Pre-Game Talk: Good afternoon St-Louis

[Runner77]

I don;'t know where this belongs but read on hockey writers that Habs are scouting Vlasic. He is d'chez nous, has zero points and -8, and in a second year of the ridiculous contract. Sounds like a great fit. Like a diamond in a rough.

"
Canadiens Scouting Vlasic?

According to Canada’s TVA Sports, the Canadiens are looking to add a left-shot defenseman and are specifically looking at San Jose Sharks blueliner Marc-Edouard Vlasic, a Montreal native. The article cites Sharks reporter Kevin Kurz who mentions that the Canadiens have been scouting the Sharks early this season.

Interesting that Elliotte mentions that Montreal is keeping an eye on left-shot defenders. Canadiens have been scouting the Sharks pretty heavily through the first part of the season, and Sharks do have a left-shot defenseman who’s from Montreal Elliotte Friedman on Twitter
— Kevin Kurz (@KKurzNHL) October 16, 2019​

Vlasic hasn’t had the best start to 2019-20 with zero points and is a minus-eight through seven games. The once-premium defensive defenseman has struggled since the start of 2018-19 when he finished with 25 points and was a minus-six. He’s only in the second year of an eight-year, $56-million extension he signed in July 2017 is already 32 and will be 39 when his contract expires. His $7-million cap hit is costly for a player whose best days may already be behind him. Then there’s the presence of his full no-move clause that runs through 2022-23, meaning he can veto any trade.

We've already debunked the Kurz non-rumor in the Trade Thread. I'll reprise the post here as Kurz has broken nothing.

Kurz is just spitballing. He's not the one who said that the Habs are heavily scouting the Sharks, it's Friedman. All Kurz does is play pretend-GM and connect Vlasic to Montreal cause he's from here. He doesn't claim any particular insider knowledge or evoke any new facts.

His tweet clearly credits Friedman:



Plus, Kurz even admits he didn't even know that Vlasic has a NMC:



Is he for real or was he being sarcastic with his NMC comment? Guy's been covering the Sharks since 2011 and works for The Athletic, he had to know that.

Yes the Habs have been scouting the Sharks. But, no one knows who they've been scouting specifically.

 

[Lshap]

I don't like a steady diet of afternoon games but the odd one is fine.

Living in BC for years I got used to the 4 pm starts. The crappy part was rarely having an evening game that had any interest whatsoever.

It was great during first round of the playoffs because I could catch so many games as long as I didn't take 4 pm meetings at the office.

This one would be pretty good for you, wouldn't it? Watch the game over a long lunch, with plenty of afternoon left before evening plans.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

We've already debunked the Kurz non-rumor in the Trade Thread. I'll reprise the post here as Kurz has broken nothing.

Kurz is just spitballing. He's not the one who said that the Habs are heavily scouting the Sharks, it's Friedman. All Kurz does is play pretend-GM and connect Vlasic to Montreal cause he's from here. He doesn't claim any particular insider knowledge or evoke any new facts.

His tweet clearly credits Friedman:



Plus, Kurz even admits he didn't even know that Vlasic has a NMC:



Is he for real or was he being sarcastic with his NMC comment? Guy's been covering the Sharks since 2011 and works for The Athletic, he had to know that.

Yes the Habs have been scouting the Sharks. But, no one knows who they've been scouting specifically.

That looks like sarcasm to me

 

[Lshap]

We've already debunked the Kurz non-rumor in the Trade Thread. I'll reprise the post here as Kurz has broken nothing.

Kurz is just spitballing. He's not the one who said that the Habs are heavily scouting the Sharks, it's Friedman. All Kurz does is play pretend-GM and connect Vlasic to Montreal cause he's from here. He doesn't claim any particular insider knowledge or evoke any new facts.

His tweet clearly credits Friedman:



Plus, Kurz even admits he didn't even know that Vlasic has a NMC:



Is he for real or was he being sarcastic with his NMC comment? Guy's been covering the Sharks since 2011 and works for The Athletic, he had to know that.

Yes the Habs have been scouting the Sharks. But, no one knows who they've been scouting specifically.

Major contracts and players don't seem to be Bergevin's thing, so it could be one of the Sharks' young upcoming players like Mario Ferraro. He's a LHD and considered one of their best prospects.

 

[Tighthead]

This one would be pretty good for you, wouldn't it? Watch the game over a long lunch, with plenty of afternoon left before evening plans.

Not there anymore, and now my afternoons often are child dependent.

 

[1909]

If Weal is back, who's out ? Lehkonen ? Byron ? Suzuki ? ........ Tatar ?

 

[1909]

Good lord... really? Do the Habs have a quota of bad contracts they have to meet?

Unless they can trade back Alzner to SJ + ???. Vlasik and Weber were once a very good top pairing for Team Canada.... But that was many years ago !

Speaking of Weber, he was not around again for a practice once again.... It smells more and more like he's injured...

 

[Runner77]

That looks like sarcasm to me

Has to be.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Unless they can trade back Alzner to SJ + ???. Vlasik and Weber were once a very good top pairing for Team Canada.... But that was many years ago !

Speaking of Weber, he was not around again for a practice once again.... It smells more and more like he's injured...

The only way of making this trade would be MTL sending Weber back. Habs cant run 2 slow d-man who are fastly declining for 7 years at 7m each.
That would be even more atrocious than Alzner or Lucic in long terms.

 

[Tuggy]

Awkward start time.

Not a fan.

 

[Treb]

We've already debunked the Kurz non-rumor in the Trade Thread. I'll reprise the post here as Kurz has broken nothing.

Kurz is just spitballing. He's not the one who said that the Habs are heavily scouting the Sharks, it's Friedman. All Kurz does is play pretend-GM and connect Vlasic to Montreal cause he's from here. He doesn't claim any particular insider knowledge or evoke any new facts.

His tweet clearly credits Friedman:



Plus, Kurz even admits he didn't even know that Vlasic has a NMC:



Is he for real or was he being sarcastic with his NMC comment? Guy's been covering the Sharks since 2011 and works for The Athletic, he had to know that.

Yes the Habs have been scouting the Sharks. But, no one knows who they've been scouting specifically.

 

[ProspectsFanatic]

Unusual to play a western team a week apart.

 

[swimmer77]

Don't know if the start time has anything to do with baseball. I believe there was anticipation that the Cardinals would still be playing. But maybe there is a different reason for the start time.

Anyway, looking forward to Mete getting his second.

 

[peate]

Unusual to play a western team a week apart.

Yet it happens twice this week.

 

[Lshap]

Unless they can trade back Alzner to SJ + ???. Vlasik and Weber were once a very good top pairing for Team Canada.... But that was many years ago !

Speaking of Weber, he was not around again for a practice once again.... It smells more and more like he's injured...

Hmmm... I'm almost hoping he is injured. At least there'd be a valid reason why he's been so awkward out there. And of course it means he can recover.

 

[Runner77]

Well I did say that Kurz had to know that Vlasic had a NMC. He was probably being sarcastic by pretending he wasn't aware of it.

Basu's quote didn't add much given that Kurz's comment was merely a proposal that he concocted and which has been misquoted by several who haven't bothered to read it for what it is.

 

[Runner77]

Hmmm... I'm almost hoping he is injured. At least there'd be a valid reason why he's been so awkward out there. And of course it means he can recover.

I believe Julien said something about how he was going to give Weber more days off this season and that he was going to do this early in the season. I heard something like this while they were reviewing one of his presser comments on 91.9FM, but didn't look it up otherwise.

 

[ahmedou]

Good lord... really? Do the Habs have a quota of bad contracts they have to meet?

Medi. Crity. Medio and crity.

 

[Tighthead]

Well I did say that Kurz had to know that Vlasic had a NMC. He was probably being sarcastic by pretending he wasn't aware of it.

Basu's quote didn't add much given that Kurz's comment was merely a proposal that he concocted and which has been misquoted by several who haven't bothered to read it for what it is.

Unless Vlasic has said it recently, it is possible he has changed his mind. Basu was being pretty knee jerk there to show off.

 

[Runner77]

Unless Vlasic has said it recently, it is possible he has changed his mind. Basu was being pretty knee jerk there to show off.

Could be and as we've seen, sometimes if not more often than not, players tend to waive those kind of clauses in favor of a retribution.

In this case, however, we don't even know that Vlasic is the target -- he may or may not be, just like any other Sharks player may or may not be, so it's one big fishing expedition.

 

[Corson27]

Pretty sure Vlasic said he doesn't want to play for MTL.

Good, the Habs finally catch a break! If the Habs' interest in Vlasic is more than a rumor, FU BargainBin.

 

[Corson27]

Unless they can trade back Alzner to SJ + ???. Vlasik and Weber were once a very good top pairing for Team Canada.... But that was many years ago !

Speaking of Weber, he was not around again for a practice once again.... It smells more and more like he's injured...

The last time Weber tried to play through an injury, he aggravated it and cost him close to a year of rehab. If he is hurt, he should take the time to heal his injury properly, instead of pulling the same idiocy he did previously. Beside. it's not like he's playing like an all-star.

 

[CAR3YPR1CE]

Just what the Habs need.. an aging defensive defenseman to play along side their aging defensive defenseman.

 

[JianYang]

This upcoming weekend is just gross. Not only are they both matinee games b2b, which is puke worthy enough on its own, its also two teams the habs recently played who are looking for revenge.

I'd be happy with 2 points out of this weekend considering the circumstances.

 

[vokiel]

Good lord... really? Do the Habs have a quota of bad contracts they have to meet?

They can trade a bad contract for another one.