Are the Montreal Canadiens in Limbo?

Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Mike Komisarek, Robert Lang, Tom Kostopoulos, Mathieu Schneider, Francis Bouillion, Mathieu Dandenault, and Patrice Brisebois.

Shockingly, none of them were nominated for this year's Hart Trophy, which Alex Ovechkin brought back to Washington.

More importantly, none of them have been inked to any sort of contract by Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens as of yet.

Now, I'm not trying to be an eager beaver, but shouldn't the wheels be in motion by now?  After all, it is June 19—I feel that we're due for at least one signing.

I've always been Bob Gainey's greatest supporter; My motto has been "In Bob We Trust" ever since he took over the reigns as general manager.  I've come to a point, one week before the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, when Mikael Johansson just isn't going to cut it.

I feel like the Habs are in hockey purgatory right now—it's almost as if the team doesn't exist.  

Thankfully, I felt the same way about the Pittsburgh Penguins before last season began.  They had all of their money tied up in their superstars, they had to let most of their role-players walk.

There is, however, a bit of a difference between the 2008 Penguins and the 2009 Canadiens: They had Crosby and Malkin, while we have Kostitsyn and Pacioretty.

I'm getting nervous.

I know that everyone thinks that Kovalev is going to sign in Montreal because a Russian tabloid told them he was.  I, on the other hand, am a tad more skeptical.  If it was such a sure thing three weeks ago when the story broke, why hasn't it happened yet?

Spending $6-7.5 million for an aging superstar is ludicrous, by the way.

Saku Koivu wants to stay in Montreal, but wants a deal before July 1.  I believe that Saku has earned the right to retire in a Montreal Canadiens' jersey, despite the feeling of the general fanbase.  I understand that there are people who think that he does not perform as a leader should.

He was, however, our best player for a number of years.  Those were very dark days, to say the least, but Saku stuck around.

He soldiered through some obstacles, I might add.

If Saku wants a contract before the bonanza, I think he should get one.

Mike Komisarek may be looking for a payday, but might only get what he's looking for in Long Island.  If he wants to play in his hometown—which doubles as the NHL's graveyard—so be it.  Mark Streit may be upset that he's no longer the team's No. 1 defenseman, though.

Alex Tanguay looked excellent towards the end of last season, but was then injured—as he was for the majority of 2008-2009.  Now, after undergoing surgery, I'm not sure he's a priority for Gainey.

Two must-ink players, I think, are Schneider and Lang.  I hope that they can be signed as they were both key cogs when healthy.  Why wouldn't they take one-year, discounted contracts?

I'm actually shocked that Kostopoulos hasn't been offered or signed a contract yet. He's exactly what a role-player should be: He shows heart, grit, and determination. And he defends teammates who steal purses...

As of today, no unrestricted (or restricted) free agent has been offered a contract extension.  We, as Habs fans, don't have much of a team to root for.

Perhaps Gainey is waiting for the Draft to trade Kovalev's exclusive rights to Toronto for Mikhail Grabovski.

Or maybe he's waiting to announce all the contracts at one press conference as part of an ongoing Centennial celebration.

Whatever the reason, I'm growing impatient—I just want to know who to put on the back of my jersey.