Montreal Canadiens Plan A: Mats Sundin, Plan B: Oh No?

They say don't put all your eggs in one basket, but this may be a phrase Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey isn't too familiar with.

Need an example?

Well, how about trading Crisobal Huet to the Caps for a second-round pick leaving 19-year-old Carey Price to carry the load, and watch him lack consistency in the playoffs.

Need something more recent?

How about the failed attempt at signing UFA Mats Sundin all the while losing out on guys like Hossa, Redden, and Naslund.

Gainey may have just backed himself into a corner with Sundin landing all the punches now because he is the only player left that will improve this team. Which means he is worth his weight in gold.

Let's get it straight people, the Habs most likely just had a fluke season, and if history tells us anything, rookie stand-out goalies rarely post the same numbers in their sophomore season.

Need proof?

Cam Ward went from winning a Stanley Cup for the Carolina Hurricanes to missing the playoffs in 2006-07 posting a 2.93 goals against average.

Andrew Raycroft went from winning the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year with a 29-18-9 record and a sparkling 2.05 goals against average in 2003-04 with the Bruins to not being able to stop wet paper bag in Toronto.

Anyone remember Jim Carey in Washington? He won a Vezina and played 33 games with three different clubs after the fact.

So Bob Gainey hasn't shored up his goaltending going with youngsters in Price and Jaroslav Halak. The defense is the same one that was pushed around by the Flyers in the quarter finals, and Alex Tanguay was his only real  acquisition up front and that was via trade.

What now?

George Laraque isn't gonna get you to the playoffs.

The fact is, Bob Gainey didn't have a "plan b" after his "plan a," which was to land the big fish in Mats Sundin.

Canadiens’ fans should be ultra disappointed that Gainey spent his time going after what may have been a lost cause when other clubs like Chicago were signing Huet and Brian Campbell or the Rangers picking up Redden and Naslund.

Toronto even allowed Gainey to talk to Sundin well before the July 1 UFA date.

Did he not realize Sundin was going to take his "swede" time?

This stubborn act may just come back to bite him in the ass, just like sticking with Carey Price as his number one tender did.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

In this case, the horse is Sundin, and Gainey may be the one hitting the bottle.

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