In 2004, Bob Gainey picked up superstar Alexei Kovalev from the New York Rangers for Josef Balej and a second-round pick.
Now, Gainey has brought some fresh talent into Montreal for nothing more than the 25th pick in 2008 and a second-round pick in 2009.
Dare I say Gainey has just pulled the wool over the eyes of 29 other GMs twice in the past four years?
If no one has noticed, Alex Kovalev has put up 227 points since joining the Canadiens, including the playoffs.
Josef Balej has put up six points while only playing 14 NHL games since being traded, and Bruce Graham (the player the Rangers selected in 2004) hasn’t played a single minute in the NHL. That's a 221-point difference in favor of Bob Today's Must Reads
Now, Alex Tanguay—formerly of the Calgary Flames—is a Montreal Canadien.
He is a skilled player, speedy, and French Canadian—the perfect fit for the Canadiens. Tanguay is what the standard Quebecois Habs fans have been asking for since Gainey inherited the throne in Montreal.
With the Habs having so much young depth on the team and in the AHL, it was an easy decision for Gainey to give up his first-round selection in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
With that 25th slot in this year’s draft, the Flames selected Windsor Spitfires Center Joel Gistedt, the 22nd-ranked North American skater. He put up 67 points in 68 games this season in the OHL.
It is expected Joel will take a few years to work his way up to the NHL, and even then, he will be a second-liner at best.
Even though the Canadiens also gave up their second-round pick next year, they still have one more from Washington, from the trade that sent Cristobal Huet to the Caps on deadline day.
This is two steals for Gainey—and none for the 29 other GMs in the NHL—since his highness arrived in "La Belle Province."
Lets see if he can get another check in the win column before the season starts in 2009.
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2 months ago
You might have Mats too...wow, good fit!
tosports.ca
2 months ago
give me a break, i'd say trading for pronger and winning a cup was a far bigger and more meaningful move by anaheim than anything done by gainey. likewise thornton to the sharks or even jokinen to the yotes.
tanguay brings nothing new to montreal, he is just another samsonov on the wing.
and gainey actually offered plekanec for kovalev but sather chose balej instead, because balej had more points in the AHL that season.
when you realize that gainey has given away players like beauchemain, hainsey and ribeiro, he's not pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.
2 months ago
I totally agree with Sam, Gainey has done more harm than good, losing Riberio for someone who does not even play in the NHL anymore was a bad bad trade, then giving away Huet for a 2nd. round pick in 2009 which now looks like Tanguay was worse still! Price blew it in the play-offs and still is not ready to carry the team this year, Gainey should have kept Huet for another 2 years while Price got better but instead he made a bad trade! He also traded a good man with Rivet instead of trading Souray who we got nothing for, and now it looks like he will let Ryder walk, another bad move, no I think Gainey has done more harm than good to our team, for what he has done I think our great scout Trevor should bo our GM, he could take the same path as Sam Pollock did as Sam was also a scout before he was GM!!!
from 2 months ago
thanks Doug. but i think gainey is a competent gm. he has some good trades and some bad ones. montreal is a better team thanks to his efforts, but he's not the best gm in the nhl.
about 1 month ago
ribs didnt fit in montreal...he didnt like the media..if you cant take it..you will never succeed...and huet...never had a full season as a starter..always got injured..and we got a 2nd pick for a rental..the habs were never gonna win it in 08..never..and tanguay is a decent player who can dish the puck to montreals young scorers...souray was way overated..his defensive plays werent worth the 28 goals....i am though disappointed in him letting streit walk..but i think our young defensmen can pick up the slack and spread his ice time around....and ryder can be replaced..remember the canadiens..have some of the best up and comers in the league..and they need to get their start someday
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