Louis Leblanc was cut from Canadiens camp yesterday. You may have heard.
Tempest in a teapot is what comes to mind as descriptor for what came from the announcement that a player with a marginal chance at helping the Canadiens on the 4th line after an abysmal season would be given some time in Hamilton before getting another NHL minute. But, putting aside the irrational and oddly broadcasted feelings of his girlfriend (tennis star Aleksandra Wozniak), the reaction to cut across all quarters is much more interesting than the real implications for Leblanc.
To understand why this might be interesting at all, one has to put back some of the context.
Showing posts with label Quebec. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quebec. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
What A Habs Fan Wants
Let me preface this opinion. I grew up in Quebec and I consider myself a Montrealer and a Quebecker. I am as anglophone as they come (bilingual, of course), and I don't think I speak for all Quebecois.
Even though I'm by no means a "Habitant", I still identify with its evolved, as it arrived on my door, late 21st century sense. As a fan I wish the team to be a reflection of Montreal, of me. In truth, I actually want it to be in the image of Montreal in its best pose with glorious sunshine poking through the spires, lighting the mountain.
In the ideal scenario, what this would look like would be an organization and a group of players who grew up idolizing the Candiens, many because they originate from Montreal (francophone or not) that wins their Stanley Cups in bunches and with regularity. It would be a team that drew on the passion of its fans to never be outplayed at home at any man strength and carried itself as the perfect ambassador for the city on its travels.
We can also be clear that this fan is not interested in the least in a team that exhibits none of the values it wants to project, has no players it can identify with and loses rather than wins both the majority of games and the majority of the battles it undertakes on the ice.
But this isn't an ideal world is it? Ideal left the NHL some time after they thought a team in Kansas City would be a good idea (the first time).
In the real world, when faced with the fact that ideal equates to unattainable, one looks to compromise to find the best alternative of the many.
Breaking it down to its simplest components then, we could say the choice in this case, taking into account league regulations and the real world of modern hockey talent, is between:
- Ideal team composition and
- Ideal team results
I suggested the other day that this was somewhat captured in the cute marketing tagline that has stuck with the team for a century: Flying (in this case an allusion to both the results and the flair with which they are accomplished) and Frenchmen (reflecting the local makeup).
I also suggested that it was perhaps the Flying half of the couplet that mattered more. For just as no one would wish to watch a team of Americans lose the conference every year, nor would they wish to watch a team of players from Roxboro, Rosemere and Repentigny do the same.
I think I speak for the section of fans with most attachment to this team that it is the winning that matters and it has been winning that has brought the most pride.
But one can't just build a winner, just like that. Columbus has been trying to build a winner, so has Atlantapeg, so did Rejean Houle.Winning depends on many things, and winning as defined only by Stanley Cups depends on those things plus timing and good fortune.
Through analysis, one can still build a team that has more chance of winning than another -- make a San Jose vs. a Florida -- but Cups will decide for themsleves whether that's enough.
So our new choice becomes: team built on well-researched principles to be in position to win if timing and good fortune line up (hello Boston) or team built to serve a different goal, made up to reflect Montreal as a people, both literally and spiritually.
The easier choice is the latter. A GM knows for a fact where a player was born, grew up and what languages he speaks. He konws with a pretty good degree of certainty, if he's watched him, how he approaches a hockey game. A GM on the second mandate could fill his team from this point in a couple of years, if not weeks.
Building a contender is harder bceause those well-researched principles aren't exactly written in stone. What seems to win today may not be what wins tomorrow. A player signed who once stormed his team, to an unlikely final may not work in your own mix of talent. Neither is it impossible, though. Others do it. Teams sit competitive for years, decades, because their management has worked tirelessly to manage their talent both present and prospective.
As a Habs fan who would love to get as close to that ideal as possible, I would hate for the GM to jump headlong into the geographic approach, because just as I won't identify with a team of Americans losing for my city, I won't relate to a team of Montrealais scraping the bottom of the barrel either.
But because winning in that Stanley sense is so unreliable (as San Jose and Philadelphia can attest) then neither do I want a GM to abandon all balance and number-crunch his way to a team with a 0.06% greater chance of winning.
I guess what I'm saying is that this fan does not want his team to be built by someone who disregards the many available paths to winning, and the flexibility in team make up and strategy that can land you in a parade. However, what I'm also saying is that the identity of the team, the "Flying Frenchmen" aspect of its essence is not to be interpreted only in its most literal sense.
In the hierarchy of importance, I think the winning (flying) is more essential to the image Montreal wishes to project. I hope that as the organization works to that ideal version of the team (a version, I might add, we were so spoiled to have for a couple of generations), it understands where the compromises should come.
How many do I speak for? At least one Habs fan.
Even though I'm by no means a "Habitant", I still identify with its evolved, as it arrived on my door, late 21st century sense. As a fan I wish the team to be a reflection of Montreal, of me. In truth, I actually want it to be in the image of Montreal in its best pose with glorious sunshine poking through the spires, lighting the mountain.
In the ideal scenario, what this would look like would be an organization and a group of players who grew up idolizing the Candiens, many because they originate from Montreal (francophone or not) that wins their Stanley Cups in bunches and with regularity. It would be a team that drew on the passion of its fans to never be outplayed at home at any man strength and carried itself as the perfect ambassador for the city on its travels.
We can also be clear that this fan is not interested in the least in a team that exhibits none of the values it wants to project, has no players it can identify with and loses rather than wins both the majority of games and the majority of the battles it undertakes on the ice.
But this isn't an ideal world is it? Ideal left the NHL some time after they thought a team in Kansas City would be a good idea (the first time).
In the real world, when faced with the fact that ideal equates to unattainable, one looks to compromise to find the best alternative of the many.
Breaking it down to its simplest components then, we could say the choice in this case, taking into account league regulations and the real world of modern hockey talent, is between:
- Ideal team composition and
- Ideal team results
I suggested the other day that this was somewhat captured in the cute marketing tagline that has stuck with the team for a century: Flying (in this case an allusion to both the results and the flair with which they are accomplished) and Frenchmen (reflecting the local makeup).
I also suggested that it was perhaps the Flying half of the couplet that mattered more. For just as no one would wish to watch a team of Americans lose the conference every year, nor would they wish to watch a team of players from Roxboro, Rosemere and Repentigny do the same.
I think I speak for the section of fans with most attachment to this team that it is the winning that matters and it has been winning that has brought the most pride.
But one can't just build a winner, just like that. Columbus has been trying to build a winner, so has Atlantapeg, so did Rejean Houle.Winning depends on many things, and winning as defined only by Stanley Cups depends on those things plus timing and good fortune.
Through analysis, one can still build a team that has more chance of winning than another -- make a San Jose vs. a Florida -- but Cups will decide for themsleves whether that's enough.
So our new choice becomes: team built on well-researched principles to be in position to win if timing and good fortune line up (hello Boston) or team built to serve a different goal, made up to reflect Montreal as a people, both literally and spiritually.
The easier choice is the latter. A GM knows for a fact where a player was born, grew up and what languages he speaks. He konws with a pretty good degree of certainty, if he's watched him, how he approaches a hockey game. A GM on the second mandate could fill his team from this point in a couple of years, if not weeks.
Building a contender is harder bceause those well-researched principles aren't exactly written in stone. What seems to win today may not be what wins tomorrow. A player signed who once stormed his team, to an unlikely final may not work in your own mix of talent. Neither is it impossible, though. Others do it. Teams sit competitive for years, decades, because their management has worked tirelessly to manage their talent both present and prospective.
As a Habs fan who would love to get as close to that ideal as possible, I would hate for the GM to jump headlong into the geographic approach, because just as I won't identify with a team of Americans losing for my city, I won't relate to a team of Montrealais scraping the bottom of the barrel either.
But because winning in that Stanley sense is so unreliable (as San Jose and Philadelphia can attest) then neither do I want a GM to abandon all balance and number-crunch his way to a team with a 0.06% greater chance of winning.
I guess what I'm saying is that this fan does not want his team to be built by someone who disregards the many available paths to winning, and the flexibility in team make up and strategy that can land you in a parade. However, what I'm also saying is that the identity of the team, the "Flying Frenchmen" aspect of its essence is not to be interpreted only in its most literal sense.
In the hierarchy of importance, I think the winning (flying) is more essential to the image Montreal wishes to project. I hope that as the organization works to that ideal version of the team (a version, I might add, we were so spoiled to have for a couple of generations), it understands where the compromises should come.
How many do I speak for? At least one Habs fan.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
RDS Can't Count
"Les faits lui donnent raison. Depuis son congédiement, il y a 16 ans, les seuls Francophones repêchés par le Canadien qui ont patiné dans la Ligue nationale, Mike Ribeiro, François Beauchemin, Maxim Lapierre et Guillaume Latendresse, ont tous été envoyés ailleurs pour des miettes. Imaginez, quatre Québécois du calibre de la Ligue nationale seulement en 16 ans."
"Since Savard was fired, the only francophones drafted by the Habs to have skated in the NHL are Mike Ribeiro, Francois Beauchemin, Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse. Imagine, 4 NHL caliber Quebecois in 16 years."
What an indictment, and one no doubt aimed to inflame. Imagine.
But now imagine you were wondering how much money I had and I told you that I had $12 in change from the laundromat.
Sure, it's true, I only have $12 dollars in change from the laundromat (except that I actually have $22, oops forgot I changed some into bills) and I have more money in my other wallet that didn't come from the laundromat.
This is RDS's tactic. RDS implies by their statement that the Canadiens have ignored all Quebec players for 16 years because they have only drafted 4 NHL-caliber players.
For a start, they forgot to count Mathieu Garon who was drafted after Savard left. His career merits mention in the same breath of Lapierre, I'd think. And if they are going to throw around words like "qui ont patiné dans la Ligue nationale" they should probably also include the likes of Mathieu Carle, Jonathan Ferland, Eric Chouinard and Ben Guite who all skated in the NHL, much to the incovenience of the propagandists.
9 isn't a huge number of NHL players drafted from Quebec in 16 years, but it looks a heck of a lot bigger to the casual observer than 4. And, considering NHL stars aren't exactly pouring out of the province in the way they did in the 1950s, I'd wager it's not the worst tally in the league either. I'd even guess it's nearer the top.
Besides this, the Canadiens have also made conscious effort to make career opportunities for undrafted Quebeckers one of their post-lockout priorities. Yann Danis comes to mind, and who can forget Francis Bouillon and of course current top-liner David Desharnais. You could include others that were drafted then discarded, but then I suppose you'd have to say that Calgary wasn't responsible for Martin St. Louis. Who do I mean? Guys like Pierre Dagenais, Patrick Traverse, Steve Begin, Karl Dykhuis et al. Guys that got longer careers because Montreal gave them a chance when no one else would have.
Personally, I think that tack by the Canadiens has been sensible. They have been able to stockpile try-out players from the QMJHL from the leftovers of the draft. Considering the league is probably the probably most difficult in which to properly assess talent, this approach to minimize risk is great. It's already worked wonders with Desharnais and could yet pay with someone like Etienne Brodeur or a future scoring hotshot.
When will RDS be happy?
Well, in my humble opinion, probably never.
If the Habs had drafted only Quebecois over the past 16 years and had started 1-3-1, my bet is that they'd be complaining just as adamantly (and probably dishonestly) about something else.
I can't ask RDS to give up complaining, clearly they know it gets them the ratings. What I hope we can ask for is a little more honesty and integrity, and possibly better arithmetic. At least they provided the ammunition for the return volley in their half-baked attack, that's something, I suppose.
"Since Savard was fired, the only francophones drafted by the Habs to have skated in the NHL are Mike Ribeiro, Francois Beauchemin, Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse. Imagine, 4 NHL caliber Quebecois in 16 years."
What an indictment, and one no doubt aimed to inflame. Imagine.
But now imagine you were wondering how much money I had and I told you that I had $12 in change from the laundromat.
Sure, it's true, I only have $12 dollars in change from the laundromat (except that I actually have $22, oops forgot I changed some into bills) and I have more money in my other wallet that didn't come from the laundromat.
This is RDS's tactic. RDS implies by their statement that the Canadiens have ignored all Quebec players for 16 years because they have only drafted 4 NHL-caliber players.
For a start, they forgot to count Mathieu Garon who was drafted after Savard left. His career merits mention in the same breath of Lapierre, I'd think. And if they are going to throw around words like "qui ont patiné dans la Ligue nationale" they should probably also include the likes of Mathieu Carle, Jonathan Ferland, Eric Chouinard and Ben Guite who all skated in the NHL, much to the incovenience of the propagandists.
9 isn't a huge number of NHL players drafted from Quebec in 16 years, but it looks a heck of a lot bigger to the casual observer than 4. And, considering NHL stars aren't exactly pouring out of the province in the way they did in the 1950s, I'd wager it's not the worst tally in the league either. I'd even guess it's nearer the top.
Besides this, the Canadiens have also made conscious effort to make career opportunities for undrafted Quebeckers one of their post-lockout priorities. Yann Danis comes to mind, and who can forget Francis Bouillon and of course current top-liner David Desharnais. You could include others that were drafted then discarded, but then I suppose you'd have to say that Calgary wasn't responsible for Martin St. Louis. Who do I mean? Guys like Pierre Dagenais, Patrick Traverse, Steve Begin, Karl Dykhuis et al. Guys that got longer careers because Montreal gave them a chance when no one else would have.
Personally, I think that tack by the Canadiens has been sensible. They have been able to stockpile try-out players from the QMJHL from the leftovers of the draft. Considering the league is probably the probably most difficult in which to properly assess talent, this approach to minimize risk is great. It's already worked wonders with Desharnais and could yet pay with someone like Etienne Brodeur or a future scoring hotshot.
When will RDS be happy?
Well, in my humble opinion, probably never.
If the Habs had drafted only Quebecois over the past 16 years and had started 1-3-1, my bet is that they'd be complaining just as adamantly (and probably dishonestly) about something else.
I can't ask RDS to give up complaining, clearly they know it gets them the ratings. What I hope we can ask for is a little more honesty and integrity, and possibly better arithmetic. At least they provided the ammunition for the return volley in their half-baked attack, that's something, I suppose.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Who Will Montreal's Guardian Be?
Back in the fall, the NHL announced that Stan Lee, creator of Spiderman, had teamed up with them (paid too much to refuse teaming up) to create 30 new superheroes called the Guardians (nothing to do with the Guardian newspaper).
On January 1st, the NHL and The Guardian project began revealing the Guardians one at a time from the cities around the league.
This got me thinking, what will the Habs Guardian look like. What will his name be? What will his special powers be? It's worth examining...
From 14 examples, I think we can start to extract some ground rules here:
1) The name of the guardian can be as creative as you want, provided you only use the team name with or without the "s"
2) This will be true no matter how inapplicable the name is for a superhero (see Wild, the)
3) The guardian will be wearing, or have made into a tunic, the team's uniform.
4) The guardian's powers will be drawn from a combination of animal traits or local economic/cultural activities
5) This is unless nothing happens where the team is located, so the Guardian does something to do with weather
With these rules in mind, I thought the creative readers of this blog could come up with a range of Guardians to put the eventual CANADIEN to shame.
Here are a few to get you started on the format:
The Canadien
Fleet-footed protector of the city of Montreal. He uses his knowledge of languages to mock the other Guardians when they are not looking. Can't hear their mocking back, rings in ears.
The Habitant
Moustachioed protector of Ville Marie. Uses his gaudy rings and numerous banners to blind and smother other Guardians as he protects the Stanley Cup.
The Selke
Sends powerful snubs to his arch-enemies in Toronto with his control over all hockey talent in the world.
The Tremblay
Shift-changing form who can change from plucky forward, to offensive defenceman to incompetent coach at a moment's notice. Other Guardians can't track him down, even though he's listed in the Montreal phonebook.
Do your worst...
On January 1st, the NHL and The Guardian project began revealing the Guardians one at a time from the cities around the league.
This got me thinking, what will the Habs Guardian look like. What will his name be? What will his special powers be? It's worth examining...
From 14 examples, I think we can start to extract some ground rules here:
1) The name of the guardian can be as creative as you want, provided you only use the team name with or without the "s"
2) This will be true no matter how inapplicable the name is for a superhero (see Wild, the)
3) The guardian will be wearing, or have made into a tunic, the team's uniform.
4) The guardian's powers will be drawn from a combination of animal traits or local economic/cultural activities
5) This is unless nothing happens where the team is located, so the Guardian does something to do with weather
With these rules in mind, I thought the creative readers of this blog could come up with a range of Guardians to put the eventual CANADIEN to shame.
Here are a few to get you started on the format:
The Canadien
Fleet-footed protector of the city of Montreal. He uses his knowledge of languages to mock the other Guardians when they are not looking. Can't hear their mocking back, rings in ears.
The Habitant
Moustachioed protector of Ville Marie. Uses his gaudy rings and numerous banners to blind and smother other Guardians as he protects the Stanley Cup.
The Selke
Sends powerful snubs to his arch-enemies in Toronto with his control over all hockey talent in the world.
The Tremblay
Shift-changing form who can change from plucky forward, to offensive defenceman to incompetent coach at a moment's notice. Other Guardians can't track him down, even though he's listed in the Montreal phonebook.
Do your worst...
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Would You Ditch Gomez For Naught?
SBNation has recently been riding the wave of news about Quebec City and Winnipeg making an NHL return. Instead of a fantasy amateur draft, James Mirtle and Gabriel Desjardins conducted a fantasy expansion draft.
An interesting concept and interesting draft (well for 20 picks or so). It was interesting for Habs fans specifically because of the players the team "lost".
The first overall selections in the draft were Colin White and Barrett Jackman, but third in the pecking order was the Habs current top-line centre, Scott Gomez. Picked 6 picks (and only 3 skaters) later was Roman Hamrlik.
(Pure fantasy of course, but a lot of what we discuss goes well into the realm of the fantastic.)
Of all the teams poached for players, the Habs were the only group to lose both a top-line centre and a top-2 defenceman. It was likely because the Habs were the only team to expose 2 players like that.
As much as I'd love to delude myself into the belief that this is because of the team's incredible depth at those positions, I fear that it's not. One only has to delve into memories of the playoffs to recall the depth of the Canadiens forwards group.
So what then?
Well, it seems our friend Robert L of Habs Eyes on the Prize left Gomez and Hamrlik unprotected for the new Nordiques and Jets to circle over. On this summary of the players left exposed for the fantasy draft, the author mentions clicking on the team sites "to take a look at the players who were protected and the debates that went on surrounding those selections."
I searched Habs Eyes on the Prize, but I couldn't find any debate, so I thought I'd post the opportunity for that here.
Expose because of salary?
With all due respect to Boyd, Darche, Perezhoghin, Picard, Henry, Auld and Sanford, I think the two players worth discussing are probably Hamrlik and Gomez.
Now I don't know what the protection rules were specifically. But from looking at Pittsburgh, I would bet there's not a cap restriction to worry about. Therefore, the salary didn't need to be shed for the sake of the rules.
It seems then that Robert, as proxy GM, treated this draft as a chance to ditch salaries he didn't like. He, if no one else, believes that losing Gomez for nothing is favourable to losing someone like say Travis Moen. And that the chance to save $5.5 million on Roman Hamrlik for a single season is better than exposing Ryan O'Byrne or Hal Gill.
I can't say I'd agree, but I wanted to put it to some of you:
Is Gomez's contract so awful that it would prompt you (imagine now that you're the GM) to jettison him given this unique expansion draft opportunity?
Hamrlik?
If this happened, how would you replace Gomez and Hamrlik in the immediate term, then next summer?
An interesting concept and interesting draft (well for 20 picks or so). It was interesting for Habs fans specifically because of the players the team "lost".
The first overall selections in the draft were Colin White and Barrett Jackman, but third in the pecking order was the Habs current top-line centre, Scott Gomez. Picked 6 picks (and only 3 skaters) later was Roman Hamrlik.
(Pure fantasy of course, but a lot of what we discuss goes well into the realm of the fantastic.)
Of all the teams poached for players, the Habs were the only group to lose both a top-line centre and a top-2 defenceman. It was likely because the Habs were the only team to expose 2 players like that.
As much as I'd love to delude myself into the belief that this is because of the team's incredible depth at those positions, I fear that it's not. One only has to delve into memories of the playoffs to recall the depth of the Canadiens forwards group.
So what then?
Well, it seems our friend Robert L of Habs Eyes on the Prize left Gomez and Hamrlik unprotected for the new Nordiques and Jets to circle over. On this summary of the players left exposed for the fantasy draft, the author mentions clicking on the team sites "to take a look at the players who were protected and the debates that went on surrounding those selections."
I searched Habs Eyes on the Prize, but I couldn't find any debate, so I thought I'd post the opportunity for that here.
Expose because of salary?
With all due respect to Boyd, Darche, Perezhoghin, Picard, Henry, Auld and Sanford, I think the two players worth discussing are probably Hamrlik and Gomez.
Now I don't know what the protection rules were specifically. But from looking at Pittsburgh, I would bet there's not a cap restriction to worry about. Therefore, the salary didn't need to be shed for the sake of the rules.
It seems then that Robert, as proxy GM, treated this draft as a chance to ditch salaries he didn't like. He, if no one else, believes that losing Gomez for nothing is favourable to losing someone like say Travis Moen. And that the chance to save $5.5 million on Roman Hamrlik for a single season is better than exposing Ryan O'Byrne or Hal Gill.
I can't say I'd agree, but I wanted to put it to some of you:
Is Gomez's contract so awful that it would prompt you (imagine now that you're the GM) to jettison him given this unique expansion draft opportunity?
Hamrlik?
If this happened, how would you replace Gomez and Hamrlik in the immediate term, then next summer?
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Who Will They Ask Next?
RDS Quotes PK Peladeau On Gainey's Coaching Choice
Though they have yet to ask anyone whose opinion I care about, the French press are really running the gamut of famous Quebecers to consult.
Yesterday we heard what marginal contributor and salary millstone Georges Laraque thought. We've heard from just about every former coach to have ever laid foot in La Belle Province. Now, running out of "experts" we must hear from a prominent Quebec businessman. Who will they ask next?
What made me want to post was not the fact they asked him, but the tripe they actually decided to post on their website. Here is what Peladeau (allegedly – always alleged nowadays) said via the "first-class" paper Le Quotidien:
Last time I checked M. Peladeau, you weren't a consultant for hockey operations with the Canadiens.
As for RDS, the day they get an interview from a key player on the team or free agent such as Markov, Price, Koivu, Kovalev or Higgins is the day I'll be truly impressed. Until then, I suppose I'll have to put up with mocking their overall lack of effort and professionalism.
I suppose that is one bright side of these media magnates jostling for the Habs – the demise of RDS in its current form. Still, I shudder to think of someone as prone to egomania as this quotes suggests actually bidding for and owning the team...
Yesterday we heard what marginal contributor and salary millstone Georges Laraque thought. We've heard from just about every former coach to have ever laid foot in La Belle Province. Now, running out of "experts" we must hear from a prominent Quebec businessman. Who will they ask next?
What made me want to post was not the fact they asked him, but the tripe they actually decided to post on their website. Here is what Peladeau (allegedly – always alleged nowadays) said via the "first-class" paper Le Quotidien:
«Ça aurait peut-être pu attendre deux semaines pour que l'on puisse, d'un commun accord, prendre une décision»
"It might have been better for him (Gainey) to wait a couple of weeks (before choosing a coach), so that we could come to an agreement on the matter"
Last time I checked M. Peladeau, you weren't a consultant for hockey operations with the Canadiens.
As for RDS, the day they get an interview from a key player on the team or free agent such as Markov, Price, Koivu, Kovalev or Higgins is the day I'll be truly impressed. Until then, I suppose I'll have to put up with mocking their overall lack of effort and professionalism.
I suppose that is one bright side of these media magnates jostling for the Habs – the demise of RDS in its current form. Still, I shudder to think of someone as prone to egomania as this quotes suggests actually bidding for and owning the team...
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Bettman Selective In Remembering
"We fix the problems. We don't run out on cities."
Except in cases where teams move from hockey markets to experimental sun-belt cities. I can't think of an example of one of those gone wrong though...
Bettman also alluded to:
Again, a bit selective as we have to watch two teams duke it out in LA for some reason and then 2 other teams and a farm club play in the Big Apple.
Bettman also alluded to:
A move to southern Ontario, where the league already has a successful team in the Toronto Maple Leafs, would represent a retrenchment for the NHL.
Again, a bit selective as we have to watch two teams duke it out in LA for some reason and then 2 other teams and a farm club play in the Big Apple.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Every Local Boy's Dream
To Ask To Be Traded From The Montreal Canadiens
Three players line up to ask for trades this week.
Curiously, they are all from La Belle Province. Curiously, they are all products of the QMJHL. Curiously they all once said it was their dream to be part of the Montreal Canadiens.
First came the sucking limpet that is BGL. We've had his nauseating tale a few too many times. He's not good enough to play in this league - he should be happy he's paid to play hockey.
Next (probably first in reality) was Steve Begin. His wish was granted, and he was traded to the Dallas Stars to be with former teammate Mike Ribeiro. Finally, the news that Mathieu (no discernible patience) Dandenault has asked for the same.
What's going on guys?
Steve Begin
The Steve Begin trade does not look good on the surface. I thought Begin was still someone that served a purpose on this team. An injury and he's in – that's how close. A message needs to be sent to Lapierre, Steve's in. He had value to us.
By all accounts, Steve did not make a nuisance (or a fool) of himself by requesting a trade publicly or only to the media. The reports I read said he asked Gainey politely to keep the possibility open. That presumably gave Gainey the flexibility to only make the trade if he felt it was bettering or at worst neutral to the Canadiens.
As I said, I don't immediately see it. Gainey has traded depth up front for depth at the back, which may be very useful given age, trends and current play. But it will take a bit of convincing for Janik to be as versatile and useful as Begin. I only hope that Bob Gainey had something up his sleeve here like he did in the Garon and Rivet trades. No Memorial Cup captaincies to speak of though, so maybe his time in Tampa revealed something I didn't see. Montreal does like USA development programme defenders, though.
Mathieu Dandenault
This one's nothing new. I commented on the very same thing at around this time last year. It is puzzling mind you, since Dandenault has been playing and playing alright. Still, his place in the lineup is tenuous, and somewhat undeserved. Maybe he sees the writing on the wall as he is surpassed by yet another generation of rookies.
For, me Mat's problem is his delusions of grandeur. Whenever he sits out we hear how he could be helping other teams – even though we barely notice what he does for us. I said it before, but it bears repeating:
General management
All three of these players have made things a bit sticky for the general manager. All three did so by thinking of themselves first and the team second.
When I was chatting with Tobalev over the Begin trade, he said something very apt. He said (and I embellish):
These three players seem to have forgotten that. Kovalev forgot that and was nearly trampled by the hysterics. He had to be reminded of his duties. Yesterday, I saluted Brisebois for not being as big of a selfish baby as Laraque. And I should also like to give a nod to captain Koivu, who over the tenth most productive career in Canadiens history has never shirked his duties on PK or to bring along yet another fresh winger.
Where we praised Bob Gainey for his handling of Alexei Kovalev last week, I think this will be as big a test of his management abilities. He cannot allow players to think he will bow to their selfish demands just so they can get ice time.
Hence, the Begin trade is a bit worrying. In the same way, so was the Cristobal Huet trade – which was generously remembered for giving a good guy a good chance to make as much free agent booty as he could muster. Unless Bob Gainey's five-year plan included making the most money for Begin, Dandenault and Laraque, I would hope he now focuses on winning the championship instead of making sure everyone likes him around the league.
Local boys
I started the article discussing the origins of the disgruntled three. I wonder how much that plays into things.
One thing I do know is this: RDS and it's sister RIS put an incredible strain on the Canadiens players by submitting them to 24-hour demands for quotes and stories. As they go, they much prefer to address and discuss players in the langue of Moliere not Milton. And that meant the Canadiens had 8 roster players, a coach and a GM. Tanguay is private, Latendresse is injured and 5 of the remaining 6 are on the very bubble of this team. You have to admit, it's a big burden for the every other game fourth liners to bear – to be the interviewees every single day of the year.
The Canadiens are complicit in this game too. As the picture above shows, they put Begin and Dandenault into situations where the biggest stars of the team step. The Canadiens website spends more than it's allotment on this group of players, too.
The constant attention and all the profiles game after game only serve to unfairly build these poor guys up to expectations they could never possibly fulfill. Tell me where else would they speak to Steve Begin after a win where Kovalev came back? Where else would the media worry about the feelings of the enforcer who sat out for games where there would have been nothing for him to do anyway?
All of this is only my musing on the subject. However, I can't help but think that it plays a part in the three recent demands: "If I'm not going to play anyway, maybe I can go somewhere to relax while I collect my millions".
For me it does cut to the heart of a problem with this team for some time now. That is the dichotomy between the big French language media machine geared up for the sole purpose of covering this team; and, on the other side the small and unimportant role of the local boys on the team.
With Maxim Lapierre and Latendresse being one of a few truly solid contributor that has come from a decade of bones thrown to young QMJHLers, I can only really see a few ways out (the draft not being one, anymore):
– RDS backs off their all-out coverage a bit
– The Canadiens win the championship, or
– Gainey brings in a star that can satisfy their thus far insatiable demand
You tell me which is more achievable...
Curiously, they are all from La Belle Province. Curiously, they are all products of the QMJHL. Curiously they all once said it was their dream to be part of the Montreal Canadiens.
First came the sucking limpet that is BGL. We've had his nauseating tale a few too many times. He's not good enough to play in this league - he should be happy he's paid to play hockey.
Next (probably first in reality) was Steve Begin. His wish was granted, and he was traded to the Dallas Stars to be with former teammate Mike Ribeiro. Finally, the news that Mathieu (no discernible patience) Dandenault has asked for the same.
What's going on guys?
Steve Begin
The Steve Begin trade does not look good on the surface. I thought Begin was still someone that served a purpose on this team. An injury and he's in – that's how close. A message needs to be sent to Lapierre, Steve's in. He had value to us.
By all accounts, Steve did not make a nuisance (or a fool) of himself by requesting a trade publicly or only to the media. The reports I read said he asked Gainey politely to keep the possibility open. That presumably gave Gainey the flexibility to only make the trade if he felt it was bettering or at worst neutral to the Canadiens.
As I said, I don't immediately see it. Gainey has traded depth up front for depth at the back, which may be very useful given age, trends and current play. But it will take a bit of convincing for Janik to be as versatile and useful as Begin. I only hope that Bob Gainey had something up his sleeve here like he did in the Garon and Rivet trades. No Memorial Cup captaincies to speak of though, so maybe his time in Tampa revealed something I didn't see. Montreal does like USA development programme defenders, though.
Mathieu Dandenault
This one's nothing new. I commented on the very same thing at around this time last year. It is puzzling mind you, since Dandenault has been playing and playing alright. Still, his place in the lineup is tenuous, and somewhat undeserved. Maybe he sees the writing on the wall as he is surpassed by yet another generation of rookies.
For, me Mat's problem is his delusions of grandeur. Whenever he sits out we hear how he could be helping other teams – even though we barely notice what he does for us. I said it before, but it bears repeating:
"The teams that Mathieu could help by playing everyday are numerous and all have one thing in common: they are going nowhere. Not many teams with one or two pieces to fill for the cup run are looking for a really fast forward turned defenseman turned forward who can't really score. Players who can't score come cheaper than Dandy, that's for sure."
General management
All three of these players have made things a bit sticky for the general manager. All three did so by thinking of themselves first and the team second.
When I was chatting with Tobalev over the Begin trade, he said something very apt. He said (and I embellish):
"Players have to realise they are being paid to be a part of this team, this organisation. They are not paid to play on the first line, fourth line, any predesignated number of minutes. The team's goal is to win, and they take home their massive paychecks to help the team in whatever way those in charge see fit."
These three players seem to have forgotten that. Kovalev forgot that and was nearly trampled by the hysterics. He had to be reminded of his duties. Yesterday, I saluted Brisebois for not being as big of a selfish baby as Laraque. And I should also like to give a nod to captain Koivu, who over the tenth most productive career in Canadiens history has never shirked his duties on PK or to bring along yet another fresh winger.
Where we praised Bob Gainey for his handling of Alexei Kovalev last week, I think this will be as big a test of his management abilities. He cannot allow players to think he will bow to their selfish demands just so they can get ice time.
Hence, the Begin trade is a bit worrying. In the same way, so was the Cristobal Huet trade – which was generously remembered for giving a good guy a good chance to make as much free agent booty as he could muster. Unless Bob Gainey's five-year plan included making the most money for Begin, Dandenault and Laraque, I would hope he now focuses on winning the championship instead of making sure everyone likes him around the league.
Local boys
I started the article discussing the origins of the disgruntled three. I wonder how much that plays into things.
One thing I do know is this: RDS and it's sister RIS put an incredible strain on the Canadiens players by submitting them to 24-hour demands for quotes and stories. As they go, they much prefer to address and discuss players in the langue of Moliere not Milton. And that meant the Canadiens had 8 roster players, a coach and a GM. Tanguay is private, Latendresse is injured and 5 of the remaining 6 are on the very bubble of this team. You have to admit, it's a big burden for the every other game fourth liners to bear – to be the interviewees every single day of the year.
The Canadiens are complicit in this game too. As the picture above shows, they put Begin and Dandenault into situations where the biggest stars of the team step. The Canadiens website spends more than it's allotment on this group of players, too.
The constant attention and all the profiles game after game only serve to unfairly build these poor guys up to expectations they could never possibly fulfill. Tell me where else would they speak to Steve Begin after a win where Kovalev came back? Where else would the media worry about the feelings of the enforcer who sat out for games where there would have been nothing for him to do anyway?
All of this is only my musing on the subject. However, I can't help but think that it plays a part in the three recent demands: "If I'm not going to play anyway, maybe I can go somewhere to relax while I collect my millions".
For me it does cut to the heart of a problem with this team for some time now. That is the dichotomy between the big French language media machine geared up for the sole purpose of covering this team; and, on the other side the small and unimportant role of the local boys on the team.
With Maxim Lapierre and Latendresse being one of a few truly solid contributor that has come from a decade of bones thrown to young QMJHLers, I can only really see a few ways out (the draft not being one, anymore):
– RDS backs off their all-out coverage a bit
– The Canadiens win the championship, or
– Gainey brings in a star that can satisfy their thus far insatiable demand
You tell me which is more achievable...
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Questions Of Tanking
How Naive Is Howard Berger?
In searching for something, anything to write about the Preds, I came across this piece by Howard Berger instead.
In the piece, Berger (whom Leafs fans "revere") argues that:
Perhaps he is so adamant, because for all their years of futility, the Leafs have been as inept at tanking a season as they have been at winning a season. Their never quite good enough, never quite bad enough see-saw ride has seen them miss out on top draft picks and top awards for decades.
But don't tell the Colorado Avalanche that tanking never happens. Don't tell the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both franchises in their history have used tanking to great effect – to languish behind the Leafs and average teams for a while and then completely vault over them into contention without making stops in the middle ground.
Other than organizational tanking, how else can you explain this team (Quebec) losing to this team (Hartford)?
This team (Pittsburgh) tanked its way to 16 victories over 80 games! They squeaked by fellow tankers NJ to nab Mario Lemieux in the 1984 draft. Someone has to lose the season, but by trading their best defenceman when it looked to be getting too tight, Pittsburgh made sure they lost.
I realise that these examples show how managers and coaches can conspire to lose a season by playing a ton of rookies and trading good players for picks; however, the players can play a part too. After all, once the pressure is off from management (as it surely would be in a regime primed for losing), then some players stop trying as hard as they would have if they were pushed. Perhaps it's unconscious, but it happens.
Still don't believe in tanking. Ask Sweden how they got the plum semi-final at the Olympics. Ask Pittsburgh how they avoided the Bruins and got the Sens in the first round of the playoffs last year.
In the piece, Berger (whom Leafs fans "revere") argues that:
...the concept of “tanking” has no merit. It’s an illusion; a cop-out for those who either don’t understand – or cannot deal with – the reality of professional sport.
Perhaps he is so adamant, because for all their years of futility, the Leafs have been as inept at tanking a season as they have been at winning a season. Their never quite good enough, never quite bad enough see-saw ride has seen them miss out on top draft picks and top awards for decades.
But don't tell the Colorado Avalanche that tanking never happens. Don't tell the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both franchises in their history have used tanking to great effect – to languish behind the Leafs and average teams for a while and then completely vault over them into contention without making stops in the middle ground.
Other than organizational tanking, how else can you explain this team (Quebec) losing to this team (Hartford)?
This team (Pittsburgh) tanked its way to 16 victories over 80 games! They squeaked by fellow tankers NJ to nab Mario Lemieux in the 1984 draft. Someone has to lose the season, but by trading their best defenceman when it looked to be getting too tight, Pittsburgh made sure they lost.
I realise that these examples show how managers and coaches can conspire to lose a season by playing a ton of rookies and trading good players for picks; however, the players can play a part too. After all, once the pressure is off from management (as it surely would be in a regime primed for losing), then some players stop trying as hard as they would have if they were pushed. Perhaps it's unconscious, but it happens.
Still don't believe in tanking. Ask Sweden how they got the plum semi-final at the Olympics. Ask Pittsburgh how they avoided the Bruins and got the Sens in the first round of the playoffs last year.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
2008 Canadiens Entry Draft Preview
The draft is about to start, there's a new scoring phenom coming out of the CHL, the next pick isn't shabby with a big and able defenceman from Ontario likely to be picked next. The draft is deep and the Russian star of the day might not get a look in the top 5. Meanwhile the Habs are mired down in the 20s for their pick. No luck, right?
That was 1993. Daigle was the can't miss at the time. Chris Pronger was that able defenceman. All the talk of Viktor Kozlov only got him selected 6th. The Canadiens, fresh off a Stanley Cup snagged the third best player in the first round with the 21st pick. Not only that, Saku Koivu has gone on to become a Canadiens icon and the second-longest serving captain in team history.
Here and now, it's the Stamkos draft. Steve is the talk of the place, but is he a sure thing? If anyone is thinking of giving the unequivocal yes, then maybe they should think again. First overall means nothing about your future career. Scouting of Stamkos provides reports that certainly project the likelihood of him being a star int he league higher than any of his peers, but the reports did the same for Daigle. Ottawa, in hindsight might have preferred Pronger, Kariya or Koivu.
What we need
There is no doubt about what the Canadiens need. For me it is a winger who can score (big or small). If he's big and can score, all the better, but scoring is what matters. The problem is the Canadiens need that player now. The player they select on the weekend may not be ready for another 4-5 seasons. The Habs have to address the need for that winger by other means than hoping an 18-year old will be our saviour next season.
As such, the Canadiens needs get rejigged. assuming the Habs do address the need there with a relatively young first-line scorer, then that will no longer be a need. So what will?
The answer is simple, and has been the Canadiens draft strategy for a while. The Canadiens need good players, the best prospects. When Trevor Timmins gives his post-draft interview and explains that they took the best player available in their estimation, they will have done their jobs. If they draft with positional or biometric shackles like some teams do, then they will be imitating the wrong teams (i.e., not the Red Wings).
The first round
I won't pretend that I know everything about the players in all the lists and profiles I've been reading. But sometimes a player just gives me a feeling. It's a product of the name, the size, the stats (in the context of where he plays, of course). Once in a while I am right about this too. As Tobalev will attest, in my card collecting days I went around and bought every Saku Koivu UpperDeck Finland rookie card from the WJHC before the Canadiens drafted him in 1993. I only had to look at his stats in a typically (back then) low-scoring Finnish league and read about his temperament to know I wanted the Habs to have him. I hoped and hoped for Saku that year, and in the end we picked my man.
When I look down the list this year, I am largely unimpressed with the list. There seem to be a lot of Chris Phillips' and few truly exciting prospects. I would be hugely disappointed if the Canadiens went weak and drafted someone like Tyler Cuma, who TSN says:
If we're looking for a steal
As a general rule, when looking for a steal, I look for a couple of things. First, I look at size. Big players are generally overrated by scouts and small players are underrated. The other thing is mention of skating. if they can't skate by now, it's too late guys. So, when I see a small player who can skate in the top tier of the draft, I am curious. It was the case with Saku Koivu, and it is the case with my new poster boy this year: Mattias Tedenby.
TSN ranked him 26th, but unlike the reviews for the defensive defencemen ahead of him, his review glowed:
My next 4
Assuming as I am that the Canadiens will not be trading up in this draft, I am listing these 4 players based on the likelihood that they could be available at 25th overall:
2) Chet Pickard, G – Tri-City Americans
I have already put the goalie option forward elsewhere, to which I usually get mocking or disbelief as a response:
3) Erik Karlsson, D – Frolunda, SEL
Offensive defencemen are great assets. Possibly the greatest around after goaltenders. but unlike goalies, teams can carry more than one offensive D, and as such they are very tradeable. Why draft for trading you ask? Because then you can get hold of that power forward with NHL experience you always want...
4) Kirill Petrov, LW – AK Bars Kazan
Here he is, the power forward we want. Apparently, the knock is that he doesn't want out of Russia. Well, if the Canadiens let this Russian issue stand in the way, then I can tell you someone else won't. That team, whoever they are, will pluck gems from the draft and we'll be looking back in 15 years after their 4th Cup in 10 years and asking how they did it. It'll take bravery, but what's the point in going to the draft if you're not willing to be brave?
5) Jordan Eberle, C – Regina Pats
Described as refreshingly offensive-minded, intelligent and goalscorer, he would be a good pick-up too. Not as big as some rival choices, but you can't teach the scoring knack to anyone.
If we have to go big
If it's gotta be a big guy, then I'd prefer Joe Colborne, but could stomach Greg Nemisz. Again, if they were passed off as the best player available, I won't be buying it.
If we're looking for someone from the backyard
Some of the Montreal media, including Mike Boone have had an eye on Danick Paquette from the QMJHL. Personally, I would steer clear of anyone who can still honestly list Todd Bertuzzi as their idol(!!!) no matter how many Xmas parties they throw. That and the fact that although he is sold as a big power forward, he's only 6' tall – he sounds like Latendresse without discipline or size.
More like it from the QMJHL, at least, are Nicolas Deschamps and Jacob Lagace from the Sagueneens (Carbo's toy). From this NHL.com article, they both sound like their stars are on the rise. If I had the say, I'd skip Deschamps if he's projected as a first rounder and pick up Lagace with a later pick. Obviously, neither has shown outstanding offensive talent just yet, and it would be an admission of defeat to pick a third line talent in the first round, no matter which province they hail from.
I, for one am a big believer in restocking the ranks from Quebec. If I were in charge, I'd be picking from Quebec in the late rounds. For one thing, we have more intimate knowledge of the local talent, and can also make the transition easier for the players who will struggle to learn new hockey skills at the same time as a new language and possibly culture. I'd like to think that some of the local boys would work that much harder for their beloved CH too.
Beyond round 1
You think about Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rick Nash and company and ask what happened to those teams. Then you look at NJ and Detroit and marvel at their low first-rounders or lack thereof.
Tickets may be sold with first rounders, but dynasties are made in the later rounds. I have spoken about the desire for the Canadiens to jump all over the reluctance of other teams to draft Russians. And I mentioned their advantage in Quebec. I think the Canadiens have to leverage these two things in the later rounds to start bringing in consistent hauls of NHL quality players.
That said, I would hope that the Habs come up with some of the decent players from the Q this year. Specifically, I covet Yann Sauve or Maxime Sauve, one of Lagace or Deschamps (from above) and possibly Patrice Cormier if he's available 4th round or later.
As for Russians, it will depend on whether Petrov is the man early or not. There's taking advantage and then there's the foolishness of putting all the eggs in one basket – even Detroit wasn't taking all Swedish boys. If f we're safer than Petrov in round 1, then Evgeny Grachev in the second might make sense.
Viktor Tikhonov would also be a late intriguing pick, given the legacy of his grandfather. In fact, it might be just the sort of strategic pick (to sweeten the Habs chances in Russia overall) that could make sense.
Other names that jumped out included Jared Staal, who you know will never be small and David Carle, skating at Sidney's old school and playing like his brother Matt (San Jose's not ours).
That's about all I can muster having very little personal exposure to any of these guys. Happy Draft Day. See you in 5 years to see what the aftermath of all this was (and reaping the gains on all my Tedenby rookie cards)...
That was 1993. Daigle was the can't miss at the time. Chris Pronger was that able defenceman. All the talk of Viktor Kozlov only got him selected 6th. The Canadiens, fresh off a Stanley Cup snagged the third best player in the first round with the 21st pick. Not only that, Saku Koivu has gone on to become a Canadiens icon and the second-longest serving captain in team history.
Here and now, it's the Stamkos draft. Steve is the talk of the place, but is he a sure thing? If anyone is thinking of giving the unequivocal yes, then maybe they should think again. First overall means nothing about your future career. Scouting of Stamkos provides reports that certainly project the likelihood of him being a star int he league higher than any of his peers, but the reports did the same for Daigle. Ottawa, in hindsight might have preferred Pronger, Kariya or Koivu.
What we need
There is no doubt about what the Canadiens need. For me it is a winger who can score (big or small). If he's big and can score, all the better, but scoring is what matters. The problem is the Canadiens need that player now. The player they select on the weekend may not be ready for another 4-5 seasons. The Habs have to address the need for that winger by other means than hoping an 18-year old will be our saviour next season.
As such, the Canadiens needs get rejigged. assuming the Habs do address the need there with a relatively young first-line scorer, then that will no longer be a need. So what will?
The answer is simple, and has been the Canadiens draft strategy for a while. The Canadiens need good players, the best prospects. When Trevor Timmins gives his post-draft interview and explains that they took the best player available in their estimation, they will have done their jobs. If they draft with positional or biometric shackles like some teams do, then they will be imitating the wrong teams (i.e., not the Red Wings).
The first round
I won't pretend that I know everything about the players in all the lists and profiles I've been reading. But sometimes a player just gives me a feeling. It's a product of the name, the size, the stats (in the context of where he plays, of course). Once in a while I am right about this too. As Tobalev will attest, in my card collecting days I went around and bought every Saku Koivu UpperDeck Finland rookie card from the WJHC before the Canadiens drafted him in 1993. I only had to look at his stats in a typically (back then) low-scoring Finnish league and read about his temperament to know I wanted the Habs to have him. I hoped and hoped for Saku that year, and in the end we picked my man.
When I look down the list this year, I am largely unimpressed with the list. There seem to be a lot of Chris Phillips' and few truly exciting prospects. I would be hugely disappointed if the Canadiens went weak and drafted someone like Tyler Cuma, who TSN says:
"is a strong two-way defenceman with leadership ability and a willingness to compete hard at both ends of the ice."You can sign any number of players like that in an offseason. You shouldn't be drafting anyone whose best-case secnario is the next Steve Staios in the first round.
If we're looking for a steal
As a general rule, when looking for a steal, I look for a couple of things. First, I look at size. Big players are generally overrated by scouts and small players are underrated. The other thing is mention of skating. if they can't skate by now, it's too late guys. So, when I see a small player who can skate in the top tier of the draft, I am curious. It was the case with Saku Koivu, and it is the case with my new poster boy this year: Mattias Tedenby.
TSN ranked him 26th, but unlike the reviews for the defensive defencemen ahead of him, his review glowed:
"The diminutive Swedish winger is amongst the most competitive and skilled players available in this draft, but his lack of size is likely going to discount him in this draft. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with confidence, on and off the ice. He has an extra gear, which is essential for small guys looking to succeed in the NHL, and doesn't take a backward step in the mold of a Mats Naslund or Marty St. Louis. Could fall to the second round because of size issues, but if a team really likes him and is willing to look past the height, he could go much higher than ranked. "The Central Scouting Bureau, who ranked him much higher than TSN (3 from Europe), have even better things to say:
"Mattias is excellent on every shift. He has outstanding speed, stick work and work ethic. He is small but fearless - he takes hits and always comes back. He creates scoring chances with his outstanding skating and is very difficult to stop when he is at full speed. He has excellent balance and quick, smooth hands, but needs to improve on his defensive awareness."This is 2008's Saku Koivu! We'll lament him for being too small, but once he makes the team – icon... (I'm just off to buy the rookie cards now).
My next 4
Assuming as I am that the Canadiens will not be trading up in this draft, I am listing these 4 players based on the likelihood that they could be available at 25th overall:
2) Chet Pickard, G – Tri-City Americans
I have already put the goalie option forward elsewhere, to which I usually get mocking or disbelief as a response:
"Topham - why would we take a goalie in the first round?"Just substitute the name Timmins for Topham and think back 3 years, and maybe you'll see where I'm coming from. Chet Pickard, from all reports, is a bit like our man Carey. Their stats from draft years are remarkably similar. Funnily though, the Americans actually did better with Pickard after losing Price. So the temptation to dismiss him, should probably be, well, dismissed. If he's available, I might have trouble buying the "best player" line if Timmins were to select someone else (other than Tedenby, of course).
3) Erik Karlsson, D – Frolunda, SEL
Offensive defencemen are great assets. Possibly the greatest around after goaltenders. but unlike goalies, teams can carry more than one offensive D, and as such they are very tradeable. Why draft for trading you ask? Because then you can get hold of that power forward with NHL experience you always want...
4) Kirill Petrov, LW – AK Bars Kazan
Here he is, the power forward we want. Apparently, the knock is that he doesn't want out of Russia. Well, if the Canadiens let this Russian issue stand in the way, then I can tell you someone else won't. That team, whoever they are, will pluck gems from the draft and we'll be looking back in 15 years after their 4th Cup in 10 years and asking how they did it. It'll take bravery, but what's the point in going to the draft if you're not willing to be brave?
5) Jordan Eberle, C – Regina Pats
Described as refreshingly offensive-minded, intelligent and goalscorer, he would be a good pick-up too. Not as big as some rival choices, but you can't teach the scoring knack to anyone.
If we have to go big
If it's gotta be a big guy, then I'd prefer Joe Colborne, but could stomach Greg Nemisz. Again, if they were passed off as the best player available, I won't be buying it.
If we're looking for someone from the backyard
Some of the Montreal media, including Mike Boone have had an eye on Danick Paquette from the QMJHL. Personally, I would steer clear of anyone who can still honestly list Todd Bertuzzi as their idol(!!!) no matter how many Xmas parties they throw. That and the fact that although he is sold as a big power forward, he's only 6' tall – he sounds like Latendresse without discipline or size.
More like it from the QMJHL, at least, are Nicolas Deschamps and Jacob Lagace from the Sagueneens (Carbo's toy). From this NHL.com article, they both sound like their stars are on the rise. If I had the say, I'd skip Deschamps if he's projected as a first rounder and pick up Lagace with a later pick. Obviously, neither has shown outstanding offensive talent just yet, and it would be an admission of defeat to pick a third line talent in the first round, no matter which province they hail from.
I, for one am a big believer in restocking the ranks from Quebec. If I were in charge, I'd be picking from Quebec in the late rounds. For one thing, we have more intimate knowledge of the local talent, and can also make the transition easier for the players who will struggle to learn new hockey skills at the same time as a new language and possibly culture. I'd like to think that some of the local boys would work that much harder for their beloved CH too.
Beyond round 1
You think about Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rick Nash and company and ask what happened to those teams. Then you look at NJ and Detroit and marvel at their low first-rounders or lack thereof.
Tickets may be sold with first rounders, but dynasties are made in the later rounds. I have spoken about the desire for the Canadiens to jump all over the reluctance of other teams to draft Russians. And I mentioned their advantage in Quebec. I think the Canadiens have to leverage these two things in the later rounds to start bringing in consistent hauls of NHL quality players.
That said, I would hope that the Habs come up with some of the decent players from the Q this year. Specifically, I covet Yann Sauve or Maxime Sauve, one of Lagace or Deschamps (from above) and possibly Patrice Cormier if he's available 4th round or later.
As for Russians, it will depend on whether Petrov is the man early or not. There's taking advantage and then there's the foolishness of putting all the eggs in one basket – even Detroit wasn't taking all Swedish boys. If f we're safer than Petrov in round 1, then Evgeny Grachev in the second might make sense.
Viktor Tikhonov would also be a late intriguing pick, given the legacy of his grandfather. In fact, it might be just the sort of strategic pick (to sweeten the Habs chances in Russia overall) that could make sense.
Other names that jumped out included Jared Staal, who you know will never be small and David Carle, skating at Sidney's old school and playing like his brother Matt (San Jose's not ours).
That's about all I can muster having very little personal exposure to any of these guys. Happy Draft Day. See you in 5 years to see what the aftermath of all this was (and reaping the gains on all my Tedenby rookie cards)...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sans dix pourcent
Sometimes you have to wonder if some people ever think about turning on the other 95%...
Check out Guy Bertrand's (only previously known to me as Leon Mugesera's lawyer) latest thoughts in this article on the Gazette website.
Like a petulant child, he is now turning against anything and everything that could be blamed for his dream of an independent Quebec going a bit sour. One of the latest victims:
Saku Koivu!
In an apparent need to prove himself a total ignoramus (and lead us all to question why he's quoted in the newspapers at all), he goes on to say:
Of course we all know, as does Kevin Dougherty of the Gazette, that Koivu's wife is not francophone at all, she of course is Finnish.
My main issue is not that this ne'er-do-well is speaking out, that I don't care about. It's that political parties in our province take this sort of thing semi-seriously. The leader of the PQ did not dismiss the ideas outright, apparently quite open to forcing adult hockey players to learn French.
Do Bertrand and Marois realise that hockey players play hockey. That's the way they entertain people. Saku Koivu is not paid 5 million odd dollars a year to entertain through his interviews and his introductions. Neither is Chris Higgins or Andrei Markov. He is not robbing Guy Bertrand of his right to be served in his own language. He is serving Bertrand (should he choose to watch) in virtual silence for 60 minutes every other night.
I'll stop here. If I were to meet M. Bertrand, I would suggest he go down to the local bookshop, pick up a Finnish-French dictionary and translate his petty accusations into Finnish. He could then recite his pleas without seeming such a hypocrite and a bully.
Maybe Saku doesn't have the right to be addressed in his native Finnish, but he has certainly deserves the courtesy after all the positive things he has done for the city of Montreal.
Check out Guy Bertrand's (only previously known to me as Leon Mugesera's lawyer) latest thoughts in this article on the Gazette website.
Like a petulant child, he is now turning against anything and everything that could be blamed for his dream of an independent Quebec going a bit sour. One of the latest victims:
Saku Koivu!
Bertrand, a flamboyant Quebec City lawyer and hockey fan, was critical of the Finnish-born Koivu's failure "to respect the right of Quebecers to be served in French."
In an apparent need to prove himself a total ignoramus (and lead us all to question why he's quoted in the newspapers at all), he goes on to say:
He has been playing for 12 years (for the Canadiens). He is married to a francophone. It demonstrates contempt for our language. It is not respectful."
Of course we all know, as does Kevin Dougherty of the Gazette, that Koivu's wife is not francophone at all, she of course is Finnish.
My main issue is not that this ne'er-do-well is speaking out, that I don't care about. It's that political parties in our province take this sort of thing semi-seriously. The leader of the PQ did not dismiss the ideas outright, apparently quite open to forcing adult hockey players to learn French.
Do Bertrand and Marois realise that hockey players play hockey. That's the way they entertain people. Saku Koivu is not paid 5 million odd dollars a year to entertain through his interviews and his introductions. Neither is Chris Higgins or Andrei Markov. He is not robbing Guy Bertrand of his right to be served in his own language. He is serving Bertrand (should he choose to watch) in virtual silence for 60 minutes every other night.
I'll stop here. If I were to meet M. Bertrand, I would suggest he go down to the local bookshop, pick up a Finnish-French dictionary and translate his petty accusations into Finnish. He could then recite his pleas without seeming such a hypocrite and a bully.
Maybe Saku doesn't have the right to be addressed in his native Finnish, but he has certainly deserves the courtesy after all the positive things he has done for the city of Montreal.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Why I won't shed a tear for the Nashville Predators...
I just read Mr. Eklund's opinion about Nashville. It's a very nice account and bid for support, but I feel sometimes I feel there is a time to let go. If the fans don't show up this year, then I blieve it is probably time.
I'm not cold, just hardened. In Quebec, we lost the Nordiques and then the Expos. Bad things happen to good franchises, so to speak. Of all the nonsense of trying to force hockey on people in states that are closer to the tropics than the snow, Nashville isn't the worst (that would be Hartford to Carolina in my opinion, less passion for hockey and yes, less fans at the games), but Nashville is the second yougest NHL citizen, has been given a ten-year chance and still haven't been able to take to the game as hoped (a la Colorado this time around). I think they should be relocated to a Canadian city to be honest, now that Canada seems to be able to compete.
For perspective, Nashville is the 35th city ever to be associated with the NHL. City, not franchise – many cities have had 2 at one time (New York, Montreal), or franchises at different points in time (Pittsburgh, Ottawa). (Source: Rauzulu's Street)
1. Montreal
1. Ottawa
1. Quebec
1. Toronto
5. Boston
6. Hamilton
7. Pittsburgh
7. New York
7. Chicago
7. Detroit
11. Philadelphia
12. St. Louis
13. Minneapolis St. Paul (Minnesota)
13. LA
13. Oakland/San Francisco (California)
16. Buffalo
16. Vancouver
18. Atlanta
19. Kansas City
19. Washington
21. Cleveland
21. Denver (Colorado)
23. Hartford
23. Edmonton
23. Winnipeg
26. Calgary
27. Newark (New Jersey)
28. San Jose
29. Tampa
30. Anaheim
30. Miami (Florida)
30. Dallas
33. Phoenix
34. Raleigh-Durham (Carolina)
35. Nashville
36. Columbus
Looking at it slightly differently, you can see their historical claim is weak:
Northeast Div
Montreal (1917-)
Toronto (1917-)
Ottawa (1917-32, 1933-35, 1992-)
Boston (1924-)
Buffalo (1971-)
Atlantic Div
New York (1926)
Pittsburgh (1926-32, 1967-)
Philadelphia (1932, 1967-)
New York 2 (1972)
New Jersey (1982)
Southeast Div
Atlanta (1972-1980,1999-)
Washington (1974-)
Tampa (1992-)
Florida (1993-)
Carolina (1997-)
Central Div
Detroit (1926-)
Chicago (1926-)
St. Louis (1935, 1967-)
Nashville (1999-)
Columbus (2000-)
Northwest
Minnesota (1967-1993, 2000-)
Vancouver (1971-)
Colorado (1976-1982, 1996-)
Edmonton (1979-)
Calgary (1982-)
Pacific Div
Los Angeles (1967-)
San Jose (1991-)
Anaheim (1993-)
Dallas (1993-)
Phoenix (1996-)
A city like Hamilton, Quebec or Winnipeg, who have made the NHL work in the past and whose teams all left in different circumstances, deserve a chance. Even Kansas City who had a team before may deserve a second chance. If the current owner of Nashville wants out and no one person is leading a bid, it probaably doesn't look like a good business proposition. Rescue bids like the current one can work (Edmonton), but they can also go very wrong (Expos). I like Tennessee and would probably like Nashville, but if they don't turn out to the games this year, then theu should take their medicine.
Just my thoughts.
I'm not cold, just hardened. In Quebec, we lost the Nordiques and then the Expos. Bad things happen to good franchises, so to speak. Of all the nonsense of trying to force hockey on people in states that are closer to the tropics than the snow, Nashville isn't the worst (that would be Hartford to Carolina in my opinion, less passion for hockey and yes, less fans at the games), but Nashville is the second yougest NHL citizen, has been given a ten-year chance and still haven't been able to take to the game as hoped (a la Colorado this time around). I think they should be relocated to a Canadian city to be honest, now that Canada seems to be able to compete.
For perspective, Nashville is the 35th city ever to be associated with the NHL. City, not franchise – many cities have had 2 at one time (New York, Montreal), or franchises at different points in time (Pittsburgh, Ottawa). (Source: Rauzulu's Street)
1. Montreal
1. Ottawa
1. Quebec
1. Toronto
5. Boston
6. Hamilton
7. Pittsburgh
7. New York
7. Chicago
7. Detroit
11. Philadelphia
12. St. Louis
13. Minneapolis St. Paul (Minnesota)
13. LA
13. Oakland/San Francisco (California)
16. Buffalo
16. Vancouver
18. Atlanta
19. Kansas City
19. Washington
21. Cleveland
21. Denver (Colorado)
23. Hartford
23. Edmonton
23. Winnipeg
26. Calgary
27. Newark (New Jersey)
28. San Jose
29. Tampa
30. Anaheim
30. Miami (Florida)
30. Dallas
33. Phoenix
34. Raleigh-Durham (Carolina)
35. Nashville
36. Columbus
Looking at it slightly differently, you can see their historical claim is weak:
Northeast Div
Montreal (1917-)
Toronto (1917-)
Ottawa (1917-32, 1933-35, 1992-)
Boston (1924-)
Buffalo (1971-)
Atlantic Div
New York (1926)
Pittsburgh (1926-32, 1967-)
Philadelphia (1932, 1967-)
New York 2 (1972)
New Jersey (1982)
Southeast Div
Atlanta (1972-1980,1999-)
Washington (1974-)
Tampa (1992-)
Florida (1993-)
Carolina (1997-)
Central Div
Detroit (1926-)
Chicago (1926-)
St. Louis (1935, 1967-)
Nashville (1999-)
Columbus (2000-)
Northwest
Minnesota (1967-1993, 2000-)
Vancouver (1971-)
Colorado (1976-1982, 1996-)
Edmonton (1979-)
Calgary (1982-)
Pacific Div
Los Angeles (1967-)
San Jose (1991-)
Anaheim (1993-)
Dallas (1993-)
Phoenix (1996-)
A city like Hamilton, Quebec or Winnipeg, who have made the NHL work in the past and whose teams all left in different circumstances, deserve a chance. Even Kansas City who had a team before may deserve a second chance. If the current owner of Nashville wants out and no one person is leading a bid, it probaably doesn't look like a good business proposition. Rescue bids like the current one can work (Edmonton), but they can also go very wrong (Expos). I like Tennessee and would probably like Nashville, but if they don't turn out to the games this year, then theu should take their medicine.
Just my thoughts.
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