”I took this step because it is Jaroslav’s wish to have his chance to play,” Canadiens GM Bob Gainey told ruefrontenac.com. ”He feels ready to play a more important part.”
The “step” is a call that Gainey made to Paul Holmgren, his counterpart with the Philadelphia Flyers, sometime after Ray Emery went down with an injury. Gainey wanted to gauge Holmgren’s interest in obtaining Jaroslav Halak.
‘Let’s be realistic,” Gainey told the website. “I received a second round pick from the Washington Capitals for Cristobal Huet and the Flyers gave up a second round pick from Buffalo for Martin Biron.”
It is highly unusual for Gainey to take the step of speaking with the media about an impending move. So why this time? It is possible that he was misquoted but I don’t think it is the case in this situation. The more probable explanation is that the move is strategic on Gainey’s part.
To a small extent, the public message may have been aimed at Halak’s volatile agent, Allan Walsh. It was Gainey’s way of letting Walsh know that he was actively trying to deal Halak as requested. This would hopefully keep Walsh in check so that he wouldn’t cause any further problems in the locker room with another divisive message on Twitter.
While Halak did not explicitly confirm that he asked for a trade, his response when questioned left little doubt. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. It’s between me and my agent so I’m not going to say yes or no. I have no comment on this,” said Halak.
But there was a more important reason for Gainey to openly speak about shopping Halak.
In all cities, but particularly in Montreal, it is important for the GM to manage expectations. Gainey’s message was to the media and fans. While Halak may be beloved in Montreal, he will not fetch a top six forward in return.
While Halak has decent numbers for a backup goalie, he is adored by Canadiens’ fans who have developed a fondness for him. Some love cheering for the underdog, whereas others are Carey Price-haters. While this may raise Halak’s worth in their eyes, NHL GM’s don’t value those emotional attachments.
They are looking at a young goalie in Halak, who has proved himself to be a very capable backup but little else. Halak has been shielded from the pressure of the limelight as all of the attention and pressure has been on Price. Halak, has played against weaker opposition, and more games at home. His numbers on the road are not impressive.
Realistically, it is unlikely that the Canadiens will receive any more than a second round draft choice in return for Halak.
Some have wondered how this situation differs from Sergei Kostitsyn who also asked for a trade? Sergei’s request was the voice of immaturity reacting to a perceived inequity. He felt that he was being treated differently from other players (with some justification).
As for Halak, this isn’t the first time he’s made a ‘trade me or play me’ request. Gainey has to be concerned about the effect it will have on the locker room. One wonders if his teammates can trust Halak if he wishes to prove himself elsewhere?
So given the limited return, what is the rush to trade Halak? The value of a goaltender doesn’t necessarily increase closer to the trade deadline. Instead, it is more related to injuries and situational need. So Gainey has to take advantage of opportunities when available.
The injury to Emery provided an opportunity for Gainey to initiate a discussion with Philadelphia..
Halak believes that he can be a number one goaltender in the NHL. He will be given the chance to prove it with another team.
Since the beginning of the season, fans should have been preparing themselves that Halak will be traded before March 3, 2010. But given the recent developments, it would seem that a move will be made much sooner.
For analysis of a potential Halak trade read Kyle’s excellent article: Battleships for Rowboats
Just a few comments! :)
First, Philly got Mike Leighton on waivers, so I doubt they'd want another goalie anymore (unless someone else gets injured).
Second, this comment made me laugh: "While this may raise Halak's worth in their eyes, NHL GM's don't value those emotional attachments."
Gainey has that exact "emotional attachment" with Price since the day he drafted him. I love Price, I really do, but I can't say that he has earned the #1 spot over Halak looking at their play the past few years. They both have had many good and bad times, and unless we judge Carey by his play in the World Juniors and in the AHL (which I don't think is fair), then neither really stands out from the other. Plus if we consider his AHL experience, then we'd have to consider Jaro's and I believe he had the #1 save percentage when he was there.
Anyway, interesting points, but I still think it's odd that Gainey talked about this in the first place, and secondly that he only decided to talk to Raymond… Why him and not at a press conference or something like that?
Strange.
I liked the Sergei comparison… I didn't really think of it that way. But Jaro hasn't explicitly stated he wanted to be traded, only that he wanted to play, which is what all goalies should want. Why settle if you can try to get wins to help out the team? I doubt we have to worry about if his teammates can trust him, because if anything it should make him want to win more, not sabotage them in any way.
Sorry for the long post haha… just it's been on my mind for a while!!
Michael Leighton is not the solution for Philadelphia. He is a cheap bandaid replacement who is a known quantity to new coach Peter Laviolette.
Leighton is at best a minor league goaltender. His stats for this season are 4.28 GAA and .848 SV%.
The Flyers will drop him in an instant when they find a better solution.
Fans who feel a fondness for Halak don't recognize that he is not a technically sound goaltender. He plays deep, has trouble controlling rebounds and is not the quickest when moving laterally.
He has potential and will have to work harder to correct the flaws in his game if he intends to be a number one goaltender.
Jaro has sent the message that he wants to be traded. Not denying the question publicly is indicative of that. Distrust of Halak by his teammates has nothing to do with sabotage. Halak has indicated that he wants to be elsewhere so it is natural for questions of commitment and effort to start to creep into the minds of teammates.
Many have used that argument that Gainey has an emotional attachment to Price but it doesn't hold water. Gainey isn't fond of Price, he believes that Price is a much better goaltender.
And it is clear that 29 other GMs in the NHL agree with Gainey. None of them would put Halak at anywhere near the same level as Price.
For Halak alone, the return may be a draft choice and there is limited interest. If Price were put on the market, every GM in the league would call and the offers would be substantial.
As Bob McKenzie says Carey Price will have the 2nd biggest impact on the NHL of players from the 2005 draft. The first being Sidney Crosby.
Pierre McGuire says that Price is the most valuable asset that the Canadiens have. Price isn't called 'The Franchise' just because Gainey likes him.
Gainey is a smart man. He had a message that he wanted to be public. A news conference would expose him to questions beyond his message or agenda. By choosing a reporter who is interested in 'scoops', he knew that the information would be gratefully received without too much push back.
I actually just checked and it's a little creepy but Price and Halak have almost identical career stats…:
Price: 2.72GAA 0.912 sav% 0.589 win %
Halak: 2.82GAA 0.912 sav% 0.581 win %
Price has won more games but played in more, so that's why i did a percentage of wins (wins / wins + losses) instead of the # of wins.
Oh sorry I didn't see your post as I was writing mine…
It's understandable that he believes that Price is the better goaltender, but that is an opinion not a fact. Opinions are emotional.
I know Price is good and that he has potential, but he hasn't been great yet. When he steals a lot of games, or wins a cup, I'll be happy that everything worked out. He's had comparisons to Roy and Brodeur, but HAS NOT accomplished anything yet in the NHL yet, and that is my problem with how the fans/GM see him.
That being said he's a good goaltender… I think his stats are great, and he has talent obviously. I just don't think Halak should be hung out to dry when his stats are nearly identical and he plays really well too. He may not be as graceful as Price, but he still makes the saves.
My point is that you are equating emotional attachments by the fans with the informed hockey opinions of 30 GM's in the NHL. For hockey decisions, you have to side with the GMs, don't you?
To get a complete picture of the comparison, you have to look beyond the basic statistics of GAA and SV%.
You must also keep in mind that Halak has never felt the pressure of being a number one goaltender. He has been shielded from the media spotlight as the media vultures picked apart Price.
Halak's GAA is a full goal higher on the road than at home. He also has a losing record on the road in his career. Price has a winning record both at home and on the road.
As a number one goaltender, Halak won't be able to be sheltered from road games the way he is now.
As mentioned, Halak has faced inferior opposition. While Halak has winning records against Florida, Nashville and the Islanders, Price's best records are against Boston, Buffalo and Philadelphia.
Price also has a better winning percentage against divisional and conference opponents.
Price has stolen games, many, both this year and last. As far as a championship, let's see what happens when there is some reasonable talent around him.
As for Halak, he is not being hung out to dry, he is simply being traded. The Canadiens can't keep both so they are keeping the one who is vastly superior.
Chester Taylor is a very good running back for the Minnesota Vikings. He is a backup and a good complement to Adrian Peterson. Right now the Vikings are able to keep both and happy to do so. But if push comes to shove, there is no doubt who will be dealt. Adrian Peterson is the Minnesota franchise player in the same way that Carey Price is to Montreal.
At what point has Halak said he wants to prove himself elsewhere though? He said he wants to play more (which doesn't mean that he wants to be number 1) – even if that meant playing somewhere else To me, that doesn't mean that he wants out or that he wants to prove himself somewhere else or that he wants to get out of town right now or else. It doesn't mean that he's out to destroy Price either. It means he'd like to play more than once ever two weeks. At least that's how I saw it.
When a forward or a defenseman says he wants to play more, he's called a whiner and that's it. When a goalie says he wants to play more than he's being a selfish jerk and he's out to get the other goalie. Personally, I would be skeptical of any player who says "I love sitting here on the bench. It's awesome!"
Just saying…..
I'm curious what the Habs are going to do about their backup situation in the event that Halak does leave, because I think Sanford is playing himself out of the starting role in Hamilton and Desjardins… I have different feelings about him and his recent string of shutouts. That's not to say "omg we MUST have Halak as Price's backup" but rather goaltending should be a legitimate concern for the Habs when they go looking to shop Halak off.
In a best case scenario, by asking to play more, he's effectively asked Gainey to trade him. We all know, as Halak does, that #1 goaltenders play upwards of 60 games a season, leaving about 20 games for the backup. You don't ever choose a goalie with your 5th overall choice to play him less than that. He was picked there because Gainey believes him to be a workhorse…a thoroughbred as he once called him.
Halak is very aware of this. He knows he will not get the playing time he wants while Price is in town, and he has known this for a long time. The only thing he could have done to help his cause was to flat out supplant Price as the incumbent #1 goalie, which he has been unable to do.
While Halak may be a wonderful luxury to have, teams simply don't maintain this kind of tandem for long. The Sharks had Nabokov and Toskala. Today Toskala is a bit of a punchline, but at the time of his signing he was too good to be a backup, and not good enough to supplant Nabokov, which is the same situation the Canadiens find themselves in today.
In the end, it is very clear (at least to me) that given Gainey's uncharacteristic comments, and Halak's ambiguous stance on whether or not he asked to be traded, he did ask to be traded. When a reporter flat out asks him if he wants to be traded and he replies "maybe, maybe not", he's not just being coy. There's no logic to that reply if he did not ask to be traded. With that reply he makes himself a distraction. And a backup goalie who is a distraction is quickly moved elsewhere. He also risks losing the confidence of his teammates by being a nuisance.
It should be no surprise that Halak wants to move, and Gainey is happy to move him. Price is The Goalie in Montreal, love it or hate it. Halak is a good goalie too – and as a result a bit of trade leverage for Gainey. Personally, I was surprised to see Halak start the season in Blue-Blanc-Rouge (but I gues Gainey had done enough trading by Sept, needed a break).
I like watching Halak – he is an exciting goaltender, and certainly a nice to have when the Priceberg has a bit of a meltdown. But I think Gainey will have trouble selling him as a starter in Philly. He almost needs to go to Tampa Bay or Columbus and get more playtime, and develope into the goalie he is going to be.
Best of luck Halak!
@The Rocket : I understand what you mean, but in my eyes no matter how good they think he is, until he proves it, I’m not just going to agree with them because they are GMs. It’s like saying the Prime Minister wants to abolish the gun registry and just because he’s the Prime Minister and it’s a topic he deals with I should agree with him. Until I have solid proof, I’m not going to just side with someone because they are in the field. (Sorry to bring in politics haha I just couldn't think of a better example! :) )
Halak did have the pressure of being #1 when Huet got injured and Aebischer was the backup, and he won / stole many games for us. He was the sole reason we got close to making the playoffs and although we didn’t, we would have been much farther down in the standings without him. He also stole many many games last year when Price was having a really tough time, and when he was injured. But then Jaro got sick, and that was that. Gainey never gave him much of a chance after that, despite all he had done.
Tougher opposition means nothing with the Canadiens. We play better against tougher teams. We lose against easy teams. Halak has a winning record against Florida, as you mentioned, which happens to be the team which has a winning record against us. And we play better against divisional opponents as well… the rivalries make them play more intensely.
If they can’t keep both, and if they are basing it on draft picks, I understand why they wouldn’t want to get rid of one so high. But I still think that up until this point, Jaro has proven himself, just as much as Carey has, if not more, since he was such a late pick. Price had higher expectations from the fans, but that type of pressure sometimes makes you want to play better. Jaro needed to work his way up from the bottom.
I don’t think there’s point arguing :D … we both think what we do. I have always tried to think of them as equals until they prove otherwise, the same way I think of all the other players on the team, where you see ‘the Franchise’ and believe in him (which makes sense considering the miracles he pulled of the World Juniors and in the AHL). A lot of people think that way. A lot of others think he’s done nothing for us and that Jaro isn’t being given a fair chance. I’m in the middle I guess. I think if Gainey had been smart they’d tried doing 1A-1B goaltenders in Price’s first year, instead of trading away Huet and putting so much of the bad kind of pressure on Carey. But what’s done is done.
@EP: He never said that… you’re right, he just said he wanted to play more, wherever that may be. I got the same thing you did from it. He definitely doesn’t seem the type to screw over his teammates in any way… he seems really modest and complementary to them in interviews. I really like his personality.
And I’m also wondering what will happen if he is traded. Price still needs a backup for a good portion of the games, and I don’t know if Sanford is that guy or if Desjardins is either. :S
I still don't see that asking to play more means he wants to be traded. When he adds "even if that means in another city" THEN yeah, I start to believe that he's looking at other options. When he said that he wanted to play more before he signed his current contract with them, I didn't see it as a "you promise me that I'll get to play more or else I'll demand a trade two years down the road" the way most people seemed to see it.
Meh. That's just me.
*shrugs*
@habsbloggergirl Believe me, it's not Sanford. Desjardins has been playing very good hockey right now but I'm not sure that he can 1) maintain it and 2) maintain it in the NHL. Also, the Bulldogs are waaaaaaaay more committed to playing defensively than the Habs and it's really helped out their goalies. Sanford and Desjardins will get eaten alive if they play for the Habs.
Sorry to backtrack so far, but in reply to Rocket's Leighton comment…..
You are right in saying that Leighton is NOT the answer Philly needs right now. Goaltending has been an issue for the Flyers for years – and while he's had a less-than-great season this year with the Islanders and last year struggled with the Flyers, I still maintain that Martin Biron was the best goalie we've had in quite a while…and that it's a new goaltending COACH that was needed (as well as some defense in front of him).
In any event, getting back to Leighton – I like that you referred to him as a cheap bandaid…you know why? Because cheap bandaids DON'T STICK. I take that 2 ways – 1)He's not sticky, gives up loads of rebounds…just more of the same as we currently have. and 2)I'm hoping he doesn't STICK AROUND.
The only reason he's here is so that he and buddy Laviolette can be blissfully reunited. Is this what we're going to do Pete, just gather all your former players and make them Flyers – regardless of their actual skill? Nuh uh – we're not gonna stand for that.
I believe Leighton went 2-2 in four games in 2006-2007, which was the LAST time he played for the Flyers. WOW – how could we pass up such a stellar record??? Stats like that just scream "Pick me! Pick me!" Oh wait, that's NOT an impressive resume? Silly me.
And gee, does it say much for his value as a netminder when his major complaint about wanting to leave Carolina is because he was even sitting on the bench DURING PRACTICES because Cam Ward and Manny Legace were apparently the worthier goalies needing ice time?
In any event, my apologies for going off on a Flyers tangent – but I needed to add my two cents about Leighton. As for Halak – thanks but no thanks. I'm not saying Jaro is a bad goalie, but compared to what we currently have – we'd be making a lateral move, not gaining ground.
And hey, he may be taking penalties recently – but you guys already stole Metro from us…hands off Giroux and Van Riemsdyk! :D LOL
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