Losing to the Bruins is always tough. Take away the history of the last 3 months and its still tough. We took them to 7 games but the flaws in our system reared their ugly head.
Let me take this time to point out that this is MY OPINION.
We have built a team of small and quick forwards and a blue line of softer and slow defensemen. Yet, we play a style of trapping and sitting on leads by collapsing all players around our goalie. Most third periods when we have a lead consist of us playing a short-handed box even if we have five skaters on the ice. We sit back and let the other team fire at will, and attempt to clear the puck out as far as center. So, in reality, if the goalie does not steal games, we do not win. Is it a great coaching system by Jacques Martin, or merely a hope that Carey Price steals the show night after night?
Two things always stand out. First of all, we seem to be amongst the league leaders in injuries every year. That may have to do with the fact that we play all night in our own end in a passive stance. Our d-men are getting hit all night. Secondly, I can usually count to well over 20 times a night a player has the puck on his stick and doesn't get the puck out of our own end. We don't cover the points, and we play soft in our own end, well, except for Paul Mara, but he never gets to play.
With all that in mind (and remembering that this is strictly MY OPINION) this is what I would love to see in the off season for my Montreal Canadiens.
#1 - Replace Jacques Martin. Move him up in the organization or out, I don't care. Replace him with Muller. Bring in an experienced former coach as the assistant. This wont happen, so i will make the rest of my "moves" with the assumption that JM is behind the bench.
#2 - Re-sign UFA's Hal Gill and Brent Sopel. If we play JM's style you need shot-blocking shut-down defensemen.
#3 - UFA's to let walk - Sanford, Halpern, Mara, Wisniewski, Auld. Wiz is going to want too much money for what he brings, Auld costs too much for a guy who doesn't play, and Mara will never be a guy in JM's plans. As for Halpern, he will get a raise, doesn't produce enough to warrant it.
#4 - UFA decisions: Markov and Darche. If we can get Darche back at the same money or maybe $700,000 I would bring him back if he was a 4th line guy only. As for Markov, I look at it like this: He has been an amazing talent for us, but has suffered multiple bad injuries in two years. I have had knee injuries, not as bad as he has, and trust me, you are not the same after. He was a player before the injuries that was worth $6 million a season. Right now, he is not. I would bet that he and his agent will be looking for a multi-year deal at around the same money. I would give him an offer of 1 year / $4 Million, or 2 years / $7.5 Million. If he doesn't take it, I let him walk. We have had success without him, and I don't see the risk in giving him more. If he gets hurt with a huge contract we are in the same boat for a third straight year. Does he make us better? YES, when he plays. The power play wasn't that bad without him, and the wild card in all of this is Subban. He is/and will be THE MAN back there so I am not as worried as some for not having a big money #1 defenseman.
#5 - Re-sign RFA's - Pacioretty, Kostitsyn, Desharnais, White, Dawes, Gorges. Then, bring Dawes up to the big club.
#6 - Bring over Alexei Yemelin from Russia. Rugged stay at home d-man, who has been a great player in the KHL.
#7 - RFA's to let walk - Pyatt, Boyd, Picard. Boyd and Picard are never going to get a chance, and probably don't warrant it, especially in the case of Picard. As for Tom Pyatt, I do not see what anyone sees in this guy. He doesn't score, hit, fight, or win end-zone face-offs late in games. Dawes would be a better 4th line fit.
#8 - Look to make a splash with a trade. I would even look to trade a few of my favorites if it meant helping the team in the big picture. As long as Price, Subban, Plekanec, and Pacioretty are kept, I am happy. I would post my trade bait buffet to include Cammalleri, Desharnais, Pouliot, Spacek and Weber.
#9 - As for Weber, he is starting to grow on me a little. If we do keep him, it is essential that he becomes a 4th line winger/point man on power play. He is not strong enough defensively to be on our blue line.
#10 - Listen to what Hamrlik has proposed, and see how cheaply you could get him to be a 5/6/7th d-man. If he really wants to stay that bad, see how far he will go to stay.
#11 - Try once again to trade Scott Gomez. If you can't put him on waivers and send him to the minors. Those minutes are better used by Eller/Desharnais or new center.
#12 - Sign a UFA goalie to a league minimum contract. He will never play anyway. I will save money here.
#13 - Look for forwards in the UFA market who are amongst leaders in hits and can score a few. I looked it up and here are a few interesting names with their stats (Size - G-A-P-Hits) (10-11 salary). Our leader in hits was Kostitsyn with 140 and only a handful over 100 for the season. If we are going to play a rugged defensive style, I would rather have these guys than guys like Pyatt, Halpern and Gomez.
Konopka 6-0 211 - 2-7-9 110 hits (600,000) Face-off machine, team player, tough guy.
Asham 5-11 205 - 5-6-11 107 hits (44 games) (700,000) Rugged veteran, tough on boards
Ryan Jones 6'1 202 - 18-7-25 152 hits (975,000) Scoring touch, big hitter, stays out of box
Talbot - 5'11 190 - 8-13-21 154 hits (1,050,000) Playoff experience, tough battler, french
Glencross - 6'1 195 - 24-19-43 105 hits (1,200,000) Great 2 way player, takes puck to the net
Laich - 6-2 200 - 16-32-48 113 hits (2,066,000) Caps may have $ issues. Steal if we could get him.
Bottom line: I predict that we do next to nothing. That is usually our style. I wish we had a different coach, and if we did, I would have suggested different moves to be honest. We just need the personnel to fit the game plan. I love the off season, and hope that the GM gets to work right now.
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