Happy Fourth of July American Comrades

Once again on this July 4th we are reminded that there are Habs fans everywhere. From New York to Tennessee to Cali, there are FHF readers. So to you, we wish you a damn fine Independence Day with much fireworks and beer. We'll even go so far as to chant "U-S-A! U-S-A!" But only because you produce so many fine babes, as seen in the American Flag bikini collection over at KSK. And you produce thrilling political drama like Sarah Palin resigning yesterday. My god that was fantastic - the rambling, the grammar, the honking geese in the background. Never change America.

Interesting piece over at La Presse this morning. Mathias Brunet thinks that all the Habs UFA's were overvalued, considering only one of the ten has signed somewhere, and Bob was right not to offer contracts. A La Presse reporter who says Bob knows what he's doing! It's bizarro world. Around the league, Rick Nash re-upped in Columbus for 8 years, and Ryan Smyth was traded to the Kings.

Will there be moves over the U.S. holiday weekend? Who knows. Consider this your weekend open thread of love. We'll check in with a new post when one of those petitions works.

The Morning Skate for Friday, July 3rd

Bullet points for what you missed while dreaming of a naked Bar Rafaeli video (no seriously, click on it, it's a naked Bar Rafaeli video. Greatest. Sexy Friday. Ever.)...

• We're starting to think Dany Heatley may have to slink back into the Ottawa dressing room;
• Hockey Canada unveils its invitees to Team Canada training camp for the Olympics. Notably absent are Spezza, Osgood, and Stamkos. Notably present is Lucic;
• El Dandy is waiting patiently for a Bob phone call. Actual quote from the article: 'I have my cell on me!"

If you're still trying to decide nicknames for the new guys on this Friday, make sure they're sexy. I hereby name Hal Gill Big Wood.

The Morning Skate tries to catch his breath for Thursday, July 2

Whew. That was some kind of day yesterday wasn't it? With the Als winning their opener? We kid. Frenzy indeed. Bob spends like a drunken sailor to create the new #1 line of midgets pictured above. While we sat there mouth agape, deciding whether the signing of Hal Gill deserved its own post, Panger was working like a maniac trying to keep up. Well done Panger. Let's try to recap the Habs and ex-Habs from the previous 24 hours:

Welcome: Camalleri, Gomez, Gionta, Gill, Spacek.
Goodbye and thanks for your service: Bégin to B's
Fuck off and die: Komisarek to Leafs
In limbo but we're not optimistic: Kovy, Lang
In limbo but really probably no chance we'll see them: Koivu, Tangy, Scneider, Breezer (please, please)

The rest of the league was pretty busy too, most notably Rangers signing Gaborik's groin to a huge deal, Hossa going to Chicago and Havlat going to the Wild. But the day will always be remembered around these parts for Bob's giant fuck you to everyone who says he never does anything. Happy now?

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!

Welcome Jaro 2.0!

Jaroslav Spacek, 3 years/$11.5 million. Can't wait for the first "Jaro Twins" post from HF4.

Buh-Bye Komo. We miss you already.

Happy CanadaUFA Day

OK everyone take a deep breath and look at this practically naked babe. Breathe, breathe. It'll be fine. Scott Gomez is a good player, and he's excited to come here.

So Happy Canada Day eh? Fuck I love my country. Canadians don't say that enough. But damn it's good to live here.

And Happy UFA day. No doubt shit will go down today. No doubt we'll be here making stupid comments about it and making lame excuses to post hot chicks. Should be fun. C'mon Bob, we still have faith! JayBo may be gone, but Heater is available. How about a Gomez-Kovy-Heater line? Not bad, eh?

Mmm, these fine Molson products go so well with cereal.