Habster’s take:
Here we go again, Hab fans!!!!! Patrice Brisebois will start the season on the second pairing with Roman Hamrlik….GHEEZ!!! give me a break!!!! What has Guy Carbonneau been inhaling these days!!! Brisebois hasn’t played a preseason game yet and barely practiced until a few days ago.
What kind of signal/example is Carbonneau trying to send to his team when a player has barely earned the right (yes, I realize he was injured) to be on the third pairing or in the stands yet will probably start the season on the second pairing. I have a hard time believing that Gainey or Carbonneau made no promises to Brisebois about his playing status or amount of ice time. Let us not forget that Gainey and especially Carbonneau were teammates with Brisebois during some of his playing days in Montreal which could explain their loyalty towards him.
How do you think Mark Streit, Francis Boullion, Josh Gorges or even Ryan O’Bryne feel about a player moving past them on the depth chart who hasn’t played an NHL game in over a year and has a history of injury problems? It will only discourage these players who have played/practiced hard during training camp. They have earned the right to be on the second pairing or at the very least, remain with the team.
There will be some Brisebois supporters (don’t laugh!!, there are 2 or 3 of them left) who will point to his 16 years of NHL experience as a big reason why he doesn’t have to prove anything for Carbonneau’s loyalty but I beg to differ. Yes, Brisebois has lots of playing experience which earned him the NHL one way contract that he signed with the Canadiens, it doesn’t give him the divine right to a spot on the second pairing.
In the end, Carbonneau has set a bad example for his players and has placed Brisebois in a difficult situation to start the season without the benefit of preseason or practice time. It could only set Brisebois up for a disastrous start to the season from which he might not recover.Will Brisebois thrive on the second pairing with 18-22 minutes a game? Will his back hold up playing that many minutes? Can he build some chemistry with Roman Hamrlik? We’ll find out tomorrow in Ottawa and when the season begins in Raleigh on October 3rd.