What to do

Now that he's taken over behind the bench and the Canadiens are still not giving it their all, what can Bob Gainey do to put this team back on track? It's pretty obvious that the Habs' GM, one of the most patient in the game, is waiting to make a move. He has openly stated that pretty much everyone on the roster is being considered for a trade, although you can bet that Michael Ryder, Andrei Markov, and the Canadiens' impressive rookies Tomas Plekanec and Chris Higgins, are safe. He has also stated that he's shopping for a top-notch defenseman to give Sheldon Souray, Markov, Craig Rivet, and Francis Bouillon a hand.

So how can Gainey approach this? No one wants the Habs' most valuable asset, José Theodore. Edmonton is pursuing Andrew Raycroft, Olaf Kolzig, or perhaps even one of Manny Fernandez or Dwayne Roloson. The Cancuks have been quiet on the goaltending front, and Colorado's David Aebischer has improved his play of late. Remember that Buffalo is trying to unload one of their 3 talented goalies as well, which means that Theodore will likely stay put. And as long as he builds on his Toronto performance on Saturday night, that's fine with me for the moment.

The only teams what would give away an asset for draft picks or questionables are teams that have already thrown in the towel. Right now, that list includes Pittsburgh, Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, and Columbus, but expect it to grow longer as the trade deadline approaches. These teams will either want draft picks, prospects, or skilled players who either haven't found their niche on the Habs or who just haven't played up to their potential this year. What does this mean? Exclude Radek Bonk, Mathieu Dandenault, or Theodore from any trade banter. Expect Jan Bulis, Richard Zednik, Mike Ribeiro, Niklas Sundstrom, Sheldon Souray, and maybe even Francis Bouillon, to be offered around instead.

If you're looking for a forward, Pittsburgh's Ryan Malone, Washington's Matt Pettinger or Brian Sutherby, Chicago's Mark Bell, Tyler Arnason, or Kyle Calder, or Columbus' Manny Malhotra, are your most viable options. Washington is supposedly very interested in Ribeiro, and it has been reported that Gainey isn't interested in Arnason. Chicago likely won't part with the other two for what the Canadiens have to offer. Malone, despite his size advantage, is a huge defensive liability, although Malhotra is having a pretty decent season. Gainey might want to wait before pulling the trigger on a forward.

On defense, Pittsburgh just shipped off Dick Tarnstrom to Edmonton, and the rest of their defensemen have horrid +/- ratings, so exclude them from any trade talk at this position. Washington's Brian Muir or Brendan Witt boast pretty attractive statistics this season, although they are both over 30 years old. Chicago's Adrian Aucoin is a tad bit too expensive, but Jim Vandermeer would be a nice addition. St. Louis is probably the most defense-rich of these teams, with Barret Jackman, Eric Brewer, and Eric Weinrich on their roster, and a fire sale that's already begun, although Brewer & Weinrich's ages may make them undesireable to the Habs. Ditto Columbus' Adam Foote, Bryan Berard, and Luke Richardson.

Bob Gainey has a lot of work and thinking to do in the next little while, so it may take him some time before a trade is completed. He also may want to wait a little to see what else becomes available as teams fall further out of the playoff race and become sellers. The Canadiens, too, could end up in that situation, which would mean that the likes of Saku Koivu or Alex Kovalev might find themselves in other jerseys, as well. Countdown to March 9: 37 days.