Where was JJ going to get burried? It was a one way deal. They couldn't just send him to the AHL, unless it was a conditioning stint. We had to either trade him (no takers evem whem he was waived for nothing), play him (he was bad), sit him, 3 years over $3M per (wpuld have been F'ed for 3 years, or buy out...

You tell me what could/should have been done (other than not signing him at all, cause can't change the past)

And I do believe that Letang will evemtually resign, ot at least he has serious interest. If he truly wanted to leave, he could break the "no talking to the press" rule...

Habs have definitely had a long run of non-French captains lately. 4 captains and 20+ years. But historically, they have a lot more French Canadian Cs than non-French Canadians
- Victoro311

Pacioretty's grandmother was French Canadian

Name the last French Canadian Captain of the Habs...heck name the last FC Assistant Captain.
- AdamFrench

I don’t know if this was as big of a news story in the states as it was in Canada but...

Back when Lecavalier was to become a free agent and eventually re-signed with Tampa, the Habs offered him whatever he wanted. On top of that Jean Beliveau came out and said he would request his number be made available should Lecavalier want to wear #4. It was a huge deal for the Canadiens yo again have a French Canadian captain.

It isn’t often that a French Canadian player of the caliber of Lecavalier or Letang becomes available. Letang is definitely being courted, he will be given whatever contract he wants.

To everyone asking why not go to a contender consider this:

Letang has three cups, sure he wants more all NHL player do. But there is another prize on the table. The possibility of captaining a Canadiens team that brings the cup back to Montreal. It’s a prize that is bigger than the sport to French Canadians. At least from my perspective growing up playing hockey in Ottawa.

The Habs are going to rebuild. Letang won’t be the NHL by the time they’re ready to compete and I highly doubt signing Letang would make them change their course.

I don’t know if this was as big of a news story in the states as it was in Canada but...

Back when Lecavalier was to become a free agent and eventually re-signed with Tampa, the Habs offered him whatever he wanted. On top of that Jean Beliveau came out and said he would request his number be made available should Lecavalier want to wear #4. It was a huge deal for the Canadiens yo again have a French Canadian captain.

It isn’t often that a French Canadian player of the caliber of Lecavalier or Letang becomes available. Letang is definitely being courted, he will be given whatever contract he wants.

To everyone asking why not go to a contender consider this:

Letang has three cups, sure he wants more all NHL player do. But there is another prize on the table. The possibility of captaining a Canadiens team that brings the cup back to Montreal. It’s a prize that is bigger than the sport to French Canadians. At least from my perspective growing up playing hockey in Ottawa.
- stackthepads

I don't see Vinny in the list of Captains or Assistant Captains.

Where was JJ going to get burried? It was a one way deal. They couldn't just send him to the AHL, unless it was a conditioning stint. We had to either trade him (no takers evem whem he was waived for nothing), play him (he was bad), sit him, 3 years over $3M per (wpuld have been F'ed for 3 years, or buy out...

You tell me what could/should have been done (other than not signing him at all, cause can't change the past)
- Beatnic57

They could bury JJ. 1 way deal doesn’t mean poop.

I don't see Vinny in the list of Captains or Assistant Captains.
- AdamFrench

Vinny was captain in the 90s

Vinny was captain in the 90s
- Feds91Stammer

Damphousse?

I don’t know if this was as big of a news story in the states as it was in Canada but...

Back when Lecavalier was to become a free agent and eventually re-signed with Tampa, the Habs offered him whatever he wanted. On top of that Jean Beliveau came out and said he would request his number be made available should Lecavalier want to wear #4. It was a huge deal for the Canadiens yo again have a French Canadian captain.

It isn’t often that a French Canadian player of the caliber of Lecavalier or Letang becomes available. Letang is definitely being courted, he will be given whatever contract he wants.

To everyone asking why not go to a contender consider this:

Letang has three cups, sure he wants more all NHL player do. But there is another prize on the table. The possibility of captaining a Canadiens team that brings the cup back to Montreal. It’s a prize that is bigger than the sport to French Canadians. At least from my perspective growing up playing hockey in Ottawa.
- stackthepads

So not every French Canadian wants to go be captain in Montreal?

I don't see Vinny in the list of Captains or Assistant Captains.
- AdamFrench

You apparently didn’t read the part you put in bold either.

I don’t know why you’re so defensive over my opinion, I don’t make decisions for Letang, the Canadiens nor am is Ron Hextall.

I’m just saying the Habs are going to make an offer to Letang that I believe he will take.

So not every French Canadian wants to go be captain in Montreal?
- SuperHenderson13

Oh yes they do, but many don’t want to be the guy in that fishbowl. Also Tampa has much nicer weather than Montreal and Lecavalier likes to wear flip flops.

Where was JJ going to get burried? It was a one way deal. They couldn't just send him to the AHL, unless it was a conditioning stint. We had to either trade him (no takers evem whem he was waived for nothing), play him (he was bad), sit him, 3 years over $3M per (wpuld have been F'ed for 3 years, or buy out...

You tell me what could/should have been done (other than not signing him at all, cause can't change the past)
- Beatnic57

All 1 way deals mean is that the player gets paid the same NHL salary regardless of whether they’re sent down or not. 2 way deals mean that the player gets paid different depending on whether or not they’re in the NHL or the AHL. If you send a player with a one way deal down to the AHL, you still recoup the vet minimum in cap savings. That’s why it would have been better to send Johnson down to the AHL to wind his contract down than it would have been to buy him out. By sending him down we would have recouped ~$1 mil in cap space while he was still on the team every year and you probably could have traded his expiring contract this offseason. By buying him out, we’re now dealing with a $1.9 mil dead cap hit, which for this year is only a savings of ~1.3 mil assuming Johnson’s contract would still be on the books had he not been bought out, and it stretches into future years where he would have been gone already. That extra $300k of savings is just not worth the cap inflexibility you incur when you buy a guy out.

I would like to see Rackell back

But he most definitely does not deserve 5M per year and if that's the price (I don't think it will be) the Pens need to pass.

Jack Johnson. The gift that keeps on giving.

This is pretty crazy haha


"For the first time since 1979, a teammate of Jaromir Jagr's will NOT be playing in the Stanley Cup Final. 🤯
Though he didn't enter the league until 1990, Jagr has had a future, current or former teammate play in the the SCF from 1980-2021."