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Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason & Training Camp

Habsy

Yes, I'm kidding people.
Thought we should have a thread to specifically discuss the moves the Habs have made this summer. Below is a great read on the Habs puck possession stats of last year and it shouldn't come to any surprise that Markov and Subban lead the team in possession on D and only Paccioretty was higher.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/scott_cullen/?id=455044

Another interesting note is Plekanec's contribution to puck possession despite having the majority of his starts in the D zone.

The Habs were bottom third in puck possession in 2014. That is a recipe for disaster.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

offseason2014.jpg


NHL Roster:

UNDER CONTRACT:

Forwards:
Michael Bournival
Rene Bourque
Daniel Briere
David Desharnais
Alex Galchenyuk
Brendan Gallagher
Travis Moen
Max Pacioretty
Tomas Plekanec
Brandon Prust
Dale Weise

Defencemen:
Nathan Beaulieu
Alexei Emelin
Josh Gorges
Jarred Tinordi

Goalies:
Peter Budaj
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski

*****

RFA:
Lars Eller
PK Subban
Ryan White

UFA:
Francis Bouillon
Brian Gionta
Andrei Markov
Douglas Murray
George Parros
Thomas Vanek
Mike Weaver

_____________________________________________

Non-Roster Players:

UNDER CONTRACT:

Forwards:
Sven Andrighetto
Tim Bozon
Daniel Carr
Connor Crisp
Jacob de la Rose
Gabriel Dumont
Stefan Fournier
Patrick Holland
Charles Hudon
Michael McCarron
Jack Nevins
Christian Thomas

Defencemen:
Mac Bennett
Darren Dietz
Davis Drewiske
Morgan Ellis
David Makowski*
Magnus Nygren
Greg Pateryn
Dalton Thrower

Goalies:
Mike Condon
Zach Fucale

*****

RFA:
Robert Czarnik
Peter Delmas
Andreas Engqvist*
Joonas Nattinen*

UFA:
Mike Blunden
Devan Dubnyk
Martin St. Pierre
Nick Tarnasky

Unsigned Prospects:
Mike Cichy**
Josiah Didier
Jeremy Gregoire
Artturi Lehkonen
Mark MacMillan
Martin Reway
Colin Sullivan

* - signed in Europe.
** - must be signed by August 15th, 2014.
 
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Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Transactions:
• Terminated contract of Robert Mayer.
• Signed Dalton Thrower to three-year entry-level contract.
• Relinquished rights to Brady Vail and Erik Nystrom.
• Joonas Nattinen signed one-year contract with MODO.
• Martin Reway signed two-year contract with HC Sparta Praha.
• Traded Louis Leblanc to the Ducks for a 2015 conditional fifth-round pick.
• Signed Michel Therrien to three-year extension plus team option.
• Signed Dale Weise to two-year, $2.05 million deal.
• Signed David Makowski to one-year AHL contract.
• Gerard Gallant named head coach of the Panthers.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Thought we should have a thread to specifically discuss the moves the Habs have made this summer. Below is a great read on the Habs puck possession stats of last year and it shouldn't come to any surprise that Markov and Subban lead the team in possession on D and only Paccioretty was higher.

http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/scott_cullen/?id=455044

Another interesting note is Plekanec's contribution to puck possession despite having the majority of his starts in the D zone.

The Habs were bottom third in puck possession in 2014. That is a recipe for disaster.

People who shit on advanced stats and say that they're for geeks or they're not representative of what's actually happening on the ice are simply burying their heads in the sand. Possession stats are not the end all be all for hockey. It's true that simply because you have high possession numbers doesn't mean you'll win and vice versa. There's a simple explanation as to why a team with poor possession stats like the Habs finish with 100 points and that some teams have great possession stats and miss the playoffs, and it's the universal equalizer in all life of hockey: goaltending.

Compare the Canadiens with the New Jersey Devils.

The Canadiens received (in my opinion) the best goaltending on the planet this season in Carey Price. If you don't think he was the best on the planet, he was at worst 4th or maybe 5th best. (I don't think any of the Vezina candidates were better with maybe the exception of Varlamov, but that's another debate for another day) Canadiens had a tough time scoring goals being in the bottom third of that department, but they allowed the sixth least goals. With their possession stats being below average almost all across the board, there was a lot of relying on Carey to hold us in.

Now looking at New Jersey...

They were one of the best possession teams in the NHL, yet they finished out of the playoffs. So I guess that proves that possession stats suck and they show nothing, until you look at the big picture they played Martin Brodeur 39 games when he was a .900 save % goalie while Corey Schneider was a .920 save % goalie. Also take into consideration that they lost 18 times in overtime, most of which came in the shootouts where they were historically awful.

Had they played Schneider 60-65 games and Brodeur ~25 games or so, they would have won their division.

Another interesting tidbit of information: Since they started keeping possession stats, the six teams with the best possession stats have made it to the Cup finals and only one of them has lost, the 2009 Red Wings.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

You missed Markov in the UFAs... good work otherwise.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

MA Godin says he wouldn't be surprised if Martin Lapointe replaces Gerard Gallant.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

J-F Chaumont: Brian Gionta and his agent are still talking with Marc Bergevin for a new deal. The negotiations are going well.

Richard Labbé: Told Habs have no new deal for Mike Weaver, who will now explore his options.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

It's too bad we couldn't keep Weaver, but odds are he'll make a lot more $ because of his great showing for us and a pretty terrible UFA market.
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

J-F Chaumont: Brian Gionta and his agent are still talking with Marc Bergevin for a new deal. The negotiations are going well.

Richard Labbé: Told Habs have no new deal for Mike Weaver, who will now explore his options.

Just hope Gionta is open to big pay cut and a 3rd line checking role?
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Pierre LeBrun: Talks ongoing between Habs and Gionta although other teams have called Gionta camp today as interview window opens...
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Richard Labbé ‏@Richardlabbe 20m
Told #Habs have no new deal for M.Weaver, who will now explore his options. Story here (French): http://tiny.cc/oik0hx
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Richard Labbé ‏Comme Weaver, on me dit que F.Bouillon n'a pas reçu d'offre du CH. Mais les deux parties veulent avoir des discussions au repêchage.

"Like with Weaver, I was told the Bouillon hasn't received an offer from the Canadiens. But both parties want to have discussion at the draft."
 
Re: Habs News & Notes: 2014 Offseason

Richard Labbé ‏Comme Weaver, on me dit que F.Bouillon n'a pas reçu d'offre du CH. Mais les deux parties veulent avoir des discussions au repêchage.

"Like with Weaver, I was told the Bouillon hasn't received an offer from the Canadiens. But both parties want to have discussion at the draft."

Time to make room for the three young guys.
 
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