if you look at BG's moves objectively...........

Forum Fan · Veteran Member

if you look at BG's moves objectively...........

Nil d · Guru

Forum Fan wrote:

.............................Bob Gainey has a heavy reputation ....but when you look at what he's done !! , now don't go ape **** ....just sit back and look at his moves ...they don't look good ..I know the last thing we want to consider is more instability ... Bob Gainey's moves have been monumental blunders , ...he gave Jose Theodore too much money and too long a contract ....giving up Garon for Bonk ...well the current situation speaks for it self ...... demoting Hainsey was a bad move , should have played him into a trade , he had all summer to find at least one defenceman ...nothing ....as much as i like Garth Murray , we already had four similiar players ........ I will agree that BG and Carbo in the long run will probably be better for the Habs ...................but his moves so far have flops ....and yes that includes Alex Kovalev ....this guy is another Yashin ....lots of cash , no flash ....and I am not jumping on or off band wagons ...I was opposed to this move from day one .....I do not subscribe to the theory that Kovalev took us into the playoffs ....he has had one solid game and we all know when that was ..... go ahead !!! , take your best shot , but BG is not the second coming of Sam Pollock

I can't take a shot, FF, since I agree with all you have said. Kovalev played well in the last playoffs, but did absolutely nothing to get us there (one goal in 12 games, or something like that).

barry33 · Guru

FF- you will not get me jumping down your throat. I agree 100%. As for Kovalev, I have heard people say "well he is a playoff guy". Maybe it is time that we found players willing to play 84 games so we can get into the playoffs. I agree a coaching change needed to be made, no question and I am hopefully he will remove the disease from the team. Right now Gainey has been living off his laurels from his days in dallas. But as I said in another post, he had a much easier time building a winner there because he was given alot of $$$$$$$ to go out and buy who he needed or sign who he wanted to keep without regards to the cap. Time will be the judge of whether Gainey can manage in a budget within the new reality of the NHL. I think that so far his grade would be a D.

brooklynhabfan · Guru

No argument here, either... I'm failing to see an organization with half the discipline of a team like Carolina, even though we're meant to be the center of the hockey universe.

Our current team is a shallow shambles, with no one doing anything to try to glue the pieces back together before Mrs. Brady gets home.

Our AHL'ers and juniors, sorry to say, aren't going to be ready for years, if at all. And our drafting seems to have only mildly improved.

Where's the hungry scouting that's going to get us a Martin Gerber or a Marek Svatos (picked 227th!!!)

It's no wonder you have half the players resting on their laurels, when you have a mothership that's all light and no bright...

Sorry, but I started off the year as a big supporter of BG's, and I'll still give him plenty of time, but his cracks are showing, even though he's unwilling to fix the Norge...

Jonny G · Senior Member

I think that it's too early to be hard on Gainey. In all fairness, he inherited a team that was pillaged and mismanaged for 11 years. He can't fix that overnight! He's dealing with players with minimal market value. Let this off-season be the true test.

Gainey (wisely, in my opinion) approached last off-season with caution. It was unknown how the new CBA would affect the player market. There are many 1 year contracts that are set to expire.

It is unreasonable to demand immediate solutions to such serious problems that were in the making for so long.

Muller93 · Guru

Jonny G wrote:

I think that it's too early to be hard on Gainey. In all fairness, he inherited a team that was pillaged and mismanaged for 11 years. He can't fix that overnight! He's dealing with players with minimal market value. Let this off-season be the true test. Gainey (wisely, in my opinion) approached last off-season with caution. It was unknown how the new CBA would affect the player market. There are many 1 year contracts that are set to expire. It is unreasonable to demand immediate solutions to such serious problems that were in the making for so long.

Johnny. You are correct. BG inherited a crapola team really. Imagine thinking Ribero was a part of any future? Gainey will require 5 years to turn this bird around. He is in year 2 really. Have patience all...

AND!!! for those of you upset over the signing of THEO. What do you propose Ganey do? Theo is a guy who stole a series from the Bruins; had a hart and vezina season; won gold at the world juniors; was a high draft pick( 2nd round I think); AND he's a home town boy! Gainey had no choice really, otherwise Theo would have accepted a long tem deal elsewhere. All signs pointed to go when you look at it. Gainey could never have predicted how bad Theo's ego and "sell ot attitude" would get. Not gainey's fault I don't think.

So, we are stuck with thedoor for a while yet.

wright · Veteran Member

Let's keep some perspective on Gainey's performance since he became gm in the summer of 2003. The '03-04 season was a succesful one coming off a below 500 season the year before. Gainey brought a degree of stability and credibilty to an organization that had fallen on hard times.

Gainey did pick Begin up off the waiver wire, and he has been a solid contributor to the team. He gave up little to acquire and then resign Kovalev. Certainly Kovalev's reputation for playing when the mood strikes him is well known, but he certainly can be an offensive force on a team that is shallow in terms of pure skill players. At the time Gainey was applauded for such a bold move.

I don't think too many people forsaw the horrible season Theodore has had, or for that matter the pathetic performance of Riberio. Add in Zednik's off season, the injuries to Koviu and Kovalev, and now Markov, it makes it difficult to be overly critical of Gainey at this point.

Certainly the Bonk trade was illadvised, and it was discourgaing that the Habs were not more active in the offseason pursuit of free agents. Still
I think it is far too early to say that Gainey's performance as gm is below par.

Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones that you don't do. Gainey has a reputation for being methodical. It is tempting to say make wholesale changes, but right now the players that could be moved based on their performance to date would not yield very much in return. I presume Gainey has a game plan and until it is fully developed I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt, at this time.

AB Habman · Guru

wright wrote:

Let's keep some perspective on Gainey's performance since he became gm in the summer of 2003. The '03-04 season was a succesful one coming off a below 500 season the year before. Gainey brought a degree of stability and credibilty to an organization that had fallen on hard times. Gainey did pick Begin up off the waiver wire, and he has been a solid contributor to the team. He gave up little to acquire and then resign Kovalev. Certainly Kovalev's reputation for playing when the mood strikes him is well known, but he certainly can be an offensive force on a team that is shallow in terms of pure skill players. At the time Gainey was applauded for such a bold move. I don't think too many people forsaw the horrible season Theodore has had, or for that matter the pathetic performance of Riberio. Add in Zednik's off season, the injuries to Koviu and Kovalev, and now Markov, it makes it difficult to be overly critical of Gainey at this point. Certainly the Bonk trade was illadvised, and it was discourgaing that the Habs were not more active in the offseason pursuit of free agents. Still I think it is far too early to say that Gainey's performance as gm is below par. Sometimes the best moves you make are the ones that you don't do. Gainey has a reputation for being methodical. It is tempting to say make wholesale changes, but right now the players that could be moved based on their performance to date would not yield very much in return. I presume Gainey has a game plan and until it is fully developed I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt, at this time.

I actually think we were heading in the right direction under Savard! Does he not get credit?

Totally agree with Forum fan and Barry on this one! Gainey has had three seasons to make his mark and that mark isn't a check mark! Suspect draft picks and trades!

Now trying to coach himself out of embarrasment!

He needs to learn from teams like Carolina, Rangers and Sabres who did great things in one off season!