“We’re going to function out of the box a little more than we have.” — Pierre Gauthier (October 26, 2011)
Written by Rick Stephens, AllHabs.net
MONTREAL, QC. — Check the date — are you superstitious? Having a fear of Friday the 13th is called “friggatrishtkaidekaphobia.” Habs fans are waking up to the news that their team will no longer have a number 13 on their roster — for now, the Calgary Flames have two.
Mike Cammalleri and Olli Jokinen will settle their differences over who will wear the jersey — Pierre Gauthier followed an ‘out of the box’ path to deal his outspoken left-winger, one day after Cammalleri made it clear that he was no longer happy in Montreal. Whether Gauthier intended to upstage the drama of the October firing of an assistant coach 90 minutes prior to a game or not, this move had fans and media both scrambling to keep up with the soap opera as Cammalleri was told that he would not be needed for the third period of a tight game in Boston.
The full trade completed on Thursday evening is as follows : Montreal obtained forward Rene Bourque and prospect Patrick Holland, as well as a 2nd-round draft pick in 2013 from the Calgary Flames, in return for forward Michael Cammalleri, goaltender Karri Ramo and a 5th-round draft pick in 2012.
In Bourque the Habs are getting an inconsistent forward with problems on and off the ice. If that doesn’t sound positive so far, there’s more. Bourque is in the second year of a six-year contract extension worth $19.8 million — while freeing up some cap space, Gauthier continues to tie the hands of his successor with long-term deals.
When asked to comment on the trade Bourque said, “”It’s a big shock, I had no idea this was going on. But if there’s anywhere I want to play, it’s Montreal.” Well, that’s a good start. He followed it up with “I might be in trouble… I don’t speak French, even if I have the most French name on that team.”
Uh, oh. That line likely earned Bourque a call from the spinmeisters of the Canadiens communication department. They will be doing their best to head off another protest by the few dozen language militants who visited the Bell Centre last Saturday. It was suggested on Twitter that perhaps they will be joined this weekend by members of Montreal’s Jewish community.
Cammalleri was much more politically aware with his comments saying, “I’m just so excited. I can’t wait to get there. I never wanted to leave Calgary.” General manager Jay Feaster confirmed Cammalleri’s excitement describing the questions by his new acquisition when they spoke. Cammalleri asked, “What, are we four points out?” “We play Saturday, right, and it’s on Hockey Night in Canada?” “How are we doing tonight?”
Cammalleri was already distancing himself from Montreal, and perhaps, in his mind, he had abandoned his teammates before he chose to share his frustrations with the media on Wednesday.
For his part Gauthier insisted that “the comments Mr. Cammalleri made had nothing to with [the trade] at all.” Yeah, right. The Canadiens general manager is either being disingenuous or is incompetent. If there was no rush to trade Cammalleri based on his tirade, then Gauthier would have advised teams around the league that a potential 40-goal scorer was available.
He didn’t. ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun tweeted “One NHL GM when told of the trade, said he wished he knew Cammalleri was available. Would have made an offer.”
So, in Bourque, what did the Canadiens get? Former NHL head coach Marc Crawford said, “It’s questionable whether [Bourque] is a top-six forward. You’ve got a primary scorer in Cammalleri and you’re trading him for a secondary scorer in [Bourque.]”
TSN’s Bob McKenzie shared this analysis, saying “Rene Bourque is the ultimate in-and-outer. He looks great when he’s motivated but his give-a-care meter is wildly all over the place.” McKenzie has since done some arithmetic gymnastics in an attempt to rationalize the trade for disappointed Habs fans in a morning column.
Hockey Night in Canada’s Kelly Hrudey is not known for ripping players — his analysis is thoughtful and measured. But he was blunt in mid-November when assessing Bourque.
Montreal also picked up Patrick Holland who, with 17 goals and 40 assists is currently ninth in scoring in the Western Hockey League. That may sound good but Holland is a 20-year old playing junior hockey for the Tri-City Americans, the best team in the WHL. He was selected in the 7th round, 193rd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry draft and is thought by some scouts to be headed to be a career minor-leaguer while others peg him as a fringe-NHL’er.
[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/PattyShwayz/status/157675183224782849″]
To share his excitement, Holland jumped onto reddit hockey and conducted an impromptu question and answer session with his curious new fans. He was a fan of the Edmonton Oilers growing up with Ales Hemsky being his favourite player. He shared his favourite hockey moment, his equipment choices, and his high school Math mark (92-96%.)
Holland explained how he found out about the trade this way: “My roommate and I were watching the Montreal game on tv in our room before going down for dinner and saw that Cammalleri was traded. Went down for dinner and heard he was traded to Calgary. Made a joke to my team that I was involved in it that nobody believed. At this exact point in time, my phone started to buzz and Flames Office came up on my caller ID. Then [the Canadiens Twitter account] mentioned me in a tweet and my I [sic] started to get overwhelmed with e-mails of followers on my phone.”
The most valuable part of the trade coming back from Calgary could be the 2013 second round draft choice if Gauthier can resist the urge to trade it away. If the Flames can convince goaltender Karri Ramo to leave Avangard Omsk in the KHL, he becomes much more than a throw-in. Feaster called Ramo, “the best goaltender playing in Europe.”
The trade is another in a growing list of panic moves by a general manager who is desperate to save his own job. In the process, he is ensuring that headaches will remain long after he has departed the organization. And his methods are dragging this once great franchise into the realm of punch-line by the rest of the league.
One has to feel for the players who have been hung out to dry all season by a former head coach who blamed them publicly for his inadequacies, and by a general manager who has created a circus-like atmosphere. Their classless and corrosive actions are eating away at the fabric of the bleu, blanc et rouge, tarnishing the brand in the process and have ensured that mediocrity will be the descriptor for the Canadiens for quite some time to come.
When asked about the drama of the third period in a game that saw Cammalleri disappear from the lineup, Carey Price said, “I wasn’t concerned with what was going on with Michael at that time. I was too busy trying to stop the puck.”
Oh, yes, there was a game last night. The Bruins beat the Canadiens 2-1. Happy Friday the 13th Habs fans.
Funny how there is no article on pk subban who is this biggest whimp i have ever seen. i feel sorry for habs fans who root for a “hockey” player who takes a run at a point per game player the hides underneath his jersey like like a women. PK flopped in the 7 game series last year then laughed on the bench, HA, go play soccer in Europe. Cant fight, flops and talks a big game until its time to answer the bell. i would LOVE to see any bruin (nathan hornton maybe) call him out in the media for being a HUGE B***H and FLOPPER who wont back up his words. We would see how much talking/flopping he would do if the NHL instigating rules weren’t protecting him.
” hides underneath his jersey like like a women”
I’ll ignore the grammar errors in your sentence since it is clear that you are incapable of correctly using the English language but I resent the fact that you are insulting women to try and make a point. If P.K. Subban was a Bruin you’d have dreams about him at night thinking he is the next best thing since sliced bread. The fact that Subban infuriated someone like you and the Bruins means he has succeeded in being a player that gets under peoples’ skin.
Give your head a shake, Sean, nobody is worried about getting their “ass kicked by” you or your futile, insignificant threats.
Best game ever for Subban, loved it, and he just drove the Bruins and thier fans nuts and seemed to just have so much fun, too bad there wernt more NHL players having as much fun playing this game.
Also the Habs, out skating, out shooting and out hitting the Bruins was a bonus, Gorges must just be black and blue head to toe, but he sure has Captain written all over him, just another smart signing by Gauthier.
And the sweet trade to top it off, all is right with world and my hat is off to Gauthier, perfect fit and same production of 25+ goals at 1/2 price and a 2nd rounder.
Sean; what does fighting have to do with hockey? Lots of tough sports; such as Rugby dont need that crap and isnt the world juniors a perfect example of fast fun exciting hockey with zero fighting? You are living in the past i am afraid.
Great article! It hurts to see what is happening with my beloved team. I truly thought Geoff Molson was a better businessman than he appears to be. How can he allow his investment (and that of its shareholders) to be mismanaged the way it has been? Pierre Gauthier is making a complete mess of the organization (now and for years to come). Are there no other, more competent, candidates for the job of general manager of the Montreal Canadiens? I welcome Bourque, as I do with whole heart every new player to this team, but it is hard to believe that it was a good trade. I am a sad fan!
where are all the PK lovers? too busy hiding in the fertile position? i guess thats understandable since im from boston so you would rather run away then get ur ass kicked by me
Did you read the article? Why do you keep bringing up PK? I love how people like you are obsessed with him; the kid is doing something right.
If you have anything more to say, I’ll be over here, hiding in my jersey.
Hiding in the “fertile” position? What the hell is a “fertile” position?
The word is ‘fetal’, Einstein.
The only ass you’re kicking is your own. Crawl back under your log.
Holland just turned 20 on Jan 7, so is essentially a 19 year old hockey age.
I can’t remember who tweeted it last night, but someone in the league was asked to describe Montreal in one word, and said : GONGSHOW.
That being said, business operations are questionable. Habs are indeed a laughing stock for the way they do things, but, I like this trade. Cammalleri wasn’t producing, and certainly not worth his contract. I have no problem with being saddled with Bourque for a few more years since he’ll come cheaper and won’t be expected to score 35 goals/year.
Still a better deal than Kaberle.
Gauthier’s approach is out-of-his-mind as well as out-of-the-box.
Even if Ramo and the 5th rounder were excluded, this would still be a disastrous trade.
I don’t see how Cammy’s comments were more of a distraction than pulling him off the bench in the 3rd period of a 2-1 game…against a divisional opponent.
I don’t blame Gauthier for this because he’s always been grossly incompetent. I blame Geoff Molson for allowing it to happen. His Molson family predecessors would be ashamed.
Perhaps Gauthier isn’t the only one who is in over his head.
So like if Hrudey actually covered Habs games for 2-3 years, I wonder if he would have blasted Cammy for being a disinterested unmotivated 6-million dollar sniper that wasn’t sniping?
Last night (Kings vs Flames) I watched them try to twist everything. For one, no difference in ice time and a -2 with 3 shots on net and a penalty. Yes he got the lone goal on the powerplay (a tip in when Babchuk’s shot hit and broke his stick as he was–shockingly–standing in front of the net unmolested) but hardly the on-bended-knee sniper shot we all know and love. Another gem was how all day on HNIC Gauthier was getting roasted for the timing of the trade, while Feaster got PRAISED for working some magic to burn off Bourque’s suspension. Does that make sense?
With Montreal, Cammy was listed as another smurf. Now back in Calgary he’s a world class sniper again.
As for PK, I’d like to see how all the complainers would act if 3 guys suddenly jumped them. The hit was hard and hardly illegal (another case of oversensitive refs). They called that little momentum brush up with the hand an elbow, but 2 Bruins still ended up in the box for falling into the trap. Weber scored on the powerplay, and PK nearly tied it right after.
Pulling Cammy from that game, and after all that was said or “misinterpreted”, made zero difference. He was a non-factor in the game, much like his whole season, and I watched him look at 2 juicy rebounds that 2 years ago he would have pounced on. Instead he ignored them. As one of his biggest fans I can tell you if he wasn’t traded in 3rd, he should have been benched. Frankly he should have been scratched all together…just lucky for him Gio’s injured. A big reason why this team is where it is right now is thanks to his lack of production. I don’t want to hear how he was used improperly, because he wasn’t. No one took him aside and said “Hey Cammy, I don’t think you should score. Turning over the puck, not backchecking, and horrible decisions is where it’s at. And don’t you dare look motivated or interested either!” You’d think the adulation we all gave Lars would have woken him up because you know he lives for those moments. Didn’t seem to inspire him at all.
His last great snipe of a goal was in game 2 in Winnipeg. That hurts.
Comment sent by email from All Habs reader Bob Lawrence:
No question, Mike has skill as a sharpshooter, but at $6 Million a year his diminishing returns in that regard are showing and his IS a smerf who can be easily muscled off the puck. He was/is unwilling to go to the dirty areas of the rink. Selfish player? Perhaps, not sure that is a fair assessment. However, on a team of small players he is lacking the foot speed to maintain his position and as a sharpshooter he needs to be scoring. He has not been.
Let’s look at the organizational holdings not yet with the team. The recent WJC showed us that both M. Bournival and B. Gallagher while small stature possess more speed, great hands and a willingness to get their noses dirty in the tough areas in front of the net, something M. Cammalleri was unwilling to do. True they have not arrived yet, but the trade allowed Montreal to get some value for their fading star. Should they have shopped him more? I believe so, but what if that had diminished his return even more?
In Rene Bourque Montreal gets a style of play that is lacking in their system, big tough, nasty, with a scoring touch who LIKES to set up office in FRONT of the opposition net. Added to power wingers like Cole and Pacioretty, a change of culture is happening in Montreal without sacrificing their speed.
Much has been made of the salary that has been cleared and may continue to be at the trading deadline. With all the pending key pieces that need to signed at the end of the year (Price, PK, Gorges) the team is well positioned for this eventuality and can afford to be sellers and again acquire more futures.
Face it J. Martin was an old school coach, not the modern thinker that will be needed to lead this Renaissance. Is Randy Cunneyworth? Time will tell, if he is given the chance. There is a strong nucleus in place add studs Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu on the blueline.
From where I sit the Canadiens need Markov healthy (next year), a big number 1 center (they don’t grow on trees) and scoring grit that makes the team harder to play against, guys like Rene Bourque
Louis LeBanc will be a nice piece to the puzzle as is Lars Eller, doubtful either are geared to be a number 1 center. So the team needs to get a high draft pick. Looks like that may happen this summer. Picking up extra 1st and 2nd round picks just helps refill the cupboards. There are obviously other assets in the system as well They need room to grow and blossom, turnover is part of that growth.
Agreed this has not been a stellar year and some more familiar faces who have battled for us will yet depart, such is the nature of pro sport, but this is a team that is a far cry from the total disarray that many speak of. Retooling is seldom pretty and never on the fly. Often P. Gauthier is chastised for having no plan. Seems there is a plan, just not for this year but rather 2 years down the road. The plan seems to be a great goalie (need strong backup), a huge mobile fast tough and talented blue line corps, fast 2 way forwards with a combination of skill and grit.
Cammalleri just didn’t fit the vision.
Sounds like a fun team to watch and a tough one to play against.
Then again I could be seeing only what I am hoping for.
Comment sent by email from All Habs reader Sharon:
Mr gauthier if you want to save your job get colton orr.
Comment sent by email from All Habs reader Stephen Weinstein:
The Canadiens need Serge Savard as President and Pierre Mcguire as G.M., then things will change for the better for sure.
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