GM Bob Gainey has proven to be a little gun shy over the past couple of years so I thought I would post my thoughts on the free agent market and who I would like to see take the Bell (can we call it Molson again?) Centre ice next fall…

GOALIES

• Jaroslav Halak ($800,000)
• Carey Price ($850,000)

DEFENCE

• Andrei Markov ($5,750,000)
• Francis Bouillon ($1,875,000)
• Dion Phaneuf ($6,500,000 last season)
• Roman Hamrlik ($5,500,000)
• Josh Gorges ($1,000,000)
• Derek Morris ($3,900,000 last season)

FORWARDS

• Alex Tanguay ($5,250,000 last season)
• Alexei Kovalev ($4,500,000 last season)
• Saku Koivu ($4,750,000 last season)
• Max Pacioretty ($875,000)
• Marian Gaborik ($6,333,000 last season)
• Sergei Kostitsyn ($585,000)
• Matt d’Agostini ($500,000 last season)
• Christopher Higgins ($1,700,000 last season)
• Guillaume Latendresse ($850,000 last season)
• Chris Neil ($1,100,000 last season)
• Maxim Lapierre ($800,000)
• Georges Laraque ($1,500,000)

PAYROLL: $54,918,000

So, all Gainey has to do is sign unrestricted free agents Koivu, Kovalev, Tanguay and Bouillon, as well as restricted free agents Higgins, Latendresse and d’Agostini. Convince Calgary to trade Dion Phaneuf for Andrei Kostitsyn and a few prospects that could include Kyle Chipchura, Ryan McDonagh, Ben Maxwell or David Fischer. He would have to sign unrestricted free agents Marian Gaborik, Chris Neil and Derek Morris.

More realistically, the Habs will lose at least one high priced free agent in order to bring the payroll under the $57 million salary cap. If I had to choose one, I would let Alex Tanguay go. Its not that I don’t like Tanguay (I have been following him since he was a 16 year old Halifax Moosehead) or that I think that he can’t be a positive offensive contributor to the team, its just that Koivu and Kovalev mean too much to the team and the city of Montreal. It would be hard to argue that the Habs got their $5 million worth from Tanguay last year and it would be hard to justify an increase in his salary for 2009-10.

It will also be difficult to pry Phaneuf away from the Flames, especially if Darryl Sutter is unable to reach a deal with Jay Bouwmeester.

I don’t think I would shed any tears if somehow the team was unable to reach a deal with Guillaume Latendresse, but I am not holding my breath.

There, of course, is also a lot of talk that the Habs are pulling out all of the stops to get Vincent Lecavalier. Maybe I’m crazy, but I am not as thrilled as most about the prospect of having the 1998 first overall draft pick. Sure, he is a great player, but he doesn’t seem that keen to join the Canadiens. Given the media and fan pressure he will face as a hometown superstar, any reluctance to be in Montreal will be a major problem.

Believe it or not, the free agent I would most like to see the Canadiens pick up is the Senators’ Chris Neil. Neil is the prototypical enforcer in the post-strike NHL. He is about as tough as they come, but he can actually play hockey. More than that, he is a threat to score a goal every time he is on the ice. While his offensive numbers have gone down over the last two years, Neil could be expected to score 15 goals and 35 or 40 points if he stays healthy and he is given the opportunity. As an added bonus, I think he would compliment a properly employed Georges Laraque and would be the cornerstone of an impressive fourth line.

Other unrestricted free agents that should pique Gainey’s interest are Mattias Ohlund, the Sedin twins, Mark Camilleri and Steve Sullivan.

So, like all the other Canadian golf fans out there, I sat and watched attentively on Friday as the native of Bright’s Grove tore apart that Bethpage Black course and led the US Open field by two strokes after the first round.  I was on the edge of my seat on Saturday and early Sunday when Weir faltered during the front nine of his second round before recovering to post an even par 70 and remain near the top of the leaderboard.

But, deep down inside, I knew all along what would happen in the third and fourth rounds.  This wasn’t the first time I had watched this scene play out.  Weir grabs the attention of Canadians from coast to coast with a fantastic early round only to fall of the pace and finish well out of contention by Sunday afternoon.

I had hoped I would be wrong, but I wasn’t.  After firing a record breaking 6-under 64 in the first round, Weir was a combined +8 over rounds 3 and 4.  He finished in a tie for 10th place with fellow Canadian Stephen Ames.

It pains me to say it, but Mike Weir is a choker.  Many will view it as sacrilege, but the Canadian golf hero has underachieved and been a major disappointment since winning at Augusta.  Only one of his 8 Tour victories have come since 2004 despite being in contention at several events during that time.

Alright, I get it that winning on the PGA Tour is difficult.  And I understand that Weir is an unbelievable golfer whether he ever wins another tournament or not.  That’s not my point.  The point is that he has not lived up to his potential and that he has shown a distinctive tendency to fall apart late in tournaments that he is in a position to win.  Clearly, he has the skills to win but does not seem to have the nerves.

For some reason Weir seems to have lost the icewater that flowed through his veins in 2003 when he putted incredibly under enormous pressure to hold off an impressive leaderboard that included Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, and to defeat Len Mattiace in a playoff.  That day he shot 4-under par to vault to the top of the leaderboard.  Lately, more often than not (almost always), he has seemed to fade into the background on Sundays instead.

The Molsons have bought and sold the Habs several times over the past half century or so.  In fact, Gillette bought the team from the first family of Canadian beer in 2001 for $180 million.

Pardon?

The Molsons are one of the richest and most successful business families in North America.  How did they earn that reputation making deals like this?  Now I am sure that there are other factors at play, but how do you sell an asset for $180 million and buy it back eight years later for nearly three times the price?  I am in no position to question the Molson business acumen (or anyone else’s for that matter), but that doesn’t seem to make any sense to me.

Gillette, on the other hand, walks away with a healthy profit estimated at about $275 million when all the debts and liabilities are taken into account.  Not a bad return for eight years of work (if you can call being in charge of the greatest sports franchise in the world work).

As a Canadiens fan, and in a time of such economic uncertainty, wouldn’t I rather have Gillette and his ability to turn a profit in charge of my team?

The Queensland bad boy (yes, cricket has bad boys) was sent home from England by Australian cricket officials for multiple violations of team rules. Symonds was denied his 27th “baggy green” last month when he was left off the team that will compete for the Ashes in England in July, but was given a spot on Australia’s World Twenty20 squad.

Andrew Symonds in action for Queensland

Symonds is an interesting and exciting character in a sport not necessarily known for its personalities. He is a fantastic cricketer but has battled discipline and drinking problems for years now. It will be unfortunate if his career ends because of an inability to get his act together.

VIA EMAIL (dp@danpatrick.com)

Dan Patrick
c/o The Content Factory
Suite 3522 – 875 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL   60611

Dear Dan:

Re:    Research Team

I am a long time regular listener of your show by way of iTunes podcast (sometimes I listen live from work but my clients don’t appreciate it much).  Unfortunately, as a Canadian, I was deprived of the opportunity to watch you and Olbermann at the Mother Ship.

Over the past several weeks, there has been a consistent theme to the show and that is the desperate need for a research team.  Whether its finding out if referring to Manchester United as “Man U” is derogatory (it is by the way) or how many points Scott Hastings averaged during his 12-year NBA career (2.8 pts./game), a lot of questions have gone unanswered on the show of late.  You, and the rest of the guys, have made numerous references to the need for a research team.

I would like to offer my services as the Dan Patrick Show’s one man research team.

As a lawyer I am used to research and as a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan I am used to pain and boredom.  My years as a Montreal Expos supporter have prepared me for the abuse and disappointment that surely comes with working for you.  Perhaps most importantly, I satisfy another of the show’s desperate needs – eye candy for its female listeners (soon to be viewers) – in a middle-aged, prematurely gray, silver fox kind of way.  Frankly, you’d be crazy not to hire me.

Also, as a born and bred Canadian, I would give you and the show some much needed hockey street cred.  I speak hockey fluently and names like Radek Bonk, Jordin Tootoo and Jonathan Cheechoo just roll off my tongue.  I played baseball semi-professionally many years ago and know a little bit about that sport as well.  My profession of support for the Bills should be an indication of my dedication to the NFL and, at 6’5″, people always ask me if I play basketball.

But my sports background does not end there.  I became a huge follower of rugby and cricket several years ago while traveling in Australia and New Zealand.  Forget soccer, these are the sports of the future for North America.  Chelsea and Barcelona are so passé, it’s the Pretoria Blues, Waikato Chiefs and the Royal Challengers of Bangalore  that you should be focusing on.  There is a whole world of cricket and rugby fans out there for the Dan Patrick Show to claim.

In all seriousness though, I would love the opportunity to work on your show.  Contributing to a great sports talk radio show really wouldn’t be a job to me.  More importantly, I would be an excellent addition to your team.  I may not have the memory of Howie Schwab, but I know sports and I know how to research.  And I promise not to wear sweat pants around the studio.

Yours truly,

Devin W. Maxwell

Rugby league is a simplified hybrid of the sport commonly referred to in North America as rugby, but what is properly known as rugby union. In essence, it is rugby union without the rucks, scrums and line-outs. It is fast, exciting, physical and involves a tremendous amount of skill. In fact, with the elimination of all the stoppages and slower aspects of the game, it is much faster and, arguably, more physical than the union game.

And, while almost no one has heard of it in this part of the world, rugby league is enormously popular in Australia and New Zealand (as well as in northern parts of England). Imagine my amazement when I attended a Brisbane Broncos match in 2007 and was greeted by nearly 40,000 fans at SunCorp Stadium. I had expected a crowd similar in size to a junior hockey or high school football game and, instead, was treated to an experience comparable to a Yankees/Red Sox game.

If you have never seen a rugby league match (and I am sure that you haven’t if you are reading this), make a point to check it out as soon as possible. Those who subscribe to Setanta Sports should look out for the next televised NRL (National Rugby League from Australia) or SuperLeague (England) game. If you are not prepared to make such a commitment, go to YouTube and search “rugby league.” I guarantee you will enjoy it if you are a sports fan. Huge hits, high-flying acrobatics and incredible athleticism – what’s not to love?

Montreal Canadiens 26th head coach, Jacques Martin

Today’s news is a bit disappointing for this Habs fan. Martin is a proven and qualified coach to be sure (517 wins and 406 losses in 14 seasons with St. Louis, Ottawa and Florida), but he is not the big name I was expecting. I really had my heart set on Larry Robinson or Jacques Lemaire, but any coach with a ring on his finger would have been acceptable.

Despite his regular season successes, Martin has only advanced past the second round of the playoffs one time in his career. His won-loss record in the post-season is less than stellar (38-47) and coached two conference champions (and a division champion) to first round playoff defeats.

The last thing the Canadiens need is another coach who can get them to the playoffs, but can’t do anything once they get there. The team needs a motivator with past playoff successes who can lead the team back to its rightful place at the top of the NHL.

Martin is not the worst coach in the league and today’s anouncement is not the end of the world, but I don’t think he is the man that will bring Lord Stanley’s mug back home where it belongs.

But, as listen to Dan Patrick rant and rave about A-Rod day after day after day, and as I read about Manny in the newspaper and various sports magazines, I am left wondering how the real steroid era poster boys have managed to avoid the same media scrutiny.

What about Eric Gagne?

Gagne is a three time National League all-star who won a Cy Young award in 2003. He had 152 saves (an average of 51 per season) in three seasons between 2002 and 2004 with the Dodgers. That’s impressive when you consider that Mariano Rivera, who is widely recognized as the greatest relief pitcher of all-time) only broke the 50 save barrier twice in his entire career.

But Gagne anounced this week that he has signed a contract with the Quebec Capitales in the independent Can-Am League. I looked through the rosters of every team to try to find the name of some down and out former major leaguer to show just how far down the baseball totem pole the Can-Am league is and I couldn’t even find that. I did find out, however, that the Brockton Rox have hired Justine Siegel (you heard!) as its first base coach.

So, what caused Gagne’s rapid decline from major league saves king to independent league publicity freak?

Consider this…

Gagne was one of the central figures named in the Mitchell Report in December 2007. The Report even included an August 2004 Post Office receipt for a shipment of steroids sent by Kirk Radomski to Gagne at Dodger Stadium. It is no coincidence that the former reliever’s slide coincided with the beginning of Major League Baseball’s investigation into steroid use in 2005 – a year in which Gagne only managed eight saves. The rest of his career was marked by injury and ineffectiveness and he never managed more than 16 saves between 2005 and 2009 with the Dodgers, Rangers, Red Sox and Brewers. He was released by Milwaukee earlier this spring.

Why isn’t Gagne in the crosshairs of baseball commentators and writers everywhere? Because, while they purport to be concerned about the “state of the game” and about seeing America’s pastime cleaned up, what they really care about is ratings. A-Rod and Manny are talked about incessantly because they sell newspapers and magazines. No one wants to read about a has-been closer from Canada that probably never should have been in the first place.

Much like steroids benefited so many major league baseball players, it is now benefiting members of the sports media. How many stories have we read about Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Sammy Sosa, and the list goes on? These guys have denied the accusations that they used performance enhancing substances. But you never hear about players, many of them all-stars, whose careers ended and disappeared from the face of the earth after being linked to steroid use. What about Rondell White, Todd Hundley, Chuck Knoblauch, Kent Mercker and Paul Lo Duca? These are the real stories of major league baseball’s steroid era. These are the stories that will help us understand the who, what, where and why (especially the why) of steroids in baseball. But, until the Selena Robertses and Jeff Pearlmans of the world realize that, baseball fans will be left with more questions than answers.

The problem for me, in recent years, has been that I have no team to cheer for at this time of year.  The Canadiens haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs since 1993 and the hopefulness of April and May baseball has been replaced by the hopelessness of knowing that my beloved Expos are now in Washington.

But this year is different.  The Habs have made another premature exit from the post-season and I am forced to settle for the Blue Jays or Red Sox if I need a baseball fix, but I am enjoying spring sports for this first time in more than a decade.

And its because of generation next.

Without a team of my own to get excited about, its story lines and individual players that pique my interest and make me sit down in front of the television every night.  The story this year is an unbelievable crop of young up and coming superstars in the NHL and NBA.

This year’s playoffs signals a new beginning for the NHL.  Three of the four remaining teams are led by players aged 24 or younger.  Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews, both 21, are captains of their respective teams and have emerged as bona fide hockey superstars.  Carolina’s captain is Rod Brind’Amour, but the true leader of the Hurricanes is Eric Staal, who is a grizzled veteran in comparison at 24 years old.  And don’t forget about the Washington Capitals, who were led by 23-year old Alex Ovechkin to a seven-game near victory against Crosby’s Penguins.  So much for the argument that experience is a pre-requisite to wear the “C” in the NHL (are you out there Bob McCown?).

These players, not to mention the likes of Evgeni Malkin, Patrick Kane, Jordan Staal and Ryan Getzlaf are the future of professional hockey.  This unprecedented injection of new blood has brought a level of intrigue and drama to the Stanley Cup playoffs that has not been seen since the mid 1980s.  If Gary Bettman can’t promote the league and make it prosper with these compelling stars as its centrepiece, he never will.  I see greatness for the NHL in the coming years if those in charge can figure out what they are doing.

But enough of the negativity.  The NHL playoffs have been the most thrilling in memory and its largely due to the emergence of generation next.

The NBA has experienced a similar turnover of talent.  Not since the days of Michael Jordan and the epic Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s have I been so interested in watching the basketball playoffs.  In fact, it is the first time in a long time that I have cared at all about the NBA.  This week’s semi-finals have been everything a sports fan could ask for.  Both series are knotted at 1-1 and the widest margin of victory in the four games was three points when the Nuggets beat the Lakers 106-103 in game 2 of their series.  Just last night the Cavaliers outlasted the Magic 96-65 on a last second three-pointer by LeBron James.

King James is the leader of generation next in the NBA, but he is not alone among the emerging superstars in the league.  Orlando is led by 24-year old Dwight Howard and Denver’s best player, Carmelo Anthony, will turn 25 later this month.  At 30-years old, Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant is an old war horse.

So, while I am still looking for an excuse to enjoy Major League baseball again, the next generation of NHL and NBA superstars have made spring a time to look forward to again.  What’s better, Sid the Kid, ‘Melo and Bron Bron promise to keep things interesting for many years to come.

Now if we could only get the Habs to make it past the conference semi-finals