NHL Draft Day 2, Habs, Oilers, Sens, Flames, Wisniewski, Richards, Rumours and more...

NHL News

Hockey Inside/Out - Audio: Gauthier loads up on the blue line at NHL draft
http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/gauthier-loads-up-on-the-blue-line-at-nhl-draft

No shortage of news from draft
http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/no-shortage-of-news-from-draft

TSN - CANADIENS CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON DEFENCE ON DAY 2 OF NHL DRAFT
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369985

SMYTH'S RETURN TO EDMONTON HELD UP BY HEALTH OF BRULE
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369983

OILERS OPEN SECOND ROUND BY SELECTING DEFENCEMAN MUSIL
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369976

JETS HAPPY WITH FIRST NHL DRAFT, START CROSSING ITEMS OFF LIST
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369984

FLAMES SIGN TANGUAY TO 5-YEAR, $17.5 MILLION EXTENSION
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369972

SENATORS ACQUIRE FILATOV FROM BLUE JACKETS FOR 3RD ROUND PICK
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369973

LIGHTNING ACQUIRE D GERVAIS FROM ISLANDERS FOR FUTURES
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369975

RANGERS SEND GRACHEV TO BLUES FOR 3RD-ROUND PICK
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=369981

THN.com - Campbell: NHL contracts, salary cap will lead to CBA issues in 2012
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41055-Campbell-NHL-contracts-salary-cap-will-lead-to-CBA-issues-in-2012.html

VIDEO: THN Puck Panel – Day 2 wrap-up
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41054-VIDEO-THN-Puck-Panel-Day-2-wrapup.html

Kennedy: NHL draft Day 2 full of Minnesota storylines
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41050-Kennedy-NHL-draft-Day-2-full-of-Minnesota-storylines.html

Spector's Hockey - The Brad Richards Watch – June 25, 2011
http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/06/25/the-brad-richards-watch-june-25-2011/

Latest on the Penguins, Habs, Blackhawks & Lightning
http://spectorshockey.net/wordpress/2011/06/25/latest-on-the-penguins-habs-blackhawks-lightning/

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images North America)

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Montreal Canadiens' Bob Gainey Made Mistakes: Will Pierre Gauthier Be Better?

Over the last few months, there has been a lot of talk in the city of Montreal about Bob Gainey's failings as a GM. Not about him as a person, mind you, as Gainey is a classy, respectful individual through and through. No, talk has been more of an indictment of his professional skills. So yesterday, when news broke that he was stepping aside, the Canadiens fan base was energized with the thought of heading in a new direction.

It had become clear, over the last few years, that Gainey was a man who's management style was more in line with the pre-lockout NHL than the current version of the game.

In the pre-lockout days, if your owner's pockets were deep enough and his mind was willing enough, you could pretty much buy a contending team. Now, money doesn't guarantee success—as the New York Rangers have seen year after year—but it does give a lot more flexibility to the management team.

In the old days, a GM could throw as much money as possible at top players in an effort to acquire a great collection of talent. If the player didn't work out with the team, the GM could just buy them out at the end of the season without blinking an eye.

As such, GM's were able to walk away from erroneous player acquisitions and just go fishing for new ones in the free agent or trade markets. If the owner had the means, money wasn't an obstacle to success.

In Montreal, however, Gainey's old strategies have not worked out as well. In the post-lockout, salary capped-NHL, you can't just throw money at a problem and hope it works out. Free agent mistakes can severely handicap a team, as they can be stuck with an albatross of a contract for years.

The Scott Gomez contract, for example, is the perfect illustration of this problem. Gomez, who is a talented player, is not worth anywhere near his $7.357 million cap hit. In reality, he is likely worth about half of that. The problem now is that unless they can convince some other sucker GM to take him off of their hands, the Habs are stuck with his contract for the next four years.

In the old NHL, GMs could just buyout his contract without having to worry about any salary cap ramifications. Now, however, buying out his contract will result in a substantial cap hit for the next eight years—double his remaining term—and as such, Gomez is largely untradeable.

A second glaring mistake that Gainey has made year after year, was to let valuable assets walk away from the team without getting anything in return.

Komisarek, Souray, Streit, Koivu, Tanguay, Kovalev just to name a few players, could have netted the Canadiens a bunch of draft picks and/or prospects and/or roster players. Instead, one-by-one, Gainey chose to let them walk away with no compensation. This is a strategy that can cripple a team and has done major damage to the depth of the Montreal Canadiens organization.

Another mistake that Gainey made was to thrust Price into the spotlight too soon and then keep him there despite his struggles. While I, personally, feel that Price does have the potential to become an elite goaltender in this league, I think that Gainey should have shown more patience with him.

Rather than keeping Price with the team when he was struggling early on, they should have sent him back to Hamilton to get his game up to speed. Conversely, if Gainey was hell-bent on keeping Price in Montreal, he should have better insulated his star prodigy. The best way to do that would have been to go out and get a veteran backup to help guide and mold Price.

Gainey's best chance to insulate Price was when he traded Huet. It was at that time that he should have brought in a veteran backup to help Price. Unfortunately, Gainey did not do this and Price, and the team, have suffered for it ever since.

Another huge failing of the Bob Gainey era is that his professional scouting department has been weak. This is the department that was headed up by now Habs GM, Pierre Gauthier. Gauthier, so you know, is the man under who's watch both Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya left the team, when he was in Anaheim. He was also the guy who told Gainey that Gill and Mara would make excellent additions to the Habs roster. Gauthier convinced Gainey that Spacek was still at the top of his game, when he signed him this summer as well as telling him that Streit was a one-hit wonder.

All of this to say that it is a generally accepted notion that Gauthier's track record for pro scouting is poor, to say the least. Despite this undeniable truth, Gainey chose to make Gauthier the head of that very important hockey department and this move too, has caused the Habs a lot of problems.

With Gainey's announcement that he was stepping aside, the Habs had a great opportunity to make a departure from the management group that has led them for the last seven years. Given that the Habs have never made it past the second round of the playoffs during Gainey's tenure, you would think that they would want to try something different.

Perhaps with the timing of Gainey's resignation—just before the two week Olympic break—the Canadiens brass would slap an "interim" tag at the front of Pierre Gauthier's GM title, and do an exhaustive search to determine who would be best suited to the position.

Who knows, maybe after the search they would have determined that Gauthier was still the best candidate for the job. But to outright name him THE guy, without considering any other candidates makes me scratch my head and wonder why.

Judging from the largely negative reaction of people on Twitter and fan boards across the city, it seems like the Habs fan base is also upset about this move.

My problem is not so much with Gauthier but more with the Habs' rush to name him as GM. What was the rush? Why didn't the Habs name him as interim GM, if only until the end of the season, in order to see what options were out there?

But alas, the deed has been done. Gainey is gone and his right-hand man, Gauthier, is here to take over. I think, out of fairness to the man, we have to reserve judgment until we see what Gauthier can do. He has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and some very important decisions to make.

On the more immediate horizon, Gauthier has to tackle the Olympic trade deadline, the March 3rd NHL trade deadline, Plekanec's contract and Halak and Price's contract renewals and/or trades.

With all of these balls up in that air at the same time, we have to hope that Gauthier knows how to juggle. To his credit, there were some encouraging signs from his press conference, as Gauthier explained that the Habs have already started talking with Plekanec's agent. He also explained that he was happy with the goaltending situation and that Halak was not being traded.

Nice words, but let's not forget that he said the same thing about Kariya, in Anaheim, the week before he traded him. So hold on to your hats, ladies and gentleman, because this ride might get a little bumpy.

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Montreal-Tampa Bay - Habs Lay Another Egg in 3-0 Loss

Image via Wikipedia

The state of Florida was not kind to the Habs over the last two days. Despite the sunny weather there is a grey cloud that has formed over the Habs' heads and they are struggling to shake it. After a dismal performance against the Panthers on Tuesday, the Habs were in Tampa yesterday, to play the Lightning. They did so through whispers of locker room dissent and rumours of a Markov vs. Price yelling match last week.

Despite the distractions, you would figure that the Habs would come out like lions, ready to avenge their pathetic effort versus the Panthers only 24 hours earlier. But alas. While they were marginally better in the first period than the previous night, the Habs looked essentially just as flat and the result was the same: Another day, another weak effort and another loss by the Montreal Canadiens.

Despite outshooting the Lightning 12-8 in the first - and 33-30 overall - the Habs went into the first intermission down by a goal. The goal came on a nice play by Downie to get the puck cross crease to St. Louis who popped it in. Team Quebec South 1, Habs 0.

After St. Louis' goal, you could see the Habs were deflated and none more the Price. This malaise carried over into the second period that would see the Lightning score twice in the first six minutes of the period and the game was over.

Final result Team Quebec South 3, Habs 0 with Lecavalier picking up one goal and one assist, St. Louis getting one goal and Alex Tanguay also chipping in with one assist.

The Lightning were simply the better team last night from start to finish. They were quicker, won more battles, capitalized on more turnovers and won more faceoffs. The Habs had their chances, mind you, but were shutout on all three powerplays and were, generally speaking, limited to shots from the outside.

With Price in nets, you were kind of hoping that the Habs would put up a good effort, for a change, but their pattern of playing poorly in front of him continued and his fragile confidence took yet another hit. I am not sure how much more he can take before he is becomes a completely shattered man.

Game Notes:
1 - It's not Price's fault. While Price didn't look that great in the net, he certainly cannot be blamed for the loss. As has become customary, the team plays terrible hockey when Price is in the net. I imagine that it stems from a lack of confidence in the goalie or from wanting to help him out more defensively. Whatever the reason, it is a vicious cycle. Price, before a game, is surely aware that his teammates don't play well in front of him so he wants to make sure not to get scored on first. His teammates are also aware of his fragility and become more defensive on the ice as a result. As soon as the first goal goes in and the Habs are trailing, everyone’s psychology shifts to a "...here we go again" attitude.

Last night was no different as you could see the whole team deflate after the first Tampa goal. And while Price was pretty weak to start the game, he did settle down in the latter half of the second and played a solid third. The problem, as usual, is that he got no support from his teammates.

Bad turnovers, missed defensive assignments and a general lack of cohesion meant that Price was left to his own devices on too many occasions. I know that many people in the city of Montreal want to trade Price at this point. Ship him out of town and give the reigns over to Halak. That's one option. But what is it that is lacking in the Habs organization that prevents them from properly developing prospects? Why is it that every time a young, talented player starts going off the rails, the only solution is to get rid of him? Surely the Habs are not the only team that has to deal with young kids with huge paychecks and even bigger egos? Surely they are not the only ones who have to guide their prospects in the right direction? So why then, is the answer always to trade the player?

I feel that Price still can be the franchise goaltender that everyone hoped he would become. But we have to remember that he is only 22 years old, firstly. And secondly, Price needs a guide as he seems to be floating right now. I still firmly believe that Price needs a mentor, a veteran backup who has been there and who Price can look up to. Good, bad or ugly, Huet provided that influence to Price during his first year with the team. Since Huet was traded, however, Price has been adrift and I don't understand why the Canadiens, as an organization, do not see that and are not taking steps to correct the situation.

If your organization is not able to properly develop players, then it is lacking at some fundamental level. All signs, right now, point to the Gainey-run operation as having gaping holes in it. It remains to be seen if Gainey will retain his job after the season is over, but the more I see the more I become convinced that Gainey's philosophy on how to run a team is dated. That the game has changed and that managers must change with the times. Gainey is employing an antiquated management style and, as of yet, has not taken steps to correct it.

2 - This team is a patchwork. When Gainey blew up his team, this past summer, and quickly reconstructed another, you have to wonder what he was thinking. Looking at the team as it is, it doesn't look like he had a plan. By that I mean that there are simply too many players on the team playing out of their element.

MAB, a defenseman, is playing as a forward. Spacek, who has played for nine of his ten years as a left defenseman, is playing on the right side - and is clearly uncomfortable doing so. Lapierre, a center, has been shifted to the wing many times. Maxwell, a center, is recalled from Hamilton and plays on the wing in Montreal. All of these decisions mean that there are players on the team who are not entirely comfortable. While this is not the only thing that ails the Habs, it definitely does not help their cause.

I still don't understand the discrepancy between the players Gainey signed in the summer and the coach/system that is being employed. Gainey signed a bunch of offensive, attacking style players and hired a coach who employs a defensive style. Am I the only one who finds that a bit goofy?

3 - Is Jacques Martin delusional? During his post-game press conference, a relatively upbeat Jacques Martin said that he thought the Habs played a good game and that they were beaten by good goals. The goals part I'll agree with but a good game? Really? What game was he watching? I also can't help but notice that he is always talking about the team like the season has just started and there are a few things they have to work on.

Last night, in particular, Martin said that the team just has to work on going to the net more. Sorry, Jacques, but we are 55 games into the season. Shouldn't your team have learned your system and what they have to do by now? Shouldn't they already know to go to the net? If they don't, then that, to me, is evidence of a serious disconnect between the coach and his players.


Standings and Next Game:
The Habs did themselves no favours by losing these two games in Florida. With a golden opportunity to pull away from the pack, the Habs came up empty. As such, they are stalled at 55 points in 55 games and are on pace for an 82 point season. With Philly, Florida and the Rangers ahead and holding four, two and one game in hand, respectively the climb ahead could be treacherous.

However, with Boston, Atlanta, Tampa and the Isles all tied with 54 points and four, three, three and two games in hand, the Habs now have to look in their rear view mirror. With so many teams just ahead or behind the Habs in the standings, with so many games in hand, the Habs seem poised to take a tumble. They could, conceivably find themselves very quickly in 13th overall in the East and 26th overall in the league. Now that's parity!

The Habs now have two days off before taking on the Senators in Ottawa on Saturday. Despite their two-game losing streak I wouldn't write this team off just yet because they have shown that they can be very deceptive. Just when you think they are going to go on a roll, they lose a bunch of games. Just when you think they are going to lose a bunch of games they pull out an outstanding win.

All that is left is to see which team shows up on Saturday: Jekyll or Hyde.

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