Habs/Sabres Preview, Should The Canadiens Target Max Talbot? Lars Eller And More...

Good Afternoon Addicts!



Ryan White will miss tonight's game after suffering a lower
body injury in Thurday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.

 The Montreal Canadiens are back at it tonight gettting another crack at the Buffalo Sabres in Montreal. It is the final of four meetings between the two teams with the Sabres winning two of them including a 3-2 overtime win over the Habs just four nights back.

Both teams are coming off of victories since their last meeting with the Sabres edging the Maple Leafs 5-4 in shoot outs and the Habs finally solving the Islanders with a convincing 5-2 win on Thursday night.

Ryan White will be out of the line up with a lower body injury and while Rene Bourque and Brandon Prust are nearing their return, neither are expected to play tonight. Michael Blunden has been called up from Hamilton to replace White.


Habs And Hockey News

- We are ten days away from the April 3rd trade deadline and Fred Poulin (@FredPoulin98) would like to see the Habs go after Philadelphia Flyers forward Max Talbot.

- Former Caadien Alex Kovalev retired this week putting an end to his career that saw him play 1,316 NHL games and win the cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.

- Andrew Berkshire (@AndrewBerkshire) breaks down Lars Eller's performance in the first half of the season.


(Photo by Bernard Brault, La Presse)

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Junior NHL Players, Hamilton Bulldogs, Olympics and More

Good AM!

So, the NFL settled its dispute with its referees at midnight last night after a few days of intense bargaining sessions.

In fact, mere days earlier one session lasted until 2 am.

Never mind ending this lockout — at least the NHL and NHLPA could stay up late.

Habs and Hockey News

- Forty-two players have reported to the Hamilton Bulldogs' training camp, including a few who saw significant NHL time last season, namely Michael Blunden, Aaron Palushaj, Louis Leblanc and Blake Geoffrion. Also worthy of note is the presence of Michel Ouellet, a winger with 190 games NHL experience with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks.

- Speaking of the Bulldogs, Brian La Rose points out some invitees to watch at training camp.

- Bob McKenzie looks at how the current lockout could be a silver-lining for Canada's World Junior squad. Speaking of Junior players, when the NHL lockout ends, teams will have a chance to bring up a pre-arranged number of CHL junior players. For Montreal, this includes the highly touted Alex Galchennyuk.

- ESPN's Scott Burnside looks at Brian Burke's appointment as Team USA manager for Sochi 2014.

- In player abroad news, Erik Karlsson has signed in Finland while Nail Yakupov is being prevented from suiting up in the KHL.

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Goal-less Gomez

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Scott Gomez's goal-less drought in the NHL as the last time Gomez scored a goal was on February 5th... 2011. The overpaid veteran has now played 59 games without finding the back of the net, a feat that is hard to achieve for any forward playing on average more than 15 minutes per game, including almost 3 minutes per contest on the power play.

Since he last scored against his former team, the New York Rangers, Gomez has seen his last 122 shots stopped (easily) by the opposing goalies. The native of Anchorage, Alaska, has played 23 games this season with Montreal, missing 30 games with a groin injury, notching seven assists and posting a -3 plus/minus differential.


Goal-less Gomez


If Gomer was earning only $750,000/year like most fourth-line plumbers, nobody would care about his goal-less drought, but the former Calder Trophy winner is earning a hefty $7,5 millions this season (a $7,357,143 cap hit), so it is expected that the fans and the media would follow the situation closely and criticize Gomez's performance in the past two campaigns. After a fairly respectable 59-point season in his first full-campaign donning the Bleu Blanc Rouge, Gomez's production has plummeted faster than Ben Affleck's acting career after his performance in the turkey movie Gigli.

The Habs are stuck with Gomez because no sane GM would take on the unproductive Gomez and his bloated contract. If he was a 1 PPG player, maybe a GM desperately looking for offensive help would acquire him in order to boost an anaemic offense like Scott Howson did when he traded for sniper Jeff Carter last summer.

Gomez was acquired on June 30, 2009 with plugger Tom Pyatt in exchange for defensive stud Ryan McDonagh, Chris Higgins and prospect Pavel Valentenko. The contract he signed with the Rangers is front-loaded, so he is owed $5 million and $4 million over the final two seasons of his bloated agreement (2012-13 and 2013-14). If the Canadiens decide to buy him out, they would be charged $1.5 million/season cap hit for four seasons ($6 millions) rather than $7.3 millions over the next two seasons. The team could also Wade-Redden him to their AHL affiliate in Hamilton and clear his lucrative contract from their salary cap, but they would still need to pay him to ride the bus.

As a result, the Canadiens will most likely wait until this summer before making a decision on Gomer as they might find a taker after the season as he will only collect a total of $9.5 millions in real salary over the next two seasons, but teams would be able to claim a cap hit of more than $14.7 millions. There might also be an amnesty provision in the next CBA (similar to the NBA) that will allow each team to cut one player from their roster with no salary cap ramifications. Teams would be able to clear out the expensive contracts of players like Gomez, Rick Dipietro and Wade Redden.

In the meantime, funny websites and events have emerged over the Internet and at the Bell Centre to commemorate the one-year scoring slump such as No Single Goal In One Year. Le Skratch pool hall, which has two Montreal-area locations, is offering free shots when Gomez scores, but so far it hasn't cost them a dime!

To turn the knife in the wound, here are some enforcers who have scored at least one goal this season: Kevin Westgarth, Paul Bissonnette, Warren Peters, Mike Brown, Krys Barch, Colton Orr, Jared Boll, Tim Jackman, Zac Rinaldo, Brandon Prust and Mike Blunden.


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Follow me on Twitter for more updates on the Scott Gomez goal watch and hockey in general.

(Photo by SMI)

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Montreal Canadiens Plus/Minus: Size and Trading P.K Subban

Did you hear?

Mike Cammalleri got traded to... oh wait, everyone knows that already.

Perhaps its time to talk about something else then.

Moving away from the Habs' most recent transaction, this week's edition of Plus/Minus looks at the Canadiens new found size and notion of trading P.K Subban.

Plus:

Size on wings: It seems that, for the first time in almost a decade, the Canadiens have size on the wings. Size across all four lines.

Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty are hard charging, big men lighting it up on the Habs first line.

Rene Bourque and Andrei Kostitsyn, while streaky, are large, imposing players able to score 25 goals a year and deliver the occasional solid check.

Travis Moen is an experienced grinder with Stanley Cup experience who is unafraid to drop the gloves.

Michael Blunden has great speed and zeal, giving the squad's bottom-six a crash-and-bang element it lacked earlier this season.

The Canadiens' campaign has certainly not gone according to plan, but at the very least they seem to be building an identity as a bigger, tougher to play against group.

Minus:

Trading P.K: Many media and analysts, namely those on l'Antichambre, seem like they would seriously consider moving P.K Subban?

Why?

Part of the right package for an impact player, it is natural for the Canadiens to consider moving P.K Subban. Even then, it would seem foolhardy for the Habs to move their most talented player.

Over the years, Montreal has lost blueliners by the dozen.

Stephane Robidas, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek, Mark Streit, Sheldon Souray, Francois Beauchemin and Ryan McDonagh all ply their trade elsehwere now and most of them are impact players on their respective team.

Moreover, most of the above were lost in the early stages of their careers. For various reasons, the organization was either unwilling or unable to invest time, or money, into them.

But now, some appear gun-ho about moving P.K Subban. Because he is overzealous? Because he takes to many chances? Because he lacks patience?

Wow, I am sure he is the first offensive-minded defenceman to have those flaws.

Honestly, this minus extends all the way to those who are in such a hurry to move Yannick Weber as well. He is 23 years old, not 32.

Let's learn from the organization's past mistakes. The Habs have lost enough highly competent defenders over the last ten years.

Let's give these players time to develop.

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Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval.

He currently resides in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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Canadiens/Flyers, WJHC, Blunden, Sedin Sisters, and More

Good Thursday Habs Fans.

Montreal prepares for quite a challenge tonight against the East leading Flyers. With Travis Moen joining Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta on the injury list, the Canadiens were forced to call up Michael Blunden from Hamilton yesterday.

Elsewhere in the Habs-verse, three of the organizations prospects made the final cuts at Team Canada's WJHC camp. Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival will all wear the red Maple Leaf on Boxing Day.

Daniel Pribyl of the Czech Repuclic and Jarred Tinordi of the U.S are the other Habs prospects vying for spots in the Christmas tournament.

Finally, in Chicago, Dave Bolland went on local radio and essentially started trash talking the Canucks, namely calling the Sedin twins "sisters".

Raise your hand if you want these two teams to meet in the playoffs.


Habs News

HabsAddict.com - Habs Press Release - Canadiens Recall Michael Blunden

HabsWorld.net - Three Habs on Canadian WJHC squad

HockeyBuzz - Flyers Gameday: 12/15/11 @ Canadiens

Montreal Gazette - Montreal Canadiens will have to be disciplined against powerful Flyers

Montreal Canadiens - Secret Society: Aversion to disclosure by Canadiens club is legendary

Hockey News

ESPN - Our review: First '24/7' episode picks up right where last year left off

The Hockey News - Kennedy: Analyzing Team Canada's world junior roster

TSN - Blackhawks' Bolland recants comments about Sedins, Canucks

TSN - Hurricanes' Skinner, Senators' Michalek out with concussions

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

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Habs Press Release - Canadiens Recall Michael Blunden

Canadiens recall Michael Blunden from the Hamilton Bulldogs

MONTREAL (December 14, 2011) – The Montreal Canadiens announced today that forward Michael Blunden has been recalled from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

The 24-year old right winger registered eight points (3 goals and 5 assists) in 17 games with the Bulldogs this season. Blunden added 49 shots on goal.

Blunden was first recalled by the Canadiens on October 23. He was held pointless in eight games. The 6’04’’and 211 lbs forward served seven penalty minutes and totaled 14 hits, while averaging 5:01 of ice time per game.

The Toronto-born Blunden was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Ryan Russell on July 7, 2011.

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Canadiens claim Blair Betts, waive Jeff Woywitka

After losing Jeff Halpern and Tom Pyatt in the offseason, the Montreal Canadiens added some depth to their forward units on Wednesday, claiming forward Blair Betts off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Edmonton native, who is fairly imposing at 6-feet-3 and 210 pounds, has played 477 career games with the Flyers, Calgary Flames and New York Rangers, recording 41 goals and 37 assists in the process. The 31-year old centre has also played in 62 playoff contests.

Betts is expected to join the Canadiens in Toronto when they take on the Maple Leafs in their season opener.

To make room for Betts on the roster, the Canadiens placed defenceman Jeff Woywitka on waivers and sent forwards Michael Blunden, Ian Schultz and Aaron Palushaj to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Blunden was placed on waivers yesterday but went unclaimed.

Click here to read the full press release.

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Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net. Louis was born in Chicago but grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He currently lives in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. He can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net.

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Press Release - Habs Assign Michael Blunden to AHL Hamilton Bulldogs

Canadiens assign Michael Blunden to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs

MONTREAL (October 5, 2011) – The Montreal Canadiens announced today that forward Michael Blunden has been assigned to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in return for Ryan Russell on July 7, 2011, Blunden was held pointless in five preseason games with the Canadiens. The 24-year old right winger recorded 8 shots on goal.

The Canadiens will open their regular season on Thursday, October 6 against the Maple Leafs, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Their first home game will be played on Thursday, October 13 against the Calgary Flames, at the Bell Centre.

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