2012 Off-Season Thread

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2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#1 » by spykelee » Mon Apr 9, 2012 2:12 am

It looks like Serge Savard will be working for the Montreal Canadiens longer than originally expected.

Radio-Canada reports that Savard has been appointed the club's senior vice-president of hockey operations.

The Hall of Fame defenceman was handpicked last month by Canadiens owner Geoff Molson to help find a replacement for fired GM Pierre Gauthier.

Radio-Canada says the new general manager, who has yet to be named, will report to Savard.


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/04/ ... _president

The first of many dominoes to fall. Be interesting to see who ends up taking the GM position... hopefully they'll be in place prior to the draft, and then next up seeing where those ping pong balls bounce.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#2 » by Morris_Shatford » Mon Apr 9, 2012 2:33 pm

I don't what my thoughts are on Serge Savard sticking around;
He was GM of the team that won in 86 and 93 but the game has changed a lot and he no longer has Patrick Roy in net.

Expect a lot of French players gracing the roster shortly.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#3 » by spykelee » Tue Apr 10, 2012 10:36 pm

Yea, I'm not sure what to make of him either. I'm not terribly sold that he's in tune with today's game, but hopefully he doesn't have too many hands on the day to day operation of the team. But yea, like yourself, im expecting a lot of french, be it on the roster, or in the front office, good and bad, we'll be french, no doubt about that.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#4 » by spykelee » Thu Apr 12, 2012 2:04 am

Luc Robitaille for GM??

The Montreal Canadiens are planning to reach out to Los Angeles Kings executive Luc Robitaille in their search for a new general manager.

Sources tell Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos that the Canadiens are interested in speaking with the 46-year-old Montreal native, who is currently the Kings' president of business operations.


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/04/ ... gm_search/

not a bad option in my opinion. I've watched a number of younger exces in different sports do a great job. And he speaks french and is probably fairly abreast of the league.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#5 » by Morris_Shatford » Thu Apr 12, 2012 4:49 pm

Yeah,
That is one I can get behind.

He was president of a USHL franchise, and then took over as President of Business Operations for the Kings in 2007.

This is a guy who has spent the last few years learning the business of the game, I like it.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#6 » by spykelee » Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:57 am

So Les Habitans have apparently contacted Saint Patrick about the coaching position

Serge Savard, the team's vice president of hockey operations, confirmed on Wednesday he contacted Roy to discuss the Hall of Famer's future plans.

Roy has long been linked as a potential candidate to take over coaching duties in Montreal, and speculation ramped up last week after his Quebec Remparts were eliminated from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. But Savard maintained that finding a GM is the first priority.

"We're going to fill the position of GM before the coach," he told reporters at the University of Sherbrooke on Wednesday.

The Canadiens fired GM Pierre Gauthier March 29 and have reportedly inquired about several candidates to fill the void, including NHL executive Luc Robitaille, Claude Loiselle, Julien brisebois, player agent Pat Brisson and NBC analyst Pierre McGuire.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#7 » by Morris_Shatford » Mon Apr 30, 2012 2:39 pm

As a coach;
By all means.

As a GM
GTFO

LOL
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#8 » by spykelee » Tue May 1, 2012 3:52 am

That's the way I feel too. No way do I want him, in his first role in the NHL to be in the GM chair. But perfectly fine with him coaching. I think he'd hold guys accountable and be fiery enough, to keep his guys motivated... Just hopefully wouldn't fly off the handle too much.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#9 » by Morris_Shatford » Tue May 1, 2012 2:27 pm

He is a straight up douche;
But he is a straight up douche who can hardly lift his hand under the weight of his cup rings.

I think he can command that locker room in a way that few others could; and I think it certainly would benefit Price.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#10 » by spykelee » Thu May 24, 2012 3:12 am

Spacek rips the old regime...

Off the record over lunch, Spacek chronicled in detail an alarmingly dysfunctional Habs hockey-operations unit that, alongside a ridiculous number of injuries, played a starring role in the team’s rock-bottom finish.

More broadly, he repeated the words spoken by more than one Habs teammate: there was virtually no management communication with players, the club’s style of play seldom suited the roster, and mind-numbingly bizarre rules were legislated, these childish regulations unchanged even after the pleading of veteran leaders.

“So much bad stuff,” Spacek said. “In my 20-year hockey career, I’d never seen anything like it. If you don’t like the way I play, kick me in the ass. But no one said anything. It was terrible.

“But this is a great city, I loved to play here so much, I really enjoyed it. The fans were hard on me, but I understand it’s a big market. I always tried to protect the young kids, to take them out of the (media) scrums. …

“If I’d stayed here, in a bad situation, I’d probably be (retiring). I wouldn’t be playing much, I’d have no confidence and I don’t think anybody would have picked me up.”

He feels for demoted coach Randy Cunneyworth, “who was put in the worst situation ever,” and expresses surprise that Gauthier wasn’t shown the door the same day Jacques Martin was turfed.

That said, Spacek says he’s heard “only positive things” about new GM Marc Bergevin, and believes the change will greatly improve “an organization that’s been in the dark” the past couple of years.


Some perspective on just how bad it got. I'd be curious to know what some of those mind numbingly bad rules where... as far as the team never playing with the kind of talent that was on it's roster, that was evident, even to the most pedestrian of fans I'm sure.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/fantasy/hockey/2012/05/23/hockey_hearsay/
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#11 » by spykelee » Sat May 26, 2012 3:01 pm

Habs hire Dudley as Asst. GM

Even though Rick Dudley has been hired by the Montreal Canadiens for his wealth of hockey knowledge, he won't be sharing any of it in the lead up to the NHL draft.

Dudley is Montreal's new assistant general manager after leaving behind a similar role with the Toronto Maple Leafs to work for his former protege, new Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin.

Bergevin has a "gentleman's agreement" with Toronto GM Brian Burke that Dudley, who has worked extensively on the Maple Leafs' draft preparation, will not take part in the Canadiens' work on the upcoming draft June 22 in Pittsburgh.

"The truth is that in order to be fair to all parties involved it had to take some time, and Marc was good enough to be patient with it, and Brian was good enough to work with us," Dudley said in a conference call Friday from his home in Lewiston, N.Y.

Montreal holds the third overall pick while Toronto has the fifth.

Bergevin acknowledged that he would honour his Maple Leafs counterpart's wishes.

"I have an agreement with Toronto that Rick will not take part in our draft, and I will respect it," Bergevin said.


I don't nescercarily like taking guys from the Maple Leafs... but Dudley has a lot of professional experience, and was the man behind Marc Bergevin in Chicago when he reitred. I don't think it's ever a had idea to have some experience behind the bench.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/05/25/montreal_canadiens_rick_dudley_assistant_general_manager/
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#12 » by Morris_Shatford » Fri Jun 1, 2012 8:51 pm

spykelee wrote:Spacek rips the old regime...

Off the record over lunch, Spacek chronicled in detail an alarmingly dysfunctional Habs hockey-operations unit that, alongside a ridiculous number of injuries, played a starring role in the team’s rock-bottom finish.

More broadly, he repeated the words spoken by more than one Habs teammate: there was virtually no management communication with players, the club’s style of play seldom suited the roster, and mind-numbingly bizarre rules were legislated, these childish regulations unchanged even after the pleading of veteran leaders.

“So much bad stuff,” Spacek said. “In my 20-year hockey career, I’d never seen anything like it. If you don’t like the way I play, kick me in the ass. But no one said anything. It was terrible.

“But this is a great city, I loved to play here so much, I really enjoyed it. The fans were hard on me, but I understand it’s a big market. I always tried to protect the young kids, to take them out of the (media) scrums. …

“If I’d stayed here, in a bad situation, I’d probably be (retiring). I wouldn’t be playing much, I’d have no confidence and I don’t think anybody would have picked me up.”

He feels for demoted coach Randy Cunneyworth, “who was put in the worst situation ever,” and expresses surprise that Gauthier wasn’t shown the door the same day Jacques Martin was turfed.

That said, Spacek says he’s heard “only positive things” about new GM Marc Bergevin, and believes the change will greatly improve “an organization that’s been in the dark” the past couple of years.


Some perspective on just how bad it got. I'd be curious to know what some of those mind numbingly bad rules where... as far as the team never playing with the kind of talent that was on it's roster, that was evident, even to the most pedestrian of fans I'm sure.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/fantasy/hockey/2012/05/23/hockey_hearsay/


The guys were playing with zero fire;
Now we have a bit better of an insight as to why.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#13 » by Morris_Shatford » Fri Jun 1, 2012 8:52 pm

spykelee wrote:Habs hire Dudley as Asst. GM

Even though Rick Dudley has been hired by the Montreal Canadiens for his wealth of hockey knowledge, he won't be sharing any of it in the lead up to the NHL draft.

Dudley is Montreal's new assistant general manager after leaving behind a similar role with the Toronto Maple Leafs to work for his former protege, new Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin.

Bergevin has a "gentleman's agreement" with Toronto GM Brian Burke that Dudley, who has worked extensively on the Maple Leafs' draft preparation, will not take part in the Canadiens' work on the upcoming draft June 22 in Pittsburgh.

"The truth is that in order to be fair to all parties involved it had to take some time, and Marc was good enough to be patient with it, and Brian was good enough to work with us," Dudley said in a conference call Friday from his home in Lewiston, N.Y.

Montreal holds the third overall pick while Toronto has the fifth.

Bergevin acknowledged that he would honour his Maple Leafs counterpart's wishes.

"I have an agreement with Toronto that Rick will not take part in our draft, and I will respect it," Bergevin said.


I don't nescercarily like taking guys from the Maple Leafs... but Dudley has a lot of professional experience, and was the man behind Marc Bergevin in Chicago when he reitred. I don't think it's ever a had idea to have some experience behind the bench.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/05/25/montreal_canadiens_rick_dudley_assistant_general_manager/


I think as a rookie GM its not a bad idea to have a few guys around who have seen it all done it all;

experience is only as good as how much you want to use it;
Burke didnt strike me as a guy who listened to his underlings,
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#14 » by Morris_Shatford » Thu Jun 14, 2012 2:13 pm

Let's talk roster moves;

25.5m in capspace;
BUT 12RFA's (including Price and Subban) and 4UFA's (None of real note)

This sort of puts this all into perspective;

http://capgeek.com/depth_charts.php?team_id=2

Clearly we want to keep Price, Subban, and I would imagine Geoffrion at a minimum.
We also need to keep in mind lead scorer Max Pacioretty is an RFA next summer, as is assist leader David Desharnais.

So whats the priority?

Goal: Clearly you give Price an extension, and you can keep Budaj around on his reasonable deal. the question becomes what does Price command?

I think the conversation starts somewhere between Cam Ward's 6.3m a season for seven seasons and ends somewhere around Pekka Rinne 7m a season for seven years.

If we assume that Price takes him 7m our capspace falls to 18m or so this summer,

Defense: Markov is back, and I am somewhat surprised by Tomas Kaberle's 22pts in 40 or so games he may prove useful moving forward, Gorges is locked up, and then you have to deal with Subban who I would imagine will be making somewhere north of Gorges's 3.9m.

Which leaves us around 14m and a bunch of holes at:

Forward: What a mess.

I think the conversation has to be had with management to just take the suck on Gomez's deal. While it may spread the caphit out, it saves us around 3.6 this season against the cap and 4.5 next season and next season when we have to deal with Desharnais and Pac's contracts is when we will need it.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#15 » by spykelee » Sat Jun 16, 2012 4:58 am

Great post Morris!

Ya I'd have to think there going to try and lock Price up for in and around 7 million a season. I'm not even sure he'd classify himself to be down at Rinne's level though... How much more can we go realistically? It sucks, Price has all the power in these negotiations as we can't let him walk... But much more than 7 million is really going to sting.

Defense, does Markov even count? I don't expect anything at all from him. I've always liked Kaberle though. He makes way too much but he gives us some much needed punch offensively from the back end. His putrid contract must be up fairly soon too no? Happy to have Gorges back, and PK... I'd think right in and around 4 million would get it done. Not sure if he'd put himself over Gorges at this point, we can't back the truck up on potential...

They've certainly got to do something with Gomez. If there convinced he can't contribute at all, which I am convinced of. Then I agree with you, we should just cut him loose. Another big year from Patch is going to really cost us and like you said, we need all the savings we can get.

We're gonna get a good gauge of Bergevin's knowledge of the league real quick. Filling out this roster is going to prove difficult, hopefully he can find some diamonds in the rough.
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#16 » by Morris_Shatford » Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:34 pm

Rinne may not be in the same league as Price,
But he was heavily paid based on what he may do as opposed to what he has done.

If you feel that Price is a superstar goaltender we may see 7.5-ish but I cant imagine he will be walking away much more then that given the contracts goaltenders have.

I don't think its too bad an investment because he is still very young (24) and may still have a lot more to show, you sign him for seven years and you get him for the bulk of his prime.

Perhaps I shouldnt count on Markov, but he didnt look at broken down and slow as I expected him to look over March and April, he looks like he needs conditioning and if he comes in ready to play I think he can play 50 games which is better then nothing.

4m for PK would be ideal;
However, my concern is someone may value him at more and I hate offer sheets and the contracts they create, its gotta get done soon.

I think Gomez is the first test of Bergevin;
Trade him or cut him, either one is a bold move and not necessarily a bad one.

If he shows up in training camp come October then I will have some concerns about his management abilities
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#17 » by spykelee » Fri Jun 22, 2012 3:53 am

Habs to sign Price...

The Montreal Canadiens are expected to sign goaltender Carey Price to a one or two-year arbitration contract if he turns down a long-term deal that’s believed to be in the $40 million range, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has learned.


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/06/21/montreal_canadiens_expected_to_sign_carey_price/
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#18 » by Morris_Shatford » Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:03 pm

spykelee wrote:Habs to sign Price...

The Montreal Canadiens are expected to sign goaltender Carey Price to a one or two-year arbitration contract if he turns down a long-term deal that’s believed to be in the $40 million range, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos has learned.


http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/06/21/montreal_canadiens_expected_to_sign_carey_price/



If the Habs can secure him at 6/40 I would be pretty damn thrilled!
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#19 » by spykelee » Sat Jun 23, 2012 3:52 am

Habs draft Galchenyuk...

The Canadiens, drafting an uncharacteristic third, ignored Alex Galchenyuk's recent injury problems and chose the 18-year-old centre only two picks after Yakupov, his teammate with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, who went No. 1 to Edmonton.

"We're very happy for each other," Galchenyuk said.

Only a year ago, there was some speculation that the son of former Belarus national team member Alexander Galchenyuk might be the No. 1 pick himself after piling up 31 goals and 52 assists in 68 games.

But he was limited by an ACL injury to two regular season games in 2011-12, although he had two goals and two assists in six playoff games.

His elite-level production pushed the six-foot, 198-pound Galchenyuk into the top-3, even if he didn't have a recent body of work to validate such a high selection.

"I knew what kind of skill I have, what kind of player I am," said Galchenyuk, who was ringed four-deep by reporters inside Consol Energy Center. "I'm just going to keep working hard. I played a couple of games at the end of the year and showed what I am capable of doing, I went to the combine and showed them my knee is no concern and there are going to be no issues."


http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=399015
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Re: 2012 Off-Season Thread 

Post#20 » by Morris_Shatford » Sat Jun 23, 2012 12:34 pm

Don't love it;
But given the stupidity that went on in the first round the Habs did better then most
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