Scott Gomez to Stay Home; Bought Out After Season

[habsfan1122]

Originally Posted by Machinehead2k5

He should come to pittsburgh for 2mil/yr and take Staal's 3rd line center role.

thats what people dont get... gomez isnt a BAD hockey player its just all about his ridiculous contract... id take him on a 3rd line at 2m per yr in a heartbeat

[rondo]

Just shows the grass isn't always greener on the other side . He was actually a pretty damn good player while playing in NJ. A true playmaker Gomez was at his best in NJ.

I was surprised to see that he is actually quite muscular and to me almost appeared to big up top. Ya he was stronger at the end but seemed to have lost A step or two , along with some of his ability to be quick & elusive .

Wonder if he will give it another try next year.

[kam]

Originally Posted by frankie515

Damn what happened to him? I liked him on the Devils but it was downhill from there....

He started listening to rap.

[Ciccarelli]

Kind of hard to take, if you are a hockey player waiting until the lockout is over, preparing for training camp and only hours before you basically get told to sit out the whole season and you'll be bought out in the summer. For Gomez that actually could mean the end of his NHL-career eventually. You sure wish to end it differently.

That's the personal feeling, from a "business" standpoint it was about time for the Habs to get rid of Gomez.

[Gunslinger]

Did'nt he sit out last year too? And the year before.......

[Killah_punk]

I wish i got paid millions of dollars to stay at home and do nothing.

[OilersHockey]

So my understanding is that he counts against the cap this year...

I understand the buying out/healthy thing... but my problem with this decision is this:

By paying him and having it count against the cap but NOT having him play (which clearly makes the team better, even if just in a third line centre roll), does this not tell the fans in Montreal that they aren't serious at all about winning this year? How do you sell that?

[Chiefs for Life]

Originally Posted by OilersHockey

So my understanding is that he counts against the cap this year...

I understand the buying out/healthy thing... but my problem with this decision is this:

By paying him and having it count against the cap but NOT having him play (which clearly makes the team better, even if just in a third line centre roll), does this not tell the fans in Montreal that they aren't serious at all about winning this year? How do you sell that?

Sorry but you are dead wrong, Marc Bergevin is showing everyone that he is not flucking around this year, he has burned one of his buyouts on Scott Gomez, but he is still hanging the other one over the heads of the other players in the locker room, ala Tomas Kaberle and Rene Bourque... I like the fact that the Habs have an opening beside Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta, and it is nice to see Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk fighting for that spot... I also like the fact that Don Meahan and PK Subban are not pushing around Marc Bergevin, Marc has not jumped because of the starting of the season is so near, I think Pk will get paid, but not the dollars he is wanting, I think Marc's patients is going to be his virtue on this case... An as the center position, I think the Habs are covered, Tomas Plekanec will be ready for saturday night, they got Brandon Prust, Ryan White, and Lars Eller on the bottom two line, and they have an abundance of center available on the top two line, David Deshanais, Tomas Plekanec, an Even Brian gionta plays center if needed, plus the have five games they can use Alex Galchenyuk, before they have to make a descion on him, I don't see the Habs worried about losing Gomez this season....

[OilersHockey]

Originally Posted by Chiefs for Life

Sorry but you are dead wrong, Marc Bergevin is showing everyone that he is not flucking around this year, he has burned one of his buyouts on Scott Gomez, but he is still hanging the other one over the heads of the other players in the locker room, ala Tomas Kaberle and Rene Bourque... I like the fact that the Habs have an opening beside Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta, and it is nice to see Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk fighting for that spot... I also like the fact that Don Meahan and PK Subban are not pushing around Marc Bergevin, Marc has not jumped because of the starting of the season is so near, I think Pk will get paid, but not the dollars he is wanting, I think Marc's patients is going to be his virtue on this case... An as the center position, I think the Habs are covered, Tomas Plekanec will be ready for saturday night, they got Brandon Prust, Ryan White, and Lars Eller on the bottom two line, and they have an abundance of center available on the top two line, David Deshanais, Tomas Plekanec, an Even Brian gionta plays center if needed, plus the have five games they can use Alex Galchenyuk, before they have to make a descion on him, I don't see the Habs worried about losing Gomez this season....

I disagree... if they were serious about winning THIS season, he would play and they would risk him getting hurt.

$7.5 million cap hit for Gomez > $7.5 million cap hit for nothing

Period.

The team is absolutely better with him than nothing for that $7.5.

[Phila26Flyers]

Originally Posted by OilersHockey

I disagree... if they were serious about winning THIS season, he would play and they would risk him getting hurt.

$7.5 million cap hit for Gomez > $7.5 million cap hit for nothing

Periood.

The team is absolutely better with him than nothing for that $7.5.

Unless Gomez's replacement puts up a dozen point for a fraction of the price. Then it was the right move. If they're going to buy out Gomez anyway, then why not let a younger player earn the spot? Gomez might as well have not even played last year.

[OilersHockey]

Originally Posted by Phila26Flyers

Unless Gomez's replacement puts up a dozen point for a fraction of the price. Then it was the right move. If they're going to buy out Gomez anyway, then why not let a younger player earn the spot? Gomez might as well have not even played last year.

They still get NOTHING for his $7.5 million this season. The guy is not useless... he's just not worth $7.5 million a season. He is a very good hockey player, just not worth anywhere near that.

I totally, totally agree with this move in the long-term for Montreal... I get it... but you guys haven't said anything to disuade my comment that this sends a message to the fans that they don't believe they are a cup contender THIS YEAR or they would be playing to win... leaving a $7.5 million cap hit at home and getting no value for those dollars does not send that message to fans...

I think the fan base understands this decision, but again, I don't think it says to them "we think we can win this year" or they'd be putting the best team on the ice they can RIGHT NOW. By having him stay home they aren't doing that, period.

Keep in mind, my assumption in all of this is that they would have spent to the cap anyways. They have lots of $$$, so I think that's a safe assumption.

[Chiefs for Life]

Ok, well look at it like this, if Gomez gets hurt at any point this season and is put on LTIR, the Canadiens are FFUUCCKKED next season, they no matter how well Gomez perfoms, have to buy him out next season, the cap is going down around 5.9 million next season, An Montreal has to worry about next season, the same way they have to worry about this season...

Gomez was a leader and a mentor in the room, but the fact that he is done nothing to warrant his money, leads me to believe anybody that takes his spot on the second line is going to out perform him, I think by opening up the spot to a younger player shows the veterans that if they do not perform they will be gone also...

[Chiefs for Life]

Last year the Habs were decimated by injuries, this year they are healthy, that alone gives me hope for the Canadiens this season... That hope can change if the injuries to key players start piling up...

[habsfan1122]

bergevin would never say "we are not playing to win" but really both bergevin and therrien know they wont make the playoffs, last year they traded away most of our offensive potential, we gave up on cammalleri, kostitsyn na desharnais came up as a big surprise if it wasnt of him panning out that fast we probably would have been worst

the habs have had so many draft picks, they invested more money on new scouts everywhere (ushl, sweden etc) and even got a second scout for the Q so the focus is totally on the prospects and not on the actual players.

the habs have arguably had the best draft last season with galchenyuk (1st round), collberg (2nd round), thrower (2nd round), bozon and hudon (not mentioning brady vail who is more like a good defensive forward) and they still have 3 choices in the first two rounds in 2013 with their own 1st round, flames (cammalleri trade) and preds (hal gill trade) second round choices.

and because of trevor timmins great work as the main scout we have so many guys in the tank like beaulieu, tinordi, gallagher, leblanc, and lets not forget that desharnais, pacioretty, subban and eller are still very young... not to mention they have a top tier franchise goalie for the next 6 or 7 seasons.

[Ciccarelli]

Gomez was a good hockey player. He isn't anymore for whatever reasons. He has scored miserable 11 points in 39 games, only 2 goals and before that goals he hasn't scored a goal in 12 months. Even an unexperienced guy like Leblanc or Dumont will play better for the Habs and get experience for the future.