SB Nation - Marc Denis

If Halak Could Be On The Move, It May Be Due To Cedrick Desjardins Continuing To Defy The Odds In Hamilton

Robert L — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:53:43 -0000

When Canadiens fans consider the top prospects in the organization the first thoughts usually center around pivot Louis Leblanc, who was cut today from the Team Canada junior camp. Other names crop up, such as defensemen P.K. Subban and Yannick weber as well as center Ben Maxwell, but a name often overlooked and seldom caught on the radar is goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, currently burning up the AHL statistically.

Desjardins is the subject of a column today by Mathias Brunet of La Presse, who reports that the Bulldogs stopper is on fire of late, having surrendered but one goal in his last four games.

Call it food for thought, but could this be why Jaroslav Halak trade rumours are heating up at the moment?

Consider the following: Desjardins' record is 8-4-1-4 with a 1.45 GAA. His save percentage is .944, second best in the AHL behind Dallas Stars prospect Brent Krahn. He recently came within minutes of topping a 1957 Johnny Bower AHL record for consecutive shutout minutes.

Those are the kind of numbers that turn heads in a league!

For Canadiens' fans unacquainted with Desjardins, it may be due to the fact that he was a somewhat unheralded free agent signing in 2006. After getting his start with the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL during the Sydney Crosby era, Desjardins moved on the Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts, winning the Memorial Cup in 2006.

He has come a long way from being drafted 200th overall by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Q in 2002. His first season in junior has hardly a success, winning only one of 23 games he appeared in.

By the 2004-05 season, he had moved on to Rimouski, earning the starters job. It was a season of growth playing alongside Crosby, and the Oceanic made it all the way to the Memorial Cup final, which they lost to the powerhouse London Knights 4-0.

At 20 years of age, and undrafted at the NHL level, Desjardins did not despair in his search for a professional contract. He signed on with Roy's Remparts as an overaged junior, and Quebec rode his hot hand all the way to the league championship, which was lost in six games to the Moncton Wildcats. As Moncton for the host team for the Memorial Cup that season, Desjardins and the Remparts, as finalists, were given a bye into the Canadian junior final round robin.

It was there that Desjardins truly made a lasting impression, as he guided the underdog Remparts to the Memorial Cup title. He was stellar under the gun in the final game as the Wildcats fired 48 shots in his direction, beating him only twice as Quebec cruised to a 6-2 upset.

Later that summer, Desjardins was invited to the Chicago Blackhawks training camp, but eventually signed a contract to play with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

With goalies Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Cristobal Huet and Yann Danis all ahead him on the Canadiens depth chart in goal, Desjardins was assigned to the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones in October of 2006. He was twice called to Hamilton first replacing Halak when he was called up to Montreal and a second time upon the trade of Huet to Washington.

In 2008, following the Bulldogs missing the playoffs, he was returned to the Cyclones just in time to lead them all the way to the Kelly Cup title in 2008.

Like he done in the Quebec league prior, Desjardins was once again named playoff MVP.

Last season, desjardins split time in Hamilton with veteran Marc Denis and has shared the load this season with Curtis Sanford.

A high point in his career in the Canadiens organization came at the Habs' camp in 2008, when he was put in goal for the third period of an exhibition game against the Detroit Red Wings. Desjardins allowed no goals in his 25 minutes of play including overtime, and promptly shut the door on the Wings snipers in the shootout in backstopping the Habs to the win.

The 24 year old from Edmunston, New Brunswick has made a career of defying the odds against him. From Brunet's La Presse article, current Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher had this this to say:

Everywhere Cedrick has played, he was tagged as the goalie who most assumed would not lead. He was the guy in nets by default or circumstance. With the Oceanic, he came into the team plans as a third string goalie but performed well enough to play regularly. In time, he became the starter, but we weren't sure of winning with him, so the team aquired a 20 year old to take the helm. Cedrick soon outperformed him as well. We won the President's Cup and made it to the Memorial Cup final that season. Crosby and Desjardins were incredible in those playoffs.

Boucher goes on to answer in theory why Desjardins had continuously flown under the radar.

As a goalie, he does not have an imposing presence about him, nor is he looked upon as having abundant natural abilities. But, he's a ferocious competitor. He's extraordinarily strong on second and third rebounds. He pulls rabbits out of his hat it seems. At any given time, when he looks beaten, he'll surprise and make the stop. It's not luck. He's extremely quick and very athletic.

Brunet goes on to say that Boucher and his assistants helped in refining Desjardins' technique.

In Rimouski, as an assistant coach, I was in charge of handling Desjardins' psychological approach in games. I've known him well for some time now and we have put in a lot of time together. We've worked on patience together. The biggest difference between junior and pro or the East Coast League is that the initial shot on goal becomes much more important. In junior, that first shot is easier to stop because it is not as hard. At the pro level, shots are fired without warning. Pro levels goalies who are having difficulties adjusting are the ones who have the most trouble with that first shot. What Cedrick had to learn was to concentrate singularly on that first shot instead of worrying abou the consequences of a rebound. He had a tendency to try and predict what he would be doing next rather than focusing on the first task. Now he more concentrated on the first chance and as aggressive on rebounds.

In talking of Desjardins and his season, Boucher would not yet term either he or Sanford as the team's number one goalie. Sanford has been equally strong, but his wife has recently given birth and Desjardins' performances have come during the veteran's lightened workload. The goalies had been alternating until recently, but as Desjardins gained the hot hand, Boucher felt it best to ride it out.

The coach was non-committal as per Desjardins short or longer term prospects with the Canadiens. That talk was not up for discussions as Boucher would not want such scenarios hampering his goalie's focus at the present time.

He must continue to focus uniquely on the next game and not about what comes along in two weeks time. Not on whether in six months he'll be the number one. In Hamilton, our goals are to help the players reach the NHL level and Cedrick has always taking things a step at a time. For now, his challenge is to demonstate the consistency required from being a number one AHL goalie.

Rangers Pregame: Scouting the Canadiens

Jim Schmiedeberg — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:26:36 -0000

Let's take a look at tonight's opponent, the Montreal Canadiens:

Montreal Canadiens

Head Coach: Jacques Martin

Home Arena: Bell Centre

Current Record: 4-5, 4th place, Northeast Division

Last Season vs. Rangers: 2-2

SBNation Home of the Montreal Canadiens: Habs Eyes On The Prize

Who's In:

Scott Gomez via trade from New York Rangers, Mike Cammalleri (free agent, Calgary Flames), Brian Gionta (free agent, New Jersey Devils), Jaroslav Spacek (free agent, Buffalo Sabres), Paul Mara (free agent, New York Rangers), Travis Moen (free agent, San Jose Sharks), Hal Gill (free agent, Pittsburgh Penguins), and Curtis Sandford (free agent, Vancouver Canucks).

Who's out:

Christopher Higgins, Doug Janek, Alex Kovalev (signed with Ottawa Senators), Saku Koivu (signed with Anaheim Ducks), Mike Komisarek (signed with Toronto Maple Leafs),Tom Kostopoulos (signed with Carolina Hurricanes), Alex Tanguay (signed with Tampa Bay Lightning), and Mathieu Schneider (signed with Vancouver Canucks).

Leading Scorer:

Tomas Plekanec

#14 / Center / Montreal Canadiens

Height: 5-11

Weight: 198

Born: Oct 31, 1982

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2009 - Tomas Plekanec	2	6	8	2	4

Things to watch for tonight:

Even Strength: Montreal only has 12 goals in games at even strength, 24th in the league. Rangers have scored 21 goals at even strength, that is good enough for 7th in the league.

Rangers PK vs Montreal PP: Habs power play is 22nd in the league, Rangers PK is now 5th in the league.

First Goal: Montreal is 1-4 when they give up the first goal, Rangers are 5-1 when they get on the board first.

Old friends: Scott Gomez has 5 pts so far for the Habs, as does Paul Mara.

More after the jump.......

A few notes from Habs Inside Out:

Hab fans like to boast about their prospect list, but the Rangers are right up there with them. In fact, they’re ahead of Montreal is this important aspect of the game. New York has no less than five young pivots in the system that could make the big team one day. Artem Anisimov (6'4", on the team), Eveny Grachev (6'3", will arrive soon), Chris Kreider (New York’s answer to Louis Leblanc), Ethan Werek (good old Stouffville boy), and David Kveton (sleeper) are all decent prospects. Who the hell needs Gomez when these guys are in the pipeline?

Speaking of kids, the defense is brimming with great prospects, some of whom are already with the big club. My player to watch tonight is Michael Del Zotto. Born and raised in Stouffville, this guy has burst onto the scene and has added a much needed punch to the anemic Ranger PP. Del Zotto has four goals and five assists with three PP goals (shoots L). Not that fast on the blades, but he can really move the puck around. Soft hands and a great shot make him a perfect point man. Could be better in his own end but who cares? That’s somebody else’s job! Wears #4.

A few more stories on Les Habitants:

Scott Gomez caught in rumour mill (Montreal Gazette)

Bob Gainey's tenure with the Habs has been ruled by panic (Montreal Gazette)

Here is a review of the Habs win over the Islanders from Habs World.

2009-10 Montreal Canadiens Season Preview: A Chemistry Experiment

Robert L — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:32:55 -0000

There is little denial in the fact that the Montreal Canadiens 2008-09 campaign fell short of lofty expectations, and moves during the off season have been made to change the face of the team. An overhaul the likes of which has rarely been seen in Canadiens history was performed by Habs GM Bob Gainey during the summer, and in the course of 48 hours beginning July 1, the club underwent cosmetic surgery. Not only were the team given a facelift, it underwent a nip and tuck, received a facial makeover and skin graft in the process. When all was said and done, it could be termed that the results amounted to something more akin to a heart transplant.

In bringing in seven free agents and a new coach, the hopes are that in one fell swoop that team chemistry has been refurbished, that team spirit will be rejuvenated, that the game plan has been remodeled, that excitement will be renewed, all with objectives restored and pride repaired.

The new look Habs that emerged in the wake of Gainey's scalpel caught everyone off guard, and there has been a certain resistance to the excitement brought about by the changes. In certain parts, critics of the multitude of moves have pointed out that the club did not require such drastic measures, and that Gainey's moves were an overreacion to Centennial season disappointments. With favorite players gone missing, there is a sense that had the Canadiens simply remained healthy last season, a more progressive undertaking could have taken place.

Only time will tell the tale of whether Gainey's chemistry experiment works or if it is a simple shuffling of the deck and nothing more. Either way, unanswered questions abound.

Offseason Changes - Who's In:

Fresh faces include Scott Gomez via trade from New York Rangers, Mike Cammalleri (free agent, Calgary Flames), Brian Gionta (free agent, New Jersey Devils), Jaroslav Spacek (free agent, Buffalo Sabres), Paul Mara (free agent, New York Rangers), Travis Moen (free agent, San Jose Sharks), Hal Gill (free agent, Pittsburgh Penguins), and Curtis Sandford (free agent, Vancouver Canucks).

Within the ranks - Who's New:

The Molson family, brothers Geoff, Justin and Andrew are into the final stages of purchasing the club from George Gillett. Jacques Martin was hired as the team new coach June 1. Also added were longtime Martin assistant coach Perry Pearn, goaltending coach Pierre Groulx and strength and conditioning coordinator Lorne Goldenberg. Guy Boucher is the new bench boss in Hamilton, with assistants Martin Raymond and Daniel Lacroix.

Offseason Changes Who's Out:

Vanishing after the house cleaning are Chris Higgins and Doug Janek (traded to New York Rangers), Alex Kovalev (signed with Ottawa Senators), Saku Koivu (signed with Anaheim Ducks), Mike Komisarek (signed with Toronto Maple Leafs),Tom Kostopoulos (signed with Carolina Hurricanes), Alex Tanguay (signed with Tampa Bay Lightning), and Mathieu Schneider (signed with Vancouver Canucks). Unsigned with any club at present are Robert Lang, Patrice Brisebois, Francis Bouillon, Mathieu Dandenault, and Marc Denis.

Within the ranks - Who's Out:

Gillett, assistant coach Doug Jarvis, goaltending coach Roland Melanson, conditioning coordinator Scott Livingstone, Hamilton coaches Don Lever and Rick Wilson, the waterboy, the tape guru and the kitchen sink.

23 Man NHL Roster and Organizational Depth:

Forward Lines:

Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri / Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei Kostitsyn / Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse, Travis Moen / Glen Metropolit, Georges Laraque, Matt D' Agostini / Kyle Chipchura, Max Pacioretty

Defense Pairings:

Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek / Roman Hamrlik, Paul Mara / Josh Gorges, Hal Gill / Ryan O' Byrne

Goaltending:

Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak

Rookies on the brink:

Forward Max Pacioretty, who played in 34 games last season is the surest bet to make the club. Defenseman Yannick Weber is likely to see some games as an injury callup. Grinder Gregory Stewart is on the bubble. Ben Maxwell is the fifth or sixth centerman and saw seven game of NHL action last season. Defense prospect P.K. Subban will get a good long look during training camp.

Contracts at NHL Numbers

Team Strengths:

The key to the Canadiens offensive success will rest on defenseman Andrei Markov and center Scott Gomez. The team has two, potentially three lines of offensive thrust. Coaching may be the biggest asset of all, as Martin brings more experience behind the Canadiens than there has been in two decades.

Team Weaknesses:

Size up front, especially regarding the trio of Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri is a concern. While it is unclear at this point whether they will form a regular line, all three are proven NHL players. Goaltending, once a strength, is now seen as an area of concern.

Key Players:

While team strengths are well spread out, the outcome of this season will rely much on Andrei Markov remaining his solid self, Gomez producing numbers at a better clip than his past two seasons, and Carey Price becoming more dependable over the long haul.

Coaching Factor:

New coach Jacques Martin is regarded as a disciplined and structured individual who should help many of the Canadiens younger talents grow and prosper. His style often resembles his somewhat dry personality, but Martin brings more than just a simple shut down game to the table. A Martin coached club can be hard to play against, but they can also be hard to play for. He is demanding in many extents, and in preaching responsability to players who have waivered from this facet in the past should translate into good things. Players will know where they stand with Martin.

Breakout Players:

While no large increase in offensive totals should be expected, the totals of Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse should increase to regular contributor status. Brother Andrei remains a 40 goal threat while sibling Sergei has 60 point potential if disciplined and employed with regular line mates.

Areas Of Improvement:

In 2008-09, the Canadiens were let down by sub par seasons from a trio of players, namely the Kostitsyn brothers and Tomas Plekanec. For the Canadiens to make the playoffs, all three must rebound and play to their level. It's also expected that the Canadiens will be tightened up in their own end, playing a tidier style that results in less bad goals on a defenseless Price.

Under The Gun:

GM Gainey could be in the firing line should the massive changes not pay off. Players under pressure to bounce back and produce include Gomez, the brothers, Plekanec, goaltender Price and gunslinger Laraque.

Conspicuous Contracts:

Deals given to Gomez (while a Ranger) and Gionta has raised more than a few eyebrows. Both numbers are in the hard to justify category. Plekanec received a hefty raise on the doorstep of arbitration. After an extreme letdown season, his numbers could spell trade bait should he begin to disappoint once more.

Upcoming Season Projection:

Judging by Northeast Division competition, the Canadiens will again be most concerned with the Boston Bruins, and depending on the unforseen, could challenge for top spot in the East. The talent and grit on the Canadiens is aplenty, but the work ethic will tell the tale. Variables such as adaptability to opponents and injuries to key players could once again damage a fragile team psyche. Should the Canadiens start strong, and all the chemistry experiments work out, the team will be better insulated and confident for what will be long and interesting season.

Bold Prediction Time:

While a top 3 finish in the division would depend on how Boston fares, it's not altogether out of the question. A more likely scenario would have the Habs finishing between 4th and 6th.

Mainstream Media Coverage:

Montreal Canadiens Official Site, The Montreal Gazette, Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, Rue Frontenac and Le Journal de Montreal

Best Blog and Team Sites:

Lions In Winter, Ya! The Habs Rule!, Four Habs Fans, Habs World, The H Does Not Stand For Habs, Dennis Kane, Daily Habit, Berkshire on the Habs, Go Habs, Yves On Habs

Various images and video coutesy of Habs Inside Out and the Canadiens official site

2009-10 Montreal Canadiens Preview: A Chemistry Experiment

Robert L — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:43:43 -0000

Only time will tell the tale of whether Gainey's chemistry experiment works or if it is a simple shuffling of the deck and nothing more. Either way, unanswered questions abound.

Offseason Changes - Who's In:

Within the ranks - Who's New:

Offseason Changes Who's Out:

Within the ranks - Who's Out:

23 Man NHL Roster and Organizational Depth:

Forward Lines:

Defense Pairings:

Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek / Roman Hamrlik, Paul Mara / Josh Gorges, Hal Gill / Ryan O' Byrne

Goaltending:

Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak

Rookies on the brink:

Contracts at NHL Numbers

Team Strengths:

Team Weaknesses:

Key Players:

Coaching Factor:

Breakout Players:

Areas Of Improvement:

Under The Gun:

Conspicuous Contracts:

Upcoming Season Projection:

Bold Prediction Time:

While a top 3 finish in the division would depend on how Boston fares, it's not altogether out of the question. A more likely scenario would have the Habs finishing between 4th and 6th.

Mainstream Media Coverage:

Montreal Canadiens Official Site, The Montreal Gazette, Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, Rue Frontenac and Le Journal de Montreal

Best Blog and Team Sites:

Lions In Winter, Ya! The Habs Rule!, Four Habs Fans, Habs World, The H Does Not Stand For Habs, Dennis Kane, Daily Habit, Berkshire on the Habs, Go Habs, Yves On Habs

Various images and video coutesy of Habs Inside Out and the Canadiens official site

CBA facts in the wake of the Prospal buyout

John Fontana — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:21:58 -0000

The fun and games of the NHL CBA (cartoon via www.sharkspage.com)

View full size photo »

Vaclav Prospal was a fan favorite with the Lightning, there's no more evidence of that then now with the reaction to his dismissal from the Bolts. If you look around the web you'll find some Lightning fans up in arms. Other fans out there seem to be making sense out of the move -- they may not like it, but they understand it. Still others are flat-out in denial at Vinny-20 is gone.

This post is sort of aimed at those in denial.... Because the repeated question being asked is if Prospal can now be re-signed by the Lightning for a lower salary, or if restructuring his contract was an option that could have kept him with Tampa Bay.

To be straight to the point: No. And no.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players, ratified in 2005, introduced the buyout option that has been used by the team in this instance (the last player on the Lightning to be bought out was the forgettable Marc Denis). The option basically lets a team severe ties to a player and spread out the cap hit of his contract over X number of seasons until the balance is paid off. From a player perspective, while being a downer of transaction, this is a free-market tool that allows the player to go into the unrestricted free agent pool and determine his own future: where he goes, how much he gets paid... On top of getting 2/3rds of the remainder of his previous contract paid to him in the buyout.

There are no options where, after a buyout, the buyout team can re-sign the player immediately for lower value. Why would you, anyway? You'd be paying him not only over more seasons, but also pad his salary while still paying off the old contract.

This brings us to the concept of contract restructuring, an option employed in the NFL that I would have expected to be implemented under the new CBA but wasn't. In a contract restructuring, the length and dollar amount of the contract is changed or some other terms within the contract itself are appended in order to lessen the cap hit, or perhaps find other ways to compensate a player whose contract is a burden against the salary cap. You see this all the time in pro-football and it enables teams to keep players. Not just the ones who are facing the restructuring of their contract with the team, but others who do not fit under the cap without more cap room created by the restructuring.

Prospal's contract could not be restructured. If it could have, it probably wouldn't have been anyway. The issue most dominant in this move wasn't just the money (though there is a cap savings through this move) but the player age and his contribution to the squad In proper use, the contract that would have been restructured for the sake of lessening the cap hit and creating more room under the cap would sooner have been Vincent Lecavalier's 11 year, $85 Million deal. The entire keep-or-trade hoopla before July 1st was a forced one-or-the-other choice because of lack of options with his contract.

And, in essence, every player and every team faces the cold do-or-don't, stay-or-go absolutes under the CBA. That's not a good thing for franchises, for players, or for the fans in this salary cap era.

Habs Sign Goalie Curtis Sanford

Robert L — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 22:39:56 -0000

Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced Monday the signing of goaltender Curtis Sanford to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2009-10 season. As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Read the rest of the Canadiens press release here.

Two thoughts off the top of my noggin right away.

I equate the name "Sanford" with terms like junkyard, rubble, salvage...comes from watching too many 1970's sitcoms I gather.

Second, if the Canucks upgraded their backup goaltending position by cutting Sanford loose and signing Andrew Raycroft, I wonder how much potential there is in the Habs new stopper.

Essentially he is replacing Marc Denis.

The question we all hope to never find out the answer to is: How many games can Sanford play in Montreal?

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

NHL Free Agency: Montreal Canadiens Needs And Wants

Robert L — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 23:54:17 -0000

Pending UFA's (13): D Mike Komisarek, D Mathieu Schneider, F Saku Koivu, F Alex Kovalev, F Alex Tanguay, F Robert Lang, D Francis Bouillon, D Mathieu Dandeneault, F Tom Kostopoulos, D Patrice Brisebois, G Marc Denis, D Doug Janik, D Alex Henry

Pending RFA's (6): F Guillaume Latendresse, F Tomas Plekanec, F Chris Higgins, F Matt D' Agostini, F Kyle Chipchura, F Greg Stewart

Salary cap space: All kinds - in the neighborhood of 34.8 - to spend freely!

Projected budget: The cap ceilling of 56.8M.

Key needs: Retaining defenseman Komisarek and fan favorite Kovalev, while adding size and scoring prowess to the center position.

Potential targets: Mainly, the Sedins twins via free agency, Vincent Lecavalier via the trade route, and Francois Beauchemin in response to the potential loss of Komisarek, are staters. With more cap space available than all other teams, agents and GM's will be calling Montreal instead of vice versa this summer.

What our rivals want: Maple Leafs, Senators, and Bruins ...who cares - let's just keep an eye on where the Penguins are headed!

Overview and current status:

According to NHL Numbers, the Canadiens currently have 15 players on NHL contracts totalling 23.52M. They are forwards Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, Georges Laraque, Glen Metropolit, Maxim Lapierre, defensemen Andrei Markov, Roman Hamrlik, John Gorges and Ryan O'Byrne, and goalies Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. Four other players names appear under this total, and they are forwards Max Pacioretty and Ben Maxwell, and defensemen Yannick Weber and Mathieu Carle. Suffice to say that 11 or 12 roster spots are taken and that 10 more need to be filled.

On his own players, GM Gainey has stated that priority 1 is retaining D Mike Komisarek, and an offer, with esteemed better term that per anum, has been tended. The problem is Komisarek's priority seems to be set on annual renumeration.

The club has also spoken with three other priority players (UFA's) it wishes to retain, and it consists of the line of Koivu, Kovalev, and Tanguay. Of the other 9 UFA's, the club has either informed them of eventual interest or passed on returning them.

The Canadiens expect to become big players come July 1. Gainey, along with several media reports, suggest a variety of scenarios and players to fill the roster. The Habs amount of cap space dictates that they will receive an abundance of calls from agents looking for homes for the players and well as rival GMs calling for assistance and solution with cap issues.

The Vincent Lecavalier scenario has been dangled ad nauseum and is believed to still be in play. Should they not be signed in the next 48 hours, the Sedins will be in the forefront of Gainey's plans. Other players of whom Gainey has shown interest in acquiring in the past, such as Marian Hossa and Martin Havlat, could also come into play.

The club has positioned itself quite favorably for this moment, and it not been accidental by any means. Gainey plans on taking full advantage of the liberty he has afforded himself. One delicious and logical scenario allows for Gainey to bring in the Sedin twins for 12M and spent as much as 15M on the Koivu, Kovalev and Tanguay line (what they made last season). Such costs would leave the team with close to 8 M on the table to retain certain RFA's (a selection of Latendresse, Plekanec, Higgins and D' Agostini), Komisarek if he wishes / changes his mind, or lure Beauchemin or another defender. In either option, he may still have the assets available to make a trade for Lecavalier, depending on what he is willing to subtract from money already allotted for next season.

Here is a line and pairing scenario, without Lecavalier:

Forwards: D. Sedin - H. Sedin - A. Kostitsyn / Tanguay - Koivu - Kovalev / Latendresse - Lapierre - Laraque / Higgins - Plekanec - S. Kostitsyn or Stewart - Metropolit - D' Agostini

Defense: Markov - Komisarek (Beauchemin) / Hamrlik - Weber / Gorges - O'Byrne

Spares: Chipchura, Schneider or Dandeneault, at a low rate.

To fit in Lecavalier money wise, the fourth line could /would be subtracted.

In any scenario, Gainey would likely be selling the idea of the kind of team to be built, perhaps keeping a salary demand of three from his own RFA's in last season's range.

The possibilities will be numerous!

Jacques Demers Plays Habs GM, Picks Dream team

Robert L — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:22:45 -0000

At RDS this past week, former coach Jacques Demers pronounced his thoughts on how he'd handle the Canadiens 10 free agents and the manner in which he would reconfigure the club's composition for next season.

Demers listed the players he would resign and why, who he would trade away, and which players he would acquire via trades and free agency in trying to rebuild the team. The choices somewhat mirror a small fraction of popular opinion, in that it resembles some of what is being said about individual players and the team as a whole by fans, media, and consensus onlookers.

Here are his ideas, translated from the RDS post, followed by what I think of each.

Unrestricted free agents

Saku Koivu:

Koivu a beaucoup donné au Canadien et il aura 35 ans en novembre. Cependant, en raison de sa maladie et des blessures, c’est un peu comme s’il avait le corps d’un athlète de 45 ans. Il n’a jamais triché en ce qui concerne ses performances sur la patinoire et il mérite d’être apprécié ailleurs. À mon avis, ce serait la meilleure chose pour lui d’aller jouer ailleurs.

Koivu has given an awful lot to the Canadiens and he'll be 35 in November. Because of health concerns and injuries, it is as though he has the body of a 45 year old athlete. He's never shortchanged the Canadiens with his effort on the ice and he deserves to be appreciated elsewhere. In my thinking, it might be best for him to leave the scene.

Demers fails to note that this so called 45 year old athlete finished second in playoff scoring and hit Zdeno Chara in the first round more often than a slew of less courageous bodies. Still viewed by too many for what he is not as a player, rather than for all that he is, I still believe Koivu is a keeper for two more seasons. It is true that he tends to max out after giving it his all after 16 to 18 minutes, but a better supported Koivu would offer a generous upside on his usually consistent output. The two week tease of him productively centering Kovalev and Tanguay begs for further investigation. The bottom line in going forward with Koivu, depends largely upon the club bringing in a center capable of assuming a larger role than either Plekanec or Lang were able to provide this past season. The former's regression, and the latter's mid season injury, placed undue focus on Koivu, highlighting once more, for cynical viewers, that too much is being asked of him. His shortcomings should not be confused with the failures of others. On a whole other matter, having a European captain play his entire career in Montreal and retire a Canadien has unspoken dividends against several arguments concerning playing in the city for this organization. The respectful thing to do would be to allow Koivu to determine his own fate by putting his asking price on the table. If it were to be a fair demand, sign him. If otherwise, allow the long standing captain of the team a window of opportunity between now and July 1 to say a proper "so long" to Montreal on his terms. Koivu deserves the most dignified of partings, should that be his choice. It would be no less than heartbreaking to see him in any other jersey than that of the CH, playing out the string.

B's Game Notes: Blue Jackets 2 Bruins 0

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:15:30 -0000

The Bruins dropped a 2-0 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight in a game that featured some big hits and strong goaltending at both ends of the ice. Rookie goalie Steve Mason turned aside all 35 shots that he faced to record his league-leading 9th shutout of the season. The win was Mason's 27th victory of the season, which ties Marc Denis' Columbus Blue Jackets franchise record for most wins in a season.

It took nearly 47 minutes for either team get on the scoresheet tonight. With Zdeno Chara in the box for a borderline high-sticking call, Raffi Torres fired a wrist shot from the right circle that beat Tim Thomas on the blocker side. With the extra attacker on, the Bruins came inches away from tying up the game late in the third period when Zdeno Chara's shot got past Steve Mason, hit off the goal post, and trickled along the goal line before being cleared out of the crease. The Blue Jackets added a goal in the final minute to seal the victory when Rick Nash's dump in from the opposite blue line found it's way into the empty net.

Final - 3.10.2009	1	2	3	Total
Boston Bruins	0	0	0	0
Columbus Blue Jackets	0	0	2	2

Complete Coverage >

Notes:

- The Bruins have now lost 5 of their last 6 games (1-4-1).

- Early in the third period, Tim Thomas and Jiri Novotny collided behind the net as Thomas went back to play the puck. During the play, the strap and chin cup of Thomas' mask broke off. Play was halted for several minutes while the Bruins equipment staff worked to repair his mask. Thomas' mask took longer than expected to repair, so he was forced to play much of the third period wearing Manny Fernandez's mask. The mask was eventually repaired and Thomas was able finish the game with all his own equipment. I'm not sure if Thomas wearing an unfamiliar mask played a role in the game-winning goal or not. Thomas does wear a very unusual style of mask and Fernandez's mask probably didn't fit properly, so it may have affected his vision. After the game, Tim Thomas talked about how he doesn't like to wear other goalies' gear, but refused to use that as an excuse for giving up the goal.

- Mark Stuart and Jared Boll traded punches in the second period after Stuart took exception to Boll's hit on teammate Steve Montador. This came moments after Jan Hejda's big hit on Phil Kessel.

- The B's were 0-3 on the power play tonight.

- This may sound like a dumb statement but the Bruins goal scorers need to start SCORING GOALS!!!

- The Bruins return home after a disappointing 2-game road trip to play the Ottawa Senators Thursday night.