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Montreal Canadiens July Development Camp: Day 3

Rocket All Habs — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:02:00 +0000

posted by Rocket
All Habs

It's the second full day of July's development camp. Yesterday, I reported that Alexander Avtsin did not participate in many of the drills and left practise early. He didn't appear at all on Day 3 but there was no word on his status.

According to Amanda Stein of the Team 990, Avtsin doesn't speak English or French, and therefore doesn't meet with the media. Amanda also informs me that there are no Russian translation services in place for him.

One of the first people I saw today at Brossard was the Joe Stejskal fan from June's development camp. You may recall my mild surprise that a Francophone fan had developed an attachment to Stejskal, given that he is from Grand Rapids, Minnesota and now playing at Dartmouth. This is truly a great city.

Today, however, her allegiances had changed. Her handmade fluorescent green sign read "Kyle, can I have your hockey stick?" It seems that Montreal fans are not only knowledgeable about their prospects, but fickle too.

The 'Kyle' she refers to is Kyle Klubertanz, a 24 year old free agent defenseman signed by GM Pierre Gauthier in May. Klubertanz is from Madison, Wisconsin, and last year played for Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite league.

It was the 6'1", 190 lb. Klubertanz who would be involved in one of the more interesting battles of the day. More on that later.

You may remember that 'battles' were non-existent at the June development camp. At the time I wrote "At the Canadiens 2010 June development camp, the one ingredient in short supply is passion. For the most part, it has been a quiet, polite affair. After two days, the most intense person on skates has been Habs' assistant coach Kirk Muller."

In fact, as June's prospects sat next to each other on the bench waiting for the ice to be resurfaced, few words were spoken. It was an odd dynamic.

The comparison between the two camps is like night and day.

There are a few players who make sure that the rink isn't a church-like atmosphere. One of the ringleaders is Aaron Palushaj (ably assisted by Andrew Conboy) who came to the Canadiens in March from St. Louis in the Matt D'Agostini trade.

Palushaj is Max Pacioretty’s former college roommate and teammate on the Wolverines when the two were at the University of Michigan. They were reunited this past Spring in Hamilton.

Gauthier targeted Palushaj for being a player who works hard and competes for the puck. Palushaj has been doing the same thing at the development camp and pushing his fellow prospects to do the same. He has been very vocal on the ice all week.

The camp became decidedly physical when the coaching staff introduced a 3-on-1 drill. There were some heavy knocks as the three forwards crashed the goal against a single defenseman and goaltender. The results were predictable until it was Jarred Tinordi's turn.

Tinordi very adeptly kept the trio of Palushaj, Jan Eller and Ian Schultz (all good-sized players) in front of him. He was quite effective of managing and leaning on his opponents. Tinordi's fellow defensemen, Greg Pateryn and Frederic St-Denis, spent most of their time chasing the play.

It was when the drills turned to one-on-one that the sparks began to fly. At 6'3", 204 Schultz has been a hard person to move when he has planted himself in front of the net. Tinordi wasted no time knocking him to the ice and cleared the puck.

Tinordi also came out on top when matched against P.K. Subban. While Subban pulled out his bag of tricks, including a spinerama, he couldn't get past Tinordi. The young defenseman has been very impressive so far.

The feature 'bout' of the drill was Klubertanz and Eller, who were matched up several times. When racing for the puck, Eller destroyed Klubertanz with a huge hit. When Klubertanz got up and tried to retaliate, he ran into a brick wall named Eller and went down again.

Many Brossard fans cheered, but not my friend with the green sign.

Klubertanz would get his revenge though on the next attempt at the drill. He delivered a massive hit on Eller. Fans gasped. Green sign-girl squealed.

These guys were feisty and it was a pleasure to watch! It was quite a contrast from the snooze-fest that was June's camp.

It's fair to say that there are a group of players who aren't at the same level of intensity and physicality as the ones mentioned above. The group includes John Westin, Francois Brisebois, Mark MacMillan and Jonathan Brunelle.

The smallest player at the camp, Brendan Gallagher, has been surprisingly competitive against bigger opponents. At 5'9", 165 lbs. he hasn't been afraid to get his nose dirty.

It should be acknowledged that the majority of the drills aren't fair for the goaltenders. However, I like how Cincinnati Cyclones goalie Robert Mayer doesn't get flustered or quit on the puck when clearly outnumbered. He has a good glove hand and does a nice job controlling rebounds.

The afternoon session concluded with a cross-ice 3-on-3 game. Ben Maxwell's red side got the win. The whites did on-ice push-ups for the second day in a row.

And the girl with the green sign waited outside the garage doors at Complexe Sportif Bell for her hero's hockey stick.

The development camp concludes on Friday with two sessions.

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Opening Days for Habs’ Development Camp, Part II

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:12:00 +0000

The humdidex reading in Montreal was 34 degrees Celsius at 8:00 a.m. Even though I already had a good reason to head to the Complexe Sportif Bell, the heat adds another. Sure, it's been a decade since we have had a decent heatwave, but we do like to whine about the weather, and the rink was a welcome destination.

It was the first full day of the Canadiens development camp, part two. A similar camp was held in June, only with a different group of players. This session will last about four days for 22 prospects. In attendance was the Canadiens draft class from 2010, other acquisitions, and players invited on a try-out basis.

The most NHL-ready players at the camp are P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber, Ben Maxwell and Lars Eller.

The first player I noticed was Jarred Tinordi, the Canadiens first round pick in last June's draft. At 6'6", 204 lbs., he's hard to miss. He's a stay-at-home defender who likes to play a physical game. During the drills, Tinordi had good defensive positioning, making it very difficult for the forwards to get around him.

Andrew Conboy is another player with size. For a big guy, he skates very well, and likes to go to the front of the net. But, Conboy is best known for his physical play and in the drills, it was clear that he doesn't like to lose.

Another player in camp recognized for a tough, aggressive-style game is Ian Schultz. He likes to stir things up, evidenced by engaging in some good-natured tussling with his former Calgary Hitmen teammate, Ryan White. Schultz is not a great skater, but showed where he can be most valuable when the afternoon session was over. He parked himself on the lip of the crease and practiced deflecting point shots from Tinordi and Weber.

Weber is one of the smoothest skaters at camp and possesses the hardest slap shot. Fellow players seemed to marvel as he broke up 2-on-1 rushes with ease.

I was most impressed with Joonas Natinnen and Alexander Avtsin at the 2009 development camp. This year, Natinnen attended the earlier camp in June. It was disappointing that Avtsin didn't participate very much in the drills. He had a few conferences with the coaching staff near the benches and then departed early. There's no word on what was troubling him.

The player that caught my eye this day was defenseman Morgan Ellis. He was selected by the Canadiens in the fourth round of the recent draft, having played for Cape Breton in the QMJHL.

Ellis is a mobile, stay-at-home defenseman and captain of the Screaming Eagles. He is a smart player and his composure is evident on the ice. His tape-to-tape passes in traffic are fun to watch. Follow the link below to read Ellis' reaction to draft day.

The highlight of today's practice was a 2-on-0 competition between team white and team red. Goaltenders Robert Mayer and Joseph Quattrocchi guarded the nets placed on opposing blue lines. Jan Eller's red team was victorious, with the guys in white finishing the day with on-ice push ups.

The development camp continues on Thursday at Brossard.

Morgan Ellis a big step closer to achieving NHL dream

By Jim Brown
peicanada.com

~excerpt~

Morgan Ellis ducks his head into a Montreal Canadiens jersey. The priceless gift from the team that had drafted him had just arrived, in a suitcase belonging to his parents that had gone astray in a flight from Los Angeles.

His team jersey, the same jersey he donned when his name was called at the June 26 NHL Entry Draft in LA’s Staples Center, where he was selected No. 117 in the fourth round, slipped on like a second skin.

His sister, 11-year-old Haley Ellis, wears his Canadiens baseball cap proudly.

She, too, wants to play hockey at the highest level.

“I think it’s cool,” she said of her big brother’s success on draft day.

Read the rest of the story here .

(photo credit: peicanada.com)

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Pierre Gauthier: How You Like Me Now?

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 03:32:00 +0000

On the walls of the media hallway at the Complexe Sportif Bell are large individually framed posters of each Canadiens player on the roster. Two of the spots, formerly belonging to Jaroslav Halak and Sergei Kostitsyn, contain a simple Canadiens logo now.

Changes are underway as General Manager Pierre Gauthier shapes the Habs to his liking.

But with the first heatwave to hit Montreal in about 10years, perhaps it was time for Gauthier to hit the beach. On Tuesday, he convened the media to announce that the majority of the offseason moves were complete.

Trading Halak and the younger Kostitsyn were the two most discussed offseason transactions, but not the only ones. So how did he do? Get out your scorecards!

It's fair to say that Gauthier wouldn't find himself on many shortlists of NHL teams searching for a general manager. He has a spotty record as a GM and led the Canadiens pro-scouting department, considered by many to be the weak link in the Habs organization. Gauthier is known for micro-managing and being iron-fisted.

In February, when Gauthier was handed the reins of the Canadiens, President Pierre Boivin said, "You do your homework, make sure you turn over every rock, and you go with the best person."

The only rock turned over was the paperweight on Pierre Boivin's desk. Under it was Bob Gainey's coerced letter of resignation with a yellow Post-It attached from Gauthier saying "I'll take the job!"

A few days after his appointment was announced, Gauthier gave up a second round draft choice in 2001 to get Dominic Moore. While Moore was a key player down the stretch and in the playoffs, he turned out to be an expensive rental.

In early March, Gauthier acquired Aaron Palushaj from the St. Louis Blues for Matt D'Agostini. D'Agostini had worn out his welcome in Montreal. Palushaj is a former second round choice who is a solid player who isn't afraid to retrieve the puck along the boards.

Georges Laraque's contract was bought out for $500,000 for each of the next two seasons. This was an easy decision for Gauthier as Laraque refused to do the one thing he was brought to Montreal for: to protect his teammates.

On Tuesday, Gauthier announced that the Habs would not be pursuing unrestricted free agents Moore, Glen Metropolit, Paul Mara, and Marc-Andre Bergeron.

There should be no surprise about Mara and Bergeron. Mara competed with Maxim Lapierre for the worst plus-minus rating on the Canadiens during the regular season. Mara had not played since January 22 when his season ended with a shoulder injury.

Bergeron was intended as a short-term fill-in for the power-play while Andrei Markov was sidelined with injury. His presence was helpful early on but had only two goals in the final four months of the season. In addition to not scoring, Bergeron was a defensive liability with a league-worst minus-12 rating in the playoffs.

Glen Metropolit was respected for his warrior-like mentality. Citing his perserverance, Lyse, a regular All Habs reader wrote, "I'm still not over the fact he was overlooked for the Masterton [trophy nomination]." We certainly agree, but looking forward, there are many younger players in the organization who can fill Metropolit's role.

Gauthier may regret not trying to sign Moore. He is a smart player who performs well under pressure. Word is that it would have been difficult to sign him under the cap but there were some questionable decisions made where salary dollars could have been saved.

Signing Mathieu Darche was one of those curious moves. While I have considerable respect for Darche's character and work ethic, his footspeed is painfully slow on a quick team.

Toward the end of last season Darche faded, showing that he didn't have talent to be effective when the games became meaningful. He will occupy a roster spot that would be better filled by a younger player like Max Pacioretty, Ben Maxwell, or Ryan White.

While I am fully supportive of Gauthier resigning Benoit Pouliot, it does seem odd that he was given a substantial raise while only tallying two points in the final 12 games of the season. Pouliot was signed for one-year at $1.35 million, which is a generous bump above his salary of $800,000 last season.

Just prior to the draft, Gauthier decided to part ways with amateur scouts Pelle Eklund, Dave Mayville, Denis Morel, Antonin Routa, and Nikolai Vakoura as well as pro scout Gordie Roberts. Gauthier promised a restructuring of the scouting departments.

During the 2010 NHL amateur draft, Gauthier and Trevor Timmins selected Jarred Tinordi after trading up to get the player they wanted. Moving up five places in the draft came at a steep price with the Habs sacrificing their second round draft pick in exchange for Phoenix's fourth round pick.

Will Tinordi be a dominant shutdown defenseman or would the Canadiens have been better off with Tyler Pitlick or Brock Nelson and a player taken with their second round pick?

The Canadiens announced that David Fischer, their first round pick in 2006, would be released. Gauthier said, "We've advised his representative that we probably won't make him an offer and he'll become an unrestricted free agent on August 15." The Habs will receive a second round choice in 2011.

Essentially, that means that the rental of Moore cost the Canadiens their prospect Fischer.

Gauthier signed potential unrestricted free agent Tomas Plekanec to a six-year, $30 million contract. It was a rare occasion that the Habs got a hometown discount with Plekanec set to fetch $5.5 to $6 million if hie services were peddled on the free agent market.

It was a crucial signing for Gauthier and the Canadiens. Plekanec was the team's MVP during the regular season and did an excellent job completely shutting down Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in the playoffs.

Now, let's look at the two moves that were the most controversial to Habs' fans.

Gauthier sent fan-favorite Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues for forwards Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. The two prospects, particularly Eller, represent excellent trade value for Halak. Eller is a former first-round choice, taken 13th overall by the Blues in 2007. He is a skilled-center with good size and known primarily as a playmaker.

Halak signed a four-year, $15 million deal with St. Louis this week. It only confirmed what had been written many times that agent Alan Walsh's salary arbitration demands would not have fit under the Canadiens' cap restrictions.

The Canadiens acquired the rights to Dustin Boyd and Dan Ellis in a deal that sent Sergei Kostitsyn to the Nashville Predators. Boyd and Ellis became unrestricted free agents on July 1. Boyd signed with the Canadiens while Ellis joined Tampa Bay.

Hence Gauthier's deal amounted to little more than first dibs on a phone call to Boyd for his services. Some bitter fans would say that's all Kostityn was worth citing an attitude problem.

But as I pointed out when guesting on The Team 990's The Franchise show, Kostitsyn was a thoroughbread who was chained to a post with a short leash and poked with a stick all season.

It's not a surprise that Kostitsyn exhibited bad behaviour at the end of the season. He is a talented playmaker who could have fetched a higher price if his trade value hadn't been destroyed by coach Jacques Martin.

Let's end the review by including a non-move. Gauthier could have filled the vacant assistant GM position with his buddy Martin. Instead, he waved goodbye to promising coach Guy Boucher who was sought after by a number of teams but joined Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay.

The Canadiens lose a talented coach and retain the man behind the bench who will continue to be a poor match to his players.

So, tally your scores, and submit a grade for GM Gauthier in his first few months at the helm of the Canadiens.

All Habs rating for Gauthier is a solid B-minus. He has made some bold decisions, but some expensive ones, and some questionable ones. Despite the moves, he has failed to upgrade the Canadiens' two greatest weaknesses: coaching and scoring.

Unfortunately Habs' fans, we may be in store for another roller-coaster season.

(photo credit: Reuters)

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Sergei Kostitsyn is Moved, So What Went Wrong?

Rocket All Habs — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:21:00 +0000

This past December, New England Patriots receiver (and part-time bad boy) Randy Moss, defensive end Derrick Burgess, and linebackers Adalius Thomas and Gary Guyton were sent home for the day for being late for a team meeting.

When asked about disciplinary measures coach Bill Belichick said, "Anything that happens with discipline on the team will stay between me and the players."

All four players participated in the Patriots next game.

The Dallas Cowboys prefer to fine a player for being late for a practise or team meeting. Dollar amounts have varied from $5,000 per occurrence under coach Bill Parcells to a mere $100 in the Wade Phillips regime.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson was penalized for his tardiness by being benched for the first two series of a game between his Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Parcells is nicknamed "the great dictator." Belichick could never be described as a softie. Yet when it comes to disciplining players who can't get to work on time, we see small fines, a day away from the practise field or reduced playing time for a single game.

All of which brings us to the case of former Montreal Canadiens forward Sergei Kostitsyn.

General Manager Pierre Gauthier dealt the younger Kostitsyn to the Nashville Predators for the rights of two players who become unrestricted free agents on July 1: goaltender Dan Ellis and forward Dustin Boyd.

Today's news crowns Jacques Martin as the clear winner of the season-long feud between a young, talented player and old-fashioned, dogmatic coach. Martin played a similar role in the early days of Jason Spezza's career in Ottawa.

The Kostitsyn-Martin saga began during training camp last fall. Martin was determined to break his feisty stallion by often making an example of him during practises.

In their very first practise together, Martin looked to No. 74 and bellowed, "What the **** are you doing over there?"

Later, when making a point while drawing up a drill on the white board, Martin said, "You got that, Sergei?"

But the matter came to a head in the early hours of a Sunday morning bus trip in late September.

The Canadiens had played the night before in Ottawa. When the charter coach left Montreal at 8:00 a.m. to transport the players to an exhibition game in Quebec City against Boston, Kostitsyn wasn't on it. He had become entangled in the Highway 10 construction zone detours and got lost in Brossard.

Sergei called Martin to say that he was delayed by road work but the coach wasn't in a mood to wait. Somehow Kostitsyn made it to Le Colisée Pepsi just a few minutes before the morning skate and, in record time, managed to be in uniform in time for practise.

But in coach Martin's mind, Kostitsyn's failure to make the team bus was inexcusable. A few days later, Sergei was shipped to the Bulldogs when it came time for the Canadiens to make final cuts to the roster.

Kostitsyn remained exiled in Hamilton from the start of the season until November 23, having missed a total of 23 NHL games. Compare that to the punishment received by NFL players for similar "crimes" as outlined above.

Truth be told, Kostitsyn didn't react very well to being demoted. Initially, he didn't report and demanded a trade. However, that was not unique to Sergei this season. Remember Jaroslav Halak?

In a conversation with reporter Dmitry Chesnokov, Kostitsyn said, "I know how I can play. I don't know why I was sent there in the first place. I played alright during the preseason. I don't know why I was sent there, that's why I didn't go."

Soon after, it was Bob Gainey to the rescue. Gainey talked Kostitsyn off the ledge and left him in the capable hands of Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher.

Boucher and his staff spent considerable one-on-one time with Kostitsyn. The Bulldogs also helped with Kostitsyn's conditioning as he rehabbed from shoulder surgery.

Boucher down-played Sergei's attitude being an issue. "When you prove to a player that you care about them, they are going to care what you have to say," said Boucher.

Unfortunate, isn't it, that you can't teach an old dog (or coach) new tricks? Boucher's methodology if adopted by Martin and his staff could have been the key to motivating a very talented young player.

Better still, what if Boucher and his philosophy of finding individually-tailored ways of dealing with players was behind the Canadiens' bench for the 2010-11 season? But, I digress.

The Gainey-Boucher approach had a positive effect on Kostitsyn. When he re-joined the Canadiens he became one of the team's most effective penalty-killers. Inexplicable was Martin's refusal to use an offensive talent like Sergei on a sputtering power-play.

Kostitsyn played some of his best hockey in March, playing with Dominic Moore and earning five Molson Cup star mentions. While many in the mainstream media described his season as lackluster, Kostitsyn earned 19 Molson Cup points. He was tied with Scott Gomez, two ahead of Andrei Markov, and only four points back of Mike Cammalleri.

That's not bad company.

But the good times came to a crashing halt on April 8 in a game vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. Kostitsyn played only eight shifts and 5:35 in ice-time. Most agree that he wasn't benched for his play. It appeared that words were briefly exchanged on the bench although what was said we cannot be sure.

Kostitsyn spent the final game of the season and most of the playoffs in the press box.

During this time, Kostitsyn's behaviour was akin to the problem employee who steals office supplies because he feels mistreated by the bullying boss. His words and actions were unprofessional.

The relationship between Kostitsyn and Coach Martin was beyond repair and some of that spilled over to involve teammates.

The situation forced the hand of Gauthier who traded one of the team's best playmakers for two players he could have signed for free on July 1. You've heard of a salary dump? This was an attitude dump.

Kostitsyn's fiery personality and immaturity were definitely factors in his own demise with the Canadiens.

It is interesting though that Kostitsyn was very coachable for Dale Hunter, not exactly a wilting violet, when Sergei was starring with the London Knights on a line with Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner.

The coach of the Belarus team, Mikhail Zakharov, was full of praise for Kostitsyn's work ethic and effort at the 2010 Olympics. He had a strong performance with two goals and three assists in four games.

Even Guy Boucher didn't have a problem turning Kostitsyn around after he had demanded a trade.

Yet coach Martin was unable or unwilling to find a way to get the best from a player with such potential. Martin became the catalyst for Kostitsyn's eventual meltdown in Montreal.

Let's not forget the contributions of the mainstream media to this sad series of events. They were quite fond of slapping a problem child label on Kostitsyn. They have ridiculed Sergei (and Andrei) for their language. To this day, veteran reporters continue to link the Kostitsyns to organized crime figures despite being fully cleared of any wrongdoing by Montreal police.

In Kostitsyn, the Habs got a steal in the sixth round of the 2005 NHL amateur draft. Gainey and Trevor Timmins did their job. Unfortunately some in the Canadiens' organization did not do enough to develop their talented asset.

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2010 NHL Draft: But Guys, How Well Do They Play Hockey?

Rocket All Habs — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:49:00 +0000

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Jarred Tinordi, the 17-year-old intimidating defenseman with NHL bloodlines, is now a member of the Montreal Canadiens' organization.

Canadiens' GM Pierre Gauthier was impressed enough to pay handsomely to move up in the draft to get him.

"He's a big strong defenceman like that with a lot of character and leadership, that's something that every team would look for," said Gauthier.

Tinordi is still three or four years away from making the Habs' roster, but that didn't discourage the Montreal media from welcoming him in their own unique way.

Le Presse journalist Francois Gagnon chose to attack the young rearguard for the one characteristic Tinordi can do nothing about. "Another American..." is the title of Gagnon's blog piece.

Gagnon couldn't even be bothered to find a photo of Tinordi to head his article. Instead, he chose one picturing American David Fischer with Bob Gainey in 2006. Given that the Canadiens have walked away from the failed experiment named Fischer, the photo give Gagnon's readers a clue as to how he feels about the Canadiens' 2010 first round draft selection.

While Gagnon acknowledges some good reasons for taking Americans (if "following the parade" is considered positive) he quickly counters by associating Tinordi with so-called mistakes of the past.

RDS' Norman Flynn was another who didn't hide his disappointment with Pierre Gauthier's selections in this year's NHL draft. Flynn's article features a photo of Jonathan Brunelle of the QMJHL, who was invited to the Canadiens' mini-development camp but went undrafted during the weekend.

Care to guess what his message is?

Flynn generously gives Gauthier the green light to select players based on merit for the first four rounds of the NHL draft. Well, how enlightened!

However, for the remainder of the draft, Gauthier might as well toss out the scouting reports, according to Flynn. Just one piece of information is needed to fill out the draft card for the final three rounds, in his opinion. Birthplace.

Flynn advises the Canadiens to restrict their fishing to the shallow end of the prospect pool after round four. He goes out of his way to write that draftees playing in the QMJHL who weren't born in Quebec aren't part of that tiny pond.

If the final rounds of the draft are a crap shoot, then roll the dice with a Quebecker. Is that about right, Norman? So, is it a good idea to recommend that the Canadiens be so cavalier when some very valuable players have been taken after round four? You may have heard of Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek, Ryan Miller, Daniel Alfredsson and two Detroit Red Wings: Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

I can hear the yawns from some of you. Flynn and Gagnon are just two examples of journalists whose reactions to the draft are predictable given their non-stop focus towards a player characteristic that is irrelevant to hockey.

Some will say that the Canadiens should be representative of their fans. I'm not clear how that "logic" applies to a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning, but let's think about the Habs for a minute.

My advice to people making this argument is be careful what you wish for. The notion that fans are primarily located in a specified radius around the Habs' hometown arena is archaic.

It's been 28 years since Mats Naslund became the first European to play for the Canadiens. Today the Habs' global fans easily outnumber the local ones.

But assembling a team shouldn't be about adding players born within a particular set of area codes. The Canadiens should be guided by the principles of meritocracy.

It's simple—choose the best!

If Flynn, Gagnon, and their colleagues were fair-minded and truly concerned about the Canadiens' talent pool, they would be signalling the alarm bells about the lack of players in the system from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Five of the first eight players taken in the 2010 draft were from the OHL, including the top three. It was the fourth consecutive year that the No. 1 overall pick came from the OHL. The league had 42 players selected in the draft.

Yet, none of the Canadiens' selections in the 2010 draft came from the OHL. It should be noted that at this point, first-round pick Tinordi is committed to playing for Notre Dame (CCHA) for the 2010-11 season. However, there is an outside chance that he could be heading to the London Knights.

At the Canadiens' development camp in June, none of the 22 players ended the season with an OHL team. Equally surprising, none were from the WHL either.

41 percent of the players selected in this weekend's draft came from two Canadian junior leagues, the OHL and WHL. Yet finding one in the Canadiens' organization is as rare as finding candidates for the Habs GM position under Pierre Boivin's proverbial rock.

These statistics seem to have escaped the eyes of Messieurs Flynn and Gagnon. Perhaps they were too busy checking birth certificates.

Why is all this important? It isn't, really.

We can still hope that, one day, Canadiens' fans will be treated to a few more grownup sports journalists who will write about the talents of players without whining about silly old language issues.

Alternatively, readers will continue to turn to new media, like blogs and web magazines, and away from some of the increasingly irrelevant mainstream hacks.

A complete list of selections by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010 NHL amateur draft:

Jarred Tinordi, D, Under-18 (USHL) Round 1, 22nd overall

Height: 6'5" Weight: 205 lbs.
2009-10: 26 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 68 PIM

CS-NAS No. 38 ISS No. 25 THN No. 22 TSN No. 23

Mark MacMillan, F, Alberni Valley (BCHL) Round 4, 113th overall

Height: 6'0" Weight: 150 lbs.
2009-10: 59 GP, 26 G, 54 A, 44 PIM

CS-NAS No. 135

Morgan Ellis, D, Cape Breton (QMJHL) Round 4, 117th overall

Height: 6'1" Weight: 197 lbs.
2009-10: 60 GP, 4 G, 25 A, 56 PIM

CS-NAS No. 97

Brendan Gallagher, RW, Vancouver (WHL) Round 5, 147th overall

Height: 5'9" Weight: 163 lbs.
2009-10: 72 GP, 41 G, 40 A, 111 PIM

CS-NAS No. 174

John Westin, LW, MODO (Swe Jr.) Round 7, 207th overall

Height: 6'0" Weight: 183 lbs.
2009-10: 31 GP, 16 G, 10 A, 18 PIM

CS-ES not ranked

Prospect ranking services
CS-NAS = Central Scouting, North American Skater
CS-ES = Central Scouting, European Skater
ISS = International Scouting Service
TSN = TSN's Bob McKenzie
THN = The Hockey News

(photo credit: Getty)

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NHL Draft 2010: Habs Make a Bold Move to Land a Big Catch, Jarred Tinordi

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 03:54:00 +0000

posted by Rocket All Habs

The Hockey News ranked Memorial Cup winning defenseman Cam Fowler No. 3 in their pre-draft rankings. Fowler was selected 12th by the Anaheim Ducks.

Some services suggested that Brandon Gormley was the best defenseman in the draft. He was ranked third by International Scouting. Gormley was chosen by the Phoenix Coyotes with the 13th overall pick.

Jonathan Merrill, Tyler Pitlick, John McFarland, and Alex Petrovic were expected to be taken in the first round. They weren't.

It was that kind of draft, meaning that it was unpredictable. But we predicted that.

While we openly mused about the Canadiens being in a position to select Jarred Tinordi in the All Habs 2010 Draft kit , we couldn't have predicted that it would come true. 'Oh ye of little faith,' included me. Credit GM Pierre Gauthier along with Trevor Timmins for making it happen.

At 6'5" and 205 lbs. Tinordi is a big, physical defenseman. He is a character player and has shown leadership qualities as the captain of the U.S. under-18 National team.

“He was the captain the U.S. development team and he comes from a hockey family. We like his leadership, his size, his skating -- everything,” said Pierre Gauthier.

Tinordi has committed to playing for the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) for the 2010-2011 season. It has been suggested, however, that the Canadiens may want him to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The London Knights hold Tinordi's OHL rights.

Both the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks were interested in acquring Tinordi. Vancouver would have walked away from the five-man trade to obtain Keith Ballard, if Tinordi was still available at No. 25.

The Canadiens jumped ahead of both teams making a deal with the Phoenix Coyotes for their 22nd overall pick and add a much coveted defenseman.

"My advisors told me Montreal was really interested in me and that I was way up on their list. I’m just really happy and this is the biggest moment of my life,” said Tinordi.

So top grades for Gauthier and his staff on night one of the NHL draft? Not so fast.

While we are thrilled with the choice of Tinordi, acquiring him came at a high price. Are we starting to see a common theme for any deal Gauthier touches? To move up just five places in the draft, the Canadiens sent their second round pick to Phoenix for the Coyotes' fourth round choice.

If the Habs waited until their 27th pick, Tinordi certainly would have been off the board. But the Canadiens would still have had their choice of a very good player such as Tyler Pitlick or Brock Nelson when their turn came around.

Habs fans seem to be welcoming Jarred Tinordi with open arms. Congratulations to Gauthier and Trevor Timmins for making a bold move to get the man they wanted. But it will be many years before we can effectively assess whether the large price they paid today was worth it.

The NHL draft continues on Saturday with the second round. Remaining for the Canadiens are two picks in the fourth round, and one in each of the fifth and seventh rounds.

Get to know Jarred Tinordi (from NHL.com):

• Tinordi was the captain of the U.S National Team Development Program for the 2009-10 season and recorded two points (1-1-2) and was a plus-eight in seven games leading Team USA to a gold medal at the 2010 Under-18 World Championships.

• He is the son of Mark Tinordi, who totalled 1,514 penalty minutes in 12 NHL seasons as a defenseman with the Rangers, North Stars, Stars and Capitals from 1987-99 -- Jarred wears 24, the same number as his father.

• Tinordi played in 67 games with the U.S. Under-17 team last season, where he recorded 20 points (6-14--20) and 71 penalty minutes.

FAVORITES

NHL Team: Washington Capitals
NHL Player: Nicklas Backstrom
Shootout move: “Backhand toe drag”
Video Game: Call of Duty
Movie: Blood Diamond
TV Show: The Office
Actress: Megan Fox
Music Artist: Notorious B.I.G.
Website: NHL.com
Book: “Playing With Fire” by Theo Fleury
Home-cooked meal: Casserole
Activities away from the rink: Xbox, Basketball

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All Habs 2010 NHL Amateur Draft Kit

Rocket All Habs — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:23:00 +0000

The 2010 NHL amateur draft is upon us. All Habs wants to help you get ready, starting with a brief overview, player previews, and prospects currently in the system.

It's fair to say that Bob Gainey and Trevor Timmins have done a very good job re-stocking the Canadiens talent pool that had been depleted prior to their arrival. The Gainey/Timmins team has not always followed popular opinion, but their selections have often received praise from experts.

The Hockey News ranks the Canadiens fourth in the NHL in terms of draft success since 2006. THN's handicapping system takes into account draft position and future watch grades.

The Canadiens also rank high, second overall in the NHL, in terms of the number of drafted players still active in the NHL. Development of those draft picks may be an issue with the Habs being in the middle of the pack, 13th overall, when calculating number of players drafted who are still with the team.

But there is a new man at the helm for the Canadiens. It will be interesting to see how Pierre Gauthier handles the draft, having recently dismissed five of his amateur scouts.

The Canadiens playoff success dropped their draft pick all the way down to 27th overall. What will Gauthier do with the pick?

Below, we have included eight players who have been mentioned in mock drafts or by experts as potential selections for the Canadiens. You will find statistics and our brief commentary on each player to help you get to know them.

Following the player preview, we have listed the top current Canadiens' prospects for comparison.

Do we have a favorite? There seems to be less consensus this year on where players will be selected, especially beyond the top ten. Will a physical defenseman like Jarred Tinordi be available at No. 27? Unlikely, but there are bound to be some off-the-board selections this year, so who knows?

Tyler Pitlick is the All Habs pick for the 2010 NHL amateur draft. Pitlick could bring an excellent combination of size, skill and grit to a Canadiens' lineup. Brock Nelson would be a fine substitute if Pitlick is not available.

2010 Draft Player Preview—Montreal Canadiens' Potential Picks

Evgeny Kuznetsov, C/LW, Chelyabinsk Traktor (KHL)

Height: 6-0 Weight: 174 lbs
2009-10: 35 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS, 10 PIM

ISS No. 19 THN No. 18 TSN No. 24

According to the pre-draft rankings, Evgeny Kuznetsov should be off the board before the Habs pick. However, given the lack of a transfer agreement with Russia, NHL teams will be reluctant to pull the trigger. Also hurting his value is the "enigma" label.

For the team who can find his motivation button, they will get a highly-skilled, dominant forward. He was described by one scout as "so far ahead of everybody else it was scary" at the under-18 Six Nations Tournament.

But do the Habs want to roll the dice on a player who can just as easily be invisible in the wrong environment? TSN's Pierre McGuire says yes, and projects that Pierre Gauthier will select Kuznetzov with the 27th overall pick.

Tyler Pitlick, C, Minnesota State (WCHA)

Height: 6-2 Weight: 194 lbs.
2009-10: 38 GP, 11 G, 8 A, 27 PIM

ISS No. 20 THN No. 21 TSN No. 25

Tyler Pitlick is probably the most popular Habs pick in mock drafts. And why not? Pitlick has good size, plays a north-south grinding style, and he can hit. The Habs scouting department has strong links to players from Minnesota, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him don the bleu, blanc et rouge.

Pitlick has some maturing to do and will benefit from an increased schedule and a game better suited to his style if he makes the jump to the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Probably the biggest reason that the Habs will not take this select player is that he will be snapped up a few places earlier in the draft.

Jaden Schwartz, C, Tri-City (USHL)

Height: 5-10 Weight: 180 lbs.
2009-10: 60 GP, 33 G, 50 A, 18 PIM

ISS No. 23 THN No. 30 TSN No. 29

Jaden Schwartz is another name that you see in the Habs slot when looking at mock drafts. One might think that the Habs have a divine right to a player like Schwartz.

Scwartz is a Canadian kid playing in the US College system. His points total was the most in the USHL since 2001-02.

He is small, with speed and skill to burn. Schwartz is described as one of the smartest players in the draft. One scout said, "There's nothing missing from his game other than height."

But raise your hand if you've seen this movie before. Schwartz may be able to create offense but the Habs don't need to add another player in this mould to their organization.

Jarred Tinordi, D, Under-18 (USHL)

Height: 6-5 Weight: 205 lbs.
2009-10: 26 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 68 PIM

ISS No. 25 THN No. 22 TSN No. 23

Jarred Tinordi is a big, tough defenseman who plays with an edge. What he lacks in puck skills is made up in his physical game, character, and leadership.

The Habs defensive prospect cupboard is somewhat bare with the exit of McDonagh, Valentenko and the uncertainty surrounding Yemelin and Fischer.

In the unlikely event that Tinordi was to fall into the lap of the Habs, they would be smart to add him to complement a potential future blueline of O'Byrne, Subban, Weber, Bennett, and Carle.

Brock Nelson, C, Warroad (MN High School)

Height: 6-3 Weight: 205 lbs
2009-10: 31 GP, 53 G, 42 A, 46 PIM

ISS No. 26 THN No. 29 TSN No. 34

Brock Nelson has good size, is a skilled-player, and posts impressive offensive numbers. But given that Nelson plays high school hockey, comparing him to college or junior players is tricky matter. Fortunately, the Habs scouting presence is strong in Minnesota.

Nelson has bloodlines to two US hockey gold medal winners, including Miracle on Ice team member Dave Christian (1980) and his grandfather Bill Christian (1960).

The Habs may be able to trade down a few spots, pick up an extra pick and still be able to draft Nelson if he is high on their list. Gauthier has been quoted saying that he knows little about Nelson.

Dylan McIlrath, D, Moose Jaw (WHL)

Height: 6-4 Weight: 212 lbs
2009-10: 65 GP, 7 G, 17 A, 169 PIM

ISS No. 31 THN No. 26 TSN No. 15

For Dylan McIlrath, just check out his penalty minutes (including 19 fighting majors) to understand why he will go much higher than his ISS ranking and be gone by the time the Habs pick.

McIlrath is big and nasty. He is described as the toughest player in this year's draft. Skating and puck skills are not his strength but McIlrath does possess a good shot.

John McFarland, C, Sudbury, (OHL)

Height: 6-0 Weight: 192 lbs.
2009-10: 64 GP, 20 G, 30 A, 70 PIM

ISS No. 39 THN No. 20 TSN No. 28

Talent-wise, John McFarland's name has been spoken in the same breath as Hall and Seguin at times. But this season has seen McFarland's draft ranking plummet from the top six due to questions about his attitude, work ethic, and selfish play on the ice.

McFarland is one of the fastest skaters in the draft with a great shot. Will a team be willing to take a chance on him in the first round?

This is not the type of player that I expect the Gauthier-Timmins team to select.

Alex Petrovic, D, Red Deer Rebels (WHL)

Height: 6-4 Weight: 193 lbs.
2009-10: 57 GP, 8 G, 19 A, 87 PIM

ISS No. 42 THN No. 24 TSN No. 36

Alex Petrovic has good size, hockey sense, and puck skills. He is a good skater and can be a solid defenseman, but won't contribute much offensively.

Petrovic had a setback this season, being cut from Canada's summer under-18 team after making the squad last year. Some see it as a temporary loss of confidence after losing a fight to Dylan McIlrath.

Petrovic may be seen as more of a project than others on the list but has drawn comparisons to Brent Seabrook.

Rankings

ISS = International Scouting Service
TSN = TSN's Bob McKenzie
THN = The Hockey News

Montreal Canadiens' Top 12 Prospects

P.K. Subban, D, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 206 lbs
2007 draft, 43rd overall

Dany Kristo, RW, North Dakota (WCHA)
Height: 5-11 Weight: 180 lbs
2008 draft, 56th overall

Louis Leblanc, C, Harvard (ECAC)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 172 lbs
2009 draft, 18th overall

Lars Eller, C, Peoria (AHL)
Height: 6-1 Weight: 198 lbs
2007 draft, 13th overall (acquired via Jaroslav Halak trade)

Yannick Weber, D, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 5-11 Weight: 193 lbs
2007 draft, 73rd overall

Joonas Nattinen, C, Espoo (Finland Jr.)
Height: 6-2 Weight: 187 lbs
2009 draft, 65th overall

Ben Maxwell, C, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-1 Weight: 195 lbs
2006 draft, 49th overall

Aaron Palushaj, RW, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 185 lbs
2007 draft, 44th overall (acquired via Matt D'Agostini trade)

Ryan White, C, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 200 lbs
2006 draft, 66th overall

Mathieu Carle, D, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 203 lbs
2006 draft, 53rd overall

Mac Bennett, D, Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Height: 5-11 Weight: 170 lbs
2009 draft, 79th overall

Cedrick Desjardins, G, Hamilton (AHL)
Height: 6-0 Weight: 182 lbs
undrafted (signed as a free agent 2008)

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Montreal Canadiens’ 2009 Draft Pick of Louis Leblanc Revisited: Lessons Learned?

Rocket All Habs — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 02:36:00 +0000

A few weeks ago on morning sports talk radio, the hosts were preparing for the 2010 NHL amateur draft by offering their own thoughts on the Taylor (Hall) or Tyler (Seguin) choice.

But discussion quickly moved to a fond look back at the recent draft in Montreal.

"Lou-eee, Lou-eee, Lou-eee" they chanted as they did their best to re-create the atmosphere in the Bell Centre only one year ago.

There's no question that Louis Leblanc was a popular choice by the Canadiens when they selected him with the 18th pick overall in the 2009 draft. I recall Habs fans around me jumping to their feet when Leblanc's name was called, and the arena delivered a thunderous standing ovation and several choruses of "O-le, O-le."

The Canadiens marketing department must have been thrilled. The hockey department? Well, that's more unclear.

The Team 990 guys finished their Leblanc tribute with round of self-congratulatory high-fives as if they had a role in selecting him. The media (and fans) helping Canadiens management to decide their draft pick?

Perhaps it's not so far-fetched.

A few minutes later, the radio hosts moved to the unrelated (in their minds) topic of the Habs needing to pursue a big center in free agency or via trade. They bemoaned the fact that this was a perennial conversation and a gaping hole on the Habs' roster.

For me, the contradiction of the two discussions screamed through the radio speakers. Apparently not for the boys who had failed to connect the dots.

Let's help them.

Most hockey experts agree that size is best added through the draft. So, why would the Canadiens add another smallish center in 2009 when they had other options?

President Pierre Boivin provided a clue when he said that the Canadiens' mission was to ensure that members of the home province were represented at every level of the organization. Selecting a potential Francophone hero on the stage of the Bell Centre with a new local owner waiting in the wings was a seductive script that Boivin couldn't resist.

You may recall that All Habs advocated Chris Kreider as the Habs' pick in 2009 . Kreider is a big-bodied offensive forward with explosive speed and a big shot. One pick after Leblanc was taken by the Canadiens, the New York Rangers gladly scooped up Kreider.

Understandably chanting "Chris, Chris, Chris" doesn't have the same cache on morning radio in Montreal. Choosing a player born in Boxford, Massachusetts, and bypassing one from Kirkland would have sent Boivin (and possibly the new owners) into a snit fit.

But what about from a hockey perspective?

For now, Leblanc continues to shun the QMHJL and will continue his hockey career in the ECAC. For a guy who prioritizes education first and hockey second, Harvard is the place to be.

But is Leblanc's hockey development being best advanced by playing 30 games a year? Wouldn't the competitive level of the Q be a a better place for a player who has been criticized for shying away from physical contact ?

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see a head-to-head matchup of the two players at the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatoon. While Kreider was dominant for the gold-medal winning Americans with six goals, Leblanc failed to make the Team Canada roster.

A recent issue of The Hockey News listed the top 50 NHL prospects. Leblanc was ranked No. 41, bested by fellow Canadiens' prospects Danny Kristo at No. 35 and P.K. Subban at No. 17 overall. Incidentally, the newly acquired Lars Eller (via the Jaroslav Halak trade) came in just behind Leblanc at No. 46.

Where was Kreider in THN's rankings? He was well ahead of Leblanc at No. 22. So how many years will it be until the Habs can acquire the Eric Staal-like player through free agency?

Listen, these are two young players, and there's a lot of hockey to be played. Who knows what will happen? Will Leblanc turn into the Canadiens' superstar he had already been tagged to be? Will Kreider be the more impactful NHL player?

But one thing is clear.

No matter how Leblanc progresses, he is not going to fill the role of the big center that so many people say is missing from the Canadiens organization.

I have to say that I'm getting weary of the discussion regarding the Canadiens' lack of size. Many of the people who are moaning about it now are the same ones who would have been trashing Kreider's selection.

Time will tell, but how long until my favorite morning radio guys are coveting Kreider, Carter Ashton and Peter Holland as the big, strong forwards that got away from the Canadiens in the 2009 draft?

And if things don't go as expected, we can thank the Canadiens' brass for that momentary bit of excitement when the Ivy League economics major was selected.

When the Canadiens make their first selection at the 2010 NHL draft, it is unlikely that they will be choosing a power forward with the same potential impact as those who were available to them the year before.

But in Los Angeles, unshackled from their own desire to make a splash with the next home-town superstar, let's hope that the Habs make a hockey decision.

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Dear Diary: Worst. Trade. Ever. (Satire)

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 02:19:00 +0000

posted by All Flyers
Special to All Habs

Dear Diary,

I'm sad. Disconsolate, actually. Filled with dread.

I am so heart-broken. My favorite player was traded yesterday. I'm so depressed that I haven't even updated my website today: michaelleightonisagod.com

Well, we treat Michael Leighton like a god because he deserves it, dammit!

After the amazing playoff run of my beloved Flyers, I even registered a new domain: michaelleightonisasupremedeity.com

I was going to make the transition to the new site this summer. I had plans to sell subscriptions. Given that Michael Leighton was the sole reason that the Flyers made it to the Stanley Cup finals, I knew it would be so popular.

Oh, Hi Mom. She came down with my favorite Philly cheese steak from Pat's to try to cheer me up. I'm not in the mood. But the thing is, there was chocolate milk on the tray! Doesn't she know that chocolate milk is Michael's favorite?

I wonder if he will be able to get it in Montreal? Do they have chocolate milk in Canada?

Just thought of something. What am I going to do with all those orange stop signs in the garage with Leighton's name on them? Dad is going to kill me if I don't get rid of them.

One thing for sure, I'm never listening to 97.5 The Fanatic again. It's just a reminder of how much I miss Michael. Even those radio guys couldn't understand the trade.

The hosts say that Leighton stole every playoff series that we won. He is the ONLY reason. They are so right! Okay, I won't admit this to anyone, but I thought that Ville Leino, Danny Briere, and Chris Pronger had something to do with it as well.

But those guys on the radio are so smart, so they must know for sure. And they are such huge Michael Leighton fans. I'm going to make a note to ask them to buy a stop sign.

I remember when I heard the trade news. I honestly thought it was a joke. But the sad truth is that Paul Holmgren is a joke.

All we got was prospects. Two nobodies.

So we got P.K. Subban. He's a top prospect? Yeah, right! Then why did he play all season in the AHL? Honestly, I expected we would get at least Cammalleri for Leighton.

And if Leighton had won the Conn Smythe, I would have demanded Cammalleri AND Markov. Michael's name was mentioned for the trophy, you know. Unfortunately, he got pulled a few times. But those goals against him were soooooo lucky.

The rest of the time, he carried the Flyers on his back!

I heard that the Canadiens tried to pawn off some other guy but Holmgren stuck to his demand for Subban. Who the hell is Louis Leblanc anyway? He plays for Harvard. Oh, there's a hockey hotbed.

And the other guy in the deal is Mac Bennett. I've never even heard of him. They say he's a real project. Who knows when or if he'll make it to the NHL?

Just wait, in ten years Holmgren is really going to regret this trade.

I read in the Philadelphia Inquirer that Michael's agent was going to ask for too much money. Four or five million dollars for the way he played is totally worth it. So what if the Flyers have to give up Mike Richards to afford him?

Besides, if it was just about money, all Flyers fans should have just chipped in two dollars each and we would have enough to keep him. For sure!

Maybe I should get some people together. We can make signs. Then we'll march all the way down Broad Street from City Hall to the Wachovia Center and protest to get Leighton back. Or maybe we can get Holmgren fired.

Leighton was the only player worth battling traffic on the Blue Route and the Schuylkill Expressway to see play at the Wachovia Center.

Oh my god! I just saw something on Twitter. All Leighton merchandise at the Flyers Fan gear shop is 50 percent off. I think I'm going to cry!

This is like the final stab in the back for Michael.

And this will go down in Flyers history as the worst trade ever.

This is way worse than the Lindros trade. We gave up Peter Forsberg, Steve Duschene, Kerry Huffman, Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall, Chris Simon, our 1993 first round draft choice (Jocelyn Thibault), our 1994 first round draft choice (Nolan Baumgartner), and $15,000,000 to get Eric Lindros.

But giving up Michael. Don't they know he is THE Michael Leighton? He is our hero!

Worst. Trade. Ever.

I'm so angry I might burn down Boathouse Row!

Poor Michael. Did he do the Rocky Run up the Art Museum steps? Did he have a chance to visit Independence Hall? Did he take a few photos at Love Park?

Crap! I never got a chance to have him sign my jersey.

On a positive note, the ad on eBay looks good. Yeah, I'm selling my Flyers' fan support. Maybe I'll be a Islanders fan. Don't they have some orange in their uniform? Or where did Scottie Upshall get traded? Phoenix, yeah that's the new team for me.

Or maybe I'll really piss people off and become a Penguins fan. That will show them!

I love you Michael!!

Author's note:

Did you find this article absurd? You should.

The sad thing is that most of the phrases were taken from web forums and Twitter about the Jaroslav Halak trade. I simply replaced Halak's name with 'Leighton.'

With Halak having reached the status of cult hero in Montreal, the comments about him and his trade to St. Louis have become more and more outrageous.

Let's hope that this article helps shift the perspective of the discussion to something more realistic and grounded.

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Jaroslav Halak Fans Singing The Blues

Rocket All Habs — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 03:55:00 +0000

More than once today I heard the name Andrei Kovalenko. Kovalenko was nicknamed "The Russian Tank," respecting that once he parked himself in the crease, he was difficult to move. Kovalenko is now the Chairman of the KHL Players' Association.

But today, Kovalenko's name was being tossed about as people carelessly tried to compare the Jaroslav Halak deal to the Canadiens' trade that shipped out Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to the Avalanche in return for Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky, and Jocelyn Thibault. It is considered one of the worst trades in Canadiens' history.

Halak hasn't won two Stanley Cups. Nor does he have two Conn Symthe trophies. Halak doesn't need to clear shelf space for multiple Vezina and Jennings trophies. Roy had amassed quite a collection by the time he was traded on December 6, 1995.

Halak has not even had one full season as a starting goalie in the NHL.

Still, the hyperbole continued. Despite Halak having a mediocre Olympic performance and being the eighth-ranked goaltender in IIHF post-tournament statistics, the fairy tale said otherwise.

Not wanting to be outdone, a local sports radio personality tweeted, "Halak stole two playoff rounds, and was traded for [Lars] Eller who probably won't play here next year and [Ian] Schultz who's two years away. Makes sense..."

Was the radio host exaggerating? Without a doubt. Perhaps he was even being intentionally obtuse, knowing that his statement would garner a strong reaction from some fans.

Halak was a key performer in the playoffs, but didn't steal anything on his own. It would be a shame to ignore Mike Cammalleri's 13 goals in the playoffs, Hal Gill who blocked 68 shots, and Tomas Plekanec who shut down the likes of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

In addition, Halak was pulled from three playoff games after awful outings. In the Conference Finals against Philadelphia, Halak struggled at times and could only manage an .884 save percentage.

Not exactly a Roy-like playoff run, is it?

Still, Halak fans were dejected by the news of his trade to St. Louis. Strip away the spin, and you have a goaltender who had a career year with a fanbase who had developed an emotional attachment to him.

On the other hand, Carey Price received far more criticism than he deserved. For all the noise about the "bad season," Price was the Molson Cup winner for October and November. Had he received the same goal support that Halak did, their regular season records would have been comparable.

It's not surprising, though, that supporters have grossly over-estimated the value of Jaroslav Halak. Given the bitter reaction by fans today, they are not on the same page as NHL general managers.

Reportedly, two teams were in serious discussions regarding Halak: San Jose and St. Louis. It was Doug Armstrong's offer of two Blues' prospects that was the best deal available.

Was it enough? Obviously many Habs' fans felt that Halak was worth more. But realistically, the market dictated the return.

Leaving aside the principals for now, getting two young prospects, who are former first- and third-round draft choices, seems about right. The league will have a glut of available goaltenders in July, and a limited number of teams with vacancies for a No. 1 keeper.

As Canadiens' GM Pierre Gauthier said, "The majority of teams have established goalies."

The Blues have a number of good young roster players. Realistically, the Canadiens were not going to pry T.J. Oshie or David Perron from St. Louis. While Lars Eller has the size and potential to be a solid top-six forward for the Canadiens, I might have preferred Patrick Berglund.

But it seems that Eller was the player that Pierre Gauthier wanted all along. Blues' GM Armstrong said that Gauthier "honed in on a player we didn't want to give up" in Eller. Armstrong added, "I think we have given up great value" to add Halak.

Gauthier said that the decision to trade Halak and retain Price followed a "big picture discussion" and was "based on future projections." "We are very comfortable with Carey Price," said Gauthier.

Canadiens fans debated the goaltending situation throughout the 2009-10 year. The daily competition between two number one goaltenders was not a healthy situation and could not have continued next season.

On the transaction that was most highly anticipated, it seems that Gauthier did get some things right.

First and foremost, the Canadiens now have some cap space. Halak would have been expecting a raise in the $4 million range. Even if the Habs spend $1 million or so on a backup, they have still freed dollars to meet their other commitments like Tomas Plekanec.

Gauthier said that he "will want to complement Carey Price" with a goaltender added via free agency. Choices that fit the budget include Dan Ellis, Marty Biron, and Johan Hedberg.

But this wasn't just a financial decision. It was a rare case of the cheaper goaltender being the better player in the minds of the Canadiens' brass.

Almost every hockey person agrees that it is Price who has the highest upside. Price has solid technique, better lateral movement, and is capable of a heavier workload.

Halak tends to go down early, has difficulty controlling rebounds, and is a poor puck handler outside his crease. Halak seems to wear down after four consecutive starts. It's unclear whether he will be able to handle a 55-60 game workload.

The NHL has become a league that is not so friendly to small goaltenders like Halak. NHL scouting reports label Halak as a "big-ice goalie" who is adept at handling shots from the perimeter and relies on a defensive system to clear rebounds and clog the slot.

So ends the myth that Bob Gainey was, in some way, protecting Price. The view that Price will be the better goalie in the future is held by the Canadiens. Gauthier reported that teams were informed that Price was not available.

It seems that the goaltender that wanted to be in Montreal most has remained. In post-playoff interviews, Halak was only lukewarm about a return to the Habs.

This followed Halak asking for a trade early in the calendar year. Gainey denied the request, but instead offered Halak an opportunity to play more.

In a press conference following the trade, Halak said, "I think its best for everybody that I was dealt."

Gauthier also did the right thing by limiting his discussions to teams in the Western Conference. Given the emotional fan feeling towards Halak, it wouldn't have been smart to trade him to a team within their own conference.

The jury is out on whether Gauthier got the best players he could back in the trade. Given the track-record of the pro-scouting department (which Gauthier headed), it is fair to be sceptical. Also, the Canadiens' GM didn't seem to create a bidding war like Brian Burke has done in Toronto for Tomas Kaberle, although the aforementioned market for goaltenders and limiting trade partners to the Western Conference make that a tougher task.

We wish Halak well in St. Louis in a situation where he can prove his belief that he is a true No. 1 NHL goaltender. The Blues were a good team without Halak and primed for a break through with all their young talent. No one should be surprised if they have a very good season, and it would be overly simplistic to credit the trade alone.

Putting Halak's accomplishments in a realistic light this past season means that this was not the worst trade in Canadiens history. Not even close. For now, everyone should just take a deep breath.

Expect this to be the first of a number of moves made by the Habs' GM this offseason. Once the puzzle is complete, then Gauthier's work can be evaluated as he reshapes the Canadiens for the 2010-11 season.

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