Canadiens trade deadline report (Part 1)
Mar 13, 2002 16:03:15 GMT -5
Post by WhyteKnight63 on Mar 13, 2002 16:03:15 GMT -5
For those of you who did not get to read this:
March 11, 2002
Canadiens' trade deadline report
Savard doesn't feel pressure to deal, but could use a forward with size
By PAT HICKEY
The Montreal Gazette
With the Montreal Canadiens teetering on the bubble in the fight for their first playoff berth in four seasons, there are holes that need filling. But the Canadiens' biggest problem is that, after addressing the team's lack of depth in his first full season as a general manager, André Savard doesn't have many spare parts.
He also doesn't have any players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. This has traditionally been a problem for the Canadiens, who have been quick to trade such players rather than lose them with little or nothing in return.
In past years, the trading deadline has been the signal to dump players like Mark Recchi, Vinnie Damphousse, Eric Weinrich and Pierre Turgeon.
The Canadiens did hold on to Shayne Corson in 2000 and Stéphane Quintal in 1999 and both players jumped ship after becoming free agents.
In recent years, most of the deals the Canadiens have made at the deadline have been designed to dump salaries or to avoid having to deal with unrestricted free agents. The Canadiens have never bargained from strength in these deals and have usually come out on the short end.
But Savard's first deadline deals last year have proved moderately successful. He came out on the short end of a deal, which sent Weinrich to Boston for Patrice Traverse but was a winner with the acquisition of Jan Bulis and Richard Zednik from Washington in return for Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus.
The Canadiens would like to acquire another scorer but dependable snipers are in short supply and Savard insists that he doesn't feel the pressure to make a deal. And he has limited the potential for a major deal by saying he won't give up draft choices or prospects like young defenceman Ron Hainsey.
As for the free agent question, Savard has already dealt with that. He signed defenceman Patrice Brisebois to a long-term deal and traded forwards Brian Savage, Martin Rucinsky and Benoit Brunet.
The deal which sent Rucinsky and Brunet to Dallas for Donald Audette and Shaun Van Allen appeared to solve some of the team's offensive woes but Audette was injured shortly after arriving in Montreal and may not pay dividends until next season.
The deal, which sent to Savage to Phoenix for Sergei Berezin, has been a wash to date with neither player lighting it up in his new surroundings. The one plus for the Habs is that Berezin is signed for the next two seasons.
The one player the Canadiens would like to deal before next season is veteran Jeff Hackett. He's a definite plus, a strong leader who gives the Canadiens a solid 1-2 punch in goal alongside José Théodore.
The problem is that the emergence of Théodore as the No.1 goaltender makes Hackett an expensive backup with a salary of $3.6 million U.S. next season.
Hackett figured in numerous rumours, especially after Curtis Joseph was injured in Toronto, but Hackett dislocated his shoulder for the second time this season on March 6 and may prove difficult to move even in the off-season.
March 11, 2002
Canadiens' trade deadline report
Savard doesn't feel pressure to deal, but could use a forward with size
By PAT HICKEY
The Montreal Gazette
With the Montreal Canadiens teetering on the bubble in the fight for their first playoff berth in four seasons, there are holes that need filling. But the Canadiens' biggest problem is that, after addressing the team's lack of depth in his first full season as a general manager, André Savard doesn't have many spare parts.
He also doesn't have any players who are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. This has traditionally been a problem for the Canadiens, who have been quick to trade such players rather than lose them with little or nothing in return.
In past years, the trading deadline has been the signal to dump players like Mark Recchi, Vinnie Damphousse, Eric Weinrich and Pierre Turgeon.
The Canadiens did hold on to Shayne Corson in 2000 and Stéphane Quintal in 1999 and both players jumped ship after becoming free agents.
In recent years, most of the deals the Canadiens have made at the deadline have been designed to dump salaries or to avoid having to deal with unrestricted free agents. The Canadiens have never bargained from strength in these deals and have usually come out on the short end.
But Savard's first deadline deals last year have proved moderately successful. He came out on the short end of a deal, which sent Weinrich to Boston for Patrice Traverse but was a winner with the acquisition of Jan Bulis and Richard Zednik from Washington in return for Trevor Linden and Dainius Zubrus.
The Canadiens would like to acquire another scorer but dependable snipers are in short supply and Savard insists that he doesn't feel the pressure to make a deal. And he has limited the potential for a major deal by saying he won't give up draft choices or prospects like young defenceman Ron Hainsey.
As for the free agent question, Savard has already dealt with that. He signed defenceman Patrice Brisebois to a long-term deal and traded forwards Brian Savage, Martin Rucinsky and Benoit Brunet.
The deal which sent Rucinsky and Brunet to Dallas for Donald Audette and Shaun Van Allen appeared to solve some of the team's offensive woes but Audette was injured shortly after arriving in Montreal and may not pay dividends until next season.
The deal, which sent to Savage to Phoenix for Sergei Berezin, has been a wash to date with neither player lighting it up in his new surroundings. The one plus for the Habs is that Berezin is signed for the next two seasons.
The one player the Canadiens would like to deal before next season is veteran Jeff Hackett. He's a definite plus, a strong leader who gives the Canadiens a solid 1-2 punch in goal alongside José Théodore.
The problem is that the emergence of Théodore as the No.1 goaltender makes Hackett an expensive backup with a salary of $3.6 million U.S. next season.
Hackett figured in numerous rumours, especially after Curtis Joseph was injured in Toronto, but Hackett dislocated his shoulder for the second time this season on March 6 and may prove difficult to move even in the off-season.
