Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Erik Cole for Pitkanen?!? Habs Could do Better for Dream Fit

June 18, 2008, 11:38 AM ET [ Comments]
Habs Talk
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
As Darren Dreger speculates on possible dance partners at this year’s NHL draft something he said is quite peculiar. He believes Carolina’s Jim Rutherford is so desperate for defense he’s willing to swap Erik Cole for Joni Pitkanen. Dreger suggests Justin Williams and Tuomo Ruutu could be other potential candidates for a trade with Edmonton.

I’m not entirely sure if this is coming from solid sources within either of these organizations, or whether Dreger is playing the educated guessing game. If this speculation were to be believed, many other GM’s would offer much better players for someone like Cole. For instance the Canadiens could sign Mark Streit for less money than what Pitkanen will receive as an up and coming 24-year old, then flip him for Cole. Pitkanen’s rookie year saw him put up an astounding 46 points in 58 games, boasting a +22. Since then he’s a minus 30, collecting 69 points in 140 games. Streit is a career –17, but beyond that, after picking up 42 points in his first two NHL seasons, he scored 62 this year in 81 games. While Pitkanen has suffered a few injuries in his short NHL career, Streit has been in good health, managing more impressive numbers despite less ice-time than Pitkanen receives.

Granted Erik Cole has been burdened with his fair share of serious injuries, but if there were a player available outside of Vinny Lecavalier on this year’s trade market, Cole would be at the very top of the Canadiens list. For one, Cole coming to the Habs means he’ll no longer be lighting them up with each opportunity he gets against them. Secondly he’s the prototypical player missing from the Canadiens roster.

Mark Streit is just an example of what Cole could be had for, if Rutherford is actually considering trading him for Joni Pitkanen. With the wealth on the Canadiens blueline, Bob Gainey could afford to send over a couple of top defensive NHL-ready prospects for a player of Erik Cole’s worth. In any case, it’s hard to imagine Cole isn’t red-hot on the Canadiens radar is he is in fact available.
*************

Expect Andrei Kostitsyn’s contract extension to be announced before the first round of the draft gets underway Friday. Agent Don Meehan already confirmed more discussions would be taking place over the next couple of days. Mark Streit will become the top priority once Kostitsyn has been secured.

Speculation is out there that the Canadiens will attempt to move a bit higher up in the draft. There are a couple of reasons a team would do this. Obviously if you move higher up you get to pick a better player. Beyond the obvious, this year’s draft isn’t particularly deep or as deep as next year’s, and moving up in the draft could be an essential piece of a deal that could be on the table.
Join the Discussion: » Comments » Post New Comment
More from Habs Talk
» Heartbreak> Brian Bannan
» Game 3 Preview: Brian Bannan
» Will the Real Habs Please Step Forward? by Andrew Wright
» Game 2 recap- Jennifer Berzan Cutler
» New Habs Blog> M.R. d'Awe