Big decisions ahead for Bob Gainey

The 2008-2009 NHL season will be one of big decisions for the Montreal Canadiens. With the impending unrestricted free agency of Alex kovalev, Saku koivu and Mike Komisarek not to mention both Christopher Higgins and Tomas Plekanec who will be RFA's choices will have to be made. To start off, will Bob Gainey attempt to resign both Kovy and Koivu? Can he afford to resign both? Signing Kovalev to an extension seems almost a given, seeing as he is coming off perhaps the best season of his career with 35 goals and 84 points good for 11th in the 2007-2008 NHL scoring race. He is perhaps maybe the closest thing the Canadiens have to a bona fide superstar and he is a fan favorite. I also expect Komisarek, Higgins and Pleks to all be resigned given their age and the fact that they already are, and will be 3 of the big pieces of this team's core for years to come. All should expect to receive generous raises.

It will probably get a bit more complicated in the case of the captain Saku Koivu. I mean lets face it he will be 34 in November, is injury prone and his best years are behind him. Would he be willing to except less money and a reduced role to return with the habs? If, and this is a big ''IF'', Mats Sundin accepts Gainey's rumored offer of a 2 year contract will Bob even be interested in resigning Koivu? And not to forget the constant rumors of some kind of a ''rivalry'' between him and Alex Kovalev. All of these factors will most certainly come into play when and if new contract talks start with Saku. On a more positive note, he will have an opportunity to play this upcoming season with perhaps the best set of wingers of his career in Higgins and Tanguay, assuming the line of Kovy , Pleks and AK46 stays intact and Sundin does not decide to sign on.

It should be an interesting centennial year for the Montreal Canadiens both on and off the ice, expectations and hopes will be high. With the experience of last season's Eastern conference regular season title and 2 playoff rounds all seems possible for this upcoming landmark ( 100th seaon in the NHL) year.