The Canadiens looked listless in their 5-2 defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday and won't play again until Saturday night against the New York Rangers. But according to the Habs' top center, many of the players are suffering from a milder form of whatever flu is ailing sniper Michael Cammalleri.
As such, many of the players are both physically and mentally tired so the rest should do them all some good. The problem is so bad that second line winger Max Pacioretty had to skip practice this morning due to illness.
As for Cammalleri, he was back playing soccer with his teammates this morning at the Canadiens' Brossard practice facility and should be back in the lineup for practice this morning and against the Rangers on Saturday.
That's a good thing for a team that has been having all kinds of trouble scoring of late.
With only 12 goals through 41 games, Cammalleri is currently on pace to pot 22 goals this season. That would be his second lowest goal total in his last six seasons and clearly a disappointing total for the Habs' top sniper.
Hopefully these few days off will go a long way towards clearing Cammalleri's mind and freeing him of whatever baggage that's been making him grip his stick too tight. If so, then maybe we'll see a resurgence by Cammalleri similar to the one Gomez experienced after missing a few games earlier in the season.
On the trade front, the name of Andrei Kostitsyn has been floating around the rumour mill for a while now. That's not really surprising, either, since Andrei is having an abysmal season and is currently on pace to score only 19 goals.
More importantly, however, in recent games, AK46 looks like he has already checked out of town. He is showing zero intensity and really just looks like he is going through the motions.
According to RDS, GM Pierre Gauthier has been knocking on everyone's door in an effort to move the enigmatic winger. But as of yet, no one is interested in Kostitsyn and his $3.5 million salary.
RDS also went on to say that Jacques Martin no longer knows what to do to motivate Kostitsyn.
AK46 won't yield much in return by himself so maybe the Canadiens can figure out some way to package him with other players, prospects or picks in order to try and get something of value in return.
If the Habs are unable to move him by the deadline, they will likely try to move him at the June NHL entry draft or just leave him unsigned, making him a UFA during the summer.
The failure on the Canadiens part to properly develop Andrei Kostitsyn into a bonafide 30-plus goal scoring winger is one that has been haunting them for the last five years. If they aren't able to get anything of value in return for him, it is a wasted draft pick that will continue to haunt for the foreseeable future, as they now have a gaping hole on the top line that is not easy to fill.
Hopefully for Habs fans Gauthier has another rabbit up his sleeve, but somehow I doubt it.
So what do you think will happen to Andrei Kostitsyn? Will he be traded? Are the Habs stuck with him? What about Michael Cammalleri? Will he bounce back once he returns to the lineup?
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)
4 comments:
The Kostitsyn brothers saga is mind-numbing, and appears to be nearing its sad but inevitable end. On the one hand, I firmly believe that its up to each player to bring his best to the table at all times. They're pros and paid as such. Now I know that the popular excuse(s) is that Kostitsyn was separated from Plekanec and thus his production dropped. I get that players have chemistry with one another, but I don't like the belief that a player gets to dictate his one and only fit on the team. What happens if Plekanec gets hurt? One would imagine that Kostitsyn would again drop off...and that speaks to the value of Plekanec, and to the limited ability of Kostitsyn to adapt.
Secondly, as you mentioned, his intensity is gone and he seems to be going through the motions. Again, be professional, especially in a contract year. Get it together!
Perhaps his confidence is low, and he's demoralized on one of the lower lines. My answer? Toughen up! Stop sulking or pouting if that's what this is. Just because he's on a lower line does not mean that the intensity needs to be dialed down. It would be natural for production to slip with less talented linemates, but intensity should never waver as it has.
Hey Kyle and thanks for you comment!
Good insight, as always, bud!
I think you make an excellent point about AK's intensity and how it is his responsibility to "bring it". If you need the right linemates to motivate you to perform in a contract year, then it says a lot about your character.
That being said, I think in a more offensive system under a more progressive coach, AK46 could break that 30-goal mark.
He is just a Kovalev-like player who needs the coach to put his arm around him, tell him he is great and important and needed, and that he can do it and is an excellent player.
He basically needs to be coddled...hey, some players need that as sad as that is, and I think under such a regime, AK could excel.
That being said, it is pretty clear that he is done in Montreal him, the coach and their system simply do not make good dance partners.
This "missed" pick sets the Habs back immensely.
Ok, so if AK46's 19 goal pace is quote "abysmal" then the same should be said of Cammy's 22 pace. I think AK46 needs a change of scenery but the Habs need the type of player AK should have been in return. A sniper that is not afraid to hit. I don't think they will get any takers, maybe they could get some top picks for him. Who knows? The countdown to Feb. 28th has begun
Hey Hirky and thanks for your comment!
Yes, you are absolutely right and I actually mentioned last week that I felt Cammy's pace was a disappointment.
I guess what I meant was that for a player who is capable of so much more, 19 goals is an unacceptably low total...much like Cammy's pace is.
I think the Habs would be hard pressed to get a bonafide top-6 sniper in return for AK. That being said, perhaps they can put together a package of prospects/picks/AK, to pull something off! I'm not convinced, but they have till the end of Feb to figure it out!
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