My problem with this is most people say, "well Bourque will be able to fill cammy's role... their stats are the same... bourque is cheaper and bigger"

What nobody realises is montreal didn't get better. Montreal got tougher.. Montreal got bigger.. Montreal has more cap space...

Montreal isn't a better team today then they were yesterday.

Cammy, if any player on montreal, could have got the most out of a trade. Now we have Moen and Gill. Possibly Plekanec and less likely, Gionta.

If montreal wanted "insert winger here", they now have less assets to get that person. Bourque was inevidably coming out of Calgary and montreal could have got him for alot less.

Now what are the lines.. now the habs can't possible follow a bigman playmaker shooter formula. Chip and chase? How boring. The only fun thing to watch on montreal is Price, but usually he is being scored on for lack of defence.

Assuming
Paci-Desharnais-Cole
Moen-Eller-Kosty

are shoe ins, that leaves

Bourque-Plek-Gomez

To me that does not make the habs better.

And even moreso, montreal has a bunch of second line players more then ever.

If by talent Paci-Eller-Cole would be the top line.. but taking the big men from Desharnais would be pointless.

Bourque-Eller-Cole
Paci-Desharnais-Kosty
Moen-Plek-Gomez

That to me looks like a mess. Bourque is a decent second liner. Paci is an above average second liner. Desharnais is playing like a second liner. Kosty has the potential to be a solid second liner. Plek could be on of the best second line centers in the league given chance. Gomez is a second line talent, he does not fit the chequing role. Eller is a potential first liner in the making, therefor making him a second liner at the moment.

I can't wait to see what is done for the lines.. because I for one can't figure it out.

My problem with this is most people say, "well Bourque will be able to fill cammy's role... their stats are the same... bourque is cheaper and bigger"

What nobody realises is montreal didn't get better. Montreal got tougher.. Montreal got bigger.. Montreal has more cap space...

Montreal isn't a better team today then they were yesterday.
- ShudBeFamous

But they didn't get worse. I assume you watched Cammi's uninspired play this year? Why do you think trading him would have got us more elsewhere? Because one GM said he would have offered something? Who's to say that package would have been any better. And with all that cap space, extra toughness and extra size, they now have more tools to get better and compete against teams in their division.

Cammalleri got really good minutes this year and still only left here with 9 goals. Yes, his ice dipped under Cunneyworth, but only because the new coach doesn't favour players simply because they are veterans. Everyone keeps talking about potential and how Cammi had the most on this team. I agree. Cammi at his best was easily the best offensive player we had. Unfortunately we haven't seen that player for a while. He gave up at some point. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he did.

Don't get me wrong, Cammalleri can be a top producing sniper in this league. The issue is he needs to be surrounded by better and bigger players (see: Iginla and Kopitar). I hope he lights the lamp in Calgary regularly. I'm just glad he's moved on. I don't even care what he vocalized, he said all he needed to with his subpar play.

As for lines, I think you are eventually going to see Bourque replace Moen on the Eller line. Hands down Moen gets traded for a pick. I think we are all in for the biggest sell off the Habs have ever done in their history.

Habs got what they needed but failed to make the most of this opportunity IMO. While, as a Leaf fan, I think MTL did ok in the trade and got what they wanted, I think PG seriously undervalued his player and also moved him just a bit too early. (I know Cammy's recent comments accelerated the process). But look at what has been gotten for fairly similar players recently, and while there's no denying Cammy has had a bad season, I still think they could have gotten more. Especially with the unexpected seasons so many teams are having... many will be desperate very soon.

And then you hear things from other GM's like: "I wish I knew Cammy was available, i would have made an offer:"..... Wha? Really?!?!?! (Mackenzie,TSN)

So PG has apparently been working this since December and all he's been doing is shopping with one team? Don't think you should open up the bidding wars and maximize your return? I seriously think he dropped the ball huge this way. Maybe it wouldn't have netted them anything better (although I seriously think it would have), PG should still have been much more diligent in this process; especially considering he's been wanting to trade him for a month....

So overall, yes the Habs got what they needed (size and $$) from this trade, but they failed to maximize return at a time of great uncertainty for the franchise. I mean look at what Burke got for overpaid, underachieving Beauchimin

Fire PG and bring in Lemaire.
- Blue_Waffles

That's horsepoop. Especially considering this was a good trade for Montreal.

One team.

I agree the Beauchemin trade was a rape job by Burke. But I also think TO trades with Anaheim, involving Burke, should be monitored a little more closely by the league. Which was the case before Burke left Anaheim.

Habs got what they needed but failed to make the most of this opportunity IMO. While, as a Leaf fan, I think MTL did ok in the trade and got what they wanted, I think PG seriously undervalued his player and also moved him just a bit too early. (I know Cammy's recent comments accelerated the process). But look at what has been gotten for fairly similar players recently, and while there's no denying Cammy has had a bad season, I still think they could have gotten more. Especially with the unexpected seasons so many teams are having... many will be desperate very soon.

And then you hear things from other GM's like: "I wish I knew Cammy was available, i would have made an offer:"..... Wha? Really?!?!?! (Mackenzie,TSN)

So PG has apparently been working this since December and all he's been doing is shopping with one team? Don't think you should open up the bidding wars and maximize your return? I seriously think he dropped the ball huge this way. Maybe it wouldn't have netted them anything better (although I seriously think it would have), PG should still have been much more diligent in this process; especially considering he's been wanting to trade him for a month....

So overall, yes the Habs got what they needed (size and $$) from this trade, but they failed to maximize return at a time of great uncertainty for the franchise. I mean look at what Burke got for overpaid, underachieving Beauchimin

Fire PG and bring in Lemaire.
- Blue_Waffles

lol at this. We heard the same thing when guys like Thornton, Heathley, etc. were traded. This is tghe most BS thing ever. Easy to say they would have made an offer, but what kind? The crappy kind!

Sources say he spoke with 4 teams. Stop making stuff up. Look at my other post where a GM said that PG is smart and did not need to send a fax to all 29 teams. Amateurs have no clue whats going on behind the scenes and how trades are made.

My problem with this is most people say, "well Bourque will be able to fill cammy's role... their stats are the same... bourque is cheaper and bigger"

What nobody realises is montreal didn't get better. Montreal got tougher.. Montreal got bigger.. Montreal has more cap space...

Montreal isn't a better team today then they were yesterday.

Cammy, if any player on montreal, could have got the most out of a trade. Now we have Moen and Gill. Possibly Plekanec and less likely, Gionta.

If montreal wanted "insert winger here", they now have less assets to get that person. Bourque was inevidably coming out of Calgary and montreal could have got him for alot less.

Now what are the lines.. now the habs can't possible follow a bigman playmaker shooter formula. Chip and chase? How boring. The only fun thing to watch on montreal is Price, but usually he is being scored on for lack of defence.

Assuming
Paci-Desharnais-Cole
Moen-Eller-Kosty

are shoe ins, that leaves

Bourque-Plek-Gomez

To me that does not make the habs better.

And even moreso, montreal has a bunch of second line players more then ever.

If by talent Paci-Eller-Cole would be the top line.. but taking the big men from Desharnais would be pointless.

Bourque-Eller-Cole
Paci-Desharnais-Kosty
Moen-Plek-Gomez

That to me looks like a mess. Bourque is a decent second liner. Paci is an above average second liner. Desharnais is playing like a second liner. Kosty has the potential to be a solid second liner. Plek could be on of the best second line centers in the league given chance. Gomez is a second line talent, he does not fit the chequing role. Eller is a potential first liner in the making, therefor making him a second liner at the moment.

I can't wait to see what is done for the lines.. because I for one can't figure it out.
- ShudBeFamous

And you think this sentence does not apply to Cammy? Its actually even more evodent that Cammy was coming out of Montreal. Double standards for evaluating Habs palyers, typical Habs fan

if they can get rid of gomez or at least his cap hit, then they can really put themselves in a good position going forward.

Lose gomez and back a dumptruck of money up to shea weber's house see if he bites. (although i predict he goes to detroit if lidstrom retires..just a guess)

If they can move out some guys like Gill at the deadline for some picks they could make some moves at the draft as well. I just hope they do the right things for once, a couple of bad seasons to get much better down the road is a small price to pay imo.

The future has lots of potential...

Eller, Emelin, Price, PK, Tinordi, Beaulieu, Gallagher, Bournival, Kristo, Avtsin...


Call me crazy but im tiring of PK, if he gets his game back online, id trade him in a heartbeat for a top line forward, if it could be done. This team could use a star player up front more than at the back..assuming Markov ever plays again, if not see my Weber scenario..never hurts to try.
- DeathStar

Rumors are is being offered for a top forward. He is not on the market, but available for a top center.

Steven Hindle: Centennial Season, Eat Your Heart Out!
- Centennial Season, Eat Your Heart Out!
- hindlehabs

Best analysis,great read Steve.

Brutal move by the Habs. Should have waited or searched for a better deal. What the hell is this team doing? Where is the direction?

Brutal move by the Habs. Should have waited or searched for a better deal. What the hell is this team doing? Where is the direction?
- Gunslinger

Cammalleri did not have the value you think he had. Great trade by Gauthier. I expected less if anything for Cammalleri.

Brutal move by the Habs. Should have waited or searched for a better deal. What the hell is this team doing? Where is the direction?
- Gunslinger

So what do you think one can get on the market for a $6 million, small sniper, with a sudden penchant for floating and 9 goals in 38 games?

I think the direction is actually fairly clear right now. They are moving away from a small, speedy team (which is getting bounced around more than a porn star right now) and increasing size and toughness. I think Bourque will be a great addition to guys like Cole, Pax and even AKos. It further insulates guys like Plekanec and Deharnais.

I'm sure you were wanting a true number one center. I want that too. Thing is Cammi was never going to bring that. Even Cammi at his best wouldn't bring you that. He is a highly skilled winger with top line ability but has never been able to produce like that without bigger star players to play with (i.e. Iggy and Kopitar). I have nothing but respect for Cammi and what he did for the team in his first couple of years. I'm sure he'll do great in Calgary, and I hope he does.

I think everyone has to get off the page of thinking there were better deals out there. Just because some GM mentioned to Bob Makenzie that he would have made an offer, doesn't mean the Habs wanted to trade with that team or that the offer would have been anything close to what they got.

Cammalleri did not have the value you think he had. Great trade by Gauthier. I expected less if anything for Cammalleri.
- deadpoulet

Horrible trade.

How is it great?

Leafs got solid assets for the future and present for Beauchemin, Kaberle and Versteeg.

PG, well the Habs really, need to start rebuilding. They dont need a guy older than Cammelleri and some 4th line potential prospect. He should have sold him off for peanuts. Instead, he still has hope for the season, hence Kaberle trade and is going to ruin this teams chances of both getting a lottery pick and building a team for the future.

PG rushed the trade, paniced and franked up again. Hes already fired a coach, an assistant coach, hired a GM in a fury of contraversy, made a bad trade getting Kaberle out of panic, and now made a lateral move instead of a forward move. Brutal.

The team isn't making the playoffs, and compared to most teams in the league, the Habs are below average in prospect depth and quality. The team is failing and has no hope and what does PG do? He adds a 34 year old Dman, trades an asset for an even older player, takes on long contracts instead of just ditching them and does nothing to help the team both tank for a good pick and to added pieces for the future.

Garbage. What a freaking mess.