Post Game Thoughts

The NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and your Montreal Canadiens weren't very active, having only made two moves (1 trade, 1 waiver claim). Here's the roundup of today's deals. 1. Canadiens trade F. Andrei Kostitsyn to Predators for 2013 2nd round pick, conditional 5th round pick. Analysis: To me, this one is a head-scratcher. A 2nd round pick is solid, however, Dominic Moore fetched a 2nd round pick, and AK is worth much more than Moore. I really expected Gauthier to trade Kostitsyn for a significant pick/ prospect, but of course, he failed to get it done. My biggest problem with the trade is that I thought Gauthier pulled the trigger way too early. If he waited until later on in the day, someone would have offered way more than what he received. Go look what Paul Gaustad's return was. Final grade: C+ 2. Canadiens claim F. Brad Staubitz off waivers. Analysis: This move is pretty useless, in my opinion. Staubitz is a good fighter but that...

As I write this article, the Habs sit 28th in the NHL standings, good enough for the 3rd overall pick. Here is what I think the Canadiens will do come draft weekend in Pittsburgh. 1st Round, 3rd overall: Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts, QMJHL) - Big, skilled Russian center being compared to Gino Malkin. That's good enough reason to draft him at #3. 2nd Round, 33rd overall: Tanner Pearson (Barrie Colts, OHL)- Player with first round skill and production, 81 points (33 goals, 48 assists) in 49 games. But his age pushes him out of the first round. ( Born in 1992). 2nd Round, 56th overall (From Nashville): Devin Shore (Whitby Fury, OJHL)- Another player with good size, Shore is also very talented offensively. 3rd Round, 63rd overall: Jaynen Rissling (Calgary Hitmen, WHL)- At 6'03, 211lbs, Rissling is a big man and a great hitter. Also has some solid offensive skill including a rocket of a shot. 4th Round, 93rd overall: Jake Mont...

After spending the better part of the past week on Twitter, I've come across a couple rumors that I found to be quite intriguing. While most of these rumors likely won't happen, I thought it would be fun to see what the Habs could look like if these trades were to be completed. Rumors: 1. Chris Stewart to Montreal Canadiens for Travis Moen and a pick/prospect. 2. Andrei Kostitsyn and Yannick Weber to the Nashville Predators for the rights to Alex Radulov + 1st round pick. Check out Radulov's stats in the KHL here . Ridiculous. 3. Jeff Carter to Montreal Canadiens for Tomas Plekanec, Tomas Kaberle, 2013 1st round pick and a prospect. If these 3 trades were to actually be completed, this is what your 2012-2013 Montreal Canadiens could look like. Stewart - Carter - Radulov Cole - Desharnais - Pacioretty Leblanc - Eller - Gionta Geoffrion - White - Blunden Gomez Markov - Emelin Subban - Gorges Diaz - Dumba (5th overall pick) Price Budaj ...

The 2014 winter Olympics will be held in Sochi, Russia. And while we are still 2 years away, it is never to early to predict the roster that will be representing our country in the most important sporting event of the year. GM: Steve Yzerman Head Coach: Mike Babcock Assistant Coaches: Ken Hitchcock, Kirk Muller Forwards: Taylor Hall - Sidney Crosby - Steven Stamkos Rick Nash - Jonathan Toews - Claude Giroux Corey Perry - Ryan Getzlaf - John Tavares Jordan Eberle - Jordan Staal - Eric Staal Tyler Seguin - Matt Duchene Defense: Shea Weber - Drew Doughty Duncan Keith - Kris Letang Brent Burns - PK Subban Tyler Myers Goalies: Carey Price Marc- Andre Fleury Cam Ward                         If I'm Hockey Canada, that's the coaching staff and management I'm putting together and if I'm Steve Yzerman that's what my squad would look like. Just remember that I did not exactly choose players based o...

What a tough week this last one has been for Montrealers, Gary Carter's passing showed us all how much we really loved the hall of fame catcher. Not only was he a great player but more importantly he was a great man. I don't know about the rest of you, but I thought that the tribute to "The Kid" on the big screen, the Habs wearing his famous #8 on their jersey and helmets during warm-up along with Youppi wearing his old Expos jersey were an incredible way to honor Carter. The Habs have always had a knack for doing great tributes and they nailed this one. I think Jack Todd put it best when he wrote "Carter was the face of Nos Amours". Carter will always be in the hearts and memories of Montrealers and I'm sure none of us will ever forget him and his famous smile. Rest in peace, Gary "The Kid" Carter. CHeers Follow me on Twitter: @YourCanadiens

5. David Desharnais: Canadiens vs. Red Wings- Wednesday, January 25th 2012 When the Red Wings came to town in January, many were expecting a blowout. The Red Wings were the top team in the league and they were coming to play a slumping Montreal team. However, thanks to David Desharnais' 3 point performance (2 goals, 1 assist), les Habitants took the game 7-2. 4. David Desharnais/ Erik Cole/ Max Pacioretty: Canadiens vs. Rangers- Monday, January 15th 2012 With the Eastern conference leading Rangers coming to town, nobody expected the Habs to even compete in this game. Thanks to 2 goals and 1 assist from Max Pacioretty, 1 goal and 2 assists from David Desharnais and 3 assists from Erik Cole the Habs came out on top with a 4-1 victory. The line combined for 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists) and a +9 rating. 3. Carey Price: Canadiens vs. Sharks- Thursday, December 1st 2011 Carey Price has been brilliant for the Habs this season but no performance was as good as this on...

5. Josh Gorges This shouldn't come to the surprise of many as Gorges has consistently been the Habs best defender this season. His leadership in the dressing room is immeasurable and his dedication to his team and teammates is incredible. He is a selfless player that will do anything to win. And while he is not lighting up the scoresheets he is a +16 and is leading the league in blocked shots. 4. David Desharnais When you have a top line that is playing as well as David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole are, a lot has to do with the play of the center. DD has done an incredible job of setting up his wingers all season long. He is third on the team in scoring with 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 58 games and is a plus 11. Not a bad season for an undrafted free agent. 3. Carey Price Without Carey Price this season, the Habs are the worst team in hockey. Even though the numbers may not show it, Price has been the main reason the Habs are even ...

We have a trade to announce! The Montreal Canadiens have traded defenseman Hal Gill along with a conditional 5th round pick to the Nashvile Predators in exchange for Blake Geoffrion, Robert Slaney and a 2nd round pick. Gill will be missed in the locker room in Montreal but it was time for him to move on. He was such a great influence on PK Subban last year and should continue to help the young d-men in Nashville such as Jonathan Blum and Ryan Ellis. In return, the Habs get Robert Slaney and Blake Geoffrion. Slaney is currently playing in the ECHL and it his chances to play at the NHL level in his future are very slim. If you weren't aware, Geoffrion is the great grand son of former Hab great, Boom-boom Geoffrion. At 6'02 and roughly 200lbs, Geoffrion brings good size and skill to the team. The 2nd round pick is just the icing on the cake and a very good late addition to the trade. Final word: Great move by Gauthier. Geoffrion is young, skilled and has a bright future. Gill wa...

Ladies and gentleman, the trade deadline is only a short time away. Here is a list of 5 players that the Habs must trade before the deadline, and who they should be traded for. 1. Hal Gill Gill has once again been a great player for the Habs this season. When he is dealt, his leadership will be dearly missed. However, because of his age and his pending UFA status Gill must be moved. With many pending free agent defenseman signing with their teams (Gleason, Boychuk, Sutton) Gill could prove to be one of the hottest commodities at his position as he has playoff experience and has won a Stanley cup. My offer: Hal Gill to Philadelphia Flyers for a 2nd round pick. 2. Travis Moen Just like Gill, Moen's presence in the locker room will be missed, however his UFA status makes him hard to keep. Moen is a great penalty killer and defensive players and could be the difference to a team like the San Jose Sharks or Detroit Red Wings. Moen is that bottom 6 forward with playoff experien...

1. Zach Parise This one is obvious. Parise is a dynamic offensive talent who has scored 30 goals four times in his career, including a 45 goal season. The Devils don't have the money to re-sign Parise unless they somehow get rid of Kovalchuk's contract. Look for him to become a free agent July 1st. My offer: $42,000,000 over 6 years 2. Ryan Suter Another obvious choice to help bolster the blueline, Suter is definitely one of the better defenseman on the market this summer. While he is mainly a defensive defenseman, Suter has shown the ability to put up some solid numbers throughout his NHL career. If the Canadiens could get there hands on Suter, it would be a huge boost to their back-end. My offer: $35,000,000 over 5 years 3. Tuomo Ruutu Ruutu, 6'02, 202lbs, would add a physical dimension to the team that it is lacking. While Ruutu has never really put up eye-popping numbers, he has been a very effective player for the Hurricanes this s...

So there's a bit of a dilemma in Montreal these days. In the midst of a 4 game winning streak, it seems as if the team is suddenly back in the playoff picture. After spending most of the season in the cellar of the Eastern conference, this winning streak has pulled the Habs back into playoff contention. As of Sunday night, the team sits in 11th place in the conference and 7 points out of 8th, which is now held by Toronto. So now as Habs fans we must ask ourselves, are the playoffs a realistic goal? Obviously any loyal Habs fan's first thought would be that of course he/she wants the team to make the playoffs and yes the playoffs are a possibility. Now, let's look at it from a different angle. If the Habs were to somehow make the playoffs, they would more than likely end up in 8th spot. Meaning they would face either the Rangers or Bruins in the first round. I know many of you may use the excuse that the Canadiens have had the edge over the Rangers this season, but com...

Ryan White and Ian Schultz have been recalled from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. The team announced the transaction Sunday night. White, who is coming off sports hernia surgery, has 4 goals and 1 assist in 4 games with the Bulldogs. Schultz, who was the other player involved in the Jaroslav Halak deal that brought Lars Eller to Montreal, has 3 goals and 10 assists in 36 games with the 'Dogs. He is also a +3 on a team with a lot of "big" minuses. Schultz and White each bring size and grit to a team that is lacking just that. Now as Habs fans, we can only ask ourselves, is there a trade coming? Above is Ryan White fighting Bruins D-man Johnny Boychuk If you haven't seen Ian Schultz play, watch this. Man is a truck. CHeers

I would just like to take the time to congratulate Scott Gomez on his first goal in 371 days. Life has been tough for "Gomer" since signing (and not living up to) his hefty $7M contract. Players have consistently said that Scotty is one of the most liked players in the dressing room and that he is a great leader and great guy. Good to see him get his goal. Here are some stats from Gomez's drought thanks to Steven Hindle of Hockeybuzz.com. Days: 371 Games Played: 52 Time on Ice between Goals: 859:15 or 13 hours, 59 minutes and 15 seconds Shifts between Goals: 1,131 Shots between Goals: 104 Assists between Goals: 17 +/- between Goals: -8 Thanks for the goal, Scott. So we'll see you in 371 days? CHeers

For the Montreal Canadiens, the 2011-2012 season has been a rough one. From the firings of coaches Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn, to the mid-game trade that included Mike Cammalleri being shipped to Calgary, it has definitely been a season to forget in Montreal. With all that is going poorly for the Bleu Blanc Rouge, Habs fans have placed all of the blame on General Manager Pierre Gauthier, and rightfully so. With the Canadiens having a very slim chance of reaching the playoffs, there are still a few ways that the Canadiens can salvage their season. Firstly and most importantly, at the end of the season, the entire management must be replaced. Gauthier along with Bob Gainey and the entire coaching staff must go and be replaced with new blood to lead this team in a new direction.  Everyone out, no exceptions. Completely new regime. A new GM candidate is Pierre McGuire and a new coaching staff could include Guy Carbonneau returning as the head coach along with assis...

After a shutout win over the Winnipeg Jets Sunday afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens pulled a rabbit out of their hats with a shootout victory Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, only their second shootout victory this season. But that didn't even make headlines as Montreal's young stars stole the show. As sweet as the win was, the performance of two young players for the Canadiens was the cherry on top. After a rough season last year, young Danish centre Lars Eller, who was acquired in the Jaroslav Halak trade, is starting to prove that he can be a solid regular in the NHL. Once again, Eller had the challenge of shutting down the opponent's top players. After completely shutting down Pavel Datsyuk back before the All-Star break, Eller was given another opportunity to shut down a star Russian player. This time it was league leader in points, Evgeni Malkin. With some help from Tomas Plekanec, Eller once again put in a stellar performance, holding Malkin to one assist, ...

As most of you may know, the Mile High Jungle blog did not exactly work out. But fear not my friends, Big Mike is here to stay. Here at Your Canadiens all of the talk will be about our beloved Habs, nothing else. If you're a Habs fan, Your Canadiens is the place to be for heated Habs debates and anything else about the Montreal Canadiens. I hope you all stick around for the ride. CHeers Follow me on twitter: @YourCanadiens Other great follows: @BallHock