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Posted by
Elie on 07/07/2009 - 04:06 PM
So with free agent frenzy coming to a close for some teams, it's time to analyze where les Habitants stand after all is said and done.
We know who isn't coming back, and the big names are our Captain and some Alternates. Koivu knows he isn't returning, albeit he hasn't signed anywhere else there are still some hopefuls who will pray to find some role on the team, but obviously at a pay cut as Montreal is hoping to cling onto that 8 and a half ($8.5M) Million in cap space.
Kovalev is gone, signed to a ludacris 2 year $10 Million dollar deal with the Ottawa senators, to go along side Alfredsson and Spezza. Combined with the ever-so-annoying Dany Heatley and those are 4 top forwards you do not want poking holes at your goaltender. The best our devision can hope for is a resolution that entails Heatley going somewhere far, far west. But with the $4 Million bonus the Senators just paid, combined with the sour taste in their mouth they just might make Heatley endure being a Senator for the duration of his contract, or more likely at least for the immediate future.
Now some outlets and bloggers have been referring to the most likely new first line as the seafood line; A little Calamarri and some shrimp please; clearly in reference to the Mike Camalleri signing (5 year $6 Million dollar contract for a total of $30 Million Dollars) alongside former forwards Brian Gianta (5 year $25 Million Dollars) and Scott Gomez (picked up from a trade from New York at something to the tune of $7.5 Million Dollars per year over a lengthy duration of time). Yes they are small, but extremely skillful. Reuniting two former Stanley Cup Champions who played together in hopes of resparking old chemestry is always a good idea. Anyone knows that this will be a strong first line, but not what the city or the GM Mr. Bob Gainey had hoped for when he said "it's no surprise we are shopping for a big first line center". So we still miss that franchise player, but I suppose we can settle for a franchise line, provided decent production.
Then we had to deal with some losses. No surprise Mike Komisarek played the free agency well, he landed a long term $4.5 Million Dollar contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which will come back to haunt us. Also leaving where Christopher Higgins who recently signed as an RFA with the New York Rangers, Alexei Kovalev who signed a 2 year $10 Million Dollar contract with the Ottawa Senators and finally Alex Tanguay, who hasn't signed anywhere but reports indicate he has not been given an offer from the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens also had to beef up their blue line, and the did so by signing Hal Gill from Pittsburgh to a 2 year $4.5 Million Dollar contract alongside Jaroslav Spacek to a 3 year $11.5 Million Dollar Contract. About $1.5 Million Dollars more then the total per year cap hit it would have taken to match Komisarek's contract.
Other RFA's who have been tendered an offer sheet is G Latendresse, K Chipchura, T Plekanec (who decided to go to arbitration, after an terrible season who knows why) M D'Agostini and a few others.
The Canadiens also find themselves without a Captain. Speculation rests under Markov, who has a hard time speaking English, nevermind French. Hamrlik is in the mix along with Latendresse and M Lapierre. Should be interesting to see who emerges to lead the team under a new coach and ownership.
Posted by Elie on 07/07/2009 - 04:06 PMSo with free agent frenzy coming to a close for some teams, it's time to analyze where les Habitants stand after all is said and done.