With a new owner and an aggressive general manager, Montreal has started to rebuild hockey's most storied dynasty. Not only did GM Andre Savard re-sign key players such as center Craig Darby and defenseman Patrice Brisebois, he also dipped into the market for proven veterans like Joe Juneau, a Quebec native. The Habs finally have experience and depth at every position, but as recent history has shown, injuries could wipe out their playoff hopes in a hurry.

Here are your thoughts on what the Canadiens need for next season:

Savard should cap strong offseason with a scorer
I think Andre Savard has done a great job of obtaining some depth for the Habs in addition to signing up as many players possible, including free agent Yanic Perreault. They also had an excellent draft. Now they need a goal scorer, and I feel Savard's best bet is to invite the rejuvenated Stephane Richer to camp to see what he's got left. Richer has undergone treatment for depression, in addition to working out in hopes of returning to action this season. Match him with Saku Koivu or Perreault and he'll notch 25-30 goals. If, and that's a big if, the Habs can stay healthy, they'll make the playoffs.

Donald
Montreal

Habs have run out of excuses
All of us lifelong Habs fans are standing in the bombed-out ruins of our once glorious palace, wondering if the guests are noticing that the few remaining scraps of wall and ceiling are resting on a foundation weakened by bad drafting, bad management and seemingly bad medical staff (how else do you explain the last few years of injuries?). The weak Canadian dollar and high taxes are just excuses. Other teams have done much better on much less. As long as there is an endless supply of Rocket Richard fables to go around, don't expect the situation to change any time soon, though. The past can be your own worst enemy, and this team is (barely) living proof. Wake me up when they've moved to Memphis.

Struan
New York

Savard's quick work helps
After five horrible years with Rejean Houle, the Habs finally got a real GM. He's the MVP of this team! This guy went out and got the likes of Chad Kilger, Richard Zednik, Joe Juneau, Yanic Perreault, Andreas Dackell, Jan Bulis and Stephane Quintal without giving up the future. The only thing he needs to do at this point is trade away Jeff Hackett and a defensemen or two for an NHL level defenseman capable of playing on the power play. Other than that, Savard has done what Houle couldn't do in five years!

Imran
Montreal

Rome was not built in a day
The Canadiens and their fans need to be patient. It's quite obvious that they are limited in what they can do in free agency, so they need to focus on rebuilding their scouting and player development systems. Remember the players they used to draft? They've made far too many bad trades to rebound quickly. However, now there is hope with Andre Savard. He understands how to build a team over time and was one of the "behind-the-scenes" reasons why the Ottawa Senators were so successful. The trades for Richard Zednik and Patrick Traverse were much better than people gave them credit for. If the fans can be patient, they will be rewarded.

Joe
Atkinson, N.H.

Poor market moves doom playoff hopes
They're doomed. I mean, Joe Juneau? Come on, get real. Sure, Yanic Perreault was a decent pickup, but unless he reverts to the scoring machine he was in the QMJHL, the Habnots are going nowhere. Basically they have too many shrimpy, brittle forwards, a loosey-goosey defense and average goaltending (although Jose Theodore shows signs of being really good).

Biff
Vancouver, British Columbia

Chris
Washington, D.C.

Bring our boys home to play
I think the Habs have made some key acquisitions during the offseason, picking up players who want to play in Montreal. People can complain about the Canadiens consistently signing French-Canadian talent, but the fact of the matter is these players are willing to give it all up for the famed jersey. This year, the healthy Habs will at least make it into the playoffs, as they should compete for seventh or eighth in the conference.

Phil
Montreal

Conditioning is key to success
The 2000-01 season was bad -- really bad. The last game of their season says it all. The Canadiens had about 350-man games lost to injuries, while the Devils had about 80. Still, since New Jersey "only" won the game 2-0, you can imagine that the Habs should be able to improve a lot this season. Heck, if it weren't for all the injuries last year, they probably would have finished with a much better record. When they're healthy, they can play good hockey. When they're injured, they can't. In the 2001-02 season, the only possible way to go must be up! I hope the new arrivals (Joe Juneau, Stephane Quintal, Yanic Perrault) will help the team. At least coach Alain Therrien gets a bigger group of players to choose from. That can't be all bad. It may even turn out to provide the team with some trade bait. What the Canadiens need to improve is the physical condition of their players. Someone must be held responsible for all the injuries. It can't be all accidents!

Magnus
Vasteras, Sweden

Nick
Appleton, Wisc.

Young team must remain steady
This team is young and explosive, but the key is going to be consistency. With young teams, there are always inconsistent performances, which means six goals one night and then three total over the next four games. They have the veteran goaltending in Jose Theodore and Jeff Hackett to make the playoffs, but they lack the experience. But given that the best talent seems to be going to the best teams this offseason, this young and upcoming team has a real chance to finish in the middle of the pack in the East for a playoff spot. In the end, though, Montreal just won't have enough weapons. They should finish ninth or tenth in the conference, but the East better watch out over the next three years.

Paul
Bethlehem, Pa.