Habs Should be Sellers...
With seven points in their last six games, it would appear as though the Montreal Canadiens are finally starting to turn a corner under Randy Cunneyworth, yet with little tarmac left for the Habs to take off and catch the tail end of the playoff pack, thoughts have begun drifting towards trade deadline day.
While dishing off Michael Cammalleri should be a solid indication of what management is thinking about, and which direction these Canadiens are headed in, it's still only January and the Habs haven't
totally fallen off the radar just yet...but what should they do?
Currently 8 points out of the final playoff spot, having played 1 more game than the rest of the pack, the Canadiens aren't exactly "primed" to make a run, but there's no hiding they won't try.
Yet for all the good intentions and posturing the team and coaching staff will make from here until the truth becomes clear, there has to be a more decisive thought process going on behind the scenes.
With a payroll that is still in dire need of a trim, and some assets who would clearly benefit from being elsewhere, it's hard not to establish the Canadiens as sellers, even if it is early on.
The Cammy deal signaled a change in pace that follows suit with the signing of Erik Cole this past summer. It's a move that bring the Habs a step closer towards paying for performance.
High dollar salaries are rather scary these days, especially once a player demonstrates he is no longer capable of earning his pay. Examples like Gomez are tossed around all the time, but he's not alone - as the Cammalleri deal shows us.
It's become a situation where, after the Gainey rebuild satiated the temporary appetite to ice a competitive team while slowly stocking the cupboard, the next step must be taken.
The Habs haven't been all bad the past few seasons, though through the good times and the bad, the turmoil never necessarily seems to fade.
The pressure in Montreal permeates players lives and, given this city's recent track record, often breaks them.
So, with an eye on the slow descent that has been this season, keep in mind that while there have been some ups-and-downs over the past few years, the Canadiens managed to stay in the picture. With this year heading in a similar direction to the Centennial season, it's almost safe to say it's a signal that the rebuild from the summer of '09 has run its course and that it's time to move on with the future generation this team has slowly put in place.
But who is that new generation?
If anything, it's time to start identifying the core of players this team is in need of keeping and those who, if Gauthier or whoever is running this ship does things right, can bring the Canadiens return value that will stimulate quicker development of the teams future.
A cursory look at the Habs roster yields an interesting mix of possibilities.
Offense:
- Moving Gomez' contract would be like lifting a monolith from stonehenge with one hand and tossing over the other ones...ain't happenin'!
- If I had told you at the beginning of the year that, of Gomez, Cammy, Gionta and Kostitsyn, that AK46 is the one who looks like he most fit the direction of this team, would you have believed me? Truthfully, his play this season hasn't exactly bought him a big old raise, but it has cemented that he has value to this team. Especially with Lars Eller. IF they were ever provided an equally talented player to play with, that would make for a very dangerous line. That said, with an expiring contract on his hands (whose future value should make for a great article in the near future), it will be up to Habs management to decide if they can get what they consider good value for him. Undoubtedly, he will be looked at by other teams, but if the team is underwhelmed by the offers, may wait until summer to decide on moving/keeping or letting him walk.
- Travis Moen has good value but not much of a future with the Habs. He is a vet who could likely help a playoff team for cheap, and is also a player the Canadiens should be able to replace affordably on the open market or through internal promotion.
- Rene Bourque...crazy to think it, eh? But if he doesn't "fit" over the next month, there's no reason to think the Habs couldn't flip him again for more assets. It would be a hard-sell to move Bourque shortly after acquiring him, but if the Jackets can do it with Carter, no reason not to test the waters. That said, this ranks as heavily unlikely in my books as I personally see Bourque fitting the direction of this team (not to mention that his contract is nowhere near as bad as people have made it out to be)...Bottom line here is that, if for some reason the Canadiens can add even more value and/or cap space (if they're clearly out of the running), it may not hurt them to consider it.
- Off the cuff possibilities as throw-ins could be guys like Blunden, Engqvist and, as some have suggested, even Darche...though I doubt any of those 3 will bring all that much value to the team if moved.
Defense:
- Kaberle is a tough sell no matter how you slice it, but with 9 points in 16 games under heavily monitored ice-time, who knows! Needless to say, he should and likely will be shopped and if Gauthier can get a remotely decent value for him, that would be spectacular.
- Gill has a decent chance of moving. There's no denying his versatility and play on the penalty kill, but the fact also remains that Montreal is heavy on defense, and with young guys slowly gaining ground on the vet, it's quite likely he won't be back next season. As that is the case, he may be one of the better plays the Habs could make at the deadline.
- Campoli sits in the same boat, I would think. Many agree he has greater value than he has showcased on the Habs, and if that proves true, Gauthier should be keen on moving him.
- The last bit of baits to be dangled will certainly be Yannick Weber and, perhaps to a lesser extent, Raphael Diaz. You can rule out Emelin as there's no hiding that the team wants him around for quite awhile, while - though Diaz has been quite good - like Weber, he simply seems to be a temporary place-filler while the likes of Andrei Markov recover and Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu develop.
All in all, it's a tough call to imagine much of these assets finding true value for the Canadiens, yet if in a months time there's no denying the team is out of the playoff race, expect many if not all of these options to be considered.
Now, the plan beyond that is really anyone's guess. But if the recent change in direction tells us at least one thing, it's that the Canadiens are not happy with the current makeup of their team and are the direction they're headed in.
Thoughts?
Who are your tradeables/untradeables?
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