Crib Notes - Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens
Last season - Finished 2nd in the Northeast, Swept in round 1 of the playoffs by Boston
Lost hard-nosed D Mike Komisarek to Toronto via free agency
Lost sick W Alex Kovalev to Ottawa via free agency
Lost captain Saku Koivu to Anaheim via free agency
Lost Tom Kostopoulos to Carolina vie free agency
Lost grizzled D Matt Schneider to Vancouver via free agency
Lost W Alex Tanguay to Tampa Bay via free agency
Signed Diarrhea as a free agent
Signed D Jaroslav Spacek and Paul Mara as free agents
Signed Mike Cammalleri Brian Gionta and Travis Moen.
Signed 3rd string G Curtis Sanford
Traded Chris Higgins and change for Scott Gomez in a multi player deal
Resigned Kyle Chipchura, Guillaume Latendresse, Tom Plekanec and Gregory Stewart

Questions going into 2009-2010:
Does Gionta, Cammalleri, Moen and Gomez = Kovalev, Koivu, Lang and Tanguay?
Does Mara, Spacek and Diarrhea = Komisarek and Schneider?
Can Carey Price stay focused for a full season?
Is it a concern that the top talent is relatively undersized?
How can Matt Dandenault, Patrice Brisebois and Francis Bouillon NOT be on the roster this season?
Isn't it written in Patrice Brisebois's birth certificate that he has to be a Montreal Canadien?
Will this team regret not landing Vinny Lecavalier?
How will all the moving parts affect team chemistry?

Poised for a breakout season:
Matt D'Agostini. I don't know why but I feel like this kid could start playing big dog hockey this season.

If you had to buy one Canadiens sweater:
I think a Kirk Muller jersey would fit. Might be too early to get your P.K. Subban sweater.

Player whose game you sneaky like:
No one.

Most annoying thing about the team:
Other than the disproportionate amount of Cups and the way the home crowd boos our national anthem? How about the ridiculous media in Montreal that wants the team to have more French Canadians on the roster and flies off the handle when Shane Doan does anything.

Old guys:
Roman Hamrlik is 35
Glen Metropolit is 35
Jaro Spacek is 35
Diarrhea is 34

Young guys:
Latendresse, Price, Sergei Kostitsyn and Matt D'Agostini are 22

Tough guys:
Is Laraque is still on the roster? Scariest fighter in the league.

Something that you already know but need to read again to confirm:
Scott Gomez makes $8MM this season. More than David Wright and all but 9 NHLers.

Goaltending coach:
Pierre Groulx replaces Rollie Melanson this season.


Nostalgia:
Last season was the big 100-year anniversary. It was still no excuse for this garbage:

Interesting?:
Patrice Brisebois is now racing cars in NASCAR Canada.

NHL 94 players:
Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows and Vincent Damphousse up front.
Eric Desjardins and Mathieu Schneider on D. Pat Roy in net.
Rob Ramage was rated a 52 - close to his blood alcohol level when he killed Keith Magnuson.

YouTube:
A compilation of the greatest Pat Roy moments in French. We've been through this argument 1,000 times but I still say that right now he was the greatest goalie to play the game.


- Nemmy