Habster’s take:

Andrei Markov is a man of few words but he has come a long way with his english. Canadiens are expecting an even bigger year from Markov (especially on the offensive side). I don’t think we can expect much more than 45-55 points from him as he does have defensive responsibilities on the top pairing with Komisarek(usually playing against the other teams’ top line). He will quarterback the power play from the back end along with Roman Hamrlik on the first unit.

Gainey knew the market would be high for defensemen and paid him accordingly. I think most fans are now looking at his 4 year/ $22 million contract as fair or even a bargain compared to other deals signed by lesser players.