Showing posts with label UFA Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UFA Day. Show all posts

Friday, July 01, 2011

Habs UFA Preview and Transformer 3 Review




Even this wasn't enough to save it.

There is a striking similarity between the two subjects of today's post.

Let us take a stroll through the garden of UFA's, conveniently for me listed by what may well be their future former teams. That stroll may give you a clue as to what the similarity is. Let's see if you can guess.

(Of course, if you're saying to yourself the caption already gave it away. Well.. okay, yeah, I can see that. That movie suuuuucked. And I got sucked in by the hype, agaaaain.)

Anahiem: CHips! Yeah, no. Have a nice AHL career. Only a tad more seriously, how about Ray Emery as backup? Not gonna happen, but if he did I'd put the over/under at 2.5 for the number of wins he gets before he punches out a cop on St Laurent. And maybe "accidentally" gets shot by Montreal's esteemed Constabulary.

Boo: I don't want anything from their dirty smelly team, no matter what they won last year. Live in the now, it's all about next season. (through muffled tears)

Buffalo: Tim Connelly if it means Gomez is gone. Otherwise, no one.

Calgary: Blehch. And Stampede is overrated.

Carolina: Does Eric Cole have anything left in the tank? At least it'd keep him from scoring against the Habs.

Chicago: Robert Klinkhammer. I'm drooling over the photoshop possibilities.... The only guy seriously worth considering was traded and signed in a warmer place.

Colorado: Geez there's a reason they finished second last. I suppose Peter Budaj as backup? If he promised to pick up all the pucks after practice and not look Mr. Price directly in the eye at any time.

Columbus: Freakin' Wiz, that's who they shoudda signed. And Goat, you're telling me you could only get a conditional 5th? Wiz is gonna get less than $4 per and Erhoff gets traded twice for forths? I know my math is no good but that doesn't make sense to me. Getting Garon as a backup would be a good fit. He can win in streaks if TFS gets hurt, his hope of being a starter have been crushed and he was never a distraction as a backup in his first incarnation when he did have dreams.

Dallas: **Crosses fingers for miracle that come October Gomez is in ugly orange and Richards in bleu-blanc-rouge at a premiere franchise discount** Yeah, again not probably gonna happen.

Detroit: They're probably gonna sign the Wiz and it makes me sad. But happy for Wiz. Good luck, you crazy kid and your tweeter thingy with the saying stuff. I think Eaves has wheels so maybe he's be okay for depth.

Edmonton: Jeff Drouin-Deslaurier: Yes, it will cost Brother Geoff a fortune in lettering, but with French-Canadien depth in Garon shutting the bench door in the bigs and DoubleD down in H-town: three birds - one stone.

Florida: Bergfors seems the most attractive option and he looks smallish, and can't seem to score or defend very well. He's probably going back to Sweden. Bernier = Pouliot.

L.A: Handzus as a slightly bulkier and younger left shooting Jeff Halpern? No? Maybe Alexi Pod..in know there's a k in there.. anyway him for the third line so he can have a Post-Soviet always disappointing lazy ass to replace the French Canadien one we appear to have just let go? Mmm...perhaps I've already given away my position on the proposition.

Minnesota: Gio aside, Andrew Brunette's ass had more goals than most Habs wingers. So okay, except he's super slow. Other than that...

...

...

Okay fine, bring him back as a backup. As long as Mr. Paris Hilton behaves, and I suspect he would, now. (So last Hilton joke if you come back, I promise.)

Nashville: They just cut a Dumont! Hey, he's big! Plus, he scored! But, than was then. Now, he's slow. And, he's done. Please don't be seduced by the dark side, Goat.

New Jersey: The Moose! He'll probably be too expensive but I'd love to see Hedberg in MTL, just for the legend and the headgear.

New York (real): Formerly overpaid ageing superspuds anyone? Well then, you have your pick of the litter: The Drury, McCabe and Prospal models will  all available for perusing. Please leave it at that. Prospal may seem intriguing for his size, 20-25 goal  potential and playing alongside fellow Czech Pleks. But he's old and slow and no Jagr.

New York (fake): I hate to admit anything coming out of this rotten "franchise" is worth considering but if Nabby would play for what he signed for in Detroit, snatch him up. Unlikely (and is even even really a UFA? TSN says so, anyway, but I though the Wang could make Snow hold him hostage on the Island. Like he did to James Bond. I'm saying Wang is evil.) Zenon has an awesome name, face off acumen and size. But he'll probably get overpaid by some other GM in a southern climate with a cap to fill and bloodthirsty morons to satisfy - all cause of cause of his fists and the Trevor Gillies crazy smell he and his teammates can't seem to shake.

Omsk: Jagr. Please, Jagr. Even two years. Yeah a year is better, but who else is there? And he's Jagr. You can't teach that.

Ottawa: I guess Fragile Pascil (stretch, sorry) wouldn't be the end of the world as a backup but for god-that-doesn't-exist's sake, the Goat's gotta sign another quality tender. Other than that, the Butler and Greening kids were prospects once, I guess.

Philadelphia: Ville Leino. Other than that, wouldn't it be fun to see Jack go nuts with Zherdev on the team? That would not end well. And I doubt they'll get The City. Ohh, now that I see it in writing I really want them to sign him - just for that nickname.

Phoenix: Belanger - now this one, I wouldn't mind. Great on faceoffs, could anchor an awesome fourth line if they somehow got enough depth to play him, MOEn and Darche/White there regularly. Somehow. Not likely in our price range even for all his intangibles given his offensive output, one would think.

Pittsburgh: They resigned Dupuis who would have been helpful and hilarious, but is Sid's boy - so good for him on cashing in. Talbot isn't big, hasn't ever scored more than 13 goals for a pro team, and has been a substantial minus is 4 of 5 NHL seasons. Why?

San Jose: Ben Eager or Ragin' Ray? Eager might get so jacked up by MTL fans he's start eating the Plexiglas.

St. Louis: They didn't qualify Dagger? He scored 20 goals. But probably a retread for in Montreal's eyes.

Tampa Bay: We're almost done and the first guy I can get a little even excited about: Simon Gagne. Potentially fragile, yes. Alex Tanguay Redux? Maybe. Denis Savard all over again? Perhaps. But you gotta roll the dice sometimes on stuff like that, and they seemed willing with Vodkov. They've got the bucks, the cap space, the cultural fit, and most importantly, there appears to be no reason why he couldn't be a perfect fill with Pleks and Cammy on the top line. The only thing that seems like a big question mark is whether Gagne is ready to handle the Great French Canadien Saviour mantle. I'm not sure I'd want that.

Toronto: Double Blehch. And Ty Biggs is overrated, already.

Vancouver: Higgs for the third line! Please Mr. Gauthier, if we, like, swear to, like, not expect too much from him this time, can we keep him? We'll treat him nice, I double promise!! (As you can see, personally I'd be giddy as little gurl.)

Washington: Jason Arnott .. will probably get more money elsewhere. But it would be nice. Say it with me: especially if it means Gomez is gone.

Winnipeg: Radek Dvorak is the most appealing option, mediocre at best. Like Winnipeg! Bazinga!! Welcome back to the NHL, bitch. It's still cold where you live.

So one could get excited about Richards, Gagne, or Jagr. There are a handful of somewhat attractive second tier options like Leino and Prospal, maybe Connelly or Belanger or Handzus. Lots of back-up options and options for back ups, but that's not surprising. But Habs will probably walk away disappointed. Again.

Review Time: Although I have to admit there was some coolness in the movie in the form of giant robots kicking the shit out of each other in slow mo with glowing metal swords, how about you cut a million bucks from the ginormous CGI budget and spring for a decent writer. And the new blond is no Megan Fox running in slow motion. The acting was about the same, whatever. Amazingly, it managed to offend me as a nerd on two levels: both as a Transformers fan and as a Star Trek fan. I hate what you've done, Micheal Bay. Again.

So there it is. All hype, and a hugh fucking letdown in the end. That's my unnecessary long UFA preview and Transformers 3 Review that was itself unneccesarily long.

Thursday, July 01, 2010

Happy Happy Joy Joy Canada Free Agent Day!

Greetings, fans of contracts and money! Welcome to the FHF post where we expect you will inform us that Ilya Kovalchuk has signed in L.A. or N.Y. or Phoenix or Vladivostok or something at 12:01 PM. This is going to be a hella boring day in Habs world imho. Sure, we'll get some minor things going on, but I'm doubtful any real shit is gonna go down (jinx!). So don't expect much in the way of serious (ha!) posts around here. If it does, sure, we'll post, but consider this an open thread to discuss what Big Fat Frenzy Bob says on TSN.

While you wait for something to happen totally bored, here's some reading:
Happy Canada Day, eh? If there's anything more Canadian than comedy and fur-trading, I'd like to hear it.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

UFA-Day + 7


I maintain that Megan Fox can attract a quality UFA or two...this is certainly not a lame excuse to post hot chicks.

A week and a half after UFA Day and with the ensuing chaos reeked on the Habs roster, FHF thought it would be fun to provide it's devoted reader(s) with a little breakdown of what next season's roster would look like if the season started tonight - especially given the Habs don't have enought money to spend on any more mpact UFAs. For the next 5 years.

First line: this is based on Bob's statement that they may put some "muscle" on the top line because Scotty & Brian are midgets:

Max Pack-Gomez-Gionta

Which leaves the second scoring line looking like this:

Calamari-TurtlePlek-Big Tits

Thankfully this means Gui! will not be relied upon for scoring and can play next to Mad Max on the third line, with Dagger an upgrade (hopefully) on Greek Lightening in the scoring department. Maybe he'll fight a little more next season like Greek Lightening, too. (I'm going to miss writing "Greek Lightening." Greek Lightening Greek Lightening Greek Lightening. Ok. I'm good.)

Gui!-Mad Max-Dagger

Fourth line has some interesting options:

Stewart probably has a spot to lose, but hopefully Swedish import Mikeal Johansson will show enough skill to merit a spot, either on wing or at centre. Metro could also play here. The only prospect I can think of with a shot is Ryan White, who has Mike Keane-like upside, in Pierre Maguire-speak.

At centre, I hope My Boy CHips finally sews up a roster spot, with Metro or MJ as depth players. Ben Maxwell is in the mix as well. Guys like Brock Trotter (a porn name if I've ever heard one) and Louis Leblanc would have really long shots.

On RW, BGL's groin/back/carousing will limit his games-played, so let's hope Little Tits has a breakout season without Kovy the Kancer (just bitter...and he hasn't even lit up the Hab for a hat trick yet). If not, then I'm hoping Bob keeps one of his 10 UFA's - El Dandy, whose late season play hopefully earned him that 7th defencemen/spare winger contract Bob is looking to hand out.

Stewart/MJ - CHips/Metro - BGL/Little Tits/El Dandy

Defence and goaltending are a little easier:

Markov-2.0

Hamr-Georges

Big Wood- Rhino or Weber or Carle or PK

Unidentified UFA (El Dandy?)

TFS/Halak

So that's the way we see the Habs lineup looking on an early July afternoon. What are your thoughts?

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Welcome Little Gionta!

Add Brain Gionta to the top line with Gomez and Calamari.

5 years, $25M.

According to Eklund (I know, I know), the Habs have about $7M* left to sign Pleks, Dagger, CHips and Tenderness, for the following roster:

Gionta-Gomez-Calamari
Big Tits-Pleks-Little Tits/Dagger
Patches-Laps-Tenderness
Metro-CHips-Laraque/Stewart

Markov-Gill
Hamr-Jaro 2.0
Georges-O'Byrne/Weber

TFS
Jaro 1.0

Doesn't seem like there is a lot of dough for Kovy or Tanguay or Saks or Lang. Doesn't look like a Cup winning roster, either.

*Editor's note: ok it's still me. I looked again and remembered why I'm not an accountant. It's more like $12M, so plenty of room to sign Kovy at $4.5 and maybe Lang for cheap. So how about this forward lineup:

Gionta-Gomez-Kovy
Big Tits-Lang-Calamari
Patches-Pleks-Dagger/Tenderness
Stewart-Chips/Metro-Laraque

Bob rebuilding the 2005-2006 Devils

Brian Gionta at 5 mill per for 5 years.

As the RDS headline says, Bob is on fire. This is exhausting.

UPDATE: I swear that link said "Bob est en feu" for at least 5 minutes.

Buh-Bye DOOM. We Hate You Already

The Leafs? Really? Wouldn't want to be Komo those Saturday night's the Leafs are playing at the Bell Centre. You think the fans hated Grabs...

At least Brian Burke showed his true idiot colours by overpaying for a guy who couldn't score with a fist full of Euros in a Amsterdam brothel.

Welcome Midget Mike!

OK so maybe I though he was fishy, but now I'm hoping for the best out of Mike "Calamari" Cammalleri ($30M over 5 years). I saw him play in Calgary and I can tell you that he didn't put up all those points just because he was playing with Iginla.

Buy-Buy Tanguay. Oh well, we never figured out a good nickname for Alex T. anyway.

Welcome Giant Defenceman!

Hal Gill, 2 years, $2.25M per. Now TFS (tm) won't be taller than all of his defencemen.

So it's looking like this for next year:

Markov-Gill
Hamr-Jaro 2.0
Weber/Rhino-Georges

Buh-bye Breezer. Rejoice!

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

FHF 2009 UFA Preview/Transformers 2 Review



Maybe she could convince Jay Bo to come to Montreal...

So much promise, but such a let down. Still, it could have been worse.

That's how I would describe Transformers 2 and how I anticipate I will describe the Habs UFA situation in a few days.

I admit, I'm a Transformers fanboy. I cried when Optimus died in the cartoon movie. What can I say, blame my parents for letting me watch back-to-back Transformers and GI Joe for 5 straight years of elementary school instead of forcing me to go outside.

Luckily I was a few years older when the Habs traded St. Patrick.

The first live-action TF movie was pretty good. I certainly didn't hate it - except that I thought it was a slap in the face to not only make Bumblebee a Camaro, but to see him punking an old Beetle. I was excited about this new one, and not just because of Ms. Sexy and her, um, assets, but because the studio apparently handed the producers a blank cheque to draw up a boatload of robots instead of the handful afforded in the first film.

Kind of like the potential offered by having the most salary cap room of any team in the NHL.

The TF producers had great characters to choose from between all the toys produced for the 80s cartoon and all the follow ups. Just like the Habs have a bunch of UFA's to choose from.

Most troublingly, though, TF2 did exactly what I didn't expect, and it didn't turn out the way I had hoped.

Anyhoo: guys, go see it for Megan Fox. Ladies, umm, enjoy the popcorn.

Defence

Jay Bo - sweeten the $5M that Komo wants. I love him, but the Habs should not pay more than $3.5-4M per for Komo. Ohlund if probably the second best option, but if so no more than 2 years cause I see a Hamr-like decline on Mattias' horizon. Johnny Oduya might be a good fit, but I recall reading Eklund say that it was "certain" that he would end up with the Habs, so that won't happen. Please not midget Beauchemin. Being tough doesn't change being a dwarf. If they need to sign another french guy, spend less on MA Bergeron (but Weber should have that job). Zubov should retire already. If Komo goes, McKee or Scuderi might be options for a defensive D-man. I have seen Adrien Aucoin play for Calgary. Do NOT sign Adrien Aucoin.

Wingers

Hossa - he's the best, but for the money he wants, keep Kovy and Tanguay. If not Hossa, then Havlat is #2. As for Gaborik, but you might as well sign Guy Lafleur for the amount of icetime he'll see if he signed in MTL. Gaborik wouldn't hit 20 games a season in a Habs uniform. Gionta is too small, Guerin too old, Bertuzzi too much of a sourpuss a-hole, and something about Callammeri just seems fishy to me. I say he's this summer's Jason Blake - a big payday after a fluke season. It sucks that it's inevitable that Eric Cole would suck as a Hab.

For depth wingers, if they sign anyone I would imagine it'll be Greek Lightening or Ian Laperriere. (Somewhere Pierre Houde's tongue just shivered.)

Centre

The only #1 centre out there is Henrik Sedin, and the Twins are going to eat up a stupid amount of someone's cap space for the next decade. It better not be MTL. Nick Antropov is the 2nd best option (Saku not included). No.

Trade please.

Goalies

If Halak goes in the aforementioned trade, I'd love to see Manny Legace back up TFS(tm) - or Roloson if he would take a crazy pay cut. Mathieu Garon will be out there, too.
So what are you predictions for UFA day?

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Bob Gainey Hits Snooze Button Again

Habs' GM Bob Gainey, fresh off a very late evening on June 30th, has hit the snooze button once again and gone back to sleep. As anxious Habs fans wait for any sort of move from Bob, he was heard to mumble "just ten more minutes."

Though if takes 6 million per year to sign defensemen who can barely play D, and 10 million to 37-year old Swedes sitting on fences, maybe it's better he sleep in.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Theo to Transmit STD to Ted Leonsis

José Thedore, seen here getting an unnamed STD from Paris Hilton, has signed a 2-year $9 million deal with the Washington Capitals.

Other signings have happened, but fuck, big yawn so far.

Swedish Babes Gone from FHF Forever

It's noon. UFA "Frenzy" has begun and Sundin will now most likely never be in a Habs uniform. Our lame excuse to post Swedish babes is gone.

TSN is still showing tennis. We're listening to PJ Stock on Team 990 for our news. Kill us.

Monday, June 30, 2008

FHF’s Stripperiffic Guide to 2008 NHL Free Agency


We finally thought of an excuse to picture our favorite Featured Performer, Ms. Jenna Jameson. Seriously, there's a reference to her in there somewhere.

NHL Free Agents are alot like strippers. Come July 1st, NHL GM's will be like the guy who just broke up with girlfriend - let's call him Bob. The ex may be a crazy jealous bitch sucking Bob’s will to live, like a 35-year old 12-goal scorer sucking up salary cap space, or a young hottie who was out of your league to begin with, like a 25-goal scoring RFA coming out of his entry level contract. But just like most NHL teams when they reflect on thier last season, most times Bob is disappointed with the outcome of the relationship and he's eager to look around for a better partnership. Bob is out to play the field again – and to pick up the most promising free agents, so to speak.

At times like this, Bob feels the need to make a big splash to re-introduce himself to the marketplace. For Bob – being a man, and therefore not being of the best judgment all the time, thinking with something other than his brain and all - this means heading down to his favourite gentlemen’s club somewhere on Ste Catherine Street Ouest. For NHL teams, this means chasing FAs at noon on July 1st. In both cases, wallets are open looking for entertainers. Both are willing to overpay, and in their desperate rush to hook up with a free agent, their perception of the true value of the entertainers is fucked up. In other words, too often both of these poor souls are about to overpay for similar disappointing results.

In order to help both Bob and NHL clubs, FHF relies on its years of personal research to bring you our stripperific guide to this summer’s NHL Free Agents. Hopefully this will allow our favorite team - and Bob - to avoid any unfortunate mistakes in thier relationships, like asking Sergei Samsonov out to dinner again.

The “Featured Performers”

They’re absoluely drop-dead gorgeous, everyone a perfect "10", and they bring exceptional talents to the table (hehe). You’re pulling out your wallet before you’ve even saddled up to the stage, because this kind of entertainment is going to cost you both kids’ college funds.

NHL translation: Cream of the UFA crop. Best talent available, but they’ll demand a premium in remuneration and commitment. Bob will need to pull out his ATM card and find a comfortable chair. NHL GM`s will need to pull out a calculator and find a capologist. While the talent is undoubtedly there, it'll keep costing Bob until 2015.

Montreal is rumoured to have offered Mats Sundin $8M over 2 years, which seems fair given it's a short term deal. If Ryan Malone can score $7M per (although it is front-loaded), someone will give Marian Hossa $8.5M a year over 5+ years. And they better have a centre like Crosby to get him the puck if they expect him to score at his playoff pace. Montreal has a shot at one, not both. Brian Campbell may be the prototype for the New NHL with his skating and puck-moving skills, but it`s hard to believe he`ll be a perennial Norris trophy candidate, which is why he`ll be overpaid at $7-8M per for more than 4 years. Although there are rumours linking Campbell to Montreal, it seems unlikley with two $5M plus defencemen already. The Blackhawks are supposedly ready to offer $8M per.

The “Main Stage Attractions”

They’re hot and have no major flaws. All you need is one drink to get your motor running and start to forget about how you lost out on the featured performer of the evening.

NHL translation: Not the top-tier/big name catches, but solid upgrades for the top two lines/defensive pairings.

Michal Roszival May be the 2nd best defencemen available, but shouldn’t command more than $3.5M per. The Rangers and Oilers could get into a bidding war over Wade Redden, resulting in a conmtract worth north of$4M per for more than 3 seasons -well out of the Habs' price range. Brian Rolston arguably belongs in the featured performer this off season, but doesn`t have the big name recognition of the top tier guys – yet. If he moves to a major hockey centre (say, Vancouver?), his profile might skyrocket (of course, Brian’s skyrocket won’t carry his reputation close to Roberto Luongo’s Jenna Jameson-like heights.) His point total might skyrocket playing with Vinny in T.Bay, and he also would be the next best option for Montreal after Mats & Marian. Cristobal Huet is the best goalie available, but as Habs fans know all too well, he may be good, but he hasn’t proven to be great over the long haul. Still, a team like Tampa or LA will keep the Frenchmen knee deep in Camembert for as long as he wants. Corey Stillman seems to score wherever he goes, so he might rope some poor GM into giving hm $3M plus a year, even though he’s a complimentary player at best. Andrew Brunette would be a cheaper, but less flashy option with less upside. With the addition of Tanguay, don't look for these guys in a Canadiens uniform next year.

The “Mid-Week Stalwarts”

In the dark corners of your favourite gentlemen’s club, there's nothing wrong with them. However, exposed to the harsh light of day their drawbacks are accentuated. Best enjoyed after a least a couple of drinks.

NHL translation: good players, if they play a limited and set role they can be useful. However, exposed to the harsh light of a March road game, their drawbacks are accentuated. Due to injuries or off-seasons, their stocks have dropped - and in theory, so should thier salary. In theory.

Brendan Morrison would be in the last group if not for an injury plagued season; someone desperate at centre (i.e. Columbus) might make a big pitch, including MTL if they strike out with Mats & Marian, although he is smallish. Brad Stuart has to decide between more money in SoCal or a better fit in Detroit, where he excelled in a limited role. Supposedly some Montreal fans see him as our 4th D, but that ain't happening. Kristian Huselius could be a steal on the right team at the right price, which means Atlanta will overpay for him and he’ll be on waivers in 3 years. Montreal is better off with Tanguay. Mike Commodore may be one dimensional but seems to have a Tie Domi-like cult following; hopefully NHL GM`s will figure out it won`t take much to overpay considering his limited potential - I am confident Gainey will. Much has been made of Mark Streit’s versatility, but he says he wants to be a full time defenceman. He’ll be a small defenceman (just like half of Montreal’s back end), but some other team is going to give him more than his track record commands anyway. We’ll see how he handles a different role than in Montreal - and he is undoubtedly gone if Mats or Marian signs. Jay Pandolfo may be the latest in the seemingly annual July 1st ritual of free agents fleeing New Jersey – but Pandolfo may regret leaving considering his style is so suited to his current team. Ron Hainsey may have some offensive skills, but doesn’t play an all-around game or use his size - like the stripper who is packing the 36 double d’s beneath a thin layer of lingerie, it still looks nice, but you're inevitably left wanting more.

The “Last Calls”

Some moderate to major flaws are apparent, but still enough there to be interesting - especially after several rounds of shots.

NHL Translation: Over-the-hill free agents or those more interested in off-ice puruits (Alex DAigle ruled this category before he retired). These guys come with baggage. And unlike the NFL, NHL GM’s seem to care about their player’s drunken rule-breaking.

Todd Bertuzzi is a grumpy headcase who needs very strong lockeroom to keep him reined in. Still has a huge profile, so he'll get another shot - HF4 hopes in Montreal. I doubt it. The question with Jose Theordore is who will show up: Focused, athletic and intuitive Theo? Or I’m-a superstar-who-can-bang-whorish-celebrities, flopping, erratic Theo? Either way, is that a smart $5M gamble on anything longer than a year? Sean Avery may be a total jerk, but would thrive in the right environment, which he had in NY. Rumour is now T.O., which would make for a great porno starring Long Don Cherry and Shot From Behind Sean Avery. Admit it, you loved Darcy Tucker in Montreal. Question about him is really the same as for Milk Carton Mike Ryder: was last season a blip or a sign of things to come? Ray Emery is a mess who might be playing the wrong sport.

The “You believe them when they say they’re 23” Girls

These are the girls that seem too good to be true – too sweet, too girl-next-door, too, umm, underage. One major problem: often have a “Pretty Woman” complex and expect you to profess your undying love, publicly.

NHL translation: RFA’s. NHL GM’s show their love with huge front-loaded numbers and lengthy contracts which, in retrospect, all too often seem to take lifetimes before expiry. They're attractive because they're young and usually haven't hit thier peak. If there is movement here, look for a trade rather than a free agent offer sheet.

Jay Boumeester and Mike Green headline this group, as two of the best young defencemen in the game. It seems unthinkable that Washington wouldn’t do anything to keep Green feeding Ovie 90-foot passes – even if a lot of those passes end up going in the other direction. Boumeester could move, as Jacques Martin seems to have followed the path walked by all too many Quebecers: after moving to Florida, the slow, relentless decent into senility and madness was inevitable. Corry Perry isn't going anywhere, unless Brian Burke really is going to Toronto at the end of the seaason and he scams his way into giving Perry to the Leafs.

The “You can tell they’re pushing 35 even if they don’t admit it” Women

On the other end of the spectrum: you’re wondering whether they take their kids to work with them.

NHL translation: Guys who were stars when Don Cherry was relevant.

Take your pick : Jaromir Jagr, Pavol Demitra, Doug Weight, Markus Naslund, Jason Smith, Bobby Holik and Mike Peca. Only Jagr seems even likely of ever having a major impact again. None of them are getting any better, so contract length is key cause NHL teams are on the hook for any salary given to an over 35 year old. Right, Cliff Fletcher?

Friday, June 27, 2008

Habs UFA Preview

UFA day "falls" on a Tuesday next week. Lame connection I know, but lame excuses to post hot chicks is what we're all about.

With less than a week to go before moving day in Quebec, and the first day of unrestricted free agency, HFH takes a look at the Habs needs and which UFA's are available to fill them. Then our favorite part: we judge them based on whether their addition would be money (in the Jon Favreau/Vince Vaughn sense of the term) or a disease - say, like an STD acquired in a wild road trip to one of Montreal's many gentleman's clubs (STD!)

Number 1 Centre

Mats Sundin - Without re-hashing the old "is Koivu a true number one centre" debate, the fact is that the Habs have exclusive negotiations rights with Sundin, and if he signed with the Habs he's be their No.1 centre.
$$$! Mats puts the Habs over the top in their Centennial Year.
Simply put, Montreal's entire UFA strategy hinges on Mats. If he signs, that won't leave the Habs with much room to sign any other UFA's except to fill specific holes.

Third Line Centre
Assuming Mats does not sign and the Habs don't re-up with Slowinski, they'll be in the market for a 3rd line centre (unless they give the job to Chips). If not:

Bobby Holik - A big, shut down centre - but would have to take a HEE-Yuge paycut. Not likely in this weak market.
STD! probably after visiting Cleopatra's with Vancouver sometime in November. Bobby's going to ask for more cash that Bob is willing to give him. Probably a good thing, because otherwise it could see a Radek Bonk-like outcome here.

Mike Peca - a little on the small side, but if used in the right way (i.e. less that 15 minutes of ice time) he can still be effective. In other words, his days as a Leaf didn't completely ruin him.

$$$! Big upgrade from Slowinski.

Veteran backup/depth goalie
J-S Aubin - so-so career, will likely sign a two-way contract, won't demand big bucks. Plus he's a Quebecer.

$$$! He's probably let his career NHL ambitions die, so what more could the Habs ask for than a depth goaltender who's a little dead inside?

Patrick Lalime - Not likely, primarily because I question whether he has the stones to play in hockey-mad Montreal.
STD! Bob likes stones. Won't even be in the NHL next year.

Jocelyn Thibault - Don't laugh, he could be this year's Breezer. Not so sure he's ready to accept the possibility of being sent to the AHL, though.
STD! I've compared him to Breezer. 'Nuff said.

Fourth/Fifth Defenceman
Assuming they can't afford Marc Streit at $3M a year, the Habs will only sign a d-man from outside the organization for a much lower number. So there are no Wade Redden's on this list:

Jaroslav Modry - puck mover, effective if not overused and only made $1.2M last year.
STD! picked up from someone dirty eastern European hooker on the streets of Pardubice. Would probably prefer Europe over another NHL stop to finish off his career. Plus he reminds me of Janne Niniimaa.

Patrice Brisebois - just accept it.
$$$! which is ok, as long as he's carrying Rhino's jock all season.

Wildcards
Owen Nolan - Saw him play on Calgary this year, and he played physical, was a leader and even scored some timely goals. He'd be a great addition, especially to a team without a true pugilist. I doubt there'd be any reason to come here, though.
$$$! Love this nasty Irishman!

Sean Avery - Yeah, right. And monkeys might fly out of my butt.
STD! cause you know he's already full of 'em.


MONDAY: we look at who Bob may chase if Mats doesn't sign.