Montreal Canadiens: An Offseason Trendsetter

Most hockey fans can safely say that Montreal has been keeping busy during the offseason as compared to recent years.

That’s a glorious understatement.

In other words, Bob Gainey and Les Habs have torn down the structure, built a new frame, and inserted some high impact insulation.

I am talking about the loss of the faces of the franchise.

Sure two years ago we lost Sheldon Souray who was the quarterback of the Habs' special teams. Then last year we lost Michele Ryder (easily a rightful replacement for captain) and Mark Streit, who after taking the reins from Souray had become a predominant point scorer.

But look at the disfiguring of the franchise.

With the exception of Carey Price, we lost the most charismatic players to ever grace the Bell Centre: Mike Komisarek, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, Christopher Higgins, and yes, even Tom Kostopolus.

But every cloud has a silver lining.

With the acquiring of powerhouse Mike Cammalleri, and veteran forwards Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, and feisty left-wing Travis Moen, the offensive force of Le Blue, Blanc et Rouge is changing.

Add the size and athleticism of Hal Gill, the pure playmaker in Jaroslav Spacek, and the gritty style of Paul Mara, and we have made up for the potential loss in the back end of the game.

To compare losses and gains I shall quickly sum up what losing one player and gaining the other means to the Habs:

1. Mike Komisarek—Hal Gill

Well I believe the acquisition of Hal Gill makes up for the lack of presence Komisarek had on the ice.

The 6-foot7, 250 pound defenseman from Concord, MA can easily go shoulder to shoulder with Komisarek, and with a bonus proves to be more inclined to score (two goals, eight assists, and 10 points).

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