Les Habitants Prospects Thread

[worm]

I wanna know more about the fights at the end? haha

[AllCanadienFan]

No real fights just a lot of talk. Lacroix didn't like the cheap shot on Conboy and started yelling at the Marlies bench, I think mainly at Deveaux. Once a crowd had formed Deveaux got brave and it appeared made contact with Lacroix but couldn't get good look from my angle. Next the marlies coach starts yelling and I thought Lacroix was going to go into their bench. Then cooler heads prevailed. Typical game with Marlies a lot of cheap shots and not much skill from their side. It was nice to see some emotions from our coaching staff sticking up for their players, it was nice to see a depleted squad never quit working and it was nice to see the vets step up.

[hairnova]

This Hamilton team is insane...all these guys in the NHL and they're still winning.

[GGpX]

Just curious if anybody's planning on going to the Hamilton-Adirondack game on Feb 21st. It's at the Bell Center at 1PM on a Sunday afternoon. You can get two tickets in the reds for under $100.

I have no idea if I'll be going seeing as I might be busy. I love going to the games live, though.

[TheLeftCoast]

Would love to go but it's a long road trip from Victoria. I wouldn't mind trying to catch the Dogs on the road in Abbotsford vs. The Heat some time.

[GGpX]

Out of curiousity, are there any of our RFAs/Prospects any of you wouldn't sign? Whether in Montreal or in Hamilton or still unsigned. I'm just trying to picture what our farm team will look like next year and who we can expect to be there. The only draft picks of ours that we have to sign before June 1st otherwise we'll lose their rights are Fischer, Lahti and Missiaen. Fischer, I don't know. From reading some reports I've read from forums... He's a senior and is probably the worst d-man the Gopher's roster. On good days, he's pretty good, but on bad days, he's just awful. He has all the tools to be a good player but just can't seem to do it. If we do not sign him, we'll get a compensation second round draft pick in the 2011 draft. I think Missiaen could do pretty good if he played in front of a real defense. Maybe a backup in the NHL. Don't think he has what's necessary to be a starter, though. Lahti, well, he's never coming back over here ever again. Not that we'd want him.

From Capgeek.com:

RFA's in Montreal:

Tom Pyatt
Sergei Kostitsyn
Benoit Pouliot
Maxim Lapierre*
David Desharnais
Matt D'Agostini*
Carey Price
Jaroslav Halak

RFA's in Hamilton:

Brock Trotter
Mathieu Carle
Shawn Belle*
JT Wyman
Michael Busto
Ryan Russell
Andre Benoit*
Greg Stewart*
Cedric Desjardins

*Can only be signed to one-way deals, meaning if they're put on waivers, any team can pick them up.

RFA's in other regions of the world:

Mikael Johansson
Janne Lahti

I think they'll all be resigned except Busto, Benoit, Johansson & Lahti. Busto won't be resigned because he's a fat d-man who can't skate and can't even cut it in the ECHL. I think Andre Benoit will bolt back to Europe since I think he knows he won't have a chance to play in the NHL. Johanson & Lahti did nothing in the AHL and they'll probably stick to Europe for the rest of their careers.

I also think Leblanc will be signed and put in the AHL next year to advance his development. If they think Dany Kristo is physically mature enough to play professionally, then I think they'll sign him and get him in the AHL as well. We also signed a Swedish Free Agent called Andreas Engqvist who's doing decently in the SEL with 12G 11A 23PTS +7 28PIM in 48GP this fall, his contract will start in the Fall of 2010 with us.

Anyway! To wrap this up real quickly.

In: Fischer (?) Missiaen, Leblanc (?), Kristo (?), Engqvist

Out: Benoit & Busto

Curious to see how the team will shape up because we're going to have an excess of forwards.

[TheLeftCoast]

I think all of us would gladly trade Fischer for a second round pick. So if we can get one by just not signing him, then adios!

[TheLeftCoast]

The rest will be resigned or dealt before July 1st.

The bold names will be resigned. The others will be cut loose. Johansson will be retained. Lahti will not.

[Rolex]

I think they should keep Belle

[TheLeftCoast]

They won't keep him if they have to give him a one-way contract.

[GGpX]

I think D'Agostini will still be around next year, because right now he has just about no value at all. If we could have received a pick for him already, he would be gone. But just about every team has a D'Agostini-type player anyway.

Russell & Wyman are essentially the same type of player, just that Russell is 5'10 while Wyman is 6'2. They're checking-type players and both probably going to end up as career minor leaguers who'll get a call-up here and there. I also think they'll give Carle a chance. He's just finishing his first contract, and maybe he'll recover just fine from his shoulder surgery. If not, we can always just cut him after this season.

[GrandWazoo]

Carle and Russell will be resigned as well. Cheap depth and some veterans for Hamilton.

[GrandWazoo]

I think Leblanc will stay one more year in Harvard and then go to the AHL the year after.

[worm]

Thanks for the list GGpX.

I didn't know about the 2nd rounder thing. That would be nice. Why did we draft this guy?

And...why did we trade for BUSTO!...Count doesn't even have to make up a name for him.

[MRCanadiens]

Hey, I found this Alexander Avtsin article (translated from Russian to English). It makes no mention of whether he will come here next season or if he has fulfilled his military duties. I hope he will at least arrive to rookie camp.

http://www.russianhockeyfans.com/pro...to-me-132.html

[GrandWazoo]

The David Fischer pick has to be one of the most mysterious pick among all Habs' first pick in history (quite a company here). It made no sense even on the day of the draft. There was plenty of bad reports on that guy at the time and serious questions about his character and lack of maturity. It didn't made much sense. Add to that Timmins admitted that they were specifically looking to draft defensemen that year because they felt they lacked depth at that position (so much for not drafting for need, they've drafted 4 D on 6 picks in 2006 and 6 D on 9 picks in 2007, they do draft with a focus) and I'm still completely at loss.

[AllCanadienFan]

Why do Belle, Benoit and Stewart have to be on one way deals? Does that mean if they are sent down from camp they would be paid the NHL salary?

[TheLeftCoast]

Especially with players like Giroux, Varlamov and Foligno taken after Fischer in the first round...

[GGpX]

They'll have one way deals, but, and I do say but because I'm not sure, I think it's because it'll be their third NHL contract.

They'll get paid a different salary if they're in the AHL.

For example, if Curtis Sanford played the whole year in Montreal, he would have received $600k. But since he's playing in Hamilton, he's getting paid $105k.

[GGpX]

I had missed this post.

I want Leblanc to get the hell out of Harvard and put him in the AHL for two years.

The thing that worries me is that Leblanc is in a conference of the NCAA that isn't very competitive at all and he isn't dominating. He's not even a PPG player.