Habs Acquire Kaberle from 'Canes for Spacek

The Montreal Canadiens today announced the acquisition of defenseman Tomas Kaberle from the Carolina Hurricanes in return for defenseman Jaroslav Spacek.

Kaberle, 33, has struggled since leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Boston Bruins at last year's trade deadline. He fell out of favour quickly in Carolina after signing there this summer as an unrestricted free agent. His contract pays him $4.25M per season for this year and the next two, whereas Spacek was set to become a UFA this summer.

I don't hate Tomas Kaberle. I had some belief this summer that he could bounce back after performing poorly in Boston. I had him as a possible James Wisniewski replacement in Montreal. But he has shown few signs of recovery, apart from the last couple of games with the 'Canes. The glass half-full approach would say that perhaps that's him turning a corner; there is definitely potential for the trade to pay off. And losing Spacek is not a real cost to pay. But if Kaberle doesn't find his game upon his return to Canada, this is a horrible contract to add to the Habs' salary cap. It isn't a problem for the current season, but will be a huge hindrance when negotiating new deals for Carey Price and P.K. Subban this summer.

Kaberle has just 9 points in 29 games for the 'Canes this year and is an atrocious -12. That's a far cry from his seasons of 42-58 points with the Leafs. Still, he should help the team's powerplay in the short term, and the move has potential to pay off if it's what is required to awaken the sleeping Czech. He is also a career 5-for-12 in shootouts, giving him a 41.7% efficacy, so he could help there as well.

Still, the move creates some questions for the Canadiens. To keep their RFAs this summer, is the team confident it can deal Scott Gomez elsewhere? Or what impact will a new collective bargaining agreement have on the team's big contracts? Where does Kaberle fit in a fully healthy line-up? Certain, Yannick Weber is the next to be shipped out, right? Why make this move when you're about to get Chris Campoli back? Wouldn't you want to see how he works out first? What does this say about Andrei Markov's future? On that last point, one of the ways this move "makes sense" is if Markov's career is in jeopardy. This becomes relevant as news today from Markov's Russian personal doctor indicated the rearguard is likely to need at least 7 weeks of recovery time, unexpected to play before the All-Star game in late January. Though if the two d-men find their game some day, a Markov - Kaberle powerplay duo has the potential to be very scary.

But most importantly: Perry Pearn took a job as a Pro Scout with the Canadiens. Was suggesting Tomas Kaberle to Pierrre Gauthier his big revenge for his firing?

The move from Carolina's perspective basically serves the sole purpose of dumping Kaberle's deal. To the point where GM Jim Rutherford actually said in his press conference when asked about Kaberle's 3-year $12.75M deal signed this summer, "I should have known better."

But for now, Habs fans, let's welcome Kaberle to the fold and give the guy a chance. He certainly couldn't make the team's powerplay any worse! And there is upside here. Just 10 months ago, he was traded to the Boston Bruins, fetching Joe Colbourne, a 1st round pick, and a conditional second! If he picks up his game, Gauthier may wheel and deal him elsewhere once Andrei Markov is healthy and make a net profit! Besides, no one can say for certain how is contract would impact the team moving forward, given that nobody knows what the new CBA will look like this summer. So let's ride it out, support him for now, and just see how it goes.

An aside: wondering how much impact Kirk Muller had on this deal's completion?

Your Canadiens for October 11, 2011

As we anxiously await news on the health of Mike Cammalleri and Jaroslav Spacek which should come at this morning's practice, we can fill you in on some things you may have missed while enjoying your turkey yesterday.

UPDATE: - Jacques Martin briefed the media on the status of his injured players.

Mike Cammalleri is expected to miss 10-14 days of action with a deep cut near his left thigh. There is no muscle or ligament damage, fortunately.

Jaroslav Spacek continues to experience upper body pain following a hit on Sunday. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action.

Lars Eller "hopes" to be ready for Thursday's home opener. As he himself put it, because of Habs' injury woes, "there's no one else left to play!"

UPDATE: - Lines from practice:

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Travis Moen - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Lars Eller - Andreas Engqvist - Aaron Palushaj

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Josh Gorges - Raphael Diaz

Alexei Emelin - Yannick Weber

At first glance they look passable, but under closer inspection, the team needs help as the roster is riddled with young, unproven players and oddly formed combinations. As was expected, neither Mike Cammalleri nor Jaroslav Spacek were at practice, and we'll get an update on their status when it's done. The Tomas Plekanec line is a mess with a slow-starting Erik Cole and a third/fourth line two-way forward in Travis Moen on his wings (the way the line finished the game on Sunday, which, I'll admit, worked well enough for that afternoon). For those that don't watch him enough, Sunday's breakaway goal was far from the first time that Moen has shown off some flashy hands. In fact, he rather regularly tries skill moves in the offensive zone and is quite effective, but his skating, passing, and shot leave him as more of a defensive player. It shouldn't be a surprise, though, that Jacques Martin has gone back to putting him into the top 6, a favourite move of his when injuries pop up. I'd have rather seen Aaron Palushaj, Mathieu Darche, or Andrei Kostitsyn there easily.

The fourth line has a major identity crisis, though at least it offers good size. If Palushaj plays well, swapping him for Moen in the line-up would make a whole lot of sense in clarifying the roles of each trio.

Lars Eller will return to the line-up but he's being started at wing on the fourth line (for now). Andreas Engqvist is being kept at center as he has done well in the face-off circle thus far.

That defense is awfully young and inexperienced, with Josh Gorges being forced to his off-side to play with Raphael Diaz. NHL rookies Diaz and Alexei Yemelin join sophomores Yannick Weber and P.K. Subban in what must be the defense with the least amount of NHL games played league-wide.

I'm sure Pierre Gauthier is busy working the phones as we speak.

- The Canadiens called forward Aaron Palushaj up from the Hamilton Bulldogs yesterday. Palushaj had a disappointing first half of training camp but turned it up a notch in the last few preseason games, collecting 4 points. He had 2 assists in Hamilton's season opener (their only game thus far).

- Brendan Gallagher exploded offensively on Thanksgiving Monday with 3 goals and 2 assists in a 5-1 Vancouver Giants win. Gallagher now has 7 goals and 2 assists in just 4 games. He and Michael Bournival are definite bright spots in the organization in this young season and both look like near-locks for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

09/10/11: Montreal 5, Winnipeg 1; stay classy, Jets fans

So it was still far from a perfect game for your Montreal Canadiens, but it certainly was a relief to score some goals and get in the win column before hitting the Bell Centre ice this coming Thursday for the team's home opener. Sorry for spoiling your party, Winnipeg, but a huge round of applause to the fans that packed the noisy stadium for sticking around to the end of this one-sided affair (though just on the scoreboard) and then giving your boys an ovation to welcome them home at game's end.

Despite the score, the Habs owe this one to Carey Price who was simply sensational. With the exception of one banged in rebound, he kept buzzing Jets forwards at bay all night, including a number of ten bell saves.

Unlike the game against the Leafs, however, Price got run support this time. The Canadiens were opportunistic, cashing in on their chances with a number of pretty markers as Tomas Plekanec paced the offense with a goal and 2 helpers. Yannick Weber broke the team's powerplay goose egg on a 4-on-3 advantage and also added an assist, taking on a bigger role after Jaroslav Spacek was forced to leave due to an upper body injury early on in the game.

Mike Cammalleri scored the Canadiens first goal of the 2011-12 campaign early on, making him the answer to the trivia question of who scored the first marker in the first game back in Winnipeg. Habs fans will care more, however, about the fact that he was forced out of the game after having his left leg accidentally cut open by the blade of Weber's skate. The report is a leg laceration will keep him out about 2 weeks.

A lot of Habs had pretty good nights. Yannick Weber looked much better than his training camp self after moving back to the point. Raphael Diaz's maturation continues. Alexei Emelin was rather sound for his NHL debut despite a poor penalty.

Others not so much. Erik Cole looks out of synch right now, something obviously not lost on Jacques Martin seen in his greatly reduced ice time. Brian Gionta fanned on a number of in-close scoring chances. P.K. Subban still looks awkward leading the top powerplay and is often caught out of position defensively.

But it was a win. And it felt good. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens manage to replace Cammalleri and Spacek in the short term, likely by shifting Weber back to D and calling up Aaron Palushaj, while hoping Lars Eller is ready to face the Calgary Flames on Thursday. But perhaps Pierre Gauthier opts to test the trade market or sign a remaining free agent (Bryan McCabe, Paul Mara, and John Madden are some of the more intriguing - and I use that word loosely - names out there).

One thing I am sincerely hoping for is an end to the Plekanec on the powerplay point experiment. Last season, the PP struggles ended when Montreal put two shooters on the blueline (Subban and James Wisniewski), so it would be natural to try Weber with Subban to again give the team two shot options. Until Andrei Markov can re-join the group, this looks like the best choice for the top unit.

With the Canadiens having the day off for Thanksgiving today, don't expect any real updates on Spacek or Cammalleri until tomorrow's practice. The team says the injuries are minor, and Cammalleri said he's "fine," but then again, so was Blair Betts.

In any case, there remains lots of work to do and possible chances to come in the three days off until the next game. But when Thursday does come, I am excited to join in as we Hab fans raise the Bell Centre roof just as Jets fans got to do last night.

A Day as Pierre Gauthier: Off-Season Game Plan

Every Friday, I will insert myself myself into the mind of Habs General Manager Pierre Gauthier and look at the approach I would take, were I in his shoes. For the first such installment, we’ll look at the Canadiens offseason game plan.

Where They Stand

As of today, based on players under contract, the Canadiens are looking at the following roster (note: the salary cap has not yet been set for 2011-12, but based on some conservative reports, we will estimate $62.2M):

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
BLANK / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
Mathieu Darche ($0.700m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Travis Moen ($1.500m)
BLANK / BLANK / BLANK

DEFENSEMEN
P.K. Subban ($0.875m) / Hal Gill ($2.250m)
Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m) / Jaroslav Spacek ($3.833m)
BLANK / BLANK

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m)
BLANK

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $41,270,509; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (13-man roster): $20,929,491

Barring the trading of any of these players, we’d be looking at a little under $21M to find 4 forwards, 2 defensemen, a back-up goalie, and 2-3 press box fillers. No easy task given the goal is to field a better team than last year’s.

So here we are, June 17th, with the buyout period set to begin, and the draft a week away. What are the steps we take in preparing for opening night?

1) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek to the Edmonton Oilers for Sheldon Souray

Reports have the Oilers ready to buy Souray out if they can’t find a taker by trade. This is where Montreal steps in.

Why Montreal Does it: Looking to contend this season, the Canadiens would love to retain James Wisniewski, but Spacek’s cap hit prohibits further spending on the blueline. Because he’s on a 35+ contract, the team cannot avoid the cap hit by sending Spacek to Hamilton or encouraging him to play in Europe. The only way to save the $3.833M is to trade him elsewhere. Spacek has worn out his welcome in Montreal, and should move on. Souray would be sent to Hamilton, taking his salary off the cap and providing an offensive boost to an AHL club that just lost two of its best scorers (Dustin Boyd and Nigel Dawes). As one of the league’s highest grossing teams, the Canadiens can afford to suck up such a high AHL salary for the ability to improve their NHL roster.

Why Edmonton Does it: Edmonton, on the other hand, has no concern of hitting the cap. In the NHL, Souray’s cap hit is $5.4M, but he has been playing for their AHL affiliate. His actual salary for next season, the last on his contract, is $4.5M, meaning by replacing him with Spacek, they would save more than $600K. Spacek, meanwhile, gives them a serviceable veteran d-man who has previously played in Edmonton to add to their group of young players, who also only has one year left on his deal.

Alternate Options if Rejected:
A) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Mike Commodore (assigned to Hamilton)
B) Montreal Canadiens trade Jaroslav Spacek and Benoit Pouliot to whoever will take them for a third round draft pick

2) Montreal Canadiens sign Andrei Markov to a 2-year, $10.5M deal



Before July 1st, Markov gives the Habs a small home-town discount, taking $500K less annually than his current contract in exchange for a second year of term. Both sides know that he has a lot to prove in terms of health and conditioning, so the deal is fair to both parties. Markov loves Montreal and shows a little gratitude for all the help he has received from the medical staff the past 2 seasons. For those even considering letting Markov walk, you’ve definitely forgotten how good he is when he’s healthy. We’re talking a potential top 5 or top 10 defenseman in the league. As big of a concern as the injuries are, the fact is, for the most part, they were freak situations. There’s no real reason not to expect Markov to put up a strong 70 or more games this year as a true #1 d-man anchoring the back end. Our best player of the past decade, Markov alone will be able to take this team to a whole ‘nother level.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Christian Ehrhoff to a 3-year, $16.5M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Joni Pitkanen to a 3-year, $14.4M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Roman Hamrlik to a 1-year, $3.5M deal

3) Montreal Canadiens sign James Wisniewski to a 3-year, $14.1M deal

With Spacek out of the picture, the Canadiens are free to use his cap space to give Wisniewski the raise he needs, here to a cap hit of $4.7M per year. This number seems fair to both sides, and locks Wisniewski up for the same term as most of the core (Gionta, Gomez, Cammalleri) to get another building block in place. If scoring is something the Habs lack, having all of Wisniewski, Subban, and Markov in the line-up will ensure some help from the blueline, not unlike Vancouver’s composition this past season. Wisniewski has in the past shown more of a physical side than what we saw in Montreal this past season, and it was likely not lost on him that he was playing for a free agent contract. With a 3-year deal in his pocket, he may feel liberated to take the body in a more consistent fashion without the constant threat of injury. While I believe Markov will play a full season, signing a second big-ticket d-man like Wisniewski is crucial just in case injuries strike the group again this year.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Kevin Bieksa to a 3-year, $15 M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Tomas Kaberle to a 3-year, $15M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Eric Brewer to a 2-year, $9M deal

4) Montreal Canadiens sign Jaromir Jagr to a 1-year, $4.5M deal

For those who saw the post of a couple of days ago, you’ll know that Jaromir Jagr is my number one forward UFA target. Some rumours had him willing to take as little as $2.5M or $3M to return to the NHL, but given that there are multiple teams in on the bidding, the Canadiens sweeten the pot to get him to sign. Even at age 39, Jagr is a superstar the likes of which the Habs haven’t seen in many years. He has repeatedly shown great chemistry with Tomas Plekanec on the international stage, most recently at this year’s World Championships. There is nothing to suggest that Jagr’s performance in Montreal would be any worse than the 70 points he put up in his final season with the Rangers, especially given that he is in better shape now than he was then. Adding an offensive threat of the sort would volt Montreal into true contender territory.

Alternate Options if Rejected: Wait till the market opens, and attempt one of the following:
A) Montreal Canadiens sign Erik Cole to a 2-year, $9.5 M deal
B) Montreal Canadiens sign Brooks Laich to a 3-year, $13.5M deal
C) Montreal Canadiens sign Ville Leino to a 3-year, $10.5M deal

5) Re-Sign RFAs

Josh Gorges – 4 years, $12M
Max Pacioretty – 2 years, $3.5M
David Desharnais – 1 year, $1M (one-way)
Ryan White – 2 years, $1.3M (one-way)
Yannick Weber – 1 year, $750K (one-way)
Benoit Pouliot – sign & trade for pick/prospect
Tom Pyatt – 1 year, $650K

6) Fill in Roster with a 4th Line Grinder and Back-Up Goalie via UFA

Options for a physical fourth liner with size, signed for 1 year between $700K and $950K: Michael Rupp, Zenon Konopka, Ben Eager
Options for a reliable back-up goaltender, signed for 1 year between $750K and $1.25M: Alex Auld, Ty Conklin, Mathieu Garon, Curtis McElhinney, Patrick Lalime

Putting the pieces together, the Canadiens would end up with a roster like the following:

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS
Mike Cammalleri ($6.000m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Jaromir Jagr ($4.500m)
Max Pacioretty ($1.750m) / Scott Gomez ($7.357m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)
David Desharnais ($1.000m) / Lars Eller ($1.270m) / Andrei Kostitsyn ($3.250m)
Travis Moen ($1.500m) / Michael Rupp ($0.900m) / Ryan White ($0.850m)
Tom Pyatt ($0.650m) / Mathieu Darche ($0.700m)

DEFENSEMEN
Andrei Markov ($5.250m) / Josh Gorges ($3.000m)
Hal Gill ($2.250m) / P.K. Subban ($0.875m)
Alexei Yemelin ($0.984m) / James Wisniewski ($4.700m)
Yannick Weber ($0.750m)

GOALTENDERS
Carey Price ($2.750m) / Alex Auld ($1.000m)

BUYOUTS: Georges Laraque ($0.500m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,200,000; CAP PAYROLL: $61,787,176; BONUSES: $400,000
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $412,824

With three quality offensive lines, a true rough & tumble fourth line, three strong defensive pairings, and Carey Price between the pipes, this line-up looks set to contend for the Eastern Conference title, and then ultimately a Stanley Cup. Moreover, this is a realistic line-up that doesn’t require, say, finding someone to take Scott Gomez in a trade and then signing Brad Richards. It will take a little work, and a little luck, but it is within Gauthier’s reach to achieve such a formation, and the club owes it to the fans to put the best team possible on the ice. For my money’s worth, this is the group I would love to see.