A Day as Habs GM: Getting Rid of Gomez

As the real Marc Bergevin spends today in Shawinigan getting ready to take in some of the action with four Montreal Canadiens prospects taking part in this week's Memorial Cup, and with a planned update on the coaching situation for the media this afternoon, I thought I'd take a different docket off his hands.  So today, we'll enter his shoes to address the up-in-the-air Scott Gomez situation.

If you'll remember back to the day Bergevin was hired, there was a non-sensical rumour circulated by Dave Morissette of TVASports that a decision had already been taken to buy the remaining 2 seasons of Gomez's contract out.  Considering that the NHL's buyout period doesn't open until June 15 or 48 hours after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup finals should they run longer, there would be no point in making that kind of a decision in early May.  Besides, a buyout is only one of a few possible options the Canadiens have, so today we look at the scenarios and assess the best case.


Buy Him Out
While the first rumour is almost certainly a garbage source trying to pre-empt actual news just to claim they were first (aka Anonymous Hockey Blogging 101), it isn't impossible that the organization decides on this route come mid-June.  A buyout for a player in Gomez's category is set at 2/3 of the remaining dollars on his deal, split over double the remaining contract length.  Thanks to the calculator from CapGeek.com, we'd get this as the math for a buyout this summer:

So Geoff Molson would save a few bucks not having to pay Scottie, but the problem with this option is the last column, "Buyout Cap Hit."  Buy buying out his contract, the Canadiens would be handicapping themselves by this amount for each of the next four years, reducing the amount they'd be allowed to spend on their team, and putting the team at a disadvantage compared to other cap-spending clubs.  For a team with the financial resources to spend to the cap and beyond, this sort of management would be an injustice to fans, limiting the club's ability to ice the best roster possible.  Besides, Georges Laraque's buyout just finally came off the team's cap at the conclusion of this season, though it was a penalty of only $500,000 this year.

Fortunately, Geoff Molson alluded to the fact that he was open to alternatives other than the buyout, indicated that his team's budget wouldn't be limited (within reason of course) when it came to building a winning team.  So it seems unlikely he will force Bergevin's hand to go this route.  So aside from saving a few bucks, why would the team do it?  Well it's the most beneficial option for Gomez himself, collecting a payout and allowing him to shop his services to other clubs where he may be more welcome.  But Montreal owes Gomez nothing; the team isn't even the one who signed him to the deal in the first place.  They've paid him considerable money only to underperform, so why do him a favour?

That said, the fact that a new Collective Bargaining Agreement must be negotiated before we can play another season of NHL hockey complicates the situation a bit.  We don't know how a new CBA would change the options available to the team.  Will there be a clause that prevents clubs from hiding veteran salaries in the AHL?  Will the structure of buyouts change?  If so, this option might become more attractive.  Alternatively, will the new CBA provide a cap hit-free "amnesty" buyout mechanism for one short period of time?  If so, a buyout of that variety likely becomes the top possibility.



Let Him Play
Since buying him out under current rules makes little sense, imposing a four-year penalty on the team, another line of thinking is to simply let him play, at least for one more season.  There is the slim chance that he finds chemistry with someone else on the roster and shows a semblance of productivity, and either way, his deal becomes that much more manageable with another season ticked off, whether it's by finding a trade partner ("reasonable" salary due for a non-cap team) or buying it out at a smaller penalty.  For reference, the buyout one year from now would look just like the following, again thanks to CapGeek:

The problems with this option are many as well, however.  First, there is the likely scenario that Gomez doesn't perform much better than either of the past two seasons, in which case the team is simply better off without him.  The club is far better off with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, and Lars Eller down the middle, and Gomez isn't the kind of player you would want on a fourth line.  Even moving him to the wing would not be ideal, as developing Louis Leblanc or re-signing Travis Moen fill greater needs in both the short- and long-term.  Essentially, this team wouldn't want Gomez on the roster for ANY dollar amount.  Then there is the off-ice distraction and constant media scrutiny/questioning that will accompany an unproductive Gomez on the squad.  Plus the immediate heat/pressure on Bergevin for not addressing $7.357 M in wasted cap space.  Thus, for all of these reasons, it seems very safe to conclude that we've seen Scott Gomez play his final game in a Canadiens jersey, and that "letting him play" isn't a good option.



Trade Him
This option, also known as the "easier said than done," has been a hope of Canadiens' fans for most of the past two years.  Find a team willing to take on Gomez's contract for some reason or another.  Any possible trade would fall under one of two possible circumstances, if not both.  First is the Canadiens sacrificing a significant future asset, such as a top prospect or high draft pick.  The second would be the team taking back a similar bad contract (or multiple smaller bad contracts), with both teams hoping that a change of scenery is all their disappointing players needed to kick it up a notch.  For example, it's pretty clear the Carolina Hurricanes are fed up with Tomas Kaberle and don't want to pay him $4.25M for each of the next two seasons, so maybe something could be done there.  Wait, what's that?  The Habs already took Kaberle off the 'Canes hands?  Without making them take anything long-term back?  My bad, I thought that was a delusional nightmare.

But seriously, who are some players teams out there might want to get rid of for Gomez?  There's Shawn Horcoff in Edmonton, whose cap hit is about $1.8M less than Gomez's annually and who scored just 13 goals and 34 points in 81 games this season.  Reason for Montreal to do it? Horcoff brings size at 6'1", 202 lbs.  Reason for Edmonton to do it?  Horcoff has three seasons remaining versus Gomez's two.  Jay Bouwmeester hasn't panned out since joining the Calgary Flames from the Florida Panthers, with 29 points and a -21 rating in 81 games this season.  Joining a new team might help his career, and Montreal could use a top pairing defender, so even though his cap hit is only $700,000 less than Gomez's, it might kill two birds with one stone.  Like with Horcoff, the reasoning for Calgary would be that Bouwmeester has three years left vs. two for Gomez.




Waive Him
Saving likely the best for last, the Canadiens could waive Scott Gomez in the Fall.  There are two possible paths in this case; one would be to take a decision immediately, and then exceed the cap by up to Gomez's cap hit this summer, in which case it's likely he would not even attend the team's training camp.  The other is to bring him to camp and see how he performs.  Keep him around if the math works out (i.e. the Habs weren't able to add any other contributing big dollar players) and he earns his spot; waive him by camp's end if there is no fit.

Placing Gomez on waivers means offering him and his contract to any team "for free."  No team will take him (though if one would, it would mean the Canadiens be off the hook for the remainder of his deal in entirety), and then the Habs would be free to assign him to another league, ridding them of his cap hit.  The most common route would be to send him to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, where he might help young players adapt to the pro ranks and fill a scoring need the 'Dogs are likely to have.  It is likely the team first gives him an option to explore possibilities of playing in Europe, where they could (at least under current CBA terms) loan him to a club that would take him and again be off the hook (cap hit wise) for all of his remaining dollars.  The Canadiens are a highly profitable organization, and can afford to pay Gomez $10M over the next two seasons to play for other clubs, saving the $14.7M in cap space.  That makes waiving him the best possible plan, which Habs fan should hope Bergevin opts for.

10 Habs Players Who May Not Be Back Next Year

This off-season could mean big changes for your Montreal Canadiens.  As the month of April nears its end, the team still finds itself without a General Manager or Head Coach.  The club has a third overall selection at this year's entry draft which will significantly alter the prospect pool, even if the likelihood that whoever the team takes at that spot won't make the team straight out of training camp is high.  Whoever does take over in a Management role is most certain to want to put their own stamp on the team, meaning as of right now, no one is necessarily "untouchable."  Thus the team that ended the year in disappointing fashion may be drastically different than the one that opens training camp in the Fall, even if a shallow UFA pool would under normal circumstances leave few acquisition options for the team.

But before we start looking at who the Habs might bring in, today we look at who might be jettisoned elsewhere.  Since we went over next year's Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday, today we'll include only players who played at least one game for Montreal during the 2011-12 regular season.

10) Petteri Nokelainen

When it became clear that Andreas Engqvist wasn't ready for full-time NHL duty, the Canadiens scrambled to find a new fourth line center.  After a waiver claim gone bad in Blair Betts, the team dealt for Nokelainen, who was serviceable in the role, but far from spectacular.  He has decent size (6'1", 202 lbs), can play on the penalty kill, and is a right-handed shot, but didn't show much of the toughness the team also needs out of a player in that role, and has little in the way of hockey skills.  He'll be a restricted free agent this summer and is only 26, so he could be retained, but the team may very well opt to seek an upgrade on the UFA market since once identified as a need, that type of player isn't hard to acquire in July.

9) Rene Bourque

Bourque was one asset acquired in the Mike Cammalleri trade (I would argue the 2nd round pick was the primary asset) to help balance out the salaries.  Yes, Bourque did have consecutive 27-goal seasons prior to this past year's 18, but I would say he is more suited to be a third line player on a top team due to his inconsistencies, rather than a frustrating second liner.  He could replace - to an extent - an Andrei Kostitsyn in the line-up; he can't fill the void left by an on-his-game Cammalleri.  The problem is that Bourque was borderline terrible after being acquired, with the toughness and physicality in his game evaporating and showing weak hands around the goal.  Thus, a GM coming in and wanting to do a clean-up may try to ship Bourque out, but the 4 years remaining on his deal at $3.33M per season may throw a wrench in the plans.  I'm ok with giving Bourque another chance on Lars Eller's wing, and his cap hit isn't particularly prohibitive to finding a better winger for Tomas Plekanec, but it also wouldn't surprise me if Montreal tries to deal him elsewhere.

8) Tomas Kaberle

Speaking of players not pulling their weight, Tomas Kaberle has 2 years left on his deal at $4.25M per season.  Jaroslav Spacek's expiring $3.8M had already been earmarked for raises to the likes of Carey Price and/or P.K. Subban, so by taking on a contract with remaining term in its place, the Habs will have to make cuts elsewhere.  The problem isn't Kaberle's production - his 22 points in 43 games after joining the Canadiens would mean a 40-point season averaged out, which isn't terrible for the salary he's making.  The problem is more the fit.  The Canadiens have enough puck-moving offensive blueliners with Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber, and Raphael Diaz, and given this, spending $4.25M on a soft, one-dimensional scoring d-man doesn't seem like a good deal.  Even if, say, Weber isn't back next year (see lower down the list), the need for Kaberle isn't there on this team, and if he is on the club to safeguard against a Markov injury, the team has a much bigger need for a more two-way guy like a younger Roman Hamrlik instead.  Like with Bourque, finding a taker may be an issue, but he could be a good fit on a team with bigger defensive d-men to compensate for his weak play in his own zone.

7) Mathieu Darche

Darche has been a good story in Montreal as a local boy who took a long route to end up living his childhood dreams.  He has given the Habs all they could have hoped for on bargain basement contracts, and at 6'1", 210 lbs his size his welcome as a 12th or 13th forward.  However, his production and consistency took a step back this season, and he is far from irreplaceable.  There are only so many roster spots to go around, and at age 35, Darche's useful days are nearing their end.  The spot might be better going to a true enforcer, or a younger player trying to establish himself as a roster regular.  Darche will be a UFA this summer and there is likely to be work for him somewhere in the league if he's willing to leave the city, but his three year run with the Canadiens could very well be coming to a close.

6) Brad Staubitz

Staubitz seemed like a random waiver acquisition on trade deadline day, a move many thought would simply fill a hole following numerous other trades.  Those deals didn't materialize, so many assumed Staubitz had just been a security policy and wouldn't see much action.  But he did; playing 19 games and becoming the team's go-to enforcer.  He seemed to be a good teammate, with his fellow Canadiens noticeably excited when he scored the club's final goal of the year into an empty net.  Staubitz, 27, is a big and tough customer at 6'1", 210 lbs, but he is short on hockey skills outside of dropping the gloves.  The Habs haven't carried a true enforcer in quite some time, though many have proclaimed a need for such a player.  Staubitz could do the job, though if he is back, I'd rather see him scratched more frequently than he was down the stretch and only used in games where there was felt to be a need for his toughness.  More ideally he would be let go (he's a UFA this summer) and replaced with an enforcer more capable of taking a regular shift (such as fellow UFAs Brandon Prust, Jordin Tootoo, Tom Kostopoulos, or even George Parros).  The current Canadiens staff seem quite enamoured with Mike Blunden, so it is possible it comes down to keeping only one of the two (along with pending UFA Travis Moen), and I would rather see Blunden back over Staubitz, but we don't know what direction the new staff will take.

5) Aaron Palushaj

Palushaj, 22, was acquired from the St. Louis Blues for Matt D'Agostini a little over two years back.  He is a proven AHL superstar scorer, notching 35 points in 35 games for the Bulldogs this season.  But the NHL points weren't coming until quite late on this season, with him finally scoring his first goal and adding 4 assists on a total of 38 games.  Palushaj has very average size at 5'11", 187 lbs, and has little physicality or intensity to his game, while also not being any kind of defensive specialist, meaning he will contribute in an offensive role or simply not make the cut.  He hasn't shown any reason to be given a shot in the top 6, and already has his hands full battling Louis Leblanc for a third line job.  Add to this the imminent arrival of Brendan Gallagher, Michael Bournival, and likely Danny Kristo at the pro ranks, and Palushaj will be quickly dropping down the depth charts.  He is waiver eligible in the Fall, so while there is no real reason not to at least qualify him and bring him to training camp, if he doesn't make the starting roster in the Fall, another organization may very well take a chance on him as a still-developing player.

4) Andreas Engqvist

Engqvist, 24, falls under a similar category as Palushaj being an AHL star that struggles to produce at the NHL level.  Like Palushaj, he is an RFA this summer meaning the Canadiens need to make a call on him.  But then there are notable differences as well.  First, Engqvist brings size (a skinny 6'4" frame, even if he doesn't use it particularly effectively) and a right-handed shot to the equation, things the Habs are short on at the center position.  Engqvist also excels (at least at the AHL level thus far) in a defensive, shutdown, and penalty-killing role, making him a more versatile player well suited to a third or fourth line job.  But he hasn't shown that he deserves even that kind of ice time in the NHL level as of yet, and wasn't even amongst the late-season call-ups following the trade of Andrei Kostitsyn and numerous injuries at the forward position.  Was he left in Hamilton just to help the Bulldogs (he was named team co-MVP this year)?  Or was it a sign that he is out of the plans for the future?  The fact that he himself may choose to return to Europe this summer regardless of the Canadiens' intentions may indicate the second is more likely, though he is another guy who there seems little reason not to qualify and retain rights to... just in case.

3) Yannick Weber

Weber, 23, a third round pick of the Canadiens in 2007, was a star for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers and seen as an up-and-coming offensive blueliner.  The Swiss native showed all of that potential in the American League as a top player for the Bulldogs, but he has struggled to prove himself in the NHL, largely due to his small stature (5'11", 193 lbs) leaving him manhandled in his own end.  He has at times looked effective on the powerplay with decent passing and a big shot, but he is also prone to giveaways and mental lapses, meaning frustrating inconsistency.  Last summer, the Habs snagged a very similar player in Raphael Diaz, 26, as a European UFA, and he and Weber put up almost identical numbers this season.  It is likely the team should choose between one of the two in their top 6 for the coming year, and if this past season's usage provides any clues, then Diaz seems the favoured son.  However, it is far from a certainty as the team's new management group may have a different evaluation of the players.

2) Scott Gomez

If the jury is still out on whether or not a lot of the above players can help the Canadiens moving forward, this one should be clear.  Gomez was given a chance to make amends for a poor 2010-11 campaign this season, and did little to impress.  He said all the right things off the ice a year ago, and he can't be entirely blamed for a season that was in large part derailed by multiple injuries, but a 32-year old 5'11" center who was on pace for 24 points over an 82-game campaign has no spot on this team.  He is not a fourth liner, isn't big or tough, is far from a defensive specialist, and the team is better off with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, and Lars Eller down the middle.  And notice all of these arguments against him before we even get to the big one: his $7.357M annual burden on the club's salary cap.  The cap hit makes him entirely untradeable, so there are only a couple of options if he is to be gotten rid of prior to the final two seasons on his deal.  The optimist Habs fans hope for a one-time amnesty buyout permitted by the new CBA, where he could be bought out with no cap hit, as a traditional buyout handicaps the club moving forward.  The alternative is to put him on waivers and send him to Hamilton, where Geoff Molson would still be on the hook for his full salary, but the Canadiens could spend that money on other players for their NHL roster as well if ownership was willing to stretch the budget.

1) Chris Campoli

Of the 10, Campoli seems the most certain to be gone in the coming months.  He will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer and is somewhat of a 'tweener on the blueline.  Not an offensive guy, not a defensive guy, and not a particularly dependable player, but a reasonable depth defenseman who picked up his game over the final weeks of this season after an injury-filled and rough start.  Despite joining his fourth team, Campoli is still only 27 and will find a contract somewhere on a team wanting an extra body on D, but depth is not what the team will lack at that position.  They need to use this spot for an upgrade on the back end with a guy who can step up and reliably play top 4 minutes in case of an injury.  A guy who is bigger than the average-sized Campoli and can throw a hit without ending up out of position.

Wildcard: Brian Gionta or Tomas Plekanec


If the new GM really wants to make an impression and change the core of this club, it is likely one of Brian Gionta or Tomas Plekanec who gets shopped (well before a guy like P.K. Subban).  Gionta, 33, may be the team's captain, but there is far from a leadership void with the likes of Erik Cole and Josh Gorges on the club, and at 5'7", 175 lbs, doesn't fit the team's need to get bigger.  Even discounting the injuries that made him miss 51 games, he had a very difficult season scoring just 8 goals and 15 points in 31 contests.  He has provided goal-scoring in his tenure with the Canadiens (his seasons of 29 and 28 were the second and third highest of his career), but his overall productivity has declined from his New Jersey days, and perhaps a bigger problem is that he doesn't seem to fit on a line with either David Desharnais (lack of size) or Tomas Plekanec (lack of chemistry).  Gionta is owed $5M for two more seasons, so the Habs may see if they can shake things up and try out a different player in that spot.

Plekanec, 29, is a different case, remaining a very valuable two-way member of the club even if his 17 goals and 52 points were south of what most had hoped for him this year.  Those numbers are more impressive when you consider he had weak and ever-changing linemates for much of the season.  The troubling number was his -15, something very uncharacteristic of a generally highly dependable defensive center.  In part it reflected the poor season of the team as a whole, but Plekanec's own intensity and tenacity were noticeably missing at times.  The reason to move Plekanec would be to add a bigger top 6 center, and the only way he could be moved is in a package for such a replacement player, but it wouldn't surprise me if that is the kind of bold deal the new GM tries to strike.

Your Canadiens for February 7, 2012

I haven't recapped general Habs news in a while, so a few bits and notes as the Canadiens prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins this evening.

-Yesterday, the Canadiens sent forwards Aaron Palushaj and Ryan White down to the Hamilton Bulldogs. For White, this is just a conditioning stint, representing a final step in his long-awaited return to the line-up from a groin injury and sports hernia. The Bulldogs have a game tomorrow morning at 10 AM, which should be White's first match of the season assuming he has received sufficient clearance. Palushaj being sent down is a little surprising since he played a strong game on Sunday, even recording his first NHL point. More surprising is that after the move, there remain only 10 healthy forwards (plus swingman Yannick Weber) in Montreal. Is there another move on the horizon? Will we see a surprising return from Mike Blunden, Petteri Nokelainen, or Travis Moen? Moen and/or Blunden could be back in the line-up within the week, though I'd be surprised if any of the three dressed against Pittsburgh.

- If you missed it: Sunday also marked the one year anniversary of Scott Gomez's last regular or post-season goal. He did score 3 during this year's pre-season (and I'm sure he has scored some in practice), but it didn't stop fans on Sunday from singing him a chorus of Happy Birthday at various points of the game.

- Nathan Beaulieu was the hottest Canadiens' prospect this past weekend, putting up back to back 2 assist performances. With 34 points in 39 games, he is back on pace to eclipse the 45 points he produced in each of the last two seasons.

Just as productive was Patrick Holland, the prospect acquired from Calgary in the Mike Cammalleri trade. The 6'00, 175 lbs 20-year old has shattered his previous season's product by scoring 71 points through 51 games (62 pts in 71 games last year). He currently ranks 8th in WHL scoring, but is no bluechipper. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the quicker game at the next level next season.

Hab prospect and London Knights captain Jarred Tinordi is a +31 this season while logging huge minutes for the CHL's top club. His +/- rating is tied for best in the Ontario Hockey League.

- The play of Habs' prospect defenseman Morgan Ellis since being traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes earned him the Prospect of the Month title from website Hockey's Future. Read about that here: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/13732/hockeys_future_prospect_of_the_month_january2012/

- This bit comes from last week, but if you missed it, there was talk of the Habs possible relocating their AHL affiliate from Hamilton to Laval. The news got out there as Laval announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art arena. The update to this story is that, like what happened with Quebec City, the federal government refused to fund the project. A week ago Saturday, Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he would press Ottawa on the issue, but the availability of federal funding for the project remains unlikely.

Stick a Fork in Habs for a Brighter Future

As I had suggested last week, the time seems upon us accept the 2011-12 NHL season as lost for the Montreal Canadiens. Let's call it "growing pains" en route to building a Stanley Cup competitive team in Montreal. I had been willing to give the team a couple of weeks post-Christmas to see if there was hope of turning things around, but back-to-back blown lead losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers should put the nail in the coffin.

Again, this isn't a full-scale all-out rebuild. It's a quick re-tool that involves reshaping portions of the team with solutions made up of more than just rental band-aids. Let me repeat that: no rental band-aids. Consider this a plea to Habs management/ownership: may there be no further trades this season that adds to the team's salary cap moving forward with a player of uncertain caliber. And perhaps more importantly, may there be no deal sending away a draft pick or prospect for a rental or immediate help only type player.

Don't worry, Geoff Molson. If you make it clear that this is your strategy, and bring in a new, established General Manager to see it through consistently, then we'll stick with you. We are Habs fans, through and through, and after all these years, can accept one unsuccessful season to bring a Stanley Cup to Montreal before the year 2020. (but if, on the side, you could make sure the Toronto Maple Leafs also miss the playoffs this season, we'd appreciate it)

I'm sure, Mr. Molson, that you don't like paying Scott Gomez so many millions of dollars for him to underperform any more than we like to watch him play at such a cap hit. But now is the time that something must be done to change the make-up of a group that is undersized, not tough enough, and struggles so mightily to score goals. This team, even with these problems, is looking at just $17M in cap space with about 9 roster spots to fill, including new contracts needed for Carey Price, P.K. Subban, Lars Eller, Raphael Diaz, Alexei Emelin, Ryan White, and possibly UFAs Andrei Kostitsyn and/or Travis Moen. That of course is without even glancing at the UFA list of other clubs for possible additions. It seems obvious that salaries like that of Gomez or defenseman Tomas Kaberle MUST be shipped out.

On the bright side, the Canadiens do have a number of pieces in place to work towards a contending team, and a number of prospects on the way who will bolster the group. Three key areas stand out to me as needing improvement to turn this team around, being: (1) Legitimate Star Goal-Scoring Forward(s); (2) Size Up Front; (3) Toughness and/or Size on Defense. Fixing these, in this case, isn't a matter of going out and trading for a rent-a-UFA or just signing a warm body next summer, but rather a restructuring of the personnel in place to accommodate this new philosophy.

(1) Legitimate Star Goal-Scoring Forward(s)

When the Canadiens last blew up their team in 2009, it was evident they needed to find some new players to put pucks in the net. They turned to veteran scorers Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, 5'7" and 5'9" respectively, to complement traded-for playmaking center Scott Gomez (5'11"). Gionta was named captain of the team a year in, and while he could have put up some more points, his goal production is as high as anyone could have hoped for. His two seasons of 29 and 28 prior to this year are the second and third best of his career, trailing only his standout 48-goal 2005-06 performance. Gionta further added 12 goals and 20 points in 26 playoff games.

Cammalleri, on the other hand, has been a regular season disappointment. He came to Montreal having topped the 30-goal mark in two of his previous three seasons, fresh off a 39 goal campaign with the Calgary Flames. Though he had played at least 80 games in three of his four NHL seasons before joining the Canadiens, injuries limited him to 65 and 67 games played here, in which he scored just 26 and 19 goals. Cammalleri has missed 5 games already this year, and if we project his current pace assuming he played 77, he'll continue his decline in production to reach only 18 goals. At $6M per season, Cammalleri is paid to be a star offensive goal-scorer, and while his playoff heroics can't be overlooked (16 goals and 29 points in 26 games), he has not produced at an acceptable level.

A team can afford one streaky undersized scorer at its core, but depending on two as the Canadiens do is a recipe for disaster. To improve the team, at least one of Cammalleri or Gionta should be moved, likely for future assets, and the freed up cap space spent to take another chance on the star goal scorer lottery. Easier said than done with this summer's shallow UFA class, but if they are to make it to July 1 unsigned, the team could and should make runs at Zack Parise, Tuomo Ruutu, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, and/or Brad Boyes (likely to come at a discount, high potential reward). Parise is the only true "star calibre" player in the lot, but any in the bunch could conceivably replace the 50 or so points one of Gionta or Cammalleri would score.

The other option is of course the trade market. Despite their struggles this season, I am confident that a playoff team with sufficient cap room would have interest in either Gionta or Cammalleri and that there will be a market for their services. The asset(s) obtained for these players, plus perhaps a top draft pick earned by a poor finish this season could be packaged for a young star forward. Prospect fans may salivate at the thought of adding a top 10 bluechipper this June, but that pick could also be used as a chip to acquire an Eric Staal, Joe Pavelski, Magnus Paajarvi, Shea Weber (ok, not a forward, but still scores goals), or someone else.

Alternatively, of course, if the team becomes a seller early and tanks in the standings, they may be able to acquire a top end offensive player through this summer's draft who could step in within the next couple of seasons. This is a by-product of "sticking a fork in" the Habs' season, or as some might put it, "tanking."

Fortunately, there are a couple of scorers in the pipeline in forwards Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival. The two 19-year olds seem quite mature for their age and stage of development, and could be ready for action as soon as some point next year. Still, their prime remains a few years away (and of course there's no guarantee that their scoring will translate at the pro level), so they should be considered supporting cast up-and-comers with the bulk of the duties given to veterans in the meanwhile.

(2) Size Up Front

As mentioned above, the Canadiens pinned much of their hope on three forwards who measure 5'7", 5'9", and 5'11" respectively. Even as they aimed to get bigger this season with the addition of Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty to the top 6 (steps in the right direction), one of their "biggest" offensive catalysts has been yet another 5'7" forward in David Desharnais.

In today's NHL, there is nothing wrong with having a couple of small players. The game has changed to the point where the quickest or most skilled of these undersized skaters can succeed. But just as depending on multiple streaky players can hurt a club, so can depending on many small players, which can turn match-ups against certain lines and teams with bigger and thicker players into disasters. To be most effective, guys like Gionta, Desharnais, and Cammalleri all need to be surrounded by bigger bodies to create space for them rather than playing just with each other. As such, beyond moving a Gionta or Cammalleri, if the team could find a bigger center to replace Desharnais (despite his success this year and cheap contract), the option of selling high on him for the greater good of the team should be looked at.

This is also an area where the prospect pool is quite thin. Realistically, Brendan Gallagher and Danny Kristo may be the only two in the system with top 6 upside, and both are under 6'0". Likely third liners Louis Leblanc and Michael Bournival are roughly 6'0" on the nose, and most of the other forwards are long-shots or projects at best. There is definitely a need to restock the pool in this summer's entry draft, but also a need to free up some roster spots to acquire some bigger bodies through trades and signings.

The most important area to beef up is very likely down the middle, where three of the team's top centers in Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais, and Scott Gomez are all under 6'0". Only Lars Eller brings size to the equation, and while I'm a big fan of his, his lack of finish thus far leaves his offensive upside a question mark. Having a bigger guy at center opens up a spot to play him with a smaller winger, which could make Tuomo Ruutu a great fit as a summer signing. Ruutu never lived up to his pre-draft billing that made him the 9th overall selection in 2001, but he can still chip in 20 goals and 40+ points with a 6'2" frame that isn't afraid to hit. At 28, he should still have some productive seasons left in him.

On the wing, after a great rookie season in Anaheim, Dustin Penner's career took a big turn for the worse, with this year's production nearing disastrous levels in Los Angeles. If he'll take a paycut, though, he could be an attractive target with his 6'4", 240 lbs frame to provide secondary scoring from a third line. Beyond Penner, the need for size permeates to the fourth line as well where the Canadiens could use a couple of bruisers to make them a tougher team to play against. A legitimate fourth line composed of large NHL'ers who aren't goons (meaning they can play hockey) but can throw a hit would ware down opposing teams and thus help the other lines with their matchups. Some third or fourth line types who could help the team in this aspect include Tom Kostopoulos, Chris Kelly, Jay McClement, Adam Burish, Jim Slater, Dominic Moore, Arron Asham, Taylor Pyatt, and/or Tanner Glass, each of whom is 6'0" or larger.

(3) Toughness and/or Size on Defense

Looking past the forwards, Montreal's back end also needs quite a bit of work. Unlike up front, the team can fortunately look forward to a stacked prospect pipeline that will ensure strong organizational depth as soon as next year, but needs more immediate help to carry the torch until the next generation is ready. Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Morgan Ellis, and Greg Pateryn should all join the Hamilton Bulldogs next season (and Beaulieu or Tinordi should be ready for emergency call-up duty if necessary as soon as a year from now), with Darren Dietz, Mac Bennett, and perhaps Magnus Nygren likely a year after them. Tinordi is a known commodity to most, being the type of big, tough player the team is short on, but Pateryn fills the mold as well and, turning 22 in June, is more physically mature. Pateryn, if you forget, is the other asset the Canadiens acquired along with a 2nd round pick (later traded for Robert Lang) from the Toronto Maple Leafs in return for Mikhail Grabovski. He is completing his fourth season at the University of Michigan where he plays with Bennett.

But enough about the future. With Andrei Markov, Tomas Kaberle, Yannick Weber, and Raphael Diaz under contract, the Canadiens have far too many smallish, softish, puck-moving offensive-oriented blueliners. Plus there's P.K. Subban who would be most optimally paired with a big, responsible, defensive partner. Hal Gill's age is catching up to him and should be dealt for maximal return by the trade deadline, and likewise for Chris Campoli (though his return will be much less). Josh Gorges (6'1", 200 lbs) and Alexei Emelin (6'2", 223 lbs) are definitely parts of the solution defensively, but the addition of another minute-eating hitter would really round the group out well. Without the ability to bring a Tinordi from the future to the present day, the UFA market offers some interesting possibilities such as Ryan Suter, Brad Stuart, Francois Beauchemin, or Dennis Wideman at the top end, with Bryan Allen, Willie Mitchell, Pavel Kubina, Nicklas Grossman, Shane O'Brien, and Johnny Boychuk as depth-type options. The problem is that signing one of these players is dependent on the Habs finding a way to unload Tomas Kaberle's two remaining seasons at $4.25M a year - easier said than done. Still, I'd have to imagine the Canadiens couldn't be the only team to be curious about him, and so perhaps they can find someone to take him of their hands for no "real" return. I would propose a defense something like the following for next season:

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Top End UFA - P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Frederic St. Denis or depth UFA

With the up-and-comers in the organization, the key might be to find a top end UFA willing to sign for just 2-3 years instead of a long-term contract. Gorges is versatile, able to play either side with ease, and the Emelin - Diaz pairing has shown some nice chemistry this season.

So that's pretty much what it looks like to me. In summary, steps to the Habs' success:

1. Find takers for Gomez + Kaberle

2. Find reasonable offer for either Gionta or Cammalleri

3. Sell UFAs Gill and Campoli; consider re-signing Kostitsyn and Moen, but sell if not signed by deadline

4. Replace talent with new goal scorers, bigger forwards, and tougher defensemen

5. Obtain a top draft pick in 2012

6. ...

7. Profit.

Your Canadiens for December 13, 2011

Updates from a reasonably busy morning in the hockey world:

- Travis Moen was back at practice this morning after taking a therapy day yesterday. He will play tonight.

- As I mentioned yesterday, Scott Gomez suffered some form of setback in his training. He was not on the ice this morning, and nor was Brian Gionta, still considered out indefinitely, at least a week.

- Chris Campoli practiced alongside Raphael Diaz on the second powerplay unit this morning. He will return to the line-up on a pairing with Tomas Kaberle, meaning Alexei Emelin will be a healthy scratch. Thus, this marks Campoli's regular season Bell Centre debut, since he was injured in the season opener in Toronto. I look forward to seeing what he'll bring to the table, as I thought he looked quite solid in his 1 preseason game and first half in Toronto.

It should be noted that despite being dressed on Saturday, Weber received no powerplay time. The Canadiens really only used 3 d-men on the PP: Tomas Kaberle, P.K. Subban, and Diaz.

Now about Emelin being a scratch... I'm sure anyone that reads this site is well aware of my take on the issue. I think this roster move is beyond excusable on the part of Jacques Martin. Yes, Emelin is young, and he does take risks that lead to occasional errors. Admittedly, he is far worse on the right side (where he would play when paired with Kaberle) than he is on the left. But there is no doubt that he brings a crucial set of tools that the Canadiens do not have anywhere else in their roster. His size, toughness, and physicality are important on a team full of small puck-movers. Emelin won't develop and continue to improve by sitting in the stands. He can be an important part of Montreal's future, and MUST play. Let's hope this is just part of a rotation to give Campoli some action, and that we'll see Emelin dressed again on Thursday.

- Speaking of the powerplay, the top unit at practice was:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Tomas Kaberle - P.K. Subban

While Kostitsyn brings some size, it's interesting that neither of the team's powerforwards (Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole) are on the top unit. They flank David Desharnais on the 2nd unit, just as they do at even strength.

- Updates from Team Canada World Junior Championships Selection Camp: None of Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Gallagher, or Michael Bournival collected points in yesterday's 2-0 Team Red win. Few players have done much to separate themselves from the pack so far, as both sides have failed to generate offense. Bournival was solid, but mostly unnoticeable, while Gallagher was noticed for bad reasons, taking two offensive zone penalties and being on the receiving end of two large hits. Beaulieu had a few good shifts on the powerplay, patrolling the blueline well, but failed to produce.

Still, as expected, all three survived the first wave of cuts, which included Mark McNeill, Zack Phillips, Matthew Dumba, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Michael Ferland, Max Reinhart, and Brenden Kichton. With 31 skaters remaining in camp for 13 forward and 7 defensemen spots, the pressure remains on both Beaulieu and Bournival to impress tonight. Gallagher's spot is seemingly the safest of the three, likely penciled into a third or fourth line role.

A good article on Gallagher published last night can be found here:

http://www.mindentimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3402122#.TudxNxRusPg.facebook

- Another good prospect article today is this feature from the AHL about community work done by the injured Brendon Nash and Hunter Bishop:

http://theahl.com/bishop-nash-scoring-points-off-the-ice-p174893

Remember, remember the third of December

The question on the minds of Habs fans around the planet for weeks now has been just what/when will be the tipping point for Pierre Gauthier, Geoff Molson, or anyone else in the Habs' brass to signify that changes are needed... and fast.

The start of the season has been a difficult one for your Montreal Canadiens. Sure, injuries have been an issue, but most of the injuries the team has faced have been ones that should have been foreseeable this summer. The young defense put on the ice is improving, but still has major structural issues.

The bigger problem, though, has been the play of some of the forwards the team counts on to lead the way offensively. This starts right at the top with team captain Brian Gionta. The effort seems to be there, as it always has been with Gio. So then what's the problem? Is it an undisclosed injury? Off-ice issues? Just a prolonged slump? It isn't a matter of simply not scoring, but his overall game on the ice is simply not at the level we should expect of the 32-year old. When you're 5'7", unfortunately, no matter how established you are, you don't get the luxury of coasting through patches like this. Gionta has been a non-factor for quite some time, even though he's on pace for a similar point total to last season.

Speaking of producing but not being effective, we can next talk about #1 center Tomas Plekanec. It seem odd for me to lump the team's leading scorer into this "underperforming" category, but at $5M per season, Plekanec is looked at to be an offensive catalyst. He has been his usual positionally-sound self on the penalty kill, and has managed 21 points in 26 games, but he is unable to raise the game of his linemates, and has been far less noticeable than the likes of David Desharnais or Lars Eller lately, who have helped to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone and shift a game's momentum. Perhaps part of the blame could be placed on Jacques Martin for moving Pleks to the point on the powerplay, where he has looked tentative and probe to mistakes despite producing a couple of goals.

The final member of this group is Mike Cammalleri. He had a solid game last night after being shifted to the David Desharnais / Erik Cole line, but he has been very ineffective in most games. An injury may be at play here, but if it isn't, his total unwillingness to engage physically or to make necessary sacrifices to make plays has been unacceptable. In his final season in Calgary, Cammalleri scored 39 goals. His first year with the Habs saw him net 26 in 65 games, then last season 19 in 67 games. Prorating his goal total thus far this year would give him just under 19 in 66 games. Unacceptable for a player being paid $6M per year for his goal scoring talents.

You'll notice I left Scott Gomez off the list. I don't think it would have been right to expect much from him this summer based on last season's performance. It was more a case of hoping to be pleasantly surprised, which, even injuries aside, we haven't been.

If these are some of the problems, then what are the solutions that could come on what just might be D-Day tomorrow should the Habs lose to the Los Angeles Kings. I wrote yesterday about my desire to have Jacques Martin replaced, and quite possibly Pierre Gauthier along with him. Randy Carlyle becomes likely the most interesting name as a potential Martin replacement, with the major problem being his lack of French. I'd be a fan of bringing Carlyle in as head coach with a French associate coach to split duties (kind of like what the Edmonton Oilers did with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney), but not sure how realistic that is in the eyes of management, especially considering they are still paying Guy Carbonneau and would have to pay Martin off to end his deal.

But we don't know for certain how Geoff Molson feels. He may have full confidence in Gauthier's (and yes, even Martin's) ability to run this ship, and thus may give him plenty of rope to try to save the season and effectively his job.

That, then, could mean a trade. For those who don't read Twitter rumours, controversial Twitter figure Incarcerated Bob put out a Tweet last night along the same lines of rumours we've seen brewing for a few weeks. Bob had the Calgary Flames approaching captain Jarome Iginla about waiving his no trade clause on a framework deal that would send him to Montreal. Bob mentioned the names of Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber, and the Canadiens' first round pick (plus a necessary salary dump) as possible pieces going to Calgary, with Iginla and more coming back in return. He suggested Iginla would likely require a few days to mull the idea over, though he was still dressed for the Flames' game last night. If you don't know iBob, he isn't quite Eklund. He isn't batting 1.000 (had Scott Gomez to the New York Islanders as a pretty sure thing this summer), but he has managed to break a number of stories correctly before any other mainstream media. The timing of the rumour is also interesting. The Anaheim Ducks went public yesterday, stating that with their coaching change, Bobby Ryan was taken off the trade market. It would be logical, then, that the Habs were in on Ryan, and with him no longer available, moved on to their next target. It is also interesting that, at the end of regulation time last night, Iginla had played only 15:42, far less than his second lowest total this season.

But, it's just a flimsy rumour at best right now. And of course, Habs fans would lynch Gauthier if he even considered dealing a young powerforward like Max Pacioretty. Iginla is a great player, and you have to give to get, but the Canadiens don't seem to be just one Iginla away from a Stanley Cup with the way they're playing right now. I would go as far as to say I wouldn't give up Pacioretty straight up for Iginla. The talk could become more interesting if Calgary's first round pick was coming back to Montreal, as that represents a top 5 potential lottery selection that could give the Canadiens the kind of superstar they haven't had since the days of Patrick Roy.

Why is tomorrow likely D-Day for the current team? Well it's hard to make changes in the middle of a road trip, and the Canadiens come back home following their afternoon'er in Los Angeles. That gives plenty of time that very day to announce anything that has already been set into motion, and then two days off to work any changes into the line-up. Plus, few teams not in the playoffs as of December 1st in a given season are able to rally to make it there, even with so many games left to be played. This is the nature of the parity in the league. And that's why we should expect changes. Changes bigger than bringing in Petteri Nokelainen or firing Perry Pearn.

Thus all signs point to December 3rd as a big day for the team and its fans where those in charge of the mess that has been this early season are held accountable for their actions. Remember, remember the third of December, as it may be a day that shapes the club's fate for the foreseeable future.

Your Canadiens for November 25, 2011

REMINDER: Due to American Thanksgiving, today's Philadelphia Flyers - Montreal Canadiens game begins at 3:00 PM EST. If you can't watch the game then, RDS is replaying it in its entirety at 6:30 PM EST.

- The Habs will be without Scott Gomez (insert Thanksgiving joke here) for today's game. He is day-to-day with a lower body injury and did not practice yesterday. Though they did practice, neither Andrei Kostitsyn nor Andrei Markov is ready to return, and since no one was called up from Hamilton, the Canadiens will dress 7 defensemen (including Frederic St. Denis).

- Carey Price will get the start in goal for Montreal. It is unlikely Peter Budaj will start at home against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, so we shall see how Price holds up for back-to-back games.

- Jaromir Jagr and Chris Pronger will miss this game due to injury and illness respectively. Good timing for the Canadiens!

- A Russian news source yesterday reported that Alexander Avtsin's agent indicated the player was promised by the Canadiens to play at least 10 games for the Habs this season (source: http://www.sovsport.ru/news/text-item/494436).

The source is the same that broke the Andrei Kostitsyn - Jacques Martin story from this summer. Avtsin was considered a highly intriguing prospect when he was signed a year ago, bringing the always coveted mix of size and skill to the table. He struggled to get ice time in the American Hockey League as one of the AHL's youngest players (starting the season at age 19) last year. This season, after a slow start, he seems to have possibly turned a corner, having the most productive stretch of his North American career the last little bit, playing notably on a top line with Louis Leblanc and Phil DeSimone.

He'll need to keep consistently playing well to deserve that call-up to the NHL, or else the Habs will basically have to determine whether he's in the long-term plans or not. If the answer is yes or maybe, they'll need to give him a look to keep him happy. Of course, there is no North American source making this claim "official," but it would make sense when combined with the report that Avtsin was "disappointed" when cut from Habs camp this Fall (it's not like anyone expected him to have a shot at making the club anyway!).

- Hockey Canada will announce the list of players invite to Team Canada's final evaluation camp for the World Junior Championship Monday morning. Canadiens prospects Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival are shoe-ins for invites, while Nathan Beaulieu should be on the camp roster as well, though he faces the toughest road ahead to make the actual squad.

- With no NHL games yesterday, it was a quiet night for Habs fans. But check out today/tonight's schedule; in addition to the Canadiens game, virtually every Hab prospect in North America is in action! Brendan Gallagher's Vancouver Giants, Nathan Beaulieu's Saint John Sea Dogs, Jarred Tinordi's London Knights, Michael Bournival's Shawinigan Cataractes, Morgan Ellis's Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, Danny Kristo's UND, Mac Bennett and Greg Pateryn's Michigan Wolverines, Darren Dietz's Saskatoon Blades, plus the Hamilton Bulldogs (and more!) all have games tonight! A busy night of scoreboard watching no doubt.

- Want to meet P.K. Subban? Let's be honest, who doesn't?! The Habs defenseman will be signing autographs at the Best Buy Quartier DIX30 in Brossard this Sunday, November 27th, at 2:00 PM.

Preaseason Game 3: 23/09/11 Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators

The Habs try to put their first win of the preseason up on the board tonight as they take the bus trip out to Ottawa.

For Scott Gomez, who was nursing a minor injury at the start of training camp, this will be the first step towards forgetting what was an awful 2010-11 campaign. He will be paired with usual linemate Max Pacioretty and youngster Brendan Gallagher. A funny link between Gomez and Gallagher is that during Scott's junior days, he was once treated medically by Gallagher's father, a trainer, and even visited the family's home. Brendan was 6 years old at the time, and tonight they will be linemates!

For Carey Price, it will be another chance to continue rounding into game shape in preparation for the start of the season. He had a shaky opener before which he declared himself as unprepared, but it is no reason to panic. Slow and steady improvement is all that is needed until early October.

Up front, Andreas Engqvist is in the line-up again, meaning he's played all 3 preseason contests. Given that he's also playing with veterans in Andrei Kostitsyn and Erik Cole, it seems like the 4th line center job is his to lose. Interestingly, in practice, Kostitsyn took turns playing the point on the powerplay. With only P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov as locked pointment on the PP to start the season, there may be an opportunity to play a forward back there along with Alexei Yemelin or Yannick Weber, both of whom will continue to try to prove superiority in the depth chart this evening.

With Lars Eller, David Desharnais, and Ryan White all currently out rehabbing small injuries, there may be additional spots open for a player like Mike Blunden to start with the team as well. He showed poor skating ability in his first start, but certainly was amongst the team's most physical players.

Your lines for this evening:

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Forwards

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brendan Gallagher

Andrei Kostitsyn - Andreas Engqvist - Erik Cole

Mathieu Darche - Gabriel Dumont - Alexander Avtsin

Brock Trotter - Philip DeSimone - Mike Blunden

Defensemen

Alex Henry - Jarred Tinordi

Hal Gill - Raphael Diaz

Alexei Yemelin - Yannick Weber

Goaltenders

Carey Price

Nathan Lawson

OTTAWA SENATORS

Forwards

Nikita Filatov - Jason Spezza - Bobby Butler

Milan Michalek - Stephane Da Costa - Daniel Alfredsson

Mike Hoffman - Zack Smith - Erik Condra

Derek Grant - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Andre Petersson

Defensemen

Filip Kuba - Erik Karlsson

Chris Phillips - Brian Lee

Patrick Wiercioch - Mark Borowiecki

Goaltenders

Craig Anderson (full game)

Alex Auld

Player Spotlight: Scott Gomez

[Player Spotlight Archive]

Certainly, there has been more than enough discussion about Scott Gomez's play, salary, and trade rumours to make any Hab fan sick of hearing his name. We all know he is paid way too much, that Bob Gainey made a horrible trade when acquiring him, and that he is coming off the far off worst season of his career with just 38 points in 80 games and a -15 rating.

So if we all know these things, why are we featuring the Alaskan native in today's Player Spotlight? Simply to look at a skill of his which is occasionally forgotten - one that almost makes his $7.357M cap hit swallowable. Almost.

That skill? The art of the interview. With an attitude perhaps unseen outside of Jeremy Roenick, Gomez flawlessly delivers punchlines and jabs at reporters while maintaining a serious and dry tone and look. His ability to make an interviewer uncomfortable is unparalleled in the league, so today we present you some of his best work over his career.

Enjoy!

Where We Stand - Habs Rumour Update

There has been lots of talk of late about what Pierre Gauthier is up to, which players are still available, and what may or may not happen. Is Gauthier "done"? What does it mean to be "done" anyway? Even if Gauthier is happy with his team, he will never stop looking to improve it, so at no point will he just give up and be "done."

Today, we look at some discussion of the past week+ to try to see what really is going on.

1) Trade Rumours with the Washington Capitals

With the Capitals in a precarious salary cap situation, it seems apparent they will have to make some kind of move before the season opens. It may be as simple as Tom Poti ending up on LTIR, but if George McPhee wants some breathing room, he will have to do something more significant. Initial rumours a little over a week ago had the club possibly shopping forward Alexander Semin. This would make some sense, since Semin isn't always in the organization's good books and has only one year remaining on his deal before becoming a UFA. Of course, because the Habs name is a major traffic-generator for "rumour sites," Semin was linked to Montreal in a deal that would include Andrei Kostitsyn (also a UFA next summer). First, from the Caps' perspective, while it would work to save a few bucks, the demand would be for the Canadiens to add in a significant prospect or draft pick. Once you've done that, the deal looks utterly unappealing to the Habs: on a non-physical team, lead the guy who led the club in hits, and acquire a similar, more offensively gifted but perhaps even more enigmatic Russian forward coming off his worst season since 2007-08. Not happening.

So, once it seemed like Habs fans were not buying into this, the sites switched targets: now forward Nicklas Backstrom, under contract until the year 2020, was to be moved, with the Canadiens again offering up Kostitsyn as part of a package. Backstrom may have just completed the worst season of his career, but he is still a star player. But hold on a second. The Caps are far from deep in offensive centers, and Backstrom is part of their young core (hence the lengthy deal). Until the day Scott Gomez is dealt, the Habs are NOT in the market for a long-term top 6 pivot, and that won't be until next off-season at the earliest (and no, Washington wouldn't take Gomez back in the deal, since the whole purpose was to save cap room). So even if Backstrom were inexplicably available, there isn't a fit here, especially given the organization's seeming hatred of over-the-top long contracts like the one he has.

If you want to work out a deal with Washington, look at Jeff Schultz as a more realistic potential acquisition. A tough defensive defenseman who is signed for 3 more seasons at $2.75M a year.

2) The Josh Gorges Situation

Habs fans were split over the signing of Josh Gorges last Friday night. While happy a deal got done pre-arbitration, and accepting of the fair salary, concerned over the 1-year term that means he could be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Does this mean he's not in Pierre Gauthier's plans? I don't think so. He has stated he loves playing in Montreal and wants to win a Stanley Cup here, and if the team will have him back, he'll certainly sign at fair market value. Which, for a player like him, shouldn't be more than $1M or more per season than his present deal (worst case scenario) - hardly the end of the world for the club's cap situation, even with P.K. Subban and Carey Price to sign next off-season. But there a strong UFA classes coming up in the next few years (which we'll look at next week), and Gauthier has left himself added flexibility with a short-term contract. Gorges is a great guy on and off the ice, a heart-and-soul leader type who gives his 110% on a nightly basis, and the kind of player you can win with. But his skill set is limited, and it's not to say he couldn't eventually be upgraded to a more complete player. A one year deal lets the team see how he performs after a 7-years-in-the-making major surgery, as well as to assess the progress of guys like Alexei Yemelin, Yannick Weber, and Rafael Diaz and where they fit in the long-term plans.

3) The New York Islanders (and The Salary Cap Floor)

The salary cap floor was set at $48.3M for this season, and as of today, 4 teams are projected to have payrolls below this number. The Nashville Predators are furthest at $7M away, but they still have Shea Weber to sign, so he will eat most of that difference on a long-term deal, and the club will then add a 7th defenseman to make up the rest. The Colorado Avalanche are a little under $3M to the floor, but if newly signed Gabriel Landeskog makes the team with his $3.575M cap hit, the issue is solved. The Phoenix Coyotes are just about $500K away with a full roster under contract, but Mikkel Boedker and Kyle Turris remain unsigned, so once they take the places of lower salaried forwards, there should be no issues.

That leaves the much-talked about New York Islanders, who stand about $6M from the floor, but still need to add 3 forwards and perhaps a third goaltender if there isn't much confidence in Al Montoya. If we assume Nino Niederreiter will make the team, that cuts the requirements in half, which might be filled on RFAs alone like Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau. But if that's still not enough, the team is apparently in talks with Alexei Yashin about an NHL return, and/or may offer a one year deal to Marty Turco who is still looking for work. So NO, the Islanders do NOT need Scott Gomez or Jaroslav Spacek, so STOP DREAMING that they will take one of these burden salaries of Montreal's hands. All times should be cap compliant by opening night without too much more difficulty at this point.

Top 10 Things to Look Forward to this Season

As if you needed reasons to find the beautiful Montreal summer long and to be counting down the days till we drop the puck once again, today we bring you 10 unfolding storylines to excite you for 2010-11 as a Habs fan.

10) The pro debut of Louis Leblanc

Of the 17 players drafted before Louis Leblanc in 2009, only 6 have yet to make their NHL debut. Five players taken after him in the first round have also played NHL games, while Habs fans have waited patiently for the man dubbed the team's next French Canadian star on draft day. This Fall will mark the fourth consecutive season in which Leblanc starts play in a new league (USHL, ECAC (NCAA), QMJHL, and now AHL) and he is further coming off summer shoulder surgery. Hab fans, then, should continue to show patience even if he has a slow start in the American League and shouldn't expect him to see any National League ice until 2012-13. Still, all will be eagerly monitoring his progress with the Hamilton Bulldogs as one of the organization's top hopes up front for the future. Other stories to follow with the 'Dogs will include the progress of Alexander Avtsin, and the first impressions of Rafael Diaz.

9) Peter Budaj's (few) performances as Carey Price's new back-up

Alex Auld performed reasonably well last season in Price's few nights off. Still, he invoked little confidence in his ability to play multiple games in a row, and so the Habs looked to upgrade their insurance policy in Peter Budaj. Accepting that the performance of the team's back-up won't ultimately decide the Canadiens' season, thus mitigating the risk of the signing to an extent, Budaj has a lot of upside as he was once seen as a quality future starter. He never really lived up to the hype in Colorado, but encouraging for Habs should be that his best NHL numbers came during the season where he was a full-time back-up to Craig Anderson, with a .917 save percentage in 15 games in 2009-10. This compares to Auld's numbers of .914 in 16 games last season in Montreal. It will be interesting to see how he does after working with a new goalie coach.

8) Competition between Lars Eller and David Desharnais

At least thus far, the Canadiens haven't moved to bring in a veteran depth centerman, much in contrast to the past few years. That means a large role for both Lars Eller and David Desharnais within the forward group, with fans hoping they don't fall into an NHL sophomore slump. Unless one is moved to the wing, the two will push each other for the third line ice time, and hopefully this competition will keep both on top of their game. Because of the glimpses of skill he shows, many expect a breakout year from 22-year old Eller, but we mustn't forget that Desharnais was also playing perhaps his best hockey at the NHL level during the playoffs, and he will still have just turned only 25 when the season starts. It gives the organization nice depth and reliability to have two young players at center behind two veterans in Tomas Plekanec and Scott Gomez.

7) A better season from Scott Gomez

Speaking of Gomez... I mean... he couldn't possibly have a WORSE season, right?? Likely to start the year with Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty, the trio should be able to produce consistently, and an improvement from last year will be the team's depth, not forced to bump a plugger like Travis Moen into the top 6 just because of an injury or two. As such, whether it's with Andrei Kostitsyn, Erik Cole, or David Desharnais, he'll have a chance to catch fire with a number of different combinations of linemates. It isn't unthinkable for Scottie to bounce back with 50-60 points, but after last year's debacle, it will take more than just production to appease uneasy fans. The Canadiens need to get 100% effort from Mr. Gomez at both ends of the rink on a nightly basis.

6) What will Pierre Gauthier do with > $5M in cap space?

The past couple of seasons, Montreal's cap situation has been somewhat precarious come trade deadline, making a deal to rent the top available talent somewhat difficult as it would require sending salaries elsewhere. As of now anyway, this season looks to be different with the Canadiens having a full roster under contract and over $5M in cap space. By trade deadline, this room will allow them to trade for any player in the league (that is, any playable available of course). It seems as of now that the biggest hole is on defense (as we covered previously), and there is no short supply of potential rentals out there depending on how their clubs are faring in the standings. So what happens with this cash? Does it go unspent? Is it a patch on the blueline? Or... just maybe... Gauthier finds a way to land a big fish and upgrades one of Montreal's top performers to a bonafide superstar. He has certainly shown he isn't afraid to make a concerted effort to be aggressive/proactive.

5) The progression of Carey Price and P.K. Subban

Funny to think that a year ago, the term "Triple Low-Five" meant nothing to Canadiens fans, and now most can't wait to see the next one. Two of the more promising young players at their positions, both Price and Subban took major strides last season towards reaching their potential. For the Habs to have a good year, they need neither of these players to regress, but rather to continue in their development. The two may have a little extra incentive to perform, as both will be restricted free agents next summer looking for big, long-term contracts. And if Carey Price manages to perform like the top 5 goaltender he can be, and P.K. Subban continues to show he will be a top pairing blueliner for many, many years, the Canadiens will have no problem shelling out the dough to keep both around. The lengthy playoff run they can help bring the city next Spring will hopefully assist in covering the team's future tab.

4) Finally seeing Alexei Yemelin in North America

Year after year, Habs fans were teased by rumours that the promising Yemelin would finally sign a deal and come over to North America for training camp. Well this summer, that fantasy finally came true as Yemelin inked a 1-year contract. Now 25 years old, Yemelin is coming off a breakout season offensively in the KHL, rounding out his game by besting his previous high of 7 points with an amazing 26 in 52 games. Given that he brings toughness and physicality lacking on the Montreal blueline, and that he apparently has a contractual clause allowing him return to Russia rather than report to the Bulldogs, he should be given every opportunity to make an impression with the Canadiens. One thing he must do is control his temper, as he has been known to sometimes take bad penalties, something the Habs already did in abundance last year. He should battle Jaroslav Spacek and Yannick Weber for ice time on D.

3) The return of Andrei Markov

An undoubtedly risky signing, the Canadiens brass basically gave Andrei Markov a mulligan on his injury-filled past few years by extending his contract at the same salary for 3 more seasons. If a little nervous, all Habs fans will be super excited to see Markov The General back patrolling the Montreal blueline this season and so long as he can stay healthy, he could return to being a top 5 or 10 two-way defenseman in the league. Yes, Markov suffered a series of repeated ACL/MCL injuries, but the truth is that for the most part, they were relatively freak situations. Now that he has been fully repaired, they should not be seen as predictors of his future health, so Canadiens fans can only be nervous about his age by contract's end slowing him down. Jacques Martin might choose to start Markov off slowly given how little he has played the last two years, but once he hits his stride, he should be soaking up big minutes to make up for the losses of Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski. And his saucer passes over to P.K. Subban on the top powerplay unit will hopefully be a thing of beauty for all to behold.

2) The debut of Erik Cole

For a player that Habs fan hated to see touch the Bell Centre ice for many years, Erik Cole's perception to Montrealers has done a full 180-degree spin and now his debut as a Canadien is one of the most hotly anticipated stories of the upcoming season. The Canadiens hope his time here will be more fruitful than the last time he left the Carolina Hurricanes (for the Edmonton Oilers) so that the club doesn't regret handing him a rich 4-year deal. Cole brings the club the type of player it has lacked for oh so very long. The type of player that Andrei Kostitsyn can be when he's on his game (with a little more grit and a little less skill). A big body who can throw his weight around, go to the net, and has soft hands to bury the puck. Those who have been with our blog from the beginning know we were advocating for his signing since early June, so adding another 20+ goal scoring Stanley Cup champion to the line-up is something we all should be excited about. Playing the same style of game as Max Pacioretty, and also having recovered from a serious neck/spinal cord injury, he could serve as a great role model for Max, which brings us to...

1) The return of Max Pacioretty

When he is introduced on opening night, Pacioretty will get a long and loud round of applause from the Bell Centre faithful. After an up-and-down start to his pro career, it seemed Max had managed to put everything together last season. After ripping up the AHL with 32 points (including 17 goals) in just 27 games, Max got the call-up and didn't disappoint, registing 14 goals and 24 points in 37 games with the Canadiens. His breakout season was cut short by the infamous check into a stanchion by Zdeno Chara, and his recovery has been a long and difficult one. But before that injury, Pacioretty had been arguably the team's best attacker, looking like an emerging top power forward, and so his return to the line-up this Fall will be greatly anticipated. With Pacioretty and Cole both in the top 6, the concerns over the club's small stature will be diminished. Habs fans need to hope, however, that the hit won't have any adverse effects on Pacioretty's mental game. He is saying all the right things during his recovery (aside, perhaps, from a joking insult to Brad Marchand's nose), but only he can know (and maybe not even he right now) how he'll react when he hops back on the Bell Centre ice. A Pacioretty who is hesistant to go into the corners or to charge the net is far less effective than the one of last season, so hopefully he can put all effects of his serious injury behind him and get back on track.

Habs Rumour Update: Gomez Still In Play?

As we've mentioned before, we here at Your Canadiens still consider this one highly unlikely. But our favourite controversial Tweeter, @incarceratedbob, is at it again.

If there is one area where ibob seems to have legit sources, it's within the New York area teams. So when he is now specifically indicating that Scott Gomez trade talks are heating back up with the New York Islanders, it is at least worth considering.

Today on Twitter ibob claimed that Gomez's No Trade Clause allowed him to veto a deal that would have sent him from Montreal to Long Island on draft weekend. He states it's possible that Garth Snow himself has since reached out to Gomez in an effort to woo him to change his mind, leading to renewed talks with Pierre Gauthier this week.

What might a possible Islanders - Canadiens swap look like? ibob believes the deal has the Canadiens sweetening the pot with a first round draft pick or NHL-ready defenseman for the Islanders to take Gomez's contract off the team's hands. Where it becomes difficult is that one would imagine Gauthier will want to replace Gomez with an experienced NHL top 6 center in the short term while David Desharnais and Lars Eller continue to develop, and this isn't something the Islanders are loaded with. There has been talk about the team moving young forward Josh Bailey, who would add additional size to the Habs at the forward position, but isn't that established presence they would be looking for.

With the UFA market now almost bare, Gomez would have to be replaced via trade. Unlikely when one considers Gauthier's reminder that this team is still newly assembled and still needs to gel together before major changes are executed. Plus, per this rumour, Gauthier would be giving up other assets just to rid himself of Gomez (perhaps a Yannick Weber or Josh Gorges), creating a new hole on the team, and also limiting tradeable pieces that could be sent away for that replacement center.

All in all, the deal makes little sense at this time, but I guess you never know. Gomez is likely to be given another chance here, and I could see him having a bounce back year (hard to do much worse). Next summer, as his actual salary declines for the remainder of his contract, Gomez may become a more marketable asset for Gauthier and the Canadiens.