Price or Halak? Four Years After

It has been more than four years now since the Montreal Canadiens decided to trade goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues. As the title says, this article will discuss how our ex-goaltender, Jaroslav Halak, has done over the years, compared to the goalie the Habs decided to keep, Carey Price, and how the main prospect we got in this trade, Lars Eller, is evolving.

I am pretty sure you all know what happened after the 2010 playoffs, but let me remind you quickly. After carrying the team on his shoulders for the duration of the playoffs, Halak got traded for forwards Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. At that time, many people were claiming it was the worst deal ever, that the Habs got robbed and some even claimed that Halak was far superior to Carey Price.

Lately, the Slovakian goalie played some very solid minutes for the Islanders, and a few people are starting to wonder what's going to happen with Eller, who's playing on the 3rd line here in Montreal, and struggling to keep a decent offensive production. Not to talk about Schultz, who still has never played a single game in the NHL.

Let's start with Jaro Halak. Since the trade, he has been the starting goaltender of the St. Louis Blues, the Washington Capitals and now the New York Islanders. He started a total of 171 games in four seasons (I am not counting this season, and let's not forget there was a lockout in 2012-13), which is an average of about 43 games per year. In three of these seasons, he played more than 40 games, which is considered about half the season. Let's keep going with his personal stats. He has kept a goal against average of 2.23 and a saving percentage of 0.916. He also posted a record of 88 wins, 51 losses and 22 overtime losses during that time. Let's add that this year, he currently has a 2.20 GAA, and a 0.923 save %. Stats might not say everything, but we must admit his are pretty solid.

As for Lars Eller, he has played a total of 279 games with the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 43 goals and recording 58 assists for a total of 101 points. So, in return of a number one goaltender, we received a 0.36 point-per-game forward whose best season was 8 goals, 22 assists. Not only to mention Ian Schultz has yet to play his first NHL game and he probably never will.

As for Carey Price now, Montreal's starting goaltender, he's been in net for 235 games (which is an average of about 59 games per season), recording a GAA of 2.42 and a 0.918  save %. He has won 119 games, lost 89 games, and lost another 26 in overtime or shootout.  This year, he has a 2.34 GAA and a 0.922 save %.

Basically, what I'm trying to show with this article is how the two goaltenders have kept similar stats over the course of these four years, and how we literally got robbed by trading Halak for Eller. Yes, he has played for three teams in four years, but wherever he went, he has always been able to show decent things. Now the defining factor could be the amount of games played in a season. Would Jaro Halak be able to be a starting goalie for more than 60 games? We might have an answer this year, since he in undoubtedly New-York's starting goaltender. As for the trade itself, Eller has shown promising things, but he has never been able to reach his full potential. Will he eventually become the power forward we've been promised, or will he stay a 3rd-4th liner? If Eller does not progress and stays where he is right now, and Halak keeps being on top of his game like he is right now, we will easily be able to say that this trade has been one of the worst even in Montreal's history.

Note: I feel the need to mention I put Price's statistics in here only for a comparison. My personal opinion is that at that time, and even today, Price still has a great potential and is truly the number one goaltender the Montreal Canadiens needed. I am mostly just saying that what Gauthier got in return of Halak was next to nothing.

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Game 25 - Canadiens vs Sabres

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (16-7-1) return to Montreal to host the Sabres (7-14-2) and complete the home and home series between these teams. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on TVA and City.

The Sabres to the second game in this four-game season series Friday night in Buffalo thanks to a little bit of skill and a little bit of luck. The skill came on behalf of Tyler Ennis who combined speed, dexterity and some nifty hand-eye coordination to put the Sabres on the board. The luck also came courtesy of Ennis, who's late game dump in ricocheted off the boards in the Canadiens zone leaving Carey Price stranded and Matt Moulson alone in front with a tap-in game winner.

What to Watch

The Canadiens have no scored just one goal in their last two games and three in three. At 2.42 goals per game, the Habs are 23rd in the league in scoring, a stat they'll need to improve before they can truly compete with the league's best. Considering Buffalo is in the bottom four in terms of goals against, the Habs should be able to take advantage of home ice advantage to rally their lethargic offense.

The Sabres will hope that Ennis, their leading scorer with seven goals and 15 points, has another goal like this in him for Saturday night:

What's at Stake

Passing up points once against the worst team in the league doesn't bode well, but the Habs have an immediate opportunity for redemption on home ice. At 33 points the Canadiens still hold the Eastern conference lead, but Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and the Islanders are each right behind the Canadiens with 32, and Detroit is in the mix as well with 31 points this year.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) is nearing a return but still might not be ready to play on Saturday. Aside from that the team is healthy, but Alexei Emelin will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety prior to Saturday's game and may receive a suspension for his hit on former teammate Brian Gionta.

The Sabres were without Josh Gorges (knee) and Cody McCormick (concussion) on Friday, although Gorges may make his return at the Bell Centre. Drew Stafford (lower body), missed part of Friday's game and may miss Saturday's action as well.

What Else

The Canadiens power play found success in Buffalo using four forwards and a 1-3-1 set up. After an ugly stretch of extra man opportunities, the Habs have found a bit of consistency with the man advantage, especially since the arrival of veteran power play specialist Sergei Gonchar. In the eight games since Gonchar joined the team the Habs are 6-for-24 on the power play, after going 3-for-42 up to that point.

The Question Mark

What are your thoughts on the "new look" power play the Habs experimented with on Friday, and the power play in general since Gonchar joined the team?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 Saturday night to preview the Canadiens and the Sabres.

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Game 24 - Canadiens at Sabres

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

After four days without hockey, the Canadiens (16-6-1) are finally back in action Friday night when they meet the Sabres (6-14-2) in Buffalo. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second of four meeting between the Habs and Sabres this season and the final match in Buffalo for the year. The Canadiens beat the Sabres in unconvincing fashion the first time these teams met, taking a 2-1 shootout victory on a regulation and shootout goal by P.A. Parenteau.

What to Watch

At just past the quarter mark of the season, the Canadiens have seven scorers with five goals or more, led by Max Pacioretty who is ninth in the league with ten goals already this year. At 18 points, Pacioretty leads the Habs in that department as well.

The Sabres are at the bottom in of the league in a handful of offensive categories, including goals per game (1.59), power play efficiency (6.2%) and shots per game (23.1), so it should be no surprise that they're also last place in terms of points and points percentage. With 13 points on the season, Tyler Ennis, the team's leading scorer, is 100th in the league in points.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens set out on a four game road trip in the coming week, visiting Colorado, Minnesota, Chicago and Dallas. Friday and Saturday's home and home versus the basement dwelling Sabres is an opportunity to secure points that the Habs won't want to pass up.

Who's Out

Over the past week, Nathan Beaulieu and Drayson Bowman have been sent to the AHL Bulldogs in favor of pre-season acquisition Eric Tangradi. With Michel Therrien favoring a seven-defensemen set-up since acquiring first Sergei Gonchar and then Bryan Allen, there's no guarantee Tangradi plays. Also, Michael Bournival (shoulder) is close to making his own return.

Former Hab Josh Gorges (knee) has missed the Sabres last four games but could be ready to play on Friday. Tyler Myers (undisclosed) is questionable for Friday's game while Cody McCormick (concussion) is out.

What Else

The Canadiens have won their last six games against the Sabres, going back to April 2013. The shootout loss earlier in the season was the first time the Sabres came away with any points versus the Habs since their 2-1 win on March 23, 2013.

The Question Mark

Since taking over as Habs GM in May 2012, what is your favorite move that Marc Bergevin has made to improve the team?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 Friday night to preview the Canadiens and the Sabres.

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Rumor: David Desharnais for David Perron?

According to several news outlets, the future of left winger David Perron is sealed in Edmonton after the comments he made on the team's poor start last Friday. Stacked on the wings, the Oilers are currently looking for depth at center because the team is very thin at the position after talented youngster Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

The team was forced to keep rookie Leon Draisaitl and play journeyman Marco Arcobello as the organization's 2nd and 3rd line centers, respectively, because of its lack of depth down the middle. Now that the team has lost seven games in a row and has fell out of playoff contention, once again, general management Craig MacTavish is finally looking to shake things up.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Canadiens have been interested in David Perron and GM Marc Bergevin is not afraid to make a move as shown by his latest acquisitions of Sergei Gonchar and Bryan Allen.

With the excess of defensemen in Montreal as well as the possibility of trading one of the team's top-three pivots to make room for Galchenyuk at center, it would make sense that the Habs call the Oilers about Perron.

One of the names currently being mentioned as a possibility for the Oilers, other than Artem Anisimov and Patrick Berglund, is diminutive center David Desharnais as mentioned by Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.

Off to a very slow start for a first-line pivot, Desharnais has only 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points in 23 games, posting a good +9 rating along the way. While DD has improved at the dot, winning 197 of the 363 (54.3%) draws he has taken so far, the Saint-Apollinaire native has only 22 shots this year, which is less than a single shot per game.

As for Perron, he only has 2 goals and 8 helpers for 10 points in 22 games for a struggling team. The good side about him is that he is only one year removed from a successful season during which he potted 28 goals and 29 assists for 57 points in 78 contests. A left-winger who shoots right, Perron is also bigger than Desharnais (6'0'', 200-lb vs. 5'7'', 175-lb), which is not a minor detail when it's playoff time.

If we look at some advanced stats, Perron has a Corsi For % of 54.0, which is pretty good with a bad team like the Oilers. He has also been extremely unlucky as his low PDO of 96.5 and his -11 plus/minus rating can be easily explained by the poor goaltending of the Oilers this season, which is ranked last in the NHL with a putrid .885 save percentage. Perron is also shooting a paltry 3.8% (2 goals on 52 shots), while his career average is 12.8%; as a result, expect a improvement in this department, which means the goals should start coming very soon.

At the other end of the spectrum, Desharnais has been very lucky with a high PDO of 105.7 and a +9 plus/minus differential that is helped by the Canadiens' solid save percentage of .919 this year. His Corsi For % of 52.1 ranks him fourth on the team, but he's trailing his favorite line-mate Max Pacioretty by seven points, despite spending most of his ice time with him.

Financially, Perron's cap hit is $3.812,500 for the next two campaigns, making him a free agent at the end of the 2015-16 season at the ripe age of 28. As for the 28-year-old Desharnais, who is earning $3.5 million this season, he will still have two years left on his current contract after the season.

Such a move would allow the Bleu Blanc Rouge to shift Alex Galchenyuk back to his natural position at center and would give the team more depth at left wing after Max Pacioretty.

The Canadiens could sweeten the deal by trading a second-tier prospect like Dalton Thrower or a middle-round pick to help the Oilers rebuild their ever-struggling franchise.

Potential line combinations with Perron:

Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Gallagher
Perron-Plekanec-Parenteau
Sekac-Eller-Prust
Bournival-Malhotra-Weise
Extras: Bowman, Tangradi

Being the easiest center to replace internally, David Desharnais would be the current Habs' player that most fans would want to trade first in the event Marc Bergevin makes another move up front.

Would you make that trade, or would you rather send another forward to land Perron?

*********************************

Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98.

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Game 23 - Canadiens at Rangers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The league leading Montreal Canadiens (16-5-1) are in New York to face the Rangers (8-7-4) Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. The game is set to start at 7:00 and can be seen on RDS and City.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Rangers this season, the two teams that faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Montreal already picked up a 3-1 victory on home ice earlier in the season on goals by Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller, and Max Pacioretty.

What to Watch

Carey Price may have earned his second shutout of the season and league best 13th win Saturday against the Bruins, but Dustin Tokarski is expected to get the start Sunday in New York, his fifth of the season.

Like the Habs, the Rangers are also coming off a shutout performance by their goalie, and like the Habs, that goalie, Cam Talbot in this case, isn't expected to start on Sunday. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start on Sunday. In 28 career regular season starts against the Habs, Lundqvist is 13-12-2 with a .897 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens are hot and there's no sense slowing down now. With just one loss in their last nine games, the Habs have surged to the top of the standings and are building a healthy cushion on their competition. The Rangers have been struggling in November as well, posting a 3-3-4 record this month and a 2-3-2 record in their last seven.

Who's Out

The Habs are missing Michael Bournival (shoulder) but are otherwise healthy going into Sunday's game.

The Rangers are without their captain and former Habs prospect Ryan McDonagh (shoulder). They could also be without Lee Stempniak (back) who is listed as day to day.

What Else

Andrei Markov scored career goal number 100 Saturday night against the Bruins, becoming just the fourth Canadien and 86th NHL defenseman to hit that milestone. Markov is one of just three Russian-born defenseman to hit the mark, new teammate Sergei Gonchar is another, with 219 career goals to his credit.

The Question Mark

Given his wealth of options, how would you like to see Michel Therrien set his top six (or seven) defensemen?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Rangers.

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Game 22 - Canadiens at Bruins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

Hockey's greatest rivalry continues Saturday night when the Canadiens (15-5-1) face the Bruins (13-8-0) in Boston. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on TVA-Sports and Sportsnet.

This is already the third of four games between the Habs and Bruins this year, and the first in Boston. The Habs have won both their games versus the Bruins already this season by a combined score of 11-5. Max Pacioretty has three goals and two assists already this season against the Bruins, and Brendan Gallagher has two goals and two assists in the series.

What to Watch

P.A. Parenteau had another solid game on Montreal's top line against the Blues on Thursday, springing Max Pacioretty on a breakaway for the game winning goal. Pacioretty, who turned 26 Thursday night, had a pair of goals bring him up to ten on the season. He also has nine points in his last seven games.

Although the Bruins are an ailing team, they were able to fend off the equal beat up Blue Jackets Friday night, winning 4-3 on a goal in the seventh round of an otherwise scoreless shootout. Alex Khokhlachev broke the deadlock to grab the extra point for Boston.

But enough about all that, watch Milan Lucic get dropped:

What's at Stake

The Canadiens have won both their games this season against the Bruins, but this is also their first visit to Boston. The league leading Habs can put a bit more distance on the rest of the league with a win against a hurting Boston squad.

Who's Out

The Habs are without Michael Bournival (shoulder), they still have just 12 healthy forwards on their roster.

The Bruins are suffering going into Saturday's game, missing many key pieces. Zdeno Chara (knee), David Krejci (undisclosed), Adam McQuaid (broken thumb) are all out and Brad Marchand (undisclosed) is day to day and did not play Friday night.

What Else

Marc Bergevin completed his second trade of the season prior to Thursday's game, sending Rene Bourque to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman Bryan Allen. Allen, a former teammate of Bergevin, joins the team in Boston and is expected to dress for his first game as a Hab. The 6'5" defenseman has played 716 NHL games split between the Canucks, Panthers, Hurricanes and Ducks. He has 29 career goals and 135 points.

The Question Mark

With Sergei Gonchar and now Bryan Allen joining the team, how should Habs management use Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi this season?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show at 6:00 Saturday night as we go live from the Peel Pub at 1196 Peel to preview the Habs and Bruins.

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Interview With New Habs Acquisition Sergei Gonchar

In this translated interview from Russian, originally appearing on the popular Russian portal Sport Express, Sergei Gonchar shared his views on the trade that brought him to Montreal and confirmed that he’s very happy about playing for the Habs.

- In Russia, one of the most chatted-about NHL topics is your inclusion in the club of players who scored 1,000 points. You are only eight points away from being the first Russian defenseman to get into the “Club 1000”. It looks like you have more chances to get into the club with Montreal, rather than with the Stars.

- You can always hope for the best, but as in any interview regarding the “Club 1000”, I’ll tell you that I’m not running ahead of time. Once I’ll score my thousandth point, then we can gather and discuss this achievement. But for now, I don’t want to think about it.

- Did you manage to say your former teammate Valeri Nichushkin goodbye a last time?

- Yes, of course. He had a major injury, had to undergo surgery… Of course, now it will be hard for him. He’ll be the only Russian in the team. But this is life and hockey players have to deal with this all the time.

- Are you satisfied about the trade?

- Yes, everything went very well. The results of the team are very good, the environment is great and I know the coach as I worked with him in Pittsburgh; therefore, I more or less know what he wants. This really helped in adapting to the new team. Generally speaking, I’m very happy about the trade. Everything went very well. Even if, of course, it wasn’t easy to leave my teammates and, even more important, my family.

- Since you moved to one of the contending teams in the Eastern Conference, probably now you constantly hear talking about the Stanley Cup.

- Well, they always talk about it in Montreal. Here you have such an impression that they’re always talking about it. But well, yes, the team has a chance because all is going well, not only looking at the results, but also looking at the way the team plays. The team is very balanced and the results are a consequence of it.

- Will your family join you in Montreal?

- Yes, they will be here next week, during the Thanksgiving Day holidays. But then they will be back. Since the children go to school, it’s hard to make them move. Of course, they’re sad because they don’t spend a lot of time with me. But in hockey you never know if you have to move. Like they say here, “it’s part of the business”.

- How many journalists wanted to interview you after the first game for the Habs?

- Oh, they were a lot! I never seen anything similar. Radio, televisions, both English and French speaking channels. I didn’t expect such an attention on me.

- Is Montreal happy about you?

- Hard to say. I try not to give attention to the public’s reaction, I try to focus more on my game.

- The Habs have two great defensemen in Markov and Subban. Will it be hard to get space and playing time?

- The guys accepted me very well. The coach had some tasks for me since I arrived here. Maybe I’m still not fully complying with them, but the process is going on very well.

- Can you remember when three Russian defensemen played in Montreal at the same time?

- Igor Ulanov and Vladimir Malakhov played for the Habs. Did they have a third [Russian defenseman]? Honestly, I don’t remember.

- Was the trade a surprise to you?

- Yes, of course. Everything happened fast, there weren’t many discussions. It was more like my agent calls me and says “You’re gonna be traded to Montreal, are you ready?” The fact is that, according to my contract, each trade should have my consent. I quickly signed all the papers, then I went to get my passport, got on the plane and that was it.

- Did you think a lot about approving the trade?

- No, I didn’t even think about not approving it. The team is good, I know the coach; therefore, I didn’t worry and I gave my consent right after.

- Did Therrien explain what he’s expecting from you?

- Well, I won’t unveil any secret. We talked a bit, and he showed me in the team’s schemes. We didn’t have any time for long conversations. I got to Montreal in the game day itself.

- According to that game’s outcome, it looks like your role in the team is pretty important.

- I don’t know, but I hope that it will be like that. Everything works so far.

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Translation by HabsAddict's Russian Correspondent Alessandro Seren Rosso @AlexSerenRosso.

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Almost Bourque Traded to Ducks for Bryan Allen

When we thought Marc Bergevin could not make a better deal than the Moen vs Gonchar trade, we learned today that the Montreal Canadiens had traded disappointing forward Rene Bourque to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for rugged defenseman Bryan Allen.

The 34-year-old Allen comes to Montreal only played six games this season after sustaining an injury that cost him the first 14 games of the year. A physical defender, Allen has only one point this season, playing 18:12 on average per night. The 6'5'', 225-lb, native of Kingston, Ontario will provide leadership, size and grit to the Habs' blue line, qualities that were missing this season, especially against bigger teams.

The former Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers, among other teams, is also in the last year of a three-year, $10.5 million deal that pays him $3.5 million annually. The move will allow the Canadiens to clear more cap space for next season as Rene Bourque was slated to receive $2.5 million for a cap hit of $3.33 million.

After a poor start on the season,. #AlmostBourque had been demoted to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. In 13 games with the Canadiens, Bourque had no goal and only two assists with a -9 rating before being put on waivers and demoted after clearing. There was no money retained in the deal on either side.

At first glance, this trade gives the Canadiens a lot of depth on the blue line, pushing young defenseman Nathan Beaulieu on the outside looking in and probably on a bus to Hamilton after a disappointing start to the season.

You have to hand it to Bergevin has he was able to clear out $5.183 million in cap space for this upcoming summer by swapping Travis Moen for Sergei Gonchar and Rene Bourque for Bryan Allen. This will allow him plenty of room to re-sign impending RFAs Brendan Gallagher, Alex Galchenyuk, Michael Bournival, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu.

The bad news is that Bryan Allen is on the decline and that is not a good puck moving defenseman who struggles against faster teams. Allen's Corsi is at 48.4% which is not too bad considering he is not an offensive juggernaut and he has been hampered by nagging injuries the last three seasons.

Also, we know that Michel Therrien loves his veterans, so this basically spells the end for Beaulieu and Tinordi this season and we can expect Allen to rotate with Tom Gilbert and Mike Weaver on the team's third pairing. 

The other possibility is that Bergevin will trade a defenseman for some offensive help, especially on the wings where the Habs could use a big power forward to play with the team's smaller pivots. 

Finally, I think Bergevin made the last two deals to clear cap space after the current season to land a big fish via trade from a team which is sitting tight against the cap such as the Blackhawks, the Bruins, the Capitals or the Flyers, Remember when the Booins traded Johnnny Boychuk for some picks before the season due to cap space problems... Well Boychuk now has 2 goals and 10 helpers for 12 points in 17 games with a +5 rating!

Do you like this trade? If not, why?

No Foolin' Fred Poulin

Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98

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Game 21 - Canadiens vs Blues

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (14-5-1) play host to the Blues (12-5-1) Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and City-Montreal.

This is the first of two games between the Habs and Blues this season, they'll complete the series in St. Louis towards the end of February. Last year the Canadiens only managed to take one point from the Blues in the two games they played. They were beaten handily in St. Louis, by a score of 5-1, and they lost 3-2 in a shootout when they hosted the Blues in Montreal. T.J. Oshie scored the only shootout goal in that game, showing off the skills that would later make him an Olympic hero.

What to Watch

The Canadiens are waiting for their top center, David Desharnais, to pick up his scoring pace. Coming off a 52-point season last year, Desharnais has just two goals and ten points so far this season, and his production has been sporadic at best. Meanwhile, his linemate Max Pacioretty has been holding his own, leading the team in scoring with 8 goals and 16 points this season.

The Blues are led offensively by a pair of 22-year-old snipers, Vladamir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz. While he's been held pointless in his last two, Tarasenko is coming off a seven-game point streak and a span in which he scored 16 points in 9 games. Schwartz meanwhile had a six-game point streak come to an end Tuesday when the Blues were shut out by the Bruins. He had picked up 10 points in that time.

What's at Stake

After getting shut out by the Penguins on Tuesday, the Canadiens have a chance at redemption against another one of the league's best. While they've only lost five regulation games so far this season, four of those losses have come against top performers, the Lightning, Blackhawks, Penguins, and Flames. A win against the Blues will go a long way to prove the Habs deserve to be considered among the NHL's elite.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) has begun practicing again, but there is still no indication of when he may return. Mike Weaver (upper body) missed Tuesday's game and did not practice on Wednesday. It's unclear whether he'll dress Thursday night.

St. Louis is healthy heading in to Thursday's game.

What Else

After a perfect night against the Flyers on Saturday, the Canadiens' power play has gone cold once again, going 0-for-7 combined against the Red Wings and Penguins in their last two games. While St. Louis is the stingiest team in the league in terms of goals against per game, their penalty kill ranks 20th in the league at just a 79% efficiency, so the Canadiens may get an opportunity to find space with the man advantage.

The Question Mark

Considering the Habs motto is "No Excuses", give us your best excuse why the Habs were shut out badly by the Penguins on Tuesday.

Tonight's Show

Join myself, Rob Elbaz, along with Kosta Papoulias for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 Thursday to preview the Canadiens and Blues.

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Eller Needs To Go So Galchenyuk Can…

By Eitan Calmy (@habsaddict)

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

ELLER NEEDS TO GO SO “GALCHENYUK CAN PLAY CENTRE”

Lars Eller is a third line centre. He will never be anything more than that. If the organization and Lars himself don’t make that clear to each other, Eller will be another one of those players that everyone will always wonder about. What if this? What if that?

Some will say that I’m being hard, but I’m not. He has had his chances. He’s going to be a very good shut down guy with some offensive upside. As long as Eller does not accept that role he will always be playing musical chairs, on the wrong line and with the wrong teammates. He has consistency issues. When expected to produce, it's as if he cracks under pressure. He fits the third-line centre role perfectly. When on his game, extremely reliable defensively and can surprise you with speed and strength which will create some offense. 

David Desharnais and Tomas Plekanec aren’t going anywhere as long as they have contracts. Desharnais has no trade value due in part to what I write below. Plekanec is one of the best two-way players in the game. He is a good second-line centre and in a perfect world probably the best third-line centre in the game. I would hesitate to move him.

Desharnais is untouchable. For some strange reason Montreal Canadiens management and coaching refuse to entertain the possibility of playing Max Pacioretty with anybody else. It is undeniable that they have chemistry. Desharnais is a very good playmaker. But if he’s that good, then why not try different line combinations? Why not test Plekanec with Pacioretty or Galchenyuk with Pacioretty?

To be very clear, if I thought that there was any chance the organization would even consider trading Desharnais, the title of this article would be: “Desharnais needs to go so... “

Why fix or toy with something that’s not broken? Because your number one centre is undersized, because your number one centre can’t play shorthanded. Because your number one centre can’t play in crucial defensive missions; whether it’s to preserve a lead or play against other teams top

lines. David Desharnais is and always will be a one-dimensional player. In my opinion, and please know that as a fan that bleeds Blue/White/Red, it hurts to say this, but “the Montreal Canadiens will not win a Stanley Cup as long as David Desharnais is the number one centre.”

It’s becoming more and more evident that Alex Galchenyuk is a special player. He has more natural skills than anybody on the current line-up. His passes are divine and his puck control is comparable to the elite players in the league. Michel Therrien has to let him express himself. The coach needs to, has to free Galchenyuk from Plekanec. He needs to let him spread his wings and fly. Galchenyuk is ready. Game after game he shows his creativity, his passion and skill. Other than Max Pacioretty’s scoring ability, Alex Galchenyuk is the next best thing, maybe better. With all due respect to Plekanec and Gallagher, they are simply not skilled enough to play with the future star. I’d even say that there’s probably no forward on this team that’s talented enough to play at Galchenyuk’s level or simply follow his lead. One of the only players that has been able to finish what he has started was PK Subban.  

If the Montreal Canadiens won’t move Desharnais from that top line, then they have to find a way to make a trade and add a "Power Forward" to the team that can play at the level that Galchenyuk is capable of. That being said I am not saying it’s easy because every single team in the league wants those big forwards that can’t score.

Montreal will have to make the right offer, they will probably have to overpay. I am not a GM but it’s obvious that it will at the very least cost one or two established guys from your line-up + either Jarred Tinordi or Nathan Beaulieu and probably a first-round draft pick. In order to get you have to give. Those of you that think it’s too much, well it’s never going to happen.  

I have complete confidence in Marc Bergevin and I strongly believe that we are in good hands for many years to come. The Montreal Canadiens have a 14-5-1 record. The team has had a great stretch as of late; however, just as Bergevin has done so far, you can always improve and I strongly believe that the big step forward will occur when Galchenyuk becomes that #1 centre.

1.       Who do you think should be moved in order for Galchenyuk to play centre?

2.       Does Michel Therrien have what it takes to bring Subban, Galchenyuk and others to the next level or just like in Pittsburgh, the Canadiens will have to bring somebody else to finish the job?

3.        Do you think Bergevin will pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade?

4.       Will the #Habs maintain their position for the rest of the season or is this just an illusion?

Eitan Calmy ( @habsaddict  )

I’m a fan just like all you other wackos out there. These are my opinions and if you do or don’t like them tweet me or comment on the post. I often comment on referees as I was an official for over 15 years. Hockey is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life!

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Game 20 - Canadiens vs Penguins

#MTLHockey Hockey

Match Up

The league leading Montreal Canadiens (14-4-1) are home to host the Metropolitan leading Pittsburgh Penguins (12-3-1) Tuesday night. The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Pens this season, and the first of two in Montreal. Last season the Canadiens took two of three from the Penguins, including a wild 6-5 shootout win to end the season series. Daniel Briere had a pair of goals and an assist in that game while David Desharnais had two assists and the only goal in the shootout.

What's to Watch

While he's seen his average ice time shrink since Sergei Gonchar became a Canadien, Nathan Beaulieu has now dressed in eight consecutive games and continues to have a positive impact. He has two assists in the last three games, including one on the Habs' first power play goal in November towards the end of Thursday's victory over the Bruins. All this despite playing a total of 21:42 in three games, over three minutes less than PK Subban played in Sunday's game versus the Red Wings alone.

With the second most potent offense in the league, the Penguins currently have four players at a point per game or better. Through 16 games Sidney Crosby (25 points), Evgeni Malkin (19), Patric Hornqvist (19), and Chris Kunitz (16) each have at least a point per game. Meanwhile in nets, Marc-Andre Fleury is top ten in the league in wins (10, 3rd), save percentage (.925, 8th), goals against average (2.13, 9th), and is tied for the league lead in shut outs with three.

What's at Stake

It's lonely at the top, but the Canadiens probably don't mind. They're on top of the league for now, but just a single point ahead of the Lightning and well within reach of the Penguins, who hold three games in hand. The Habs will look to extend their lead and keep their foes at bay for another day on Tuesday, they'll also be trying to improve their season best six game win streak.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are without Michael Bournival (shoulder), but are otherwise healthy heading in to Tuesday's game.

Olli Maatta (neck) who had surgery at the beginning of November to remove a tumor from his thyroid gland, could possibly return to action Tuesday in Montreal. Pascal Dupuis will not play on Tuesday, he's sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

What Else

With their win against the Red Wings on Sunday, the Canadiens improved to 10-1-0 against Eastern conference teams and 6-1-0 against teams in their division. As far as teams from the East go, the Canadiens have only lost to the Tampa Bay Lighting. Unsurprisingly, the Pens and Bolts also have strong records within the conference, but neither are quite at Montreal's level. Tampa has a 8-1-1 record against the East while Pittsburgh boasts a 7-2-1 mark.

The Question Mark

Approaching the quarter mark of the season, how would you grade the Habs' offense, defense, goaltending, and coaching thus far?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and the Penguins.

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A Few Musings From The Hockey World

Hey Habs fans. It's been a couple of weeks since my last post due to school. A lot has happened in hockey and within the Habs organization that I would like to comment on.

Travis Moen Trade

The Habs made a deal this week trading Forward Travis Moen for 40-year-old defenseman Sergei Gonchar. In completing this trade, the Habs gained some valuable veteran leadership. More importantly, the Habs got rid of Moen, who has been subpar and pointless in ten games. The trade allows rookie Jiri Sekac to get into the lineup and the other forwards get to play an extra minute or two. Gonchar won't be playing big minutes, but expect him to get some second unit power play time and also time on the penalty kill. At the end of the season, Gonchar becomes an unrestricted free agent, assuming the Habs don't re-sign him.

Rene Bourque Demotion

The other big news was the demotion of forward Rene Bourque. Bourque is another player who was having a terrible start to the season. Some of the plays he was making made Habs fans cringe. It is relevant to consider the history of Rene Bourque. Initially signed by the Chicago Blackhwaks as an undrafted unrestricted free agent after a solid junior/college career, Bourque was a promising prospect in the NHL. During his first five seasons in the NHL, he produced respectable numbers, including his career high of 58 points. The Habs took a big risk and traded for Bourque midway through the 2011-12 season. At the time Bourque was facing heavy criticism for his play and was suspended twice for illegal hits. What made the risk so great was that Bourque signed a front-loaded six-year deal with the Flames prior to the 2010-11 season and that contract doesn't expire until the end of next season. Bourque is due to make $2.5 million this season and next. That's a lot of money to give to a player playing minimal minutes or in the AHL. As a rule, it is risky to sign a player to a big contract after one or two good seasons. More often than not, the players don't live up to their potential as they have little motivation to perform since the money is guaranteed. This is another move that will allow Sekac to play and other forwards more ice time. It is unlikely we'll see Bourque in the NHL until the playoffs as he will have to clear waivers.

Connor McDavid Injury

Top prospect Connor McDavid was injured in a pointless fight while playing in an OHL game for his junior team the Erie Otters. First of all, I'm against fighting in hockey in general. Just look at the consequences of this fight. Here you have a hockey player with all this raw talent absolutely dominating the OHL with a chance to shatter single-season scoring records set by Ernie Godden (goals) and Bobby Smith (assists and points) and now he's gone for five or six weeks with a fractured right hand. Not only is he risking his career, he's also letting his team and Team Canada down because he can't play. Personally I think too much of a big deal is being made of the potential of McDavid. He has yet to play a game in the NHL and yet people are already comparing him to the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. The level of play in the junior circuit vs. the NHL is dramatically different. There have been countless players who dominated in Junior hockey but struggled in the NHL or never even played a game in the NHL. Here is just a sample of the big names who were first round busts. Hopefully McDavid recovers from the injury and comes back the same player. He needs to fully heal before attempting to return or the injury might affect him long-term.

Empty Arenas

I wish to respond to this tweet I posted a few weeks ago. It was in response to the number of empty seats. I suggested, sarcastically, that the Anaheim Ducks should move to Seattle. First, the goal of a successful business or team is to sell the product through ticket sales primarily. Second, I personally measure how successful that is by the number of butts in seats as opposed to ticket sales. For the purposes of this rebuttal, I will be referring to the 2013-14 attendance records located here. It should be noted that these numbers may be deceptively high because of HOW the measurement was taken (ticket sales). A couple of general considerations first. There are several factors that determines a teams game-to-game attendance. First and foremost, individual fans might have last minute emergencies that prevent them from attending the game such as illness or a car accident en route to the game. In more extreme circumstances, increment weather might prevent a substantial number from coming to the game but generally the number should be fairly low and thus the arena should look pretty full. Another factor is the popularity of hockey. Take for example the Florida Panthers. They are not a traditional hockey town and have big league teams in football (Miami Dolphins), baseball (Miami Marlins) and basketball (Miami Heat). Hockey in Florida is the 4th or 5th most popular choice. Also, team success does factor in. When Florida went to the Stanley Cup final (they lost to Colorado that year) and the years preceding and following they did okay though still bottom third of the league. What makes this an even bigger issue is every single NHL game is televised and can be watched through various online streams. This means people can see the empty seats worldwide. I encourage those of you on twitter to follow @emptyseatspics you'll see a trend happening with the Sunbelt teams (especially Florida and Carolina). The NHL needs to take a serious look at the future of hockey in Miami and Carolina.

League expansion

On a related note, the NHL is considering expanding the league by a team or two in the near future. Why is the league looking to expand when several teams are struggling to fill their buildings? Also, is there enough viable NHL talent to ensure the new teams will be competitive? To build an early fan base, teams should be somewhat successful in the first year or two. As it stands currently, parity exists in the NHL within conferences but the West is clearly superior to many teams in the East with the exception of Montreal, Tampa Bay and maybe Boston. Frankly, the league should look at relocating a team or two to a more viable location. Also, is Las Vegas the best choice? My concern is they are not a traditional hockey market and many of the people who travel to Las Vegas are supporters of other teams who will likely not switch allegiances. Seattle would be a better option as they have a natural rivalry in Vancouver. Quebec City should also get consideration as they are building an NHL capacity arena and being in Canada they will likely be very successful. In short, I support relocation over expansion

Habs fan blogging from British-Columbia.

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Game 19 - Canadiens at Red Wings

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The NHL leading Montreal Canadiens (13-4-1) take their show on the road after a perfect four-game homestand that started with Guy Lapointe's Number 5 being lifted to the rafters. The Habs are in Detroit to face the Red Wings (8-3-5) Sunday night at Joe Louis Arena. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on RDS and City.

This is the second of four meetings between the Habs and Wings, and the first in Detroit. The Canadiens were held without a goal for close to 57 minutes the first time these teams played, and then Alex Galchenyuk put the Habs on the board to tie the game and set up a David Desharnais overtime winner.

What to Watch

The Canadiens power play is back on track with three goals in three attempts on Saturday. P.A. Parenteau, David Desharnais and PK Subban each scored with the man advantage, giving the Canadiens a 3-0 lead, before the Flyers broke the ice. Sergei Gonchar picked up his first point in a Canadiens uniform, and then his second, collecting a pair of assists on the night.

The Wings are coming off a 4-1 win of the Blackhawks on Friday, Luke Glendening came up big with a goal and an assist, just his second and third points on the year. Henrik Zetterberg had an assist on Friday, bringing the team leader up to 17 points in 16 games on the year.

What's at Stake

With the Habs on top of the standings, every win brings the team closer to the Presidents' trophy and first seed in the Eastern Conference. The team has won their last five straight, a season high and the longest streak in the NHL right now.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) is still missing for the Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski is expected to get the start Sunday night, giving Carey Price a break after Saturday night's performance.

The Red Wings are without Jonas Gustavsson (shoulder) and Stephen Weiss (groin), but the injuries to their team's core have cleared up since the last time these teams met

What Else

After being held without a power play goal for 10 games, the Habs have now converted on four opportunities in a row. Since Gonchar's arrival, the Canadiens are four for eight with the man advantage and have jumped up to 23rd in the league at a 14% success rate.

The Question Mark

Now that the power play is fixed beyond a shadow of a doubt, what do the Habs need to work on next?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 Sunday to preview the Canadiens and Red Wings.

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Game 18 - Canadiens vs Flyers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (12-4-1) wrap up their homestand Saturday night when they play host to the Flyers (7-6-2). The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on TVA Sports and Sportsnet.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Flyers, the final game takes place at the Bell Centre in February. The Canadiens took the first meeting of the season in a shootout after scoring three third period goals to draw them even. Andrei Markov started the scoring for Montreal and then added a pair of assists, while P.A. Parenteau scored the only shootout goal for either team to secure the 4-3 victory.

What to Watch

Max Pacioretty picked up a pair of goals Thursday against the Bruins, his first multi-goal and third multi-point game of the season. But even Pacioretty's strong performance didn't compare to Dale Weise's night.

Weise collected a Gordie Howe Hat Trick, starting with a fight against Gregory Campbell, followed up with a penalty shot goal to put the Canadiens on the board, and later adding an assist on Pacioretty's first goal of the night.

It might be hard to miss Jakub Voracek Saturday night if he stays true to form, the 25 year old has 24 points in just 15 games so far this year, just one point back of Sidney Crosby for the league lead. Voracek has points in his last nine games, and has only been held pointless once all season. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Flyers were shutout that game, 4-0 by the Blackhawks.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens are once again at the top of the NHL standings, tied with the Anaheim Ducks for first place in the league. The Habs will also try to extend their four-game win streak on Saturday and keep pace with the league's hottest team, the New York Islanders, who have won five straight.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are missing Michael Bournival (shoulder). With the arrival of Sergei Gonchar, Michel Therrien opted to dress seven defensemen of Thursday, making Drayson Bowman a healthy scratch.

The Flyers defense has taken a beating this season, Luke Schenn (upper body), Andrew MacDonald (lower body), Kimmo Timonen (blood clots), and even reinforcement Shayne Gostisbehere (knee) are all sidelined. Forwards Michael Raffl (lower body) and Ryan White (chest) are also out.

What Else

The Canadiens finally managed to score a power play goal Thursday night against the Bruins, just their fourth on the season. Jiri Sekac found the back of the net with the man advantage, the first Canadiens to do so since October 18 against the Avalanche, 10 games earlier.

Sekac is 15th on the Habs with just 2:35 of power play time. Lars Eller, who picked up an assist on the goal, is faring only slightly better with 3:16 of power play ice time. At the other end of the spectrum, PK Subban and Andrei Markov have both earned over an hour of power play time with the Habs already this year. Max Pacioretty leads all forwards with 43:29 this season.

The Question Mark

From what you've seen so far this year, where would you rank the Habs in the Eastern Conference and the League? Which team is at the top of the list?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Flyers.

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Habs' Bergevin Giving Fans What They Want

Greetings Habs Nation!

Rene Bourque has been sent down to the Hamilton Bulldogs
after clearing Waivers on Monday.

This past week has been quite busy for the Montreal Canadiens GM, Marc Bergevin. Either Bergevin is listening to the Habs faithful or he seems to have at least as much hockey sense as pretty much anyone who can sit through the god awful coverage of Canadiens' games provided by TVA and Sportsnet.

Since taking the reigns as the Habs general manager in May of 2012, he has done nothing but improve the most storied franchise in the NHL and arguably any other professional sport (The Yankees have more championships but... I mean... that's baseball). Bergevin's moves have always been mostly accepted and celebrated in Montreal, but none so far have been quite as popular as the double whammy he pulled off this past week. His moves have people in Montreal so ecstatic that I actually just used the term "double whammy". And for that I apologize.

While this week's dealings may not have been of the blockbuster variety, they saw two players who were at the top of 99% of the fan's hit lists head out of town.

First was the demotion of struggling forward, Rene Bourque. After having quite a successful playoff run with the team last season scoring eight goals and adding three helpers in 17 games, his game has somewhat dropped off in the current campaign. Bourque had registered a mere two assists in 13 contests before coach Michel Therrien decided to have him watch the games from the press box. Nobody could understand what happened to Bourque after his productive playoff run, but to be honest with you I was more curious as to what happened to him during the playoffs after heading into the post season with only 37 points in 128 games as a Canadien.

Bourque spent two games as a healthy scratch before being put on waivers and, not so unexpectedly, clearing them. The snakebitten winger has been assigned to  Hamilton to play for the Habs' AHL affiliate the Bulldogs. I use the term "playing" loosely.

Bourque's spot has since been taken over by 22-year-old Czech rookie, Jiri Sekac. Sekac has registered three points in as many games since re-joining the roster and has provided a spark on the third line alongside Lars Eller and Brandon Prust. Eller, who had also been struggling on Bourque's line has put up three points of his own since Sekac's return, heck even Prust has chalked up two assists.

Bergevin's decision to waive Bourque has forced Sekac into the line-up after sitting out for seven games. In doing that, the Canadiens have scored nine goals in three games, in fact with Sekac in the line-up the team has averaged 3.1 goals a game as opposed the the 1.6 they average without him.

Well played, Bergevin. Well played.

On to move two.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defensemen
Sergei Gonchar in exchange for forward Travis Moen.

Travis Moen was shipped to Dallas in return for 83-year-old defenseman, Sergei Gonchar. Moen was under scrutiny after registering a whopping zero points in nine games this year. Granted, Moen was never really brought to Montreal to score goals, but when your taking up a spot that can be given to players with more offensive upside such as Michael Bournival (who wasn't injured at the time) or the aforementioned Jiri Sekac, fans tend to lose patience quickly.

This trade benefits both sides in a less than drastic way. The Stars make room for their defensemen who could be Gonchar's grandchildren, they drop the $4.6 million cap hit that came with Gonchar (-8% that Dallas will retain... I don't really jump head first into the whole math thing but the numbers are there for you) and they acquire a hard working 3rd/4th liner in Moen.

The Canadiens get a player who can potentially add to the team's man "advantage". Now, one player won't fix this "power"play, but having Gonchar there can't hurt. Until this team starts skating with the extra man and Therrien mixes the lines nothing will change, but that's a whole other story. Finally, while the Habs do have to pay quite a bit for a defenseman whose first defence partner was a triceratops, they drop that next season along with Moen's $1.85 million that was owed on his last year of his contract. This freed up cap space will be crucial in re-signing Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher.

Moen out, Gonchar in. Another fantastic move by Bergevin.

How about your thoughts.

Have we seen the last of Bourque?
Was Bergevin out of line by waiving him just to get Sekac in the line-up (if that was indeed the case)?
What do you feel about the Gonchar signing?

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Game 17 - Canadiens vs Bruins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (11-4-1) play host to the rival Boston Bruins (10-7-0) Thursday night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet360.

This is the second of four meetings between the Habs and Bruins this year, and already the final one in Montreal. The Bruins were in town for the Canadiens' home opener on October 16, a game the Habs won 6-4. Brendan Gallagher led the way for the Habs offensively with two goals, including the game winner, and an assist. Max Pacioretty also tallied three points on the night.

What to Watch

Lars Eller had another strong game against the Jets on Tuesday, scoring the game winning goal for the second straight game. Jiri Sekac picked up his third point in two games with an assist on Eller's goal.

Carey Price posted his first shutout of the season against the Jets, stopping all 29 shots directed his way. In his last two games, Price has given up just one goal on 60 shots after giving up 13 goals in three straight losses.

The Bruins are dealing with injuries to key pieces in David Krejci and Zdeno Chara but can still rely on the services of last year's Selke winner, Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron has points in his last five games with two goals and five assists over that span.

What's at Stake

The Habs will look to extend their three game win streak and keep their spot near the top of the Eastern Conference and the league. Boston is now three points back of the Canadiens and has been keeping pace admirably despite losing their captain for an extended period. A win on Thursday would help add some separation between the Habs and their rivals.

Who's Out

Rene Bourque was sent to Hamilton earlier in the week and now Travis Moen has been traded to Dallas in exchange for Sergei Gonchar. Michael Bournival (shoulder) is out as well. All this lineup shuffling allowed Drayson Bowman to play his first game as a Canadien on Tuesday.

As mentioned, the Bruins are missing David Krejci (lower body) and Zdeno Chara (knee). They were also without Kevan Miller (upper body) when they faced the Maple Leafs Wednesday night, but he is traveling with the team.

What Else

The Canadiens power play has now gone a full eight consecutive games without converting an opportunity. Their last power play goal came against the Avalanche on October 18.

The good news is that two of Montreal's three power play markers came against the Bruins when they last met. Max Pacioretty opened the scoring with a goal on the man advantage and P.A. Parenteau ended the night with another power play goal into an empty net.

The Question Mark

What type of impact do you expect Sergei Gonchar to have for the Habs while he's with the team?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 to preview the Habs and Bruins.

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Moen vs Gonchar Trade Analysis

What a great surprise today! Habs GM Marc Bergevin sure is not fooling around when it comes to building a team, and he has shown us that again today by trading veteran forward Travis Moen to the Dallas Stars in return of veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Not too long ago, I wrote a post where I analyzed Moen's game with the Canadiens where I was saying he needed to go. (for reference, visit: http://www.habsaddict.com/2014/10/why-travis-moen-needs-to-go.html)

For those of you who haven't read my article, I was mostly saying how Moen's intensity dropped down dramatically in the past few years and how he was stealing a spot for a young rookie on a 3rd or 4th line. With Rene Bourque out and Moen traded, now's a great time for Therrien to have rookie Jiri Sekac be part of his main roster as well as trying out players like Drayson Bowman (who just got called back yesterday) for example.

But enough of that, let's analyze Gonchar's play. The veteran defenseman has been out due to an injury since the beginning of the season. He got back in Dallas' line-up on November 4th. In three games this year, he managed to get one assist, a -1 rating, one shot on goal and three hits. Surely it is a pretty slow start, but let's not forget he just started skating about a week or so ago. Let's give him some time.

In his career, Sergei Gonchar managed to notch 219 goals and 579 assists for a total of 798 points in 1,256 games (including 102 powerplay goals and 321 powerplay assists, for a total of 423 powerplay points). At 40 years of age, we aren't expecting him to stay with Montreal for a lot of years. In fact, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year. The reason why Bergevin traded for him is mostly to have another defenseman to help Subban and Markov on the powerplay. At first, we got told Tom Gilbert could do the job, but Marc Bergevin is known for acting quickly when things are not working out, and it's not a secret to anyone that Montreal's powerplay was really terrible.

Financially speaking, Gonchar will earn $5 million this year, while the Dallas Stars will retain 8% of his salary ($400,000, which brings the cap hit down to $4.6 million. Moen is earning $1.85 million for the next two seasons. Technically, Gonchar will cost $2.75 million more than Moen, but considering how Moen played this year (0 point in 9 games), I highly doubt Gonchar could do worst, especially with his background. It is also worth noting Bergevin tried to acquire him last summer.

We will have to wait and see if Gonchar's ankle injury, which kept him out of the line-up at the beginning of the season, will truly affect him in the long term. But as a personal opinion, I am really impressed with this trade and I honestly believe Montreal's powerplay will get back in business, especially right on time for the game against Boston Bruins this upcoming Thursday.

Do you like this trade?

Do you think Marc Bergevin will trade a defenseman for a forward now?

Follow me: @Azgarde54

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Game 16 - Canadiens vs Jets

#MTLHockey Pregame

Match Up

The Canadiens (9-4-1) play host to the Jets (8-5-2) Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the first of two game between the Habs and the Jets, and the only one in Montreal. Last year these teams split their two meetings, with each team winning on the road. Carey Price recorded a 36-save shutout in Winnipeg to help power the Habs to a 3-0 victory in their win last season.

What to Watch

It took a pair of games for Jiri Sekac to displace Rene Bourque in the team's line-up, so much so that Bourque has been reassigned to Hamilton after clearing waivers on Monday. Sekac had a goal, an assist, four shots, and the game's First Star on Saturday.

The Jets have been hot recently and Ondrej Pavelec has been the driving force. Pavelec is 6-2-1 in his last nine starts, allowing just 15 goals on 247 shots for a .939 save percentage. Averaging just 1.87 goals per game, the Jets would probably like a bit more offensive production. Bryan Little, Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler have done most of the heavy lifting for Winnipeg. Combined the trio has 16 of the team's 28 goals.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens need to look over their shoulder as much as they need to look ahead in the Eastern standings. The Bruins and Red Wings are within striking distance behind the Canadiens, while the Lighting are two points ahead.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) is out for at least the next two weeks but the Canadiens are otherwise healthy going in to Wednesday's game.

The Jets will likely be without winger Anthony Peluso (upper body) on Tuesday, he's been out of action since mid-October.

What Else

The Jets come into Tuesday's action with points in their last eight games (6-0-2), a streak that helped put them right into the Western conference playoff conversation and ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks to occupy third spot in the Central division. It's the first time the Jets have a winning record after 15 games since the franchise relocated to Winnipeg.

The Question Mark

What are your thoughts on Rene Bourque's demotion, has he played his last game with the Habs or even his last in the NHL?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Rob Elbaz and Matt Fish for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 Tuesday night to preview the Canadiens and Jets.

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