If there was ever a time for TSN to be wrong...

Later

NOW WOULD DEFINITELY BE THE TIME! I'm just praying here that Bob McKenzie is so wrong on this whole Lecavalier thing that it's not even funny. Now the elusive "sources close to the club" are saying that that whole Plekanec, Higgins, GORGES, PK Subban and whatever the heck else they want are actually being discussed to some degree of seriousness. Well of course we all know that those "sources close to the club" may in fact just be some random people who have no clue what they're talking about and I really hope that this is the case. Call me stubborn and stupid but I don't Pleky and Higgy or Gorges to go anywhere. Especially not Gorges. And I really want to see Subban in a Habs uniform. Sorry but the guy really grew on me in the Juniors even thing. I don't want to see Subban as a Lightning. That would be... awful...

Gack.... this is.... no.... BOB DON'T DO IT! Please! It's not worth it! Your epic fails in signing Briere, Hossa, Sundin and whoever else you wanted were a good thing! Do we all really want Briere's over large contract now? No. Aren't we glad that Hossa dumped the Pens instead of us? Yes. And Sundin... well, don't get me started on the big hypocritical Swede.... Bob, you have to keep those guys here. Lacavalier is NOT the answer. Pleaaaasseeee Bob... don't do it.... the Habs were just starting to get some chemistry going and were WINNING! Imagine that? They're fourth in the conference without Briere, Hossa, or Sundin.... Now, I know you're saying "but look where they could be with one of those guys". But....but....like I said, it's a good thing we don't have those guys right now! Pleaaseee Bob... don't mess with the chemistry. Please!!!!!!

Someone please step in and offer the Lightning an even better deal. PLEASE! Save Bob from the allure of the over hyped impact forward who probably doesn't want to be here anyway! ANYONE! C'mon Toronto.... Ottawa... you guys could use Lecavalier. Please save the Habs from themselves. OFFER THE GUYS IN TAMPA BAY SOMETHING! Toronto could deal half their team, nab Lecavalier, and no one would notice there was any difference. Ditto with Ottawa. C'mon guys! Do it! Do it!

*collapses*

You know, after all this, it's going to turn out to be just a stupid rumor and Vinny's going to be staying put. *keeps saying that over and over again*

Earlier

Well okay, so either way we'll have an answer on this Lecavalier thing by March, so it's not going to be another Mats Sundin Saga. BUT already I'm seriously annoyed with this whole thing. I don't know why but I'm not liking the idea at all of getting this guy. I don't know why. I don't pretend to know a ton about hockey but I think I know enough about it to say that even if we do get the guy he won't necessarily carry this team to a Stanley Cup win. Anyway.. because I'm more awake now than I was last night when the news got out here's something a little more coherent.

Pros to signing Lecavalier

• Well, obviously he's talented
• he has WINNING experience

CONS

• SALARY CAP. Maybe I'm wrong on this one, but I feel that keeping Price and Komisarek here is more important than having Lecavalier. And with Lecavalier's huge contract, Gainey's going to have to skimp on other contracts which is not cool. Just ask the Flyers' GM on why spending a pile of money on one guy isn't a good idea. He's looking at some serious problems right now with the imminent return of the perpetually annoying player.
  
• The guy just signed an eleven year extension worth 85. million dollars. Refer to point one why this could be a problem
• his winning experience hasn't exactly helped his team that much in recent years.... but then again, the whole team has gone down the drain for multiple reasons that aren't exactly his fault. But still.....
  
• What will the cost be for getting this guy? And will the cost in terms of which players/prospects/picks be too much for one or two guys? The question really is: Is Lecavalier really worth three or more players and several prospects/draft picks? I'm not saying that he's not good but.... I think Montrealers tend to have an over inflated view of players from this province and they all seem to think that he's worth it.... but... is he really?

And the speculatory (even if that's not a word) notes

• Does he even want to play here? Obviously we can't get into his brain but I'm inclined to think that he wouldn't mind avoiding the pressure cooker that's Montreal. As a guy who's from not only this province but who's exactly 15 seconds away from this city, there will be a lot of attention on him. So Gainey goes to all this work to get him and he doesn't perform well and instead of helping the team, makes them worse.
• What about this whole deal with his agent saying that the management doesn't want to trade him? Then again, if the rumors are true then the management people haven't exactly agreed on whether or not they want to trade him.
  
• Why does Tampa Bay even want to trade him? If they resigned him with the idea of trading him then they were really stupid in signing him to an ELEVEN year contract worth a gazillion dollars. That makes it really unattractive for other teams to want to sign him.
  

And finally...

• Can it really be true that Gainey wants Lecavalier? We know he's been looking for that big impact forward and has failed just about every time. I'm not saying that he's quit on that idea now, but I think the Habs are actually finally getting things going and by messing with all of that now who knows what's going to happen to the team? In other words: Why mess with a good thing? Unless that good thing could be an even better thing but um... I think the Penguins have proved what happens when you go all out for one good thing and that good thing turns around and bites you before taking off (I think Hossa would be out of there one way or another even if his contract had lasted longer when he was dealt to the Penguins). And also... I thought Gainey's been shopping around for that extra defenseman? Just how much tinkering is he going to do here?

I would rather know that Gainey's stopped this silly habit of not signing people till the end of the year and has come up with a way to sign Komisarek and Price rather than listen to all this talk about Lacavalier.