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10 Habs Notes

September 2, 2010, 9:44 AM ET [ Comments]
Habs Talk
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Ten Habs Notes:

-The Carey Price saga has become slightly ridiculous this week, but I'm still not convinced there's any cause for concern. CBC reported that Price is seeking 3 million dollars and striking if he doesn't get it. Despite Michel Godbout's attempt to validate the information with his admission it came from a "very very reliable source close to Carey Price", the likelihood of Price averaging 3 million/season isn't very strong. Weaker, is the likelihood that Price will threaten to, or take any kind of holdout position. Price's agent is originally on record with the Gazette, stating the Canadiens number one should be extended by the end of this week. When contacted for comment by RDS regarding Godbout's story, Johansson was only willing to suggest that there was "still work to be done on Carey Price's contract". Throughout the summer there's been a variance of opinion on how much term Price was seeking, and what the Canadiens were offering. Johnasson's denied Godbout's claim that Price would skip camp unless the Habs met his terms, but in not addressing the suggested asking price, one may infer that the young netminder is likely seeking a longer-term contract than the Canadiens have offered. If Price's only option is a short-term deal, there's no question that he and his agent are going to try to squeeze more money out of the Canadiens. Prediction: Price will sign in the next week on a 2-year deal worth an average of 2.5 mil. He'll be paid the lower end this season and the higher end next season.

-During our live chat last week, we passed around a captaincy poll. With options like Gionta, Cammalleri, Markov and Gomez, Josh Gorges held a 5% victory margin by the end of it. The more I look around the Internet, the more support there seems to be for Josh Gorges as captain of the Canadiens. If you polled the media, most members would tell you they believe either Markov or Gionta will wear the "C", but if they had to vote on who they'd like to see wear it, it would be Gorges.

-I think it's most probable the Canadiens won't name a captain until the end of training camp, if only to detract from other stories they don't wish to see dominating the headlines over the coming weeks. They'd much rather everyone talk about who the next captain of the team will be, as opposed to questioning the Canadiens' intentions regarding Andrei Markov. They'd much rather the intrigue of the open captaincy inspire some great leadership out of training camp, than have everyone fully concentrated on Carey Price's showings in pre-season games.

-In assessing Markov's value, Steve Hindle and I attempted to rattle off all the names of defensemen who are legitimately better:

1. Drew Doughty
2. Shea Weber
3. Duncan Keith
4. Zdeno Chara
5. Niklas Lidstrom
6. Chris Pronger

That's where our list ended. Even at that, Lidstrom and Pronger have had far more prolific careers than Markov has, but the Canadiens rearguard could legitimately be considered as the better player right now. Mike Green gets honorable mention, but he's obviously not as defensively sound as Markov. Sergei Gonchar, like Pronger and Lidstrom, has had a better career, but at this stage isn't as good as Markov. Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres is on his way to being one of the best defensemen in the league.

-Compile a list of defensemen that are more valuable to their teams than Markov is to the Canadiens! Habs could be in for a very difficult negotiation. If it is in fact true that Gauthier is waiting for Markov's healthy return to the lineup before discussing deal with Meehan, it certainly inspires doubt that the Canadiens are 100% committed to bringing him back. If they do intend to bring him back, Gauthier better get down to contract negotiations as early as possible. Given his value to the franchise, and his standing as one of the best defensemen in the league (not to mention his value as a top 5 powerplay player in the league) I don't see how the Canadiens would even entertain the thought of letting him go.

-Who is more likely to exceed expectations this year, Benoit Pouliot or Andrei Kostitsyn? Not sure how to answer, but if neither is able to, the Canadiens have very little chance of making the post-season.

-Since the day Jaroslav Halak was traded, the pressure on Lars Eller to be a top flight player has mounted. Being a rookie in the NHL is tough to begin with, but being a rookie who was traded to the most pressurized market for one of the hottest stars of last year's playoffs is an extra burden. If Eller pots 20 goals this year that will be an excellent indication that his development is equal to his talent, but more than that, it'll say a lot about his character and his ability to succeed in this market.

-What are the expectations for P.K. Subban this year? To compete for a Calder Trophy. P.K. has the goods and will be afforded the opportunity to be a top-paired defenseman in the NHL this season. He'll have a prominent powerplay role, and his natural leadership will be on display. Everyone expects P.K. to be a star, as he garners the experience to become a superstar. I don't feel those expectations are unreasonable.

-Of the Canadiens hottest prospects (Louis Leblanc, Danny Kristo, Alex Avtsin), Avtsin seems the most NHL-ready to me. That being said, I think all three are on their way to being solid NHLers.

-Mike Cammalleri has always been a prolific scorer, but you have to wonder whether his magical post-season run pushed him to a new level. Is it unreasonable to suggest he's capable of scoring 50 goals (or close to it) this season? His supporting cast will have to play a big role in it, but I think it's probable that Cammalleri will have the best season of his career if he can stay healthy.
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