Aebischer starting

RDS is reporting that David Aebischer will start tomorrow night against the Senators. This is another in a series of smart roster decisions that have been made by Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau. Aebischer played exceptionally well in the Canadiens' 5-3 win over Ottawa last Thursday, and Cristobal Huet is in need of a bit of a rest. As I've been saying all along, and as Gainey has pointed out many times, the Habs will need both Huet and Aebischer in top form if they are to make and succeed in the playoffs, in case of injury or slump.

Speaking of coaching, there has been talk that ex-Canadiens captain Kirk Muller will join the Habs' coaching staff next year. Muller has just finished his first season as head coach of the Queen's University men's hockey team. While Gainey, Carbonneau, and Doug Jarvis were known for their defensive abilities, Muller was more of a scoring forward, amassing 357 goals among his 959 points in 1349 career games, including 247 points as a Canadien. His offensive knowledge could be a valuable addition to the already star-studded coaching staff.

Lastly, there has been lots of talk about whether the Canadiens will be able to hang on to Cristobal Huet after this season. Huet is a pending unrestricted free agent. First off, let me say that the amount of money Huet will command on the market will depend largely on how far he takes the Canadiens in the playoffs. While his 2.12 GAA, .931 SV% and 7 shutouts are spectacular numbers, Huet has only appeared in 34 games and his ability to be consistently great over an entire season is yet to be proven. I think that Gainey will offer him something in the $2.5-3 million range, but if Huet wants more in his pocket, Gainey will let him go and be content with David Aebischer. The last thing the Habs need is another monster José Theodore-esque contract.