Have the Montreal Canadiens Lost Touch with the Fans? - Part III

by Willey

Let’s be honest here for a second...

If you are reading this blog, visiting HabsAddict.com, or even just paying close attention to your beloved team, I am quite certain that you have played the “Arm Chair” GM game.

I am also sure that just like me, at one point or another you’ve likely thought of potential trades for every single player on the roster and throughout the organization. These thoughts are even further echoed every single time the GM makes a move or when you see the opposition acquiring players you felt would ultimately help the club.

The pit in your stomach you feel when you just read that Toronto handed two First round picks to the Boston Bruins for instance, or when you hear that Wojtek Wolski was just dealt to the NY Rangers for Michal Rozisval.

Well this, my friend, is pro scouting.

The “science” of dissecting your team and actively monitoring hockey players around the world who you think would fit in well with the team dynamic.

Although this is not an exact science, to get rid of current roster players and acquire those from other organizations that will ultimately build a stronger team, it is truly an art form.

A good pro scouting department is, in my opinion at least, the foundation and deciding element between a team destined for mediocrity and one destined for success.


Recent Moves

Since June of 2009, the Montreal Canadiens have pulled the trigger on 10 separate trade transactions. Those 10 deals saw the Habs part ways with Ryan McDonaugh, Pavel Valentenko, Chris Higgins, Guillaume Latendresse, Matt D’Agostini, Jaroslav Halak, Sergei Kostitsyn, Cedrik Desjardins, Ryan O’Byrne, Maxim Lapierre and two second rounds picks.

A quick glance at the list of names above and you see nine players that are currently playing in the NHL for opposing organizations. However if you were to dig a little bit deeper you would soon discover another commonality; all of the departing players are under the age of 24.

What the organization acquired for those players is Scott Gomez, Benoit Pouliot, Aaron Palushaj, Lars Eller, Ian Schultz, Dustin Boyd, Dan Ellis, Kari Ramo, Michael Bournival and James Wizniewski.

I am very much in favor of some of these acquisitions but that it is way too early to tell whether all will pan out. This takes time. Where I take issue, however, is apparent lack of strategy when it comes to the moves that were made.


When to Move or When to Sit Still

The foundation of success for an NHL franchise is simple: hold onto your assets when cup contention seems too far away and conversely acquire a player and trade those assets when you deem that cup contention is upon you.

So where exactly does Montreal stand?

Are we a team on the verge of a Stanley Cup, or are we a team in the middle of a rebuilding? In my eyes, at least, I do not see a clear sign of either.

Despite the fact we are coming off of playoff success in 2010, this team is far from being considered among the elite. We lack scoring, we lack a tough defensive presence and we lack a balanced line up with players who can compete physically over a grueling playoff battle.

When your team faces these issues, the game plan in my books is simple.

You do not give up on all of your youth but rather build your team at a slow and steady rate. Also, you get rid current roster players, via trade, who are perhaps aging or who do not fit within the team structure and dynamic.

You keep your core group intact, let familiarity take over by playing them together and slowly add to your team by signing a some UFAs. These signings should be for player or two who are entering their prime—age 25-28—and who fit with the team dynamics.

When your team has played together, overcome adversity together and ultimately brought you to a level where success is apparent, then and only then can you afford the luxury of parting ways with draft picks and prospects.


Where did it go wrong?

I hate to beat a dead horse but it all went wrong the moment that Bob Gainey was hired! That being said, I fully admit that when Gainey was hired I was ecstatic. I felt optimism for the first time after an otherwise depressing 10 previous years. But when the curtain closed on the Bob Gainey era, I felt cheated.

I am the first guy to admit when I have done something wrong or have mislabeled someone so have no issue in admitting that Gainey did do a lot of things right.

Acquiring Alexei Kovalev for a Josef Balej for instance was grand larceny. Also, who can forget the trade of Mathieu Garon to Los Angeles in exchange for Radek Bonk and Cristobal Huet or dealing Craig Rivet for Josh Gorges and Max Pacioretty.

While these are moves that helped bring the organization to the next level there is absolutely no justification for losing Sheldon Souray, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Mike Ribeiro, Francois Beauchemin, Ron Hainsey, Richard Zednik, Robert Lang, Tom Kostopoulos, Mike Komisarek, Michael Ryder, Maxim Lapierre, Mikhail Grabovsky and receiving next to nothing.

I can fully understand wanting to change directions if you find that the current list of players is not meeting the team objectives, but I cannot understand the the way the above mentioned players were handled.

Trading away youth for over the hill veterans on their last legs is inexcusable. Holding onto potential UFA contracts when there is absolutely no intention of retaining their services is outright negligent, and losing players via the waiver wire who you feel are still vital components to your success is just mind boggling.

A look back at the last two NHL trade deadlines show that players like Dominic Moore or Andy Sutton fetch you a second round pick and/or mid level prospects in return.

What would a Sheldon Souray at the peak of his career provide? What would a second line center and playoff warrior—Saku Koivu—have fetched on the open market?

The bottom line is that Bob Gainey acted when he should have stayed put and twiddled his thumbs when action was required. And who is left to pick up the pieces of this destroyed mosaic? Pierre Gauthier.

I just question whether he is the right man for the job.

Gauthier was, after all, the head of our pro scouting department who felt that picking up Jaroslav Spacek at $3.833 million per season was a better idea than Francois Beauchemin at the same price. Gauthier was also the man who decided that despite begging to be signed by his boyhood dream team, a player like J.P. Dumont could provide no benefit to the Bleu Blanc Rouge.

Here’s hoping that sooner or later Mr. Gauthier realizes that too many mistakes have been made. We have time to right this ship; we just need the right man at the helm with a clear and definitive roadmap of what needs to be done.


Stay tuned for:
Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV

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Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.

Posted in: canadiens,habs,montreal canadiens,nhl trade deadline,pierre gauthier