Barry and BG

JohnM · Guru

Barry and BG

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

Barry, from everyone of your posts, you seem to be bitter towards BG... This all started with the firing of CJ last year. I understand that CJ is your friend and you aren't seeing what BG is doing on a level playing field but are you ever going to get over it? Don't take this post personally, it's just when I read some of your posts, they seem a little angered towards BG or sarcastic towards him. Does CJ feel this way as well?

Nahh Johnny not at all. I have long since gotten over the firing and CJ is very happy in Jersey, even if he does have to pay a million bucks for a house lol. I met him in Freddy Beach a couple weekends ago and he is very content, very happy in his new situation and is really excited about the new year. He and BG still talk on a regular basis and there is absolutely zero anymosity there (never was).

Having said that, I guess I just do not place the total "Bob can do no wrong" faith that most other posters do. Just because a guy was great one time (ie GM in Dallas) does not mean that he can do it now in the post cap era. The guy has screwed up a few times, big time and when he does, I will continue to call him on it (because Iknow he reads my posts). But rest assured it has nothing to do with any anomisity I have towards him in any way.

Having said that, I do realize that my anti-BG posts are getting repettive, even to be. Time to move on to something more constructive..like pooping in Ribs (kidding)

JohnM · Guru

Nicely said Barry. I do agree he has made some bad moves a-la Theo signing but a good GM is able to right his wrongs and BG was able to do that....

JohnM · Guru

Would anyone like to post BG's good and bad moves since he's been GM?

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

Would anyone like to post BG's good and bad moves since he's been GM?

Count me out..I am on the 10 Step BG withdrawl program

Manton · Member

Keep posting them Barry...good or bad re BG. I am sure you will give him credit when he deserves it and you will blast him when he screws up. That would be the proper thing to do.

barry33 · Guru

Manton wrote:

Keep posting them Barry...good or bad re BG. I am sure you will give him credit when he deserves it and you will blast him when he screws up. That would be the proper thing to do.

I think he has done some good things for sure. The drafting since BG took over is 110% better than it was before..I think the future looks great and he has alot to do with that. He has an eye for talent. We are a tougher team now with the additions of Downey and Murray. The signinsg of Samsonov and Kovalev showed a new era in Canadiens hockey in that no longer are they content to let world class players go elsewhere without a fight. A few observations..I know I have missed some.

Good

Samsonov Signing

Kovalev

Drafting (overall..I am still not convinced taking Price number 5 last year was good..time will tell)

Unloading Theodore

Unloading Zednick for a 3rd round pick (as good as you would get for him now)

Sending Lattendresse back last year in the face of media pressure

Keeping Doug Jarvis

Bad

Signing Theodore to that huge contract. Fortunately Colorado had a brain cramp and bailed him out

The Bonk trade. Huet saved his butt on that one. The "throw in" goalie in that deal has made him look like a genius. I am sure when Gainey made that deal he thought Huet would be Hamilton bound

His inability to fill the center position that has been the habs biggest weakness for years and still is

His handling of Michael Ryder. There is no way he should have had to go to arbitration after what BG paid some of the other players on the team

beakermania · Senior Member

I don't think BG ever thought Huet was Hamilton Bound. I think he was always slated to be the backup to Theo and take Garon's place on the roster for one year. Then he was gonna let him walk in FA and have Danis as Theo's backup. Huet was here to buy another year of experience facing shots for Danis.

Funny how things work out though.

And as far as the trade goes, without Huet's emergence its still not that bad. I mean what did Garon do for L.A. He hasn't become the Franchise goalie we all predicted.

-- Edited by beakermania at 16:00, 2006-07-20

Figaro · Guru

ok - gotta ask - does Bob really read any posts here? Or was that just a comment. I could understand not hitting all the message boards, but having a favourite (to keep his finger on the pulse of the fans) is different.

Second, I really don't see that Bob made any really bad moves, especially when you put him in the same context as some other GMs out there. Considering the Montreal-aversion many players feel and what he started with, he's done well. Not making a deal can't be laid solely on the GM. We don't know for sure that Ryder isn't being a jerk about it himself (or his agent.) And most errors made by Gainey seem to have corrected themselves. Anyhoo, no one's perfect, not BG and not any GM out there. Count our lucky stars we never had Milbury!

Muller93 · Guru

barry33 wrote:

Manton wrote: Keep posting them Barry...good or bad re BG. I am sure you will give him credit when he deserves it and you will blast him when he screws up. That would be the proper thing to do. I think he has done some good things for sure. The drafting since BG took over is 110% better than it was before..I think the future looks great and he has alot to do with that. He has an eye for talent. We are a tougher team now with the additions of Downey and Murray. The signinsg of Samsonov and Kovalev showed a new era in Canadiens hockey in that no longer are they content to let world class players go elsewhere without a fight. A few observations..I know I have missed some. Good Samsonov Signing Kovalev Drafting (overall..I am still not convinced taking Price number 5 last year was good..time will tell) Unloading Theodore Unloading Zednick for a 3rd round pick (as good as you would get for him now) Sending Lattendresse back last year in the face of media pressure Keeping Doug Jarvis Bad Signing Theodore to that huge contract. Fortunately Colorado had a brain cramp and bailed him out The Bonk trade. Huet saved his butt on that one. The "throw in" goalie in that deal has made him look like a genius. I am sure when Gainey made that deal he thought Huet would be Hamilton bound His inability to fill the center position that has been the habs biggest weakness for years and still is His handling of Michael Ryder. There is no way he should have had to go to arbitration after what BG paid some of the other players on the team

well Theo had to get a big contract. No choice and also nothing to suggest he should not get a big contract.

Also Huet was never slated for hamilton. He was THE theo back up. That is what a good Gm does...ensure solid back up support...it worked...

Ryder is a goal scorer. He is slow and a defensive liability and he barely hits. In one breath you roast BG for giving Theo a big contract...yet if the wheels come off Ryders scoring hands...we are stuck with a slow clunker who is a minus 35...

And failing to fill center...centers are diificult to locate anyhow...try bringing them to Montreal to pay high taxes etc. I have a weird feeling that Ribeiro is going to suprise us all anyhow...just a gut feeling.

Muller93 · Guru

Oh...forgot. If bulis is snapped up for nothin'...than I will conceed Bg's first mistake...

barry33 · Guru

Figaro wrote:

ok - gotta ask - does Bob really read any posts here? Or was that just a comment. I could understand not hitting all the message boards, but having a favourite (to keep his finger on the pulse of the fans) is different. Second, I really don't see that Bob made any really bad moves, especially when you put him in the same context as some other GMs out there. Considering the Montreal-aversion many players feel and what he started with, he's done well. Not making a deal can't be laid solely on the GM. We don't know for sure that Ryder isn't being a jerk about it himself (or his agent.) And most errors made by Gainey seem to have corrected themselves. Anyhoo, no one's perfect, not BG and not any GM out there. Count our lucky stars we never had Milbury!

No Figs I doubt BG reads any posts here or anywhere else..it would drive him nuts listening to armchair GM's like me....I am not saying anyone is perfect..I just feel that Gainey gets a free ride from fans because of his status as a habs legend. As will Carbo as a coach. In that sense, Gainey was smart hiring Carbo. He knows that the french media and fans will give him a much longer leash than someone from outside the organization because of what he has done as a player for the franchise. My last comment is this. IMHO, Gainey yet to make his mark as a GM in Montreal and is still living off the glory days of Dallas. But in fairness he has not been here long enough and is building. As a habs fan I hope that he revisits the Dallas glory days as a habs GM.

-- Edited by barry33 at 18:49, 2006-07-20

plouf · Guru

My take on Bob:

-I don't think drafting has actually improved. Actually I'm a little worried about some of the draft picks recently. Andre Savard wasn't a great GM, but the drafting was great under him. Price? what? But it sure beats the Houle era anyway.

-the Theodore move was probably unavoidable. It wasn't huge money in that context, and it was a gamble most of us would have made. Remember, the guy had been an MVP quite recently. But it did turn out badly and no mistake. Luckily Colorado bailed him out.

-the Bonk trade: Bonk is getting too much money, but the trade itself didn't turn out as bad as it seemed at first. Bonk had a good second half and may yet prove his doubters wrong. He's not ideal for the new NHL (slow!), but he has some things going for him. He's not soft, and the skills are there somewhere. I think Garon is average.

-the Ryder negotiations. Gainey is playing hardball because Ryder is not pulling his weight. He played some hardball with Ribeiro too, in different ways, and Ribeiro responded (I can't believe I'm saying this) with much more dedication to the team and all-around play. And his crap behaviour has helped us. He annoys other teams, gets players off their games, and has some skills. I don't think he's a number two centre, but he was better in the second half than he was the year before when he put up all those points. I think this is a similar thing with Ryder, who still could be a very good Hab, but needs to pay attention to more aspects of the game.

-Samsonov: I'm still skeptical, although I recognize that getting a skilled Russian might be just the thing to get Kovalev going on a more regular basis. We'll see on that one.

-sticking with inside rebuilding. This seems to be Gainey's overall plan, and I think it's a good one, because free agents don't seem to come easily to this town. Once this nucleus gels further, he should be able to add someone much easier.

-I agree with Barry about the toughness. We're still fairly small, but we are a lot tougher than we were three years ago, and that's key. Nobody wants to play us anymore (cf. Carolina). When little guys like Plekanec, Ribeiro, Higgins, etc... pick up on the team vibe and start getting in people's faces like they did late last year, you know the team is developing a personality. Who cares if Downey doesn't go out and punch people? The effect is there. And I'm glad we kept Souray (so far), Rivet, Bouillon...these guys are all heart.

-Finally, I think Gainey improves the profile of Montreal in general, and you can see it happening already. Still, he failed to get certain guys even with big offers, so he hasn't totally succeeded there. Especially with Arnott. But that's not entirely Gainey's fault. I don't know who will solve the Montreal problem other than the players playing for us now, with a kick-ass season that makes up for the last decade.

Habtastic · Guru

Lots of good thoughts here and although I am pro Gainey and believe he has done much more good than bad, I am still waiting for him to 'make his mark', as Barry put it. I am not sure what he needs to do to do that... what did you mean when you said it, Barry and what do the rest of you think he needs to do to make it 'his' team, or has he already done it?

Habtastic

barry33 · Guru

Habtastic wrote:

Lots of good thoughts here and although I am pro Gainey and believe he has done much more good than bad, I am still waiting for him to 'make his mark', as Barry put it. I am not sure what he needs to do to do that... what did you mean when you said it, Barry and what do the rest of you think he needs to do to make it 'his' team, or has he already done it? Habtastic

Hab- I think Gainey will make his mark in Montreal and put his stamp on this team. He has not done it yet. He knows though that the bottom line is winning and getting the job done. Talk about all the reasons he cant get free agents in Montreal, the bottom line is that is his job. He will get it done or he will be gone.

hockeyman · Senior Member

barry33 wrote:

JohnM wrote: Barry, from everyone of your posts, you seem to be bitter towards BG... This all started with the firing of CJ last year. I understand that CJ is your friend and you aren't seeing what BG is doing on a level playing field but are you ever going to get over it? Don't take this post personally, it's just when I read some of your posts, they seem a little angered towards BG or sarcastic towards him. Does CJ feel this way as well? Nahh Johnny not at all. I have long since gotten over the firing and CJ is very happy in Jersey, even if he does have to pay a million bucks for a house lol. I met him in Freddy Beach a couple weekends ago and he is very content, very happy in his new situation and is really excited about the new year. He and BG still talk on a regular basis and there is absolutely zero anymosity there (never was). Having said that, I guess I just do not place the total "Bob can do no wrong" faith that most other posters do. Just because a guy was great one time (ie GM in Dallas) does not mean that he can do it now in the post cap era. The guy has screwed up a few times, big time and when he does, I will continue to call him on it (because Iknow he reads my posts). But rest assured it has nothing to do with any anomisity I have towards him in any way. Having said that, I do realize that my anti-BG posts are getting repettive, even to be. Time to move on to something more constructive..like pooping in Ribs (kidding)

Hey Barry.........I'll gladly poop on Ribs for you!!