MVN - Most Valuable Network

Twittling my thumbs and waiting for September… or Sundin. Whichever comes first

Again, sorry for the long delay in posting, guys. I’ve been waiting for something to happen and nothing has happened. Truth be told, I don’t even feel like speculating at this point. Plus, that darn real life got in the way again.

If you guys haven’t noticed, there is a new site her at MVN called MVN Outsider (www.mvn.com/outsider), and NHL Outsider as well (www.mvn.com/outsider/nhl).

I contribute as a staff writer and just posted my Canadiens preview over there. Take a look. Closer to the season, I’ll do a more in-depth one over here, and once camp starts again, or something happens, I’ll be back here posting.

Thanks for checking in. Things will pick up soon, and I will have another co-writer along for the ride this season, so keep checking in!

Canadiens sign Michigan’s Pacioretty: Is another move coming?

The big news in HabsLand the last 24 hours has been the signing of Max Pacioretty, the 6′2, 199 power forward who stole the show at the Canadiens development camp.

Pacioretty was chosen with the 1st round pick in 2007 acquired from the San Jose Sharks along with Josh Gorges for Craig Rivet (by the way, haters of the trade back then have surely changed their tune, don’t you think?). While common sense dictates he will probably start the season in Hamilton, I don’t buy that. I think there is another move coming. The person who could be moved? The once-untouchable Chris Higgins.

Not only was he mentioned in trade offers to San Jose (for Marleau), Atlanta (for Hossa) and Toronto (for Sundin), but Higgins has the most value of anyone the Canadiens have shopped around.

Now, Pacioretty might have a bad camp, and this point would be moot, but if he has a good camp (a la Guillaume Latendresse) I don’t think the Canadiens would hesitate to put him in the lineup. They’ve only been looking for a big, powerful winger for… oh, I don’t know how many years.

The signing is a built-in Plan C (he is a cheap replacement for an aging Shanahan) should the Canadiens fail to lure Sundin. He also makes Higgins expendable to bring in a centre.

I don’t think Higgins will be dealt no matter what - I don’t think a move will be made until the team is either positive Sundin isn’t coming or they really think Pacioretty can crack the lineup - but this is an intriguing move considering the Canadiens recent history with college players. Higgins himself and Mike Komisarek all played in college for two years, Ryan McDonagh is going into his second year, David Fischer is going into his third year. Pacioretty only played one year at the college level before turning pro.

It really only increases the competition for roster spots. Guillaume Latendresse could be supplanted by Pacioretty, same thing for Matt D’Agostini and to a lesser extent Gregory Stewart (only because Stewart is more 4th line player grit and less scoring than D’Agostini).

And, about Sundin - can you believe the contrasting styles between Vancouver’s Mike Gillis and Montreal’s Bob Gainey? Gillis has admitted making the 2-year, $10 million offer, and recently said that he hopes the Olympics in 2010 can lure Sundin to Vancouver. Gainey has not even talked about Sundin except when he acquired his rights and there has not really been any rumour on what kind of offer was made.

Why is this? I think that Gainey respects Sundin and is just waiting it out. The Canadiens are in the best position out of the teams rumoured to be after Sundin (Vancouver and Toronto).

Vancouver lost Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund, and while they got Pavol Demitra, they need to bring in more scoring to a team that has the best goaltender in the NHL, but reminds people of the 2000-2006 Canadiens in that they can’t score and rely on their goaltender. They can’t really afford to wait on Sundin which is why they are in talks for New Jersey’s Brian Gionta.

Toronto is in a similar position to Montreal. They are fine with or without Sundin. If they bring him back, that’s great. They’ll have a mentor to teach their young players. If he goes, they will have playing time for the younger players. They aren’t going to contend with or without him, and they are perfectly fine without him - they won’t need to make another move.

But, Montreal is a contender. They have a team set up that was the leading scoring team in the league last year, and actually added a top-line player in Alex Tanguay (while their losses were minimal when it comes to scoring.) Sundin would be gravy. Although, the Canadiens do have a hole at center if they try to have three scoring lines, they have other options that they can take care of after the season begins via trade. They aren’t desperate. Really, it’s Sundin or nothing at this point for the Canadiens. They have Pacioretty into the fold and can afford to wait through training camp to see if anyone steps up. If not, they can pull the trigger on a trade early in the season or at the deadline to load up for the playoffs.

For those who say that the Canadiens could wait for Sundin until December, I don’t think so. Sundin said last year that he wants to be with a team from the start of the season. If he doesn’t sign by September, he will not play this season. Otherwise he would be a huge hypocrite.

Rob mentioned that Bouillon was on the hot seat. I actually agree with that. Guys like Hamrlik and Gorges are safe because, among other things, they have the ability to make a great first pass. Bouillon isn’t great at that, and if the Habs could supplant Bouillon with a bigger guy who does similar things, they really have no reason to do so. Bouillon is more or less an even-strength fifth/sixth defenceman. He was one of Montreal’s best defencemen, but their defence has improved since he was playing with Patrice Brisebois version 1.0 and Sheldon Souray in the early part of this decade. We assume he has a spot, but he would also be a perfect guy to be a 7th defenceman and switch in and out with someone else. He seems like a team player, and someone who (like Brisebois last year) would understand his role.

If no Sundin, then what? Montreal’s other options

Here at Les Glorieux, we thrive on the hypothetical. When things happen, I can comment on them. However, when nothing is happening? That just means I can talk about whatever I want. After taking “heat” for saying the Canadiens were front runners for getting Mats Sundin (I still do), I’m going to take a look at what happens if Sundin decides to retire or play elsewhere.

The good news? The Canadiens would still be a good team.

Plan B: Patrick Marleau

It has been widely reported that Montreal’s Plan B if Sundin decides not to come to the Habs is San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau. These rumours have been circulated almost as much as the Alex Tanguay ones the last few years, and guess what? Tanguay is now a Montreal Canadien. If Sundin doesn’t sign, I believe that Bob Gainey will go after Patrick Marleau, and while it will cost something in a trade more than Sundin as a free agent, a guy like Marleau can make this team better.

San Jose is not rebuilding, so they will be looking for players that can help them right away. The obvious names are the ones that were thrown around the Marian Hossa and Mats Sundin trade rumours at the Trade Deadline with one caveat - Marleau is not a rental player. So, you’re probably looking at a trade for Marleau costing you Chris Higgins, Maxim Lapierre and maybe even Ryan O’Byrne or another defence prospect.

Good trade? Perhaps. I think it helps both teams but maybe I’m overvaluing Higgins, Lapierre and O’Byrne. Let’s look at what the Canadiens’ lineup would look like if this trade happened.

Andrei Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev
Tanguay-Marleau-Sergei Kostitsyn
Latendresse-Koivu-Kostopoulos
Begin-Chipchura-Laraque

Markov-Komisarek
Hamrlik-Gorges
Bouillon-Dandenault/Belle/Valatenko/Carle/etc…

Unless you’re blind, you see that this trade makes that 3rd line (which with Sundin would be Higgins-Koivu-Latendresse) is much worse. However, if Montreal can find their center, there are still some scoring wingers still available. Brendan Shanahan is one who is still available for example. It also could open a spot for prospect Max Pacioretty who is making a lot of noise at the team’s development camp.

So this probably isn’t the best case scenario for the Canadiens.

Plan C: UFA Right Winger of choice

Despite it being mid-July, there are still some good free agents available that would fit in with Montreal’s needs. Just a quick look at free agent lists show Teemu Selanne, Brendan Shanahan and Ladislav Nagy still unsigned unrestricted free agents. Guess what? They would also be top-9 forwards on any NHL team, right where Montreal has an opening.

Selanne and Shanahan have been rumoured to come to Montreal before, and relatively often. Nagy signed with Los Angeles for one year and battled through injuries and only played 38 games last year, with 9 goals and 17 assists. Nagy is much younger than the other two at only 29 years old.

So, let’s call these players ‘Plan C’ in this edition of Montreal’s lineup:

Andrei Kostitsyn-Plekanec-Kovalev
Tanguay-Koivu-Plan C
Latendresse-Higgins-Sergei Kostitsyn
Laraque-Lapierre-Kostopoulos

That doesn’t look too bad, does it?

Plan D: Do Nothing

Stand Pat. Dance with the one you brought.

AK-Plekanec-Kovalev
Tanguay-Koivu-Sergei Kostitsyn
Higgins-Chipchura-Latendresse
Laraque-Lapierre-Kostopoulos

(others: Gregory Stewart, Matt D’Agostini, Steve Begin, Mathieu Dandenault, etc…)

So while the Canadiens are waiting for Mats Sundin, if it doesn’t work out, it’s not like they don’t have other options.

Either way, it leaves us with plenty to talk about until Mats makes his decision.

Canadiens acquire defenceman Belle from Minnesota

The Montreal Canadiens made a minor trade that made a lot of sense today, acquiring defenceman Shawn Belle from the Minnesota Wild in return for restricted free agent Corey Locke.

In what was a deal of two former junior stars, Locke had no place in a very loaded forward group in Montreal and Hamilton. With the addition of Ben Maxwell, especially, Locke’s days with the team were numbered. The team is also lacking depth at defence with NHL experience. Belle is a good bet to start in Hamilton, but the team will not hesitate to call him up if there is an injury. The Canadiens really did not have any other good options in Hamilton who are NHL ready.

Belle was a former teammate of Carey Price in Tri-City in the WHL, and represented Canada at the 2005 World Juniors. Belle, 23 is 6′2, 232 so he adds size.

Belle registered three points and 74 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Houston Aeros. He also played nine games for the Wild during the 2006-07 season, scoring an assist (0-1-1).

He was originally a 1st round pick (30th overall) by the St. Louis Blues in 2003.

As for Locke, he made his NHL debut last season and the undersized forward never could make it past the AHL. He led the OHL in scoring twice and had been Hamilton’s leading scorer over the last four years. He was a 4th round pick for the Canadiens.