Player Discussion Chris Wideman

[JianYang]

The problem with keeping Wideman is we already have Edmundson, Petry and Savard as vets and Romanov as a young dman with experience. Trading Petry will not be as easy as it sounds he might have to spend another year in Montreal. If we sign Wideman it doesn't leave much place to try kids.

I'd be shocked if Petry isn't gone by next next season, and I also expect the return to be modest at best.

 

[Habby4Life]

The problem with keeping Wideman is we already have Edmundson, Petry and Savard as vets and Romanov as a young dman with experience. Trading Petry will not be as easy as it sounds he might have to spend another year in Montreal. If we sign Wideman it doesn't leave much place to try kids.

He’s a good depth D that can go in and out of the lineup. I’d rather sign him to a 1-2 yr deal than go after any over priced UFAs

 

[Vachon23]

The problem with keeping Wideman is we already have Edmundson, Petry and Savard as vets and Romanov as a young dman with experience. Trading Petry will not be as easy as it sounds he might have to spend another year in Montreal. If we sign Wideman it doesn't leave much place to try kids.

you need #7-8 Dmen and you don't want those to guys to be young player who need ice time.

 

[LaP]

you need #7-8 Dmen and you don't want those to guys to be young player who need ice time.

Don't think Wideman is a 7th dman though. Unless you "guarantee" him a 3rd pairing spot why would he sign here? He played well enough this year to be considered a potent 3rd pairing dman and have a deal on the UFA market as one.

 

[Vachon23]

Don't think Wideman is a 7th dman though. Unless you "guarantee" him a 3rd pairing spot why would he sign here? He played well enough this year to be considered a potent 3rd pairing dman and have a deal on the UFA market as one.

If someone want to offer him that, then you can let him go but at this point of his career not sure it will happen

 

[LaP]

Sure but I don't think we have any kids that are too good for the AHL. I'm not sure having Barron, Ghule, Harris, Norlinder starting in the AHL is actually a bad thing for any of them. So if we have 1 open spot for the young guys to fight over and then the rest will start in the AHL and be called up when injuries inevitably happen. That seems like a sensible plan, especially if whoever has those other spots are disposable.

So the key for us to re-sign Wideman is that it needs to remain a contract that you can dispose of. We can bury up to 1.125m next year, so if Wideman is willing to sign for that amount or less then we should do it no questions asked, I'd even do 2-3 years for that amount. If the young guys are ready they can steal his spot and his contract can't be sent to the AHL or lost to waivers so there's little risk on our side.

So that means you almost give up on Fairbrother cause he wont play much. I don't see much potential in him so not necessarily against it. But you can do that for a year at most cause Mailloux and Strubble will also likely join the AHL after that so Wideman contract would probably need to be 1 year. I mean if he accepts that sure.

 

[Sorinth]

So that means you almost give up on Fairbrother cause he wont play much. I don't see much potential in him so not necessarily against it. But you can do that for a year at most cause Mailloux and Strubble will also likely join the AHL after that so Wideman contract would probably need to be 1 year. I mean if he accepts that sure.

I don't think the years matter that much because you always have that #7 spot which shouldn't be filled by a young guy. And in the end in the worst situation is you put him in the AHL/ECHL/Lend him to Europe/whatever. Just because you sign him for say 3 years, doesn't mean he has a guaranteed spot in the NHL for 3 years (And we should be upfront and honest about that with him). His incentive to sign anyways is because it's guaranteed money that he might not find elsewhere as I don't see any teams offering him a multi-year deal so his choice is at best a 1 year deal at more then 1m, vs a 2-3 year deal at 1m.

 

[A55P2]

Un cadeau de Chris à Juraj | Canadiens de Montréal

Chris Wideman aide à instaurer un environnement qui permettra à Juraj Slafkovsky de s'épanouir

www.nhl.com

Wideman is such a team player. We're lucky to have guys like him on our team. Good guys needs to be aknowledged.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Great guy

 

[Belial]

Un cadeau de Chris à Juraj | Canadiens de Montréal

Chris Wideman aide à instaurer un environnement qui permettra à Juraj Slafkovsky de s'épanouir

www.nhl.com

Wideman is such a team player. We're lucky to have guys like him on our team. Good guys needs to be aknowledged.

Great guy

I was extremely happy when they announced that they resigned him.

He was definitely one of the rare good stories from the abysmal season that we just witnessed.

 

[Whitesnake]

Not that sure about his hockey abilities...but geez this guy oozes veteran leadership.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Not that sure about his hockey abilities...but geez this guy oozes veteran leadership.

He has also been through a lot of downs in his hockey career (got scapegoated by the Sens with UberGate) and has a lot of great experience and wisdom to offer to the youngsters.

As far as hockey abilities, we could do worse than a third pairing RD who is effective on the 2nd PP unit and brings that leadership that you mention.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Recommended interview with Chris;

 

[ahmedou]

 

[MilesNewton]

So do you keep wideman or trade him? Assuming the rookies keep this pace up.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

So do you keep wideman or trade him? Assuming the rookies keep this pace up.

Trade for sure.

 

[HabzSauce]

Trade for sure.

Trade Wideman, keep Savard and hopefully trade Hoffman for Barrie for next season.

 

[Canadienna]

He gets almost 60% of our total PP time. More than guys like Heiskanen, Burns, Seider, Theodore, etc etc.

He's a decent option as a #5-6 and second wave PP.. barely. But giving him that ice-time with Suzuki and Caufield on the PP is tough to defend.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

Remove him , and put Xhekaj on the PP, we need a player with a good shot.

 

[MilesNewton]

Remove him , and put Xhekaj on the PP, we need a player with a good shot.

what. are you. smoking? That. would be the last. person I would put there.

 

[26Mats]

what. are you. smoking? That. would be the last. person I would put there.

Oh I can think of a lot of our players I wouldn't put there over Xhekaj - and I 'd be curious to see what Xman can do.

 

[MilesNewton]

Oh I can think of a lot of our players I wouldn't put there over Xhekaj - and I 'd be curious to see what Xman can do.

i admire your grit be interesting to watch at least

 

[The Great Weal]

I think he's a fine #7 dman but his PP usage is absurd. Give Guhle/Xhekaj a shot at this point.

 

[Belial]

He's getting waived as soon as Matheson is ready to go!

Kovacevic probably beat him with his work on the PK.

They could also waive Pezzetta though...

He's not even playing...

Going 8 D's and 13 forwards...

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

He's getting waived as soon as Matheson is ready to go!

Kovacevic probably beat him with his work on the PK.

They could also waive Pezzetta though...

He's not even playing...

Going 8 D's and 13 forwards...

I think when he's back, we'll go with 13 F and 8 D unless one of the younger D begins to struggle. Wideman is signed on a very friendly deal so I think he'd get claimed by a team needing D depth if he gets waived. In addition, I remember reading the article below a while ago, he seems like a very popular guy in the dressing room so I think they'd want to keep him around our young guys.

Stu Cowan: Wideman pays it forward for Canadiens' young blue-liners

"Wides is very socially aware, very smart guy," Habs head coach Martin St. Louis says. "I think he understands what our young guys need."

montrealgazette.com