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Canadiens' Mikhail Grabovski Goes to Toronto

July 3rd 2008 19:24

Grabovski is gone

The Montreal Canadiens have traded RFA Mikhail Grabovski to the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Greg Pateryn and the Leafs' second-round choice in 2010. Pateryn was selected in this year's draft in the fifth-round (128th overall) while Grabovski was selected 150th overall in the 2004 draft's fifth round.

Despite having immense speed and skill, Grabovski was on his way out of the organization because of a lack of size and strength. He gets knocked off the puck easily and is practically useless along the boards. Still, this is a curious move since the Habs already have a lot of defensemen in the pipeline and mainly need a power forward and/or a big center. Perhaps it's merely a move to free up some cap space since the Canadiens still have three RFAs to sign – back-up goalie Jaroslav Halak, and two regular defensemen Ryan O'Byrne and Josh Gorges.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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Montreal Canadiens 2008 Free Agents Market Watch

July 2nd 2008 03:43

Lots of activity went on today when the free agency period began. Here's a look at the Montreal Canadiens UFA/RFAs' new contracts.

Andrei Kostitsyn, Left Wing
The man they call “Special K” has re-signed with the Canadiens for three years, $3.25 million per. He will, thus, continue to play with his younger brother who becomes an RFA in two years. Andrei K. was GM Bob Gainey's first priority and, even though it took awhile, it's nice to see that he will stay in Montreal.

Cristobal Huet, Goaltender
The French goalie has signed a $22.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks for four years. That's $5.625 million per year. Although Huet is a good goalie, a deal at more than $4 million per year is grossly exaggerated for goaltender that can come up with the best along with the absolute worst performances in the course of a season. He is also injury-prone and has never lasted a full season. Furthermore, the Blackhawks are still keeping goalie Nikolai Khabibulin, their number-one goaltender, and have signed defenseman Brian Campbell for eight years at $7.1 million per. That puts Chicago several millions over the cap and they will have serious problems in the coming years.

Mark Streit, Defenseman
The versatile player will go on to play for the New York Islanders after signing a five-year $20.5 million contract – a hefty raise from last year's $600,000. Although Streit is a great utility man, he was never good enough to have a regular spot in Montreal's defensive corps and wasn't strong enough to be a third-line forward. His true specialty is playing point on the powerplay, and like Sheldon Souray in 2007, the Canadiens powerplay will live on without the “Swiss Knife.”

Michael Ryder, Right Wing
After a disastrous season where he scored 14 goals and spent the playoffs' second round in the pressbox, Michael Ryder somehow managed to hit it big, signing a three-year $12 million contract with the Boston Bruins. Despite his back-to-back seasons where he scored 30 goals, Montreal was very reticent to give him more than three million for a year, and here he is making four million a year from now to 2011. Ryder will be reunited with his old coach Claude Julien in Boston. Maybe that will help get his career back on track.

Pending UFA/RFAs are defensemen Patrice Brisebois, Josh Gorges, Ryan O'Byrne; forwards Bryan Smolinski, Mikhail Gabovski, Corey Locke, and goaltender Jaroslav Halak.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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Montreal Canadiens 2008 Draft Picks

June 24th 2008 19:29

1st Round (25): Pick exchanged for Calgary Flames' Left-wing Alex Tanguay
2nd Round (56): Danny Kristo, Right-wing, U.S. U-18 Development Team
3rd Round (86): Steve Quailer, Right-wing, Sioux City (USHL)
4th Round (116): Jason Missiaen, Goalie, Peterborough (OHL)
5th Round (138): Maxim Trunev, Center/Left-wing/Right-wing, Cherepovets 2 (Russia)
7th Round (206): Patrick Johnson, Center, University of Wisconsin (WCHA)

Most of these players (except Tanguay of course) are pretty far from the NHL. It might take four or five years to really evaluate those picks. Missiaen is a pretty special case. The guy is 6'8''. When he drops into the butterfly position, his shoulders are still above the crossbar!! He'll probably take most of the net once he puts on some weight.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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Alex Tanguay Joins The Montreal Canadiens

June 21st 2008 15:11

Tanguay comes to Montreal

The left-winger was part of a trade in this weekend's draft that saw Montreal give up this year's first-round draft pick (25th overall) and next year's second-round pick. In exchange, the Calgary Flames gave up Tanguay – once they got forward Michael Cammalleri from the Los Angeles Kings – and this year's fifth-round pick (138th overall).

A 6'1'', 189 lbs forward, Tanguay is a great playmaker who will fit with the Habs' attacking style. His stats for the 2007-2008 season were: 78 games played, 58 points (18 goals, 40 assists), and a /- rating of 11. With this trade, Michael Ryder is definitely out of the Canadiens' picture while Bob Gainey has some proof to convince Mats Sundin that the Habs will be serious Cup contenders next season. Tanguay is also from Quebec, something that will make the locals very happy.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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NHL Traditions & Superstitions Part III: Goalie Superstitions

June 13th 2008 02:24

In hockey, goaltenders are usually the most eccentric members of their team. They all have their “bubble” that no one can penetrate or understand except other goalies. It should come as no surprise that they are the ones with the weirdest pre-game rituals and superstitions. Here's a list of the most notable goalies in that category. The list goes from relatively normal to downright weird.

Marc-André Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)
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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Playoffs

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NHL Traditions & Superstitions Part II: Home Ice And Ties

June 11th 2008 03:29

After talking about the playoffs beard in Part I, I'll delve deeper into traditions and focus on some teams' preparations on home ice, and coaches' lucky pieces of clothing.

Home Ice
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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Playoffs

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RFA Watch: Canadiens re-sign forward Maxime Lapierre

June 9th 2008 22:28

Mad Max is re-signed

Of all the Canadiens players going into free agency this summer, Mad Max has been the first to be re-signed by the Habs to a two-year contract. As per club policy, the financial terms have not been disclosed.

A fast and gritty forward, Maxime Lapierre plays either as a center or a wingman. His speed is his biggest asset while his lack of offensive vision is his worst trait. A great penalty-killer, he is also used in key situations where the Habs have to keep the puck deep into the opponent's territory in order to kill off the clock when the Canadiens are leading the game. Although many fans expect him to be an annoying pest as well as a tough guy, Maxime has shown a certain reticence to drop his gloves, perhaps fearing to lose his model-like good looks. His work ethic is also questionable as he has the tendency to get too comfortable, taking his spot in the line-up for granted instead of busting his ass every night like he is supposed to do. He might not be one of the most-skilled forwards but his defensive talents are a great help to the team while the fact that he is francophone makes good PR for the Canadiens in a French-obsessed city.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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NHL Traditions & Superstitions Part I: The Playoffs Beard

June 8th 2008 00:57

This is the first part of a series of posts on the NHL's traditions and supertitions. I decided to start with the playoffs beard since it's the most popular phenomenon among players and fans. Other posts will deal with some teams' traditions and goalie superstition.

When a team gets qualified for the playoffs, most players, if not all, decide to put down the razors for the rest of the campaign. It's a tradition that seems to have started in the 1980s by the New York Islanders. More and more players adopted the trend in subsequent years with their fans quickly following suit. The beards come in all shapes in sizes, from Guy Carbonneau's moustache and Sidney Crosby's peach fuzz, to Scott Niedermayer's old man beard and Mike Commodore's red afro and beard. There are several meanings behind the beard, most of them evoking the sense of virility. It helps to separate the men from the boys when the “real” season starts and also serves to show the warrior mentality that is prominent in the playoffs

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Playoffs

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RFA Watch: Ryan O'Byrne - Let's Get Physical

June 6th 2008 22:10

Ryan O'Byrne

With a 6'6'' frame and 228 lbs, Ryan O'Byrne is exactly what the Canadiens need to add some size to their defensive corps. His presence on the roster takes some pressure off Mike Komisarek who has had to assume the role of tough guy with a strong physical play while also being the second half of the Habs' first defensive pairing. If Ryan O'Byrne brings some nastiness to his play, Komo won't have to come to his teammates' defense all the time. Instead, the Canadiens will be able to rely on Rhino to drop the gloves when needed. O'Byrne has already shown off his pugilistic skills in Florida where he broke his thumb during a fight. Paired with veteran Roman Hamrlik, O'Byrne shows very promising signs for the future and is definitely in Gainey's plans.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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The Detroit Red Wings are 2008's Stanley Cup Champions

June 5th 2008 21:14

Photo credit: AP

What a game! Now THIS was the final that everyone was expecting. It had everything. Two teams willing to fight to the death, personal battles, fluke goals, heroic performances, and a dramatic ending.

[ Click here to read more ]

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Playoffs

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