On Sunday , the rumors were swirling on the social media that unrestricted free agent Dustin Penner, who is still without a contract, was looking to get a professional try-out from several NHL teams in order to land a gig for the upcoming season, and the Montreal Canadiens would be one of the interested teams.
The hulking left winger scored 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 67 games between the Anaheim Ducks and the Washington Capitals, posting a +25 plus/minus rating in the process along with 30 penalty minutes. Penner had much more success before the trade, posting a 0.65 PPG ratio in Anaheim before recording a putrid 0.16 PPG pace with Washington.
The 31-year-old winger is looking for a last chance to prove he still belongs to the NHL after seeing his offensive numbers decrease over the years, having his best offensive season in 2009-2010 with the Edmonton Oilers when he potted 32 goals and 31 assists for 63 points in 82 games. The 6'4'', 242-lb is exactly what the Habs need in their bottom-six as Penner's former teammate, Travis Moen, is now a shadow of his former self.
Bringing Penner to the Habs' training camp would also be a very inexpensive option to challenge other players vying for a roster stop, especially rookie Jiri Sekac and inconsistent winger Rene Bourque. The native of Winkler, Manitoba would give everything he can to land another professional contract and the worst that could happen for the organization would be a disappointing showing. Should that happen and Penner doesn't live to the expectations, they could simply release him before the season and Ta-dam, no harm's done!
On the other hand, if Penner plays very well and finds chemistry with someone like Lars Eller, then Marc Bergevin would have the option to sign him at an affordable one-year contract and try to trade a more expensive contract such as Travis Moen (owed $1.85M/year over two years) or Rene Bourque (owed $3.33M/year over two years).
Fun fact: Did you know that Dustin Penner and former Hab winger Richard Zednik have one thing in common?
They have the same ex-wife, actress Jessica Welch, who is a native of Montreal! Penner and Welch even tied the knot in Montreal during the 2011 All-Star break so Dustin is very familiar with the area.
Penner, who is a pretty colorfoul player on Twitter (@dustinpenner25), would certainly be a fan favorite in Montreal, much like Mike Weaver since his arrival last season.
Do you think Penner will trade the pancakes for the poutine if the Canadiens offer him a contract?
Now that the NHL draft is complete, its time to move our focus towards free agency. This time of year is always big for creating our own fantasy lineups and wish lists. While most of those off-season trade wishes -- I'd love to see David Desharnais dealt straight up for Sidney Crosby -- will never come to fruition, its nevertheless fun to imagine. This is not one of those wish list posts.
There are some glaring needs for the Habs entering the off-season. Size up the middle at center is always a desire, as is adding size and grit to the wings. A large, skilled forward is free-agency priority #1 for Marc Bergevin. While we are set in goal at the NHL level (Carey Price and Peter Budaj), we do not have much NHL-ready depth at the position. While the Habs drafted Zachary Fucale, he is at least 3 years away from breaking camp at the NHL level and is better served to apprentice in Hamilton for the next 4-5 years. Depth on defence is always desirable but with the promising AHL players we
have (Tinordi, Beaulieu, Pateryn), signing a defender is not necessarily
a priority.
I really enjoy the Hot-Stove discussions of the off-season. Discussing players and their fits with the Habs is one of the best ways to spend the time during the slow-news summer months. The following list is compiled of some of the NHL free-agentswho fit the mold of what the Habs need, along with my personal opinion about signing them and my odds of the Habs' chances of landing said player.
Vincent Lecavalier
Intangibles: Brings a 6'4" frame, considerable offensive skill, a Stanley Cup winning pedigree and French Canadian status to the table. Is also 33 years old, showing signs of decline and is arguably the top name available on the Free Agent (FA) market. Market demand will be high, as will potential salary demands. Opinion: I would love to see Lecavalier in a Habs jersey. But not at a steep price. Starting to decline offensively and showing signs of the injury bug creeping into his game. With the demand for his services high, he will probably land a 5 year/25 million dollar contract. While I would pay him that yearly salary, I do not like him at this contract length. Habs Odds: 50%
Nathan Horton
Intangibles: A true power-forward who tends to step up his game in the post-season. When healthy, will provide 25-30 goals, 55-60 points and solid physical play and is sound defensively. Stanley Cup winner/finalist in Boston. However, rarely healthy and coming off a disappointing 2013 regular season. Opinion: I've always been a fan of Horton's and his well-rounded game. He is only 28 years of age and will command a large salary. I always felt Horton was overpaid at $4-million per season and he wants more. He wants to be a $5 million per year player. Sorry but no. He would look good on a second line with Desharnais, but his propensity for injuries is worrisome as is the price to land him. Habs Odds: 20%
David Clarkson
Intangibles: 29 year-old grinder turned sniper potted a career-high 30 goals in 2012 and came back with 15 goals in the strike-shortened 2013 season. Extremely physical player will drive to the net, throw his weight around and drop the gloves. Similar skill-set to Brandon Prust, with better hands. However, rather one-dimensional and benefited from top-line ice time on a bad New Jersey Devils team. Will command a rather inflated salary in free-agency. Opinion: I would love to see Clarkson in Montreal. He would fit in extremely well with Galchenyuk and Gallagher while crowding the crease on the power-play. The size and physical aspect of his game is something lacking in the lineup. A contract along the lines of 4 years/$14 million ($3.5 million per year) is the max I would hand out, but knowing how inflated the FA market gets, highly unlikely that would be enough to land Clarkson. Habs Odds: 35%
Ryan Clowe
Intangibles: A tough physical player with size (6'2", 225 lbs), the 30-year old Clowe was rumored to Montreal at the deadline and has been a darling of fellow bloggers here at the Addict. His willingness to throw his weight around and the drop the gloves will compliment Prust in the lineup and has a more rounded game than fellow scoring-grinder Clarkson. However, his offensive numbers decreased for the second year in a row as he battled some nagging injuries. Opinion: I did not want the Habs to trade for Clowe at the deadline, as I felt the price to land him was too high. As a free agent, I would be willing to give him a 3 year deal at around the same $3.5 million cap hit he played under in San Jose. Whether this is enough to land him is unknown. Habs Odds: 40%
Dustin Penner
Intangibles: Large (6'5", 245 lbs) winger has scored goals at an NHL level (1-time 30 goal scorer, 3-time 20 goal scorer). Two-time Stanley Cup winner. However, has not contributed any consistent offense since being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings in 2010/11. Has a tendency to float and lacks a consistent drive. Often times has been a healthy scratch with the Kings. Opinion: Penner played well entering his free-agent year of 2006/07, landing an offer-sheet from the Edmonton Oilers. Was a consistent producer for the Oilers, but never developed as anticipated. At his current $3.25 million rate, or for multiple years, I would stay away. If we can sign him for a one-year, show me the money deal at a discounted rate ($2 million maximum), I'd take a flyer on him. Nothing more. Habs Odds: 20%
Brendan Morrow
Intangibles: Gritty, physical player has good leadership skills. Has scored goals (5 time 20-goal scorer, 2 time 30 goal scorer) and throws his weight around. A Stanley Cup winner with the Dallas Stars and an Olympic gold medal in 2010, Morrow has played well at the highest level. However, at 34 years-old he is feeling the effects of his style of play. Offensive skills have been declining and he was bitten by the injury bug the past couple of seasons. Opinion: Washed up veteran will be overpaid based on his name and resume, or will sign a team-friendly deal with one of the top Stanley Cup contenders (Pittsburgh could re-sign him, Chicago or Boston could be in the mix depending on the moves made by Bickell and Horton, respectively). I would not pursue this option. Habs Odds: 5%
Dan Ellis Jose Theodore Chris Mason Mathieu Garon Michael Leighton Yann Danis Jason Labarbera Brian Boucher
Intangibles: Experienced NHL goaltenders, with starting experience on the downside of their careers who may be willing to sign minor-league deals and provide organizational depth. However, they are all experienced NHL goaltenders on the downside of their careers who will provide nothing more than organizational depth. Opinion: Dan Ellis was coveted by the Habs prior to signing Peter Budaj before he chose to sign with Carolina. Theodore, Garon, Mason and Leighton would be decent options in Hamilton who can be called up in case of injuries to Price or Budaj. All should be cheap. Any one would suffice. Habs Odds: 30% chance of landing one of them.
More than one quarter into the 2011-12 NHL season, it’s time to have a look at the most overpaid NHLers who don’t contribute as much as their team and the general manger who signed them would like. Please note that I have not included players whose contract is buried in the AHL or oversees such as Jeff Finger, Rotislav Olesz, Wade Redden and Cristobal Huet. Players are listed by team alphabetical order and by cap hit.
Lubomir Visnovsky, Anaheim – $5,600,000 cap hit After his best offensive season in the NHL, during which he scored a league-leading 68 points among defensemen, Visnovsky has been a big disappointment this year in Anaheim. The talented rearguard had only four points in 16 games before he sustained a broken thumb that will put him on the shelf for at least a month.
Ville Leino, Buffalo – $4,500,000 cap hit Signed to a six-year deal as a free agent by the Sabres this summer, Leino has been a major disappointment in Buffalo. With only 6 points and a -5 differential in 24 games this season, Leino is considered the worst free-agent signing of 2011.
Jay Bouwmeester, Calgary – $6,680,000 cap hit Acquired from Florida by the Flames before the 2009-10 season, Bouwmeester’s offence has always been overrated, having never broke the 50-point barrier in a single season. Entering the third year of his five-year contract, Bouwmeester has only one goal and six assists for seven points in 23 games.
Eric Staal, Carolina – $8,250,000 cap hit Coming off a very good season, during which the Hurricanes captain recorded 76 points in 81 games, Staal has been slumping badly this season without his former line-mate Erik Cole, who has signed a multi-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens. Staal has a league-worse -18 ratio to go along with only 12 points in 26 games.
Tomas Kaberle, Carolina – $4,250,000 cap hit Signed as a free agent by Carolina in the off-season after winning the Stanley Cup with the Bruins, Kaberle has only one goal and 13 assists for 14 points in 49 games since he got traded by the Maple Leafs last season. The offensive defenseman has zero goal this season to go with a dismal -12 ratio.
Ed Jovanovski, Florida – $4,125,000 cap hit Signed as a free agent to a four-year contract by Florida this summer, Jovocop is more like a mall guard these days. With only five points in 23 games this season, Jovanovski has seen his offensive output decline steadily since his 51-point campaign in 2007-08. The oft-injured rearguard finished 2010-11 with only 14 points in 50 games with Phoenix.
Dustin Penner, Los Angeles – $4,250,000 cap hit Entering the last year of a five-year deal he signed with the Oilers, the Penner experiment has been a major failure with the Kings. The oversized forward's production has been nearly non-existent this season with only two assists in fourteen games, before he sustained a hand injury.
Marek Zidlicky, Minnesota – $4,000,000 cap hit The oft-injured Zidlicky missed 36 contests last season due to injury, recording only 24 points in 46 games. This year, Zidlicky's production has been almost non-existent; in 18 games, the offensive-minded rearguard has zero goal and six assists for only six points.
Scott Gomez, Montreal – $7,357,143 cap hit Acquired prior to the 2009-10 season by Montreal, Gomez had an average year two years ago, recording 59 points in 78 games. However, since then, his play has been declining fast. Last year, he only managed seven goals and 38 points in 80 games, while the season he has yet to score a goal (4 assists) in 13 games. He's currently sidelined with a groin injury.
Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey – $6,666,667 cap hit After signing a very expensive 15-year contract prior to the 2010-11 season, Kovalchuk's production has been subpar at best. Known as a point-per-game player in Atlanta, Kovalchuk finished with only 60 points in 81 games last year, while this season, the Russian sniper has only scored four goals and 13 points in 17 contests with the Devils. This contract could prove very costly, as the Devils are rumoured to be bankrupted and all-star Zach Parise is slated to become a free agent at season's end.
Brian Rolston, New York Islanders – $5,062,500 cap hit Acquired from the Devils in the off-season for his veteran leadership, Rolston's production has been in steady decline since the 2005-06 campaign during which he recorded 79 points with Minnesota. This year, Rolston has been mediocre at best, notching only three goals and three assists for six points in 20 games with the Islanders.
Rick Dipietro, NY Islanders – $4,500,000 cap hit Re-signed to a 15-year contract prior to the 2006-07 season, Dipietro’s career has been marred with injuries. This season, Dipietro has been healthy, but he has not played much losing his starting to veteran Evgeni Nabokov first, and then to back-up Al Montoya who has been playing well. he’s also been mediocre posting a 3.44 GAA and a pathetic .885 save % in only seven games.
Ilya Bryzgalov, Philadelphia – $5,666,667 cap hit Acquired from the Coyotes before the season by the Flyers, Breezer has been colder than a winter night in January in Winnipeg. Bryzgalov, who was signed to a nine-year contract to stabilize the Flyers goaltending position has been more than shaky. In 15 starts, Breezer has eight wins with a subpar 2.89 GAA and a less than stellar .897 save %.
Paul Martin, Pittsburgh – $5,000,000 cap hit Signed as a free agent in the summer of 2010, Martin was brought for his steady and calm presence on the blue line. After a so-so campaign last year during which Martin managed 24 points in 77 games, the 30 year-old blue liner is having a tough season so far despite the Penguins' success. Through 25 games, Martin has yet to find the back of the net, while adding only eight assists. He also has a team-worse -9 ratio.
Martin Havlat, San Jose – $5,000,000 cap hit Acquired in the off-season from the Wild for forward Dany Heatley, Havlat has had trouble adapting to his new team after a 62-point campaign in Minnesota last season. After 17 games, Havlat has scored only one goal and added eight assists for nine points in 17 games with the Sharks.
Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay – $7,727,273 cap hit Lecavalier was signed to a 11-year contract extension by Tampa Bay before the 2009-10 season. Lecavalier rewarded the Lightning with a paltry 70-point campaign in 2009-10 and an even less impressive season of 54 points in 2010-11. This season, Lecavalier has been inconsistent, scoring ten goals and adding seven assists for 17 points in 23 games, on pace for only 60 point, which is not enough for the face of the franchise.
Mike Komisarek, Toronto $4,500,000 cap hit After flourishing as a bruising defenseman alongside Andrei Markov, Komisarek joined the Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2009. This year, Komisarek had only one goal and three assists for four points in 18 games before breaking his arm. After being made a healthy scratch a few times, now Komisarek will be sidelined for almost eight weeks.
Keith Ballard, Vancouver $4,250,000 cap hit Currently in only the third year of a six-year deal, Ballard has been far from impressive since his acquisition from the Panthers. Ballard was often made a healthy scratch during the Canucks cup run last spring. So far this year, Ballard has only recorded a mere two points in 22 games to go along with a -6 plus/minus ratio.
Roberto Luongo, Vancouver $5,333,333 cap hit Luongo's play has been slowly fading in recent years, and his inconsistency in last year's playoffs has planted a seed of doubt in the mind of the Canucks fans. With ten more years to go to his twelve-year contract and this season, Luongo is the clear #1 goaltender in Vancouver. Well, not necessarily as youngster Corey Schneider has started the past six games and doesn't want to give the job to the struggling Luongo. Bobby Loo has a back-up calibre GAA of 2.97 to go along with a borderline .900 save % in 13 games this season.
Alexander Semin, Washington $6,700,000 cap hit The unpredictable Russian had a slumping season under former head coach Bruce Boudreau, scoring only ten points in 22 games. Semin was even made a healthy scratch once. Now that Boudreau is gone, Semin should find his motivation back and start producing offensively if he wants to cash in big at season's end as he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
Please note that I omitted players who have been injured most of the season such as Jason Blake, Kristian Huselius, Andy McDonald, Ryan Whitney and Andrei Markov.
If you think I missed an overpaid NHLer, please let me know in the comments section.
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Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.
Another NHL trade deadline has come and gone and, once again, Habs GM Pierre Gauthier failed to make a trade for an impact player. As such, when the 3:00 PM EST deadline came and went yesterday afternoon, the anger and hand-wringing among Habs fans started in earnest.
It seems that year after year—since Bob Gainey became the GM of the team in June, 2003—the Canadiens have failed to act at the trade deadline while teams around them are continually making deals.
Aside from the trade that brought Alex Kovalev to Montreal at the 2003-2004 trade deadline, neither Gainey nor Gauthier has made anything more than depth acquisitions over their tenures.
So what does this say about the Canadiens' management philosophy?
Are their GMs, from Gainey to Gauthier, timid, uninterested, delusional about the quality of their teams or just too conservative to make an impact trade?
Hardly.
Love them or hate them, Gauthier, and Gainey before him, are eminently qualified to be General Managers in the NHL. Moreover, as much as fans and media alike enjoy pontificating about moves that should or shouldn't be made, few of them, myself included, have the ability to actually manager an NHL team.
So while it's nice to dream, there are some very clear realities in place that often trump the desire to make a splash.
Gauthier was working the phones
By all indications, Pierre Gauthier was extremely aggressive in this year's trade market, working the phones in an attempt to add scoring punch to his team. But when you're out there fishing for big fish the asking price is usually high and sometimes you have to know when to walk away.
The name that is on everyone's lips this morning is Dustin Penner, since he is a player that many Habs fans thought would be a great fit in Montreal. Moreover, most thought that the Canadiens could just swap Andrei Kostitsyn for Penner, straight up.
While Penner undoubtedly brings the scoring size that the Habs are missing from their lineup, he also brings baggage and a hefty price tag. Penner has scored 21 goals this season and 32 last year, but, much like Kostitsyn, he has been dogged by inconsistent compete levels.
Moreover, with one more year on his contract after this season at $4.25 million per, Penner would not exactly have been a cheap addition.
Prior to him being dealt to the Kings, there was a fake rumour being floated around that the Habs had acquired Penner for Jarred Tinordi and a 1st round pick. Looking at how much the Kings gave up for him, that price sounds about right.
The L.A. Kings, in my estimation, grossly overpaid by giving up defensive prospect Colten Teubert, a 2011 first-round pick and a 2012 conditional third-round pick. Teubert, who was selected 13th overall in the 2008 draft, is projected to be a power-house stay-at-home defenseman who should growing into a top-two or three role in the future.
The only players or prospects in the Habs' system that fit this bill are Tinordi and P.K. Subban.
The Habs are not a contender
If the Canadiens were going to compete with or beat the Kings' offer, they would have to give up a similar package to the Kings—essentially two first round picks and a conditional third.
But would that have been in the Habs' best interest? Would Habs fans be happy to see Tinordi or Subban shipped out of town for Penner?
In my estimation, no.
The reality is that despite some success this season, the Canadiens are a middling team and need more than once piece to be considered a contender. Sure adding a big, scoring winger to the mix would help the Canadiens but it would not put them over the top.
The Habs have too many holes to be plugged by just one player and unless they would be acquiring a young, proven player that could play on the team for three-plus seasons, there was no reason to mortgage the future.
The window to being a contender is just starting to open, for Montreal, and there was no reason to jump the gun by trading away key picks and assets unless there was a reasonable certainty it would get them to the Cup final.
With young players like Lars Eller, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty, Carey Price, Subban and Ryan White already playing on the team and prospects like Louis Leblanc, Jarred Tinordi, Alexander Avtsin and Danny Kristo in the pipeline, the future is bright for the Canadiens.
So while acquiring a player at the deadline is always exciting for fans, it's not always in the best interest of the team. As such, I believe that by sitting on his hands Pierre Gauthier made the right move by not moving at all.
The Canadiens fate lies in the player’s hands now. The lineup is set and despite their struggles they still have the ability to start the playoffs with home-ice advantage.
From there, as they have done all season, Montreal will go as far as Carey Price can take them and, while they are not a contender on paper, anything can happen once the playoffs start.
The Team 990's Sunday Shinny - Episode 11 - February 27, 2011
In this episode of the Sunday Shinny, where Gary Whittaker and Kamal Panesar of HabsAddict, welcome Kyle Roussel of Cowhide And Rubber to the studio.
Topics include:
-A very interactive hour with many of the fans calling in to give their opinions on both coach Jacques Martin and GM Pierre Gauthier
-Discuss if the Canadiens fans deserve to have a GM who wants to build a contender, or if being competitive with a chance to win is enough
-With trade deadline so close, we give a yea or nay on the names that have been associated with the Montreal Canadiens
Click play below to listen in (listing time 40:26):
--- Kamal is a freelance Habs writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and Habs writer on TheFranchise.ca. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on The Team 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 8 - 9 AM. Listen live at http://www.team990.com/
(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images North America)
Without a doubt the NHL trade deadline is the most exciting part of an NHL season with the possible exception of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It is the time of year where we all play arm-chair GM, while dreaming of the possible acquisitions of players who have long been rumoured to be destined for the Bleu Blanc Rouge.
This year in particular, with the almost constant dissatisfaction with Scott Gomez and Andrei Kostitsyn and with more than $4 million in cap space available, the stars seemed aligned for Pierre Gauthier to not only make his mark as GM but ultimately transform the Habs from a pretender to a contender.
Unfortunately, the consistent aspirations of adding that elusive power-forward did not come to pass. When all was said and done the Montreal Canadiens decided to do little more than to boost the depth at the goaltender position with the acquisition of Drew McIntyre; now destined for the Hamilton Bulldogs.
From a fans perspective, this lack of movement from Pierre Gauthier is quite disheartening. With more than $4 million in cap space—potentially more available with the LTIR to Jaroslav Spacek—and with glaring holes on offense, we were expecting much but received little.
When you hear of players like James Neal or Chris Stewart being dealt just prior to the trade deadline, you have no choice but to cringe and ask why these sorts of deals are not made by Montreal.
Take a quick glance at Twitter or any hockey discussion forum, and you will see the passionate pleas of fan base crying for the immediate resignation of Gauthier and Jacques Martin.
Is this discontent just? Did Gauthier miss out on an opportunity or did the market just not transform, as was predicted from within the organization?
Seriously folks, sit back, put your feet up, take a deep breath and just relax for a minute.
Asking Price was Simply Too High
Take a quick glance at any one of my other blogs and you’ll notice a consistent message: The Montreal Canadiens need to get bigger and they need to get tougher. It is a philosophy which is likely shared by the majority of the Habs fan base around the world.
Gauthier could have very easily acquired Zenon Konopka or Chris Neil or Dustin Penner if he so chose to, but the market at this year’s deadline was a seller’s market.
Out of 30 NHL teams only about six of them are truly out of playoff contention. That translates into 24 teams trying to feed off the jettisoned players from Florida, Edmonton, Atlanta, St. Louis, Colorado and Ottawa.
The market for players was, in my opinion, dictated two weeks ago when Tomas Kaberle—who is a good puck moving defenseman but far from being considered an elite player—was traded for a top prospect, a first round pick and a second round pick.
At yesterday's trade deadline this kind of mind-bogglingly high price continued to be demanded.
The asking price for a fourth line center with less than a handful of points, in Konopka, was a second round draft pick. Better yet, a 6’4 forward who will net you only around 25 goals a year, in Dustin Penner, was dealt for a top rated prospect, a first round pick and a conditional third round pick.
Are you serious? Talk about overpaying for what's out there!
Let’s be honest here ladies and gentleman, it was a classic case where supply was much lower than the demand which ultimately allowed the seller's to dictate their own terms.
Too Many Injuries
When Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges and now Jaro Spacek all go down with injuries, it takes assets to maintain a competitive line-up. I hate to paraphrase but Gauthier said it best; “You save and save for a great vacation but then ultimately dip heavily into those savings to fix a leaky roof”.
Our second round draft pick was sent packing in order to secure James Wizniewski. Our fourth round pick and Ben Maxwell was used to secure a Brent Sopel and finally our fifth round selection was used to secure the depth of Paul Mara.
Had injuries not been a factor in the current season, Gauthier could have easily parted ways with these assets to secure a player like a Brad Boyes or possibly a Jason Arnott for instance, but circumstances required him to act early to allow the team to maintain its course to the playoffs.
Where do we go from here?
I have previously stated that when Gauthier was originally named GM of this team, my rage was expressed throughout every possible hockey forum I knew about.
My feelings however have done a complete 180 and I now stand by Gauthier because I like what he has done.
It started with the 2010 Entry Draft.
Some GM’s take the best player available when their turn comes around, but Gauthier targeted a player he wanted and moved up in the draft to secure that pick for Jarred Tinordi.
Now he refuses to make a trade and give up more assets then this team can afford.
Gauthier determined a price for the guys he sought out to target but when the asking price surpassed his evaluations, he stood pat. This is a sign of a man in control of his emotions and who acts based on reason and not emotion.
Furthermore, it is time to finally see what we have in the AHL.
Why try to secure Jim Vandermeer when you have a guy like Alex Henry more than capable? Why acquire the rights to a declining J.P. Dumont when Aaron Palushaj appears to be knocking on the door? Why beef up down the middle with a Paul Gaustad, when the development of Andrew Conboy as a dependable fourth line center is on the horizon?
In other words, why look at what your neighbour is selling before you take a look at your own back yard.
With that I say good-day fellow Habbers, just have a little faith my friends.
--- Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.
With the Oilers and Canadiens each having won their previous game, one of them was going to walk away from last night's tilt with a mini winning streak. Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, they take the "L"—but still earn one point for the overtime loss—and continue to have difficulty stringing together consecutive wins.
The Habs were the more aggressive team in the first period but, as has become almost customary, they got themselves into penalty trouble taking two before the 10 minute mark and giving the Oilers five PPs on the night.
The penalties kept killing the Habs' momentum, but when the teams were at even strength it was like a shooting gallery. The Habs top two lines took advantage of an overly aggressive, young Oilers squad to create a ton of first period scoring chances. While there is no question the Oilers have talent, they lack experience and tend to force plays, getting out of position as a result. As such, the Habs did a good job of exposing a weak Oilers back end through the first 30 minutes.
Two first period power play goals sent the teams to the dressing rooms locked at one, and the Habs continued to dominate in the second, scoring two quick goals to take a 3-1 lead. It was at that point that Oilers' coach, Tom Renney, wisely called a timeout to calm and rally his troops. And it worked.
After the timeout, the Oilers seemed to be rejuvenated, tilting the ice towards the Habs zone for the rest of the game as a result. The Canadiens suddenly looked slow and tired, producing a ton of turnovers, bad passes and poor defensive coverage as the speedy Oilers blitzed the offensive zone.
Down by one goal in the third, the Oilers tied it up on a shorthanded 2-on-1 break that was setup by an ill-advised dive by P.K. Subban. Subban, trying to recover for a Michael Cammalleri turnover, threw his body at the puck in a desperation move that was completely unnecessary. With a one goal lead and less than eight minutes to play, there was no reason for him to try such a low percentage play.
The Habs had another costly turnover in overtime that gave Dustin Penner a clear break and the winning goal.
While the Canadiens completely disappeared after their second goal in a collapse every bit as bad as the one they suffered against the Flyers, you have to give credit to the young Oilers squad.
Ultimately, Tom Renney's decision to call a timeout was a brilliant move because it got his players focused on the game and playing the way they needed in order to win.
Final score: Oilers 4 - Habs 3 (OT)
Habs' scorers: Scott Gomez (3), Mathieu Darche (4), Roman Hamrlik (2)
Oilers' scorers: Kurtis Foster (3), Ales Hemsky (7), Sam Gagner (7), Dustin Penner (8)
Three stars: 1. Dustin Penner, 2. Mathieu Darche, 3. Roman Hamrlik
Footnote:
-Jaroslav Spacek was playing in his 800th career game in 11 years in the NHL.
-Carey Price was awarded the Molson Cup as the Canadiens player with the highest three star ranking, for the month of November.
-With a goal and an assist, Roman Hamrlik hit the 600 point mark for his career.
Comical Moment of the Night
Andrei Kostitsyn took a wicked Subban slapshot off of his ankle during the second period and fell like a ton of bricks to the ice. He was so debilitated that he had to crawl to the bench. That wasn't the funny part, however.
Linemate Tomas Plekanec, in an attempt to help Kostitsyn to the bench quicker, actually pushed and rolled the Belarusian along the ice, in a move akin to something out of the Three Stooges.
Game Notes
1. Price was on top of his game.
The Oilers are a team that has a whole slew of explosive offensive players in their forward ranks; Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi, Dustin Penner and Sam Gagner, just to name a few. The problem for the Oil is more on the defensive side of the puck where their backend could be described as thin, at best.
There were several times last night where the young Oilers squad had excellent scoring chances but Price was there to shut the door each time. Well, at least until his teammates stopped playing in front of him.
It was almost like as the scoring chances got better and better for Edmonton, Price stepped up his game in response, even putting a little twist on his glove saves for flair.
Yes, Price is a goaltender who feels good in his skin and is absolutely dominating the league right now. He is the main reason why the Habs PK—which killed off four of five penalties last night—is second in the league at 90.1 percent.
Price is also the reason why the Habs are the second stingiest team in the league having allowed only 51 goals against in 25 games—the Bruins are in first having allowed 47 goals but have played two fewer games. Despite the loss, the Habs still have not let in more than three goals in regulation and that begins and ends with Carey Price.
2. Tomas Plekanec's line was flying last night.
Plekanec, Brian Gionta and Andrei Kostitsyn came out of the starting gate like they had been shot out of a cannon. They were all over the Oilers' defensive zone and had several scoring chances before the game was five minutes old.
Kostitsyn in particular, was playing to the height of his considerable talent last night. Using his huge frame, he was throwing hits and powering to the net with the puck on his stick. That is a skill that is unique to Kostitsyn, in the Canadiens lineup, due to his strength, size and ability to dangle the puck at speed. When he uses his size to his advantage, Kostitsyn is like a human wrecking ball and becomes a force to be reckoned with.
If he can make a habit of playing that way every night, this guy will become a 30-plus goal scorer in no time.
3. There Habs were turnover machines.
And I don't mean the Pillsbury kind.
The Canadiens, in general, tend to turn the puck over a lot but because of Price's exceptional play so far this season, most do not end up in the back of the net. Last night, however, Price was not able to make the saves to cover up for his teammates on two occasions, and the result was a loss.
The two most costly turnovers were both caused by Michael Cammalleri and Subban. On the third period tying goal by the Oilers, Cammalleri turned the puck over on the power play from just inside the Oilers blueline. The turnover was compounded when Subban decided to slide at the puck in an effort to keep it in the Oilers zone. The two defending Oilers players jumped over Subban and came out with a 2-on-1 with Spacek as the sole defender. You have to give credit where credit is due because Sam Gagner's shot found a hole over Price's shoulder just a little bigger than the puck itself.
That being said, Subban should have had the presence of mind to know that up by one goal on the power play, with less than seven minutes to play in the game is not the right time to be taking chances like that.
Subban made another error in overtime when he passed the puck to Cammalleri with the Oilers player only a few feet away. Subban then headed to the bench rather than waiting to see what happened with the play. Cammalleri, likely seeing the oncoming Oilers play in his periphery, bobbled the puck sending Penner in all alone on Price. While Subban turned and went after Penner he was already too far behind to be able to catch him.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Cammalleri took a few strides to catch Penner but then simply stopped skating and let him have an unmolested break. I'm not sure what he was thinking but that is simply unacceptable, especially from a veteran.
4. Scott Gomez finally scored but...
Gomez potted the first goal of the game when he threw the puck out front on the power play, and it went off of Ray Whitney's stick and in. It wasn't pretty, but he'll take it!
Despite his goal, however, Gomez still didn't and isn't playing well. The unfortunate side effect of his malaise is that he is taking winger Michael Cammalleri down the drain with him. Cammalleri looked frustrated and like he was trying to do far too much on the ice. Moreover, he looks like he is trying to do it all by himself and, as a result, ends up being less effective.
While he did have two assists last night, Cammalleri's poor decision making and turnovers led directly to the tying and winning goals by the Oilers.
Cammalleri is a goal scorer and, as they pointed out on RDS last night, plays best when he does not have the puck. He needs to give the puck to his setup man then position himself for the shot. Last year, when Cammalleri was ripping it up, he was doing exactly that with Plekanec. Right now, he is unfortunately saddled with Gomez and is trying to make things happen by himself as a result.
This is not the type of game that Cammy should be playing and, until he has another center, I fear his confidence will continue to slip and he will continue to flounder.
How much longer can the coaching staff keep Gomez on the second line when he is clearly the biggest problem in the Habs' top-six? Yes, the biggest problem. I think at this point, Gomez's ineffectiveness has eclipsed the Habs need for a second line winger.
5. It's time for a shakeup.
With news from RDS that the Canadiens have placed Andrei Markov on list of injured players, it seems just a matter of time before he goes on the Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) and the remainder of his $5.75 million salary comes off of the cap.
As such, the time is ripe for the Canadiens to shake things up.
While the Habs are playing decent hockey and are doing well in the standings, now is the time to make a move and not when/if the team starts slumping. The first thing that needs to happen, before looking outside of the organization, is the coaching staff has to change things up within their current roster.
Gomez should no longer be playing on the second line and, with the emergence of and excellent play from Lars Eller over the last five games, he seems like the best candidate to fill that spot.
Down in Hamilton, Max Pacioretty continues to dominate the AHL having just been named November's player of the month. Pacioretty followed up the award by scoring another two goals in last night's game, and now has 27 points including 13 goals in 25 games. While I am reticent about bringing him up now and like the idea of him continuing to dominate in the AHL, he seems like the best suited player to take Moen's spot on the second line.
Despite their outward support for Gomez, you know that both GM Pierre Gauthier and Coach Martin have serious concerns about his play. They have to know that there is no way the Canadiens can be successful, long term, with a player as ineffective as Gomez in their top-six and they must be looking at alternatives.
Until they decide to change things up, however, it looks like Gomez will continue to keep getting as much rope as he needs. And that, to me, is a crying shame.
Standings and Next Game
The Canadiens picked up one point for the overtime loss and now have 32 in the standings—four points ahead of Boston with 28 and two games in hand.
The Canadiens have no time to dwell on this loss that should have been a win, as they are right back at it tonight against the New Jersey Devils in Jersey.
Yannick Weber will be making a return to the lineup tonight but we don't yet know who will be sitting in the place. There is also no word yet on whether he will be playing D or as a fourth line forward.
Johan Hedberg gets the start for the Devils with no official word yet on the Habs starter. The puck drops at around 7:05 pm.
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)
