THE OFFICIAL BUYOUT THREAD: Bourque or Kaberle?

[MXD]

The answer to this question could really depend on what they want to do with Beaulieu next year.

 

[LeHab]

Kaberle, he is way to soft

With Therien on board, this could be interesting.

 

[Undertakerqc]

Yeah because getting rid of Bourque will magically make the team win.

If we could stink this year and next it would be great for rebuilding the habs

 

[Wats]

We have half a season to evaluate who is most deserving of the buyouts. I'm sure new challengers may appear.

 

[Monctonscout]

I think everybody can agree that Gomez is our first buyout. Do the Habs buyout Kaberle or Bourque with the second?

Bourque's contract extends 2 years beyond Kaberle's but he fills (at least theoretically) the greater need--big, scoring winger.

Kaberle's contract is up at the end of next season but we do have an awful lot of d-men hanging around.

Do the Habs keep them both or cut one free?

My vote goes to Bourque who has really shown very little during his short tenure with the Habs. He's one of those guys who seem to wear out his welcome with every team he's on--even when scoring 25-30 goals a season. Without the goal-scoring, he's toast.

I think it's a question that will require the 2013 season to answer.

If both bounce back and play to potential it will only be Gomez.

I think the only out for Gomez is A-he'd have to rip it up to about 50 points to stay in Montreal B-he puts up 30 points and a team with a hole at center trades for him(probably a cap floor or below cap team, due to his 4.5 mil salary).

 

[JAVO16]

I say buy-out Bourque and sign AK to a 3M deal !!! On a more serious note, I wouldn't buy out any of these 2 guys until after the season and a thorough evaluation from our staff. Kaberle I'd sure as hell wouldn't buy-out. He might make good trading fodder if we play him the minutes he needs to produce. A 2nd rounder this year would be awesome. As for Bourque, I'd buy him out if he doesn't show sign of getting his game back this half-season. Although, you have to remember that he was injured and with the lockout, he must've had time to re-hab, but can't have had much time to get into game shape like Eller or DD playing in Europe. I don't know what will be the window for buy-outs, but I'd like to be able to let Bourque play out this season and see how he's doing in the next before making a judgment. That might not be an option though, so I wouldn't be against simply trading/buying-out Bourque this off-season.

 

[Andy]

We have half a season to evaluate who is most deserving of the buyouts. I'm sure new challengers may appear.

Don't worry, Prust in due time will enter the conversation. People thought Moen at 1.5 was overpaid and wanted to move him because of it.

 

[Agnostic]

$10M of cap relief versus $4.25M

Bourque is now a 15 goal guy, those types of players will be falling from the sky once 30 teams start implementing their compliance buyouts.

 

[LouisJCloutier]

That short 2012-2013 season will give management a good shot at evaluating players.

I'm not sure about Kaberle or Bourque, is it really necessary to buy-out one of them ? Just with Gomez out our cap payroll is down to 49 millions for next season. Kaberle will be off the book at the end of next season anyway.

As for Bourque, is cap hit is reasonnable. I'm just curious to see how he will play this year.

 

[Mathradio]

Bourque was probably playing hurt as a Hab. I'll wait until the trade deadline to decide.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

There is another option and that is Markov. If he has a terrible season he might be the most obvious choice.

I am not saying that I think he will be bad, but if he is........

 

[Tendresse]

I don't know which Bourque you are talking about. The only Bourque I saw last year was not useful in any end and he isn't really that physical. He may hit a bit, but not that much. I may be biased, but I really don't see what Bourque brings to the team if he isn't scoring from the slot.

I remember him delivering a couple of solid hits in crucial moments. He definitely wasn't a core part of the team, but I'd still rather have those few sparks every now and then than the vast abyss of empty nothingness that Kaberle brings to the table when he's not producing on the PP.

 

[Undertakerqc]

Don't worry, Prust in due time will enter the conversation. People thought Moen at 1.5 was overpaid and wanted to move him because of it.

I doubt this very much. He will become a fan favorite with his grit.

 

[MD thaivuN]

Bourque and Kaberle has 50 matches to save their jobs. If Bourque doesn't score at the pace of 20 goals per 82 games, then one more year of Kaberle can't be that bad.

 

[Blind Gardien]

I think it's premature to proclaim anybody is a sure buyout at the moment. Obviously Gomez is a verrrrrry likely candidate for the first buyout this summer. But who knows, maybe somehow he has a good enough season this year that a floor-seeking team wants him this summer just to get his salary vs. cap hit advantage. I don't personally see this happening, but who knows. Obviously he's gone from the Habs this summer, at any rate.

Past him, it's even less useful to speculate IMHO. Kaberle and Bourque would have been the leading candidates based on last season, but now they have another season to change it all (is Bourque even healthy?). Maybe somebody new emerges as a candidate (Gionta implosion, Markov injury issues, who knows). I don't think the buyout issue should be all-important to us for now. It'll sort itself out and/or become an issue in 5-6 months, but we have 48-hopefully-more games to watch first.

 

[Marc the Habs Fan]

(is Bourque even healthy?).

Was deemed healthy right before Christmas.

 

[uiCk]

where is the poll at?

Bourque, but Marc needs to make a trade for a nhl capable winger

 

[HCH]

It's really premature to talk about buyouts at this point. There will still be the trade option. In short season, contenders may want to stock up for a playoff run and with the ability to buy two players out, there may be interest in picking up a guy like Kaberle, Bourque or even Gionta for a partial season. It actually increases their trade value because any team that acquires them, doesn't have to have that contract affecting their salary cap until the contract matures.

While we have a good idea what the Habs will look like when the puck drops in mid-January, they could look a lot different by the time next October rolls around. With two potential buy-outs and a couple of potential trades, the team could look radically different in a very short period of time.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I think it's premature to proclaim anybody is a sure buyout at the moment. Obviously Gomez is a verrrrrry likely candidate for the first buyout this summer. But who knows, maybe somehow he has a good enough season this year that a floor-seeking team wants him this summer just to get his salary vs. cap hit advantage. I don't personally see this happening, but who knows. Obviously he's gone from the Habs this summer, at any rate.

Past him, it's even less useful to speculate IMHO. Kaberle and Bourque would have been the leading candidates based on last season, but now they have another season to change it all (is Bourque even healthy?). Maybe somebody new emerges as a candidate (Gionta implosion, Markov injury issues, who knows). I don't think the buyout issue should be all-important to us for now. It'll sort itself out and/or become an issue in 5-6 months, but we have 48-hopefully-more games to watch first.

Great post, BG.

More or less what I had to say. Too many variables to see 100% right now what is going to happen.

1. Gomez
2. Bourque
3. Kaberle

For me as of today. The reason I have Bourque a head of Kaberle is because of what Agnostic said, he's on the hook for 2 years longer than Kaberle and an influx of players of his caliber will be available after the buyout rounds, more than likely.

Other than resigning Subban now, and DD this summer... Do we have a significant guy to resign? Thus why I'm not concerned with Kaberle for one more year. Plus Kaberle was once a Top-20 Dman in the league and he has an outside shot at redeeming himself.

 

[Steve Shutt]

Give all of them a chance. In fact give them extra ice time just to show-case them before the trade deadline.

Kaberle is capable of putting up 40 points, quarterbacking our pp, and allowing us not to rush our young dmen down on the farm. Please recall, it was only two years ago that Kaberle fetched
Joe Colborne, a first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick. Some team will get into injury problems down the stretch and Kaberle will have value.

Bourque looked like he had health issues last year. The lock-out probably did him good and hopefully we'll see a return to 50 points and 25 goals. He's got the size that we're lacking. He also allows prospects like Gallegher, Leblanc, and Palushaj more time to develop. He's another asset that could be moved at the deadline.

Gomez has been horrible in Jaques Martin's system but we never saw him complaining. He's a classy guy who lost his touch. Definitely been in the dog house in Montreal and the fans have treated him like crap. A new coach might help. Give him a month to show us he can still play. If he fails to produce do whatever it takes to get rid of him.

 

[Habruti!]

Because he's already 31 years old and we have him on the books through 2016. Bourque at ages 34-35 could not even be a top 9 forward if his 2011-12 decline continues.

Bourque can be usefull for the next 2 seasons nothing stopping us from buying him out after. For kaberle... We will have to wait and see has well he migth actually be better then Markov ( depending howmuch speed he lost) as. Far as i know gionta has only one season left, markov will be out of the books after next season. We will likely buy out gomez. I do not see anyreason to jump the gun on bourque.

 

[Ginu]

I'd keep Bourque for the 3rd line this year and see how he does. I'd keep Kaberle since he's done next year anyways. Wait for Beaulieu to be ready.

Interesting. If Lecavalier is bought out by Tampa, does Bergevin look to sign him to a smaller contract?

 

[WeberBombs]

Kabs

I want Bourque to be given another shot by the Habs. He could surprise some of you haters.

 

[Andy]

Interesting. If Lecavalier is bought out by Tampa, does Bergevin look to sign him to a smaller contract?

Unless he plays wing, where would he play with Eller, Plekanec, Desharnais and maybe even Galchenyuk? Should the habs even bother with him at this point in his career? I don't think so

 

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