Defenceman Hal Gill will be back with the Canadiens for one more season, RDS is reporting on its website.
The veteran blue-liner has signed a one-year contract with the Canadiens that is worth $2.25 million.
Gill, 36, is nearing the end of a two-year contract he signed with the Canadiens in the summer of 2009. In 75 games last season, he had nine points and was a minus-9.
A force when shorthanded, Gill blocked 151 shots and distributed 75 body checks while averaging 19:49 of ice time over the course of the season.
Gill joins Jaroslav Spacek and P.K. Subban as defencemen under contract for next season. Prospects Alexei Yemelin and Raphael Diaz are also signed.
Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier still has a glut of potential free-agent defenceman that include Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges, Roman Hamrlik, James Wiesniewski, Brent Sopel and Paul Mara and Yannick Weber.
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Great signing. Big Hal way more an asset than his on ice presence. Now. Trade Spacek for a bag of pucks and sign the Wiz. DO IT!!
Sal from the Hammer
Great Signing! We need his leadership and poise to keep the locker room gelling. Good job PG!
If PG signs Wiz, Markov and Gorges, the Habs will have a very impressive back end. Take into account the injury bug, the new signings this spring should fill those holes nicely as well. Now, if PG can sign some decent forwards (centremen) over the summer, they could go deep next year. The only thing missing this year was a 20-25 goal scorer in Gomez’s spot on the second line. Take his minutes in the playoffs and give them to any one of the available centremen in the system and Boston would have gone down. (I like to think)
***Habs Forever***
Markov will get at least the same money he is making now, $5 million. Gorges is due a hefty raise, as he has emerged as our most reliable stay-at-homer. He’ll be looking at $3 million. I don’t see how it would be possible to sign Wiz AND keep the essentials up front (Pacioretty, White, Kostitsyn, and Desharnais IMO) AND still go after “decent forwards”. The cap space simply is not there.
I also disagree that our problem is at center. We’re stacked at that position- Gomez, Pleks, and Eller… and any number of role-players who filled in admirably at that position last year. Our problem is on the wings.
Good to see the Tall One™ back for another year. Markov next, then Gorges and then we see what PG does for the forwards.
I would let Auld go and bring up either McIntyre or Sanford at 750K or less. I would try to get Laich so there are 3 forwards that all can score 20+ while providing much needed size (AK, Laich, MaxPac).
To all the naysayers out there, the Habs are not that far away from contending year in and year out, a la Detroit.
Now, if only the centers could win some bleeping face-offs…
I agree and concur.
***Habs Forever***
I like the way you think… guess it’s because I agree with almost every word you wrote. Except that I am more optimistic. I think with the proper moves PG/JM can GO FOR IT.
The defence (Subban/Gill/Gorges/Markov/Yemelin/Spacke/Weber) and maybe even trade Weber for an ok but mean tough D-MAN.. is in my opinion A level.
Price is at the elite level of goaltenders and will not wilt in the playoffs.
I AGREE.. relase Auld.. thank him but he doesn’t fit. Either one of the farmhands you suggested or make a more positive move and sign Emery. If PG signs Emery then that would be a great indication that he IS GOING FOR IT.
Laich would be a good pick-up. The holes PG needs to fill are two forwards.. one tough to replace Moen and a scorer to move Gomez off the top 2 lines. If Gomez is playing on the top two line next season then it means our forward lines would still be weak.
So with a tough 5th defenseman in tow and two big forwards one with 25 goals potential and a backup goalie change, this team would be ready for ANY CHALLENGE and with luck of draw (injuries and bounces) could WIN the cup.
If they wait 2 yrs or more from now I think the ‘parity’ in the league would have changed and there would have emerged a powerhouse or two with prohibitive odds to win the cup.
There is ONE BIG CAVEAT. JM must change his system a bit. I think the ‘lay back and defend’ contributes to injuries and it must also be modified to elevate this team from the bottom rungs for 5-on-5 production.
I am pleased with the signing of Gill but if he is in the top 3 of our defense for next year then we are in trouble and JM has not changed his system. Hal Gill’s style cannot drive the defence. Gorges and Subban cannot play like Gill. He has schooled them well in the stay at home defense style but now thos etwo and Markov must force the play more.
One other very very significant caution is the assistant coaching when Muller goes. If you listened to Hal Gill’s interview on team 990.. a lot of it was plain except the part where he said that the ‘dymanics of the team WILL CHANGE with Muller GONE and management MUST address it for next season”. It is an inescapable indication that some of the rumours we hear re the players needing Muller to offset JM is real.
Those were very powerful words.
Glad to have Gill in the lineup for another season, his value in the locker room can not be oversold and he’s done a ton for a few key players as a mentor. I suspect MTL will be his final NHL squad, than he’ll retire and MTL can get him to work in their organization.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Great signing, provided we can take away some minutes. If I were Pierre (signings in capitals):
FROLOV, Plekanec, Cammalleri
Pacioretty, Gomez, Gionta
A.KOSTITSYN, Eller, BERNIER
Moen, KONOPKA, White
extras: Darche, Pyatt, Desharnais
MARKOV, GORGES
Yemelin, BABCHUK
Gill, Subban
Spacek, Weber
I like the size, scoring, and smarts that Frolov brings. He also played well with Cammalleri in L.A.
Bernier provides some size and strength. He is still young enough to find himself. A. Kostitsyn will always be a 18-25 goal scorer with some sandpaper.
Konopka brings some great faceoff skills and toughness down the middle.
Markov and Gorges are very important signings. Babchuk has a great shot and adds size, youth, and toughness.
wheres pouliot going to be? i’ve always liked his skills and really think he is A) big enough and skilled enough to have a real impact and could be signed for relatively cheap. B) francophone. C) able to accomplish a lot. D) very good trade bait for possible draft prospects and/or a good midseason pickup. just saying, he should still be in the mix to all HIO readers. also, i have been dying to see konopka in a habbies uniform
Frolov is signed in the KHL.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
SF09 on Twitter
Nothing like that little weasel Buttman to throw water on a parade!
Instead of at least looking a slight bit happy for True North he throws out his threats to the fans in Winnipeg.
What a worm!
BTW Mark Chipman a Canadian, is also a US trained lawyer a former Assistant District Attorney in Florida. Take that Buttman!
———————————————————————-
…..My empire is crumbling, my international sponsors are deserting me, my authority is questioned, I am held in contempt wherever I go.
Who am I: Mohamar Ghadaffi or Gary Bettman.
What threats? I didn’t hear about that…
__________________________
The only interesting answers are those which destroy the questions. ~Susan Sontag
He threatened the people of Winnipeg that if the arena wasn’t a sellout every night the team would fail again!
———————————————————————-
…..My empire is crumbling, my international sponsors are deserting me, my authority is questioned, I am held in contempt wherever I go.
Who am I: Mohamar Ghadaffi or Gary Bettman.
Agreed his comments were poorly timed and in bad taste, but what he said was largely correct and along the same lines as what the True North folks were saying with their “drive for 13″ campaign.
With a capacity of only 15,015 for hockey games, they are the smallest arena in the league and they also can’t justify having super-high ticket prices in a city like Winnipeg. In order for the team to not lose money they will require near sellouts to all their home games.
Since they are aiming for 13,000 season ticket holders on multiple year agreements, is it just me, or is that incredibly high?? It’s almost 87% of their arena! I don’t know what the norm is for other Canadian NHL cities, but I’d be very surprised if it was close to that. To put that in context, it would be like having 18,437 of the 21,273 seats at the Bell Centre be season tickets, meaning only 2,836 non-season-ticket seats would be available for home games. That can’t be right.
- Honestly yours
that threat was because the winnepeg building only holds 15,000 capacity, not 21000 like most of the others
He’s just pissed he could not move the Jets to Albuquerque! You cant win em all Bettman
On a positive note, happy to see the big guy signed up for another season.
Bettman is an A..hole. Always has been.
Query me this…..
Why would that little worm want a team to stay in a place where you can’t give tickets away rather than go to Winterpeg where Canadian fans will probably pony up for every game?
In some of the US markets, you can get a family of 4 pack (tickets, food and parking) for $80 TOTAL. You can’t then raise the prices to fill the seats with fans because they aren’t fans of the game, they’re fans of the cheap night out. Raise the ticket prices and that whole block of fans is gone. They don’t have the money to pay more. The southern US is a very depressed economic market, always has been.
At least in Canada the fans will pay for the tickets. A 3/4 full arena here would bring in twice as much money as a full arena in the US (many markets).
***Habs Forever***
Very true that “a 3/4 full arena here would bring in twice as much money as a full arena in the US” . . . as long as our dollar does not once again tank to 60 cents . . . otherwise (I would like to think!) the Expos would still be around . . .
CranbrookEd
Mr. Beliveau: “Pure Pak mais oui”!
Actually, that’s not the case.
Bettman knows that a team in Atlanta would still have more revenue given the extra television revenue, seat sales are not the key number. Unless your talking about Atlanta having 3,000 people at a game, which has been the case on many occasions. Winnipeg will have little or no television revenue, so selling 15,000 seats each game will be more of a necessity.
You got it right, Chris. Pay attention here folks because this is why most of you people should hold onto your opinions about this stuff.
Everyone is SO convinced Winnipeg will work because they are Canadian. Well history has already shown the opposite with this city and its first failure wasn’t solely due to the US$ like many people clearly believe. The new ‘Jets’ will face some problems just as the old one did. 1) The fans there got tired of mediocrity once before and stopped selling out games. 2) Winnipeg will ALWAYS be the last place a player will flat out choose to go to, which means they will be faced with constant mediocrity. 3) See point No. 1
I’m happy for them just like everyone else is but open your eyes people, you can’t just wish something into success. Winnipeg will face struggles and the fans better be willing to handle them this time.
It gets frustrating to see good players leave every year and have trouble signing others and that will happen in Winnipeg for sure. Because it has to compete against cities like NYC, LA, MTL, Chicago etc etc etc. Have you ever been to Winnipeg? I have.
We need a shrimp like Lionel Messi to score goals
right on hal!
I HATE BOSTON!
Good signing. At that price we get the perfect complement to PK, one of the best penalty-kill d-men in the league, and solid leadership for another year.
I pity the fool who says this signing prevents the Habs from getting the Wiz. THE HABS WERE NEVER GETTING THE WIZ. He will cash in for way more than he’s worth from another team, and the Habs could not afford him and Markov. Obviously they have decided Markov, and that is fine with me. The Wiz has a great shot and all, but defensively he is pretty suspect, and Yemelin replaces his mean streak … probably upgrades it.
Markov, Gorges, Gill, Subban, Spacek, Yemelin … looks really good to me actually. Weber can play on the fourth line and take the point on the power-play.
Full Breezer 4 Life
C’mon Bill. Wiz is a fighter. Can duke it out with the best of ‘em.
Yemy is a boy, not a fighter and I’m pretty sure he’ll be running back to the KHL with his tail between his legs.
Wiz should be resigned. I’d take him over Gorges anyday
First of all Emelin isn’t a boy, he’s 25 and has been playing pro for years. Wiz over Gorges, depends on what you’re looking for, if you want offence then Wiz is the one, if you want a solid shut down, shot blocking great PK Dman then it’s Gorges. Personally I Prefer Gorges.
Has everyone noticed the news/sports reporters in Winnipeg are all dressed like it’s mid-January? Oh man. These guys will have a leg up against all those S. Eastern or S/W Pacific teams that pay a visit.
Good to have Gill.
This is a good hockey day.
– HABS INSIDE/OUT R.I.P. –
…if I was a Winnipeger I wouldn’t sweat losing my team again for awhile with David Thompson, the 17th most wealthy man in the world as part-owner
…I can see it now, Reuters pasted on every board
…THAT should keep some of the troglodite journalist hacks polite for awhile at least
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
The UFA market this summer for forwards is crap and will be overpriced, we aren’t going to get help we need upfront through the UFA route. The only option to improve our forwards is through a trade and that’ll be hard as well. You have to give up quality to get quality back.
So, given that there aren’t any UFA forwards that can make the difference we need, do you just decide to spend the money on Wiz? It’s tough to commit to that route long term as well.
I would give Laich a try if I were PG… put him on the wing with Pleks and Cammi and Put AK with Eller and Darch… Get a gritty player to play with White and Moen… Hopefully Max will be back where he left off with Gio and Gomez…
Shouldnt be too shabby of a team once Markov and Georges are signed too
So in your scenario you have the forward lines looking like:
Cammy – Pleks – Laich
Max-Pac – Gomer – Gio
Darche – Eller – AK46
Moen – __X__ – White
So from our current line-up you are excluding: Pouliot, DD, Halpern, and Pyatt. You mentioned “getting” a gritty player for that 4th line so are you acquiring someone new? If so, what do you do with the 4 players you’ve excluded. Who’s the “extra” forward, who goes to Hamilton, who gets traded?
I’m not against getting Laich, but the money would really have to be right…like around 3mil which probably isn’t enough to get him, expecially not in the highest taxed city in the NHL.
- Honestly yours
I would go after Kanopka for that fourth line…Since both are RFAs I would Probably package Pouliot and Pyatt in a deal to get some draft picks… or something else back… Let Halpern Walk … DD is a tricky one honestly… I really like him and I am sure that he could produce good offensive numbers in the NHL … just not sure if Mtl is the right place for him… he needs to play in top 2 minutes or even on an offensive third line… Problem is Gomez, Pleks and Eller have those three spots locked…
Konopka would be a good choice for 4th line centre. He excels at faceoffs and on the defensive side of things plus brings good grit and toughness. Essentially he’s a tougher version of Halpern and if we got him, Pyatt becomes more expendable as well.
We must be careful not to over-address the size/grit issue and ignore our lack of scoring though.
DD is a tricky one, that’s for sure. I really like what I saw from him but his lack of size is an issue on our current roster as he’s one of many with that same “problem”. He could bring in good assets via trade but not sure PG wants to do that just yet. He may get even better, or of course he could go the other way and then he wouldn’t be worth much at all for trade bait.
- Honestly yours
I dont know what the status on Artyukhin is but man would I love that guy on our team… big, tough and can play!
SOOOOOO HAPPY about Gill re-signing!!!!! Very underrated by some posters, but glad to see that most on here recognize what he brings.
For those of you who said 2.25mil was too much money, I see your point that something closer to 1.5-2mil would have been better, but a lot of teams would throw under 2mil at him (teams with better weather and lower taxes), so I see it as a way of ensuring he signed with us and is happy. We’re only talking a few hundred thousand difference here anyway so it’s not getting in the team’s way of other signings. For his experience, cup ring, locker room presence and leadership it’s a small price to pay. Gio might wear the C, and nothing against him whatsoever, but I think Gill is the biggest leader on this team cuz he’s much more vocal and also leads by example as Gio does.
I’m hoping he continues his mentorship with PK or starts one with Weber (if he can make his way into the top 6 D) which will hopefully improve his game as well.
- Honestly yours
Gonna throw in my two cents. Im not into the idea of burying players in the minors. Personally I dint think it helps the team, the player in question, or the farm team. Talk about a way to not attract free agents.
Laich? Well …. Is he going to score goals for us? Ak46 may be inconsistent, but he’s still potting a few though he doesn’t deserve a raise. Don’t know his numbers, but if Laich has good numbers then why not?
Wiz…. Would love to have this guy but I don’t know how were going to be able to afford this in the long run if we still need to add forwards
Gill- great signing. I hope he becomes assistant coach one day. That’ll be a nice fit to keep mentoring Subban and Tinordi eventually.
…funny about life isn’t it, many were condescending on Laps and Higgy, and Their hockey fates since leaving Our Habs …and here They are …in the Stanley Cup Final …which, of course, We are not
…same with many things about life, one moment You feel at the end of Your rope …the next, on top of the world
…especially, to all Our younger Fans …remember ! …Life is the best curve-ball pitcher there is, or was
…that is, except for Sandy Koufax ! …lol
…PS: …Vancouver in 6
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Forgot that Rollie Melanson coaches for Vancouver…. Vigneault, Higgins, Laps, Melanson.
Welcome back Hal !!!!
So hockey comes back to Winterpeg. That’s good. But it comes with a word of warning from that snide little troll, Bettman. It must be killing him that Canada got another team and his beloved USA lost one. HOHUM. The thing is with hockey , it’s Canada’s game, not the USA’s. When you win the Stanley Cup, you’re not “world champion”. Is it any wonder that the Americans aren’t interested in it? Take the games that survive in almost any market in the States, basketball, baseball, football and lawn bowling. You win it all in the USA and you are “world champion” . I was kidding about lawn bowling. But to only be league champion after a long hard season, it must be very hard for Americans to rationalize that.
PS: Bettman sucks.
***Habs Forever***
How about this?
CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR
FORWARDS
Brooks Laich ($4.166m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.910m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Raffi Torres ($1.500m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Joel Ward ($1.900m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Zenon Konopka ($0.700m) / Mathieu Darche ($0.800m)
DEFENSEMEN
Josh Gorges ($4.100m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Andrei Markov ($5.200m) / Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / James Wisniewski ($3.800m)
Yannick Weber ($0.875m)
GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Alex Auld ($0.800m)
BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $59,238,842; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $161,158
I think we only really need to carry Weber considering he can play both offence and defence. Without him, we would have 1 M in cap space. This is also assuming we buy out Spacek and lower Markov’s contract.
I might be alone but I think $4 million for Brooks Laich is nonsense.
I agree that is overpayment, but he will probably get around that much because of the lack of good UFA forwards this year. As much as we need help at forward, especially with our top 6, this is not the summer to do it via the FA market.
- Honestly yours
Nor I. I would seriously look at inexpensive risks. Gagne, Kopecky, Brunette, Ryan Jones, Chuck Kobasew are just a small group of names I would closely investigate.
Each player here has high upside, little risk and a small price tag in all likelihood.
I like Gagne and Kopecky. The knocks I have on them are that I’m not sure Kopecky is real top 6 material, and while Gagne certainly is, he has injury problems every year (an area we struggle with already) and he didn’t play that well this year even when he was healthy.
- Honestly yours
Ryan Jones signed a 2 year extension with the Oilers this week so scratch him off your list. Gagne will get an extension from Tampa is my guess and if I remember correctly he’s said that he’s not interested in playing in MTL. Kobasew maybe at a low end deal. Brunette is a little old
I think throwing $4 M at him is the only way to guarantee he’ll accept. In a perfect world, I’d be willing to offer him $3 M, but in reality, he would probably ask for $4 M. Consider that we paid AK46 $3.25 M and Laich I think is more valuable than AK.
I don’t think Laich is worth the money. What is he an upgrade on? He may be a small, and I mean very small upgrade on Kostitsyn. But certainly not enough of one to justify overpaying him by $1 million annually on what will probably be a long term deal to be sought after by his agent.
Way more cost efficient options available in this ufa class I think.
Kostitsyn was awarded his contract when he showed the kind of talent that would produce a 60-80 point player. He’s failed to deliver on those expectations while enjoying a fairly productive but inconsistent start to his career.
We can’t buyout Spacek. 35+ contracts count against your team’s cap and all you save is 100K. Our only way of avoiding it is via trade.
I like some of your choices for the bottom 6 but I’d put Torres on the 4th line and Darche on the 3rd so Eller has more skilled guys to play with.
Also, 4.1mil I think is way too much for Gorges. Even though he’s excellent defensively, no offensive upside or real physical presence kinda limits him to 3mil, maybe 3.5 tops.
Wiz will get WAY more than 3.25mil.
- Honestly yours
Again, the Habs kind of have to overpay to attract players but if Gorges/Laich and PG can agree on lower deals, I’d be more than glad to take them. (obviously)
I also think it is unlikely that we would sign Torres but if the ‘Nucks let him test the UFA market, why not sign him.
Laich at 4.1m Thats crazy and is he really an upgrade from AK46? i think Ak46 will explode one of these days. I think Joel Ward would be a great pick up. Rest of the fowards look good minus Gomez ofcourse but i think they are stuck with him. Gorges is not worth 4.1m lol he is a very good dman and very important but a player like him is worth no more than 2.5m a year.Markov is a risk he will not make that much money unless its a one year deal. and the Wiz will be asking a lot more than that. he will be looking for 4.5m-5m per year. NO way we will sign him. AND WEBER NEEDS to be in the top SIx probably in the Top 4
“Markov won’t make that much money” ???
I think you’re wrong on that one. Look for him to sign something around a 2 year deal for 5.5mil per season. He’ll get at least as much as Wiz gets, and probably a bit more.
I agree with you on Weber but he may have to wait for Spacek’s departure before being a mainstay on our D. Either that or if Yemelin doesn’t work out then Weber can slot in for him. Other than that, he’ll likely have to wait for an injury to make the regular line-up on D.
- Honestly yours
I’m sorry I overpaid Gorges and Laich if it offends you : P, but I’m just thinking about reality and how much $ it would REALLY take to keep Gorges long term, and attract Laich, given our troubles attracting UFAs.
Do you really think Wiz is worth $4-5 M? I think Gorges has more value than Wiz, even though they play completely different styles. Discuss…
On a side note, I started a small chat with a crossing guard (wearing a Loafs hat) this morning and apparently he knows someone who met Gorges downtown recently, and said Gorges was still limping… concern?
Cant we just put spacek in the minors ,even if we have to pay his contract he still gets to play and he can mentor our up and coming defenceman in the AHL then we have enough room for the wiz and he comes off our cap in a year when we have to resign our young guys.
I look at the Hamilton option much like the trading guys at the deadline deal. The Habs don’t trade players at the deadline as a message to free agents that they will have security if they choose Montreal. Hamilton would be the highest humiliation possible.
This is just my theory. But given the difficulty the organization has had in acquiring free agents I think it stands to reason that sacrifices are made to ensure that potential free agents see Montreal as a secure landing spot.
re: putting Spacek in the minors…
If we did that, not only would we still have to pay him, we would still have his entire salary on our cap (save for 100k) because he’s on a 35+ contract.
- Honestly yours
Gill did a good job last season, I don’t see the problem with re-signing him.
Glad to see Gill back, no one can say he didn’t help Subban’s progress last season. Great on the PK and is a leader in our locker room. The price is a bit higher than I expected but a 1 year 2.25 is very comfortable.
I should say so. If anyone deserved a raise. It was probably him considering what he puts his body through and the leadership he brings. Hamrlik did the same job but let’s be realistic, he didn’t deserve a raise. Anton Volchenkov is making about $3 million more per year for doing a worse job in the same role and being a lesser quality leader. Gill has a ring that Volchenkov doesn’t have too.
Over/under on:
- how many comments will posted outlining Spacek/Gomez injury prognostications,
- and describing, if it happened, what effect having either of the two or both on the long-term IR would have on the Habs’ salary cap,
- subsequently leading to even more hypothetical line combos, with players who are not signed or traded for.
Remember, their combined hit is 11.19 million. That’s a lot of line combo variation.
Discuss!
Wow, 11.19 million for Gomez and Spacek, that is enough to throw me into a deep depression. But then again, Gomez did apologize for sucking shat this year and has said he will come back and be alot better next year so all is forgiven. So happy to have Gomez on this team, soo sooo happy.
319 and I would put the odds of both of them being Habs in October at 5-1.
It’s already been beat to death – try something more interesting.
Is that a 318 or a 320?
LOL. Way to stay focused HH!
I won’t start writing those until I’ve accepted that those guys won’t be traded.
P.S. Gomez would only need to miss 40 games to fit Alex Steen under the salary cap.
* Ville Leino would make Sergei Samsonov look like Alex Kovalev *