Brian Gionta (negotiations w/Habs are underway)

[Summer Rose]

Gionta's problem is not his own. He's overused. His size is a limit, but he's capable of carving out a place on an NHL roster in spite of it. Is it the spit that Michel Therrien is giving him?

No.

 

[Runner77]

I doubt I'll get much support on this but I think guy is treated a little harshly by habs fans.

I'm not saying I'd keep him till he retires but I was looking at the numbers, he's one of the highest in ESP on the entire team despite playing very difficult minutes at ES. Considering we do **** all 5 on 5 this is an asset isn't it?

Assuming we can shed some dead weight, I'd even consider keeping him for a 3rd line role because he can play those difficult minutes.

Sure we can shed some dead weight. Start with Gionta.

Those who want him back, don't underestimate MT's propensity to keep giving him 2nd line minutes. Avoid the temptation altogether, losing him won't be fatal.

 

[Summer Rose]

Oh, if "shed some dead weight" is a thing, my first one out the door is Michel Therrien, but that's just me.

 

[MsChanandlerBong]

Personally, I would prefer to let go of Gionta after this season, but wouldn't be angry to see him stay. It would be cool to see our new C and A's if he left, but he is a great leader and would be a captain on most NHL teams. The only thing that worries me about him staying is the fact that Therrien pretty much refuses to split him up with Plekanec, and at this point Gionta should be a 3rd line player. Gionta's aging is hurting Plekanec's offensive production, and has been for the last year or two. If Therrien could resign him for under $4mill/year and keep him on the 3rd line separate from Pleks, I'd be happy to see him back next year.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

He would be fine as a third liner but the problem seems more player usage.

We had Bouillon playing too many minutes earlier in the year and on the PP. Murray right now playing too many minutes, Gionta playing too big of role.

We have players who can fill these role but a coaching staff unwilling to make the tough decisions

 

[Smokey Thompson]

I'd sign him at $3m to play on a 3rd checking line and on the PK. He's very underrated in terms of defensive play.

Thing is, we have an incompetent coach who refuses to adapt so it might be best if we just let him walk instead of running the risk of seeing him play top6 minutes and PP minutes for another season.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Gionta doesn't deserve 1st line minutes but he's not our worst player either, I just don't see him signing for less than $3MM/year which is still a lot of cash for a 3rd line winger then we still have the line tetris being played of who we can put together - Briere, DD, Gallagher & Gionta (and Plekanec for that matter) can't be our top 9, let him walk as a UFA

 

[No More Subban]

For the gazillionth time, we need to get rid of the midgets except Gallagher. It's time to move on. I'd like to see new faces in our top 6.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

Cut ties with Gionta, Bourque and the political signee Briere... Replace them with at least one right winger with size and skill.

Ryan Callahan is a type of guy that Bergevin adores... Hard working guy that has character. I doubt that Vanek signs here again, and I'd say Bergevin would make an offer to Callahan.

Or How about taking a run at a guy like Iginla? He's a veteran UFA with good size and can still score. He'd replace Gionta's leadership, and he knows what it's like to play in a Canadian city. Plus it would be a nice eff you to the Bruins.

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Iginla
Galchenyuk - Plekanec - Callahan
Prust - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - White - Weise

Tinordi - Subban
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Pateryn

I know that's a lot of stick handling to do by Bergevin, and probably impossible... But acquiring two right wingers with size and skill at minimal cost asset wise, would make this team a cup contender overnight.

The glaring hole in this lineup that needs to be shored up is our lack of size on the right wing. If you could ship Bourque and Briere out, and replace them with solid character players like UFAs Iginla and Callahan, we'd be a very dangerous hockey team... Either way the right side needs to be addressed for next year.

 

[Dagistitsyn]

Cut ties with Gionta, Bourque and the political signee Briere... Replace them with at least one right winger with size and skill.

Ryan Callahan is a type of guy that Bergevin adores... Hard working guy that has character. I doubt that Vanek signs here again, and I'd say Bergevin would make an offer to Callahan.

Or How about taking a run at a guy like Iginla? He's a veteran UFA with good size and can still score. He'd replace Gionta's leadership, and he knows what it's like to play in a Canadian city. Plus it would be a nice eff you to the Bruins.

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Iginla
Galchenyuk - Plekanec - Callahan
Prust - Eller - Gallagher
Bournival - White - Weise

Tinordi - Subban
Markov - Emelin
Gorges - Pateryn

I know that's a lot of stick handling to do by Bergevin, and probably impossible... But acquiring two right wingers with size and skill at minimal cost asset wise, would make this team a cup contender overnight.

The glaring hole in this lineup that needs to be shored up is our lack of size on the right wing. If you could ship Bourque and Briere out, and replace them with solid character players like UFAs Iginla and Callahan, we'd be a very dangerous hockey team... Either way the right side needs to be addressed for next year.

Callahan wants 2 million per year more than he is worth, for long term. No thanks.
I've always been a huge Iggy fan, but I think he will likely retire in Boston.

 

[Scriptor]

Callahan wants 2 million per year more than he is worth, for long term. No thanks.
I've always been a huge Iggy fan, but I think he will likely retire in Boston.

The problem with Gionta as a top 6 is his inability to hit the net two out of three times when he shoots. He squanders plenty of offensive incursions that become bouts of back checking as he creates turnovers by missing the net.

Furthermore, gionta doesn't play the crease role anymore like Gallagher does, an aspect of his game that made him better in the past.

Always had a low ratio of goals to shots, even when he scored near 30 a year.

Defensively sound. Does he accept a 3rd line, defensive role?

Better still, does Montreal ice a 3rd line in a defensive role where he could fit?

Bye-Bye, IMO…..

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

I wouldn't have a problem with Gionta back at $2.5 million for a year if we can somehow get rid of Bourque/Briere and just play Gionta third line with no PP time on a 2-way line with Eller and Bournival. He's still a solid 5 on 5 player but he just has zero creativity and shouldn't be given an offensive role.

If Andrighetto impresses enough during the year then we can always trade Gionta at the deadline.

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Gallagher
Galchenyuk - Plekanec - Vanek
Bournival - Eller - Gionta
Prust - White - Moen

I think the hate around for Gionta is a bit much, he's overpaid right now but we all expected he would be at this point in his contract.. he still works his ass off but he shouldn't be relied upon to provide offense on this team.

 

[beowulf]

I think Gionta is a hard worker but at this point he's easily replacable on a 3rd line role for a faster player with more punch physically. I don't hate Gionta as much as Therrien for using him waaaaay too much. The way gionta is used right now, he is killing this team. He is a rotten potato in a bag of talented players.

Not signing him next year will be a big breath of fresh air. I'd use his spot to try to reboost a more talented player (briere, bourque, eller, whatever).

Is Bourque really more talented the Gionta?

 

[Tuggy]

If he takes a major paycut then I wouldn't mind him back in a 3rd line role.

But the days of him playing top minutes with our best players at ES and on the PP should be over.

At the same time, I wouldn't care if he wasn't brought back either.

 

[JLP]

For the gazillionth time, we need to get rid of the midgets except Gallagher. It's time to move on. I'd like to see new faces in our top 6.

This. However, the argument in the OP and in the current DD thread seems to be premised on the other 29 NHL teams having it it all wrong and the Habs knowing better that <5'10" players are just fine for a physical game, possibly because the laws of physics re opposing forces do not apply on ice.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

Callahan wants 2 million per year more than he is worth, for long term. No thanks.
I've always been a huge Iggy fan, but I think he will likely retire in Boston.

It's one million more than we are currently paying Gionta... And I think he could produce with Plekanec and Galchenyuk. For an extra million I'd do that, he would be a solid piece in the right direction. A solid second liner that plays hard at both ends of the rink.

 

[yianik]

I agree with the general view that he is still a decent player for the 3rd line, as a defensive player who can chip in, but just has been overused. Thing is I also think we need to get bigger and Giontas contract expiring give us a chance to get bigger there.

I would risk losing Gio as a UFA and try getting a bigger guy, if cant get that kind of player as a UFA or trade or internally, and Gio still available, then okay. Is Bournival not an option here, even on as an off-wing ? He isn't huge, but is bigger.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

If Therrien was really offered a second and a prospect for Gionta (and that's a huge if), I don't know how he couldn't pull the trigger.

 

[Laps40]

at 2.5M i would say yes. but honestly i would prefer to let him go and use that money to secure a better player (vanek or someone else) and both subban and markov

 

[LaP]

Everyone remembers Cammy's playoff heroics, but no one seems to remember all the clutch goals Gionta scored. Cammy was God for scoring 13 goals and 19pts, Gionta was average even though he had 9 goals and 15pts.

That was 4 years ago. Gionta is now 35. He is not underappreciated. He will barely do 40 points this season despite playing 18 minutes every game. AK got critized a lot more for similar seasons offensively speaking. It's not like Gionta is selke material. He is okay defensively but he needs to do more offensively to be useful at the salary he has. Right now when he is on the ice the CH is mostly always stuck in his own zone.

 

[Fazkovsky]

Gionta is a 15-15 type of player that can be good defensively but he isn't a top 6 player anymore. Gionta on a third line is a good team.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Did NJ offer a 2nd and prospect?

http://www.xnsports.com/2014/03/10/...od-fit-panthers-trade-deadline-afterthoughts/

 

[Blind Gardien]

Gionta is a 15-15 type of player that can be good defensively but he isn't a top 6 player anymore. Gionta on a third line is a good team.

Agreed. But on our team which already has Desharnais and Gallagher locked into top-6 roles, I think we can make an exception that says we can't afford to have a 5'7" Gionta in the mix as well. He's an ok player, probably still worth $2-3M in the league in general, but I wouldn't have a place for him on next season's edition of the Habs.

 

[CGG]

Did NJ offer a 2nd and prospect?

http://www.xnsports.com/2014/03/10/...od-fit-panthers-trade-deadline-afterthoughts/

So we could have traded Brian Gionta for the same package that got us Thomas Vanek? I call BS.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

This. However, the argument in the OP and in the current DD thread seems to be premised on the other 29 NHL teams having it it all wrong and the Habs knowing better that <5'10" players are just fine for a physical game, possibly because the laws of physics re opposing forces do not apply on ice.

Sounds exactly like what I said. Keep working the agenda.