Lurk-a-sitis

So far I've seemed to have a strange case of lurk-a-sitis on this blog, you know the one; You sign up for a blog you love and then nothing comes up that is particularly interesting to write about. You're then left sitting around hoping that the owner of said blog doesn't think you've just decided to blow the blog off after he painstakingly entered your spiffy Bio on the sidebar. Man, life is rough for those of us suffering from lurk-a-sitis.

I don't have a whole lot to say about my team at the moment because we've been being relatively invisible this off-season. We've signed a couple guys for the AHL and a couple that are (hopefully) pieces to our rebuild puzzle. Most important was the goalie situation. We've gotten word that Cujo won't be back with us (at the least) next season so we only had Telly to rely on and we (as fans) know how much trouble that can get us into. According to some fans we were in desperate need of a goalie; I, however, was choosing to plant my faith in the Telly/Lenny duo. My logic being that we're not going to be contenders for a few years anyway, why not give the young guns a chance to get in there and show what they're made of?

Of course, we all know that whenever you start to think you know what your team should do they turn and do the exact opposite. Maybe that's just my team...

So we went out and we signed David Aebischer to a one year $600,000 contract. I've heard a lot of conflicting opinions on this signing. No one really seems to think that this is a fabulous signing for my 'Yotes but the general consensus is that if Abby can keep it together then it'll at least be a steal for the Coyotes because of his low price.

I haven't quite made up my mind yet. On one hand he did come really cheap and he'll (hopefully) get Telly and Lenny in the mindset that they need to fight and keep fighting for their position next year; They'll know they won't be able to just coast through because we have no one else to turn to, we'll have others who can take their place. On the other hand, when I think 'No. 1 Goalie', Abby doesn't even come close to the top of my list and it's no secret that I was really hoping to hold out for Vesa (before he was traded). It's another case of me thinking I know what we'll do and then getting slapped in the face with reality.

All I can really say at the moment is that the Coyotes are taking baby steps toward what we hope is a Stanley Cup winning future. Don't laugh! It could happen...

Say that again...Coyotes sign...David Aebischer?!

Usually I will think of a logical solution for every team's UFA signing, but sorry folks, certainly not this time around!

The Coyotes today picked up former Canadiens goaltender David Aebischer off the free-agent front, signing the "crappy" Swiss goalie to a 1-year contract worth a thrifty $600,000

You read the vulgarity right, and Habs fans know that all too well.

I don't understand why a goalie like David Aebsicher would be of logical interest to any general manager in the game at this point in his career.

Surely the 'Yotes could've done better than a 3.57 GAA and a .885 SPCT after the all-star break.
This is the same goaltender who was expected to be a decent 1B goalie and step up when needed.

Well, he was needed, in late February, Montreal starter Cristobal Huet suffered a pulled hamstring and would be out an entire two months, thus making Aebischer the undisputed no.1 goalie during his absence.
So how did this all turn out for our good friend?

Well, he didn't step up like the team needed him to do...so you guessed it, he sucked.
He sucked so bad, that my blood pressure would rise every single time a crappy goal would go in.

At one point, the scouting report opposing teams had on Aebischer was simple...shoot anywhere and you will score.
The team ultimately missed the playoffs and one could argue Aebischer's horrible play in the second half was the main reason.
Even in his backup role down in Hamilton, Bulldogs' goaltender Yann Danis could've performed a hell of a lot better than the Swiss stopper.

I just don't get what was the problem with bringing up Cornell University star David LeNeveu from down in San Antonio?

Exactly, nothing, useless signing, wasted money.

And David isn't too bright either, accepting a backup/1B role on a shaky NHL team with his reputation as a stopper at an all time low while he could've easily signed on with a European team and earned a better living as a no.1 goalie.

This is Aebischer's last good chance to prove he has something left, as he'll likely battle for the starter's role with Swede Mikael Tellqvist.
In 2006, Canadiens GM Bob Gainey pulled off a shocker, dumping the struggling and the troubled Jose Theodore to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for David Aebischer.

Despite his poor numbers with Montreal, Gainey swung a deal that is still being hailed as a steal in the Canadiens' favour, as Habs fans happily watch the miserable Jose Theodore ride the pine at an expensive $6.5 million down in Colorado.

And to this day, I am grateful for this deal, so long Abby, you will not be missed!

--BBR

Halak/Jekyll and Aebsicher/Hyde...

Ever read that tauting psychopathic novel that goes by the quaint name of "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" by Robert Stevenson?
Yeah, that Stevenson, the guy who supposedly was a schizophrene and exalted his horror into this book.

My essay due Monday on "duality" (a very vast and symbolic subject) in the book, inspired me to present to you this short but very helpful blog post, summarizing Jaroslav Halak and David Aebischer's season.

Gotta go write it now!

--BBR

Digging deep into the Montreal Canadiens team...

Read at your own risk, it took me 2 hours to get all this frustration out...

2006-2007 record: 42-34-6, 4th in Northeast, 10th in Eastern Conference.
Missed the playoffs by one point.

A. Contract situations
(Players with number figures are under contract)

FORWARDS
F Saku Koivu, $4,750,000
F Alex Kovalev, $4,500,000
F Sergei Samsonov, $3,525,000
F Steve Begin, $1,225,000
F Guillaume Latendresse, $850,000
F Garth Murray, $625,000
F Maxim Lapierre, $563,000
F Andrei Kostitsyn, $612,000
F Mikhail Grabovski, $700,000
F Kyle Chipchura, $984,000

UFA
F Radek Bonk
F Mike Johnson
F Aaron Downey

RFA
F Michael Ryder
F Chris Higgins
F Alexander Perezhogin
F Tomas Plekanec
F Duncan Milroy

DEFENCE
D Francis Bouillon, $1,875,000
D Mathieu Dandenault, $1,750,000
D Mark Streit, $600,000

UFA
D Janne Niinimaa
D Sheldon Souray
D Andrei Markov

RFA
D Mike Komisarek
D Josh Gorges

GOALIES
G Cristobal Huet, $2,750,000
G Jaroslav Halak, $500,000

UFA
G David Aebischer

RFA
G Michael Leighton

B. The changes that may come

-It remains to be seen how Bob Gainey will cope with checking forwards Mike Johnson and Radek Bonk, both will be unrestricted on July 1st.
Mike Johnson made $1.9 million last season, he had a very solid season and was a great pickup by Bob Gainey and ridiculously cheap (4th round pick.)
Radek Bonk was a total bust on certain standards, the Canadiens acquired him and Cristobal Huet from the Kings hoping he would provide that much needed size and offence.
Bonk made a huge amount of money and was not at all worth the money he put in his wallet last season, after a dreadful first season with Montreal, Bonk seemed rejuvenated this season and played some of the best defensive hockey I've ever seen in my life, unless him and Johnson takes paycuts, Bob Gainey won't pay nearly $4.5 million again for them both.

It's known Gainey would like to retain them both, but, if Souray is signed and his salary is commanding, he may be forced to part with either Bonk or Johnson or even both.
Johnson would probably have a bigger role on another team and it's anyone's guess for Radek Bonk.

-Aaron Downey was a horrible enforcer for the Canadiens, he was totally useless and was a waste of cap space and jersey fabric.
The Canadiens acquired goaltender Phillipe Sauve from the Bruins' minor league club in Providence as part of a loan deal for Aaron Downey.
Sauve was acquired because of injuries to Yann Danis and the call up of Jaroslav Halak by the Canadiens, just a depth deal...
He will not be back next season and he'll be lucky to get an NHL job elsewhere.

-Michael Ryder had an up and down season, and thanks to Andrew Raycroft, he managed to score 30 goals yet again.
That won't be forgotten by his agent when it comes time to talk turkey with Bob Gainey.
Ryder is an RFA and a very good forward.
He is very inconsistent however, and it would be nice if he scored on a consistent basis, and not in short periods of time.
He made $2,2 million last season and he'll get around the same thing next season, he doesn't deserve a raise, but, if Ryder feels he does, Gainey will bite and sign him anyway.

-Christopher Higgins and Tomas Plekanec are the restricted free-agents that will likely get a huge pay raise for the upcoming season.
Higgings, arguably the team's best player for the first two months of the season before going down with an ankle injury, will probably net around $800,000 next season, that's a 127 thousand dollar raise from what he's making now.
Plekanec exploded in the second half and became the second line centre the Canadiens wanted him to be, maybe even more than many expected.
After a relatively mediocre rookie season, Plekanec was one of the many young forwards to blossom into young stars for Guy Carbonneau this season, he will likely make $650,000 -$700,000 next season, a hefty raise from his current league minimum $450,000 wage.
Alexander Perezhogin and Duncan Milroy won't have any considerable changes to their salary, they may get a little more, but not much, besides, both are slowly fading away and it is believed Perezhogin could return to play in Europe next season rather than get limited ice-time and put up 11 points in Montreal.
Milroy is the Hamilton Bulldogs' best scorer, and he finally got the call this season, but it was short-lived and he only spent a week with the Canadiens before being sent back down to Hamilton.
He is a long shot to make the club next season.

-Janne Niinimaa and David Aebischer weren't even mentioned by GM Bob Gainey at his press conference a few days ago, however, both had terrible seasons and don't figure to be in the Canadiens plans.
Aebischer, signed specifically to step up should Cristobal Huet get injured or play bad, did not show up like Montreal wanted and needed from him.
After a great start, it was all downward for Aebischer and eventually lost his spot to rookie breakout Jaroslav Halak.
Fans won't miss David Aebsicher, his iconsistent play won't find him a $1.9 million taker for next season, and probably not even a starting job like the Swiss-born goalie longs for.
Niinimaa made a good push for the last month of the season and Guy Carbonneau acknowledged that by playing him on the powerplay and in key situations.
Janne Niinimaa's career has endured a sharp decline ever since he had that devastating surgery that changed the complexion of his career.
Once considered a top defenseman with the Flyers, Oilers and Islanders, Niinimaa had two equally bad tenures with the Dallas Stars and most recently, the Montreal Canadiens.
The only way Niinimaa will be a Hab next season, is if he accepts to be the no.7 defenseman and get paid a fraction of his current salary ($2,500,000).
Ironically, he was the Canadiens' highest-paid defenceman in 2006-2007.

-Sheldon Souray and Andrei Markov are both key to the Canadiens, but it looks like Markov has been made a priority to be signed by GM Bob Gainey before he becomes an unrestricted free-agent.
Markov made $2 million last season and he will probably earn the double of that next year.
As for Souray, he may even get the triple of his current $2,4 million salary on the open market.

I don't think Josh Gorges is going to be Sheldon Souray.

He has said he would like to be back next season only if the price was "fair", and with him and Markov sharing the same agent, things can get sticky for Bob Gainey if he decides to keep them both.
If he does keep them both, there's no way one will make more than the other.
I think I explained this best to Sherry over at Scarlett Ice when she asked me if the Rivet trading was the first step to clear up money to sign Souray:

Trading away Rivet to clear up money was part of it, but, Rivet was also having a very ordinary season and it seemed as if he had worn out his decade tenure in Montreal.

The deal clears up about $2 million, but, with Souray breaking the record for powerplay goals, Michael Ryder (thanks to Raycroft) getting yet another 30 goal season and Sergei Samsonov's paycheck glaring unspectacularly in the pressbox, along with his measly 8 goals, it is actually more difficult for Bob Gainey to retain Souray.

Trading away Rivet was the first step, the second would be to dump either Samsonov or Kovalev, neither will be traded (Samsonov was put on waivers, and went unclaimed) because of the $8 million they represent on the salary cap level.

But Bob will buy out Samsonov and the cap hit will only be $1.2 million, freeing up a good amount, anything is a good amount when it comes to finding money to keep Souray and more importantly, Markov in the fold.

Markov is the better defencemen, I'll say it again: Souray was -28 and his only asset was the shot from the blue-line, it was a valuable one, but his liability in his own end is overshadowed by his 19 powerplay dingers.

Markov, however, is a + on a -162 team and can play 30:00 minutes of sound defensive hockey and spectacular offensive.

On Saturday, I thought Souray would test the FA market, but it appears now that he'll consider staying with Montreal and signing before July 1st only if "the offer is fair".
"Fair" in this case, means around $6 million and if he is sentimental, $5 million.

But, since the Habs were eliminated, according to the hockey media: it makes it all easier to sign Souray, since they say (even though I don't agree) there will be HUGE changes to the roster and many UFA departures (Johnson, Bonk, Niinimaa, buyout of Sammy, possible trade of Kovalev, Bouillon) have probably forced Bob Gainey to re-think his team's situation and change the way the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge look.

And for that, he'll let a few walk and free up space and Souray will be in the Canadiens' price range.

That was a few days ago, and I thank Sherry for asking me that question, as it made me think long and hard on how it would be possible to sign Souray.

But, again, if Bob Gainey is intent on acquiring a free-agent forward like Briere, he may have to let go of Souray if he thinks a scoring forward is more important than his shot.
Briere, I would say, would be more important to this team than Sheldon Souray, and it looks as if Buffalo will keep Chris Drury and let Briere walk, a bad choice in my opinion.
Gainey may be reduced to making another tough choice and getting another migraine:

Do you want to keep Sheldon Souray and his 27 goals, or, get an elite centre like Daniel Briere who can score consistently and make the players around him better.

You make the call, I won't for Gainey.

Cristobal Huet will be the Canadiens' starting goaltender next season to Mitch Melnick's dissapointment, Halak will get a fair share of starts but the Canadiens will play Huet and probably let him go as his contract expires at the end of the season.

Why let him go?

Carey Price.

Or, sign Huet to a 1-year deal and make Price the starter for the 2009 Centennial season?

It's difficult to see Jaroslav Halak be the clear cut no. 1 man for the Canadiens ever, Carey Price is a couple seasons away and Huet is under contract for next season.

It'll be interesting to see how the goalie situation turns out, but, Gainey already hinted he's not worried about the goalies and that he still has confidence in his "Crystal Ball."

-Guy Carbonneau, I'm sorry to say, is not as great as everyone makes him to be.
He expects production from his players, while he doesn't work with them to improve their game, to "cultivate them" as Pierre McGuire would say.

Take Kovalev for example, I couldn't believe that he was benched for the final minute of play in
the most important game of the season!

Like, WHAT THE HELL?

Sure, he didn't play great, but I've really become tired of seeing Kovalev on the bench, he's better than that and I wish Carbo would see it differently.
But no, he has his stubborn view on Kovalev and Samsonov, and I'm starting to wonder if they're related to the fact that they're Russian.

Scratching Samsonov for the final stretch was a totally useless move.
The guy is having a horrible year, you don't enforce that or change anything by putting him the pressbox.

You play him, you play him and you hope he'll regain his confidence and get back into the game.
Enough already about this crap that you "focus" when you're scratched, you don't, you only sulk in despair and it makes even more distracted when you get back on the ice.

Samsonov will probably be bought out and we will bid him adieu.

He just didn't fit in here well Carbo, talk to the guy, see what his concerns are, don't got publicly out saying he's going to sit in the pressbox and never play for the Habs again, that's also another thing Carbonneau lacks: communication with his team and that's what probably cost him a chance to coach a playoff-bound team.

I'm starting to think Carbonneau was a bad choice by Bob Gainey and that he should get the whip soon, even if he is "from around here."
He was a good player, but now he's a coach...and that doesn't mean he'll be a good coach.
Man, just listening to Kirk Muller talks makes me feel like he's under Carbonneau's leash and that whatever he says, he's run it thru Carbonneau first.

I actually would like to see Kirk Muller be head coach of this team, I think he'd be better than Guy Carbonneau.

Here's to hoping Bob Gainey will somehow find this blog and read my blog post and make the right choice.

Habs notes: Kovalev will hear "Vertigo" again tonight...

[...] that is...if the Canadiens do score tonight as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs in another battle for the ages...

Alex Kovalev will indeed play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Canadiens host T.O at the Bell Centre according to RDS.

Kovalev has been suffering from vertigo which has caused him to miss one week of action, but there's no telling how much longer it will plague him.

Kovalev did not fly to Pittsburgh on Thursday night and instead remained in Montreal, where he practiced hard and alone on the Bell Centre ice.

The Kommander has been in a funk all season and he will hopefully regain consistency and beging helping the Canadiens as they slowly fall out of playoff contention.

Rookie Jaroslav Halak, in spite of my willingness to give Michael Leighton a chance, will get the nod in goal as he hopes to put an end to the Canadiens' recent embarrassing goaltending situation.

Guy Carbonneau's response to a reporter of this decision was: "Do I really have a choice?"
Good answer Guy, it's not as if you have a choice, you're stuck with a bunch of no-shows for goalies, particularly David Aebsicher, blech.

• Because of the three-headed monster of David Aebischer, Jaroslav Halak and Michael Leighton, forced me to look this up...
  

As always, this is...

Why it's not a dream to think of Sheldon Souray and Andrei Markov both in Montreal next season...

Sheldon Souray (centre) and Andrei Markov (left) will both be unrestricted free agents on July 1st.

In today's Montreal Gazette, Pat Hickey is reporting that there is a possibility Sheldon Souray will re-sign with the Canadiens and that he has already discussed this scenario with his distant wife, Angelica Bridges.

It was believed Sheldon Souray would seek a contract from a California based team so he can be closer to his daughter.

"I really don't spend enough time with her," said Souray during an RDS interview last week.

This situation become more complex with Sheldon Souray's wife expecting their second child sometime in May and Hickey notes his relationship will become complicated if he decides to stay in Montreal.

I've thought about Souray's situation intently, and you know what, contrary to public belief that Bob Gainey will not afford to re-sign Andrei Markov and Sheldon Souray, the Canadiens may very well indeed hang onto both, and here's why:

a) Janne Niinimaa, acquired in a pre-season trade from Dallas for Mike Ribeiro, has not panned out and has proved to be a bust in Montreal. He is currently wasting $2.5 million in capspace as the 7th defenceman, and believe it or not, he is the Canadiens' highest paid defenceman.
He is also eligible for UFA status on July 1st and it is near absolute certaincy that he will not be back in Bleu, Blanc et Rouge next season.
Bottom line: Expected to file for free-agency and not be re-signed; -$2,5 million

b) David Aebsicher, a tale of two goalies. Aebsicher started off the season in a hot mood, winning over Habs' fans hearts with his spectacular play, highlighted by a 47-save 5-4 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in October.
Things started going downhill from there, Cristobal Huet regained the no.1 goalie status after overcoming early season doubts and put Aebischer behind the bench for good for much of December and January.

He got the occasional call in goal and most of the time was nothing more than ordinary, giving up soft and usually long rebounds and being caught out of position a lot ensued more criticism on him from disgruntled Canadiens fans.

His best chance for redemption came when Cristobal Huet suffered a season-ending hamstring/groin injury in the second period of a game against the Devils in February.
As I saw Huet squirm in pain, I knew David Aebischer was our only hope and quite frankly, I wasn't convinced. With Montreal slipping in the standings, they now find themselves on the verge of missing the playoffs. This all 2 months after the Canadiens held the second best record in the Eastern Conference and challenged the Buffalo Sabres for the Northeast division lead.

Since then, David Aebischer has struggled and it seems he has lost all confidence.
Rookie Jaroslav Halak has won over Guy Carbonneau's heart with his strong play despite the occasional soft goal.

It remains to be seen if the Canadiens will make the playoffs, if not, David Aebsicher will be the first to blame.
I don't see him returning next season, especially with the emergence of Jaroslav Halak.
He is eligible for RFA status on July 1st and has hinted he'd prefer being a starting goaltender elswhere.
Bottom Line: Aebischer's inconsistent play for most of the season might have cost him his job in Montreal, he can no longer be depended on. Unlikely to return. - $1,9 million

c) Radek Bonk: deal or no deal? After a disgusting 2005-2006 in his first season with Montreal, Bonk is tearing it up this season. All-around reliable defensively, a good spark offensively and on top of it, he's by far Guy Carbonneau's favorite player.
Bonk, acquired on Draft Day in June 2004 along with Cristobal Huet for goaltender Mathieu Garon and a 3rd round pick was expected to be an offensive force with a good frame, since the Canadiens lack size, he was expected to produce.
He did not, he struggled with injury problems all season and never got on a roll, he finished the season on the 4th line and provided a limited offensive edge.
However, Bonk is playing the best hockey of his life this season. He has a new friend on the 3rd line, Mike Johnson, and they have become a great defensive duo for the Canadiens, working the penalty kill and occasionally the power play.
Bonk seems always to be in the right spot on defence, being a thorn in the opponent's behind and appears to have regained the offensive touch the Canadiens have longed for.
Bottom line: Definite re-signing...but for a bit cheaper than 2.3 million? Bonk likes Montreal and the organisation likes him, a contract around $1.3-1.4 million is likely here. -$1 million.

d) Mike Johnson: acquired in an off-season trade from the Phoenix Coyotes for a 4th round pick, Johnson has blossomed into a Frank Selke like player. He has a good offensive side and is reliable defensively, he's not afraid to hit either and he's gotten into a few tiffs this season and he shoots the puck a lot.
A great pickup by GM Bob Gainey but the burning question in Johnson's case is, would he be willing to stay here for less? He's currently earning $1.9 million and it's unlikely the Canadiens will offer him that much. A slight pay cut may be in order. - $0.4 million

Aaron Downey will clear up around 425K; which gives us a grand total of - $5,8 million.
Not bad, and considering the cap may go up a million or two, that gives the Canadiens the opportunity to re-sign Souray and Markov.

Souray will probably get $5 or $5.5 million next season. Andrei Markov will probably get $4 or $4.5 million. TOTAL: $9 to $10 million for both of them

And with the Canadiens having $1.56 million left in cap space...we take out $5,8 million which give us: $7,36 million free and with the cap possibly going up $2 million, $9,36 left in cap space.
We're still missing $0.64 million in cap space to make this possible. Well, if Garth Murray is moved, that'll clear up around 500 K and if somehow, Bob Gainey can move Sergei Samsonov that'll make it possible, however it's unlikely. And Cristobal Huet makes $0.25 million less next season, freeing up the necessary space to sign them both.

Just my two cents, I maybe be wrong, but, hopefully, it'll turn out like this.
And what makes this so superficial, is that Chris Higgins, Mike Komisarek, Tomas Plekanec, Michael Ryder and Josh Gorges will likely get an increase in salary next season as RFA's.

If only dreams can come true, and Bob Gainey can impress me once more...

Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.