Q&A with Cristobal Huet

Here is a Q&A between Huet and the Washington Media, during his introduction as a Washington Capital, courtesy of Tarik El-Bashir over at the Washington Post:

Q: "So, is it 'Yoo-ay' or 'Hew-et'?"
A: "'Yoo-ay' is fine. That's easier for you, no?" said Huet, smiling

Q: Were you surprised to learn of the trade?
A: "I played almost 40 games for the Canadiens and we were in a good situation. So I expected to finish there. But obviously they had other plans."

"It's a surprising thing. It's something you have to deal with; this is the NHL and it happens. But I'm happy to be here and I want to help the team in any way I can to get into the playoffs."

Q: Have you spoken with Olie and Brent?
A: "I talked to both [goalies] this morning and they look like great guys. I'm sure we going to work, all three of us, to get the job done."

Q: Do you expect to start on Friday?
A: "I haven't talked to Bruce about it and I'm still waiting for my gear to get here."

Q: Before you came here, what were your thoughts about the Capitals?
A: "When we played them, it was always a hard game. Since they changed the coach, I think they were way better and had a lot of intensity and are a high scoring team. So they were always a dangerous team to face."

Q: Because Olie has been the face of the franchise, what were your thoughts when you found out that you were coming here?
A: "I respect Olie a lot. He's been here a long time and he's done well for the franchise. We're just going to work it out and I'm just going to try to be my best when I'm asked to play."

"It's going to be an exciting couple of months."

Sens fire Paddock

OTTAWA-- The Senators, having been ''blanked'' in 2 consecutives games (5-0: vs TOR, 4-0: vs BOS), relieved head coach John Paddock and assistant coach Ron Low from their coaching duties today. Paddock seemed like a brilliant coach at the beginning of the season, as the Sens had a 16-3-0 record after 19 games and seemed like they would win the East easily. Unfortunately, things haven't been that easy for them since, as they've gone 20-19-6 in their last 45 games and are now ranked 2nd in the East.

Even though fired, the Senators Organization would like to retain them both, and have submitted to Paddock a "mainly scouting" position, that he will consider over the next few weeks.

General Manager Bryan Murray will step behind the bench, and try to lead his team to the Stanley Cup Finals like he did last season. He will continue to perform his duties as General Manager. He had a 100-46-18 record during his 1st coaching gig with the Senators, from 2005 to 2007.

Huet's Resumé

For all Caps Fans:

Biography:

- 33 years old
- Born in France
- Height: 6'1''
- Weight: 204 LBS
- Drafted by Kings in 2001, 7th round, 214th overall
- Traded to Canadiens along with Radek Bonk on June 26th 2004 for Mathieu Garon
- Participated in 2007 All-Star Game

Career Statistics:

- Record: 72-59-11
- GAA: 2.49
- Save %: .917

Statistics with Canadiens:

- Record: 58-39-13
- GAA: 2.40
- Save %: .917

2007-08 Statistics:

- Record: 21-12-6
- GAA: 2.55
- Save %: .916

TA: Campbell to San Jose

The first major move of yesterday's Trade Deadline was defenseman Brian Campbell and a 7th round pick going from the Buffalo Sabres to the San Jose Sharks for right winger Steve Bernier and a 1st round pick.

The winner for now is clear: San Jose. They acquire a very talented, puck-moving defenseman who will tremendously help their Powerplay and facilitate the transition into the offensive zone, while the Sabres lose a major piece of their lineup, which will surely cost them a birth in this year's playoffs.

That being said, they also gain a very big and quite skilled right winger in Steve Bernier who will only get better with time, as well as an extra 1st round pick in this year's Entry Draft, which could be used to pick a very talented youngster, especially with this year's very deep pool of talent.

If Campbell re-signs with San Jose, the Sharks will have won this trade for sure.
But if he does not, it comes down to where the Sharks go in the Playoffs.
If not deep, the Sabres look like geniuses, even though they lost their no.1 defenseman.

No need for Hossa!

Pittsburgh can have him all they want, it sure didn't stop the Habs, as they steam-rolled the Atlanta Thrashers 5-1 at the Bell Centre.

Bob Gainey had the final word on Tuesday night, as both his gambles, for the moment, have paid off.

Firstly, Carey Price played very well, even though the Thrashers didn't have many "dangerous" scoring opportunities, stopping 26 out of 27 shots.

Secondly, the offense was explosive, even without the acquisition of Marian Hossa. The Canadiens scored 5 goals on 33 shots and had numerous scoring chances. Chris Higgins had 3 points, 2 goals and 1 assist, Saku Koivu amassed 2 assists and Maxim Lapierre, Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov (PP) each had a goal. Markov also had an assist and recorded his 50th point, a new career high, on his 13th goal of the season. The powerplay unit converted once in 5 tries.

This all comes to show us Montreal Canadiens fans that our GM, for the moment, knows what he is doing and that we didn't "desperately" need Hossa after all, like we kept telling ourselves before the Trade Deadline. The only thing we do need "desperately" is to be patient with our young squad and great things will come.

Keep faith fellow Habs Fans!

Trade Analysis

With no more trades this season, I have decided to take one of the trades that took place earlier today and to analyze it, this happening every single day from now on

There were 24 trades, so I should be done right before the Playoffs.

Enjoy!

Trade Deadline Day

Here, I will post all trades, re-signings and speculation. Have a nice Trade Deadline Day!

N.B.: If you have any comments on any Trades, e-mail me at: afi.ville.49@gmail.com

8:00 AM:

- Islanders re-sign C Mike Comrie to a 1-year, US$4 M contract.
- The TSN panel seems to hint that the Stars are offering a better package (~ M. Smith, J. Jokinen, J. Halpern, M. Fistric) than the Canucks (~ C. Schneider, L. Bourdon, Draft Picks) for C Brad Richards of the Lightning. The Blackhawks and Blue Jackets are also in the mix.

8:45 AM:

- The Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers are the teams the most interested in acquiring C Olli Jokinen from the Panthers. Note: Jacques Martin will, probably, only deal Jokinen today if he is offered a very good package. If not, he could deal him during the Offseason.

- Chicago has sent a list to every NHL team stating the players they are willing to deal:

G Nikolai Khabibulin
RW Martin Havlat
C Robert Lang
C Tuomo Ruutu
LW Martin Lapointe
C Yanic Perreault
D Andrei Zyuzin
C Rene Bourque

9:27 AM:

- The Columbus Blue Jackets are still exploring a contract extension with D Adam Foote. Expect for him to be shopped actively if both parties have not come to an agreeement by noon.

- SI's Michael Farber suggests the Canadiens would benefit more from a Brad Richards or Olli Jokinen acquisition than a Hossa one.

9:48 AM:

- According to one of Brent Wallace's (TSN) sources, it is very likely that Bryan Murray will return behind the Senators' bench and John Paddock will be fired. This should happen in the next 48 hours.

9:57 AM:

- Per James Cybulski, Leafs' GM Cliff Fletcher's "hands are tied" with 4 players using their "no-trade" clauses to veto trades. Fletcher might deal D Bryan McCabe, as well as younger, cheaper players like forwards Matt Stajan and Alex Ponikarovsky.

10:05 AM:

Speculation no more. I can't stand this anymore. The next thing I post will be a trade.

10:33 AM:

TRADE: New Jersey Devils acquire D Bryce Salvador from the St. Louis Blues for F Cam Janssen.

10:42 AM:

- As per TSN, the Habs have recalled F Mikhail Grabovski from Hamilton. This indicates that he is coming to Montreal to replace somebody in the Habs lineup, or that he is definitly going to be dealt to the Thrashers as they are in Montreal tonight and it would facilitate his introduction into the Thrashers' system. This might also hint that F Maxim Lapierre is on his way out if Grabovski is not dealt.

11:15 AM:

TRADE: Florida Panthers acquire F Wade Belak from the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 5th Round Pick.

11:25 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: San Jose Sharks acquire D Brian Campbell and 7th Round Pick from the Buffalo Sabres for F Steve Bernier and a 1st Round Pick.

11:40 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: Dallas Stars acquire F Brad Richards and G Johan Holmqvist from the Tampa Bay Lightning for G Mike Smith, F Jussi Jokinen and F Jeff Halpern.

11:50 AM:

MAJOR TRADE: Montreal Canadiens acquire 2nd Round Pick in 2009 for G Cristobal Huet.

12:17 PM:

TRADE: Florida Panthers acquire D Karlis Skrastins and a 3rd round pick from the Colorado Avalanche for D Ruslan Salei.

12:19 PM:

TRADE: Carolina Hurricanes acquire F Tuomo Ruutu from the Chicago Blackhawks for F Andrew Ladd.

12:46 PM:

TRADE: Ottawa Senators acquire LW Martin Lapointe from the Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick.

1:03 PM:

MAJOR TRADE: Colorado Avalanche acquires D Adam Foote from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional 1st round pick.

1:26 PM:

TRADE: Washington Capitals acquire F Sergei Fedorov from the Columbus Blue Jackets for F Ted Ruth.

1:21 PM:

TRADE: New York Islanders acquire D Rob Davison from the San Jose Sharks for a 7th round pick.

1:41 PM:

TRADE: Vancouver Canucks acquire F Matt Pettinger from the Washington Capitals for F Matt Cooke

2:30 PM:

TRADE: Phoenix Coyotes acquire G Al Montoya and F Marcel Hossa from the New York Rangers for F Fredrik Sjostrom, F Josh Gratton and G David LeNeveu.

No other major moves to announce.

Lightning re-signs Boyle, trade Prospal

There were a couple of moves that included the Tampa Bay Lightning which took place overnight.

Firstly, the Tampa Bay Lightning re-signed defenseman Dan Boyle to a 6-year, US$40 M contract.
The veteran defenseman will earn US$6.66 M over the next 6 seasons and will have a "no-trade" clause for the first 4 seasons, while he will have a modified "no-trade" for the final 2.

Secondly, the Lightning dealt winger Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a conditional draft pick. The Lightning will receive the Flyers' 2nd Round Pick if the Flyers make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and if they don't, will get Calgary's 3rd Round Pick.

Having been re-signed, Dan Boyle is officially off the market, and so is Prospal as he has found a new home. The same cannot be said about Lightning forward Brad Richards who will now, with Boyle's re-signing, be officially dealt.

Blues re-sign Jackman

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defenseman Barret Jackman to a 4 year, US$14.4 M contract extension. He will earn US$3.6 M in every one of the next 4 seasons.

Jackman was eligible to become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1st and might have been dealt by the Blues, if an extension hadn't been reached, by tomorrow's Trade Deadline.

Jackman is the 3rd player to have been pulled of the trade market today, joining the likes of Toronto's Mats Sundin and Calgary's Alex Tanguay.

The 2002-03 Calder Trophy winner has 2 goals, 6 assists, 63 penalty minutes and a -12 plus-minus rating in 58 games played this season.

With this signing, the Blues now only have defenseman Bryce Salvador to re-sign, but if he isn't before tomorrow, he will quite probably be dealt.

BE AWARE: DUMB RUMOR FLYING AROUND

According to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, the Pittsburgh Penguins want, get ready for this and sit down please, to trade superstar Evegeny Malkin, and have talked to one team in the West about him. The Reason for such a move: the Penguins think Malkin will want US$8-9 M on his next contract and do not want to pay 2 players, he and Sidney Crosby, US$18-19 M.

Now I think this, of every single rumor I have read over this past season, is the dumbest one I have read.

It is absurd the Penguins would even think of dealing Malkin this season, as he is cheap and playing fantastic hockey.

Yes, in a few seasons, this might be the case, but not now. They have him for peanuts this season and will use him to the maximum. On top of it, ranking 4th in the East, why would they deal "Gino" with Crosby not even back yet?

Congrats Nick, you have made up the dumbest rumor in Hockey this season.

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

Injury Report

Here are a few notable injuries:

D Chris Chelios (DET): Knee, day-to-day
F Sergei Fedorov (CBJ): Leg, day-to-day
D Paul Mara (NYR): Facial surgery, 2 weeks
F Ethan Moreau (EDM): Fractured tibia, out for rest of season
F Alexander Radulov (NSH): Flu, day-to-day
F Mike Richards (PHI): Torn hamstring, 3 weeks
D Brent Sopel (CHI): Broken wrist, 2-3 weeks
D Sergei Zubov (DAL): Foot surgery, 3-4 weeks

Avalanche signs Forsberg

Peter Forsberg averaged 24 goals, 58 assists and 64 games with the Avalanche

This move comes as quite a surprise.

The Colorado Avalanche have signed center Peter Forsberg to a 1-year contract worth US$5 M prorated, the equivalent to US$1 M. This signing is quite surprising due to the team, the Avalanche, which has not been rumored to be interested in Foppa as much as the Flyers, Wings..., and due to the fact that Forsberg told the Press, a week ago, that he did not feel confident enough in the healing of his foot to return to the NHL this season.

Forsberg played for the Avs from 1994, when they were known as the Québec Nordiques, until 2004, leaving to join the Flyers and then Predators. He had his only 82-game season with the Avalanche during the 1995-96 season.

Tanguay staying put

Alex Tanguay will not be a member of the Montreal Canadiens come Tuesday afternoon

According to a TSN.ca article, Flames winger Alex Tanguay won't be traded by tomorrow's Trade Deadline.

Flames GM Darryl Sutter said to the media that "Alex Tanguay is one of the top left wingers in the National Hockey League an he'll be a pretty good player for us down the stretch."

When asked precisely about Tanguay's status, he replied by saying "I'm not trading Alex Tanguay. I already answered the question, I said Alex Tanguay will be a good player for us down the stretch."

This is the day's second blow to the Trade Market as both Tanguay and Mats Sundin have been pulled off of it. Once again, the attention has now increased on the Trashers' Marian Hossa, who is know, without question, the no.1 forward available. Brian Campbell and he are now the cream of the crop of this year's Trade Deadline Day market.

This is also a second blow to the Montreal Canadiens, as they reportedly coveted both Sundin and Tanguay. All the attention is now on Hossa, nothing more, nothing less.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Rumor Central

Note: This post will be updated during the day

Here is a list of players and the teams said to be "interested" in their services:

D Rob Blake (LAK): ANA, COL, NJ, SJ
D Dan Boyle (TB): PHI, SJ
D Brian Campbell (BUF): NJ, PHI, SJ, TB
RW Martin Havlat (CHI): BOS, MTL
C Bobby Holik (ATL): NYR, NJ
RW Marian Hossa (ATL): BOS, DET, MTL, OTT
C Olli Jokinen (FLA): CGY, MIN, MTL, VAN
D Bryan McCabe (TOR): NYI, NYR, PHI
LW Vaclav Prospal (TB): ANA, BOS, PIT
C Brad Richards (TB): BUF, CBJ, DAL, PHI, VAN
D Ruslan Salei (FLA): NJ, PIT
D Ryan Suter (NSH): PHI

Sundin to remain a Leaf

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Mats Sundin has informed Toronto Maple Leafs management that he will not waive his "no-movement" clause to accept a trade.

If Mats Sundin has done such a thing, it would put an end to a never-ending saga of trade rumors and of debate over why Sundin should and shouldn't waive his "no-movement" clause.

More importantly, it now means that Marian Hossa is the top fish in the Trade Pond.

Nicest Pads in the NHL

With "TradeMania" about to begin, I thought this would help us all relax before an intense Monday and Tuesday.

In this post, I will showcase my 5 favorite pads in the NHL.

Here we go:

5. Dallas Stars' Marty Turco:

4. Atlanta Thrashers' Kari Lehtonen:

3. Ottawa Senators' Ray Emery:

2. Montreal Canadiens' Cristobal Huet:

1. Carolina Hurricane's Cam Ward:

Campbell may remain a Sabre

Campbell participated in his 2nd consecutive All-Star Game on January 27th

According to the Buffalo News, Brian Campbell seems optimistic he will not be dealt by the Sabres.

“Yeah, that’s the only way I can look at it, though,"he said. “I can’t look at it any other way. I think we’re still in a playoff spot or we’re close, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s not going to be easy, and I hope I can be around for that.”

"We’ll see what happens over the next couple months", referring to his status after July 1st.

The 28-year old defenseman has been the subject of numerous trade rumors over the last week since he has not come to an agreement on a new contract with the Sabres and due to the Sabres reluctance to lose Campbell to Free Agency, and therefore getting nothing in return for him, especially after the Briere and Drury incidents.

With this declaration, though, it seems odd Campbell hasn't come to an agreement on a new contract with the Sabres... who knows, he might only be downplaying the situation?

In the end, the decision ike, it is Darcy Res not his to magier's, and since the later does not want to lose Campbell for nothing, he might be forced to deal him by the Deadline.

Rumor Central

Here are some other interesting rumors:

- According to one of TSN employee Matthew Barnaby's sources, the Washington Capitals are a player for Sabres' defenseman Brian Campbell.

- The Flyers having lost forward Mike Richards for 3 weeks with a torn hamstring and 10 straight games, it is unclear whether they are still buyers or have turned into sellers. They currently sit 9th in the Eastern Conference. Amongst the players they might be willing to trade are forwards Mike Knuble, Jeff Carter and Scottie Upshall.

- TSN.ca reports the Tampa Bay Lightning has "reached out" to Brad Richards and "alerted him" in their interest to trade him. The Blue Jackets seem to be the no.1 favorite to acquire him, reportedly offering a package of Gilbert Brule, Rostislav Klesla and a pick for the 2004 Conn Smythe trophy winner. The Stars and Canucks are also considered to be players in the Richards Sweepstakes.

- The Thrashers are, reportedly, considering dealing both Marian Hossa and Bobby Holik.

- Per Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Penguins need "at worst" a physical defenceman and a faceoff specialist". The later might mean interest in Blackhawks' Yanic Perreault, who is being shopped by Dale Tallon.

- The Pittsburgh Penguins seem to be a player for Vaclav Prospal, as they would like to add him to Sidney Crosby's line.

Habs lose to Blue Jackets, 3-0

Price played poorly against the Blue Jackets

Montreal -- After a great ceremony in Bob Gainey's honour, the Canadiens fell apart at the Bell Centre against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Canadiens weren't able to put one puck past Blue Jackets 'keeper Pascal Leclaire, who earned his league-leading 9th shutout of the season.

Even though the Canadiens did not score a goal, they had numerous missed opportunities, as the league's best powerplay failed to capitalize on 6 tries. Alex Kovalev was shut down numerous times by Pascal Leclaire on the doorstep, as he tried to squeak the puck in between his legs.

As for Carey Price, he let in 3 soft goals, which made it impossible for Montreal to stay in the game.

Result: 3-0 beating against Columbus.

Hopefully, this will push Bob Gainey to make a move before Tuesday, 3:00 PM.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans...

Wild re-signs Schultz

Another signing, 3 in less than 24 hours that is!

This time, it includes the Minnesota Wild and defenseman Nick Schultz.

According to TSN, the Wild has re-signed Schultz to a 6-year contract extension worth US$21 M.

The 25-year old will earn salaries of US$3.2 M in 2008-09, of US$3.4 M in 2009-10 and of US$3.6 from 2010-11 to 2013-2014.

Schultz, known for his durability and his consistancy, has 11 points (1+10) and a 0 plus-minus rating in 61 games played. He currently ranks 26th in league with 102 blocked shots.

Trade Deadline Day Predictions

Here are my predictions:

Forwards:

Sergei Fedorov (CBJ): Detroit
Ruslan Fedotenko (NYI): Toronto
Chris Gratton (TB): Minnesota
Martin Havlat (CHI): Boston
Marian Hossa (ATL): Montreal
Olli Jokinen (FLA): Calgary
Ladislav Nagy (LAK): Buffalo
Vaclav Prospal (TB): New Jersey
Brad Richards (TB): Buffalo
Michael Ryder (MTL): Calgary
Mats Sundin (TOR): Staying put
Alex Tanguay (CGY): Montreal
David Vyborny (CBJ): Nashville

Defensemen:

Dan Boyle (TB): Staying put
Rob Blake (LAK): Staying put
Brian Campbell (BUF): Tampa Bay
Adam Foote (CBJ): San Jose
Barret Jackman (STL): Pittsburgh
John-Michael Liles (COL): New York Rangers
Bryan McCabe (TOR): New York Islanders
Brad Stuart (LAK): Vancouver

Rumor Central

Here are a few interesting rumours:

Update, 9:55 AM:

- The Toronto Sun reports Paul Holmgren nixed a Phil Kessel-Jeff Carter deal with the Bruins.
Phil Kessel, therefore, seems to be available and would probably be included in a Marian Hossa trade, or in the acquisition of an other star player.

- Per Hockey Buzz' Andy Strickland, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darcy Tucker was asked to waive his "no-trade" clause by Leafs GM Cliff Fletcher, as he had a deal in place with either Anahem, Detroit or Ottawa. Tucker "politely said no".

Original, 7:31 AM:

- Brad Richards might be targeted by the Buffalo Sabres. If you think about it, the Lightning wants a package including a defenseman, like Brian Campbell who still doesn't have a contract for the 08-09 season, for Richards.

- The Flyers are targeting several defensemen, including Tampa Bay's Dan Boyle, the Maple Leafs' Brian McCabe and the Predators' Ryan Suter. It is important to know that the Predators have been scouting the Flyers for the last 2 weeks.

- It seems as if Bruins are making a big, public, push for Marian Hossa.

- With forward Simon Gagné's shutdown, the Flyers arel likely to be targeting a winger that could replace him, especially for the playoffs, like Flames' forward Alex Tanguay who has played 89 career playoffs games.

- The Blackhawks, currently sitting 8 points out of a playoff spot, might become sellers by this Trade Deadline Day. Chicago has valuable assets to auction off in forwards Martin Havlat and Robert Lang, and a less valuable, but still experienced, asset in Martin Lapointe.

The selling Columbus Blue Jackets?

As the Trade Deadline looms nearer with every passing hour, the Columbus Blue Jackets, currently sitting 5 points out of a playoff spot, with 2 more games played than the current no.8 seed, the Calgary Flames, sure seem like sellers.

Even though TSN employee Darren Dreger keeps hinting that the Blue Jackets might be a player for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brad Richard, it seems more obvious that the Blue Jackets will sell more than buy.

The Blue Jackets have valuable assets to sell in forwards Sergei Fedorov, David Vyborny and Michael Peca and in defenseman Adam Foote.

Fedorov and Foote are quite comparable: aging veterans with valuable playoff experience and on the decline but still able to get the job done.

Peca is quite similar to Fedorov and Foote, but his injury history is a big concern.

As for Vyborny, he is a younger option but his lack of playoff experience, as well as his downfall hurt his value. Some could compare him to our Michael Ryder. Vyborny has numerous assets such a his very good vision and his playmaking abilities and has shown in the past that he can be a top 6 forward. This could indicate that a change of scenery might be all that is needed for him to regain success, but skepticism is still present.

Columbus has numerous assets to sell and a loss on Saturday against the Canadiens, combined with a Calgary win against Detroit tonight, might mean the beginning of a big firesale.

Islanders re-sign Hunter, Leafs Steen

According to TSN, the New York Islanders have re-signed forward Trent Hunter to a 5-year, US$10 M contract and the Toronto Maple Leafs have done the same with forward Alex Steen, for a 2-year contract worth US$3.4 M.

Hunter was set to become a UFA on July 1st and therefore could have been dealt by the Islanders at the Trade Deadline, if no agreement had been reached and if the Islanders had chosen to go in that direction. He currently has 8 goals and 24 assists in 62 games, as well as a -10 plus-minus rating and 33 penalty minutes.

Steen's name has been mentioned in some trade rumors due to the Leafs' eventual fire sale, but this signing seems to also take him off the market. He has 26 points, 22 penalty minutes and a -2 plus-minus rating in 56 games.

Fleury changes Pads

Today, I found out an interesting story about Penguins' keeper Marc-André Fleury.

Apparently, Fleury has traded in his ''signature'' yellow pads and is awaiting to receive a new set of white ones. The reason for this decision is because ''Fleury got a letter from an eye doctor in Ottawa with charts and an explanation of why Fleury's signature yellow pads gave shooters an advantage.'' Indeed, Fleury is changing his pads because his new ones are supposed to make him look bigger in net, and therefore to get an advantage over opposing shooters. This is a quite far-fetched reason for Fleury's lack of greatness at the NHL level, but could be one amongst others.

Let's have a look at averages in wins, losses, overtime losses, GAA, save percentage and shootouts for Eastern Conference ''white-paded'' goalies and ''non white-paded'' goalies:

WPG (9): 23-18-5, 2.74, .906, 2
NWPG: (6): 21-14-4, 2,43, .919, 3

As the stats show us, this ''theory'' is not absolute and do not trust them at 100%, as only 4 out of the 9 WPG have a save percentage over .910, which makes the average not that great for evaluation... but better than nothing.

Why the Canadiens should acquire Marian Hossa

According to many Canadiens' fans, Bob Gainey shouldn't bring in a star forward in before this year's Trade Deadline. He should just let the team like it is, and/or make a few minor tweaks, and let the group grow as a whole.

Personally, I think we shouldn't.

Firstly, like the Ottawa Senators showed us a few Saturdays ago, we have only one competent line, and if it is shut down, so is the complete team. This should show us that the 1st line needs to step up as well, like the "2nd" has done all year long. Guy Carbonneau has tried different combinations, and as trading or "demoting" Koivu to a lower line is not an option, we have to seek out-of-town help. Please don't tell me that Ryder is "back" and that "he is like a trade acquisition, without giving up anything". Yes, he's had one good game all year long, and as he showed us after his first "wake-up" in Florida, he'll fall right back to sleep as soon as possible.

Secondly, we lack playoff experience. Hossa fits the bill (55 GP). Personally, I would not want to go into the playoffs with only Hamrlik, Koivu, Kovalev and Markov with serious playoff experience (Dandy does not count as he is not a regular fixture, as of late, in the lineup). We need to surround our youngsters with talented veterans who are capable of leading them.

Thirdly, Higgins, who we would probably traded with others for Hossa, is a nice young player, yes, but very streaky and slightly injury-prone. As well, every GM in the game knows, "you have to give something, in order to get something". He also does not seem to click with Koivu all the time, only during his hot streaks, and since Andrei Kostitsyn is a fixture on the 2nd line, there is no "premium" space left for him on the team.

Fourthly, we have one of the deepest farm systems in the league. Dealing one or two of our prospects will not change our fate, as we are so deep that they would not even have any spot in the lineup if they were even on the club.

All these reasons spell the same thing: GET HOSSA!

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Hossa closer to coming to Montreal

Yesterday, RDS reported that the Montreal Canadiens have ordered Hab-colored equipment for forward Marian Hossa.

This does not mean Hossa has been acquired, but this could indicate that the Canadiens are very close to acquiring his services from the Atlanta Thrashers.

Top 10 players to watch at the Trade Deadline

The following is a list of the top 10 players to watch at the Trade Deadline, if they are not dealt before that. Every player is accompanied by his 07-08 salary and his status after July 1st, 2008.

10- C Sergei Fedorov (CBJ), US$6.08 M, UFA
9- D John-Michael Liles (COL), US$1.4 M, UFA
8- D Barret Jackman (STL), US$2.2 M, UFA
7- RW Michael Ryder (MTL), US$2.95 M, UFA
6- D Rob Blake (LAK), US$6 M, UFA
5- C Olli Jokinen (FLA), US$ 5.25 M, signed thru 09-10
4- LW Vaclav Prospal (TB), US$1.9 M, UFA
3- D Brian Campbell (BUF), US$1.75 M, UFA
2- C Mats Sundin (TOR), US$5.5 M, UFA
1- RW Marian Hossa (ATL), US$7 M, UFA

Report: Habs to acquire Tanguay

Update, 7:44 PM:

This seems to be a rumor since neither TSN nor RDS are reporting the trade and since CKAC has posted on their website that the Canadiens have resumed talks about Tanguay with the Flames, and have not mentioned any trade on this site. This report seems to be officially "shot down". Sorry the confusion, but stay tuned...

Original message, 7:00 PM:

According to multiple sources (The Score, CKAC, Vancouver Team 1040, Bob McKenzie), the Montreal Canadiens are set to acquire forward Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames, in exchange for impending UFA Michael Ryder and a draft pick.

The deal is, reportedly, being submitted for NHL approval.

Tanguay has 11 goals and 35 assists in 60 games played, to go along with a +12 plus-minus rating.

The St. Justine, Quebec native would fill the Canadiens' first line left wing duties, due to Chris Higgins' current lack of production.

Unbelievable Comeback!

Cristobal Huet and Mike Komisarek celebrate the Canadiens' victory

In near 100 years of history, the Montreal Canadiens had never won a game after trailing by 5 goals. Yesterday night, they did!

The game got off to a bad start for the Habs as Carey Price gave up 3 goals on 11 shots, which caused him to be replaced by Cristobal Huet. Huet wasn't better, being scored on twice by Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury, both on the Powerplay. From a Montreal Canadiens point of view, the game was over. The Habs were being beaten up by the Rangers and their lead seemed to be impossible to close in on, even though there were 14:57 left to the 2nd period, and therefore 3/4 of the game left to come back.

Indeed, it was time which gave us an advantage, as well as the Rangers' overconfidence.

In these remaining 14 minutes of the 2nd period, Michael Ryder, of all people, scored twice, his first goal being a beautiful shot up-high on Rangers' keeper Henrik Lundqvist. Even after these goals, the Montreal Faithful didn't think any comeback was possible, but there was still hope...

The 3rd period was decisive. Two goals scored by Alex Kovalev and Mark Streit (more or less, he deflected a Michael Ryder shot with his left leg...) trimmed the Rangers' lead to 1 goal.

Then, Marek Malik took a selfish penalty for slashing at 14:22 of the 3rd Period, bringing the league's best powerplay onto the ice. 1:14 later, Alex Kovalev ripped a shot to Lundqvist's right and scored.

The game was now tied and off to overtime. The Rangers had the best chance of scoring and therefore erasing their mistake during the overtime period, as Scott Gomez, came very close to re-directing a Brendan shanahan pass past Canadiens' keeper Cristobal Huet.

The game was now off to shootout. After 4 missed opportunities, Saku Koivu came onto the ice as the Habs' 2nd shooter. Koivu came in slowly on Lundqvist, and then deeked him out rapidly, to score. The Rangers' 3rd shooter, the streaky Jaromir Jagr, had to score to extend the game. As he drew close to Huet's crease, he lost control of the puck while attempting a deke. The game was over, the Canadiens had won, 6-5!

Olli Jokinen: Pros and Cons

Dear Readers, I present you, without further adue: Olli Jokinen.

Olli Jokinen is a 29-year old center playing for the Florida Panthers. His natural goal-scorer instincts and his above-average hands, as well as his good face-off abilities, have turned him into a star-superstar player at the NHL level. On February 5th, Jokinen reached the 200 goal mark. Over his past 3 seasons, Jokinen has scored at least 29 goals, and over his past 2 (not including 2007-08) has had 89 points or more.

Jokinen’s talent, goal-scoring ability and his “affordable” contract according to today’s market (08-09: 5.25M, 09-10: 5.50M), have turned the Finn into a hot commodity.

Many teams, like the Montreal Canadiens, could benefit from the acquisition of such a talented player, even though the bounty required to acquire him would be quite high. As an estimation of Olli’s worth, from a Habs’ point of view, expect the Canadiens to trade Chris Higgins, Ryan O’Byrne, Mikhail Grabovski and 1st round and 3rd round Draft Picks to the Panthers if Jokinen were to be acquired.

Although Jokinen’s team, the Florida Panthers, seems to be going nowhere, even with the acquisition and stellar play of goaltender Tomas Vokoun, Jokinen hasn’t voiced his displeasure publicly or hasn’t gone to see his GM Jacques Martin to ask him to be traded, but who knows, as the Trade Deadline draws nearer, he might.

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

Ty Conklin: A feel good story

A few months ago, nobody spoke Ty Conklin’s name. Now, nobody can neglect it when somebody mentions “hot goaltenders”.

On December 6th, the Anchorage, Alaska native was called up by the Pittsburgh Penguins, with whom he had signed a contract back on July 18th, due to Penguins’ goalie Marc-André Fleury’s injury.
Everybody thought that, with his recent past, the 05-06 Stanley Cup Finals and his Columbus days that is, that he was just days away from being sent right back down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

But that was not going to be the case. Even though he wasn’t “sharp” during his first start, giving up 3 goals on 15 shots, he started again 9 days later.
On that night, he was more consistent, giving up 4 goals on 41 shots and he even earned the win.
That game was a precursor to what Conklin would show Penguins’ fans and the rest of the NHL, as that game was the 1st win of a 9 game winning streak.

Conklin has compiled, since that December 20th start, a fantastic record of 15 wins, 4 losses and 3 overtime losses, as well as a 2.19 Goals Against Average.

Conklin’s rise up the goalie ladder has been sensational, as it was not that long ago, that Conklin was a member of the 2005-06 Edmonton Oilers and that he came into replace Dwayne Roloson after he had injured himself in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals.
In that same game, Conklin committed a huge blunder, giving up the puck to Hurricanes captain Rod Brind’Amour, who would score an empty net goal at 31.1 seconds of the 3rd period, putting an end to a 4-4 tie.

Conklin was never seen again wearing an Oilers’ uniform as Oilers’ GM Kevin Lowe declined to exercice his team option for the 2006-07 season.
He later went on to play for the Columbus Blue Jackets, mostly for their AHL affiliate and for the Buffalo Sabres, backing up Ryan Miller throughout the rest of the season after they had dealt Martin Biron.

Conklin’s story is another one of those showing us hockey people that perseverance can get you anywhere, especially in this tough game we all love.

Flyers acquire Modry

The Philadelphia Flyers made a light splash today, acquiring veteran defenseman Jaroslav Modry from the Los Angeles Kings, in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick in this year’s draft.

The soon-to-be 37 year-old (Birthday on Feb. 27th) had 6 points (1+5) in 61 games, to go along with a +2 plus-minus and 42 minutes served in the penalty box.

Modry’s current salary is $1.2 M. He is set to become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1st.

This move comes as no surprise as the Flyers have been severely bitten by the “injury bug”, having lost defencemen Rory Fitzpatrick, Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, as well as forwards Simon Gagné, Steve Downie, Joffrey Lupul and Denis Tolpeko to injury.

Modry adds experience, depth and size to an already quite good team in the Flyers.

Trade Deadline Day Live Blogging

Dear Readers,

I am proud to announce that I will be live-blogging next Tuesday's Trade Deadline Day, from 8:00~9:00 AM to 4:oo~5:00 PM.

Thank you for your time,

HABla Hockey

Bob Gainey Tribute

Saturday, February 23rd 2008 will be a very special day for Bob Gainey. On that day, the Peterborough, Ont. native will have his number 23 raised to the rafters by the Montreal Canadiens.

Let’s have a quick look at Mr. Gainey’s 16-year NHL career:

In 1973, he was selected in both the NHL and WHA amateur drafts, 8th overall by the Montreal Canadiens and 7th overall by the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Gainey ultimately chose to play for the Canadiens, with whom he became one of the best defensive specialists of all-time, winning four consecutive Fran J. Selke trophies (awarded to the league’s best defensive player) from 1977-78 to 1980-1981.

He also won, with the ”Bleu, Blanc et Rouge”, 5 stanley cups (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986).
He was also the Canadiens’ captain from 1981, until his retirement in 1989.

In total, he appeared in 1160 regular season games, scored 239 goals and registered 263 assists.

In 1992, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. According to Viktor Tikhonov, a legendary Soviet national team coach, he was the world’s best all-around player and, therefore, for the majority of his career, he was regarded by many in the Soviet Union hockey system as the greatest hockey player ever.
In 1998, he was ranked 86th in The Hockey News’ list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
From 1992 to 2002, he was GM of the Dallas Stars, with whom he won the Stanley Cup for a 6th time in 1999.

A year and a half after having stepped down as GM of the Stars, he was named GM of the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he has been ever since.

Marian Hossa: Pros and Cons

Ah! Against the Leafs! Marvelous!

As we all know, Trade Deadline Day is approaching. One week from today, we will only be 2 days away from one of the most exciting days on the NHL Calendar. That day will also be a gut-wrenching one for us Montreal Canadiens fans, as we await to see who Big Bob will be targeting and trying to acquire: Marian Hossa or Olli Jokinen?

In this article, I will document the pros and cons of acquiring Marian Hossa.

Here we go:

Marian Hossa, a 29-year old czech right winger, is especially renown for his offensive abilities.
His combination of great hands and his ability to keep the puck make him an offensive threat at any moment, and so does his explosive shot. Eventhough he isn't much of a physical presence, the offense he generates makes up for it. Over his past 3 seasons (not including 07-08) he has scored 36 goals or more and has had 82 points (1 PPG) or more.

His position also makes him quite intriguing, because he is a right winger, and could therefore fill the void left by Michael Ryder' downfall, as our 1st line RWer. He would also add some size (6'1'') .

Two cons against Hossa are his status after July 1st, the date after which he will become an unrestricted free-agent and the salary he might command on the open market.

Like we saw last season with Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, Marian Hossa could easily be offered a 4-5 year contract worth US$8-9 M annually.

One big question is: Do the Canadiens have the will and the ability to dish out all this money to a guy like Hossa, especially with the RFA status' of Andrei Kostitsyn and of, in a few years ,Tomas Plekanec, Sergei Kostitsyn and Chris Higgins and with Mike Komisarek's UFA status after the 08-09 season ?

Another con against Hossa is his trade value. As one of my colleagues pointed out, if Peter Forsberg can get you Scottie Upshall, Ryan Parent and two high picks (1st and 3rd rounds), what can Marian Hossa get you?

An approximation would be Chris Higgins, Ryan O'Byrne , one of Kyle Chipchura, Corey Locke or Mikhail Grabovsky and a first rounder. A condition to such a trade would probably be a negotating period with Hossa and his agent on an extension.

All this is a short resume of what is going on inside the Canadiens' Front Office's heads. Hopefully, they won't explode!

Keep faith fellow Habs fans!

What the sellers have to offer

With a big number of teams, currently, out of the Playoff Picture, a slew of players could be available by the Trade Deadline.

Amongst these teams are the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks.

All these teams have interesting unrestricted free-agents come July 1st, except the Edmonton Oilers, but do not rule them out as sellers, as they have an important number of young defencemen and forwards that could be on the way out (except Gagner, Cogliano, Pitkanen...).

The teams with the most valuable assets to ship off is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their UFAs include Dan Boyle, Vaclav Prospal and Chris Gratton. Boyle and Prospal would be welcome on any team, as for Gratton, his 55% faceoff success rate makes him somewhat of an intriguing option as a 3rd line center.

The Blackhawks along with the Oilers are the out-of-the-race teams that have the least to offer.
The Blackhawks seem to be willing to keep their young core of players together, and therefore only have UFAs Martin Lapointe and Andrei Zyuzin. Edmonton is in the same situation and their only ''notable'' UFA is Geoff Sanderson.

The Maple Leafs and Kings, respectively 29th and 30th in league standings, have some valuable UFAs to offer. Mats Sundin is most notably the top UFA forward in the market this year as the Trade Deadline approaches, and Toronto's only asset, if they decide to not trade Tomas Kaberle.
The Kings' notable UFAs include Rob Blake and Ladislav Nagy.

Finally, the Blues and Islanders also have some valuable assets to offer. St. Louis, unable to re-sign Barret Jackman up until this point in time, might be forced to trade him, and the Islanders surely want to get something in return for UFAs Miroslav Satan, Trent Hunter and Bryan Berard.

The Market this year seems quite bleek from a 100% sellers point of view, but wait until Trade Deadline day to see where Atlanta (UFAs: F Marian Hossa, F Bobby Holik, F Mark Recchi, D Steve McCarthy, G Johan Hedberg), Columbus (UFAs: F David Vyborny, F Sergei Fedorov, F Mike Peca, D Adam Foote) and Vancouver (UFAs: F Markus Naslund, F Brendan Morrison) stand, as their position could force them to add some valuable assets to the Trade Pool.

Central Division Trade Profiles, Candidates

Central Division: Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Nashville, St. Louis

The central division is divided in two clans: the playoff teams (Detroit, Nashville) and the non-playoff teams (Chicago, Columbus, St. Louis).

The Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues are, all at this moment, out of the playoff picture. To add to that, all of them seem to not be ready to contend, and therefore aren't necessarily considered as buyers at this point in time. They also do not seem to be sellers, but they could become some soon.

Amongst the players these 3 teams could part with are forwards David Vyborny, Michael Peca, Sergei Fedorov and defensemen Adam Foote, Barret Jackman and Bryce Salvador.

Eventhough their current status, the Blackhawks have also been linked to Swedish center Peter Forsberg.

As for Nashville and Detroit, both are likely to be buyers.

Detroit, eventhough being ranked 1st in the league in points, feels they need to add a Top 6 forward. Mats Sundin is the most likely to fit the bill.

On Nashville's part, their goalie situation is a concern, due to Chris Mason's inconsistency and Dan Ellis' lack of experience, and, with no reliable goalies on the market, will have to do with what they've got.

This Western Conference division is filled with teams' which status' could vary as the Trade Deadline approaches. Wait right down to the wire, as these teams, except Detroit, could be in and out of the Playoff Picture in no time.

WWIB is back!

After a long Hiatus, We Want it Bad! is back.
Leading up to next-next Tuesday's Trade Deadline, I will post numerous entries on possible deals.
I also extend to you readers my deepest apologies for this Hiatus and I hope you will read this blog's content over the next few weeks.

Thank You