And the other 68% are wrong.Originally Posted by Shadow
And the other 68% are wrong.
So...I've been going over this trade in my mind. Habs trade away a younger, faster, better puck handler for a slower, older, possibly past his prime player. Subban was a player you both loved and hated in the same game. I have to believe there is something about his character, his personality, that rubs people the wrong way. There was a division in the Habs locker room and he was at the centre of it. He was not chosen to play for Team Canada and I think that is because Babcock just did not like him... I am sure Montreal radio waves are burning up with angry fans. Bergevin is not the most popular man in town. Some are calling this the worse trade in Habs history. I guess they've already forgotten the day we let Desjardins and LeClair go to the Flyers...
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
Stamkos? Oh well, not that surprising since he's set for 8 years. But the two trades, Taylor Hall for Larsson, and Subban for Webber, explains quite vividly why no Canadian team made it into the playoffs last year. Simply dumb trades by both Edmonton and Montreal. If I were a fan of either team, I would no longer be a fan of either team.
"And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision."
Occasional musical musings on https://darkelffile.blogspot.com/
It takes more than that, as it should...
Weber is the better player *right now*, but is four years older, probably only has a couple peak years left, and has a horrible albatross of a contract with a $7.8M cap hit through to age 41. (Subban, by comparison, will still only be 33 when his megabucks contract expires.)
Weber is definitely the better defensive defense man. On the offensive side Subban wins for sure. You don't see many defense men who can go coast to coast like Subban anymore. There are a handful, like Erik Karrlsson, but it's rare. Weber does still have a heat seeking missile of a point shot though. But yeah...that contract...OUCH! Nashville wins this deal in my mind no doubt.
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
If Weber pans out that contract won't seem too bad in comparison to whatever players will be making at that time. If he's only good for a few years, they can buy him out. I spent an hour last night listening to Montreal's top sports phone in show and I was surprised that 3 out of 4 callers were OK with the deal. The most vocal against the deal were callers from Montreal's Haitian community who looked up to Subban as Montreal's premiere black athlete. The race card was never played but you could tell a few callers were itching to use it.
Subban had divided the locker room and gave his coaching staff fits. This was corroborated by ex-players like Briere who was in the locker room and saw it first-hand. Weber is a proven leader who is never a distraction but rather a player other players rally around. Subban made so many costly errors with his end-to-end rushes and that was ultimately viewed as selfish playing. If his departure can galvanize the team then that's an intangible in this trade that can't be evaluated on paper. Bergevin is staking his job on this trade. If the Habs are dismal early next year, he and Therrien will be gone by Christmas.
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
https://www.nhl.com/news/canadiens-c...?tid=278542340
Being a lifelong Habs fan I must say that I've felt for years that Subban was too much of an egotistical arrogant guy and probably never was able to change and become a full team player. There were definitely issues with the coach, probably with the GM and at least with a lot of the players regarding his superiority complex on and off the ice. You could witness it over and over again with his risky moves, keeping the puck way too long, the show-off attitude after a goal etc etc. Don't get me wrong, the guy is an incredible(!) hockey player but he was(maybe "cancer in the room" is too strong a term) a detriment to the chemistry and/or bonding of the team. I've played on dozens of teams and that special chemistry where everybody is on the same page is not only hard to find, but often it indeed is only ONE guy who can fuck it up. we've gotten rid of the odd guy or two like this over the years, so I can understand where Montreal is coming from. It's a GREAT pickup for Nashville, especially because Subban won't be quite the "big mouth/act like I'm the captain" persona and will have to cool it and for Montreal, they get a proven leader, a big sturdy defenseman who also can definitely put the puck in the net. I think, in a really weird way, it will prove to be good for both teams.
We are the grandchildren of apes, not angels
But only we are gifted with the eyes to see
On days without FEAR, when our heads are clear
That angels, we could be
(Marillion 2016)
Here's further proof--last night he apparently commented that he didn't know if this makes Nashville a better team but makes them even better-looking(or something like that, not exact quote). WTF??
We are the grandchildren of apes, not angels
But only we are gifted with the eyes to see
On days without FEAR, when our heads are clear
That angels, we could be
(Marillion 2016)
My main concern with Weber is how will he handle the constant spotlight of being in one of the most rabid markets in the league. He was once quoted as saying he liked playing in Nashville because hockey was so low key there... Montreal is a little...uhhh...less low key when it comes to hockey. Of course, if he plays well he"ll own this city!
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
Yeah, that might be an issue. I think though that after the initial shock is over most fans will see this in a brighter light and warm up big-time to Weber.
We are the grandchildren of apes, not angels
But only we are gifted with the eyes to see
On days without FEAR, when our heads are clear
That angels, we could be
(Marillion 2016)
Once he pots a few goals on the PP, the fans will forget ol' whatisname.
Think of a book as a vase, and a movie as the stained-glass window that the filmmaker has made out of the pieces after he’s smashed it with a hammer.
-- Russell Banks (paraphrased)
Subban will be remembered and loved in Montreal for his involvement with the city (to the tune of $10,000.000.00) but I think we can do just fine without him. He's in another conference so we won't see him too often...
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
That was a BIG surprise in Tampa !
But he always said he wanted to stay here.
A couple days ago the paper said 8.5 mil is like 10 mil because there is no Fla. income tax.
And his best bet to the Cup is with the Bolts.
Let's wait and see how the fans react when PK returns to the Bell Centre. I don't doubt there are some people that love the guy for everything he did in the community, but there will be some who view him in a less friendly light. The cheers will outweigh the boos but there will be some.
Think of a book as a vase, and a movie as the stained-glass window that the filmmaker has made out of the pieces after he’s smashed it with a hammer.
-- Russell Banks (paraphrased)
Early FA signings: Loui Eriksson to Vancouver, Milan Lucic to Edmonton, Andrew Ladd to NYI, David Perron returns to St. Louis.
Milan Lucic is starting to become a journeyman... He'll never recapture that honed fury he had in Boston imo....
"Corn Flakes pissed in. You ranted. Mission accomplished. Thread closed."
-Cozy 3:16-
He's a fuckin' neanderthal.
David Backes to Boston
Andrew Ladd to Isles
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
Matt Martin goes to Toronto dammit! I hoped he'd sign here seeing that he's dating Boomer Essaison's (HUGE Ranger fan) daughter
Martin will be an INSTANT fan favorite in Toronto..
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
Kyle Okposo to Buffalo
Loui Erikson to Vancouver
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
Frans Neilsson to Detroit. Wow, thought the Isles would keep him. Good player.
"Who would have thought a whale would be so heavy?" - Moe Sizlak
As an Isles fan, I have no idea why they didn't even try to sign him. Their are plenty of guys on there 2nd, and 3rd lines that I would rather see go before Martin. Also they didn't try to sign Okposo but then signed an older guy to almost the same contract. Nielsen got too a deal to be kept. The Isles just lost their two big, gritty guys on the team. Let's hope Garth has a plan, but I don't see it yet.Matt Martin goes to Toronto dammit! I hoped he'd sign here seeing that he's dating Boomer Essaison's (HUGE Ranger fan) daughter
Martin will be an INSTANT fan favorite in Toronto..
I was pretty outraged when this trade was announced, and I think long term Bergevin lost (age factor), but I think in the short term Weber is going to be great for the Habs, he is a big-time player. My biggest issue with Bergevin is he failed to address the offensive problems up front. Shaw is a good player, but won't fit the hole. And while Radulov is the ultimate high risk/reward guy, they should've grabbed someone else.
With so many other teams improving in the East, as a Habs fan Im not very optimistic about our prospects next season (hope Im wrong, btw). If they don't start well in the first 20 games the Muller era will begin, which would be fine by me.
Very happy with this one. Neilsson will fill a gap in Detroit that is desperately needed.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks