Habster:
Here’s an excerpt from the Pioneer Press article by John Shipley who also thinks the Marian Gaborik for Higgins, Halak and McDonagh or a 1st round pick is wishful thinking.
This rumored deal simply isn’t going to happen if Marian Gaborik doesn’t sign a deal with the Canadiens plus there has to be more money going to the Wild.
Got a call this morning from a frantic Montreal sports radio station.
“Chris Higgins is not skating,” the voice said. “He’s not in the building. What are you hearing on your end?”
Oh, boy. Here we go …
The Marian Gaborik story has gone international, and what was briefly the Twin Cities’ own little hockey drama has quickly jumped the shark. What had moved incrementally via reporting and sourcing has been pushed into hyper drive by rumor, innuendo and speculation.
So get ready, Wild fans, it’s full-tilt-boogie on the Gabby rumors until this thing is resolved.
Rumors have been out there, but mostly crazy ones, such as Gaborik straight up for Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin (Wild: “Uh, where do I sign?”) or Gaborik to Edmonton (he doesn’t want to be here, you think he wants to be in Edmonton?).
But the rumor the Montreal press was sinking its teeth into Monday isn’t so patently insane: Gaborik to Montreal for winger Higgins, backup goalie Jaroslav Halak and either a first-round draft pick or top prospect Ryan McDonagh (yes, that Ryan McDonagh).
Like all rumors, this one is not substantiated by a named source. That doesn’t mean it’s not true, but it does mean one should approach it with caution. For one thing, the numbers don’t add up: If the deal were done as is, Montreal would be about $3.86 million over the cap. And acquiring a backup goaltender doesn’t make much sense for the Wild.
On the other hand, Wild general manager Doug Risebrough
is certainly tight with Habs GM Bob Gainey, a former Canadiens teammate, and it’s safe to assume he’d want to trade Gaborik out of the Western Conference.
Whatever, it’s enough for Montreal newspapers to have questioned Higgins about it. He told La Presse, “I’m starting to be a little bothered.” Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said of Higgins, “His name returns in rumors because you don’t stop talking about Marian Gaborik. Stop talking about Gaborik, and we’ll stop hearing Higgins’ name.”
Good
Later in the article:
This Montreal deal would give the Wild a reliable and improving winger in Higgins, 25, and a super prospect in former Cretin-Derham Hall defenseman McDonagh. It also gets them down to about $3.13 million under the cap.
Other article from the Star-Tribune: Need to deal Gaborik has Risebrough on spot
Spector: More Gaborik-to-Montreal Chatter.