Halloween Party

I was just looking at some videos on Google Video when I came across this footage from the Habs' Halloween party. It's hysterical, you've got to have a look. Especially funny is Saku Koivu dancing on the dance floor at the 1:42 mark of the video. Enjoy!

Press the play button to start.

Leafs' downfall

Now that we can take a little breather from the Habs' playoff push, I thought I'd comment on the Maple Leafs and their situation, in the aftermath of last week's games in Montreal. A lot of Leafs fans and observers thought - and wrongly so - that the Leafs would be the dominant team they have been for the past 7 years. The fact is, the Toronto organization is built around putting bodies in the ACC's seats and selling jerseys, not on competing for the Stanley Cup. Brian Leetch and Owen Nolan are two examples that immediately come to mind, but, by far, they are not the only two players the Leafs have brought in more for the novelty than for a Cup run, although they are very talented players.

For the longest time, Toronto has acquired rent-a-players that just didn't pan out, and they've pretty much emptied the farm to do so. With the exceptions of Alex Steen, Kyle Wellwood, Tuukka Rask, Justin Pogge, Carlo Colaiacovo, and maybe Aleksander Suglobov, the Leafs' future is looking pretty bleak. Their pre-lockout spending sprees and over-the-top deals are finally catching up to them, and it's going to take them some time to restock the system.

What also hasn't helped is that John Ferguson Jr. has caused tension in the front office, and his transactions to date have produced mixed results at best. Jeff O'Neill, Eric Lindros, and Jason Allison were brought in in an effort to continue their marquee spending ways, but the Leafs were already too old and too slow and adding more older, slower players to the lineup didn't help. All the focus is on whether or not Pat Quinn should get the boot after this season, but while Quinn seems to have lost his touch with both the Leafs and Team Canada, I would put more of the blame for this year's failures on Ferguson than on Quinn. While other teams were preparing for a salary cap world way before the lockout, the Leafs' GM simply didn't anticipate what the new NHL would be like and didn't prepare his team accordingly.

The Canadiens, on the other hand, seem to have recovered somewhat from their drafting blunders of the 1990's. Hockey's Future magazine ranks the team's prospect system as the sixth-best in the League. I guess when you're not doing well and you can't buy players like the Leafs can, you have no choice but to improve your drafting and scouting departments.

In any case, what the Leafs need is to purge as much of the old NHL out of their system as possible. That includes, but is not limited to, Ferguson, Quinn, Allison, O'Neill, Ed Belfour, Luke Richardson, and even Darcy Tucker. They need to clear space under the salary cap and rid themselves of the components that are dragging them down. I could see MLSE hiring Quinn to take over as GM, since he has always been cozy with ownership, but the Leafs need to start anew. They've got a ways to go before they can become the playoff team they have been for so long.

Getting a Stanley Cup banner from a later time than when bell bottoms and thick glasses were popular? Well... that's a whole other story.

Fun stuff

Two things I've come across in my travels around the Internet: One is a tribute, of sorts, to Alex Kovalev's hit on Darcy Tucker. Man he is awesome.

The second is a cartoon from the CBC's online cartoonist, Charlie Teljeur, dissing the Maple Leafs. I know, I know, I was shocked too. I guess they realize they'll have to appeal to a different fan base these playoffs.

Finally, in case you haven't heard, the Canadiens inked prospect Kyle Chipchura to a 3-year contract. Chipchura has enjoyed a great season with the Prince Albert Raiders, and will join the Hamilton Bulldogs for the remainder of their season.

The Canadiens' scouting has been blamed for the ineptitude of Habs teams in the recent past, but they're definitely making strides in the opposite direction. Craig Rivet, Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov, Francis Bouillon (not drafted), Chris Higgins, Alexander Perezhogin, Tomas Plekanec, Mike Komisarek, and Michael Ryder are all originaries of the Canadiens' system.* And doesn't Bob Gainey look like a genius for dealing for Kovalev, Garth Murray, Radek Bonk, Cristobal Huet, and Mathieu Dandenault now?

*I know Mike Ribeiro was drafted by the Canadiens, but I didn't list him because I don't think he's an asset to the team, and I think his tenure in Montreal will be over soon.

Big (but close) win

It seems a lot of people were surprised Aebischer would get the start tonight, but to me it made perfect sense. He has to be ready for the playoffs too, just in case, and Huet needed a break. Enough said. He wasn't close to stellar, however, and he clearly lacks confidence for whatever reason.

Alex Kovalev and Christopher Higgins with two goals each, Saku Koivu 3 assists. The Habs have, at least for the moment, found their offense, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Thanks to the Maple Leafs beating the Devils, the Canadiens are now tied with New Jersey for seventh in the East. Onwards and upwards!

Habby to be in nets

As expected, David Aebischer will be making the start tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins, giving Cristobal Huet a rest. Aebischer hasn't played since last Saturday night against the Pens, when he surrendered 5 goals for the second straight game.

Also of note, Mike Ribeiro has been scratched from the lineup, probably in favour of Jan Bulis. Bulis didn't play last night against Toronto. Last time Bob Gainey contemplated scratching the Czech forward, he ended up playing him and Bulis responded by scoring 4 goals against Pittsburgh's cross-state rivals, the Flyers. As for Ribeiro, he's been playing alright, but I guess when Radek Bonk and Garth Murray are scoring goals and you want to get Bulis back in the lineup, just playing alright isn't good enough. Especially if you're the team's #2 centre.

Wham, bam, thank you ma'am

My NHL playoff dream scenario is getting closer to being a reality. After last night's hard-fought, playoff-style game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the five "other" Canadian teams are now sitting in a playoff spot, while the Leafs are toiling in 12th place, well out of contention for this year's playoffs. For the first time since Pat Quinn took over in Toronto in 1998-'99, the Leafs likely won't be making a run at the Stanley Cup. And it happened in front of 21,273 screaming Bell Centre fans, many of them clad in the blue and white of the Canadiens' archrivals. More satisfying than that, though, was that this game, the most important of the season for both teams, took place on a Saturday night, on Hockey Night in Canada, leaving all the Leafs cheerleaders that work for the "public" broadcaster with nothing but the sweet sound of dejection in their voices.

Admittedly, the Canadiens' game started off slightly shakily, and it looked like they were reverting back to their submissive selves against the Leafs when they allowed the first goal, but they came back with a fire we haven't seen since the 'Cardiac' Canadiens flatlined sometime in November. The affair was fight-filled, and showed how frustrated the Leafs were with losing so one-sidedly for the second straight game in Montreal. Their frustration over the loss is the one thing I like about the Leafs and think the Habs need more of. No professional hockey player should be content or at ease with losing, and the Canadiens have gotten far too used to it in recent years.

My favourite part of the night came from my favourite Hab, Alex Kovalev, who gave Darcy Tucker a taste of his own medicine with an elbow to the head and a slam to the ice. Last night, Kovalev answered any critics accusing him of apathy. This guy has character and intensity when it counts, and boy did it come out tonight. Expect his hit and that of Tucker's to get a look at from the NHL. I'd be surprised if only one of the players gets a suspension, but there's a chance that both will since they were handed misconducts in the last 5 minutes of the game.

In any case, folks, this game was one for the books. The passion and pride that has too often been lacking was back in full force tonight, and, most importantly, the Canadiens got stellar performances from pretty much all their players tonight. Looking right down the roster, from Radek Bonk to Kovalev to Garth Murray to Andrei Markov, the Habs were on their game tonight. If they don't end up making the playoffs, we can all still take some comfort in the fact that they won this one wholeheartedly. Against the Leafs. It couldn't be better.

It's a start

Mathieu Dandenault was getting anxious over the Canadiens' position in the standings, and wanted to make sure he didn't have to watch this year's playoffs from the sidelines. The Sherbrooke native led by example, scoring the Habs' second goal of the night and logging a +2 rating in his team's energetic 5-1 win over the Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre tonight.


This game, the first of two in Montreal against the archrival Leafs, brings to light some important questions, like, Why can't the Canadiens play like this more consistently when it counts? Why doesn't Alex Kovalev dominate the game more often, as he did on this night? Why isn't the officiating always this levelled?

Perhaps the most important question, however, is whether the Canadiens will do as they have done too often this season and flop the game after building some momentum, as I fear they will do Saturday night. The other possibility is that they use this effort, which started out strong and barely faltered throughout, as a springboard that will thrust them into the playoffs. Having Andrei Markov and Craig Rivet in the lineup will certainly help the latter occur. But the success of this team depends not on one or two individuals, but on the collective. They have to put together more efforts like this - and more often - if they are to reach the post-season.

Expect David Aebischer to play sometime in the not-too-distant future, probably against Pittsburgh on Sunday. Whether Aebischer is able to face his demons is just one small part of what will predict the outcome of his next game, and of all remaining Canadiens games. The Canadiens have to heed the messages Dandenault and captain Saku Koivu have sent them: play as a team, play hard, and play well. Turn the page on the misfortunes that hounded them earlier this season. Tonight's whomp against the Leafs was a start, but it only gets harder from here.

Dandenault hurting

A whole bunch of articles have come out recently about how upset Mathieu Dandenault is that the Canadiens might miss the playoffs. I certainly hope he's not just doing this for the media attention, and that he's sincere in saying that he's been experiencing sleepless nights and bouts of anger over that possibility.

If Dandenault is in fact expressing his true emotions, he should make them extremely vocal in the dressing room. The Canadiens have accepted losing and second-best for way too long now, and having a player (Dandenault) coming from a team (the Red Wings) where losing is just not an option is definitely an asset, as long as he transmits that attitude to his teammates. It could be the only edge he'd have provided the team with all year.

Not waiting

I'm not even going to wait until the end of the game to post this. The Canadiens are digging their own grave, taking bad penalties and not capitalizing on the seemingly easy schedule they have inherited. They simply aren't playing well defensively, and their offense is sputtery at best. What I see right now is not a playoff team, and if the Habs were to be so lucky as to make the postseason, they wouldn't be capable of doing much damage anyways. If they lose even one of their two consecutive games against the Leafs (which they probably will considering the nature of the officiating in those games), you can count them out of this year's Stanley Cup tournament.

Back on track... for now

With a morning speech by captain Saku Koivu in mind, the Canadiens took a 4-2 decision over the Washington Capitals tonight at the MCI Center in D.C. The Habs got goals from four different players, including Mike Komisarek's first career marker, and outshot the Caps 32-26. More importantly, Koivu managed to stay out of the penalty box after taking two offensive-zone penalties Saturday night against Pittsburgh. The Canadiens have lacked discipline this season, with Koivu being no exception, but he was penalty-free tonight and picked up his 33rd assist of the year.

I find it quite interesting that the Canadiens have been getting a few more goals than usual from their defencemen - Komisarek and Mathieu Dandenault tonight, two from Sheldon Souray against the Penguins, and more help from Craig Rivet and Francis Bouillon in recent games. Must be the work of Guy Carbonneau.

Speaking of Bouillon, TSN and the Gazette are reporting that he is undergoing MRIs to confirm that nothing is wrong with his ankle. X-rays revealed no breaks, so he should only be out of the lineup a couple more games, unless the MRI tests say otherwise. Luckily, the Canadiens enjoyed the return of Andrei Markov, who had been complaining of back spasms. Markov logged just over 20 minutes of ice time and was a +1. A huge win for Montreal, especially considering that the Thrashers won quite decisively against Buffalo tonight. Tomorrow, the bleu-blanc-rouge are at Nassau Memorial Coliseum to take on the Islanders.

Repeat

For an accurate depiction of last night's game, please see my previous post, and replace 'Carolina' with Pittsburgh. Oh, and take out that comment about how Aebischer played well. He was awful. Back to Huet!

As for the CBC's attempt to make amends with Habs fans: a nice gesture, but too little, too late. This Leaf cheerleading has gone on unquestioned for way too long, and no matter how many times you get Don Cherry to awkwardly wear a Canadiens cap, the damage has already been done. Follow up on the apology, on the other hand, and all will be forgiven. But let's be realistic here...that won't happen. I would like to reiterate my wishes to CBC- good luck without the Leafs in the playoffs this year.

Update: Francis Bouillon will be out of action for the next two games, according to RDS. The Habs play Monday and Tuesday against the Capitals and Islanders, respectively. Bouillon and the Canadiens caught a lucky break -- he is one of the hardest-working players on the team and boy, can he hit. On the plus side, it'll be good for Todd Simpson to see some action before the playoffs begin. If he's anything like David Aebischer, he's going to need a few games to get the rust out of him.

Sometimes, I don't understand these Canadiens. They go on a hot streak where their play is near-perfect, and then they revert back to their lazy habits. Their game against Carolina was atrocious - they took a ridiculous number of penalties, and did nothing to salvage David Aebischer's debut for the Habs (Aebischer, on the other hand, played quite well given the circumstances).

Does this look like a team that wants to do some damage in the playoffs, or one that's just going through the motions? The way the Canadiens have been playing, I don't think we'll ever know.

HNIT

From yesterday's Gazette - thank you Aislin!

Abby in, Markov out

As suspected, newly acquired goaltender David Aebischer will be making his Montreal Canadiens debut tomorrow night against the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre. This should be a great game for him to start with his new team, as the word is that Aebischer can pull out some key performances at opportune times (see: Torino Olympics).

Andrei Markov won't be dressing against the 'Canes, however. The Canadiens' top defenseman had to leave the Tampa Bay game due to back spasms, and his status was up in the air. I imagine Bob Gainey will have Todd Simpson make his Habs debut tomorrow night as well. His other option, Mark Streit, hasn't been quite as effective or efficient as he should be at this point in the season of late.

Another article

In case the Globe article wasn't enough, here's another one, this one from the Ottawa Citizen, criticizing the CBC for the Geoffrion debacle.

I'm thinking of writing a letter to the CBC to complain. I know they don't care about what non-Torontonians have to say, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it to give them my opinion.

Too bad the Habs lost last night, although we wouldn't want them running out of gas before the end of the season, so we can't expect them to outplay their opponents all the time. As long as they keep up a steady pace and only take a minimal amount of nights off, as they did last night against Tampa, they should have no problem overtaking the Lightning and maybe even the Devils. I would be quite happy with a Montreal-Rangers series, wouldn't you?

Finally, congratulations to Alex Kovalev, who played in his 900th NHL game, just a few months after picking up his 700th career point. Kovalev picked up an assist on the Canadiens' lone goal by Mike Ribeiro.

Shame on Leaf nation

Here's an article from today's Globe and Mail about the shameful ignorance displayed by the Toronto - uh...I mean, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, who broadcast the Leafs-Lightning game over the Habs-Rangers one and barely gave any mention to Bernard Geoffrion's passing or his jersey retirement. It just makes you hate the CBC and the Leafs even more.

I, for one, am going to watch as many playoff games as I can on SRC/RDS (hopefully SRC will simulcast for the playoffs while I'm still in Kingston) and TSN. The CBC doesn't deserve my viewership anymore, and I urge you all to take a stance against them as well.

Habs-Rangers

Tonight's game was one of the most exciting I've seen on TV since the start of the season. The Canadiens battled hard and played a fast, up-tempo, and - for the most part - smart hockey game tonight. Despite taking several unnecessary penalties, including one mindless one by captain Saku Koivu in the first, they played quite the flawless game, although they were outshot 26-24. Needless to say, then, that Cristobal Huet was once again exceptional in earning his 5th shutout of the season.

The Habs looked extremely focused tonight, something I haven't seen from them in a long time. Their game was clean, their skating swift, their passes crisp. They seemed to be running on all cylinders, much the same way they were during their early-season burst to the top of the standings. One has to wonder if they felt refreshed and unburdened by not having to deal with the distractions José Theodore brought to the room. His play certainly brought their confidence down, and perhaps now that he's gone, they can feed off Huet without having to worry about when Theodore would be getting his next shot at redemption.

I enjoyed the moving, yet somewhat long, ceremony for Boom Boom Geoffrion at the start of the game. It's too bad he wasn't honoured a lot earlier when he should have been, so he could have been there to feel the fans' warmth in celebration of his career. At least the Canadiens played an inspired game for him. Appreciating the history of the jersey they're wearing can help the current-day Canadiens go the extra mile sometimes, and they certainly did tonight. Here's to a great finish to the season!

The Hab that might have been

Various reports have surfaced that the Canadiens were actively pursuing Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi, but the deal with Vancouver didn't go through because the Canucks were asking for a high-quality forward prospect in return. Apparently, the Canadiens were offering up Richard Zednik and a defenseman. As well, The Fourth Period reports that a Canucks-Habs deal was in fact in the works for quite some time, and would have involved Zednik, José Theodore, Dan Cloutier, and Bertuzzi, but talks fell through when Cloutier got injured. I'd say the Habs are lucky that deal didn't go through, because they would have been trading one distraction (Theodore) for another (Bertuzzi), and would have gotten a pretty bad goaltender in return in Cloutier.

The Canadiens are much better off with the more talented David Aebischer, and without the presence of Bertuzzi. That doesn't mean that Montreal doesn't need a power forward, and Bob Gainey will hopefully use the cash he saved in the Theodore deal to acquire one.

Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion: 1931-2006

Bernard Geoffrion passed away today, the same day his jersey number 5 is to be raised to the rafters of the Bell Centre. Part of me thinks this is all part of the mystique of the Canadiens; it's sort of fitting for Geoffrion to join the Forum ghosts in two ways on the same day. It's always sad to lose a Canadiens legend, even more so when you realize that all the stars from those amazing teams of the 1950's will soon be gone. Rest in peace, Boom Boom, and rest assured that your slapshot will forever live on in hockey players everywhere.

Thoughts on the Theodore trade

It's at moments like these that you realize just how much the Canadiens are a part of our lives. José Theodore was the face of the Montreal franchise, through thick and thin, ups and downs. It's not often in this new, international NHL that a French-Canadian, Montreal-born player can be a poster boy for the Habs and withstand the pressure, yet Theodore did it for quite some time - this was Theodore's 10th season with the franchise. I guess what I'm getting at is that, while I have been wildly frustrated with his play this season, it's with a twinge of sadness that I wave goodbye to #60. Despite his inconsistency on the ice, Theodore represented Montreal well, and never shied from being an icon in this city, as so many Quebec NHLers have.

This trade confirms a lot about Bob Gainey that we had suspected but not known for sure. He's a doer, not a watcher. When Claude Julien wasn't motivating his team out of a slump, Gainey axed him. Same thing could be said for Theodore, although he gave him a little more time than Julien. There were lots of reasons for this trade - Aebischer's stats this season, Theodore's salary, the risk of having Theodore recovering from injury in the playoffs - but Gainey made this deal first and foremost because he capitalized on an opportunity to rid himself of a player who wasn't playing up to par.

José, thanks for being such a big part of Montreal and for facing the music when so many have blocked their ears. It was a rocky road, but with all said and done, you have contributed greatly to the turning around of this team. I wish you well in Denver.

Read below for today's and all previous posts.

Bertuzzi?

Eklund believes that Bertuzzi might be headed to Montreal for Zednik and Souray. Now that Vancouver has a goalie, this deal becomes a lot more realistic. But do the Habs want to part with a now-hot Souray? Even with the acquisition of Todd Simpson, I would say 'no.' It's a lot to give up for a power forward who has yet to recover from his Steve Moore blunder and its aftermath. Zednik and Ribeiro? Do it in a second, Mr. Gainey.

Update: The Canucks have acquired defenseman Keith Carney from the Mighty Ducks, so all their needs have been filled. I'm getting the feeling a Bertuzzi trade won't happen now, but you never know. 1 hour remaining...

CANADIENS ACQUIRE TODD SIMPSON

The Canadiens acquired big defenseman Todd Simpson from the Chicago Blackhawks this morning for a 2006 sixth round draft pick. Could be part of a bigger deal to occur today, or just to bring more size to the defencemen. I'm still hearing things about Bertuzzi, but any big deal will have to involve Aebischer, and I think Gainey wants the goaltending depth. Look for an Arron Asham or Matthew Barnaby to be headed Montreal's way, maybe a little more if Zednik is dealt.

JOSE THEODORE TRADED

Just in... José Theodore has been traded to the Colorado Avalanche for David Aebischer. No more details just yet. I'm completely shocked, wasn't expecting this at all. May be a precursor for a bigger trade... perhaps involving Luongo? What about the Avs? What are they going to do until Theo's return?

More later...

Statistical analysis

After having posted so many angry rants about the officiating in Habs-Leafs games, I decided to engage in a little investigative journalism to see if my accusations had any basis, and to rule out "Intense Fan Syndrome."

What I found was quite astonishing: When the Canadiens play a regular opponent, they are penalized, on average, two more minutes per game than their opponents, and receive 0.6 less power plays per game. However, when the Habs play the Leafs and both referees are Ontarian (which has been the case four times this season), the Canadiens are penalized an average of 7 more minutes per game than Toronto and are awarded 2.5 less power plays than the Leafs. So I'm not just a crazy fan...

If you'd like more details about my statistical analysis, post a message here with your contact info and I'll be glad to provide some more details.

In other news, the Leafs, who are hot up the Canadiens' tail thanks to their unfair win over the Habs Tuesday night, have acquired veteran defenseman Luke Richardson from the Blue Jackets. I mentioned recently how Bob Gainey has to keep an eye on the moves that are made by teams behind his in the standings, and this would be a good place to start. The Leafs are gearing up for a run at 8th place, and the Canadiens should look to improve their defence before 3 PM tomorrow.

In other trade news, rumours have circulated that the Canadiens are interested in Sharks forward Alyn McCauley. McCauley only has 21 points this year and is a -4, but the important thing is that, at 6', 198 lbs., he adds size up front. The Canadiens have been lacking size in the forward department, although I'm still of the opinion that their top trading priority should be an upgrade on defence.

Habs-Leafs

Just some stats from tonight's game:

• Number of penalties the Canadiens took tonight: 12.
  
• Number of penalties the Maple Leafs took tonight: 6.
  
• Number of on-ice officials born in Ontario: 4 (out of 4).
  

They can't give them goals, but they can give them power plays. Unbelievable, yet again.

HTR Article

Here is an article I wrote for hockeytraderumors.com, similar to my last post. It's more of an overview of the Canadiens' trade situation leading up to Thursday. Be sure to check back here for updates right up until the deadline!

Plekanec on the move?

Update (3:45 P.M.): Sorry I didn't mention one or two other names that have been linked to the Canadiens. According to someone who just listened to CKAC, the Habs are very close to landing an experienced defenseman who has expressed interest in playing for the Habs. The listener and other posters mentioned three possibilities repeatedly: Eric Weinrich, who was originally acquired in the Jeff Hackett deal, Sean Hill, who was drafted by the Canadiens and claimed by the Mighty Ducks in the '93 expansion draft, and Chris Chelios, former Canadiens captain. Is Gainey going after these guys? Brendan Witt? Anyone at all? Names being thrown the other way are: Ribeiro, Zednik, Kostitsyn, Dandenault, Bonk, Souray, and, of course, Plekanec.

---

From Eklund: A source of his wrote in saying that Tomas Plekanec had been taken off the bench by a trainer prior to yesterday's shootout loss in Philadelphia, and seemed confused, leading to speculation he was to be traded. However, no trade has been made as of yet, and I continue to doubt whether Bob Gainey will actually make a move. If he does, and is asked for a rookie in return, Plekanec would probably be the first one offered up - Perezhogin isn't all that desireable and moving Higgins would be a disaster for the Canadiens given the way he's been playing. But is it really worth it to give up a young, NHL-calibre prospect for what will likely be an extremely difficult playoff series against either New York, Carolina, or Ottawa? I'd rather stick with my guns, let the young players get some playoff experience, and hope for some lucky breaks.

Eklund also reports that the Canadiens are interested in Matthew Barnaby. This is starting to sound like the rumours that go around in Toronto, namely, everyone and everyone being linked to the team. We've heard about Tyler Arnason, Mark Bell, Marc Denis, David Aebischer, Todd Bertuzzi, Keith Tkachuk, John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Denis Gauthier, Derek Morris, Bryan Berard, Sergei Gonchar, even Brad Richards (who, by the way, will not be traded - Jay Feaster met with the Lightning and put those rumours to rest). This is going to be a much quieter trade deadline day than normal because of the new CBA, and, unless Gainey pulls off another surprise like he did with the Kovalev deal, don't expect much player movement in Montreal.

Finally, I have seen a lot of talk on discussion boards suggesting that the Habs use Michael Ryder as trade bait in order to lure a big-name player to the team. Let me say it loud and clear: Ryder will not be traded. Trading him could be one of the stupidest things a Canadiens GM has done since dealing Patrick Roy for Jocelyn Thibault. The Canadiens need more goals scored and they're not going to achieve that by trading away their top goal-scorer. Had Ryder been sent to Florida in the off-season with José Theodore for Roberto Luongo, I might not have been disappointed. But that deal didn't go through at least partially because Gainey recognizes what I've just said - trading Ryder is a purely dumb move to make.

Defense deals possible

While reports continue to surface saying the Canadiens are going after Todd Bertuzzi, expect them to deal for a defenseman before they trade for the hulking Canucks forward. Numerous sources have linked the Canadiens to Derek Morris, Denis Gauthier, and Bryan Berard, among others. The Habs could sure use Gauthier's size on the blueline, although Morris would probably be the best acquisition overall. More to come as it unfolds.

Tidbit

The The Rockland Journal News and TSN.ca are reporting that the Canadiens have shown interest in Rangers goalie Kevin Weekes. Perhaps Bob Gainey wants a more experienced backup to Cristobal Huet until José Theodore returns?

This rumour doesn't really make sense - the Canadiens have Huet and Yann Danis to man the fort until Theodore returns. If they acquired Weekes as well, they would really have a goalie surplus. Better off trading off their assets for a second-line centre or top-4 defenseman.

Rumours galore

Lots of rumours out there, most of it speculation that isn't very realistic. Among the most prominent:

• John LeClair coming back to Montreal for a playoff push (from Eklund). I believe this is highly unlikely - LeClair is old and hasn't had an amazing season. He's past his prime and wouldn't be worth the price.
  
• Sheldon Souray to the Canucks for Todd Bertuzzi. Again, this won't happen; Bob Gainey doesn't want Bertuzzi, and Souray had 3 assists in the Habs' first post-Olympic break game, proving he's still an asset to the Canadiens.
  
• Chicago has been sending scouts to Canadiens games, presumably regarding a Tyler Arnason deal. I've always said if the Habs can get rid of Mike Ribeiro for a decent second-line centre, they should, and Arnason fits the bill. Ribeiro has been playing well enough (read: not lazily) lately for him to be attractive to other teams.

These are the most recurrent from around the Internet. There are countless other rumours going around - Willie Mitchell, Denis Gauthier, etc... - but of all the crazy talk out there this has been the most legitimate. Still nothing really that I could see actually happening just yet, but it seems like it's heating up.