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| Callahan is an impending UFA. |
It
is been said that Ryan Callahan is available, or rather, that New York Rangers
GM Glen Sather is entertaining the idea of trading him if he feels they are not
close to reaching an agreement in their contract negotiations. Sather would
rather get something for him now, than lose him and get no significant return.
Makes sense.
It
is rumoured that Callahan is looking for a long-term deal in the 6-7 year range
and an average annual salary of around 6 million dollars.
Here
are the implications, both negative and positive of the Canadiens making a move
to acquire the services of New York Rangers' Captain Ryan Callahan via trade or
signing him in the summer.
The good
1)
Callahan would fit nicely on the right wing in lieu of Brian Gionta over the
next few seasons.
2)
Ryan Callahan is a stereotypical Marc Bergevin type player. Gritty, hard nosed,
plays with a lot of heart, not afraid to block shots or to stick up for his
teammates and be a leader. The “C” is for CHARACTER!
3)
Callahan is a former teammate of Brandon Prust. When they last united their
efforts, their team went deep into the playoffs.
4)
On a line with Thomas Plekanec they would form one of the hardest duos to play
against in the NHL. #plekanecforselke
5)
The salary cap is supposed to go up considerably in the next few years.
6)
His acquisition would undoubtedly make the Habs better right now.
The bad
1)
Callahan's production has diminished quite a bit recently, he has had 51 points
in his last 83 games. Not bad but not worth over 6 million a year for 6 years.
2)
His size (5'10”) combined with his style of play have led to numerous injuries
in his case.
3)
His salary demands are quite hefty for a 28-year-old forward who has never
achieved more than 55 points at the professional level. Yes, that includes the
AHL.
4)
Trading for Callahan would cost the Habs at the very minimum a high pick and a
prospect. All that and you're not even guaranteed to retain his services after
this season. And they could still miss the playoffs! That's a worst case
scenario, and a grim one indeed!
5) A
long-term contract for a player of that calibre would tie up money that would
go towards Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, and any other Habs player who
should get a raise over the next few seasons. It would also hinder the ability
to sign other bigger name free agents or even trade for a high-impact player. Of
course, this all depends on how much the cap goes up over the next few years.
6)
He could become the Habs' version of David "water bottle" Clarkson .An
overpaid, under-producing winger who has leadership qualities. (For those of
you who don't know about the water bottle incident with Todd Bertuzzi, I
strongly encourage you to Google it.)
Impressions & Possibilities
I
think Callahan is a solid hockey player who leaves it all on the ice and would
be useful in Montreal.
We
are also desperate for a good right winger. That being said, Marc Bergevin has
quite a few things to figure out before he can chase down a player whom, if
acquired via trade, would probably have to be signed to a new, hefty, long-term
contract. As we know, Callahan for the Canadiens, would be a longer term
solution and not a rental player. That, in all likely hood, would mean making
him one of the top-three most paid players in Habs history. If you're thinking:
“That doesn't seem right.” It doesn't, it would be outrageous!
Bergevin
has his work cut out for him. He still needs to sign P.K. Subban, sign or trade
Andrei Markov, Lars Eller and Raphael Diaz. Try and get Rene Bourque to produce
or send him away to anywhere for anything. (At this point I would trade Bourque
for a sack of potatoes from Aaron Downey's family farm.) He is pretty useless
out there. I am excited to see Christian Thomas, hopefully, take his spot in
the line-up.
Bottom
line is: Bergevin needs to paint a clearer picture of the future of the
Canadiens before he goes chasing players, paying them handsomely and
sacrificing youth. After those issues are addressed and Bergevin knows what kind
of cap space he will have this summer, he will be able to sign guys like
Callahan, Moulson, Orpik or Nikitin. But I don't see a trade happening right
now, even if Callahan is a Bergevin type player.
Thanks for reading.
-Mike Gowing
Folllow me on twitter @habsosaurus
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