First of all I am not blaming Koivu for getting injured..but this is not a good situation. Do you think anyone on the habs training camp roster will actually test him physically in camp? Nope. If you are Garth Murray playing in an itra squad scrimmage are you going to hit Koivu (like he normally would in training camp) knowing that one good hit could end his career? Uhmm..no. Imagine the fans and media if you were the one to end the captains career? So as much as Saks hopes to test it physically in training camp, don't expect it to happen. It will not.

However, all bets are off once the season starts. Hockey can be ruthless. Every player on every team in the league now knows that Koivu has a blind spot on the left side. They will exploit that to their fullest and hit him from that side every chance they get. A playmaking center who has a hard time with peripheral vision..yep..should be good.

barry33 wrote:

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First of all I am not blaming Koivu for getting injured..but this is not a good situation. Do you think anyone on the habs training camp roster will actually test him physically in camp? Nope. If you are Garth Murray playing in an itra squad scrimmage are you going to hit Koivu (like he normally would in training camp) knowing that one good hit could end his career? Uhmm..no. Imagine the fans and media if you were the one to end the captains career? So as much as Saks hopes to test it physically in training camp, don't expect it to happen. It will not.

Now Barry... that sounds familiar.

Grabovksy better be ready to jump in!

Habtastic

steevo wrote:

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I would like to assume....and i hate to use that word but...maybe Koivu will make all the other players that much better when it comes to playing through injuries and fatigue [Kovy].... with all he has been through he is not just doing it for the money or contractual obligations [ Ribs]anymore its the love of this great game that we are such HUGE FANS for....everyone can have their opinion but please guys i feel if it was any other type of player ,without the heart and soul that this man has, would of called it quits after the bout with cancer . lets not push any panic buttons yet.....as for the practice and playing full out.....its about skill these days not as much the braun part ....if i was trying to impress the coaches and gainey i would be showing off my skills not huge checks on teammates....we already know murray can hit and grind.....lets give this time for saks to at least for sake of argument get some more healing time for the few days its worth....

Because we have Saks doesnt mean we could not have gone out and got a number one center this summer...hell i think we tried but noone would sign

and if he does go down why not give the opportunity to one of the kids

it could be worse just look at the laffs

some times i think the soap opera is the board comments

thats my 2 cents

 

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The fact is remains is that we are weaker down the middle then any other team in the league. Period (although I would give honorable mention to the Canucks). Can you name any other team in the league who would have Mike Ribiero as a number 2 center (or looking more and more like a number one)?  No one..and I mean NO ONE has more respect for Saku Koivu than I do. You mention the Leafs? Well lets see. YOu have Sundin vs Koivu. Personal bias aside, give me Sundin. Then your second guy...Stajan vs Ribs...next question.

I am well aware of Koivus bouts with cancer and his comeback and respect that. That was then and this is now. The fact is, that a playmaking center with poor peripheral vision is not good. Some have mentioned the fact that Bryan Berard plays with a similar injury. I will submit that it is easier for a defenceman to play with thet impedement than a center. And anyone who saw Berard play before his injury will see that he is a shadow of his normal self.

And finally steevo, it is STILL a physical game. If you have attended a pro hockey camp you will see that it is full of hitting, even with todays rules. That is how players prepare themselves for the regular season. They hit each other. You cannot go through a camp without getting hit and then, all of a sudden, start playing games. Can you say suicide?

barry33 wrote:

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You cannot go through a camp without getting hit and then, all of a sudden, start playing games. Can you say suicide?

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Ah c'mon now Barry33, what could possibly go wrong with relying almost exclusively on the likes of Saku Koivu to anchor the top line and lead our troops into a 82 game schedule???

Who could have anticipated such an unfortunate distraction on the eve of training camp???  Why that would have been almost prophetic!!!

These things just sometimes randomly happen!!!

AB Habman wrote:

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steevo wrote:

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I would like to assume....and i hate to use that word but...maybe Koivu will make all the other players that much better when it comes to playing through injuries and fatigue [Kovy].... with all he has been through he is not just doing it for the money or contractual obligations

 

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 REALLY??  Which other players were that much better in the last ten years of his injury riddled career?

 After all he's been through and offers on the ice, when he plays that is..he still wanted the moon in his contract!

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What's with the nasty edge AB? ["when he plays"?]

This "injury-riddled" thing is getting so tiresome, especially since it has connotations of some kind of personality defect, or primadonna nature. Koivu has missed a total of 24 games in the past three seasons. There actually aren't that many #1 centres you can say that about, especially ones who are stuck with Ribeiro as a #2. This is all while starring in the Olympics and in the Finnish league.

Both of Koivu's biggest game-eaters were freak accidents/illnesses: cancer and this eye injury.

Remind me again who your favourite Hab was AB? Oh yeah, Sheldon Souray. With the exception of Benoit Brunet, nobody has missed more games for the Habs than Sheldon Souray in the past decade. He missed an entire season due to an injury, the Habs gave the "distraction" a chance, and he's rewarded them with some solid hockey and leadership. But he did miss 101 games the past 3-seasons. Must be something wrong with the guy. 

JohnM wrote:

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All that matters is that Saku is going to be ok long term. What he has given and will give to the team is his heart and soul whenever he's on the ice.

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Oh Puhleez!  That will look just great up on the scoreboard!

Anyway, for those of us who can move beyond the perennial Finnish ‘river of tears’ (or is that Finished???), this team needs to start focusing solely on establishing a stable environment and solid work ethic throughout training camp that will last well into the season!

Carbo should dispense a letter ‘A’ for the jerseys of Begin, Rivet and Souray and just get on with the business at hand because Saku will either be out there…or not…but this ‘hokey pokey’ is hurting the team.

And…Gainey needs to squash this circus before the next episode!!!  In other words, if Saku is fit – he plays…if Saku is unfit (especially for contact) – he has his procedure, begins rehab, hits the gym for conditioning and/or does skating drills alone! 

…anyone else foresee a ‘bad news’ news conference coming on!?!?!?  But, either way, this team needs more answers and far fewer question marks!!!

plouf wrote:

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AB Habman wrote:

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steevo wrote:

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I would like to assume....and i hate to use that word but...maybe Koivu will make all the other players that much better when it comes to playing through injuries and fatigue [Kovy].... with all he has been through he is not just doing it for the money or contractual obligations

 

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 REALLY??  Which other players were that much better in the last ten years of his injury riddled career?

 After all he's been through and offers on the ice, when he plays that is..he still wanted the moon in his contract!

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What's with the nasty edge AB? ["when he plays"?]

This "injury-riddled" thing is getting so tiresome, especially since it has connotations of some kind of personality defect, or primadonna nature. Koivu has missed a total of 24 games in the past three seasons. There actually aren't that many #1 centres you can say that about, especially ones who are stuck with Ribeiro as a #2. This is all while starring in the Olympics and in the Finnish league.

Both of Koivu's biggest game-eaters were freak accidents/illnesses: cancer and this eye injury.

Remind me again who your favourite Hab was AB? Oh yeah, Sheldon Souray. With the exception of Benoit Brunet, nobody has missed more games for the Habs than Sheldon Souray in the past decade. He missed an entire season due to an injury, the Habs gave the "distraction" a chance, and he's rewarded them with some solid hockey and leadership. But he did miss 101 games the past 3-seasons. Must be something wrong with the guy. 

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The preconceived notion that money is all of a sudden not important to him blows my mind! It was sure important last season.

plouf wrote:

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dumb

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Nil d wrote:

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JohnM wrote:

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plouf wrote:

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dumb

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That pretty much sums up AB and And-o's posts in this thread.

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Anyone reading this thread wonder why I haven't posted in two days?

Sheeeeesh.........

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I hear ya Nil.... insultin' board members (or their posts) is unnecessary.

These are opinions, whether they are for or against Koivu. Neither side is 100% right... so get over it already, it's tirin' listenin' to both sides.

AB Habman wrote:

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steevo wrote:

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I would like to assume....and i hate to use that word but...maybe Koivu will make all the other players that much better when it comes to playing through injuries and fatigue [Kovy].... with all he has been through he is not just doing it for the money or contractual obligations

 

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 REALLY??  Which other players were that much better in the last ten years of his injury riddled career?

 After all he's been through and offers on the ice, when he plays that is..he still wanted the moon in his contract!

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YOU honestly think he was the one negotiating......isnt that what agents do for their clients????

barry33 wrote:

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And finally steevo, it is STILL a physical game. If you have attended a pro hockey camp you will see that it is full of hitting, even with todays rules. That is how players prepare themselves for the regular season. They hit each other. You cannot go through a camp without getting hit and then, all of a sudden, start playing games. Can you say suicide?

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yes being from the east coast i did attend many a scrimmage..... let me tell you this .....if i was new to the team and went after one of the senior or in my case 2nd 3rd year players i would be black listed and lucky to leave the arena alive.......its not the same yeah look at roenick last year yes ok but not saku man would never happen

my opinion

steevo wrote:

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AB Habman wrote:

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steevo wrote:

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AB Habman wrote:

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steevo wrote:

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I would like to assume....and i hate to use that word but...maybe Koivu will make all the other players that much better when it comes to playing through injuries and fatigue [Kovy].... with all he has been through he is not just doing it for the money or contractual obligations

 

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 REALLY??  Which other players were that much better in the last ten years of his injury riddled career?

 After all he's been through and offers on the ice, when he plays that is..he still wanted the moon in his contract!

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YOU honestly think he was the one negotiating......isnt that what agents do for their clients????

 

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Exactly why players have agents...they want as much as possible. Koivu is no different.

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what i was trying to get at is when u ask people who have cheated death or life threatening situations they just do things afterwards for the life blood of it .....he could have easily got huge insurance and said thats it but there are other factors here like love of the game in my opinion .... great captain qltys...even the king of cars would hire him

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 I get you now! I've stated before that this isn't severe enough of an injury for him to retire and now it's looking that way!

 Just to add to Barry's post...Berard was way worse! Almost no vision in one eye.