Sochi 2014 Preview: Team Switzerland

BY: Steven Hindle (@StevenHindle)

Neutral No More

Fresh off of a Silver Medal finish at the recently completed IIHF World Championship, Head Coach of Team Switzerland, Sean Simpson, has high hopes for the upcoming 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Having long been considered a competitive club, Team Switzerland has yet to make a dent among the top nations in International play. Finishing 8^th at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, the Swiss are sure to challenge for a better finish this time around.

Despite only 0.35% of the population of Switzerland play hockey, the talent pool has grown exponentially, as witnessed in recent years as Swiss prospects have produced some 1^st round prospects in the NHL.
Building off the development of recent prospects, the Swiss look to ice a club that will not only cause fits for top Nations such as Sweden, Canada, Russia and the U.S., but they will look to cement their place as a legit contender in International competition.

Sure, they’ve pulled off some upsets and caused a few scares in the past, but the outlook is different this time around. Most imagine that Sean Simpson was ecstatic over the Silver Medal earned in Sweden at the World Championships, yet that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Though proud of the accomplishment, internally the Swiss are focused on nothing but winning. Anything less isn’t good enough.
And it is this change of attitude and thinking, internally, which has the elite hockey Nations thinking twice about how to handle Simpson’s Swiss club.

While the projections will remain conservative for the Swiss heading into Round Robin play, the 9^th ranked Nation will be motivated through rivalry as they will share Group C with Team Sweden, Gold Medal winners over the Swiss at the 2013 IIHF World Championships. Included in the group with the Swiss and Swedes are the Czech Republic and Latvia.

Though the odds have Switzerland ranked behind the 3^rd and 4^th ranked Nations (Czechs and Swedes), the Swiss are getting younger and faster and will look to have their most talented and competitive roster on the ice this upcoming February.

Included in the mix for the final cut on Team Switzerland are a few NHL players and prospects, and a dearth of talented players skating across Europe.

Here is a look the players vying for spots on Team Switzerland:

Goaltenders:

Jonas Hiller, Reto Berra, Martin Gerber, Benjamin Conz, Tobias Stephan

Defense:

Mark Streit, Raphael Diaz, Roman Josi, Julien Vauclair, Severin Blindenbacher, Goran Bezina, Robin Grossman, Mathias Seger, Luca Sbisa, Felicien DuBois, Yannick Weber (maybe Mirco Muller)

Forwards:

Bruno Hollenstein, Kevin Romy, Damian Brunner, Sven Bärtschi, Martin Pluss, Nino Neiderreiter, Roman Wick, Andrey Bykov, Luca Cunti, Ryan Gardner, Reto Suri, Simon Moser, Morris Trachsler, Andres Ambühl, Julian Walker (maybe Sven Andrighetto)

With a potent mix of veteran leaders and young, up-and-coming prospects, Sean Simpson will have his work cut when it comes to making the final cut for the opening night roster against Team Latvia.

Beyond Group C, the Olympic Hockey tournament promises to be one of the greatest hockey competitions of all-time. With hosts Russia leading Slovakia, the U.S. and Slovenia in Group A, Group B will offer up Finland, Canada, Norway and Austria. Needless to say, the Swiss couldn’t have picked a better time to begin their rise in Hockey.

Making it to the medal round at the Olympics is quite a different story as compared to the World Championships, but with a roster that exuded great chemistry at the WC and an ability to add to that, Team Switzerland is no longer a team without expectations. Rather they have now entered the realm of great expectations; territory the Swiss hope propels them to a seat among the elite of hockey Nations.

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Max Pacioretty Heading Home, Tomas Plekanec,US Hall of Fame, More

Good AM!

After a brief three week stint in Switzerland, it appears that Max Pacioretty has decided to pack up and head home. Apparently, the American power forward has been unable to play due to a flu and inflammation in his elbow.

Pacioretty had only one goal in five games with Ambri-Piotta.

Currently, the Montreal Canadiens have five other players abroad. Yannick Weber and Raphael Diaz are in the Swiss league, Andrei Markov is in Russia and the two Tomas' — Kaberle and Plekanec — are in the Czech Republic.

Of the group, Tomas Plekanec is performing best with 16 points in ten games.

Habs and Hockey News

- Speaking of Habs players, Peter Budaj remains without work and is working out in Denver.

- Mike Modano, Ed Olcyzk and Lou Lamoriello enter the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame. Over at ESPN, Scott Burnside has a piece on the recently honored Olcyzk.

- It is official: NHL players have now missed their first pay-day of 2012-13. But, as Stu Hackel points out, the owners are also bleeding some green.

(Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images North America)

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Montreal Canadiens in Europe, Hamilton Bulldogs Signings, Prospects and More

Good AM!

The trickle of players heading to Europe continues and an increasing number of Habs are heading East.

To review, thus far Raphael Diaz will join EV Zug, Yannick Weber is heading for Geneva-Servette and Tomas Plekanec is bound for Kladno. Also, former Hab Mark Streit is going to Bern.

Also of note is Alex Ovechkin signing with Dynamo Moscow and goalie Niklas Backstrom joining Belarus' Dynamo Minsk. 

The new Ukrainian KHL club HC Donbass is getting a boost as well, with Ukraine natives Alexei Ponikarovsky and Ruslan Fedotenko joining the club. 

Habs and Hockey News

- The Hockey News' continues its 30 teams in 30 days video previews, looking at the Montreal Canadiens.

- HabsWorld begins counting down the Habs' top prospects with numbers 39 to 36. 

- The Hamilton Bulldogs signed Stefan Chaput, Olivier Fortier and Daultan Leveille to one-year, two-way AHL/ECHL contracts. Most notably, Daultan Leveille was a first round pick of Atlanta in 2008, becoming to only Jr. B player to ever be selected in the opening round.

- Francis Bouillon and Mathieu Darche say they are ready to make the sacrifice of retirement in order to fight for a new CBA. 

- In hindsight, Mike Modano considers the 2004-05 lockout to have been a waste of time. By his estimates, he forfeited $7 million because of the lost season. 

- Brian Burke comments on the firing of Francois Allaire. 

- Ryan Kennedy of THN presents some hockey options for those of us in locked out NHL markets.

- The AEG group — owner of the Los Angeles Kings — is for sale. 

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images North America)

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Unresolved Issues Remain for the Montreal Canadiens

While we enter the dog days of summer, hockey news becomes a slow trickle.

The Montreal Canadiens made a few moves on July 1st and have signed the majority of their restricted free agents.

With most roster spots apparently occupied, the team seems to have a well defined outline.

Nonetheless, there are some issues that Marc Bergevin and his team will need to sort out in order to  begin the season with confidence.

P.K Subban's Contract

As stated above, all of the squad's restricted free agents have been signed — save for P.K Subban.

Considering his team-leading ice time, that is one heck of a player to still have unsigned.

With equally young blueliners such as Erik Karlson and Tyler Myers receiving long-term, richly paid contracts, one can easily assume Subban's agent is using that as leverage to obtain the same for his client.

Conversely, the Canadiens may not be too keen on extending such a long deal to the defenseman, especially if the new CBA's rules prove more favorable. Having said that, they cannot be too excited about any contract that would allow Subban to become unrestricted at its end.

The question then becomes, do you lock up Subban long-term or give him a shorter deal that will keep him within the realm of restricted free agency?

The Trifecta

Think what you will about Tomas Kaberle, Rene Bourque and Scott Gomez, the fact remains that Marc Bergevin will have to make a decision, one way or another, about what to do with these players and their rather hefty cap-hits.

Scott Gomez has done next to nothing to redeem his subpar performance and his contract makes him very difficult to move.

Rene Bourque and Tomas Kaberle can prove useful, but their deals also eat up significant money.

Ultimately, with so many dubious deals on the books, it will be very difficult for Bergevin to add to his team down the road.

With a much deeper pool of free agents ahead next summer and the omnipresent potential for trades, it would be wise to clear at least some of the above mentioned salaries.

Logjam on the Back End

You can never have too many NHL-ready defensemen. At least, so goes the old adage. And, for the most part, it is quite true.

However, when it comes to the Habs' blueline depth, it has an element of sameness that is concerning.

Think of Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz, Tomas Kaberle, Brendon Nash and Frederic St-Denis.

What comes to mind?

Typically, terms like "offensive minded" or "puck moving" are quick to pop up.

While that type of defender can be most useful, your NHL-ready depth cannot consist almost solely of that kind of player.

At one point, some pieces will have to be moved and toughness will need to be added to back end.

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Louis is an Associate Editor and Senior Writer at HabsAddict.com. Born near Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He is also an occasional guest on CKCU's Red Zone program.
Find him on Twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images North America)

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The Montreal Canadiens Are Just Not Tough Enough

For the better part of a decade, Montreal Canadiens fans have been begging management to make our favorite team better, tougher and meaner.

The Habs have been way too soft for way too long. Moreover, in recent years, they rarely forechecked or dropped the gloves on questionable hits.

Images of Gregory Campbell hammering away on Tom Pyatt, Zdeno Chara slamming the head of Max Pacioretty into the glass or even Andrew Ference flipping off the fans because of a "problematic glove equipment malfunction", perpetually fill my mind.

The Montreal Canadiens, lacked character, cohesion and toughness and that is where Marc Bergevin comes into play.

In a short amount of time, Bergevin has begun addressing this issue with the signings of Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong, Travis Moen, Ryan White and Francis Bouillon. On paper, we will likely never have to see a line-up which features the likes of Yannick Weber or Rafael Diaz playing on the fourth line again.

A huge step in the right direction right? Surely, the team has a chance at the playoffs now?

I hate to play devil’s advocate here but the answer is no!

You can argue that the team has better depth, but there is no way that I am buying into the notion that the Habs got tougher.

Travis Moen and Ryan White were already part of this team last season. Only Prust, Armstrong and Bouillon have actually been added to the squad.

Brandon Prust

Prust's best asset is the fact that he has developed into an elite penalty killer. He was a key component of the Rangers PK, which sat near the top of the league in every year that Prust was part of the team.

On the physical side, Prust is one tough SOB. Though relatively small at a little over 6’0, he is a pit bull on the ice. Prust backs down from no one, sticks up for teammates and, despite his diminutive frame, led the league in fighting majors last season.

Colby Armstrong

Then there is Armstrong.

Here is a guy I have wanted in the Habs uniform for the better part of the last five years. When Colby is on top of his game, he is a skating torpedo. An agitator who absolutely lays people out with his vicious hits and then backs it up with his unwillingness to fight. 

Like P.K. Subban and White, Armstrong gets under the skin of alot of players in this league.

Francis Bouillon

Finally, little Franky Bouillon, a player the Habs should never have let go. I cannot think of a single player who plays with more heart and determination than Soupy. 

He is a good bottom pairing blueliner who will give his all and will serve as an excellent guide for those unfamiliar with Therrien's ways.


Still Not a Contender

All in all, the above three are players who play big and add depth to the organization. A group of players, who for some reason, most fans seem to think will help turn the team back towards playoff contention.

The problem is that their gain comes at the loss of Brad Staubitz, Mathieu Darche and Hal Gill.

Brad Staubitz

Staubitz is easily a better fighter than any of the players named above. He is bigger than Prust, meaner than Prust and led both the Habs and Wild in fighting majors last season. Like Prust, he backs down from no one, the only difference is that he usually comes out on top.

Hal Gill

Gill, although not ill-tempered, still represented a 6’7 frame capable of tying up some of the bigger bodies in this league. He was a beast on the PK, a great leader and, when called upon, was not shy to drop the gloves. Most fans were sour to see him arrive in a Habs uniform but he grew on many of them and will surely be missed.

Mathieu Darche

Darche was by no stretch a mean player, but he was a dependable role player on a 6’2 frame who still finished ninth on the team in hits despite playing just 61 games. I cannot say I am sad to see him go, yet he was an extremely serviceable player who provided grit to the bottom line.

What does this mean? 

For the sake of argument, let’s remove Darche from this equation. 

Anyone who even tries to argue that the Habs are tougher with Darche in the line-up has been smokin' a bit too much of the wacky tabacky.

So, what does this mean?

The team is younger — and you can perhaps argue more talented — and has a better group of fourth line players. However, the squad has definitely not become tougher and, in the process, somehow actually lost a full collective foot in height.

What is even more confusing is the fact that, despite finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference—due to a lackluster powerplay and limited goal production—the only positions addressed were the fourth line and bottom defencemen.

Where to go from here?

I firmly believe that Marc Bergevin is nowhere near finished tinkering with this line-up. Between Scott Gomez, Yannick Weber, Rafael Diaz and Tomas Kaberle, I would be shocked to see more than two of them return next season.  

The organization must acquire a big, gritty, mean winger to compliment the skilled players. A power forward who can play 20 minutes a game, drive to the net, crash the boards, create turnovers and drop the gloves when called upon to do so.

The question is who and at what cost?

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Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!


(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)

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Montreal Canadiens Moving Forward - Part 4 - Defense and Goaltending

Greetings Habs Nation!

After discussing the importance of finding a GM and coach for the Habs — half of which has been resolved  looking at a few of the options at the upcoming draft and taking a look at what can be done to bolster the offense, it's time to finish off the Moving Forward series by weighing the Habs options when it comes to their defensive line up for the 2012-13 season.

Goaltending is the last line of defense and, in this department, Marc Bergevin's priority is quite simple, sign Carey Price.

Price is a top-ten goalie in the NHL with top-five potential. With Price signed, Bergevin will have more time to focus on the rest of the roster without worrying about having security between the pipes. That being said, the sooner he's signed the better.

As for backup, Peter Budaj is signed for another year, but his first year with the CH hasn't turned many heads. However, Price is capable of playing 65-70 games per season, so if the rest of the line up can be improved than the position of back up goalie is hardly worth losing any sleep over.

Not many people are against Price being a top priority — if not THE top priority — for Marc Bergevin. At the same time, you would be hard pressed to find a handful of fans who wouldn't agree that P.K. Subban is next on the list.

Subban is set to become a restricted free agent, and will no doubt be signing for much more than the $875,000 he made last year.

After taking a lot of heat for most of the year for not putting up more points, Subban finished the year strong under interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth and concluded the season with 36 points, just two less than his career high the previous year.

What seemed to escape most critics was that his +9 rating was an incredible improvement from his -8 in 2011.

Alexei Emelin is another RFA who should be high on Bergevin's to do list. In his first year playing in the NHL, the hard hitting Russian defender doled out 236 hits, good for 15th in the league and fourth among defensemen.

Emelin's 30 penalty minutes show that while he regularly delivers crushing checks, he's doing so legally and rarely gets sent to the box.

Emelin's presence is essential on a team that all too often gets knocked around. For once, it's the players in the visiting jersey who neeed to worry about their well being when entering the offensive zone.

Andrei Markov is signed for the next two seasons and, if his knee can stay healthy, he can bring a lot to the team with his puck moving ability and powerplay skills.

Josh Gorges is signed until the end of the 2017 season and there is no telling how much rubber he will get in front of between now and then. This past season, Gorges was the only player in the NHL to block more than 200 shots, taking 250 pucks to various parts of his body. Nobody can question that Gorges is the heart of this team and having him on the backend along with Markov and Subban gives the Canadiens a very impressive top three.

Tomas Kaberle is signed on for another two years and this is where it gets tricky. Kaberle has got to go and it will be hard for Bergevin to find a taker. The fact that Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford managed to trade him still baffles everyone, Rutherford included.

Kaberle brings with him a $4.25 million cap. That's four million dollars being spent on a defensemen who can't defend and who is all too predictable in the offensive zone. The man can pass, there is no question about it, but there is also no question as to whether or not he will pass.

Having the ability to dish the puck is hardly worth anything when everybody knows what you're going to do, he has become all too easy to defend when he's quarterbacking a powerplay an that makes it all the more frustrating knowing he's taking up so much room on the payroll.

Yannick Weber is also contractually linked to the Habs for the upcoming season but don't be surprised if he's included in a deal to acquire a draft pick, prospect or bag of pucks. Weber has not yet managed to secure a spot on the team over the past four years and with Raphael Diaz and Frederic St-Denis developping nicely as well as Nathan Beaulieu and Jared Tinordi just another year or two away from the NHL, it seems that Weber's time is up in Montreal.

Assumimg that Bergevin can't rid the roster of Kaberle the Habs will likely go into next season with Subban, Markov, Gorges, Kaberle and Weber.

Raphael Diaz and Frederic St-Denis will likely be re-signed - they are both RFA's - and battle for the sixth spot.

However, if Kaberle gets bought out or demoted to the minors and the Canadiens find themselves with some room to manouver, who wouldn't like to seem them make a pitch for Ryan Suter?

As a UFA in Nashville, Suter will be one of the most sought out players along with New Jersey's Zach Parise and Colombus's Rick Nash — although Nash will be the center of a trading war since he is still under contract with the Blue Jackets.

Suter would bring size — 6'1" 198 lbs — to the Habs blue line while also chipping in with some offense as he has accumulated 238 points in 542 NHL games.

A lot of what transpires will depend on Nicklas Lidstrom's future with the Red Wings. If Lidstrom should decide to hang up his skates after 20 NHL season's and four Stanley Cup's then you can be sure that Hockeytown USA will do their best to acquire the NHL's top defenseman in the free agency pool.

One other player I wouldn't mind seeing the Habs have a go at is Dennis Wideman. Wideman finished his season in Washington in 2012 with 46 points - tenth among defensemen - with four of his 11 goals coming on the powerplay. The previous year, he finished with nine powerplay goals sharing the league lead with none other than P.K. Subban.

Just imagine the Habs blue line looking like this:   

Markov-Gorges                                                                        
Subban-Suter
Emelin-Wideman
with Diaz/St-Denis as the seventh d-man.

Wishful thinking I know, but even if just Wideman signed in Montreal there would be an improvement.

Markov-Emelin
Gorges-Subban
Wideman-Diaz
St-Denis

Not too shabby.

What direction would you like to see the Canadiens go in on the back end?

---
Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com You can follow Sean on Twitter.


(Christian Petersen/Getty Images North America)

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NHL Trade Deadline: In the Canadiens' GM Chair, Part 1

The 2012 NHL Trade Deadline is approximately two weeks away.

If any of you are like me, excitement is building within.

To be honest, I am really not sure why I get all giddy at this time of year.

Generally speaking, the Montreal Canadiens make little or no moves at the deadline. Minor trades, little tweaking and roof repair have been the norm in recent years.

However, this year I truly sense something different.

For the first time in many years the Montreal Canadiens find themselves on the outside looking in. 

This team isn’t looking through the window, they aren’t even at the end of the driveway. They find themselves down the street, around the corner and seven blocks over.

In short, the Montreal Canadiens will not be making the playoffs.

This is something that I came to terms with many weeks ago. It’s time the rest of you do as well.

To quote the great Dick Vitale upon watching then NBA superstar Vince Carter in the Slam Dunk contest of 2000 (wow has it really been 12 years): “It’s over ladies and gentleman, it’s over.”

Now that the proverbial nail is in the coffin there is really only one thing left to do: Sell, Sell, Sell !

The Foundation

The Habs were always a bubble team to begin with, but I truly believe that they are better than their record indicates.

It is hard for the squad to perform to its full potential when Andrei Markov ($5.75 million), Brian Gionta ($5.0 million) and Scott Gomez ($7.387 million) collectively do little or nothing. 

Could Detroit or Boston or San Jose or Vancouver thrive, or even survive. with $18.15 million out of the line-up? No way.

On the flip side, how many teams in this league would not kill for the chance to have a foundation featuring Carey Price in goal, P.K Subban on the blueline and power forward Max Pacioretty on the wing? 

With Alexei Emelin, Josh Gorges, Lars Eller and David Desharnais in the mix, the Habs have a group of key players all 26 years or younger.

With that in mind, I dare to say that this team is still good enough to compete in the Eastern Conference. However, management needs to part ways with some assets, acquire some building blocks and re-tool for a promising 2012-13 season.

What’s that you say? You want to know what I would do if I was named GM of the Montreal Canadiens?

Well thank you for asking. Now sit back, relax and take hold of greatness as I single handedly re-tool the Montreal Canadiens in just two short weeks.

There are many crazy ideas circulating in my veins right now. As such, I will break this exercise down into two articles. Today, we will focus on the defense and look at the moves I would make on the backend.

Here goes nothing.

Who is available?

Before wheeling and dealing, it is worth mentioning who I feel should stay. P.K Subban, Josh Gorges, Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz are four players who should remain with the organization. 

Naturally, if a “knock your socks off” type of offer presents itself then absolutely anyone on this team can be moved.

As for Hal Gill, Chris Campoli and Yannick Weber, they should find themselves playing in a different area code by the end of the month. 

Realistically though, of the names above, only Hal Gill has any significant value.  

Players like Campoli and Weber have found themselves out of the line-up frequently and, as a result, their value is not as strong was what it could have been.

Then there is Tomas Kaberle. 

I have not been shy in hiding my displeasure towards him and would be ecstatic to move the rearguard. However, he has a nearly unmovable contract that will see him play out two more years at 4.5 million dollar per season. He is virtually untradeable, unless we do something unthinkable. 

Chris Campoli

He is a puck moving veteran who can add inexpensive depth to a playoff bound group. Teams like Boston, Chicago, San Jose, and Detroit appear to be showing some interest.

What I would do: Chicago has the most familiarity with Campoli, but I can see him going to Boston for a third or fourth round pick. Boston has only six NHL D-men on their roster and look to again be a contender. Campoli would be an ideal fit to play limited minutes on a third pairing.

Yannick Weber

Weber is a little bit of a conundrum. He is young, has an NHL-caliber shot and still has room to grow. He could attract a few teams, but his limited experience and defensive woes will push others away.
Nonetheless, he certainly possesses some upside and could fetch a decent return. Because of his powerplay abilities, teams like the Kings, Rangers and Blues may bid for his services.

What I would do: The Devils have had success with young, small puck moving defensemen like Brian Rafalski and Andy Green. That, along with their struggles on the man advantage, make them the best fit. In return, I can see Montreal acquiring J.S. Berube from Matane, Quebec and a fourth round pick.

Hal Gill

Gill's value is high.

Two weeks ago he was likely the fourth or fifth best d-man available this deadline. Now, with Francois Beauchemin, Andy Sutton, Tim Gleason all signing contract extensions, he may be the best name available.

Gill lacks foot speed, but is a Stanley Cup champion, a leader and one of the elite penalty killers in the game.

He could pay tremendous dividends for teams struggling on the penalty kill. Namely, Chicago, San Jose, Florida and Detroit all find themselves amongst the league’s worst when down a man.

The Canadiens could easily flip him to any of the above mentioned teams and find themselves with a second round pick - along with perhaps another late pick thrown in as well. I would be tremednously happy with this however I would like to take it a step further.

It has been rumored for a few weeks that Chris Stewart is being shopped by the St. Louis Blues. The Blues are thin on the backend and are 21st overall on the penalty kill. They also own some depth at the forward position and are a cap conscious team. The stars seem to aligned to somehow work a deal sending Gill to St. Louis in exchange for Stewart.

I am not suggesting a one-for-one move. That would be what I like to refer to as "Milbury-ish". Yet, if the Habs could create a package with the right assets, then acquiring Stewart may not be so crazy.

What I would do: I would like to think that Hal Gill, a 2012 second round pick and Danny Kristo would be enough to pry Stewart from St. Louis. If this is not enough then, I am talking with St. Louis to see what sort of tweaking is needed to make this deal happen.

I am not prepared to sell the farm to land the forward, but given the team's limited size down the middle, Stewart could provide necessary physical insulation for Tomas Plekanec.

Tomas Kaberle

I know that he is practically untradeable at this point. I've heard the arguments that he is producing points but let's be honest here: he makes $4.5 million and is a bloody useless player on this team. Moving him will be next to impossible, but...

What I would do: Pick up the phone and call Brian Burke. We need a defensive D-man and the Leafs, given their style of play, could perhaps use another puck mover familiar to the city. Let's see if we can swap two equivalent contracts by shipping Kaberle for Komisarek. To be honest I would even be willing to add a pick or second tier prospect to get this done.

Their deals are nearly indentical and Kaberle has absolutely no role on this team. Meanwhile, Komisarek could help fill Gill's eventual departure.

So there you have it folks.

Go ahead, tell me what you think of my moves? I am more Ken Holland or Mike Milbury?

On a personal note

For those who follow me on Twitter, I have been continuing to tweet quite a bit about the progress that my wife is making with her involvement with Team In Training Marathon and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada.

Melody continues to put in the hours needed to complete the Marathon but needs your help when she is not on track.

In just three weeks Mel has raised 20% of her donation goal, but she is still a long ways away. If you can find a little bit of extra change, please consider helping her out for this great cause.

Thank you all for any and all support that you can provide.

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Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!


(Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images North America)

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With Playoff Hopes Fading, Habs Need to Sell Assets

With the NHL's February 27th trade deadline just under three weeks away and the Canadiens sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Division - and 25th overall - the only things the Habs should be buying are golf clubs.

Let's face it, with many games to be played between against direct rivals and the extra points being awarded in overtime, it is hard for even the more optimistic Habs fans to expect post-season play.

With that being said, how is it that the Canadiens are still being categorized as a team that is "on the bubble" as the trade deadline looms closer?

Any fan with the least bit of hockey knowledge has already cast this season among things to be forgotten, much like the macarena and parachute pants.

When dealing with an underachieving Habs roster at the deadline, it's incredibly important for Pierre Gauthier to indentify the "untouchables" who currently wear the CH.

Can't Touch This

Carey Price - The Habs netminder is a staple in this city and has single-handedly won games in which his team had no business winning.

At 24 years old, Price has endured failure in Montreal, losing the #1 spot to Jaroslav Halak, only to bounce back with phenomonal play that has lead the Habs faithful to forget the magical playoff run that Halak was responsible for in 2009

Max Pacioretty - On a team that has been deemed too small to succeed for years, Pacioretty has brought a level of size and skill that has not been present since John LeClair. 

Many were worried that the dreadful hit delivered by the Bruins hulking defenseman Zdeno Chara would impede Pacioretty's development. Pacioretty, however, returned at the beginning of the 2011-12 season to deliver what, so far, has been a career year in every major statistical category.

Erik Cole - The acquisition of the Stanley Cup winning power forward is one of very few positive moves made by Pierre Gauthier. Cole has shown no sign of quit through the first 53 games as he leads the team with 39 points. 

Cole's perseverence on every shift is something that this team will need as it moves forward. Cole's blue-collar work ethic has also seemed to rub off on linemate Max Pacioretty.

This type of leadership is something that will have a positive effect for years to come.

David Desharnais - Many followers of Nos Glorieux, myself included, wrote Desharnais off early in his career due to his size. Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that there are plenty of smaller type guys that have found success in the NHL, it just seemed that the Habs had too many roster players playing with hearts that out weighed their physique. 

Desharnais, however, has had no problem silencing critics with his play. The 5'7", 177lb center has shown a willingness to battle alomg the boards and his 26 assists in 53 games year demonstrate his above-average playmaking ability.

His dedication and hockey sense are things that a rebuilding team cannot afford to trade away.

P.K. Subban - All of this "trade Subban" nonsense that has been circulating the web proves that too many Montrealers have too much time on their hands. 

P.K. has certainly struggled this year, that is no secret. Maybe it's due to Andrei Markov's absence, maybe it's due to the pressure put on Subban by a fanbase that has not seen a Stanley Cup in 19 years. 

Most probably it's the pressure that a highly skilled, over-confident young man puts on himself to succeed in a hockey market that expects nothing but the best from players, even at an early age. Subban makes plenty of mistakes and is not bolstering his reputation with some of his antics, but he is a 22-year old that has plenty of time to mature. 

And, when he does, you will have a tough time finding anybody spewing this trade Subban garbage. 

Josh Gorges - Heart and soul. That should be enough to explain why the future captain of this team should be labeled as untouchable. 

If not, consider this: through 53 games Gorges leads the league with 147 blocked shots.

Gorges has consistently thrown his body in front of rubber for a team that is far behind in the playoff race. In addition, the rearguard has never failed to face Montreal's blood sucking media after an embarassing loss. And you will never find a clip in which Gorges throws a member of the Canadiens under the bus. 

When you come across a player of his caliber who displays the leadership qualities worthy of any professional sports club, you keep him. Period.

Once you get past the mentioned players, it's go time for Pierre Gauthier. When considering that the above mentioned players are off the market it's time to take a look at who's left.

On the Bubble

Lars Eller and Rafael Diaz - While these young NHL players have not yet reached the status of "untouchable", they are the closest thing to off that market after the original list.

Eller, the main piece in the infamous Halak trade, has been improving consistently since his acquisition and would have to bring back a significant piece to that Habs roster in order to be shipped off.

Diaz has had ups and downs during his rookie season but his 15 points and minus-3 rating on a struggling team makes him difficult to move. The Swiss blueliner has shown some offensive prowess as well as defensive acumen. On a team facing the uncertainty over Markov's future as well as the impending movement of veterans Hal Gill and Chris Campoli, Diaz's presence is most welcome.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Andrei Kostitsyn - The rugged Belarussian forward is possibly the toughest player to gauge on the Habs availability meter. 

Many feel it's time to ship the inconsistent winger off to the highest bidder while others argue the recent chemistry found with Eller and Travis Moen is reason enough to give him yet another chance. The bulky winger has surpassed the 20 goal mark three times and, when he shows up, can be an invaluable asset. 

The problem is he doesn't always bring his "A" game and many have become fed up with his frequent, prolonged absences.

Thank You and Goodnight

Hal Gill, Travis Moen, Chris Campoli, Yannick Weber - It's no secret that these four players top the list of potential ex-Habs. Gill in an incredible penalty killer who will bring leadership and a Stanley Cup ring to a contending team.

Moen is a hard working, third-line player whose grit, alongside Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer, played a huge role in Anaheim's 2006-07 Stanley Cup run.

Campoli and Weber don't exaclty stand out as elite NHL defenseman, but a league of 30 teams will never run short on clubs in need of rearguards.

Campoli at least has over 400 games of experience on his resume while Weber brings youth as well a a decent shot from the point. Look for these two to potentially move oin exchange for later round draft picks.

Damaged Goods

Brian Gionta - It's tough to see the Habs current captain sit out for so long. However, you can't help but think the vertically challenged winger would be shopped were he not be sidelined with an upper body injury.

Gionta has heart, there's no doubt about that. But Montreal has recently been addressing their problem with size up front - as illustrated by Cammalleri for Bourque - and you can't help but think that a healthy Gionta would be dangled as trade bait.

Stuck with You

Scott Gomez and Tomas Kaberle - Gomez is an established playmaker who appears to be a likable individual. You can't help but feel for anyone who's gone through a calendar year without a goal. Kaberle has a keen vision on the ice and a Stanley cup ring to boot.

Despite this, Gomez' cap hit of $7,357,143 million through 2013-14 and Kaberle's hit of 4,250,000 per year through the same time frame make it almost impossible to fathom any GM acquiring either of Montreal's burdens.

How do you feel as the trade dealine approaches? Should the Habs sell whatever assets they have- and if so at what price- or should they be buyers and push for a playoff spot? In which case, which players should they have in their sights?


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Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com You can follow Sean on Twitter.


(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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The Montreal Canadiens' Best Bait for the NHL Trade deadline

With a little more than one month to go before the NHL 2012 trade deadline (February 27th, 2012 at 3PM EDT), the Montreal Canadiens are desperately trying to make the playoffs.

After 48 games, the Canadiens hold the 11th spot in the Eastern Conference, eight points behind the Washington Capitals who hold the eighth and final playoff spot (53 points). The Habs have not made things easier on themselves, playing weak hockey over their last ten games and going 4-4-2 in the process.

After trading disgruntled sniper Mike Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames in exchange for rugged forward Rene Bourque on, look for GM Pierre Gauthier to continue making changes.

While some fans still hope the Canadiens will be buyers this season, it would be wise for the organization to retool its depleted farm system, acquire prospects and picks to make the team younger.

According to Sports Club Stats, the Canadiens have a mere 14.8% chance of making the playoffs this season.

With that in mind, let's have a look at the Canadiens' best potential trade baits before or on trade deadline day:

Andrei Kostitsyn

The inconsistent winger will certainly attract teams looking for an offensive boost, despite his inconsistent play. The Russian sniper, who will turn 27 in February, will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

AK46, who is making $3.25 million this season, has expressed his interest to stay in Montreal, willing to take a home-town discount. But the 6'0'', 215 lb, has only notched 11 goals and added 11 assists for 21 points in 38 contests with Montreal.

One of the streakiest players in the league, Kostitsyn has reached the 20-goal plateau three times during his career which makes him an attractive and affordable acquisition for a team looking to add depth up front.

Montreal should really consider trading him as he likely fetch a pick and a prospect at the deadline. If he's not signed in the upcoming two or three weeks, look for AK46 to be donning another sweater by March.

POTENTIAL TEAMS INTERESTED: Penguins, Devils, Panthers, Predators, Wild and Kings

Chris Campoli

A few days before the season started, the Canadiens signed him to a $1.75-million, one-year contract as an insurance policy. Campoli, who was mainly signed because All-Star Andrei Markov had a few setbacks during his rehabilitation from off-season knee injury, sustained a hamstring injury in his first game with the Habs.

A frequent healthy scratch after his return from injury, Campoli never really settled in his role as a seventh defenseman. In 13 games, the 27 year-old blue liner has only one goal and one assist.

Look for Campoli to be traded for a 4th or 5th round draft pick before the deadline.

POTENTIAL TEAMS INTERESTED: Blackhawks, Sharks, Devils and Blues

Hal Gill

An experienced penalty killer, Gill has seen his ice-time dwindle under Randy Cunneyworth. But he remains a force on the man-disadvantage, as evidenced by the Habs 89.4% penalty kill efficiency, good for first place in the NHL.

A Stanley Cup winner, Gill is the kind of player that is in high demand come deadline day. His playoff experience can certainly help a team looking for a veteran presence on their bottom defensive pairing.

Look for Gill to fetch a second round draft pick.

POTENTIAL TEAMS INTERESTED: Flyers, Penguins, Sharks, Panthers, Stars and Avalanche

Travis Moen

Another Stanley Cup winner, Moen is a proven veteran that offers size, grit and toughness. Moen can also chip in the occasional goal as shown by his 16 points (9G, 7A) this season.

Making only $1.5 million this year, Moen is also an adept penalty killer and a good skater. The 6'2, 217 lbs left winger will be a hot commodity in the next few weeks.

While the Habs may be interested in re-signing the 29 year-old, it would be better to maximize his value and trade him for a prospect and a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

POTENTIAL TEAMS INTERESTED: Canucks, Red Wings, Sharks, Predators and Senators

Yannick Weber

After a tough start, the power-play specialist has been in and out of the line-up this season. Weber, who has scored all of his four goals with the man-advantage, has also been used as the team's 12th forward during many games.

Making $850,000 this year and next, Weber doesn't seem to fit in the organization's plans anymore. Especially with the emergence of countryman Raphael Diaz and bruiser Alexei Emelin.

The Habs will be looking for another prospect, most likely a forward, in exchange for the Swiss defender.

POTENTIAL TEAMS INTERESTED: Oilers, Islanders, Lightning and Blue Jackets

Mathieu Darche

The journeyman forward is having a very tough season with Montreal, after scoring 12 goals and adding 14 assists for 26 points in 59 games last season. This year, Darche has been unproductive to say the least, notching only two goals and adding four helpers for six points in 48 games.

The impending UFA might interest a team looking for depth on the fourth line and help on the penalty kill. Darche is making only $700,000, so his salary will be easy to fit under the cap.

Darche could fetch a late round pick or a disappointing prospect.

Scott Gomez

Frankly, most Canadiens' fans would like to see Gomez traded for a bag of pucks and a used jock-strap, but it won't happen this year.

With a cap hit of $7,357,143 this season, the Alaskan center has not scored a goal in more than 50 games—his last goal was on February 5th, 2011.

This season, Gomez has again been a major disappointment for the Habs, playing only 18 games and recording a brutal six assists.

Gomez is also -19 over the past two campaigns in Montreal. No one, not even the Habs want him. Gomez is simply going anywhere.

So what do you think? Who do you think are the mostly likely players to be traded?

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Follow Fred on Twitter for more updates on the Canadiens and the NHL in general.

(Photo by Abelimages/Getty Images North America)

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Montreal Canadiens: the untapped offensive potential of Alexei Emelin

After playing the past seven seasons in Russia with Tolyatti Lada and Kazan Ak-Bars, rugged defenseman Alexei Emelin decided to come to North America to make his NHL debut for the team that drafted him 84th overall way back in 2004. In 2010-11, Emelin had his best offensive season in the KHL, registering 11 g and 15 assists for 26 points, while earning 117 penalty minutes. He also finished the year with a +16 ratio.

Despite playing in Russia for what seems like an eternity, Emelin is still only 25 years-old, the moment most defensemen reach their maturity and full potential. While Emelin will never be a constant point-producer in the NHL, he can certainly do better than his 0 point in 14 games so far for the Canadiens this season. Emelin has proved that he can block shots and make a good first pass. But right now, it's clear he is focusing on the defensive aspect of his game, but he showed in the KHL that he can contribute offensively too.



Often a healthy scratch at the beginning of the season, Emelin has now played the last six games due to a rash of injuries on Montreal's blue line and has slowly adjusted to the smaller NHL rinks and the more physical style played in North America. The 6'2'' 220 lb rearguard looks a lot like Red Wings Nicklas Kronwall when he made his North America debut in 2003-04. Kronwall is a hard-hitting defenseman that developed his offensive skills over the years to become Detroit's most important defenseman behind Nicklas Lidstrom. The former has amassed 191 points in 405 games in the NHL, or also one point every two games. Emelin is still far from producing offensively at such a good pace, but let's not forget Kronwall only registered 14 points in 47 games over his first two NHL seasons.

Emelin is currently ranked 32nd in the NHL in total hits with 49 in only 14 games (3.5 hits per game), but is ranked 6th for hits per game behind the likes of Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, Troy Brouwer, Mark Fistric and Steve Ott. Not bad for rookie defenseman used to play in the KHL, not a league that is known for its physical play.

Alexei Emelin hip-checking Ales Hemsky at the blue line


Alexei Emelin with another hip-check on Tomas Vincour


Emelin is by far the Habs most physical defenseman as the rest of the defensive corps is composed of smaller players (Diaz, Weber, Spacek, Gorges) or softer players (Gill, Markov, Campoli) than the Togliatti, Russia, native.

Currently earning $984,200 this season with the Canadiens, Emelin will be a restricted free agent at season's end, so the team will have to decide if they want to sign him long-term in order to prevent him from returning to Russia. The left-handed blue-liner moved to North America in part because of Andrei Markov, who has yet to play this season recuperating from a knee injury that sidelined most of last season.

One has to wonder if Jacques Martin will reunite the two Russians on a defensive pairing in order to groom the young Emelin along a proven veteran to back him up and repair his occasional blunder. Once Emelin earns the confidence of his head coach, he will most likely receive more power play time than the 2:11 minutes he received so far this season!!

Through 14 games this season, Emelin is only seeing 15:11 minutes of time per game despite all the injuries the Canadiens sustained on the blue line. However, when Emelin gets more ice-time on the special units (playing only 43 seconds per game on the penalty kill this season), his ice-time will increase exponentially. With only four penalty minutes, Emelin has been very disciplined despite his rugged style. He has also taken only one penalty while drawing seven, which ranks him 7th in the NHL with a very positive ratio.

Now the question remains: Will Emelin be dressed over smaller defensemen Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber when the Andrei Markov and Jaroslav Spacek come back into action in early December? Or will Emelin be made a healthy scratch more often than not?

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Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

Follow Fred on Facebook and Twitter

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He Said / She Said: Montreal Canadiens Faced With Blueline Logjam

As various reports have noted, Montreal Canadiens' star defenseman Andrei Markov is now practicing with full-contact. On top of that, Jaroslav Spacek and Hal Gill’s injuries do not seem to be of the long term variety, so they should soon be back in the lineup.

So, for the first time since, seemingly, the big-bang, Montreal will potentially be able to ice a full contingent of blueliners. While this is an interesting prospect for the team, it also creates a log jam at the defensive position.

In this edition of He Said/She Said, HabsAddict.com writers Bryan Willey and Rosalyn Roy discuss the implications of the issue.

So, assuming everyone is (relatively) healthy, what should the Habs do with their D once Markov returns?

Bryan Willey: Not a simple question to answer because there is a huge difference between what will be done and what should be done.

Given the philosophy of Jacques Martin, we are going to see a veteran laden line-up that will consist of Markov, Gorges, Gill, Spacek, Subban and my guess Campoli as the sixth guy. The team will then keep Diaz and Weber as the spare parts and ultimately send Emelin to Hamilton.

If the decision were up to me, however, I would be looking for a trade. If there is a taker for his contract then Spacek is my number one choice to find a new area code.

If teams are unwilling to take his $3.833 million contract off their hands then it seems Yannick Weber will be the odd man out.

With that said, should the right deal present itself, I would also be willing to part ways with P.K Subban.

Rosalyn Roy: I agree that what will be done will most likely differ from what should be done, and that Jacques Martin's penchant to value veterans at the expense of what's best for the team will likely come into play when it comes time to make the hard decisions about the blueline.

My choices differ a bit in that I think Markov, Gorges, Gill, Spacek, Subban and Campoli will be the six starters, with Weber playing out of his natural position as a fourth line forward and Emelin kept in the press box as backup. Diaz will get dropped to Hamilton. There is no way Gauthier will take the chance of letting Emelin walk after a seven year wait. It's easier to send Diaz down.

The Habs should really be looking to deal and since Spacek is likely not going anywhere if a veteran is offloaded chances are pretty good it's Campoli.

That said with the insane amount of injuries that this team suffers rather routinely I think Gauthier will be unlikely to pull the trigger just because he has a log jam, and will try to hedge his bets by keeping his blueliners as possible insurance.

Bryan Willey: Personally, I cringe at the thought of Yannick Weber as a fourth line right winger. The best teams in this league roll four lines. Sure, the top three play the bulk of the minutes but you need a dependable fourth unit if you want to go anywhere in the playoffs. Weber as a winger is an experiment that should never again be duplicated.

The problem with the defensive core is that if Weber or Diaz sit then there are two players playing out of position. Sure Gorges and Spacek seem capable, but both play better when they are on the left side.

I agree that Diaz to Hamilton makes the most sense because of the two-way contract but I like the way he plays, more so than Weber. As for Emelin, he absolutely must be in the lineup. He is the only D-man on the team that provides a physical element to the squad. Emelin absolutely must play.

Rosalyn Roy: I don't care for Weber as a fourth line winger either, but if the Habs’ blueline is healthy for more than five minutes it's what I expect will happen. I suspect Martin will worry more about his veterans logging heavy ice time and less about if they're playing out of position or not.

As for Emelin, as you have pointed out he is precisely what we need, but Martin didn't put him into the lineup regularly until he had no choice but to do so. That's why I think he'll get shoved back into the pressbox first, though if it were me I'd put Spacek on the shelf.

Under Martin the young bloods, regardless of performance, always give way to the veterans regardless of ability, performance or what's best for the team.

Bryan Willey: Are you suggesting that Martin may be the issue?

Weber as a fourth liner, Emelin as a press box staple; to me this absolutely means we must seek a trade. The team would have nine D-men on the roster and an apparent lack of depth on the fourth forward line.

I think it is extremely difficult for any of us to accurately project the value a guy like Weber has in the NHL but I just don't see him on this team long term.

There just has to be a team in need of an offensive blueliner with a stock pile of fourth liners and willing to trade.

Perhaps the answer to this conundrum is a bigger deal involving more than just a utility defenseman?

Rosalyn Roy: I am suggesting that Martin is a creature of habit and it makes him somewhat predictable. If all the Montreal blueliners are suddenly magically healthy the only way no one gets dealt is if Diaz is sent down and the Habs decide to carry eight blueliners as insurance.

As far as deals go, I'd expect Weber to be in the mix if we do deal a young puck moving defender, but beyond that I have no predictions.

What about the rest you, what do you think? What should the Habs do if and when their blueline is healthy?



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Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!

Rosalyn used to frequent the old Forum during her early childhood when her father was a corporate season ticket holder, where she fell in love with Larry Robinson, so her lifelong obsession with the Habs is entirely his fault.

He Said / She Said is regular column on HabsAddict slated to appear on a bi-weekly basis.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Montreal Canadiens Josh Gorges: His Value to the Habs Is Underrated

Looking for a multi-year contract after an injury-riddled 2010-11 campaign, restricted free agent Josh Gorges had to settle for a one year $2.5 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens this off-season.

Gorges missed 46 games last year with a knee injury.

He originally tore up his right knee during his last season with the Kelowna Rockets, of the WHL, and had hoped to postpone the surgery until his retirement.

Despite what Gorges may say, the surgery was the best thing that could happen to him and the Canadiens.

Gorges has been far more effective this season for the Canadiens, playing on a depleted defensive corps that has seen four key veterans miss time with injuries.

Currently paired with the offensive-minded P.K. Subban, Gorges has been the calming veteran presence that Jacques Martin needs to keep his team afloat.

The Canadiens are currently using four rookies on their blue line—winning two of their last three games—both via shutout, with Frederic St-Denis, Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin combining for only 104 games in the NHL.

That's not a small feat, especially against the red-hot New York Rangers on Saturday.

With a 9-8-3 record for 21 points after 20 games, the Habs are only one point back from the eighth seed—Ottawa Senators is eighth in the Eastern Conference—and Josh Gorges has been a key to the Habs 6-3-1 record over their last ten games.

Through 20 games, Gorges leads the Canadiens defensemen with one goal—a game-winner in Phoenix—and seven assists for eight points.

The 27-year old defenseman is on pace for a career-high of 33 points, ten more than his previous summit of 23 points in 2008-09.

Gorges is also ranked 12th in the NHL with an impressive plus-10 +/- differential. The second best Habs player is Travis Moen at plus-six. The Kelowna native also has 24 hits and seven takeaways this season.

Most impressively, Gorges is currently second in the whole league with 52 blocked shots, seven behind the NHL leader Ladislav Smid of the Edmonton Oilers.

Gorges is averaging 21:42 minutes per game this season, which is second on the team only behind P.K. Subban's 23:47 minutes per game. Despite playing far less than some defensemen, Gorges is averaging 30.6 shifts per game for the Canadiens, which is good for eighth in the NHL.

Gorges is also ranked 13th among rearguards with 3:48 of PK icetime on ice per game—eight seconds more per game than penalty-killing specialist Hal Gill.

To top it off, all of Gorges' points have come at even strength as he's barely used on the power play. In fact, he presently averages a mere seven seconds of PP time per game!

Acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with a first round pick—which the Canadiens turned into Max Pacioretty—in exchange for veteran Craig Rivet, Gorges has turned into one of the most undervalued and underrated blueliners in the league.

When he arrived in Montreal, Gorges was often a healthy scratch and played only sporadically when dressed. Now, he has been given the task of shutting down the top players in the league on a nightly basis.

And he does so with great success.

The problem is that this situation might turn out to be a major problem for GM Pierre Gauthier. The Habs GM has painted himself into a corner by giving Gorges a one-year deal, preferring to extend a longer, three-year contract to brittle veteran Andrei Markov.

One has to wonder if Gauthier will have enough money to retain Gorges' services since he needs to re-sign RFAs P.K. Subban and Carey Price—both will likely hit the jackpot, signing long-term extensions.

The Canadiens' GM needs to “think outside the box” and start negotiating with one of these key players immediately. Every game Gorges plays, every solid mistake free shift he takes, he gets a little more expensive.

With both veterans Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek slated to become unrestricted free agents at season's end, Gorges' experience and leadership will be even more so important for the Bleu Blanc Rouge's long-term plans.

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Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

Follow Fred on Facebook and Twitter

(Photo Getty Images North America)

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Habs Roundup: Markov, Gomez, Spacek, Sunday Shinny and a Hockey Party

Since the "new" NHL launched a few years back there have been a myriad of changes in the league.

First and foremost is, of course, a crack down on obstructions—one that has been relaxed considerably in recent years.

Another change that can be felt more tangibly, is that of the NHL schedule. I remember working for a software company, in a previous life, that pitched the NHL on automating their scheduling system.

At the time, it was one guy—yes, one guy—who did all of the scheduling by hand. He had a massive white board with logos for teams, various arena schedule information and other aids to help him put together a given NHL season schedule.

I know, total insanity.

But in recent years, this man has been replaced by software and, as such, we have seen a dramatic increase in teams randomly having several days off.

Witness the current five-day break the Habs are on as exhibit 'A'.

A question of momentum

With the Habs fresh on the heels of a three-game winning streak including back-to-back Ws over the rival Boston Bruins, the timing of the break is not necessarily great.

It remains to be seen how the extended break will affect the team, but suffice it to say that there is something to be said about keeping the momentum going. Especially considering the Habs were just starting to turn their horrible start around.

But who knows, they might come out with fire on their eyes on Friday as they face the red-hot Ottawa Senators.

I know, that doesn't roll off the tongue very well does it?

The only team ahead of the Sens—Ottawa is second in the Northeast with 14 points—are the Toronto Maple Leafs with 15 points.

That also doesn't roll off the tongue very well, but such is the 2011-2012 NHL season so far.

If there is a bright side to the Habs early November break, it is that they have time to lick their many wounds. That and they are, at least, going into the break on a winning streak.

Can you imagine all the hand-wringing that would be going on if they had just lost three in a row?

Better D

Jaroslav Spacek made his return to the lineup at the same time that assistant coach Perry Pearn was let go.

And while some are looking at the departure of Pearn as the reason for the turnaround, I think that Spacek's presence in the lineup isn't getting enough press.

With him out of the lineup, Montreal was forced to play Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin and give them major minutes.

Combine that with second-year defenseman, P.K. Subban, Josh Gorges and what looks to be an over-the-hill Hal Gill, and Montreal simply did not have enough experience in the lineup.

Spacek's presence on the back end helped to calm some of the young guns, especially his frequent playing partner Weber.

I think that having more experience on the backend helped the Habs get their transition game going, while allowing the coaching staff to spread out the ice time.

The result: a three-game win streak in which Gill has averaged around 18 minutes per game, along with Weber and Diaz.

Walking Wounded

Both Andrei Markov and Scott Gomez have been skating on their own and look to make returns to the lineup in the not-so-distant future.

Markov is probably still about three weeks away, maybe more, but Gomez looks like he could be back as early as this weekend.

So the big question floating around town is where does he fit in the lineup?

The short answer is that he doesn't.

Gomez has done nothing over the last two seasons to show that he deserves to be in the lineup. Moreover, with David Desharnais and Lars Eller getting more and more ice time, the two young centers are looking better each game.

Desharnais is a known commodity from last season but the emergence of Lars Eller as a big, strong two-way center has been nothing short of a revelation for the Habs.

Sure he doesn't have the best hands in the world and likely will never be a 30-goal scorer. But he should hit 20. Maybe even 25.

What's more important is that he, finally, gives the Habs some size up the middle.

So what do you do? Bump him to the fourth line in favour of Gomez, giving the Habs three small centers in their top-nine?

Personally, I'd let Gomez sit, look for a trade option or send him down to Hamilton.

That's a pipe dream, I know, but that's what I'd do.

As for the veteran-loving Jacques Martin, well, he will likely dislodge a player who is playing well in favour of getting Gomez back into the lineup. And that, my friends, is a crying shame.

Chris Nilan floated the idea, on TSN 990, of playing him on as a third line winger.

I suppose that's possible but I don't see a player who has been a "career" center, faring well in that transition.

Either way, Habs management has some big decisions to make!

Guaranteed Win Night

So the gents from The Franchise weekend morning show (on TSN 990) and I are throwing a hockey party this Saturday and you are all invited!

Why 'Guaranteed win night'? Because if the Habs lose, you get a coupon for free chicken wings!

It's at Brasserie Sports 40 in Anjou and costs $10 at the door which gives you entry into the party and one raffle ticket for our prize draw.

We'll be giving away tickets, jerseys and so much more! Plus, a portion of the proceeds will be going to Team in Training (TNT) charity.

If that wasn't enough, Chris 'Knuckles' Nilan will be in attendance.

So come out, watch the game (Habs v. Rangers) talk some hockey with Nilan, help out a charity and possibly win some prizes.

I'm hoping to see some of you Habs addict out there! Shoot me a message if you're going to make it, I'd love to meet you all face-to-face!

Here's the FB page on the event.

New Sunday Shinny podcast

Lastly, but not leastly (can you say that?), here is our Sunday Shinny podcast from this past Sunday.

Former NHLer and current radio analyst for TSN 990, Bobby Dollas, was in studio with us.

It's always an amazing experience to hear a former player talk about the league and what goes on behind the scenes. I highly recommend checking out the podcast!

We discussed the return Gomez, Markov, the firing of Pearn, the Habs recent turnaround and so much more.

When it comes to Gomez I contented that he has never been more superfluous to the Habs lineup.

Never.

On Markov, I said that his return to the lineup will make Emelin the eighth D-man while pushing Diaz and Weber down the line. So does that mean that Emelin will go back to the KHL?

The bottom line is that, to me, the logjam spells a trade, probably of either Weber or Diaz, and that is a tough choice!

What do you think? Who goes where when Markov and Gomez are back? Is there a trade in the works?

Click play below to listen in (listing time 51:05):


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Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/

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The Sunday Shinny - Oct 30, 2011 - Pearn, Ladouceur, Gomez, Markov, Weber, Diaz and more

In this episode of the Sunday Shinny, Gary Whittaker, Nick Murdocco and Kamal Panesar welcome former NHL defenseman, Bobby Dollas, to the studio.

Topics include:

-The Perry Pearn firing
-was it the right move?
-How are people around the league seeing it?
-is Randy Ladouceur an upgrade?
-Scott Gomez: What happens to the lineup once he comes back?
-Who sits?
-Does Gomez sit?
-Andrei Markov: What happens to the defense when he is back
-Emelin is currently 7th D-man, will he stick around as 8th?
-Weber or Diaz?
-and much more...

Click play below to listen in (listing time 51:05):


(Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images Sport)

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Habs lose Chris Campoli to hamstring injury

The Montreal Canadiens have lost rearguard Chris Campoli to a hamstring injury that he suffered during yesterday's contest against the Maple Leafs.

Campoli left the game in the second period following an awkward movement in front of Carey Price's net. Yannick Weber, who dressed as a forward, took his spot on the blueline to finish the game, which the Habs lost 2-0.

The newly acquired rearguard left the arena on crutches and he is expected to miss up to three weeks because of the injury. Look for Alexei Emelin to draw back into the line-up and the Canadiens to call-up a forward as Weber will move back to the blueline. More tests will be done today to assess the extent of the injury.

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Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred joined HabsAddict in time for the 2011-12 season.

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Habs v Lightning, Weber, Campoli, Leafs Kadri, Flyers, Sens, Jets and more...

Habs News

Hockey Inside/Out - Last home exhibition game for Habs
http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/last-home-exhibition-game-for-habs

Postcard, video, audio from camp
http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/postcard-from-camp-2

RDS - Un avenir incertain pour Yannick Weber
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/327236.html

Frédéric St-Denis a fait ses preuves
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/327225.html

TSN - 30 TEAMS IN 30 DAYS: MONTREAL CANADIENS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376959

HabsWorld.net - Writers Weigh In: Adding Campoli
http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2592


NHL News
DREGER: JETS KEEN OBSERVERS OF THE REALIGNMENT PROCESS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=377001

FLYERS' SESTITO SUSPENDED FOR TWO REGULAR SEASON GAMES
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376979

NO SUSPENSION FOR SENATORS' NEIL AFTER HIT ON GRABOVSKI
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376975

KADRI'S INJURY TO KEEP HIM OUT OF LEAFS LINEUP FOR 3-4 WEEKS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376966

POLICE CHARGE MAN AFTER LONDON BANANA INCIDENT
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376968

NHL TEAMS LOOK TO MINOR LEAGUE AFFILIATES FOR HEAD COACHES
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376991

ESPN.com - Rep versus reality for Boudreau, Caps
http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2011/story/_/id/7028279/2011-12-nhl-season-preview-bruce-boudreau-given-another-chance-capitals

THN.com - VIDEO: Puck Panel – Los Angeles Kings 2011-12 preview
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41992-VIDEO-Puck-Panel-Los-Angeles-Kings-201112-preview.html

Spector's Hockey - NHL Rumors – September 29, 2011
http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/09/29/nhl-rumors-september-29-2011/

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Palushaj, Weber, Desharnais, Pandolfo, Canes, Kassian and more...

NHL News

Hockey Inside/Out - Recommended reading
http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/recommended-reading

Habsworld.net - Fantasy Focus: Yannick Weber
http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=2572

Hockeybuzz.com - Double D, Blip on the Radar or Stealth Weapon?
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Steven-Hindle/Double-D-Blip-on-the-Radar-or-Stealth-Weapon/139/37881

TSN - 30 TEAMS IN 30 DAYS: BOSTON BRUINS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375140

PANDOLFO TO ATTEND ISLANDERS' TRAINING CAMP ON TRYOUT BASIS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=375072

THN.com - Kennedy: Hurricanes prospects look to follow Jeff Skinner's lead
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41659-Kennedy-Hurricanes-prospects-look-to-follow-Jeff-Skinners-lead.html

VIDEO: One-on-one with Buffalo Sabres prospect Zack Kassian
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41658-VIDEO-Oneonone-with-Buffalo-Sabres-prospect-Zack-Kassian.html

VIDEO: One-on-one with Canadiens prospect Aaron Palushaj
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41655-VIDEO-Oneonone-with-Canadiens-prospect-Aaron-Palushaj.html

Sportsnet - Funeral services to be held Sunday for Belak
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2011/09/04/belak_funeral/

Spector's Hockey - NHL Rumors from the Blogosphere – September 4, 2011
http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/09/04/nhl-rumors-from-the-blogosphere-september-4-2011/

Updates on Brad Marchand & Jay Pandolfo
http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/09/04/updates-on-brad-marchand-jay-pandolfo/

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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