tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post6484494149629727108..comments2023-11-03T09:15:38.743-04:00Comments on The Daily Hab-it: Haters, step forwardArpon Basuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11896844844557916169noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-27535931455513651392010-09-03T15:50:21.831-04:002010-09-03T15:50:21.831-04:00@Olivier: Not disagreeing with you, obviously the ...@Olivier: Not disagreeing with you, obviously the Habs are weaker in goal if only because Halak is better than Auld (that shouldn't be too controversial ;) ).<br /><br />But there was no way they were going to match last year's tandem on a budget equal to Halak's new cap hit alone. The Habs are getting a fair amount of goaltending for a 3.75 million cap hit. It's not as much as they did last year, obviously, but that was really an exceptional situation.Mathieuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08951094727332733167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-5271062641366735452010-09-03T15:37:04.785-04:002010-09-03T15:37:04.785-04:00I like Price and I think this is a nice contract. ...I like Price and I think this is a nice contract. Because of the situation Arpon alluded to in a recent post regarding the habs cap situation next year, Gauthier probably couldn't afford to sign Price for a one-year qualifying offer. The risk of having Price ask for 3.5+ millions next year (and thus throwing a wrench in a delicate if wholly manageable situation) were too high, so he split the risk by paying Carey up front. Nice move.<br /><br />I'm still annoyed with Auld, tough. I couldn't care less about Price's mental makeup; the one goalie model is dead in the NHL. Every good team now must count on two goaltenders who can be good for 40+ games so the team is covered for injuries and doubles its chances of having one of them go white-hot in the playoffs. The playoffs thing is especially important and is to me the reason why the 6+mil a year #1 goaltender is now detrimental to playoffs success. The Hawks could go over Huet's salary last year because they still had Toews and Kane on value contracts but it was vital for them to send Cristo to Fribourg this year.<br /><br />So I'm glad we have Price locked up for a reasonable price, but the emphasis put on him being the go to guy (and Auld's hiring) tells me we are now more vulnerable in goals. Oh well.Olivierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18280119238261445564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-84904791168862105282010-09-03T13:07:28.527-04:002010-09-03T13:07:28.527-04:00Sure, I agree with all the above stats. They do m...Sure, I agree with all the above stats. They do make sense. But that doesn't tell the whole story.<br /><br />To be a trully elite goalie in the NHL, one must also be tough mentally. Tough enough to make that one (or more) key timely save in big pressure filled money games.<br /><br />Price seemed to have it at the world juniours and in his early AHL playoff sojourn. But this is the NHL.<br /><br />So this is The X-factor. Brodeur had it. Roy had it. Does Pricey have it?zekemilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06548407157076331818noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-36488122481035251682010-09-03T12:13:42.653-04:002010-09-03T12:13:42.653-04:00People who see this contract as a negative are hop...People who see this contract as a negative are hopelessly delusional and receive a disproportionate amount of attention from the rest of us Habs fans. Price makes much less than most starting goalies. He's got a lot to prove, but for all of the reasons Arpon touched on - this deal has great potential.ErnieWhitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01674386049214990864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-31778526877921566052010-09-03T05:57:38.780-04:002010-09-03T05:57:38.780-04:00If I'm not mistaken - Price will still be an R...If I'm not mistaken - Price will still be an RFA at the end of this new contract. This is perhaps the biggest factor in this entire deal, I could care less about the .25 overpayment. <br /><br />A 6-3 goalie that moves as fast as any in the league and who's butterfly is technically sound is probably the 2nd most sought after item (right after 1st line centre) for any GM in the league, even if he didn't have a single NHL game to his record. Add in the fact that Price will probably be one of the most experienced keepers for his age at the end of this contract and you can already begin to see desperate GM's throwing a fortune at him. <br /><br />Good work Goat.Milos Cokohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01191896901150447796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-64859855265087851002010-09-03T02:32:47.007-04:002010-09-03T02:32:47.007-04:00And compared to Halak's deal? I think it looks...And compared to Halak's deal? I think it looks pretty good.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10323338209872648602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-70822482492495664542010-09-02T23:16:40.251-04:002010-09-02T23:16:40.251-04:00Completely agree with MathMan. At the start of th...Completely agree with MathMan. At the start of the free-agent season, I would've been VERY happy to have 3.75M committed to both goalies. However, that being said (and disclaimer: I'm a Price fan) I think in hindsight to all the other deals made, both Auld and Price have been overpaid. Key point to take into account is the high taxation (esp. in QC and ON). That brings an Auld contract to a comparable 875K level and Carey's to a 2.5M level. That makes a lot more sense although again, Carey's is prolly .25 more than I would've wanted to pay. However, it seems clear to me that the Habs figured the extra little bit would go a long way in keeping up a good relationship with their #1 as Arpon pointed out.<br /><br />Fact remains that in Montreal, we have to overpay our players due to taxes/etc.<br /><br />I found it mildly amusing during Carey's presser about how he alluded to learning the lesson of how ice-time and being the #1 is earned and not simply given. Isn't it ironic that Price has effectively been anointed as the #1 without having earned it?! (not through a fault of his own, by the way. Way to enforce that lesson on him management!)<br /><br />P.S. In my opinion, Price is a better goalie than Niemi and I think Arpon explained that perfectly well.Big Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15707565028404979813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-21814728030477720402010-09-02T22:55:21.501-04:002010-09-02T22:55:21.501-04:00I think there's always hope our GM will get a ...I think there's always hope our GM will get a good deal on a contract. When we signed Higgins and Komisarek for so little back when they were both worth signing, we were ecstatic.<br /><br />So too with Price.<br /><br />Last summer many called for him to be locked up for the long-term partly to avert the inevitable bump he would receive from another good season. When the season didn't happen, I know there was some hope it would mean another discount and free money to spend elsewhere. It didn't work out. It's a hope dashed on a slary front, but not much more.<br /><br />As for Niemi, I'm not so concerned. If he was indispensable, Chicago would have found a way just as they did to keep Hjarlmarsson (sp?). San Jose got a deal because he was available and probably not finding many landing places in the NHL. It had little to do with Price.Tophamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14157334079663330151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-23420958327984359002010-09-02T21:01:48.526-04:002010-09-02T21:01:48.526-04:00I think 2.75/year looks like a bit much given the ...I think 2.75/year looks like a bit much given the rest of the market this summer actually, as the Habs could've had a quality goalie for cheaper. But then again, it was such a weird market that I'm starting to think I should stop trying to figure it out.<br /><br />In terms of my pre-summer-of-the-cheap-goalie expectations, it seems bang on, and now the Habs boast a good goaltending tandem on a 3.75 million cap hit, which seems like about the right amount to spend.<br /><br />And yes, apparently winning the Stanley Cup has more importance for some people than puck-stopping ability. Price has a lot of NHL experience for a guy his age, and in that span has accumulated better career stats than a lot of goalies that get a lot of hype -- like say Cam Ward or Marc-Andre Fleury. Honestly, for a goalie with Price's experience, ability, age, and contract situations, precedents and comparables are few and far between.Mathieuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08951094727332733167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-55828335782168003222010-09-02T20:42:21.672-04:002010-09-02T20:42:21.672-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Bain Magiquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05088117905498976617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-703672817425686916.post-51643257707351978312010-09-02T20:37:03.252-04:002010-09-02T20:37:03.252-04:00Arpon,
I agree with you. And I actually think in t...Arpon,<br />I agree with you. And I actually think in this case, it would have been awful for Gauthier to wait even longer to sign Price, because it would have created a real circus. <br /><br />But I like this deal a lot. I liked it so much, I blogged about it: http://www.habsradio.com/<br /><br />What do you think?ADMINhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11384400245215262531noreply@blogger.com