Time for another Haboholics Anonymous group meeting about moronic team policies. We've already touched on bilingualism, and although I disagree with it, I can understand why the team doesn't want to open that can of worms. But this one is completely insane.
This policy of not signing guys during the season is beyond me. Especially the guys we are 100% sure about keeping. I'm no genius, but I'm pretty certain Price, PK and Gorges aren't going anywhere, so why wait for them to have great years and have to pay even more? If Price is a Vezina contender, he's gonna ask for the world, and we'll have no choice but to give it to him. We have no bargaining power here. These guys are the whole team. They leave, we're screwed. They're unhappy, we're screwed. They get injured, we're screwed. They impregnate a hooker, they're screwed. Things are not stacked up in our favor. Do I really need to explain this concept to management? Buy low, sell high. Ringing any bells?? Something tells me Pierre Gauthier is the guy who calls his broker the day Apple goes up 50% and wants to buy, then sells is after it drops the next day. Make them happy, lock them up and move on. Every year the Habs GM (this reeks of Gainey also) ends up with a potpourri of 7-10 free agents, both RFA and UFA, both core and fringe players. As fans, we're always freakin' out about how long it takes to lock them up. Just do it. Even if they have less than average years, they're gonna get paid. They know how valuable they are to this starless team.
I'm sick of being spoon fed the BS about how negotiating during the season is a distraction. So all the other NHL GMs are idiots? Only Pedro knows what he's doing? I'm not asking to re-sign guys like AK. Nobody knows what this guy is gonna do and he's the type who might be motivated by the uncertainty of a contract year, but we have studs that aren't going anywhere. Lock them up, call them your young core and build around it. When you look at it, having a core of Price, PK, Patches, Eller and Plecky is not bad at all. These guys have the potential to be great. Add Gorges for some much needed stability and leadership and things start looking pretty good. These guys aren't stupid. All their buddies around the league start signing deals and they're asked to wait. If they do well, you think they'll be in the mood to negotiate? They'll ask for every penny they've got coming to them. You didn't wanna sign me in December when I came knocking? Well now you're gonna pay 25% more asshole.
How many times has this team let july 1 come and go just to lose our assets for absolutely nothing. Sign them, or move them. The guys you keep on hold till the end are the Gills, Moens and Spaceks of the world. They're the ones that can help now, that don't have much trade value and that probably won't make you look like a fool by letting them walk away for nothing. We got a 1st rounder for fucking Craig Rivet, but let Souray, Saku, Kovy, Komisarek and countless others leave for a big bag of nothin'.
I'm sick of talking about this stuff. 5 days without a game to dissect is way too long.
