The Reluctant Checkers

"I'm just trying to do exactly what they want. I'm becoming a checker," he said with obvious displeasure after Monday's practice. "We're just doing what we have to do to win games. I'm not complaining. It's important to win the games. I just don't feel as important as I did before when they were riding me. I don't feel they use me as much as they did before. If they don't give me the confidence or trust me, I will never be playing the way I was before, the way they want.


Who said it?

Could have been anyone.

Could have been Andrei Kostitsyn after Bob Gainey decided that 7 games without a goal (for a guy whose career best pace gives him a average of 3 games drought between goals) means he must transform from poacher to digger.

Could have been Sidney Crosby as he tried to play the trap Michel Therrien so cleverly decided upon the trap as his strategy (probably since he didn't have any supremely talented scorers on his squad).

Could have Alexei Kovalev as he turned in some of the best defensive efforts for a forward under Guy Carbonneau.

Could have been anyone to play for Jacques Lemaire (even Guy Guy Guy Lafleur). Marian Gaborik?


It is an insight into how some players' views on hockey (particularly those that feel what they can offer does not originate from a dump and chase) can differ drastically from coaches' views.

Hockey is a team game, yes. But not all components of a team have been selected and brought in to get the job of winning done in the same way. When a GM signs a scoring winger for $6 million a year, it is understandable that said GM would be upset if coach X uses the winger like he would use, say, Trent Klatt. It is understandable that said winger might be a bit perplexed too. When a team is evaluated on the eve of the playoffs and the overriding concern is lack of scoring, does it then seem to make sense to turn the only players who might score into third line troopers?

The key phrase from the quote for me comes at the end (when he clearly starts complaining, a mere two sentences after saying he wasn't complaining):

"I will never be playing the way I was before, the way they want"

Good coaches understand this. Good coaches understand the value of playing a player the way they like to play and the way they were expected to play in October. Good coaches try to maximise their assets. Ultimately, you can win a Stanley Cup when you convert your Steve Yzerman into a shadow, but not if you don't have a Sergei Fedorov.


As it happens, the quote comes from Ales Hemsky, not one of ours. Ales, who some guy in the video below once said some nice things about:



What does he know?

And will the Oilers make the playoffs? Not sure. But take Hemsky out of the scoring equation, and I don't think San Jose will be upset about it.


Just a reflection. Let's see how this Kostitsyn thing goes...

Gaborik in Montreal?Not Impossible As Some Suggest

If gaborik is going to be given away, then I am hoping Bob Gainey is listening.

For all the bad press he receives about his injuries, he only really had one fantastically long injury. I suspect bitter journalists like myself must have had him in their pools that year. He picks up niggling stuff as well (like at the moment). But let's not forget he has been a pont-per-game player on Jacques Lemaire's team since we returned from the lockout and that he has scored 30 goals in all but two of his NHL outings - even impressively during that 48 game season he had.

At the tender age of 26, Gaborik will be a major piece to any franchise who can lock him up.

He is a true talent and to dismiss him off hand because the Canadiens would have to get creative with the cap or even trade a player we currently like is silly. To say things like this:

There might come a day when the Canadiens are forced to deal Halak, but I suspect he'll fetch more than a talented, but injury-prone winger who is in a position to bolt next spring.

as Pat Hickey did today, is just downright inane. Especially if we all can force ourselves to recall the going rate for all-star Canadiens goalies from last spring. Quotes like that offend me, because, although I can appreciate the attempt at glib, it is homerish to suggest that a goalie who has played 26 NHL games is better than a 26 year-old 200 goalscorer. I like Halak as much (and probably more) than the next guy, but Gaborik is being paid $6 miilion + for a reason.

If we made the Slovak swap and were forced to get a little bit creative to open up $4 million in cap space by December, I'd be OK with it. Of course knowing that Gaborik, Koivu, Tanguay, Markov, Price and Kovalev would not be on the same team coming out of summer 2009, I'd be lamenting the impending loss of a favourite while probably learning to love the young sniper. At the end of the day, I'd still love the Habs more than teams where player 1 and 2 from the list above ended up.

So, as I see it, a Gaborik trade with the Canadiens, though probably too much work for any GM to take on, could happen. As per my earlier post, I simply don't believe that Gainey or his staff would have ever admitted to being in on the dealing - not their style.

Also for my own piece of mind, I'd be hoping that the second salary shedding trade or deal yielded someone to shield us from Cedrick Desjardins, rookie backup.

So, we're back where we started. A rumour and some fun. Nothing more.

Gaborik RumoursRDS Playing Eklund This Time

In a story that smacks of insincerity, RDS is claiming they have the inside track on negotiations between Bob Gainey and Doug Riseborough.



Since when do we hear about tight-lipped Gainey's dealings? Ditto Riseborough?

The trade makes a lot of sense to Canadiens fans and not much anyone else. It's the old Eklund technique - tell em what they want to hear...

So, for the sake of amusing ourselves, let's give them credit and say it's true. Does anyone else feel queasy about the alleged trade?

Our bargain basement 25 goalscorer and back-up (super-efficient) goalie, and a first round pick (I couldn't care less about a 29th pick...) for Marian Gaborik?

Gaborik is a huge star. He is a huge talent. But do we really bet on Carey Price all the way again? No matter how many scoring lines we have? Plus, pay Gaborik what he's asking and that's the end of Kovalev in Montreal. Both 80+ point men last year, but $3 million apart in what could be tight times for NHL salaries coming up.

I'm overreacting obviously. My reservation is mostly about Halak. If we could pry Harding out as well, then we could be talking. Gosh, rumours are fun.

What do you all think?

Go Habs Go.