I know he’s a little soft but he’s a solid playmaker.  I think Tampa Bay got a good deal here but I don’t know how great it is for Tanguay.  I’ll try to stay optimistic since he really could work well with Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos.

In 659 career games, Tanguay has 193 goals and 387 assists.

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Koivu will become an unrestricted free agency (along with nine of his teammates) on July 1, 2009 but contract negotiations have not been initiated.  "If I’m not signed by July 1, I don’t think I’ll be back in Montreal," Koivu said. "Finishing your career with one team would be awesome in a way, but it’s too early to say because I don’t know what the team’s plan is. We lost yesterday, so I need time to sit down with my family and figure out what’s best for us."

"There’s a lot of question marks right now, so I have to get away from the game for a while before making a decision," said Koivu. "It would probably be a pretty interesting and exciting morning to wake up on July 1 and see what the offers are and which teams would be there."

I guess that means Koivu is also considering leaving the team.  I don’t blame him after that embarrassing playoff loss and the uncertainty of the team’s future.

Depending on what happens, the roster could look very different at the start of next season.  With the team possibly up for sale and a new coach on the horizon, the Habs could reinvent themselves but I’m hoping it won’t go the same way as the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Here’s a list of the players who will become free agents:

• Alex Kovalev
• Alex Tanguay
• Robert Lang
• Tom Kostopoulos
• Mike Komisarek
• Mathieu Schneider
• Francis Bouillon
• Patrice Brisebois
• Mathieu Dandenault

There are some big names on this list so I hope the Habs don’t wait too long to make a decision.  Lang, Tanguay and Schneider have all expressed a desire to return to Montreal and I think these players, along with Koivu, are completely worth signing.

image: TSN

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image: TSN.ca

Tanguay is one of my favorite players in the league (if you’re a regular reader, you’ll know I was crushed when the Calgary Flames traded him) so I was thrilled when I saw the highlights last night.  Tanguay, along with fellow veteran, Alex Kovalev and captain Saku Koivu, won this game for Montreal.  Hopefully, this is a sign that the club is ready to fight for a playoff spot.

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The Habs continue to have horrible luck.  Tanguay joins a long injured list including captain Saku Koivu (foot), goaltender Carey Price (currently day-to-day with lower-body injury), Christopher Higgins (shoulder), Georges Laraque (groin) and Mathieu Dandenault (forearm). 

After discovering that a hip deficiency is causing his groin problems, Minnesota Wild star, Marian Gaborik, may opt to have season-ending surgery to correct the problem.

Despite only playing in six games this season, Gaby has posted three goals and two assists so, even though he will become an unrestricted agent this summer, I’m hoping the Minnesota Wild re-signs him.  I also hope they don’t encourage him to skip the surgery and play in pain for now because it’s not worth it.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman, Jamie Heward, was released from the hospital after suffering a concussion during last night’s game against the Washington Capitals.  He will be traveling home to Tampa today but will be out of the lineup indefinitely. 

Kent Huskins will not be playing for the next two to three weeks.  The Anaheim Ducks defenceman broke a bone in his foot on New Year’s Eve during a loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets (wow, that just sucks all around…)

images: TSN

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