Brian Gionta Discussion Thread

Drydenwasthebest

Registered User
Jun 16, 2009
5,227
0
I think Gionta is a terrific leader and a very good player. His heart and leadership are extraordinary and he is good for over 22 goals every season he is healthy.

1--Sigh...No, we should not resign him when his contract is done. We need to get a bigger, younger player in that slot. It hurts to say, but there it is.

2--No. Gionta will still command good money and we are looking at a smaller cap and some significant raises in the near future.
 

Habs Icing

Formerly Onice
Jan 17, 2004
19,520
11,178
Montreal
No and I hope not.

With DD, Gally, Gionta, Dumont & Pleks on the big team and prospects like Colberg & Hudon we need to part ways with some of them.

Gionta & DD, two players I think who are great but do not belong on the smurf brigade. They need to go to teams like Philly, LA, St Louis - teams that can afford to take on tiny players because they have very few on the roster.

The Habs it seems that's all they have.
 

Monctonscout

Monctonscout
Jan 26, 2008
34,935
1
If I'm GM I leave it up in the air for 6-7 months.

1-I want to see how he recovers from his injury(was a non issue last time)
2-I want to see how his play is trending
3-I want to see how guys like LeBlanc Bourque Kristo Gallagher Galchenyuk Eller look, do I have enough wingers to let him walk and replace from within

Obviously part 2 of that if my answers dictate that I retain him, in what role and also at what cost. I would assume we'd be looking at a declining role(Recchi in Boston type) if he gets re-signed for 2-3 years at 3.5-4 mil cap hit.
 

hogtownhabsfan*

Guest
Let Gionta walk and have a swan song in Jersey.

We need to get bigger and younger as another poster stated.
 

Lshap

Hardline Moderate
Jun 6, 2011
27,276
24,865
Montreal
If I'm GM I leave it up in the air for 6-7 months.

1-I want to see how he recovers from his injury(was a non issue last time)
2-I want to see how his play is trending
3-I want to see how guys like LeBlanc Bourque Kristo Gallagher Galchenyuk Eller look, do I have enough wingers to let him walk and replace from within

Obviously part 2 of that if my answers dictate that I retain him, in what role and also at what cost. I would assume we'd be looking at a declining role(Recchi in Boston type) if he gets re-signed for 2-3 years at 3.5-4 mil cap hit.

This is the perfect answer (except you're being a bit generous at $3.5-4M).

Dismissing Gionta's very solid production is ridiculous. Of course, that all depends on his health and - as you say - how his game is trending. Put aside our prejudice against his height, his big salary and our ignorance of what he brings in leadership, and the facts remain that the Habs play better - and WIN MORE OFTEN - with a healthy Gionta in the lineup.

So my vote is a cautious re-sign for substantially less money, IF he has a healthy, productive year.
 

DanltQC

Registered User
Mar 23, 2013
152
0
Gatineau
Great leader, but this has to be his last year. He's a great guy, but he is not getting younger and he is way to small
 

Burke the Legend

Registered User
Feb 22, 2012
8,317
2,850
Yeah wait until later in season.

That said the Gionta bashing here is Pejorative Slured.

He was on a 82 game pace for 25 goals. In points he was ranked #37 for right wingers. He is very good at winning battles in front of net and lower on boards/corner, leverages his strength, low centre of gravity & quick stick very well. Great at scoring rebounds & deflections.

So should we really be in a rush to ditch a top 6 winger who is productive and works the dirty areas very well? Gallagher does it too, but why not have a guy doing this on every line?

Unless Gio's game falls off, I see no reason to ditch a very effective top 6 player.
 

dmanfish90

How about 76 for 25?
Jan 5, 2011
1,716
0
Newmarket, Ontario
1. It depends on a lot of factors already stated

  • Will Gionta have a healthy season next year?
  • Will Gionta produce what he normally did for us before these past two seasons or so?
  • Will any prospects be able to fill his production or will any replacements be available to fill his production, while also upgrading his size?

These are the biggest of factors. That said, I think he should be re-signed at 1-2 years at 2.5-3.5 million dollars per year.

2. Bergevin won't be re-signing him. He probably knows that 2014 UFA crop will be big and he preaches building through the draft, but when you see who's going to be available next summer (after re-signings), he would be a fool to offer Gionta a contract right away, let him test the FA market and maybe we come back to him if we fall short on something else. That's what I would think Bergevin would do. But you never know who he'll re-sign (Desharnais) and why.
 

Habs 4 Life

No Excuses
Mar 30, 2005
41,015
4,793
Montreal
I like Gionta and it wouldn't bother me to signing him after next season but the problem is would Gionta stay here for 3 million a year cause that's what i'd give him at most
 

Monctonscout

Monctonscout
Jan 26, 2008
34,935
1
1. It depends on a lot of factors already stated

  • Will Gionta have a healthy season next year?
  • Will Gionta produce what he normally did for us before these past two seasons or so?
  • Will any prospects be able to fill his production or will any replacements be available to fill his production, while also upgrading his size?

These are the biggest of factors. That said, I think he should be re-signed at 1-2 years at 2.5-3.5 million dollars per year.

2. Bergevin won't be re-signing him. He probably knows that 2014 UFA crop will be big and he preaches building through the draft, but when you see who's going to be available next summer (after re-signings), he would be a fool to offer Gionta a contract right away, let him test the FA market and maybe we come back to him if we fall short on something else. That's what I would think Bergevin would do. But you never know who he'll re-sign (Desharnais) and why.

If the trend stays like the past fgew years 2014 will be another weak UFA year. Teams prefer to re-sign or trade players to a team that will rather tahn losing them for nothing.
 

FlyingKostitsyn

Registered User
Mar 7, 2008
8,231
11
Quebec
Unless he wants to stay for cheap I don't think he should be re-signed. We will have kids that can take his place next year and Galchenyuk&Gallagher becoming more established should easily replace and upgrade on his production.
 

Sorinth

Registered User
Jan 18, 2013
10,938
5,394
It's way too early to make this decision ask again a few weeks before trade deadline.

But assuming no rookies surprise ala Gallagher and Gionta doesn't regress I'm open to re-signing him for 2-3 years for around 4m. The idea being that he'll transition to the 3rd line over the course of the deal. If he can still score 20 goals and be defensively responsible on the 3rd line with limited PP time then he's a great asset to have.
 

coolasprICE

Registered User
Mar 7, 2008
10,028
142
Montreal
I would re-sign him for the same length of his last contract, but I would erase a zero and hope his agent and him don't notice.

5 years 500k per
 

Brainiac

Registered Offender
Feb 17, 2013
12,709
610
Montreal
It will definitely depend a lot on where we are at the trade deadline.

If we're out of the playoffs (who knows), he should be traded.

If the team and Gionta are doing good, no way we trade him. See Ryder at the deadline this year. Ryder was not in the long term plan and MB still kept him for the playoffs (good move anyway, IMO).

Gionta is also the captain and not playing bad at all.

We trade his rights to NJ in the offseason?
 

FlyingKostitsyn

Registered User
Mar 7, 2008
8,231
11
Quebec
It will definitely depend a lot on where we are at the trade deadline.

If we're out of the playoffs (who knows), he should be traded.

If the team and Gionta are doing good, no way we trade him. See Ryder at the deadline this year. Ryder was not in the long term plan and MB still kept him for the playoffs (good move anyway, IMO).

Gionta is also the captain and not playing bad at all.

We trade his rights to NJ in the offseason?

That sounds like a good plan.
 

dmanfish90

How about 76 for 25?
Jan 5, 2011
1,716
0
Newmarket, Ontario
If the trend stays like the past fgew years 2014 will be another weak UFA year. Teams prefer to re-sign or trade players to a team that will rather tahn losing them for nothing.

This is the top of that UFA crop as it stands:

2014

The following people will most likely be free agents:

Heatley
Boyle
Stasny
Timmonen
Cammalleri (Oh god, yes let's bring him back :laugh::shakehead:sarcasm:)
Pomminville

And others to name a few. I'm just basing this off of nothing really but I have a feeling all these guys won't be back with their teams after next season. Just a hunch.

I would love to get Heatley or Pomminville. Maybe Cammalleri if it was for the right price and not too long of a term.
 

donghabs98

Moderator
Oct 14, 2010
32,820
17,024
Halifax
1. It depends on a lot of factors already stated

  • Will Gionta have a healthy season next year?
  • Will Gionta produce what he normally did for us before these past two seasons or so?
  • Will any prospects be able to fill his production or will any replacements be available to fill his production, while also upgrading his size?

For me those are key factors also. I don't mind Gionta and I wouldn't mind him coming back at a lower cap hit since he can chip in offensively. That being said we will have to see how he does next season. Does he fall off the map like Cole did or can he still chip in offensively.
 

MSLs absurd thighs

Formerly Tough Au Lit
Feb 4, 2013
9,424
4,280
Gionta to NJ (who are desperate for anything that looks like offense) for their 2nd draft pick before the draft.

Then, you have more than enough tools to move up at the draft if you really like a player who's still there, AND be a big player in the UFA market.
 

Habs 4 Life

No Excuses
Mar 30, 2005
41,015
4,793
Montreal
Gionta to NJ (who are desperate for anything that looks like offense) for their 2nd draft pick before the draft.

Then, you have more than enough tools to move up at the draft if you really like a player who's still there, AND be a big player in the UFA market.

Lou isn't going to make that move unless we would retain a good chunk of his salary. He wanted to pay Gionta 3 million he isn't certainly going to be giving him 5 four years later
 

FlyingKostitsyn

Registered User
Mar 7, 2008
8,231
11
Quebec
Gionta to NJ (who are desperate for anything that looks like offense) for their 2nd draft pick before the draft.

Then, you have more than enough tools to move up at the draft if you really like a player who's still there, AND be a big player in the UFA market.

If we can get a 2nd pick for him then, by all means, we should move him. Would NJ really do that deal tho? Gionta still has 5m salary..

Habs 4 Life said:
Lou isn't going to make that move unless we would retain a good chunk of his salary. He wanted to pay Gionta 3 million he isn't certainly going to be giving him 5 four years later

That could be done.
 

danyhabsfan

Registered User
Feb 12, 2007
8,222
3,032
Montreal
Gionta to NJ (who are desperate for anything that looks like offense) for their 2nd draft pick before the draft.

Then, you have more than enough tools to move up at the draft if you really like a player who's still there, AND be a big player in the UFA market.

The draft is in NJ.

The trade should be announce at the draft.

Bettman: We have a trade to announce. New Jersey trades their 2nd round draft pick (39th overall) to Montreal for Brian Gionta!!!
 

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