Recrutes

Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.

To C or Not To C – Recrutes’ first Walk on the Wilde Side

July 29, 2017

By Brian Wilde

About Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde has worked in hockey since he was 20. He was the rink side host for the Edmonton Oilers at CTV and Ottawa Senators for Sportsnet. He was also lead reporter on the Montreal Canadiens for 17 years at CTV Montreal.

View all posts by Brian Wilde

  • Alexandre Brisebois says

    Good video brian! I did Felt a bit dizzy with the shaky cam haha would be better if u filmed it while sitting! Nonetheless i enjoyed it! Keep em coming

  • Michael Slywchuk says

    lol……love it Brian. That video in itself just paid for my subscription!!
    Go Habs Go

  • Darren Dembicki says

    Thanks for the video Brian. Reality is RNH is the best (only??) option. Oilers/Habs familiar dance partners.

    Sending you a selfie stick!

  • Mikey says

    Haha that was great. Just what I needed to hear tonight. IF you go back and replay Chiarelli’s presser from the deadline, he did hint to some “irons in the fire” as far as trades. I think one if them is RNH and the Habs.

    • Alfredo Borrello says

      I’d love to get RNH, he’d be a great fit. Who would we lose, perhaps Gallagher 🙁 that’s what it would take. He makes half his salary and is from the west.

  • Teresa says

    Bravo BrianW Bravo!?
    Better than CTV News!?
    Raw, awesome, intelligent, refreshing, on point as always!?
    ❤️❤️❤️❤️?

  • Teresa Buono says

    Just signed up Brian, so exciting to be able to see you always, and being able to keep up with the Habs. Thanks Brian $30 well spent.

  • Sean Bower says

    First of all kudos for not breaking an ankle on Mtl’s wonderful sidewalks while filming that. Second of all I’d just like to say thanks to you & Grant for setting this partnership up, it’s actually renewed a slight bit of hope in me for both the Habs & the world at large. Good to see a deserving, hard working gent such as yourself bounce back & hopefully bounce higher than before…

    As for the content. JT would be a great get though I have a hard time seeing him fitting in salary-wise long term. I think you’re right about RNH, not necessarily that the Habs will get him, but that he would be the most likely and possibly best fit for salary and what he offers on the ice.

    No.1 C of the caliber of JT are surely looking at McDavid’s deal and won’t sing for less than 8 digits a year. That makes him tough considering Carey & the D’s $$. RNH at $6mil for 4 years including this year seems like a no-brainer of MB can pull it off.

    Great stuff Brain, can’t wait for more!

    • Mike says

      I agree with you and Brian but one thing to remember is that McDavid’s contract won’t kick in until 2018-19 season as he is still on his last year of his entry level contract so Oilers are not pressured to trade RNH until one more year

      • Sean Bower says

        Good point. I was looking at it more from the Habs cap perspective and what seemed to be a better fit for them money-wise.

  • David Muhlstock says

    I Really enjoyed it.
    Clear thinking – “on the run”!
    I look forward to more..

  • mrbell04 says

    Great video Brian! Very Rick Mercer-ish! I really hope options 2 or 3 pan out for the Habs this year. Both fit in nicely and their contracts are more digestible than what JT would eventually command. Well here’s hoping and keep the great content coming!

  • Mike Jean-Baptiste says

    Thanks Brian!!! That was great! Thanks for being a voice of reason. Really looking forward to the future posts and videos!

  • Brian Wilde says

    Just wanted to leave a comment here in response to all of the comments. Just wanted to say thank you for all of the support. I know you’re doing it because you think it will be worth it and I guarantee you that it will be worth it. But it’s also support. It’s also choosing to believe in people and what they bring.

    So thank you for that.

    The video itself was a blast to do. You are seeing take three. Take one I completely ran out of breath I was walking too fast. It was pretty funny. Take two i was almost done and i loved it and just as I was finishing there are three guys screaming from their balcony “Hey what are you doing bro? Hey up here bro. What are you doing.”. Didn’t love the moment at the time but looking back it’s already turning to funny.

    The last take was the good one. They’ll get better. That was the first time I ever tried doing that.

    Okay, bed time. I read all the comments. I love them. Keep them coming.

  • Scott Murray says

    Props for doing this as a one-man show. Rick Mercer has a full crew, after all.

    As for the content, this Habs fan thanks you. I hope your access remains. In Red Fisher’s absence, where else can we get the straight goods?

    (my Twitter andle is Randboro btw)

    Kudos!

    • Brian Wilde says

      Scott, I hope I am able to remember that you are Scott here and Randboro Dotcom over there. Hit me up for info or comments either place. We had a preliminary convo about the access and it went well, but I want to make sure that you’re not lied to and it is not 100 percent locked down, though it looks good. Got to wait for the PR guys to get back from their only time off each year. cheers

  • Scott Murray says

    I love this concept btw – I recommend going to the Bell Centre for future streeters like this, among the statues of Lafleur and the Rocket, etc. It would add heft and cost nothing.

  • Claudio says

    No way with RNH, he’s not 1C. I say we stick with Chucky regardless his lack of defence!

    • Brian Wilde says

      That suits me just fine. He or Drouin is going to get a chance there and the one that can make it stick is going to get it for a while until they figure out what to do with 8.5 million.

  • Emil says

    Great video Brian. Love seeing great content. Most of the media here in Montreal is so negative.

  • Brian Wilde says

    Thank you Mark and Emil. I really don’t think of it as positive. I certainly am not trying to be positive. I just see it as how I honestly see it.

    Man, 103 points last season. Over 100 points in Bergevin’s 3 seasons, and on pace for 107 in the lock out year. 4 100 point plus in 5 years and he’s crucified. What would Habs fans do to Joe Sakic?

  • JarryBarclay says

    Great idea with the video Brian. Also brings out that clear TV/radio voice few people have!

    • Brian Wilde says

      Hey Jarry. nice to hear from you and thank you. Happy to have you here. It was great to meet you that night.

      Did you go to Raines in Cooperstown

  • Angelo Palucci says

    First off, kudos on the video. Great content and loved the energy and passion.

    You may want to consider a segway with a Go Pro camera on the handle bars (reversed) :). Will help keep your breathe.

    That C position seems to haunt the Habs for as long as the goalie position haunts the Flyers.

    Claude Julien has had the luxury of some solid C’s in Boston, can he adapt his game plan to deal with the cards he has been dealt in MTL? That will be one of the pressure points for MB. If Galchenyuk, Danault and Plekaneks start the season off strong, then MB can deal from a position of strength. Some big IF’s.

    • Brian Wilde says

      Some big ifs but some excellent points for sure. Thanks for the tip. I actually purchased a small tripod that will allow me to not have my arm raised so high and the shot wider, so that should help.

  • Paul says

    Love the video Brian. As always last well thought out and delivered with great energy and entertaining as heck. I think RNH would be a great fit. Plays the type of complete game both MB and CJ love. Make it happen MB.

    • Brian Wilde says

      thank you and good point about he plays the type of 200 foot game that Julien got used to in Boston with Bergeron.

  • Matt Bryson says

    solid post again.

    RNH is definitely intriguing and shouldn’t have near the price tag as the first two options listed.

  • Bob Daigneault says

    Wisw words, and well thought out.

    I would love Tavares, but I believe NYI will find a way to keep him, especially if the talk of them moving back to Long Island pans out. I think RNH would be a great fit in Montreal.