My Theory on Saks Woes

barry33 · Guru

My Theory on Saks Woes

JohnM · Guru

Sounds about right. I posted this a week or so ago when I heard it on team 990.

Ando · Guru

And-o thinks that Barry33 should come clean with the board regarding the inside scoop on Saku Koivu!

...at some point, the secret will become irrelevant to CJ's future aspirations of NHL employment!

P.S. Seriously Barry33...how close was And-o in his reply to your message of the other day?

Jonny G · Senior Member

Ando wrote:

P.S. Seriously Barry33...how close was And-o in his reply to your message of the other day?

Refresh my memory, please!

24 Rings · Guru

During the Philly game, didn't McGuire say that Gainey (or someone in the Habs orgnaization) met with Saku's agent in Colorado or something like that? I would have to think that they would at least WANT to resign this guy?

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

Sounds about right. I posted this a week or so ago when I heard it on team 990.

It can't help but affect someone...we forget at times that these guys are human and not machines.

Nil d · Guru

barry33 wrote:

I think all of us, have to admit that Koivu has not been playing his best the past couple of weeks. Has he had more good games then bad games this year? Absolutely.Has he, as Nil'd suggests, been "less bad then all other habs this year" . Oui. You can put whatever spin on it you want but the fact is that Koivu has not been the Koivu we have grown to love this year. I do not think that saying that Koivu is "less bad then all the other habs this year" is really paying him much of a compliment. It is simply saying "the whole team stinks but Saks showers a bit more". I have a theory on what has been going on, especially in lieu of recent events. Keep in mind this is only my THEORY. I may be out to lunch. My theory is that negotiations the past 2 weeks between Saks' agent and Gainey have NOT been going well. What do I base this on you ask? First of all I read Gainey's comments. Tuesday he goes in the media and rakes Saks for taking "lazy penalties". In the meantime, Saks leaves through the back door and does to talk to the media. Leaving Gainey to rake him over the coals in the media. This morning he goes to the media and talks about "us needing to win faceoffs at key times" Hmm..who are you talking about Bob? Secondly, around the same time, Gainey takes him off the top line with Kovalev, where he has been a fixture all year, and puts him, at least in theory, on the second line. It sounds like Bob is playing mind games with Saks and his agent. He is setting up the agent so that he will not demand what he is demanding right now. Bob Gainey can be a ruthless GM as witnessed by CJ. I believe that this is what is happening. And this is playing on Koivu's mind because some of the things he is doing lately are very "Un- Sakulike".

All sounds plausible, Barry.

Or maybe it's just the flu.

plouf · Guru

barry33 wrote:

I think all of us, have to admit that Koivu has not been playing his best the past couple of weeks. Has he had more good games then bad games this year? Absolutely.Has he, as Nil'd suggests, been "less bad then all other habs this year" . Oui. You can put whatever spin on it you want but the fact is that Koivu has not been the Koivu we have grown to love this year. I do not think that saying that Koivu is "less bad then all the other habs this year" is really paying him much of a compliment. It is simply saying "the whole team stinks but Saks showers a bit more".
I have a theory on what has been going on, especially in lieu of recent events. Keep in mind this is only my THEORY. I may be out to lunch. My theory is that negotiations the past 2 weeks between Saks' agent and Gainey have NOT been going well. What do I base this on you ask? First of all I read Gainey's comments. Tuesday he goes in the media and rakes Saks for taking "lazy penalties". In the meantime, Saks leaves through the back door and does to talk to the media. Leaving Gainey to rake him over the coals in the media. This morning he goes to the media and talks about "us needing to win faceoffs at key times" Hmm..who are you talking about Bob? Secondly, around the same time, Gainey takes him off the top line with Kovalev, where he has been a fixture all year, and puts him, at least in theory, on the second line. It sounds like Bob is playing mind games with Saks and his agent. He is setting up the agent so that he will not demand what he is demanding right now. Bob Gainey can be a ruthless GM as witnessed by CJ.
I believe that this is what is happening. And this is playing on Koivu's mind because some of the things he is doing lately are very "Un- Sakulike".

Good theory. Sounds believable even if it is basically pure speculation. Gainey is ruthless, no doubt...
Seems like, sadly, whether this is true or not we won't see Saku in a Habs uniform next year. It's starting to get late to make a deal...

-- Edited by plouf at 15:22, 2006-02-10

Muller93 · Guru

barry33 wrote:

I think all of us, have to admit that Koivu has not been playing his best the past couple of weeks. Has he had more good games then bad games this year? Absolutely.Has he, as Nil'd suggests, been "less bad then all other habs this year" . Oui. You can put whatever spin on it you want but the fact is that Koivu has not been the Koivu we have grown to love this year. I do not think that saying that Koivu is "less bad then all the other habs this year" is really paying him much of a compliment. It is simply saying "the whole team stinks but Saks showers a bit more".
I have a theory on what has been going on, especially in lieu of recent events. Keep in mind this is only my THEORY. I may be out to lunch. My theory is that negotiations the past 2 weeks between Saks' agent and Gainey have NOT been going well. What do I base this on you ask? First of all I read Gainey's comments. Tuesday he goes in the media and rakes Saks for taking "lazy penalties". In the meantime, Saks leaves through the back door and does to talk to the media. Leaving Gainey to rake him over the coals in the media. This morning he goes to the media and talks about "us needing to win faceoffs at key times" Hmm..who are you talking about Bob? Secondly, around the same time, Gainey takes him off the top line with Kovalev, where he has been a fixture all year, and puts him, at least in theory, on the second line. It sounds like Bob is playing mind games with Saks and his agent. He is setting up the agent so that he will not demand what he is demanding right now. Bob Gainey can be a ruthless GM as witnessed by CJ.
I believe that this is what is happening. And this is playing on Koivu's mind because some of the things he is doing lately are very "Un- Sakulike".

Sounds like a possibility. However I look at Koivu not playing on a line with Kovalev more as a stategic move to divide the power up a bit rather than a demotion to the second line.

I suppose it would be clever on Gainey's part to make it look to other teams that Koivu is not worth that much...less points etc. That way his market value would be less allowing Montreal to at least be in the ball park to sign him. But...hmmm, that would be a bit dicey because Gainey would be sacrificing the team this year wouldn't he? I would figure Gainey's main objective is to get Montreal to the playoffs this year and not on making Koivu look bad? I don't know.