Les Glorieux????

Well reading everything that has been surrounding one of the NHL’s greatest franchises I thought it was a good time to come back early from my hiatus. I was planning to resume writing in 2012 but this stuff is just too good to pass up.

Habs fans listen close the last 20 years of mediocrity are catching up now yes we all remember the miracle run to the conference finals in 2009 but what did it get you a nothing draft pick and an early exit in 2010. This team is starting to resemble the John Ferguson era in Leaf land. You have aging players tied up in expensive contracts for the next few years. Gomez, Kabrle, Gionta, Cole, Markov, Cammellari occupy over 30 million of your Cap they are all over 30 years old and signed past the 2013 season. For the 2012/2013 season there is already 42.5 million dollars committed to 12 players. That leaves roughly 22 million to sign 14 players. Where is the money going to come from to resign Price who currently only makes 2.75 million he is going to ask for 6 million plus and without him Habs would have 5 wins this season. Based on recent track record I’m sure the severely overrated Giveaway Subban is going to ask for 4 million and knowing Gautier he will get it. You still have to resign or in my recommendation completely replace players like: Moen, Darche, Kostitsyn , Georges, Gill, Campoli, Diaz, Emlin the list goes on and on.

Firstly I know fans will always suggest the trade route to get out of this disaster but can you honestly say that any GM in the league would be interested in any of these players especially with the long term deals they possess? Doubtful in fact Montreal was the only team stupid enough to move an ending contract in Spacek and take on a more expensive long term 3 year deal in the diminishing asset of Thomas Kaberle. The Canes were offering a second round pick to any team along with Kaberle just to get him off their hands.

Secondly fans will suggest moving Gomez to the minors, putting Markov on injury reserve basically forcing his retirement and they will have room to get a star like Webber or Suter or anyone else who wants to join the Habs. The truth is no one wants to play here with all the scrutiny and blatant prejudice that flies around this city and this team. This has never been more evident than it is now with this Anglo coach debacle. Remember when Muller was not resigned and the city threw its arms in the air screaming that he was the guy for the job? Last time I checked Muller does not speak French. So the city has been screaming all season long that they should let go of the count! They get what they want and now they are more concerned about how fluent his replacement French is? Shouldn’t they be more concerned about perhaps his coaching records and ability? GM Gautier and the organization are claiming that they are looking for the best guy available but that is complete and utter bullshit they are looking for the best French guy available! Now they are screaming for Patrick Roy to go behind the bench! Never mind the fact that he basically told the city and organization to go F#*& themselves once already is he actually the best guy for the job? An extremely hot headed lunatic coaching in one of the most hostile markets in the NHL who takes every loss out on their coach? To me it spells a recipe for disaster!

I have also heard the sentiment that there are not enough French players on this team but everyone seems to fine with an American being the Captain of the Montreal Canadiens!!! Habs fans have no idea what they want and its really starting to piss me off listening to this crap day after day. I respect the true Hab fans who care abouth the product on the ice (sometimes care too much to the point of annoyance) and leave the politics out of it! The best coach and the best players makes the best team! Who cares if they only speak in some tribal languange as long as they win!

I know the responses I will get regarding to the Leafs and 40 years and all that shit but is 40 years really any different than 20 years? Who really gives a shit if you saw the Habs win a cup when you were in diapers and mommy was still cutting your meat for you. To me that is the same as not being alive! My general rule is if the Cup wasn’t won during the HD broadcasting era it no longer matters to the general fan. Any drought longer than 10 years simply means starting over. I understand that the Habs have made the playoffs for the last 5 years and in those 5 years they have been bounced early every time except for one miracle year which ended up getting them nothing but a low pick and a first round exit in 2011. I can also talk about some recent glory days of when the Leafs went to the conference finals in 1999 and again in 2002 but does it really matter or have anything to do with the product that is on the ice today? I think the roster has seen its fair share of turnover since 2002 so I don’t think it’s a valid argument much like Montreals Cup in 1993.