.
    -This leaves Gill, Wisniewski, Hamrlik, Spacek, Subban and Weber as healthy defencemen for tonight. No word on what the pairs will be but it is interesting to point out the team has three left handed dmen (Gill, Hammer, Spacek) and three right handed dmen (Wiz, PK, Weber). Draw your own conclusions.


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  6. #81
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    I'm loving the Wisniewski trade eric, they're banged up on D and need he help and when the contracts of the duds expire (Hamrlik and Spacek, I'm looking at you) he'll be a much better option to sign

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    Default Canadiens 1, Lightning 4

    Another forgettable game. I'm really disliking the holiday road trip and it seems to piss me off every year. I won't rant much on this but yeah this is starting to become very boring. The Habs were actually solid in the 1st period but as soon as the puck was dropped to start the 2nd the game was over on the Habs' end of things. Maybe someone passed around some of their Christmas chocolates during the intermission? Anyway, on to some individual analysis.

    James Wisniewski: All eyes were on him as this was his first game in a Canadiens' uniform. He had a strong game and was involved in trying to create some chances all game. Despite the 4-1 outing he finished with a +1 rating in 22 minutes.

    Hamrlik/Spacek: They look SLOW. Not to mention they are constantly out of position. Both finished -2 today and Hamrlik was guilty of the penalty that awarded the Stamkos penalty shot. I am so tired of seeing these two paired together. If anyone was doubting me when I said Hamrlik wouldn't sustain his good offensive start to the season, now you see why.

    Max Pacioretty: One of the few forwards who had a positive effect on the game. Scored the only goal of the game (assisted by Gomez). Despite the positives, this was the worst outing for their line since being put together.

    Carey Price: He looked tired tonight. I hope they put Auld in net tomorrow just for the sake of giving Price a break. The first goal allowed was a bit weak although it was a 5 on 3 and Price was leaning towards stopping a pass, and Martin St. Louis noticed the hole short side and potted a goal at 5 on 3. The 2nd goal was a deflection off of Spacek. The third goal was the penalty shot caused by "cement skates" Hamrlik. The final goal was weird. Price thought he had the puck covered at the side of the net and all 5 other Canadiens stopped moving. Stamkos picked up the loose puck and had an uncontested wrap-around goal. Brutal from top to bottom on that one.

    Closing comments: I've noticed that the players look burned out. Perhaps it's the long road trip at this time of the year, or perhaps the guys are not handling the slump well and are discouraged. I don't know, but they look awful for the most part. The players are just not getting themselves involved in the game. If the scoring isn't there, make an effort and try to screen the goalie on a shot. Or help your teammate dig a puck out of the corner. They are always a step slow. The shots were 28-23 Montreal but seriously they took about a dozen shots from outside the blue line. Oh well good for Cedric Desjardins getting his first career NHL victory.


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  8. #83
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    Credit to LeftWingLock:

    http://www.leftwinglock.com/starting...lies-dec-31-3/

    Alex Auld gets the nod today. I'm happy to see this. Set your rosters accordingly.

    Also, RDS reports that David Desharnais has been called up. (http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312417.html)
    Last edited by ericdaoust; December 31, 2010 at 1:25 PM.


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  9. #84
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    Quote Originally Posted by mister_mcgoo View Post
    I'm loving the Wisniewski trade eric, they're banged up on D and need he help and when the contracts of the duds expire (Hamrlik and Spacek, I'm looking at you) he'll be a much better option to sign
    Couldn't agree more about how helpful it will be to get Hamrlik and Spacek off the payroll. Their combined cap hit is over 9 million! That kind of money could land defencemen the calibre of Hamhuis and Ballard!

    I do like the idea of re-signing Wisniewski this summer. It would probably cost between 4 and 4.5 million. He could be the "Markov replacement" on the PP next season as I don't think it's a sound idea to invest any more money into Markov. Then they can sign another defenceman to replace Hamrlik (or finally just promote Weber permanently and stop putting him in the press box every other game).


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  10. #85
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    http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312428.html
    Lapierre to Anaheim???
    as per RDS.
    Keeper league (12 teams) - keep 6 (+ NHL team is auto keep)
    Weekly lineup: 1T, 9F, 4D, 1G
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    Forwards & Dmen: goal (1), assist (1)
    Goalies: win (2), otl/sol (1), shutout (2)
    Team: win (2), otl/sol (1)
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    [T] Edmonton
    [F] Panarin, Pettersson, Bedard
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    Quote Originally Posted by LeTrefle View Post
    http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312428.html
    Lapierre to Anaheim???
    as per RDS.

    Quick draw LeTrefle, I just heard this on Team 1040. No word on what's coming back yet. Wonder if it's related to the incident in practice last week?

  12. #87
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    They now saying that Lapierre asked for a trade this week.
    The club won't confirm that for now.
    Keeper league (12 teams) - keep 6 (+ NHL team is auto keep)
    Weekly lineup: 1T, 9F, 4D, 1G
    Points only:
    Forwards & Dmen: goal (1), assist (1)
    Goalies: win (2), otl/sol (1), shutout (2)
    Team: win (2), otl/sol (1)
    Only 2 FA pickups for the season (remaining: 0)

    [T] Edmonton
    [F] Panarin, Pettersson, Bedard
    [D] Heiskanen, Theodore, Dobson
    [G]

  13. #88
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    interesting...I've never been much of a fan of Lapierre, though he does have some nice offensive skills, be cool if we got some quality back

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    Quote Originally Posted by mister_mcgoo View Post
    interesting...I've never been much of a fan of Lapierre, though he does have some nice offensive skills, be cool if we got some quality back
    I wonder if it's just a pick though, seems to be the trend when they don't name the other assets right away.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LeTrefle View Post
    http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312428.html
    Lapierre to Anaheim???
    as per RDS.
    Thanks for posting. If it's only Lapierre in the trade the Canadiens will not get much back. He has 22 points in the last 108 games. I'll guess that it's a 4th round pick or a tough roster player with limited upside.

    The article title at RDS is changed from question form to confirmation "Maxim Lapierre est échangé". We'll see how this plays out.


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