CanadianMike Posted November 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Geeez what happened to this guy? I keep checking to see if he finally scores his first as a Ranger...and no luck. Not getting the minutes he did at first (obviously) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westernleafsfan Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 Chris should have toned down his partying while in Montreal and whoknows maybe he would still be a HAB If he doesn't smarten up he'll be plating the ECHL http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hockey/20...1/11592926.html The Rangers are trying to move W Christopher Higgins. Talk about a flop on Broadway. Higgins, who has just two assists in 13 games this season, was the key player New York got back from the Canadiens for C Scott Gomez. Read this here too "The Rangers are shopping Chris Higgins, the Ducks have the most interest right now,Todd Marchant could be in the deal going the other way." i'm very sad for chris, he was one of my favorite players when with the habs and i was hoping that he'd be able to play on a line with gaborik in ny, but this actually makes bg look quite good, as gomez has played as expected as a hab... so far, this definitely was a good trade for our side, although it is early to judge. (we still don't know how good mcdonaugh is going to be) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rypat19 Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 lets get him back buy low sell high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Call me sentimental. I'd take him back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracie12 Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 It wasn't really a one for one trade though. Of course Gomez is a better player than Higgins. well thats for sure, of course, although Higgins was supposed to be the "sure commodity" - I mean, we *think* McDonaugh is the real deal, but without having played a professional Hockey game in his life, there's still no "sure bets." This one could end up being a huge steal for the habs - all will hinge on McDonaugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlHabsFan Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Would be funny if he goes to the Ducks and is put on Koivu's line. I dont know why he isnt producing there. Wish he was still here. He was on fire here when he was on the 3rd line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catt-_mtlc Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 well thats for sure, of course, although Higgins was supposed to be the "sure commodity" - I mean, we *think* McDonaugh is the real deal, but without having played a professional Hockey game in his life, there's still no "sure bets." This one could end up being a huge steal for the habs - all will hinge on McDonaugh. That's what I was implying in last post. If McDonaugh doesn't pan out this trade will be a steal. Here is another source that Rangers are looking to trade Higgins. Rangers are shopping Higgins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Higgins was overrated since the second half of 05-06. Third-line winter at best, and that's only if he works hard, which he didn't consistently do in Montreal, despite all the hype and the facile media presence. He talked a way better game than he played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamesgal1 Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Higgins was overrated since the second half of 05-06. Third-line winter at best, and that's only if he works hard, which he didn't consistently do in Montreal, despite all the hype and the facile media presence. He talked a way better game than he played. I am not sure how you can say that considering his goal production and points increased in 06-07 and again in 07-08. Yet you continually defend a player like Ak and say he deserves to be on the first or second line and his numbers have been no better or even worse then Chris Higgens over his NHL carreer Something definatley happened in his game last season and he has not been able to get it back . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 I am not sure how you can say that considering his goal production and points increased in 06-07 and again in 07-08. He got tons of ice time, his shooting percentage was crap, and he still managed to whiff on more open nets than anyone I can remember. Yet you continually defend a player like Ak and say he deserves to be on the first or second line and his numbers have been no better or even worse then Chris Higgens over his NHL carreer AK has more talent. That's just my opinion, but I'll stick to it. AK has also never received the minutes Higgins got in Montreal in all situations, besides the fact that he's younger and has spent less time in the NHL overall. Something definatley happened in his game last season and he has not been able to get it back . What happened was, his play finally receded back to his real level: third-line winger. That was the projection when he first broke into the league. Tortorella knows it, too. On a contending team with good offensive production, Christopher Higgins is not a top-six forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracie12 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 he still managed to whiff on more open nets than anyone I can remember. Two words: Jan Bulis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Two words: Jan Bulis Touché! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamesgal1 Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 Two words: Jan Bulis <Edited> Insulting other members = bad. -weepingminotaur Jan bulis only had one season as a professional hockey player where he managed 20 goals. that includes the AHL. Hardly a player to compare to Higgens. Higgens had 5 straight professional season of 20 plus goals. With the exception of last season he has played really well at the AHL and NHL level and still is only 26 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rypat19 Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 <Edited> Insulting other members = bad. -weepingminotaur Jan bulis only had one season as a professional hockey player where he managed 20 goals. that includes the AHL. Hardly a player to compare to Higgens. Higgens had 5 straight professional season of 20 plus goals. With the exception of last season he has played really well at the AHL and NHL level and still is only 26 years old. I like Higgins I would take him back in a heartbeat. He was ours and he never killed us could he of scored more but. I don't remember him being careless with the puck and lazy. I want him back and I will wear rose color shades if need be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jst-onge Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 I think his true colours are showing through, what is he doing in New York . He is a good defensive player who can score, that is all. Mtl had him play on the powerplay and kill penalties playing 17-19 minutes a game he is bound to get 20 goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamesgal1 Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 He got tons of ice time, his shooting percentage was crap, and he still managed to whiff on more open nets than anyone I can remember. You are right he does not have the shot of ak but i said this one other time who was creating all those chances? it was higgens himself. at the end of the night i would sooner have someone create 10 scoring chnaces and score two goals then someone create 2 scoring chances and only score one goal. AK has more talent. That's just my opinion, but I'll stick to it. AK has also never received the minutes Higgins got in Montreal in all situations, besides the fact that he's younger and has spent less time in the NHL overall. Ak ia younger, so what, he has done nothing more offensively then higgens, ever. Ak first 202 games in the NHL he scored 53 goals, higgens first 223 games in the nhl he scored 72 goals. What happened was, his play finally receded back to his real level: third-line winger. That was the projection when he first broke into the league. I am sure where you heard that he was projected as a third line player...I would like to read that about higgens...by all accounts he was projected as a top two centerman who could play both ends of the rink and could grow into a potential captain. Tortorella knows it, too. On a contending team with good offensive production, Christopher Higgins is not a top-six forward. so torts put higgens on the 4th line becuase he can't score but had him start on the first line to start the season. hmmmmm yet ak also started on one of the top lines and then ended up on the 4th, but the difference is because torts knows higgens cannot score and jaque martin just doesn't know how to treat kostysyn. OK Weep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourtrax Posted November 6, 2009 Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 You are right he does not have the shot of ak but i said this one other time who was creating all those chances? it was higgens himself. at the end of the night i would sooner have someone create 10 scoring chnaces and score two goals then someone create 2 scoring chances and only score one goal. Higgins created all his own scoring chances? That's hilarious. Look, I can create and squander my own scoring chances too: stand at the net, wait for a pass to come my way, then fan on the shot. Ak ia younger, so what, he has done nothing more offensively then higgens, ever. Ak first 202 games in the NHL he scored 53 goals, higgens first 223 games in the nhl he scored 72 goals. Once again, Higgins was given a ton of ice time in all situations during his time in Montreal. AK was level with Tom Kostopoulos last season in terms of even-strength ice time. AK is a more talented player than Higgins and deserves more minutes because he is more capable of making things happen (again, just my opinion). I am sure where you heard that he was projected as a third line player...I would like to read that about higgens...by all accounts he was projected as a top two centerman who could play both ends of the rink and could grow into a potential captain. That's complete fabrication and you know it. We drafted Higgins as a checker, and he broke into the league in 05-06 as a third-line winger. None of the projections at the time had him as anything more than a two-way winger. I remember that season too. Nobody was talking about Chris Higgins, future top-two center. Our centers at the time were Saku, Ribeiro, Bonk, and Plekanec. Higgins got his shot in the second half of the season because of injury and underachievement on the part of other players (e.g. Zednik). so torts put higgens on the 4th line becuase he can't score but had him start on the first line to start the season. hmmmmm yet ak also started on one of the top lines and then ended up on the 4th, but the difference is because torts knows higgens cannot score and jaque martin just doesn't know how to treat kostysyn. Yup. You can have two players in similar situations that aren't identical. You can have one coach make the correct decision and another coach make an incorrect decision. There is nothing in your comparison that establishes any logical connection between the two situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmash Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 That's complete fabrication and you know it. We drafted Higgins as a checker, and he broke into the league in 05-06 as a third-line winger. None of the projections at the time had him as anything more than a two-way winger. I remember that season too. Nobody was talking about Chris Higgins, future top-two center. Our centers at the time were Saku, Ribeiro, Bonk, and Plekanec. Higgins got his shot in the second half of the season because of injury and underachievement on the part of other players (e.g. Zednik). I'm not sure about this. I believe when we drafted him he was considered a potential two-way center (not sure why we'd have considered him a potential winger when he'd played center his whole career, including when he started with Montreal). But position aside, in this post you said both "two-way" and "checker": these aren't the same thing (a checker is a one-way player: the one way being defense). I remember comparisons to guys lie Jere Lehtinen. I'd consider him a two-way player as well, although two-way players can certainly justify a top six spot. I don't think Higgins was ever expected to be a top line winger (and never should have been IMO), but someone who can break 20 goals in their first 3 NHL seasons and breaks 50 points by their third season has more potential than just checking line player. He's seemed to take a step back now, but at that point I think he probably could have been considered a top six winger: problem was we asked him to be our #1 winger at many points: the second line was his ceiling. When we had Kostitsyn-Pleks-Kovalev as the top line, he didn't seem nearly as out of place with Koivu as when Higgins-Koivu-Ryder was the top line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiLla Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Higgins was put in a position in Montreal he couldn't live up to. Like other members already alluded to, no way he's a legit first liner in this league, yet he was used as such over long stretches of games. I really liked what Higgins brought to the team but he should have never been relied on for scoring in clutch situations IMO. He's a decent second line player when surrounded with the right teammates but definitely shouldn't be consistently matched up against the superstars in this league. On a team with scoring depth, Higgins can be a very valuable asset IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gorderst Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 So as a ranger fan what can i expect to see over a season? surely he cant get any worst than he has already been? the last game he played like a man on a mission but up until then he has looked like a fourth liner. Just a bad streak or is this pretty much who higgins is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amp73 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 I recall reading comments by Mr Gainey where he thought Higgins could be a Jere Lehtinen type player http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=3088 I guess Bg changed his mind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roy_133 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 I recall reading comments by Mr Gainey where he thought Higgins could be a Jere Lehtinen type player http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=3088 I guess Bg changed his mind Lehtnon's career high is 52 points, so offensively Higgins was atleast on the path to be that kind of player but he was never that good defensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amp73 Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 .........he was never that good defensively. I wish I could find the quote but our GM and ex coach ( GC ) thought he had the potential ( ) to be that good defensively Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmash Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 I wish I could find the quote but our GM and ex coach ( GC ) thought he had the potential ( ) to be that good defensively I believe what he said is that they thought Higgins could be that type of player, not necessarily as good or better than him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DA_Champion Posted November 8, 2009 Report Share Posted November 8, 2009 So as a ranger fan what can i expect to see over a season? surely he cant get any worst than he has already been? the last game he played like a man on a mission but up until then he has looked like a fourth liner. Just a bad streak or is this pretty much who higgins is? He's really an elite 3rd line, a two way forward and great penalty killer. Habs put him in an offensive position and that's not where he should be imo. Last year he was struggling, then we put him on the 3rd line near the end of the season and he was actually scoring more IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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