I was back on TSN 990 yesterday, with the gents from The Franchise weekend morning show. We discussed a variety of NHL goings on such as...
Rick Nash now a NY Ranger
-Safe to say the Rangers are the most improved team in the East?
-Does any team come close to their arsenal?
-But did they get less tough?
-Which other team in the East can stop them from reaching SCF?
Where in the world is the contract for PK Subban
-What’s the holdup?
-Don Meehan says no offers.. believe him?
-What about Habs new “transparency” policy?
-are worriers worrying for nothing?
What an Alexander Semin worth to you?
-did Habs make a mistake not going after him?
-Should he have been offered lower rate for higher term?
-Are points more important than longterm team building/chemistry?
-Can he “change”?
Tim Thomas
-Does he have the right to speak his mind freely
Well, if you haven't heard the rumour by now, it has been floated out there that the Habs have offered Carey Price a seven-year, $49 million contract extension.
Apparently, Price's camp has countered at 10 years, $70 million.
Holy huge contract!
Now, to back up a little, this all came out this morning on the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN 990. JT Utah, from 25 Stanley, was on the show and he said he has a single source, very close to negotiations, who gave him the info.
All this to say that this doesn't necessarily mean this is true. It is a rumour right now.
That being said, veracity aside, this is a great discussion point.
You can listen to our discussion about the topic below but, for now, here's how I see it:
IF this is true, I imagine that Price's agent is using Pekka Rinne's seven-year, $49 million extension this year as a barometer.
I'm not a huge fan of super long term deals, but there is something to be said about identifying a franchise player and signing him long term.
So, between seven and 10 years, I don't really see too much of an issue. What irks me is the $7 million per year price tag. That is a hell of a lot of money for an upcoming RFA (with arbitration rights).
Rinne got potential UFA money and I, personally, see a $5.5 to $6.5 million hit as much more reasonable for Price. I guess $6.5 million is not that far off from $7 million but wow, that number just seems huge.
The good news?
Again, IF this rumour is true, is that Price and the Habs are on the same page, dollar wise ($7 million per). The only thing to hammer out is term and there is only three years difference between the two sides.
If that's the case, I imagine a signing announcement will be imminent. Maybe the Habs agree to the 10 years but pull it back to $6.5 per year.
Who knows and, for now, it remains solely a rumour.
So what do you think? Would you sign Price for seven year? 10 years? Is $7 million per year too much? Not enough?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 58:10):
--- Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
Topics include: -Would Habs trade PK Subban for an Eric Staal/Elite center? -If you could choose ONLY one, would it be Lars Eller or David Desharnais? -Was Scott Gomez' performance enough to keep his detractors at bay?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 43:47):
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
Topcis include: -Desharnais vs Scott Gomez -Guy Boucher's use of the 1-3-1 system vs common sense
-Plus the gang interviews Montreal Canadiens Legend Dickie Moore
Moore talks about: -Player's coach in Toe Blake vs Dick Irvin Sr -Jacques Plante and how Carey Price compares to him -Breaking into the NHL as a rookie and taking on Rocket Richard in practice -Rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings
-Plus, the gang gives their predictions for the Habs four-game week
Click play below to listen in (listing time 48:11):
-Do the Canadiens need more grit and toughness -How his version of the Habs would have handled opposing teams running at Carey Price -Managing players who sometimes let their ego's be a distraction to the team -If the loss against Rangers makes it easier for Jacques Martin to bring Scott Gomez back into the lineup
Click play below to listen in (listing time 53:59):
Topics include: -Is wanting to take head shots out of hockey the same as wanting to get fighting out? -Or are some jumping on the bandwagon -Is there a solution? -Will it ever be taken out? -Is Don Cherry jumping the shark? -Why single out players like Nilan and Grimson? -Should he make an exception and recant (watch coaches corner tonight and adjust) -Aaron Asham gesture after his fight…. Overreacting? Him or the fans?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 52:42):
Topics include: -The Andrei Markov injury -Who are the Habs' top-7 defenseman -Who are the Habs top-12 forwards -Is there room for any young players to crack the roster -Plus an interview with Bobby Dollas about being part of the Team 990's Habs broadcast team -and more...
Click play below to listen in (listing time 42:35):
On this episode of the Sunday Shinny, with The Franchise celebrating two years on The Team 990, the gang discussed the following: -Should Sidney Crosby’s press conference have been postponed following the tragic KHL plane crash? -Habs’ rookie camp is under way. Which rookie can crack the line-up and which Hab can potentially see time in Hamilton? -Should fighting be banned in the NHL? Is IT the cause of concussions in the NHL?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 51:26):
In this episode of the Sunday Shinny the gang is reunited as Nick Murdocco is back from vacation.
Nick, Gary Whittaker, Kamal Panesar, Amanda Stein and Sean Coleman breakdown the following:
-Cap floor still not met by 3 teams.. will we see a team forfeit a game this season? -Mckeens has Cammalleri as the top forward for the Habs re pools. agree? anyone else? -how many games does/should Price play? is Budaj a step up from Auld? -breakout player of the 2011 season? -who will be most likely to underachieve?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 50:12):
In this episode of the Sunday Shinny, Gary Whittaker, Nick Murdocco and Kamal Panesar welcome Rick Springhetti—who has been QJMHL scout for Mckeen’s hockey for the last 3 seasons and has also contributed scouting reports for prospects all over the world—to the studio.
Gary, Nick and Amanda Stein interview Ian Laperriere on his the 2011 Bill Masterton Trophy, being part of the ownership group of the team formerly known as the Montreal Juniors, and the recent changes made by the Flyers.
Sunday Shinny topics include: Overall Habs draft report card, should the Habs have drafted big forwards for the future?
The Stanely Cup Final - did the canucks lose the cup, or did the Bruins yank it from them? - Goaltending situation in Vancouver? do they trade one? - what about Roland Melanson's future?
Should the HABS try to be more like the Bruins?
Jagr in Montreal - Yes? No? and the pro's and con's
Click play below to listen in (listing time 41:33):
The Stanley Cup finals: -Was this the series you were expecting? -In the end what does this series come down to? Goaltending? Sedins?, Bruins Forwards stepping it up?
The Aaron Rome Suspension -Too much? Not enough? Or just right? -Why did they look at injury to Horton, but not for other similar infractions? -Is there a hypocrisy in Bruins thinking? Horton was tweeting and visiting team in same time span as Max Pac... -Is this the step towards the bigger picture re headshots, regardless?
Habs sign Darche and AK46.. done already... -Who do the Habs need to confirm next? (Markov, Gorges, Max Pac, DD, White? -Do they surprise everyone and go off the charts with another UFA at forward? -If they stand pat with relatively same squad as last year: better worse or same result?
Click play below to listen in (listing time 48:58):
Topics include: -We break down the Boston Bruins and deal with a call from a "typical" Bruins fan -We break down the Vancouver Canucks -We briefly get into Scott Gomez and what Max Pacioretty's comments about Gomez means -We break down the key points of the series between the Bruins vs the Canucks
Click play below to listen in (listing time 47:53):
I've got another brief break in baby planning/preparation so I thought I'd poke my head in to offer a few thoughts on the playoffs.
The first thing that I notice, when looking at the two conference finals that are going on, is an incredible lack of proven goaltending.
Now before you jump down my throat on that one, allow me to explain.
I'm Not Buying It
Excluding the recent insertion of Mike Smith into the Tampa Bay cage—he is also unproven—the four netminders left are Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo, Dwayne Roloson and Antti Niemi.
I'm sure the first thing people will say to me is that Luongo has an Olympic Gold Medal, Antti Niemi has a Stanley Cup ring and Tim Thomas won the Vezina a few seasons ago.
As for Roloson, he has had a respectable, if undecorated, career.
So let's start with the Luongo argument.
Yes, he has an Olympic Gold and was the starter for the gold medal game, but Luongo got the job by default when Martin Brodeur faltered early. Moreover, Luongo didn't play tremendous hockey for Team Canada and the team won despite his average performance.
So far in the playoffs, Luongo has a middling .917 save percentage and a pedestrian 2.37 GAA. That the Canucks are one win away from the Stanley Cup final—they are also my pick to win the Cup—is due more to the tremendous skill and depth in front of him.
Antti Niemi is kind of in the same boat as Luongo, having won the cup with Chicago last year in the worst demonstration of Stanley Cup Final goaltending in NHL history. Philly too had horrible goaltending and both teams won the games they did despite their netminders.
So I don't give Niemi much clout in that argument. Plus, as well as he played during the season for San Jose, he is sitting on a .895 save percentage and a 3.33 GAA through 17 playoff games.
Ouch!
Tim Thomas, with a .931 save percentage and a 2.27 GAA, is a bit of a different story, having won the Vezina trophy in 2009 and being in line to win it again this season. That being said, I just don't buy it.
I watch this guy play and he lets in far too many bad goals for my comfort.
In addition, he came out of nowhere to win the 2009 Vezina and is suddenly supposed to be a goaltending phenom in his thirties? This with no previous record of greatness and with no prior pedigree?
That dog won't hunt.
That being said, every time I think he and the Bruins will get bounced from the playoffs Thomas comes up with a game saving performance. As such, in my books, he is the closest thing to being an established goaltender out of the remaining four.
Dwayne Roloson, who was pulled in his last start and sat as the backup to Mike Smith last night against Boston, is an aged journeyman goaltender. At 41 years of age, he played an excellent season to get the Bolts into the playoffs and all the way to the conference finals.
Yet when the chips were down, Roloson failed and his team is on the brink of elimination as such. Hardly Conn Smythe candidate performances.
The game has changed
So if none of the four remaining teams have exceptional goaltending, then why are they in the conference finals over other teams?
It is because the game has changed.
Philadelphia and Chicago demonstrated in last year's playoffs, that you no longer need to have lights-out goaltending to contend for or win the Stanley Cup. No longer are the virtuoso perfromances of Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur needed to win a championship. Nowadays, depth, an ability to remain relatively healthy and a little luck are usually all that is needed.
If you look at some of the players that are helping their teams win and scoring goals at opportune moments, it is not usually the top-line players. Players like Maxim Lapierre, Chris Higgins, Raffi Torres, Sean Bergenheim, Steve Downie, Dominic Moore, Devin Stoguchi, Logan Couture, Brad Marchard, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Logan and other, are the ones that help a team contend for the Cup.
Oh sure, you still need top line scoring but without four lines of depth, it is impossible to win. In the past, you were perhaps able to win or make it to the final on the back of spectacular goaltending. While all-star goaltending can still take you all the way, you generally need much more than just that to win in today's NHL.
Topics include:
-Break down Canucks vs Sharks
-Break down Bruins vs Lightning
-Talk about the signing of Alexei Emelin and what that means for Andrei Markov
-Take a few minutes to talk about Gary Carter
Click play below to listen in (listing time 46:41):
--- Kamal is a freelance Habs writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and Habs writer on TheFranchise.ca. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on The Team 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 8 - 9 AM. Listen live at http://www.team990.com/
