Richards, Carter. Gone, gone.
This good news for the Habs is ostensibly bad news for the Flyers and their fans. Richards and Carter were a big part of the Flyers success and a huge reason the team ever got close to a Stanley Cup without a goalie.
But that's where it all goes wrong isn't it?
Without a goalie.
For most teams, not having a good goalie is a problem. For Philadelphia it's a brain-devouring complex. That's why instead of applying a bit of patience and recognizing what a good thing they may have pulled from thin air in Bobrovsky, they went out and did what they always did and signed, signed, signed.
Bryzgalov is a good goalie, don't get me wrong. I like him, I like his chances in Philly. But you will note that Anaheim let him go, that Phoenix let him go, that Phoenix doesn't have any Cups.
A goalie simply can't do it all. Let me rephrase that, a goalie not named Thomas or Hasek can't do it all. A team needs to put talent at all positions and use their salary allowance wisely to do that.
Philly's real problems
A lot of articles on yesterday's trades say things like "Holmgren managed to unload Carter's long-term contract/Richards salary cap millstone".
I think these comments are way off the mark. Both players were paid in the $5 million range and both performed to the level of their salary, which in the world of guys paid that much means they were bargains.
What's more, the salary cap hasn't been going anywhere but up, even through the worst financial period in modern US/Canadian history. As the proportion that a $5 million salary takes up shrinks, the better a long-term deal for a producing player paid at that level looks.
Saying nothing about intangibles at all, I can firmly say that Richards and Carter were not the salary cap problems in Philadelphia. If anything, they were among the contracts that permitted them to spend with abandon at times.
The real problems in Philly come in at the back end.
The Pronger deal wasn't expensive at the time, but it was a gaffe to sign him long-term past his 35th birthday. This contract is central to their problem.
Timonen is another. If Price/Halak was a luxury, Pronger/Timonen was a bigger one. Both players are paid to be #1 Dmen, but the name implies there can only be one #1 Dman. The other became the most expensive second fiddle in the league.
And it didn't stop there. Rather than fill out a roster like everyone else in the league would with prospects and a couple of cheaper contracts at the back (to defend other teams' fourth lines), Holmgren put $3 million players at every hole.
The Flyers biggest cap problem was their luxury defense, which got them 7th best D in the East with 6 less GA than Florida.
Other than their $22 million defence corps, Philly also took on the dead weight contract of Kris Versteeg. In fact, they repeated their luxury buying attitude up front with a third line that included double millionaires all around.
Fix is temporary
Philly found a temporary fix for immediate cap space, but based on the Bryzgalov signing, it won't be used for prudent and conservative rebuilding. In fact, when the grossly overpaid forward comes in as the replacement for Carter/Richards, fans will most likely be wondering what these deals were for.
Habs news more encouraging
The Habs did better in the last couple of days with their signings and seem less likely to implode their plan and go schizophrenically down the garden path. While I'll always lament Gauthier for not getting in on action like Ville Leino or Andrej Meszaros, I at least admire his commitment to the plan he thought was working last spring. Holmgren on the other hand...
The Flyers moves do also serve the Habs well since this team was a chief rival and those two players were chief nemeses. Some fans will point to the danger of the rebuild for the Habs more distant future, but the contracts at the back, together with the quick trigger of Holmgren seem to provide the insurance that this team won't be a perennial problem.
I guess this whole thing just shows that making a cap mess will catch up with your team at some point. Chicago's mess cost them a lot, but they have a Cup to show for it. Philly, mere games away, just got a mess.
Showing posts with label Carle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carle. Show all posts
Friday, June 24, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Canadiens Deadline Assets
Hamilton Bulldog Players
Nearly there. The picture is becoming quite clear. Want the world, don't want to pay. Let's see how much we think Bulldogs players are worth.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Mark Off Markov
So after a secretive three weeks, the Habs finally spilled the beans, Andrei Markov will undergo surgery.
The timing of the announcement couldn't have been much better for the team. Fans are riding high as the team streaks to wins, and from stats this season, it seems the team misses Markov as much as say, Glen Metropolit.
Obviously, we are not so easily swayed. Not because of 16 wins does a player of Markov's stature suddenly become expendable. And the talk of him now not being signed, talk once mad enough to have you confined, is spreading the town.
The basis for the talk is based partly on this optimism about the future. A future based on 0.930+ Carey Price and the unstoppable duo of Subban and Weber - an embarrassment of riches at the back end. It is also partly based on the notion that a player at 32 may never recover again, that a player who once had his Achilles tendon severed by a skate must be prone to these sorts of things because he injured a knee, then cam back too early and reinjured that knee.
I will hold today that Markov should be signed. I will hold that in two weeks, two months, ten months. I'll tell you why:
The value of Markov
We talk about players being irreplaceable. We probably talk about too many players in that vein. But Markov is truly irreplaceable.
He's not irreplaceable in the way that he can't be replaced in a lineup by Alexandre Picard and the team go on winning. He's not, we've proof of that. He is however irreplaceable as a single package of hockey talent. At least he is to the Habs at this time.
Markov isn't two healthy legs and a stick. He's a player who has a sense of the game that many will never possess. He's special because he thinks ahead of the rest, and the result is he makes plays look quick because of the talent. When average defenders win the puck, you often notice them quickly offload as a reaction to their surprise of winning it at all. Markov wins a puck and implements the plan he made when he anticipated winning the puck. Passes fly through gaps defenders can't close, because they didn't know there would be a gap there yet.
OK, I hyperbolise. But he's good. And the point I am really trying to make is that of his multiple talents, his thinking is the utmost.
To replace him, you can look to a short-list of talent in the NHL. To replace him realistically, you need a committee.
A Markov-sized hole
PP Maestro:
23.8% PP - 2009-10 (with Markov):
19.1% PP - 2009-10 (without Markov):
9.89 PPGON/60 (2nd among regular PP players; Brian Gionta 7.21)
2.29 PPGC/60 (1st among regular PP players; Brian Gionta 1.77)
In line-up for 36 PP goals in 45 games
On ice for 31 of those 36 goals
Offensive booster:
2.76 GF/G - 2009-10 (with Markov)
2.32 GF/G - 2009-10 (without Markov)
3.85 GFON/60 (2nd on team, behind Mike Cammalleri; Roman Hamrlik 2.90)
3.09 ESGFON/60 (1st of players with significant minutes; Roman Hamrlik 2.40)
Smart defender:
1.1 takeaway to giveaway ratio (1st for D with a significant role; next 0.4)
40 takeaways (1st among defenders - in 45 games!)
36 giveaways
That's only the positive argument. How about the negative, that's to say deflating the idea there's anyone who can replace him anyway, even if he never reaches his greatest heights again. Basically there would be three possible avenues: promotion, trading, signing. here they are.
Promote from within
There's real options here. There are. Subban is a great asset and plays an effective, albeit different, game to Markov. Weber's an asset too - good shot and has made strides from the defender who couldn't beat out MAB for a job.
But they're both on the team. This year. Next season, barring a major disaster (i.e., signing overpriced vets to do the same job) they are both already pencilled in. That's to say we can't use their names to replace Markov. They'd have been there as well as him. That leaves us Brendan Nash, Mathieu Carle, Frederic St. Denis, etc.
Maybe, maybe, the Habs would finally push for Emelin. That would be the best promotion left from within. Otherwise, it may have to be from outside. That means trade or free agency...
Trade
First of all, let's assume this has to be a play for someone who is the calibre of defender that Markov was. The list is quite short. Let's now try to think of teams that would give up a player like this (and why). OK, found someone.
Now tell us who the Canadiens can offer in a trade that maintains the quality of their team now and adds this player.
Right.
Free agency
I won't go into to this in great depth, except to pass along the link to CapGeek's Free agents at defence for this summer.
Think replacing Koivu was hard?
Signing this Markov is the only real hope of replacing that Markov. Even with all the risks that signing an injured player entails, it's still the right thing to do.
Andrei took a reduced rate on his last contract to stay in Montreal and progressed to new heights with his play. I would say give him the value of his current deal (or maybe a slight reduction) for a single year. A single year to discover if Andrei can recover his form.
The Habs have nothing to lose with this approach. They aren't in a position to do a major revamp with the Gomez-Gionta-Cammalleri-Plekanec deals anyway. And Markov at 1/4 strength is still an asset on most teams.
The timing of the announcement couldn't have been much better for the team. Fans are riding high as the team streaks to wins, and from stats this season, it seems the team misses Markov as much as say, Glen Metropolit.
Obviously, we are not so easily swayed. Not because of 16 wins does a player of Markov's stature suddenly become expendable. And the talk of him now not being signed, talk once mad enough to have you confined, is spreading the town.
The basis for the talk is based partly on this optimism about the future. A future based on 0.930+ Carey Price and the unstoppable duo of Subban and Weber - an embarrassment of riches at the back end. It is also partly based on the notion that a player at 32 may never recover again, that a player who once had his Achilles tendon severed by a skate must be prone to these sorts of things because he injured a knee, then cam back too early and reinjured that knee.
I will hold today that Markov should be signed. I will hold that in two weeks, two months, ten months. I'll tell you why:
The value of Markov
We talk about players being irreplaceable. We probably talk about too many players in that vein. But Markov is truly irreplaceable.
He's not irreplaceable in the way that he can't be replaced in a lineup by Alexandre Picard and the team go on winning. He's not, we've proof of that. He is however irreplaceable as a single package of hockey talent. At least he is to the Habs at this time.
Markov isn't two healthy legs and a stick. He's a player who has a sense of the game that many will never possess. He's special because he thinks ahead of the rest, and the result is he makes plays look quick because of the talent. When average defenders win the puck, you often notice them quickly offload as a reaction to their surprise of winning it at all. Markov wins a puck and implements the plan he made when he anticipated winning the puck. Passes fly through gaps defenders can't close, because they didn't know there would be a gap there yet.
OK, I hyperbolise. But he's good. And the point I am really trying to make is that of his multiple talents, his thinking is the utmost.
To replace him, you can look to a short-list of talent in the NHL. To replace him realistically, you need a committee.
A Markov-sized hole
PP Maestro:
23.8% PP - 2009-10 (with Markov):
19.1% PP - 2009-10 (without Markov):
9.89 PPGON/60 (2nd among regular PP players; Brian Gionta 7.21)
2.29 PPGC/60 (1st among regular PP players; Brian Gionta 1.77)
In line-up for 36 PP goals in 45 games
On ice for 31 of those 36 goals
Offensive booster:
2.76 GF/G - 2009-10 (with Markov)
2.32 GF/G - 2009-10 (without Markov)
3.85 GFON/60 (2nd on team, behind Mike Cammalleri; Roman Hamrlik 2.90)
3.09 ESGFON/60 (1st of players with significant minutes; Roman Hamrlik 2.40)
Smart defender:
1.1 takeaway to giveaway ratio (1st for D with a significant role; next 0.4)
40 takeaways (1st among defenders - in 45 games!)
36 giveaways
That's only the positive argument. How about the negative, that's to say deflating the idea there's anyone who can replace him anyway, even if he never reaches his greatest heights again. Basically there would be three possible avenues: promotion, trading, signing. here they are.
Promote from within
There's real options here. There are. Subban is a great asset and plays an effective, albeit different, game to Markov. Weber's an asset too - good shot and has made strides from the defender who couldn't beat out MAB for a job.
But they're both on the team. This year. Next season, barring a major disaster (i.e., signing overpriced vets to do the same job) they are both already pencilled in. That's to say we can't use their names to replace Markov. They'd have been there as well as him. That leaves us Brendan Nash, Mathieu Carle, Frederic St. Denis, etc.
Maybe, maybe, the Habs would finally push for Emelin. That would be the best promotion left from within. Otherwise, it may have to be from outside. That means trade or free agency...
Trade
First of all, let's assume this has to be a play for someone who is the calibre of defender that Markov was. The list is quite short. Let's now try to think of teams that would give up a player like this (and why). OK, found someone.
Now tell us who the Canadiens can offer in a trade that maintains the quality of their team now and adds this player.
Right.
Free agency
I won't go into to this in great depth, except to pass along the link to CapGeek's Free agents at defence for this summer.
Think replacing Koivu was hard?
Signing this Markov is the only real hope of replacing that Markov. Even with all the risks that signing an injured player entails, it's still the right thing to do.
Andrei took a reduced rate on his last contract to stay in Montreal and progressed to new heights with his play. I would say give him the value of his current deal (or maybe a slight reduction) for a single year. A single year to discover if Andrei can recover his form.
The Habs have nothing to lose with this approach. They aren't in a position to do a major revamp with the Gomez-Gionta-Cammalleri-Plekanec deals anyway. And Markov at 1/4 strength is still an asset on most teams.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Game #16
Price, Habs Tighter; Get Another OT Win
Details
Date: 5/11/09
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston
Win: 2-1 (SO)
Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (L)
Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, (Cammalleri - SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Bergeron
Play of the game
Price made some dandys and Cammalleri had a nice shot in the shootout, but it was our goal that stood out to me in this one. The goal itself was pretty good, but the fact that it was mostly due to the hard work and effort of Kostitsyn made it that much more significant. Andrei got the puck from White in his own end and flew up the left wing. He had the defender beat to the outside, but chose against the sharp-angle shot that Thomas was expecting. He instead circled the net and lost the keeper in the process. Glen Metropolit arrived at the right time to take a pass and put away an easy one for the Habs.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Tomas Plekanec
No points and a -1 rating may have some people questioning this decision, but I can assure you that Tom's play was, once again, first-class. He did very well in his own end as he got stuck in in every sense of the word. He continues to play with a certain edge that I believe was missing from his game most of last year.
Andrei Kostitsyn
Nothing like a trip away from the boo-birds and most of the journalists sometimes, is there? Andrei looked like his old self tonight as he shot the puck, threw hits, battled hard in the offensive zone and created chances for his linemates. His play in our own end was good at times when he came back to break up plays, but his one flaw, tonight, was his inability to get pucks out when he was stationed on our half-boards.
Glen Metrpolit
His goal was good and essential, but really all it was was a tap-in. Glen, however, did so much more than that throughout this game. He led a very effective fore-checking line that, at times, seemed like our most dangerous option. He was also quite decent in the other two zones as his defensive coverage was both responsible and effective.
Defencemen
Josh Gorges
With Bergeron and Carle not being trusted to play more than half of a game between them the other 4 must pick up the slack. That meant pretty big minutes for Josh (23) who seemed to handle it quite well. He had a suprising number of shots on goal (6), but I thought was more effective defensively than offensively. Last year we got into trouble when we asked too much of Gorges and I am just hoping that this 22+ stuff doesn't last for him. He looked good tonight, but ideally he is the type of player who is at his best when he plays 17-20 minutes.
Roman Hamrlik
Certain Hammer fans will be happy with this selection - I am indeed one of them. He is one of my favorite D-men on the team, but with that admiration comes of certain amount of expectation for the former #1 draft pick. He was robust tonight and didn't allow much to go on around Price while he was there. He was on for the goal, but after we lost that face-off there was little he could have done. Tonight the two big areas that I am very happy about are his hits (only 3, yet thunderous) and his 29+ minutes of ice.
Goaltender
Carey Price - Game Puck
Price got the win, which he deserved, but he probably also deserved the shutout. He played a very solid game tonight which I believe may be a boost for a team looking for a certain defensive identity. He let off very few rebounds, handled the puck quickly and effectively and made a few spectacular saves. The skill apparently is there and was on display tonight, but I am happy that he nailed the mental game too. The focus and concentration have always been areas that he has struggled in so I am hoping that a win like this will help in that regard. I am not sure who I would play at home on Saturday, but I guess either option at this point would look like a good choice.
Comments
Remember when Boston took us to town last year and thought to themselves - 'this is not the team we remember, why were we scared of these guys?'. Well, it is nice to see that the tables, once again, have turned. After 9 straight losses to Boston (4 in the playoffs) it was nice to go into their barn and not get dominated. They are of course missing Savard, Krejci and Lucic (who I don't even think is that good), but are really missing Kessel and the real Chara more. Zdeno was a non-factor in this game as he was outplayed by players like Recchi, Wideman and Begin. Montreal didn't come close to dominating this game themselves, but at least played a decent enough game in my opinion. I felt that defensively we were quite a bit tighter tonight than we had been. Yes there were 43 shots (remember how Price excels when he faces 40+ shots), but I felt it was a case of quantity not quality for Boston. The D did a good job of letting Carey see the puck and I also saw very few deflections, little traffic in front and, for once, no real unlucky bounces. I would label our Saturday game, at home, against Tampa as a must-win given our ambitions and current position in the standings and am confident in saying that if we play like we did tonight we will have a very good shot at getting those 2 points.
Replacing Markov
Cheat Sheet For A Procrastinating GM
Yesterday we had quite a discussion and it became clear that we can all agree on one thing: we're not happy. We can't agree on anything else.
In the collective vent, it came to light that many (myself included) were not very happy with Gainey's performance this season, specifically since the fall of Markov. My sentiment was that he should have done something to replace the best player on the team, who he knew would be out for 50 games. Others thought that was unreasonable for some reason.
Towards the end of the conversation, MathMan laid down what I took to be a challenge when he said:
He was talking in response, of course to my plea that Gainey could have done more than sign the available French Canadian UFA on D. To be absolutely fair, I did ask Gainey to think outside the box, claimed that's why he was paid millions and then came up with something like: "Why didn't he keep Dandenault?"
Not very out of the box, I'll admit. So with the challenge down. And despite the fact I have to do it for free, I'll put some effort into the out-of-the-box thinking for Gainey. Maybe he can give me a ten minutes of his wage or something...
Poach a Russian
Specifically, Emelin?
They wouldn't hesitate to do it to us, there's no transfer agreement. What's the problem?
It might finally show the KHL that the NHL means business.
Not, perhaps the best idea from outside the box...
Pay a transfer fee for a European or a Russian
On a more serious note, why not ignore the fact there's no transfer agreement in the strictest sense and come to an agreement team-to-team with a partner in Sweden or Russia. All that money being saved from Andrei Markov is only being mothballed otherwise.
How about $500,000 to Frolunda for Christian Backman? A few rubles for Valentenko?
These transfers happen all the time between Euro leagues and it's normal operating procedure. Just because the NHL is backwards in its thinking doesn't mean the Habs should be.
Bettman would be angry, but would he have recourse? Probably. Maybe shelf this idea?
Chris Chelios
This is no longer an out of the box idea, this is a press-reported strategy. Chelios, even at 47 would probably offer a lot more savvy than #47 ever could. And he'd probably be able to last a game, as he's likely more fit than all 6 of our current group.
He's playing in Chicago now with the AHL Wolves and is doing a pretty decent job of it. Unlike all the options listed to now, he's the only one to have played on a defending Stanley Cuo champion team last year.
Unsigned UFAs
We've tried this route once, and look where it got us right? But imagine this time, we don't take the RDS suggestion and look for a player who actually plays defence.
I mentioned Dandenault, who we know isn't great, but also know is better than the cross-crease pass every other time he touches the puck. Greg DeVries isn't signed, probably because of his 2008-09, but has had some decent efforts in past years, including 2007-08, so might not be terrible. He's also not 5'9", but 6'3" and could probably handle a much diminished role.
Waiver pick up
The day after Markov's tendon was bisected, the Thrashers picked up Christoph Schubert off waivers. Since that time only one defenceman has been exposed (Randy Jones), but he was claimed by the LA Kings.
Randy Jones is nothing special either, but let's face it, at this point we're talking about replacing some pretty unspecial people on the blue line. 6'2", 205 lbs and NHL experience on a better team than ours, that's something. There's no telling if he would have helped, but then we'll never know if we sit here satisfied with the status quo.
People go through waivers all the time. We've had Begin off waivers, Beauchemin was lost off waivers. Most recently we claimed Metroploit off waivers – there are worthwhile players to be had. I'm sure Gainey's on it, though.
Andre Benoit
We haven't mentioned him at all, but Bob Gainey signed Andre Benoit from Sweden in the spring to play for the Bulldogs. He's not an old man, but already has a lot more experience than say Weber or Subban and has played very well for two seasons in Europe in pro leagues there.
He wouldn't be a much better option than Bergeron, but he may be. Bulldogs fans?
A forward on D
Our problem is a forward stuck in a defenceman's contract. Maybe the solution is a defenceman stuck in a forward's body.
You asked for outside the box, you got it. Chipchura has been an off and on pretty good performer this season. Most nights he's been invisible, which is an improvement on a sometimes painful 4th line. At times, he's been quite good on the puck.
But even with all that, let's be honest, he's never really looked like scoring a goal. Perhaps with better linemates he'd have some points by now, but even a generous soul wouldn't be allocating him more than a couple. In short, Chipchura as a forward isn't really working out for us. He's just not a great asset to the team. And this blogger can't see how he holds off Ben Maxwell, if the younger centre shows any improvement at all this season.
So defence?
I say why not? He has some skills that I'd value in a defender – some decent puck control, a decent basic sideways pass and legs that might appreciate waiting around a bit on a shift. I don't know how he skates in reverse or whether he can rap a puck off the glass first before sending it into the stands, but he's in the NHL, so he might be able to put something together there.
Obviously rolling out this move is a practice only experiment for a few weeks. But he really wouldn't have to be that good to stand in as a 7th for us right now. If things clicked, he might overtake MAB in a week or two.
If not him, how about Pacioretty? Goodness knows it wouldn't cost us a single goal for.
A trade?
OK, I'll admit, most of those are bit wacky, and were I not going through an exercise, I'd have scrapped them long ago. The real option is, and probably always was: trade.
The minute Markov went down was the minute I thought Gainey should have been working a trade. A lot of people assume that I intend to replace like with like here, something in the ilk of Brian Campbell, but really I don't. In fact, I think a 3rd defender to help alleviate the pressure on the top 4 would be fine.
I'll get into trouble if I go through too many scenarios, but one I'd explore if I were GM would be the possibility of acquiring Aaron Ward from the Hurricanes. They need a change, we need a defence first defenceman. He's not the answer to the world's problems, but you can ask Boston if they're happy about opting for Derek Morris instead. He's adequate and has been for a long time. He makes mistakes, but also makes sound plays once in a while. In short, he's now a 3/4 Dman.
Beyond Ward there are many candidates if Gainey frees the grip on the "prospects". Having seen a few camps now, I don't see why anyone but Subban and maybe Weber shouldn't be up for discussion. If someone thinks Ben Maxwell is worth a defender, it's a great blessing for us, as the chance of him blossoming into something we'll regret losing is pretty minimal at this point (he once score 28 goals in junior!).
Thinking outside the box on the trade front is really what Gainey needs to be doing at this point. If you want to know what I mean, it's something like this:
– When the Wild lose Sykora and Bouchard, they need scoring
– Fletcher scours the league and homes in on Chuck Kobasew, 2-time 20 goal man for the Bruins in 2 years
– He completes the trade for Kobasew in return for Craig Weller (minor league, non-scorer), the rights to Alex Fallstrom (a 2009 4th round pick) and a 2011 2nd round pick
It's just an example of how you can get something (a new 20 goalscorer) for pretty much nothing if you find the right partner and the right trade. It's been a month, time for Gainey to unearth one of these soon.
Those are the possibilities as I see them. I wonder what you crazy guys can come up with...
In the collective vent, it came to light that many (myself included) were not very happy with Gainey's performance this season, specifically since the fall of Markov. My sentiment was that he should have done something to replace the best player on the team, who he knew would be out for 50 games. Others thought that was unreasonable for some reason.
Towards the end of the conversation, MathMan laid down what I took to be a challenge when he said:
It's easy to say "think outside the box", but without some inkling as to what that thinking would entail, it's a pretty empty demand. And allow me to doubt very much that Philly would have made a move by now if Pronger went down... for fear of crippling their cap situation even more.
He was talking in response, of course to my plea that Gainey could have done more than sign the available French Canadian UFA on D. To be absolutely fair, I did ask Gainey to think outside the box, claimed that's why he was paid millions and then came up with something like: "Why didn't he keep Dandenault?"
Not very out of the box, I'll admit. So with the challenge down. And despite the fact I have to do it for free, I'll put some effort into the out-of-the-box thinking for Gainey. Maybe he can give me a ten minutes of his wage or something...
Poach a Russian
Specifically, Emelin?
They wouldn't hesitate to do it to us, there's no transfer agreement. What's the problem?
It might finally show the KHL that the NHL means business.
Not, perhaps the best idea from outside the box...
Pay a transfer fee for a European or a Russian
On a more serious note, why not ignore the fact there's no transfer agreement in the strictest sense and come to an agreement team-to-team with a partner in Sweden or Russia. All that money being saved from Andrei Markov is only being mothballed otherwise.
How about $500,000 to Frolunda for Christian Backman? A few rubles for Valentenko?
These transfers happen all the time between Euro leagues and it's normal operating procedure. Just because the NHL is backwards in its thinking doesn't mean the Habs should be.
Bettman would be angry, but would he have recourse? Probably. Maybe shelf this idea?
Chris Chelios
This is no longer an out of the box idea, this is a press-reported strategy. Chelios, even at 47 would probably offer a lot more savvy than #47 ever could. And he'd probably be able to last a game, as he's likely more fit than all 6 of our current group.
He's playing in Chicago now with the AHL Wolves and is doing a pretty decent job of it. Unlike all the options listed to now, he's the only one to have played on a defending Stanley Cuo champion team last year.
Unsigned UFAs
We've tried this route once, and look where it got us right? But imagine this time, we don't take the RDS suggestion and look for a player who actually plays defence.
I mentioned Dandenault, who we know isn't great, but also know is better than the cross-crease pass every other time he touches the puck. Greg DeVries isn't signed, probably because of his 2008-09, but has had some decent efforts in past years, including 2007-08, so might not be terrible. He's also not 5'9", but 6'3" and could probably handle a much diminished role.
Waiver pick up
The day after Markov's tendon was bisected, the Thrashers picked up Christoph Schubert off waivers. Since that time only one defenceman has been exposed (Randy Jones), but he was claimed by the LA Kings.
Randy Jones is nothing special either, but let's face it, at this point we're talking about replacing some pretty unspecial people on the blue line. 6'2", 205 lbs and NHL experience on a better team than ours, that's something. There's no telling if he would have helped, but then we'll never know if we sit here satisfied with the status quo.
People go through waivers all the time. We've had Begin off waivers, Beauchemin was lost off waivers. Most recently we claimed Metroploit off waivers – there are worthwhile players to be had. I'm sure Gainey's on it, though.
Andre Benoit
We haven't mentioned him at all, but Bob Gainey signed Andre Benoit from Sweden in the spring to play for the Bulldogs. He's not an old man, but already has a lot more experience than say Weber or Subban and has played very well for two seasons in Europe in pro leagues there.
He wouldn't be a much better option than Bergeron, but he may be. Bulldogs fans?
A forward on D
Our problem is a forward stuck in a defenceman's contract. Maybe the solution is a defenceman stuck in a forward's body.
You asked for outside the box, you got it. Chipchura has been an off and on pretty good performer this season. Most nights he's been invisible, which is an improvement on a sometimes painful 4th line. At times, he's been quite good on the puck.
But even with all that, let's be honest, he's never really looked like scoring a goal. Perhaps with better linemates he'd have some points by now, but even a generous soul wouldn't be allocating him more than a couple. In short, Chipchura as a forward isn't really working out for us. He's just not a great asset to the team. And this blogger can't see how he holds off Ben Maxwell, if the younger centre shows any improvement at all this season.
So defence?
I say why not? He has some skills that I'd value in a defender – some decent puck control, a decent basic sideways pass and legs that might appreciate waiting around a bit on a shift. I don't know how he skates in reverse or whether he can rap a puck off the glass first before sending it into the stands, but he's in the NHL, so he might be able to put something together there.
Obviously rolling out this move is a practice only experiment for a few weeks. But he really wouldn't have to be that good to stand in as a 7th for us right now. If things clicked, he might overtake MAB in a week or two.
If not him, how about Pacioretty? Goodness knows it wouldn't cost us a single goal for.
A trade?
OK, I'll admit, most of those are bit wacky, and were I not going through an exercise, I'd have scrapped them long ago. The real option is, and probably always was: trade.
The minute Markov went down was the minute I thought Gainey should have been working a trade. A lot of people assume that I intend to replace like with like here, something in the ilk of Brian Campbell, but really I don't. In fact, I think a 3rd defender to help alleviate the pressure on the top 4 would be fine.
I'll get into trouble if I go through too many scenarios, but one I'd explore if I were GM would be the possibility of acquiring Aaron Ward from the Hurricanes. They need a change, we need a defence first defenceman. He's not the answer to the world's problems, but you can ask Boston if they're happy about opting for Derek Morris instead. He's adequate and has been for a long time. He makes mistakes, but also makes sound plays once in a while. In short, he's now a 3/4 Dman.
Beyond Ward there are many candidates if Gainey frees the grip on the "prospects". Having seen a few camps now, I don't see why anyone but Subban and maybe Weber shouldn't be up for discussion. If someone thinks Ben Maxwell is worth a defender, it's a great blessing for us, as the chance of him blossoming into something we'll regret losing is pretty minimal at this point (he once score 28 goals in junior!).
Thinking outside the box on the trade front is really what Gainey needs to be doing at this point. If you want to know what I mean, it's something like this:
– When the Wild lose Sykora and Bouchard, they need scoring
– Fletcher scours the league and homes in on Chuck Kobasew, 2-time 20 goal man for the Bruins in 2 years
– He completes the trade for Kobasew in return for Craig Weller (minor league, non-scorer), the rights to Alex Fallstrom (a 2009 4th round pick) and a 2011 2nd round pick
It's just an example of how you can get something (a new 20 goalscorer) for pretty much nothing if you find the right partner and the right trade. It's been a month, time for Gainey to unearth one of these soon.
Those are the possibilities as I see them. I wonder what you crazy guys can come up with...
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Game #15
Price Drops the Ball...Again
Details
Date: 3/11/09
Opponent: Thrashers
Location: Montreal
Loss: 4-5
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Pavelec (W)
Habs goalscorers: Gionta (2), Cammalleri, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Little, Peverley, Popovic, Kubina, Armstrong
Play of the game
I really liked the 4th goal, Plekanec's. Can you believe that at the time I actually thought that it would be enough to send us to OT; I obviously underestimated Price's consistency. The play started at our blue-line when Latendresse grabbed the puck and quickly got it to Lapierre on his right. Then, that line, all 3 of them, went off up the ice. Lapierre sent it back to Gui who kept the puck going to Pleks who was out wide on the left. Tomas froze Pavelec and then, from a sharp angle, went upstairs to tie it at 4.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Tomas Plekanec
I had the list down to 4 forwards and I think Pleks was third on the list. So, I just wanted to mention that Gomez, despite not being chosen, played almost as well as Pleks and could have easily been placed in here. Tomas, however, had the edge thanks to his goal and a few other key offensive plays. He also had 3 shots on net, was 60% at face-offs and was quite gritty all game long.
Mike Cammalleri
Another 'pure-goal-scorer' game from Mike. Whether it be the fact that he always seems to be in the right place or that he can rocket the shot from just about anywhere or that he took 4 quite menacing shots or that he scored a very soft 5-hole goal there is just one way to describe this player and that is - amazing. Too bad he can't play D or goal...although come to think of it would it be that bad? I mean some of our players in those positions also have that deficiency.
Brian Gionta - Game Puck
I was very happy with Brian's game tonight and quite liked the way in which he scored his two goals. They were both quick and accurate shots that caught this 'phenom' off guard. He wasn't too great defensively tonight, but made up for that by spending most of his 21 minutes in the other end. In all he took 6 shots and could have easily ended with more than two goals.
Defencemen
Josh Gorges
Spacek and Hammer each gave the puck away 5 times and both took more silly penalties. As good as those two can be they can also be quite careless at times. Neither played horribly, but neither shone. Bergeron and Carle were just bad, they brought nothing apart from poor, uncomfortable and defensively-inept play. That leaves two players. Josh, once again is one of those players that I didn't really notice for good or bad. That is why I am happy that that calming influence was actually on the ice for over 20 minutes.
Paul Mara
Mara stood out a little more than Gorges did and that, for the most part, is thanks to his play in the offensive zone. I thought that he did quite well on the PP and had a few other moments where he supported the attack nicely. He made a good pairing with Josh, but that may become a luxury that Martin will have to reconsider unless he really thinks he can roll with 4 D-men each night.
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
Price was bad tonight and likely cost us points. We have to look beyond a few things here to get to the truth about this game. I'll forget that our D, at times, was weak as, let's face it, they are always weak. I will give Carey the benefit of the doubt and forget that Atlanta isn't quite what you would call a 'cream of the league' type team. I'll even forget that he only faced 30 shots. No, for this assessment I will just look at the 5 goals (I'll even forget the other, non-goal, pucks that seemed to get by him with a certain regularity). I will forgive the first goal as it was unlucky. Yes, maybe he is the 'unluckiest' goalie ever, but I'll move on. The third goal, Popovic's, was pathetic. It was a floater from the point which never deflected, but Price still had trouble lining his foot-wide trapper with it. Then, the other three goals, were all pretty much the same and this is clearly something other teams have seen. Carey, on all of them, over-committed to the left side of his net. He stayed deep, hugged the post and crouched down. It is probably a great way to defend against low shots from the corner, but apparently not a good way to defend against much else. In all 3 cases the puck was passed across the crease to his right where an Atlanta player had very little to do but put it on net. This lesson in physics (pucks move faster than Carey) has obviously been lost on our 'positionally-sound', 'franchise player'. Now, the reason I choose Halak tonight isn't because I necessarily think Jaro is that great, but, no matter how bad Price is, we know one thing for certain; Halak, right now (and for most of the past 3 years), is far and away the better goalie.
Comments
You outplay a team, you out-chance a team and you even out-shoot them by over 25%, but you can't get a point. Why is that? Well, for the most part we have too few skilled players to get the job done. That said, I think that the forwards are getting the job done offensively. In fact I'll add our D to that list as I feel they are helping enough on attack. Our big problems, as you all know, are in our own end. Tonight we dressed 4 NHL players from the blue-line back. Carle, Bergeron and Price all played quite terribly and, in one way or another, cost us. All the effort in the world, unfortunately, can't make up for that deficiency. Not so fast forwards and other D. While you aren't horrible in your own end, you aren't that great either. This aspect of our play really has to improve if we want to go far. Yes, Markov is injured, but why is that an excuse? What kind of management is that? If you are a production manager and your best employee leaves do you just let productivity decline? No, of course not, you do something about it. Right now, however, Martin can do little to help the sinking ship that is our D (apart from not playing Price) because he has been supplied with elbow patches, from Gainey, to fill head-sized holes.
This is a rough start to the week and one that may cost us a good start to November. I know what the thought was tonight; 'Price has learned his lesson, he is ready, he's our number one and he'll have no trouble against Atlanta. This win will build his confidence and we'll build on that'. Well, cliches didn't work, but what may have is the simplest rule in sports - use your best pieces whenever you can. There is no rule that states Carey has to play games is there? Does he need a certain amount of starts? Nope. They dropped the ball tonight by hoping a worse option in goal would be good enough. After seeing Price play this year there is only one certainty when it comes to him - no games will ever be easy for this kid.
Play of the Week
RDS is reporting that some sharp-shooting Habs player has finally managed to hit the target.
It happened in practice, mind you, but the Canadiens recipient of play of the week (unnamed in the report) hit Hal Gill in the foot. It appears that the shot was both accurate and forceful enough to sideline the big galoot. Mathieu Carle will be replacing him.
Meanwhile...
Things that won't win next week's play of the week:
Jacques Martin playing the Mathieu-Marc combo together while Gil recovers. Hopefully the personnel-management challenged coach will find a way to let us experience addition by subtraction...
It happened in practice, mind you, but the Canadiens recipient of play of the week (unnamed in the report) hit Hal Gill in the foot. It appears that the shot was both accurate and forceful enough to sideline the big galoot. Mathieu Carle will be replacing him.
Meanwhile...
Things that won't win next week's play of the week:
Jacques Martin playing the Mathieu-Marc combo together while Gil recovers. Hopefully the personnel-management challenged coach will find a way to let us experience addition by subtraction...
Monday, September 28, 2009
Canadiens Season Preview
Prospects At The Back
After days of putting out day after day of previews, wouldn't you know that the first time people start congratulating us is the same day we slip and miss a day. Perhaps not slip, but in not wanting to lose my hockey pool, I spent the time compiling my lists for that instead. Mind you, I still ended up with the most questionable goalies as I do every year.
Anyway, as the title of the post suggests, this is my look at the below NHL prospects on defence. As with the forwards, I had neither as much data or as much drive to do a full-blown analysis of each of these guys. So instead, it's just some thoughts possibly mixed with scouts' thoughts and random stats. In any case, the preview wouldn't be complete without something on Alex Henry, so here we go.
Potential call-ups
1) PK Subban
With Yannick Weber on the "NHLer" list, there's absolutely no doubt who the top prospect at the back is. PK Subban, junior star, Team Canada star, high draft pick, media darling has skills and personality to make it.
What's most exciting about PK is not his accomplishment with the indomitable Team Canada, nor his more than point-per-game from defence last year, but his personal skill set. Unlike some players who win, but you can't really put a finger on why. With PK it's easy – it's his skating. As a pretty pitiful hockey player myself, I know that being unable to keep up on skates puts me at an immediate disadvantage in nearly every situation on the ice. I can only imagine the other guys must be thinking the same, only in terms of advantage. Well, PK has that advantage in spades. He had it over most junior pretenders, and from what little I've seen, I'd say he'll have it in the NHL one day too. It seems that because he's practiced his skating through drills rather than simple reliance on game day that he can do things to make it look as though he was born with blades on his feet. You'd better watch:
With skill like that, PK can already offer a talent that puts him among the elite in the NHL. Oh, that hockey were only about skating and going forward. The reason PK is not up with the team today, and the reason that Yannick Weber has surpassed him at several different steps now is because of defence – you know, the position he purportedly plays? It remains the question at this time, perhaps the only question. But luckily defence is something that can be learned with some dedicated study. And though all his highlights display amazing rushes, you might have noticed the hole where brilliant, or even simple effective pass would normally fit for a Dman.
There's a definite place for Subban and his crazy feet in the NHL. The question for the Canadiens is whether there is a place for him on a team with Andrei Markov. And possibly Yannick Weber. If he shows he can be a defensive asset in Hamilton, the answer will be an unquestionable yes. If he can't, the onus will be on Gainey to find the team who needs the offense from the back and can afford to forgo him playing his position as others might.
2) Mathieu Carle
If PK has problems finding a place on the offensively laden blueline in Montreal, imagine 3rd in line Mathieu Carle.
Long-term it would take some moves to see a real place for Carle up on the Habs. Short term, however, he has a few aces to play in order to expedite his call up.
The first is his age. 22 now, he may be more mature and better able to see where team game outweighs individual game than some proteges. The second is his direct experience in Hamilton. As mentioned, it's not been an overwhelming success, but at the same time he has shown he can do a job for a successful team against pros.
Third, and I'm loathe to say it, but it's the fact he is Quebecois. I'm not saying that he'll be brought up just to make up numbers, but the company line has always been at equal value, we'll choose the local lad. Well, for the brief period before PK really gets any AHL experience of his own, Carle is holding at least that equal card, if not a slightly better one. What's more, we've seen this decision exercised already at camp with the first cuts, and there's no reason to think it won't hold until mid-winter.
3) Shawn Belle
I probably made more fuss than was necessary for Shawn Belle attending early skates, but I did think it showed a good attitude form him at least.
If you want to read about the best of Shawn Belle, I've done that bit already (near the bottom of the piece). What has transpired since the writing of that article, however, has led to some extra conclusions. The first is that Shawn Belle is no panacea – he would be a replacement with plenty of faults, a player who would make mistakes. The second is that he has been properly assigned to Hamilton – the players ahead of him in this depth analysis are indeed better at the moment. Finally, that for all his attitude coming early, he perhaps hasn't quite grasped how his NHL dream is slipping by. His average showing at camp has been wildly surpassed by the man we put on notice (Ryan O'Byrne).
Shawn could be a call up, but really he has to do more to impress if he wants to make it stick. Hamilton is a valuable training ground for a defender like Belle, and another season like his last, on a winning team, could mean knocks on Gainey's door about a depth defenceman in a trade, if not in Montreal.
4) Andre Benoit
Andre's back with the Bulldogs after tow very successful seasons in Europe. But what stands in Andre's way is the same solid group of defenders that stand in every other offensive Dman's path.
What seems to be clear from his statistics and reports is that Benoit could step in and do the job. However, depth, salaries and midsets being what they are, it would take a lot of bodies going down, specifically from the PP rearguard for this to ever happen for Benoit. Still, he's 4th in line here because of his stellar junior record, his experience in the AHL and his clear determination to give this NHL thing another go. Don't look for him in many games, but you never know, one or two could be in the cards.
5) Alex Henry
Alex Henry, my goodness. I did have some stats on him, but not many. I can tell you that during his 2 game stint last season with the Habs he managed to do so poorly with his 10 minutes that he comes at the bottom of nearly every category we looked at in the league. So badly that one stats site I was looking at found that Mathieu Schneider's stats were being dragged through the dirt by virtue of him having worn the same number as Henry (a bit of computer confusion).
So why even mention him? Well for one thing, he's playing in Hamilton's top 6, making him call-up material. For another, he does quite well down there. While it's not time to write Henry off altogether (he is massive), it seems that his skating and awareness might be more AHL level at this point in time.
6) Michael Busto
Finally, Michael Busto – that other guy from the Higgins trade. How does 6 years in the WHL strike you? I'm not sure I've ever seen that. Sure by the time he left, he was posting good stats, but he was the 210 lb 21-year-old playing against teenagers.
His next seasons were in the ECHL, so take that for what it is. In the end, it seems that Busto was either a guy Sather wanted off the books (unlikely he micromanages that much) or that he was simply brought in to replace TJ Kemp in Hamilton and nothing more. Don't go out and buy your Busto sweater anytime soon.
Not at camp
1) Alexei Emelin
Another NHL-ready, contractually tied player in the organization. It is reported that Emelin spurned the Canadiens, though like Valentenko, you have to wonder what the team was offering this able pro.
Skill-wise, Emelin is the best immediate fit for the Canadiens. He plays sound hockey, he plays rough, he plays in that gray area of the rules. Emelin is exactly the type of player that a young goalie tandem need – someone to make opposing forwards think before entering the zone. Someone who serves notice that shots from good positions are something that shooters will have to pay for with bruises.
Anyway, this year is fait accompli, he's at Kazan. If the allegations of an out clause are true, he could replace Mara next season. If not, it'll be at least two more.
2) David Fischer
Hockey's Future says:
I have to seriously question that assertion. If the club were high on Fischer, I wonder whether they'd really be leaving him in a program that clearly isn't vaulting him to a future of NHL stardom – certainly now they have their mentor/coach Guy Boucher in place on the farm.
That said, Fischer is still one for the plans. While McDonagh was the better absolute prospect, in the Canadiens scheme where Markov, Gorges, Weber and Subban figure in the future, Fischer as the 6'3" now more defensive defenceman (out of necessity) is a better organizational fit.
When he was drafted in 2006, Fischer was a tall 2006 Mr. Hockey with talent to progress offensively and defensively. As time has passed, things haven't gone quite as well as the optimists thought. Though he is still 2006 Mr. Hockey, he also now holds the inauspicious title of 2007, 2008, 2009 Mr. 4th defenceman (I now get overtaken by younger players at our school) Wisconsin. His offensive game looks ever dwindling, and he's no Ken Daneyko. It's a tale of talent analysis gone off, but not so far that he's out of the picture. A 6th defenceman out of a first round pick (with Varlamov, Berglund and Giroux right behind) isn't great, but it's better than nothing.
3) Konstantin Korneev
This guy is a forgotten prospect. I mean truly off the radar. In deciding whether I should even continue mentioning his name, I did a search and found the Habs still maintain a player page for him.
He's worth mentioning though, because though 25 is old to import a player, he's already a star in the Russian pro ranks and for the senior national team at times. It would probably take massive roster overhaul again, a transfer agreement and a few other minor miracles to ever see him in bleu, blanc, rouge, but as non-NHLers go, he ranks for us.
4) Mac Bennett
The scouting reports say good skater, good instincts and most irrelevant of all (hi Keith Gretzky and Brian Sakic) bloodlines. If that's all you read and saw you'd be pretty stoked. Mac has added some context to the reports by attending a couple of camps with the Habs now. Impressive at the development camp and again at rookie camp, initial signs are good.
The fact that Mac Bennett has suddenly appeared at #14 on the list of Canadiens prospects at Hockey's Future probably speaks more to the prospects below him than it might about him. While Mac certainly provides intrigue, the fact remains no one in the Habs organization, nor likely any of the fans writing up about him, have seen him playing real games against anyone that isn't at a US high school. For every one Sean Hill, there are ten or twenty Steve McCools, Matt Shasbys and Kishels.
What's more, this is the very easiest time to be raving about a player like Bennett. We know he had a good season because he was drafted. The question always remains with any of these prospects – will it translate into another? Will it be duplicated at a higher level? We'll see. This season he is still in a high school league, so our answer may have to wait until Michigan 2011.
5) Niklas Torp
Torp to me sounds like the Swedish Emelin. Not giant, not great offensively, but an abrasive defender who makes people work for their space. Last year was not a year of distinction for Niklas. However, as a 19-year-old defensive defenceman in a men's league, what would one really expect.
This year has started out nicely for the youngster, and he's definitely grabbed a regular spot on the Jonkoping team. Let's not get too carried away, but he does already have more points than last season after 3 games. I think it's more of an indication of increased role than any sudden offensive awakening – still a good sign there.
6) Greg Pateryn
I'll forgive you for overlooking the guy we got for Grabovski, he's pretty low down the chart. There's not much to say yet about Pateryn. He has had one season at Michigan as a part-timer and is now vying to stake a place as a 19-year-old there. As for Montreal, one can't really see him taking less time than Fischer has been, so his pro career, if it ever gets going at all, will likely be another 3 years away.
7) Joe Stejskal
Here's another in the long list of American high school defeders in the Habs system. Outstanding high school (well, of course, he was drafted after all), but lacklustre in college thus far. It says that he's had time on the top pairing, which certainly shows any offensive prowess we thought he might have had might not be as natural to him as some. Furthermore, he's playing at Dartmouth, not Boston, not Michigan. While great for his academic career, the men in green don't immediately spring to mind when thinking of future NHLers.
He's still young enough that 2 more seasons of college could turn his career around, but you won't find any of my money on that. His saving grace is that he isn't 5'10".
Anyway, as the title of the post suggests, this is my look at the below NHL prospects on defence. As with the forwards, I had neither as much data or as much drive to do a full-blown analysis of each of these guys. So instead, it's just some thoughts possibly mixed with scouts' thoughts and random stats. In any case, the preview wouldn't be complete without something on Alex Henry, so here we go.
Potential call-ups
1) PK Subban
With Yannick Weber on the "NHLer" list, there's absolutely no doubt who the top prospect at the back is. PK Subban, junior star, Team Canada star, high draft pick, media darling has skills and personality to make it.
What's most exciting about PK is not his accomplishment with the indomitable Team Canada, nor his more than point-per-game from defence last year, but his personal skill set. Unlike some players who win, but you can't really put a finger on why. With PK it's easy – it's his skating. As a pretty pitiful hockey player myself, I know that being unable to keep up on skates puts me at an immediate disadvantage in nearly every situation on the ice. I can only imagine the other guys must be thinking the same, only in terms of advantage. Well, PK has that advantage in spades. He had it over most junior pretenders, and from what little I've seen, I'd say he'll have it in the NHL one day too. It seems that because he's practiced his skating through drills rather than simple reliance on game day that he can do things to make it look as though he was born with blades on his feet. You'd better watch:
With skill like that, PK can already offer a talent that puts him among the elite in the NHL. Oh, that hockey were only about skating and going forward. The reason PK is not up with the team today, and the reason that Yannick Weber has surpassed him at several different steps now is because of defence – you know, the position he purportedly plays? It remains the question at this time, perhaps the only question. But luckily defence is something that can be learned with some dedicated study. And though all his highlights display amazing rushes, you might have noticed the hole where brilliant, or even simple effective pass would normally fit for a Dman.
There's a definite place for Subban and his crazy feet in the NHL. The question for the Canadiens is whether there is a place for him on a team with Andrei Markov. And possibly Yannick Weber. If he shows he can be a defensive asset in Hamilton, the answer will be an unquestionable yes. If he can't, the onus will be on Gainey to find the team who needs the offense from the back and can afford to forgo him playing his position as others might.
2) Mathieu Carle
If PK has problems finding a place on the offensively laden blueline in Montreal, imagine 3rd in line Mathieu Carle.
Long-term it would take some moves to see a real place for Carle up on the Habs. Short term, however, he has a few aces to play in order to expedite his call up.
The first is his age. 22 now, he may be more mature and better able to see where team game outweighs individual game than some proteges. The second is his direct experience in Hamilton. As mentioned, it's not been an overwhelming success, but at the same time he has shown he can do a job for a successful team against pros.
Third, and I'm loathe to say it, but it's the fact he is Quebecois. I'm not saying that he'll be brought up just to make up numbers, but the company line has always been at equal value, we'll choose the local lad. Well, for the brief period before PK really gets any AHL experience of his own, Carle is holding at least that equal card, if not a slightly better one. What's more, we've seen this decision exercised already at camp with the first cuts, and there's no reason to think it won't hold until mid-winter.
3) Shawn Belle
I probably made more fuss than was necessary for Shawn Belle attending early skates, but I did think it showed a good attitude form him at least.
If you want to read about the best of Shawn Belle, I've done that bit already (near the bottom of the piece). What has transpired since the writing of that article, however, has led to some extra conclusions. The first is that Shawn Belle is no panacea – he would be a replacement with plenty of faults, a player who would make mistakes. The second is that he has been properly assigned to Hamilton – the players ahead of him in this depth analysis are indeed better at the moment. Finally, that for all his attitude coming early, he perhaps hasn't quite grasped how his NHL dream is slipping by. His average showing at camp has been wildly surpassed by the man we put on notice (Ryan O'Byrne).
Shawn could be a call up, but really he has to do more to impress if he wants to make it stick. Hamilton is a valuable training ground for a defender like Belle, and another season like his last, on a winning team, could mean knocks on Gainey's door about a depth defenceman in a trade, if not in Montreal.
4) Andre Benoit
Andre's back with the Bulldogs after tow very successful seasons in Europe. But what stands in Andre's way is the same solid group of defenders that stand in every other offensive Dman's path.
What seems to be clear from his statistics and reports is that Benoit could step in and do the job. However, depth, salaries and midsets being what they are, it would take a lot of bodies going down, specifically from the PP rearguard for this to ever happen for Benoit. Still, he's 4th in line here because of his stellar junior record, his experience in the AHL and his clear determination to give this NHL thing another go. Don't look for him in many games, but you never know, one or two could be in the cards.
5) Alex Henry
Alex Henry, my goodness. I did have some stats on him, but not many. I can tell you that during his 2 game stint last season with the Habs he managed to do so poorly with his 10 minutes that he comes at the bottom of nearly every category we looked at in the league. So badly that one stats site I was looking at found that Mathieu Schneider's stats were being dragged through the dirt by virtue of him having worn the same number as Henry (a bit of computer confusion).
So why even mention him? Well for one thing, he's playing in Hamilton's top 6, making him call-up material. For another, he does quite well down there. While it's not time to write Henry off altogether (he is massive), it seems that his skating and awareness might be more AHL level at this point in time.
6) Michael Busto
Finally, Michael Busto – that other guy from the Higgins trade. How does 6 years in the WHL strike you? I'm not sure I've ever seen that. Sure by the time he left, he was posting good stats, but he was the 210 lb 21-year-old playing against teenagers.
His next seasons were in the ECHL, so take that for what it is. In the end, it seems that Busto was either a guy Sather wanted off the books (unlikely he micromanages that much) or that he was simply brought in to replace TJ Kemp in Hamilton and nothing more. Don't go out and buy your Busto sweater anytime soon.
Not at camp
1) Alexei Emelin
Another NHL-ready, contractually tied player in the organization. It is reported that Emelin spurned the Canadiens, though like Valentenko, you have to wonder what the team was offering this able pro.
Skill-wise, Emelin is the best immediate fit for the Canadiens. He plays sound hockey, he plays rough, he plays in that gray area of the rules. Emelin is exactly the type of player that a young goalie tandem need – someone to make opposing forwards think before entering the zone. Someone who serves notice that shots from good positions are something that shooters will have to pay for with bruises.
Anyway, this year is fait accompli, he's at Kazan. If the allegations of an out clause are true, he could replace Mara next season. If not, it'll be at least two more.
2) David Fischer
Hockey's Future says:
The club remains high on their former first rounder and the former Minnesota Mr. Hockey has slowly but surely progressed in his development.
I have to seriously question that assertion. If the club were high on Fischer, I wonder whether they'd really be leaving him in a program that clearly isn't vaulting him to a future of NHL stardom – certainly now they have their mentor/coach Guy Boucher in place on the farm.
That said, Fischer is still one for the plans. While McDonagh was the better absolute prospect, in the Canadiens scheme where Markov, Gorges, Weber and Subban figure in the future, Fischer as the 6'3" now more defensive defenceman (out of necessity) is a better organizational fit.
When he was drafted in 2006, Fischer was a tall 2006 Mr. Hockey with talent to progress offensively and defensively. As time has passed, things haven't gone quite as well as the optimists thought. Though he is still 2006 Mr. Hockey, he also now holds the inauspicious title of 2007, 2008, 2009 Mr. 4th defenceman (I now get overtaken by younger players at our school) Wisconsin. His offensive game looks ever dwindling, and he's no Ken Daneyko. It's a tale of talent analysis gone off, but not so far that he's out of the picture. A 6th defenceman out of a first round pick (with Varlamov, Berglund and Giroux right behind) isn't great, but it's better than nothing.
3) Konstantin Korneev
This guy is a forgotten prospect. I mean truly off the radar. In deciding whether I should even continue mentioning his name, I did a search and found the Habs still maintain a player page for him.
He's worth mentioning though, because though 25 is old to import a player, he's already a star in the Russian pro ranks and for the senior national team at times. It would probably take massive roster overhaul again, a transfer agreement and a few other minor miracles to ever see him in bleu, blanc, rouge, but as non-NHLers go, he ranks for us.
4) Mac Bennett
The scouting reports say good skater, good instincts and most irrelevant of all (hi Keith Gretzky and Brian Sakic) bloodlines. If that's all you read and saw you'd be pretty stoked. Mac has added some context to the reports by attending a couple of camps with the Habs now. Impressive at the development camp and again at rookie camp, initial signs are good.
The fact that Mac Bennett has suddenly appeared at #14 on the list of Canadiens prospects at Hockey's Future probably speaks more to the prospects below him than it might about him. While Mac certainly provides intrigue, the fact remains no one in the Habs organization, nor likely any of the fans writing up about him, have seen him playing real games against anyone that isn't at a US high school. For every one Sean Hill, there are ten or twenty Steve McCools, Matt Shasbys and Kishels.
What's more, this is the very easiest time to be raving about a player like Bennett. We know he had a good season because he was drafted. The question always remains with any of these prospects – will it translate into another? Will it be duplicated at a higher level? We'll see. This season he is still in a high school league, so our answer may have to wait until Michigan 2011.
5) Niklas Torp
Torp to me sounds like the Swedish Emelin. Not giant, not great offensively, but an abrasive defender who makes people work for their space. Last year was not a year of distinction for Niklas. However, as a 19-year-old defensive defenceman in a men's league, what would one really expect.
This year has started out nicely for the youngster, and he's definitely grabbed a regular spot on the Jonkoping team. Let's not get too carried away, but he does already have more points than last season after 3 games. I think it's more of an indication of increased role than any sudden offensive awakening – still a good sign there.
6) Greg Pateryn
I'll forgive you for overlooking the guy we got for Grabovski, he's pretty low down the chart. There's not much to say yet about Pateryn. He has had one season at Michigan as a part-timer and is now vying to stake a place as a 19-year-old there. As for Montreal, one can't really see him taking less time than Fischer has been, so his pro career, if it ever gets going at all, will likely be another 3 years away.
7) Joe Stejskal
Here's another in the long list of American high school defeders in the Habs system. Outstanding high school (well, of course, he was drafted after all), but lacklustre in college thus far. It says that he's had time on the top pairing, which certainly shows any offensive prowess we thought he might have had might not be as natural to him as some. Furthermore, he's playing at Dartmouth, not Boston, not Michigan. While great for his academic career, the men in green don't immediately spring to mind when thinking of future NHLers.
He's still young enough that 2 more seasons of college could turn his career around, but you won't find any of my money on that. His saving grace is that he isn't 5'10".
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Habs Choose Prospects To Proceed With
It's very easy to look at an NHL training camp as a negative process. Many more players are invited to camp than ever could fit on a team bus, let alone a team sheet. Cuts are inevitable and so are phrases like "not making the cut", "shipped back to junior", etc.
In reality, training camp produces just as many positive stories as negative ones. And while it's easy to look at which step the players stumbled at, it's also useful to see how many they progressed through and how many more that was than original expectation.
Last night was the time the Canadiens chose to trim their roster to a more regular-sized group, with 31 players remaining in camp. Yes, 19 players were cut from the 27 that were in camp, but the optimist would say that 8 of the 27 actually excelled to pass this stage. Within the 17 there are also success stories, simply because they must have made the coaches and management consider retention – even when that possibility a year, a month or even 10 days ago was a far-off thought.
The eight
When you take away the 23 regular roster players: that is 2 goalies, 7 defencemen and 14 forwards by my estimation, you are left with 8 players hanging around with less than a fortnight to go until opening night. At this stage, you'd have to think that some of them actually have a chance at making the big team.
By my count the eight are:
1) Curtis Sanford
2) Mathieu Carle
3) Alex Hanry
4) Yannick Weber
5) Kyle Chipchura
6) Olivier Fortier
7) Ben Maxwell
8) Tom Pyatt
The first thing that stands out from this list is that players who've auditioned in the NHL before are making their cases for another chance. Curtis Sanford has made it clear he is the #3 (at worst) in this organization and will be the first call up for sickness or injury. Yannick Weber has parlayed his NHL regular season and playoff experience (and a decent camp) into a longer look – somewhat overcoming the hype machine of PK Subban. And, both Chipchura and Maxwell have done enough to hold their positions in the pecking order it seems.
In addition to those names, there are Alex Henry and Olivier Fortier, both of whom are injured. Essentially cut, I suppose, it may be the Canadiens have just kept these two players around so they can be treated by the expensive physios that grace the bowels of the Bell Centre. Who knows, there may be more to it.
That leaves 2 names among the eight who present somewhat as surprises.
Mathieu Carle
It's a bit of serendipity for Mathieu Carle to have an extended look at this year's camp. Last season, as a possible candidate for injury-time call up, or even for a short trial stint, he took an injury in camp. The result was that he was a de facto cut, even though he remained officially with the Habs until late October when Higgins' place had to be made.
This training camp, Mathieu has once again availed himself relatively well. By that, I mean he's been a top 9 body at the back. On the plus side, Mathieu has played in two wins and one loss. What's more he avoided playing in the nightmarish game against the Sens in Ottawa. He's definitely has some hiccoughs, as his plus/minus shows – and he created the giveaway that led to the Bruins winning goal; however, in large part he outperformed his rivals to be retained (Subban, Benoit and Belle).
The chances of him staying on much longer than this will depend on the next game and the one after that. I suspect the Canadiens would be willing to hold onto a right-hand shot if they feel the chance of playing a game is real. In the real world, though, his next two games are an audition to be first in line for a call up from Hamilton.
Tom Pyatt
While McDonagh is working on his homework in Wisconsin, Valentenko is enjoying his life in Russia and Doug Janik is already out of New York and in Detroit, Montreal in the meantime is carrying 2 centres in their final 31 from the June 29th trade.
If you would have told me in June, or even yesterday morning, that Tom Pyatt would be kicking around in camp as one of the final 17 healthy forwards, I'd have been mildly shocked. He doesn't have the NHL experience of a player like Darche or Glumac, nor the Hamilton familiarity of Trotter, Desharnais or White. He doesn't even have the glamour of being a first or second rounder that Gainey is trying to post-rationalize like Latendresse, Chipchura and Maxwell. No, Tom's come in well and truly under the radar and bumped himself way up the depth chart it seems.
Pyatt's that interesting player in the Gomez trade that perhaps got lost in Montreal translation. While we were all looking at Gomez, and the price we paid in cash and players, we forgot to really appreciate the other pieces returned. I would liken it to the time we got a back-up goalie from the Kings when we traded Garon for Bonk, or the defenceman we swooped when Rivet was traded for picks. Certainly a potential NHLer, not entirely silly to call him a replacement for Higgins (one day).
I previewed him briefly yesterday, so I won't do it again. While I trawled a bit for info on Tom, I found this great piece from a Rangers reporter last season. Have a read if you're interested in the mystery man. Here's a taster:
This camp, Pyatt has done a lot to back up the expectations shared by Renney and others. In his first game (Game #2), he played a very minor role indeed. He did nothing to really standout, but played a 4th line role in a win with some pretty awful wingers – so that's a plus. He was back in the lineup for the return to form game against the Bruins (and even knocked over Chara – see pushing the envelope more). Then, in his reward game and final try-out game, Pyatt fully impressed – even getting PK duty and play on all kinds of good lines.
Of course, he'll have to keep that up to further upset the status quo (Gainey doesn't like to change his long laid plans). But if he does, what's to say that Pyatt couldn't be breathing down the necks of Metropolit, Stewart, Laraque, Chipchura and others.
Pacioretty, D'Agostini, O'Byrne
Others that have had a positive camp include these three, who have ensured that NHL experience and training camp moments form this year have combined to fend off any pretneders for their positions. Pacioretty and O'Byrne in particular seem to be homing in on more permanent positions.
In reality, training camp produces just as many positive stories as negative ones. And while it's easy to look at which step the players stumbled at, it's also useful to see how many they progressed through and how many more that was than original expectation.
Last night was the time the Canadiens chose to trim their roster to a more regular-sized group, with 31 players remaining in camp. Yes, 19 players were cut from the 27 that were in camp, but the optimist would say that 8 of the 27 actually excelled to pass this stage. Within the 17 there are also success stories, simply because they must have made the coaches and management consider retention – even when that possibility a year, a month or even 10 days ago was a far-off thought.
The eight
When you take away the 23 regular roster players: that is 2 goalies, 7 defencemen and 14 forwards by my estimation, you are left with 8 players hanging around with less than a fortnight to go until opening night. At this stage, you'd have to think that some of them actually have a chance at making the big team.
By my count the eight are:
1) Curtis Sanford
2) Mathieu Carle
3) Alex Hanry
4) Yannick Weber
5) Kyle Chipchura
6) Olivier Fortier
7) Ben Maxwell
8) Tom Pyatt
The first thing that stands out from this list is that players who've auditioned in the NHL before are making their cases for another chance. Curtis Sanford has made it clear he is the #3 (at worst) in this organization and will be the first call up for sickness or injury. Yannick Weber has parlayed his NHL regular season and playoff experience (and a decent camp) into a longer look – somewhat overcoming the hype machine of PK Subban. And, both Chipchura and Maxwell have done enough to hold their positions in the pecking order it seems.
In addition to those names, there are Alex Henry and Olivier Fortier, both of whom are injured. Essentially cut, I suppose, it may be the Canadiens have just kept these two players around so they can be treated by the expensive physios that grace the bowels of the Bell Centre. Who knows, there may be more to it.
That leaves 2 names among the eight who present somewhat as surprises.
Mathieu Carle
It's a bit of serendipity for Mathieu Carle to have an extended look at this year's camp. Last season, as a possible candidate for injury-time call up, or even for a short trial stint, he took an injury in camp. The result was that he was a de facto cut, even though he remained officially with the Habs until late October when Higgins' place had to be made.
This training camp, Mathieu has once again availed himself relatively well. By that, I mean he's been a top 9 body at the back. On the plus side, Mathieu has played in two wins and one loss. What's more he avoided playing in the nightmarish game against the Sens in Ottawa. He's definitely has some hiccoughs, as his plus/minus shows – and he created the giveaway that led to the Bruins winning goal; however, in large part he outperformed his rivals to be retained (Subban, Benoit and Belle).
The chances of him staying on much longer than this will depend on the next game and the one after that. I suspect the Canadiens would be willing to hold onto a right-hand shot if they feel the chance of playing a game is real. In the real world, though, his next two games are an audition to be first in line for a call up from Hamilton.
Tom Pyatt
While McDonagh is working on his homework in Wisconsin, Valentenko is enjoying his life in Russia and Doug Janik is already out of New York and in Detroit, Montreal in the meantime is carrying 2 centres in their final 31 from the June 29th trade.
If you would have told me in June, or even yesterday morning, that Tom Pyatt would be kicking around in camp as one of the final 17 healthy forwards, I'd have been mildly shocked. He doesn't have the NHL experience of a player like Darche or Glumac, nor the Hamilton familiarity of Trotter, Desharnais or White. He doesn't even have the glamour of being a first or second rounder that Gainey is trying to post-rationalize like Latendresse, Chipchura and Maxwell. No, Tom's come in well and truly under the radar and bumped himself way up the depth chart it seems.
Pyatt's that interesting player in the Gomez trade that perhaps got lost in Montreal translation. While we were all looking at Gomez, and the price we paid in cash and players, we forgot to really appreciate the other pieces returned. I would liken it to the time we got a back-up goalie from the Kings when we traded Garon for Bonk, or the defenceman we swooped when Rivet was traded for picks. Certainly a potential NHLer, not entirely silly to call him a replacement for Higgins (one day).
I previewed him briefly yesterday, so I won't do it again. While I trawled a bit for info on Tom, I found this great piece from a Rangers reporter last season. Have a read if you're interested in the mystery man. Here's a taster:
“We love his skating,” Renney said. “He needs to push the envelope from a physical perspective, which we believe he is very capable of.”
Renney doesn’t seem to think that Pyatt’s size will hold him back from excelling in the NHL. In fact, he even compared Pyatt’s physique to that of Rangers' rookie, Nigel Dawes, who had a remarkable first season on Broadway.
This camp, Pyatt has done a lot to back up the expectations shared by Renney and others. In his first game (Game #2), he played a very minor role indeed. He did nothing to really standout, but played a 4th line role in a win with some pretty awful wingers – so that's a plus. He was back in the lineup for the return to form game against the Bruins (and even knocked over Chara – see pushing the envelope more). Then, in his reward game and final try-out game, Pyatt fully impressed – even getting PK duty and play on all kinds of good lines.
Of course, he'll have to keep that up to further upset the status quo (Gainey doesn't like to change his long laid plans). But if he does, what's to say that Pyatt couldn't be breathing down the necks of Metropolit, Stewart, Laraque, Chipchura and others.
Pacioretty, D'Agostini, O'Byrne
Others that have had a positive camp include these three, who have ensured that NHL experience and training camp moments form this year have combined to fend off any pretneders for their positions. Pacioretty and O'Byrne in particular seem to be homing in on more permanent positions.
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