2008 NHL Offseason - Canadiens Watch

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2008 NHL Offseason - Canadiens Watch

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RFA Watch: Josh Gorges - The Unsung Hero

May 30th 2008 23:35

Gorgeous Gorges

Acquired from a trade with San Jose last year (the Habs traded veteran defenseman Craig Rivet for Josh and a draft pick that turned out to be top prospect Max Pacioretty), Josh Gorges didn't see much action at the beginning of the season. The Canadiens had signed veterans defensemen Roman Hamrlik and Patrice Brisebois during the summer. Both Mark Streit and Mathieu Dandenault played defense and the team had plans to have Ryan O'Byrne make the jump to the NHL in order to toughen up the defense. Gorges, a relative unknown to the organization since he played in the West Coast, was, thus, the odd man out and had to prove himself with the little ice time he was given. He didn't manage to get on Carbonneau's good side after a game where he made two blatant mistakes that led to opposition goals. It wasn't until December 13, when both Patrice Brisebois and Ryan O'Byrne were injured, that he started to play regularly.

With the benefit of playing consecutive games, he quickly developed a chemistry with Francis Bouillon as they became a solid third defensive pairing for the Habs. Gorges' play got so much better that he played all the team's games since December 13 (62 games in total). Furthermore, when Mike Komisarek was injured in the last stretch of the season, it was Gorges who was designated to play alongside All-Star defenseman Andrei Markov – a nice evolution for a guy who spent most of the early season as an healthy scratch. He became more confident in the last quarter of the season, occasionally helping out on the attack, and actively participating in the team's offensive rushes. Furthermore, even though he is a small defenseman, Josh is not afraid to play physical or to defend his teammates. He constantly sacrifices his body if it means getting the puck out of the zone faster. The constant abuse inflicted upon him by other teams has led to the fans nicknaming him "the Pinball" (he gets hit all the time, often bouncing off the boards, yet he always gets up) while the press calls him "Mister Courage."

It's obvious now that the Rivet trade was a good one for both teams. If Gorges continues to develop as he did this season, there is no doubt that he will become a solid puck-moving defenseman. Although the Canadiens' pipeline is currently filled with defensive prospects, I hope that Gorges will be given another contract with the Habs especially if Montreal loses both Streit and Brisebois.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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UFA Watch: Patrice Brisebois - Breezer Breezes By

May 23rd 2008 22:59

Breezer is getting too old

At 37, it's hard to imagine that Patrice Brisebois will attract many teams. He's not only old (it's weird to think that he and Carbonneau were playing alongside each other when Montreal won the Stanley Cup in 1993), but also slow, soft along the boards, and prone to giveaways. However, he has shown himself useful on the Habs' powerplay during the playoffs and his experience is always a good thing for a team with young defensemen. He nicely fitted in the role of 7th defenseman when he came back to Montreal for the 2007-2008 season. Now, the question is, will he retire or will Bob Gainey give him another contract?

Part of his future with the Canadiens may depend on the negotiations with Mark Streit. If the Habs lose Streit, Sergei Kostitsyn will most likely play the point alongside Markov during the powerplay. But then, the Habs still need someone to fill the hole on the powerplay's second wave. Brisebois played it to perfection during the playoffs, but Carbonneau might be inclined to use Josh Gorges alongside Roman Hamrlik. Gorges has grown into a reliable puck-mover but there are still questions concerning his play as an offensive defenseman whereas everyone knows what to expect with Brisebois.

Personally, I think it'd be best for him to retire. He would have finished his career on a high and the Canadiens could give his spot to one of the minor-leaguers. The Habs are starting to have too many defensemen in the pipeline, and, as such, it wouldn't be fair to keep an old piece of body like Brisebois around when a young defenseman could use the experience.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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RFA Watch: Jaroslav Halak - Will he accept playing second fiddle?

May 23rd 2008 03:22

Jaroslav Halak

Montreal has always had a different appreciation for goalies than other players. You'll tell me that it's the same everywhere but not every team has had rookie goalies winning the Stanley Cup. Of course, it can happen - Cam Ward for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 being the most recent example. But can it happen twice, like it did in Montreal with Ken Dryden (1971) and Patrick Roy (1986)? I don't think so.

With this train of thought, Montreal has always waited for a goalie prodigy, someone that could shine in his first season and be the best goalie in the league for years to come. Canadiens goalie are also expected to be perfect. If the starting goaltender falls into a slump and the back-up performs better, the roles are quickly switched. It happened in 2005-2006 when Cristobal Huet supplanted José Théodore after the latter became an average goalie. Théodore was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, The Habs got Swiss goalie David Aebischer in return. In 2006-2007, Huet and Aebischer split goaltending duties. They started well but things quickly deteriorated once Huet got injured. Aebischer multiplied his bad performances (and got nicknamed “Swiss cheese” for his inability to stop the puck) and Jaroslav Halak – recalled from Hamilton to replace Huet – quickly became Carbonneau's man. At the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, the Canadiens were stuck in a conundrum. They had Cristobal Huet as the starting goalie but there were three competent goalies right behind him. After Halak's impressive 10-6 performance (7-0 at home), there was no doubt in the fans' minds that he would be Huet's back-up. However, no one anticipated Carey Price's arrival.

The Habs' 2005 first round pick (5th overall), Carey Price, was heralded as the savior of the team, the next Patrick Roy. He led both Canada's junior team in the World Championships and the Hamilton Bulldogs (Montreal's farm team) to gold medals (the Calder Cup in the Bulldogs' case). However he wasn't impressive in training camp and would have been sent down to minors if it wasn't for Bob Gainey's intervention. So Carey Price started the season in Montreal while Halak was sent down to Hamilton.

Unsurprisingly, the Slovak goaltender wasn't very happy, and rightly so. Here was this kid coming out of nowhere, taking his place. It took a while for Halak to get over his disappointment. However, he quickly became the AHL's best goalie for the second year in a row. With Huet becoming a UFA this summer, Gainey had a choice to make: either re-sign Huet in order to ease the transition for Price (who is destined to be Montreal's number one goalie), and risk losing Halak, or get rid of Huet and recall Price. Gainey's move happened sooner than anticipated. He traded Huet to the Capitals, Price became the official number one and Halak was assigned as his back-up.

Now that the season's over, the Habs have only one guaranteed goalie for next year. Obviously, Huet's gone while Halak has become an RFA. Although he could get a fair shot with another team (or even go to Russia), the overabundance of free agents goalies will make it hard for him to get a good deal. As for Russia, Halak has said that he's young (23, to be exact), Russia will still be there once he gets older. I don't think that Gainey will have trouble to find a financial agreement with Halak's agent. However, come next season, he'll have to hope that Carbonneau gives him a chance to steal Price's job.

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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RFA Watch: Andrei Kostitsyn - Priority One

May 21st 2008 21:49

Montreal loves Special K

After a slow start in the beginning of the season, Andrei Kostitsyn's production exploded when his younger brother, Sergei, joined the team. Playing alongside Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec, the talented Belarussian nicknamed “Special K” had a breakout year, scoring 26 goals, getting 27 assists, and effectively shutting up his naysayers. Great puckhandling, lightning-quick hands, a laser shot, and immense speed (his acceleration seems to have two gears - fast and faster – which can be quite amazing to watch) are the characteristics of Andrei's play. He quickly became a fan favorite by scoring highlight reel goals night after night.

His exceptional season quickly drew the looks of other teams. Towards the end of the season, it was rumored that he had gotten a $4 million offer from a Russian club. Andrei denied the claim, but it was all it took to put the city in a frenzy. His status as an RFA makes it harder for other teams to get him (to have an RFA, you must give draft picks in exchange), but there is no doubt that Bob Gainey should lock him up with a long-term contract. If he continues to develop as consistently as he did this season, a line composed of Andrei, Plekanec, and Sergei Kostitsyn will be the bane of other teams' defenses

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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UFA Watch: Michael Ryder - Gone With the Wind

May 16th 2008 23:38

Farewell, Ryder

A 30-goalscorer for two consecutive seasons, runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2003-2004, Michael Ryder was a permanent fixture of the Canadiens' top line alongside Saku Koivu. Now, out of all the Canadiens impending free agents, he is the one who's the most unlikely to be re-signed by the organization.

Looking at this year's stats – 70 games played, 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists), - it is fair to say that Ryder hasn't had a good year; a pure goal scorer who didn't produce enough for the team. However, his disappointing season and his expecting departure from the team that drafted him is more a matter of circumstances than an issue with his performance (though that probably will also play a part in the Canadiens' decision). Indeed, last year Ryder finished the season with a /- rating of -25. In the summer, he and his linemates decided that for the coming year (2007-2008), they had to play better defensively. After all, Ryder's spot was secured, he was the only sniper on the team; if his line didn't score then the Habs were doomed to hell, or so everyone thought

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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UFA Watch: Mark Streit - To Keep or To Let Go? That Is The Question

May 7th 2008 20:49

Streit loves Montreal

With his $600,000 contract coming to an end, Mark Streit was the definition of a bargain player. The defenseman nicknamed “Swiss knife” for his polyvalency – he can play defense, offense, and has a spot on the powerplay – had a breakout year amassing 62 points (13 goals, 49 assists) in the regular season. His points total allowed him to finish third in the NHL among defensemen for the number of points. He also finished second in the league among defensemen for points on the powerplay (he had 34 points). His 49 assists also made him the leader of the team in that category alongside Alex Kovalev. With those numbers in mind, it's easy to assume that he will struck gold this year. A lot of GMs are looking for a fast, puck-moving defenseman as well as a quarterback for the powerplay. Although Streit fills both roles very well, there are a couple of things that could lower his value.

First of all, his numbers are highly inflated by the fact that he spent most of the season playing on the wing. He often said that he prefers to play as a D but he doesn't react well to pressure which leads us to the second point. When playing on D, Streit is very vulnerable to the opposition's forecheck. He often commits giveaways as soon as he's pressured whether it's in his own zone or when he's playing point on the powerplay. During the playoffs, he often took the wrong decision – shooting instead of passing, passing instead of shooting – simply because the opposing team didn't give him time to think. Third, there's no guarantee that he'll play as well on the powerplay with another team. The Canadiens' powerplay was like a well-oiled machine. Unlike the year before where the strategy was to pass the puck to Souray for a shot, the success of this year's powerplay rested on the effort all five players. Take out one player and the machine starts to cough and sputter. It's precisely what happened in the playoffs. The other teams gave no space to Kovalev and pressured both Streit and Markov when they had the puck on the point. As a consequence, the league-leading powerplay which had a 24.3% rate of success in the regular season became a frustrating exercise in the playoffs with a success rate of 14.6

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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Blog Status / Summer Schedule

May 6th 2008 19:45

So, the Eastern Conference finals start on Friday while the Western finals start on Thursday. I thought I'd take the time today to lay out the summer schedule for this blog. I'll be covering both the Eastern Conference Finals and the Stanley Cup finals with the usual previews/reviews. I might be covering the Western Conference Finals, I'm not sure yet. I live in the East (Montreal, duh) and we don't get to see too much of the Western teams during the regular season and so the only players I know out west are ex-Canadiens. There's only two teams left over there (Detroit and Dallas) so I'll do some research and, if I manage to get a feel for the teams, I'll cover them as well.

For the Canadiens, I'll be writing about the upcoming free agents. The Habs have 11 players on free agency, 7 RFAs (restricted free agents) and 4 UFAs (unrestricted free agents). There's also the case of Mathieu Dandenault who will be a UFA next year but might leave this year. I'll make one post per player so that things can be clear and organized. I'll try my best to post them while the finals are still on. I'll also speculate on other free agents' chances of coming to Montreal. Those posts will come during the month of July. Once the team has all its players, I'll post the roster along with players' nicknames. Then, I'll write about who to expect for training camp (there are several Bulldogs players waiting to make the jump to the NHL). It sounds like a lot but there are three months of summer so I don't think that I'll be blogging every day

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Posted By: Ann 2 - Category: 2008 NHL Offseason

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