The House Of Habs II

[sensei_hanson]

Updated: http://www.sportsnet.ca/index.shtml Sportsnet has learned that a deal between the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins involving unsigned restricted defenceman Kyle McLaren is imminent. Mantaray hears Brad Isbister could be part of the deal.

Isbister has been a fcuking bust in Long Island and Phoenix - I don't see how he improves the Bruins, although they do need something to replace what went away with Samsonov's injury.

As for the Habs, if they were smart they'd get Hackett completely out of the conference. With Burke's injury woes and Boucher playing like complete crap (10-13-6 with a 3.00 GAA) they might want to pull the trigger with the Coyotes, although this would create a logjam when (if) Burke gets healthy and returns to form. Thing is, Phoenix expected to be a playoff team this year, and with their poor record they can't really affort to sit back and wait for the goaltending situation to sort itself out internally. We saw in the off-season that they weren't afraid to make a big move, with the Amonte deal.

How perfect would the little figure skater Daniele Briere fit in with the Habs? Or, with Montreal's penchant for bringing back players form the dead, why not negotiate to revive Claude Lemieux's career?

Thoughts,
-Sensei.

 

[Zaurrini]

Good Game

Wathced the HABS on the cbc special....
Looked great, then horrible, and finally won.

GO HABS GO!

 

[Zaurrini]

FIRED!

Michel Therien fired today....

Just announced on CKNW

 

[Argyle]

Does any one care?

This thread should be combined with the Does anybody care thread.

Go Canucks Go.

 

[The Apprentice]

Jeff Hackett Was traded to the Sharks.....Not like anybody cares other than Zaurinni.

 

[Demolition]

Originally posted by The Apprentice
Jeff Hackett Was traded to the Sharks.....Not like anybody cares other than Zaurinni.

But Hackett is now with the BRUINS

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Holdout Boston Bruins defenseman Kyle McLaren was traded to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday in a three-team deal that sent forward Niklas Sundstrom to the Montreal Canadiens.

The Bruins acquired veteran goalie Jeff Hackett from the Canadiens and young defenseman Jeff Jillson from the Sharks. Montreal got the Sharks' third-round selection in the 2004 draft, while Boston sent a fourth-round pick in the 2004 draft to San Jose.

McLaren, 25, had 124 points in 417 career games with the Bruins, but he hasn't played this season because of a contract dispute.

The Sharks, who have been desperate for consistent defensive play during their disappointing season, gave up on young prospect Jillson to acquire a more mature defenseman.

The Sharks didn't immediately announce the details of their contract agreement with McLaren.

"Kyle McLaren is a young, physical defenseman who brings elements which will fit with our stable of defensemen for years to come," Sharks general manager Dean Lombardi said.

San Jose is 16-20-6-5, with just one victory in 10 games. The Sharks have been dismal all season, and replacing coach Darryl Sutter with Ron Wilson in early December has done nothing to change it.

Like several San Jose forwards, Sundstrom has been in a slump all season -- and now he's the second Swedish Olympian to be traded in what could be a series of shakeups for the Sharks. Marcus Ragnarsson was traded to Philadelphia for Dan McGillis earlier.

Sundstrom scored his first goal of the season on Dec. 28, breaking a 54-game drought, but he has just two goals and 10 assists in 47 games.

Hackett, an unrestricted free agent in July, lost his starting job to NHL Most Valuable Player Jose Theodore. Hackett might be a candidate to start in Boston, where Steve Shields hasn't been overly impressive.

Jillson was expected to be a big part of the Sharks' plans this season, but he slumped in his second full NHL season. He didn't score a goal in 26 games before being demoted to the minors.

 

[Zaurrini]

Scratching my Head

Not a big fan of Sundstrom, and Hackett has saved the Habs bacon more than once.

I like what the Bruins did in thsi trade, and McLaren will help the Sharks.
The only question is whether Sundstrom will help the Habs.


and YES, I do care.

 

[sensei_hanson]

I've mentioned a couple of times that Savard had to deal Hackett out-of-conference to save face. But listening to the phone interview he had with The Score yesterday, it seemed the only other team who was willing to negotiate with him was the Rangers, another Eastern team battling for the 8th spot. So I suppose he did what he had to do.

Sundstrom isn't much of a pickup, IMHO. Montreal is already loaded with soft, underproducing european forwards. Then they put Audette on waivers, who I guarantee will be picked up and probably have a mini-revival down the stretch. Lord help Savard if he goes to the Rangers and does something to Montreal later on.

Les Habs needed to pick up a defenceman in this whole three-way deal, and they didn't. Obviously they weren't going to bring McLaren to town, but they should have tried to up the ante with San Jose and bring a Jillison or Hannan in. Obviously they would have been forced to give up more than just Hackett, but I think it would have paid off in the long run.

 

[Zaurrini]

Originally posted by sensei_hanson
Montreal is already loaded with soft, underproducing european forwards.

Who?
As far as I counted, they only have five non-north americans on their roster....six with Sundstrom.

Koivu? g gls ass pts
11 Koivu, Saku 49 14 32 46
20 Zednik 47 21 13 34

Yes, there are two players that come to mind that would qualify your statement....but, every team in the NHL has at least two of those type of players.

 

[sensei_hanson]

I was thinking more of Czerkawski and Petrov, but whatever. Maybe I shouldn't have dropped the "european" aspect onto the earlier point, but as far as soft, underproducing forwards go, you can look at Audette and Dackell as two who fit the bill also.

My worry with the Habs is that they're still swept up in the Theodore/Koivu heroics of last season, which surged them into the playoffs and got them past Boston in the first round. What you saw against Carolina was a tired, dusted team who basically spent all the energy and resources they had just to make it to the Conference Semifinal. And you're seeing some of it now.

During this period they may have been napping on making moves like getting rid of Therrien (his tirades finally lost their effect), trading Hackett - or simply making bad moves, like taking on Czerkawki's contract and not bringing up Hossa earlier. Wouldn't you be the least bit curious why the Isles were trading away their leading scorer in 2000-2001, for a fringe guy like Aaron Asham? Yeah, I know, hindsight is 20/20, blah blah......

 

[Zaurrini]

Originally posted by sensei_hanson
, but as far as soft, underproducing forwards go, you can look at Audette and Dackell as two who fit the bill also.

Wouldn't you be the least bit curious why the Isles were trading away their leading scorer in 2000-2001, for a fringe guy like Aaron Asham? Yeah, I know, hindsight is 20/20, blah blah......

Agreed, poor Audette.
I have said it before, he is underproducing no question.


The trade for Mariusz was finnancial.
The names Mike Peca or Alexi Yashin mean anything.
No way Mariusz was needed for scoring.
They needed a defensive forward, and Asham had a + rating whereas Mariusz was a - 52 lifetime. In the year where he led the Isles in scoring he was a -24!
They (the Isles) saved over 2 million by trading Mariusz for Asham.
I am sure that money was needed to help pay hte likes of Peca and Yashin.

 

[sensei_hanson]

...you get what I'm saying, right? That Czerkawski is a bum and the Habs look like idiots for taking him on. That's what I mean with Asham - the Isles took on a pretty ordinary player just to get rid of Mariuz.

That's why I said "making bad moves, like taking on Czerkawski's contract..."

Obviously the move was financial for the Isles....I bet Milbury was stoked that somebody would be foolish enough to bring on a 2 million dollar forward who goes -24 while leading the team in scoring.

Like I said, several poor front office moves have cost the Habs thus far....hopefully the Hackett trade won't kill them later. He looked solid in that 1-0 shutout (and OT) win over Philly on the week-end.

 

[Zaurrini]

Sensei....

Secondary Scoring.

The Habs were more interested in his scoring ability, rather than his defensive liabiltiy.

The Isles were just the opposite.

The Habs were hoping Mariusz could come in and fill the second line scoring behind Koivu and Audette

Finnancially, 2 mill for a leading scorer is a steal.

Now, I do agree that the Habs office has made some horrible decisions....but, the mariusz was not as bad as you make it sound.

 

[sensei_hanson]

I make everything sound bad.....

you've got a point. however:

When I initially saw the deal made in the summer, I thought it was a steal for Montreal. Asham wasn't a regular in their lineup and Czerkawski was a proven 20-to-25-goal scorer. That's why I was shocked at the time. Nobody gives up something for nothing, even if you don't necessarily need the "something". Obviously Milbury hated Czerkawski, but as a decent GM you treat every player as an asset and try to get as much as possible for him. Asham meant nothing (or very litte) to Montreal - he spent major time in the AHL and played maybe half of Les Habs games last season.

So, at the time, the deal looked great.

But now it does look pretty bleak. Montreal's paying 2mil for a guy who's already been demoted to the minors once this season - as a Canadian team in the NHL, you can't afford to be blowing big $$$ on a player of that calibre. Meanwhile, Asham has seven goals for Czerkawski's three, something nobody expected.

Thus, making the deal look worse.

 

[Zaurrini]

Fine

Leave it at that.

Name three present/former HABS alumni who's last name started with the letter Z ....

No Zaurrini did not play for the Habs, YET!

 

[Zaurrini]

Give away....

One scored for the Habs last night, and one scored against the Nucks!!!!!

 

[TheRob]

 

[Zaurrini]

Sorry TheRob, no.

starts with a 'R'


If you are not going to contribute, dont post.




Go back to your Nucks thread, where I can bash you and your

Canucks to avenge their loss to Minny last week and throttle them tonight

 

[TheRob]

They throttled them in the first ten minutes.

Zednick is on fire right now. Already a carreer year for goals. How many more years does he have on his contract? I'm glad I took him in the TTP Hockey Pool. He's the only bastard Hab I took though. Can't stand the fcukers.

 

[Zaurrini]

Zednik
Zholtok
Zalapski
Zubrus