News is everwhere ... on rds.com, and Murray Wilson is talking about it right now in the pregame (cjad.com)

 

I see:

MONTRÉAL – Le Canadien de Montréal a fait l’acquisition du défenseur Janne Niinimaa et un choix de 5e ronde des Stars de Dallas en 2007, en retour de l’attaquant Mike Ribeiro et d’un choix de 6e ronde en 2008.

Âgé de 31 ans, Niinimaa amorce sa 10e saison dans la Ligue nationale de hockey. En 700 matchs en carrière, le défenseur de 6’1’’, 220 livres a marqué 54 buts et ajouté 262 passes pour un total de 316 points. Il a amassé 697 minutes de punitions et présente un différentiel plus/moins de +56. En séries éliminatoires, Niinimaa a participé à 59 matchs, obtenant 24 points, dont trois buts, et 60 minutes de punitions.

Niinimaa, qui est originaire de Raahe, en Finlande, a amorcé la saison 2005-2006 avec les Islanders de New York, avec lesquels il a inscrit 10 points, dont un but, et 62 minutes de punitions en 41 matchs. Le 10 janvier 2006, il a été échangé aux Stars de Dallas en compagnie d’un choix de 5e ronde en 2007, en retour de John Erskine et un choix de 2e ronde en 2006. Avec les Stars, il a obtenu six points, dont deux buts, et totalisé 24 minutes de punitions en 22 matchs.

Choix de 2e ronde (36e au total) des Flyers de Philadelphie en 1993, Niinimaa a joué avec les Flyers entre 1996 et 1998. Lors de sa 1ère saison avec les Flyers, il a obtenu 40 mentions d’aide, un sommet personnel. Le 24 mars 1998, il a été échangé aux Oilers d’Edmonton en retour de Dan McGillis et d’un choix de 2e ronde en 1998. Avec les Oilers, il a connu sa meilleure saison en carrière en 2000-2001, récoltant 46 points, dont 12 buts, des sommets personnels, en 82 matchs.

Mike Ribeiro a disputé 276 matchs avec les Canadiens, entre 1999 et 2006, et amassé 153 points, dont 50 buts, et 92 minutes de punitions.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=179424&hubname=

 

Canadiens deal Ribeiro for Niinimaa

 

MONTREAL - The Montreal Canadiens have acquired defenceman Janne Niinimaa and a 5th round pick in 2007 from the Dallas Stars, in return for forward Mike Ribeiro and a 6th round pick in 2008.


Ribeiro, 26, is coming off a disappointing 2005-2006 season, during which he scored 51 points and posted a minus-6 rating, down from the 65 points and plus-15 rating he had produced in 2003-2004.

The 6-foot, 177-pound centre was a second-round pick of the Canadiens in 1998 and has scored 153 points in 276 career games.

Niinimaa, 31, struggled last season, putting up 16 points and a minus-12 rating combined with the New York Islanders and Dallas Stars. Acquired in January for John Erskine, Niinimaa ended up being a healthy scratch at times late in the year.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Finnish blueliner has recorded 356 points and a plus-56 rating over a 10-year career with Philadelphia, Edmonton, the New York Islanders and Dallas.

Woah! That's seriously a shocker ... doesn't fix our "centre-hole" problem, or does it? For the Rib haters, a pleasant surprise and seems that we got good enough D and even a pick with it. This gives us space for a rookie forward and that's great. This changes the face of the team and I think we are now 4-6 pts higher finish...doesn't sound like much but it can be the difference between playoffs and golf with the Laffs. And-o called for a doosey and gets 2 in 1 week (with Traverse, of course). Wow! What a season this'll be!! Now, what will the lines be?

Kov, Ribs, Sammy?
Hig, Ryder, Pleks...

I'm terrible with lines, so help me out folks.

-- Edited by Figaro at 19:17, 2006-09-30

The lines may look like that at the beginning of the season, but since we are short on centre and prosperous on the wing, after the first ten games the lines are more likely to be:

Latendresse Koivu Ryder

Samsonov Higgins Kovalev

This would be to avoid having Bonk or Begin move up to the 3rd line and would be assuming Latendresse doesn't crack under the immense pressure. Also, if this happens, I would suggest that Higgins' line would be the number one line. I put Higgins between the Russians instead of Koivu to avoid the problem of 3 players who like to hold onto the puck on the same line, and I do realise I have Lats playing on his off wing, but if he can't, then it is likely Perez will move into that spot or that Kost will be called up, since he certainly can play both wings.

Also, does anyone else worry that Niinimaa's game is in vast decline and he did poorly last season? I don't particularly mind giving up Ribs (though I do think he was going to rebound a bit this season) But right now it is a seller's market for D, and I feel we could have got a much better and/or younger guy had we waited until later this year or possibly the next offseason. In the end though, there is no such thing as too much depth of defence. When Bouillon and Cote return, we will have them and the 3 rookies who were cut late (and Traverse too I guess) putting upwards pressure on the current top six. Bouillon of course would almost surely be included in the top six immediately though.

Can't wait for the season to start though so we can stop speculating and start watching real games!

tsn.ca has it at 2.508. Ribs was getting 1.9 million. So yeah, the other board was right.

steevo wrote:

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just a thought ....showcase for month or 2 then trade and use higgins or chip in his spot and we will all have a merry xmas .....again just a thought

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wonder if i knew anything then you say

Hmmm.  I think Dallas will win this one. Riblet needed to be shipped out of Quebec. That poor bugger grew up thinking he was something special. I think everyone now knows he aint so special...not sure Riblet has that figured out yet. One night of loafer, gangsta suit wearin' in downtown Dallas will sort his skinny arse out.

In the end, if he matures in Dallas out of the lunacy in Quebec, he is the better player in this. But just remember if he tears it up in Dallas, he would not have done it in Montreal...

-- Edited by Muller93 at 21:41, 2006-09-30

Ribs is gone, thank goodness for that. Ninima will help the Habs D in a big way. He had ankle problems last year and that's why his numbers were down. 

-- Edited by JohnM at 22:16, 2006-09-30

Habtastic wrote:

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Ninimaa has been in decline for the last few years and if that continues this year we just have to demote him once Bouillon is back and his salray won't hit our cap space.

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His salary might not hit our cap space, but it certainly hits our budget. Remember that the Habs are not the richest team, so we can't afford to spend that much. If Niinimaa ends up in the minors, it may affect our ability to trade for anyting but a late season player, even if something interesting comes up earlier.

2.5 million is a huge AHL salary, so this trade is only worthwhile if Niinimaa stops his freefall and remains a number 5 caliber D. (It would also be nice if he doesn't whine in Montreal)