Because it made our defense MUCH better and the team as a whole much better. If you make a trade and it makes your team better, I feel it is a good deal.
- Richards18

So then, trading a third liner for a 1-2nd line center with an upside of 80 points would make our team better. Thus, our deal too, was good.

holy christ podcasts are painful

never listened to one before

holy christ podcasts are painful

never listened to one before
- muffin_man

And never will again I gather?

holy christ podcasts are painful

never listened to one before
- muffin_man

Ek is boring, he doesn't get to the point. I guess his blogs do the opposite, and the point being usually wrong.

I guess I am going against the general feeling here in that I like this deal for a number of reasons.

1. Gomez is the best center we have had in Montreal in a long time.. no disrespect to Koivu, but Gomez is an impact player, has won 2 Stanley Cups, is an excellent penalty killer with great speed who can score and make plays. And he is gritty and tough. He brings a missing dimension to the Habs and we can build around him.

2. Higgins was pegged as probably a third line winger and maybe will have a career best 30 goal season. But overall... Gomez is an elite player and Higgins is a good player.

3. It would have been nice to sit back and wait for McDonough and Valentenko to develop and maybe play in the NHL someday... two big what ifs. Both were far from the NHL and with Subban, Webber and O'Byrne all developing at faster pace... they were expendable assets which had to be included as there is no way the Rangers would ever trade Gomez for Higgins straight up.

4. Cap hit... with Koivu more than likely gone, and Lang probably finished, we replace $9.5M in two aging vets with a 29 year old signed for 5 years at $7.35M. It is the price to bring in a top calibre, all-round center.


A good trade for the Habs. We will be a better team next year because of this trade... keep going Bob.. we need to sign several more character players and add a bit more size and grit and we may actually have a chance at competing next year in the playoffs.
- habsfansince76

Very good analysis. I concur. Gomez should do well in a Jacques Martin system and really, if the Sedins are unavailable, who else is? Vinnie? Was never going to happen. Marleau? Maybe--but Gomez has a better playoff track record than Marleau. Who else? Antropov? I was afraid he was going to be the fallback option. I'll take Gomez ahead of Antropov any day and twice on Sundays.

Is this the best case scenario? No. That would be the Sedins with a 5-6 year commitment. But it's far from disastrous. I do think McDonaugh is a bit too much with the other players in the deal, but it's not like we traded Bobby Orr in his prime.

Because it made our defense MUCH better and the team as a whole much better. If you make a trade and it makes your team better, I feel it is a good deal.
- Richards18

No It give the Flyers ONE good dman, and still no reliable goalie. What happens when someone gets hurt and they have to put people on waivers or cant dress the returning player again like last year
The Pronger trade was a "put us over the top" type of trade.... Philly isnt that close, no matter the match up nightmares on paper for only one round

And never will again I gather?
- Ultimate Cyberhabs

theres a (frank)ing crying baby

jules just chimes in with nothing. its amusing

Were you alluding to Pronger being a slow, filthy, washed up d-man?
- Richards18

Nobody is "alluding" to that sir. It's pretty much undeniable.

Very good analysis. I concur. Gomez should do well in a Jacques Martin system and really, if the Sedins are unavailable, who else is? Vinnie? Was never going to happen. Marleau? Maybe--but Gomez has a better playoff track record than Marleau. Who else? Antropov? I was afraid he was going to be the fallback option. I'll take Gomez ahead of Antropov any day and twice on Sundays.

Is this the best case scenario? No. That would be the Sedins with a 5-6 year commitment. But it's far from disastrous. I do think McDonaugh is a bit too much with the other players in the deal, but it's not like we traded Bobby Orr in his prime.
- Ovation

Gomez's cap hit is what's the problem. He is severely overpaid and no way should he be getting paid that amount of money.

Gomez ceiling IMO is 20 goals 60 assists. For almost 8 million a year that is ridiculous.

You should have gone hard after Lecav IMO but now you can't. I am not on here to be a D ick but Gainey got fleeced on this trade and their is no way around it. Gainey should go hard after Cammalerri because I always thought him and Gomez would be a great fit together.

Another thing with Gomez he takes losing to lightly. You guys will be on him come mid season if he doesn't start performing. Remember I said this.

Good luck fellas

No It give the Flyers ONE good dman, and still no reliable goalie. What happens when someone gets hurt and they have to put people on waivers or cant dress the returning player again like last year
The Pronger trade was a "put us over the top" type of trade.... Philly isnt that close, no matter the match up nightmares on paper for only one round
- Connor603

RDS and TSN saying that Heatly is going to Edmonton for Penner, Smid and Cogliano.

RDS and TSN saying that Heatly is going to Edmonton for Penner, Smid and Cogliano.
- Ultimate Cyberhabs

They are waiting for Heatley to waive his no trade clause.

* starts crying the Lecavalier wont get traded to habs *

Lecav would have had a bigger impact but that contract was for another 11 years while this is 5 years for basically the same cap hit!!! In the end, I'm not that unhappy with this deal!!! As much as I would have loved to have Vinny, another 11 years for a guy who has already had 2 surgeries is a little too risky for me!!! Like I said, it's 5 years of potential disaster and there was no guarantees Vinny would keep it up his pace 5 years from now!!!

Could have made the same deal with philly if briere would have waived his ntc and been way better off

We got raped
- camby

HA! That's so true. I was totally thinking that if the Habs making a trade for Briere would have been a bad move, and now they did even worse. Philly would have definitely got the rights to Komi in the deal, right? How is McDonaugh, i've heard mixed reviews?

RDS and TSN saying that Heatly is going to Edmonton for Penner, Smid and Cogliano.
- Ultimate Cyberhabs

This guy on team 990 has it right on Matt Ross likes this deal the only reason some Habs fans are upset is the fact we did not get Vinny... Gomez is going to bring his A game here(MG5)

This guy on team 990 has it right on Matt Ross likes this deal the only reason some Habs fans are upset is the fact we did not get Vinny... Gomez is going to bring his A game here(MG5)
- Molson Gang

Not true (jf4l5)

Gomez......GOMEZ???? are you kidding? THAT is the big Habs' splash??? Does Sather have incriminating photos of Gainey that he threatened to release to RDS unless Bob took this terrible contract off his hands?

This guy on team 990 has it right on Matt Ross likes this deal the only reason some Habs fans are upset is the fact we did not get Vinny... Gomez is going to bring his A game here(MG5)
- Molson Gang

I think the upset part is related to McDonaugh and the 7.3~ cap hit for a few more years.

Like i say, the Player, NO PROBLEM. Is it an upgrade ? not if he scores 58points... but i think it's a change in direction that needs to be done one day. That day is now.

This Habs team as the luxury of having the cap space available. It's a bit like dudes at NHL on consoles building dynasties without caring much about the cap. Now, the next thing that needs to be dealt with IMO is the sniper position of this team. We all presume Kovalev wil lbe a Habs and that he would be a good fit with Gomez ( we can only hope...) but Kovalev is not "that" sniper.

Will that sniper come from within? A kid like Patches of D'Agostini ?

Will it be via a trade?

Or will this be the year where the habs pick up a premier first line player that can score and play the game like few can via the UFA market ? ( Hossa ???? Ding ding ding)

The next few days should be interesting. Let's not go crazy here and wait unti'll we get a better roster to talk about.

RDS is saying it's a 2 horse race for the Sedins with the laffs as the other team, I would love to ge the twins so we could booooooo Burke again

I think the upset part is related to McDonaugh and the 7.3~ cap hit for a few more years.

Like i say, the Player, NO PROBLEM. Is it an upgrade ? not if he scores 58points... but i think it's a change in direction that needs to be done one day. That day is now.

This Habs team as the luxury of having the cap space available. It's a bit like dudes at NHL on consoles building dynasties without caring much about the cap. Now, the next thing that needs to be dealt with IMO is the sniper position of this team. We all presume Kovalev wil lbe a Habs and that he would be a good fit with Gomez ( we can only hope...) but Kovalev is not "that" sniper.

Will that sniper come from within? A kid like Patches of D'Agostini ?

Will it be via a trade?

Or will this be the year where the habs pick up a premier first line player that can score and play the game like few can via the UFA market ? ( Hossa ???? Ding ding ding)

The next few days should be interesting. Let's not go crazy here and wait unti'll we get a better roster to talk about.
- WaterBoy

You mean a better roster that this?

A Kostitsyn Gomez D'Agostini
Pacioretty Plekanec S Kostitsyn
Stewart Lapierre Latendresse
Chipchura Metropolit Laraque

Markov Hamrlik
Gorges Weber
O'Byrne Subban

EDIT: "Chipchura might just as well be a winger." BG earlier today

I think i'm getting drunk... i just imagined a line of Bertuzzi-Gomez-Kovalev.

scarl

You mean a better roster that this?

A Kostitsyn Gomez D'Agostini
Pacioretty Plekanec S Kostitsyn
Stewart Lapierre Latendresse
......... Metropolit Laraque

Markov Hamrlik
Gorges Weber
O'Byrne Subban
- Hawkman100000

We are not done yet. Smolinski is still out there

No It give the Flyers ONE good dman, and still no reliable goalie. What happens when someone gets hurt and they have to put people on waivers or cant dress the returning player again like last year
The Pronger trade was a "put us over the top" type of trade.... Philly isnt that close, no matter the match up nightmares on paper for only one round
- Connor603

Flyers only have one good d-man?

Not straight up, but Montreal needs to prepare a package for Vinny and Gomez is a major piece. Rumors are rumors though my friend, keep it in mind.
- Charlie M.

You people are crazy. Gomez's cap hit is $7.3 and Vinny's is $7.7. Vinny is way way better. Gainey is a loser. I cannot believe he made this trade. Gainey helped NY improve the Cap situation which will help them get Komisarek or whomever. Clearly Gainey panicked when he realized he could not acquire Vinny. Vinny will never be a Hab. Sinced we overpaid for Gomez (a piece of crap) overpaying for Vinny would of been better.