Editorial – Prime Trade Bait

With the NHL holiday trade freeze fast approaching and the looming impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics, GM’s across the league are assessing the short-term and long-term futures of their respective clubs.  The Habs are no different, riding a current three-game winning streak, slowly but surely moving up the ladder in the Northeast Division and the Eastern Conference.

With so many people following this team, it is difficult to maintain a sense of perspective as the media and the fans believe that they have all of the answers.  Many hockey experts have the same ideas and thus I personally wanted to throw in my two cents.  Readers may not agree with me, but here is what I think should happen before the break.

I heard some rumours on TSN from the likes of Hockey Insider Bob MacKenzie that the Habs are kicking the tires at former defenseman, Sheldon Souray.  With the long-term injury to stud defenseman Andrei Markov combined with the stop gap solution of Marc-Andre Bergeron, the Habs have had to rely on a committee type scenario to defend the back end and provide offense from the blue line.  Bergeron has been a welcome addition, and the play of defensemen Hal Gill, Paul Mara, and Jaroslav Spacek have been strong, despite some nagging injuries that have plagued the trio throughout the first couple of months of the 2009-10 campaign.

Souray comes with a big price tag, something the Habs could not afford back when they chose to let him leave via free agency.  He is often injured, but has a tremendous upside, both as an offensive presence on the power play and as a feisty competitor in the defensive end.  At $5.4 million as a cap impact until 2011-2012, the Habs could be eating another Roman Hamrlik type salary, but this addition would re-position themselves as contenders once Markov returns in January/February 2010.

What could the Habs give back in return?  Rumours abound that the Habs are apparently shopping the Kostitsyn brothers in a package deal.  With the recent season ending injury to scoring threat Ales Hemsky, the Oilers are in need of an influx of scoring.  The Kostitsyns are probably going to be sent in a trade together, however, it is difficult to justify this move since brother Andrei is starting to heat up on the top line with Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec.  GM Bob Gainey would be better suited to insert the name of Jaroslav Halak into the mix instead of brother Andrei.

Halak provides the Oilers with a solid goaltending option moving forward.  They signed Nikolai Khabibulin, hoping that his injury woes that plagued him in both Tampa Bay and Chicago would not resurface.  His recent back spasms could become a chronic problem, and despite the strong play of back-up Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, the team cannot rely on his inexperience.  Halak could be a strong fit in Edmonton, as he would be here in Montreal.

I am a big Halak supporter, but also believe he has the most trade value for the Canadiens.  I would rather see him converted into an impact asset in return, then sit on the bench as a back-up to Carey Price.  Halak deserves a starting role somewhere and he might end up leaving via free agency as he is slated to become a restricted free agent in 2010-11.

Biggest challenge with this trade scenario – the salary cap.  GM Bob Gainey would have to juggle his lineup again just to fit Souray into the mix, but with both teams looking to make some solid changes that would benefit both clubs, but Edmonton seems like the likely trading partner for the players mentioned.

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Tags: Ales Hemsky, Andrei Markov, Bob Gainey, Bob MacKenzie, Carey Price, Hal Gill, Jaroslav Halak, Jaroslav Spacek, Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Mike Cammalleri, Nikolai Khabibulin, Paul Mara, Roman Hamrlik, Sheldon Souray, Tomas Plekanec