Latest News – Another one bites the dust

With a team riddled with key long-term injuries plaguing the offensive chemistry and effectiveness of the defensive schemes being implemented, the team has lost its most versatile forward and team leader, Brian Gionta.

Reports have stated that Gionta had been fighting the injury since the first week of November and was attempting to play through the pain, however, after weeks of battling this nagging injury, it has been revealed that Gionta has a broken bone in his left foot.

Gionta has been an integral part of the 2009-10 Habs and he has been a consistent player night in and night out.  With eight goals thus far, Gionta is tied with Mike Cammalleri for the team lead.  He is a key member of the top line and his departure from the lineup could impact the effectiveness of the top unit, especially center Scott Gomez – who relies heavily on the gritty play of Gionta to generate chances.

Gionta’s injury adds to the growing list of Canadiens players in sick bay.  Many of them have been affected by long-term injuries and some are not expected to return until 2010.  Although the timeline for Gionta’s injury is not entirely clear at the moment, this injury is expected to keep him out indefinitely, as fractures of this nature take a long time to heal.

Gionta’s injury just might nudge GM Bob Gainey to move forward with a trade, not necessarily to improve the team and enhance playoff aspirations, but just to keep the team competitive.  The Habs have already begun to exhaust resources from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs and have expanded roles for unlikely top six forwards such as Glen Metropolit or even Max Pacioretty.  Also, expectations are growing for disappointing forwards Guillaume Latendresse and Sergei Kostitsyn with Gionta’s injury.

What will happen now?  Will the Habs make a trade to save their season?  Will Jaroslav Halak be the trade bait required to land a top six forward to stop the bleeding?  These are the questions that will keep Gainey busy in the coming weeks.

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Tags: Bob Gainey, Brian Gionta, Glen Metropolit, Guillaume Latendresse, Jaroslav Halak, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Sergei Kostitsyn