By theactivestick and Stevo, AllHabs.net

MONTREAL, QC.—This upcoming Saturday, January 22, ex-Canadien Saku Koivu and the Anaheim Ducks will be in Montreal to face the Canadiens.  Actually, to be correct, ex-Canadiens’ Saku Koivu, Max Lapierre, Kyle Chipchura and Paul Mara will be in town to face the Canadiens.

The focus however will be and already is on Saku Koivu, who will be making his first visit back to Montreal after signing as a free agent with the Ducks two summers ago.  He had played 13 seasons with Montreal, after being drafted by them in the first round, 21st overall in the 1993 NHL entry draft.

*****

Stevo:  I really don’t understand the hype surrounding Saku Koivu’s return to Montreal.  He was a member of the Montreal Canadiens from the time he was a rookie (95-96), and remained with the team until the end of the  2008-09 season.  Okay, he was with the team for 13 seasons, I understand that much, but exactly what kind of an impact did he have on the Canadiens over this period?

I tend to remember Saku as an over-priced first line center; one who was injured repeatedly over his time in Montreal; one who was only able to lead the Canadiens past the first round of the playoffs twice, over his thirteen seasons with the team.

As a captain and a leader, it is a duty to be one that brings players together.  Throughout his stay in Montreal, it was apparent to me that he created divisions in the room.  Divisions that might have eventually lead to the departure of certain players.

Laura, can you tell me what this Saku hype is all about?

*****

Laura:  I don’t think Saku is hyped up at all – in fact I believe he deserves a lot more praise than he has been given.

For one thing, I don’t remember him as an oft-injured, over-priced first line centre. I instead remember him as the only guy on the team to give a 100% effort for every second of every shift of every game he played, every year he was here.

I remember him not as a guy who didn’t lead his team far into the postseason, but instead as a player who was able to lead the slimmest pickings the NHL could offer into the postseason at all. When Richard Zednik is your best player, I think it’s safe to say your roster isn’t going to do much. Saku made them do more. Many times.

And yes, he did get injured sometimes over his long Montreal Canadiens career. I think his leadership is evident in that all his teams seemed to play worse when he was out of the lineup, and get a huge spark whenever he returned. Saku will always be the guy that put on the Kevlar boot so he could come back and help his team in the playoffs even though he had a broken foot.

As for the divisions in the locker room, without recordings of what took place, we will never know what the relationships between the players were like. However, I would find it very hard to believe that he would be the cause or abettor of any dressing room divisions.

One area where Saku’s contribution is better recognized, but sometimes overlooked nonetheless, is his leadership in the community. Like many players, Saku donated to charity. Unlike most, however, he threw himself wholeheartedly into his charitable causes. He ensured that hospitals he had been treated in obtained much-needed equipment, he always made time to benefit those less fortunate or affected by illness, and was known for being generous and hard-working when it came to charities.

Have I changed your mind yet, Stevo?

*****

Stevo:  Not exactly, but I think I better understand your positioning on this, let me explain.

Before I do, I don’t exactly agree that Saku Koivu was never well surrounded, and that the best player he played with was Richard Zednick.  It was obviously Darcy Tucker.  More seriously, although I might agree he didn’t have many assets to surround him in his latter years, he had some early on.  Vincent Damphousse and Martin Rucinsky are names that quickly come to mind.  He also played with Andrei Markov for about six years before he left for Anaheim.  That said, they never exactly formed great teams, I’ll grant you that.

In regards to the divisions in the dressing room, I do agree that both you and I were not there, and it’s not always easy knowing who to believe and not believe when rumours and speculations pour out.  For that reason, I’ll stand down on this one.

If we look at the numbers, over his 13 seasons in Montreal, he played 792 of 1066 scheduled games, meaning he on average played a little less then three of every four games.  If you don’t take into account the almost entire season he missed due to his health, it averages out to about four of every five games.  Clearly, even without taking into account the season missed, we can see he’s been a little injury prone over his career.

For eight of the thirteen season he played in Montreal, he dressed less than 70 games, four of those were of less than 60.

That being said, his overall point production, I will give him that.  Over his 792 games, he produced 641 points, for an average of 0.81 goals per game.  However, if you break it down into seasons, you come to realize that only three times did he surpass the 60 point mark.  That means that for ten seasons, he had less than 60 points, for five of those, he had less than 50.

In my opinion, these numbers do not support the 3-year, $4.75M per year contract he was awarded before the 06-07 season.

Where I believe I understand you is that we are not judging him for the same reasons.  I am judging him on his hockey results alone.  You are judging him not on his results, but on his effort and work in the community, amongst other things.

This is where I need to clarify something which might not have been clear to begin with.

I don’t hate or dislike Saku Koivu.  Although I have opinions and feelings about him as a hockey player which I’ve clearly expressed, I do recognize that he put was a player with tremendous heart, and if he was not battling health issues or injuries, I agree he was one to give 110% more often than not.

I also recognize the unbelievable battle he overcame with cancer, and I have no problem admitting that I watched his return to the Canadiens with tears in my eyes, as fans stood and cheered for eight minutes straight.  One of those events that I will remember forever.

All of this said, Laura, my question to you is this.  Would I be correct in saying that a large portion of the Montreal Canadiens fan base, “fell in love” with Saku Koivu, the person, the one who went to hell and back, the one who became an inspiration to many, and not necessarily the hockey player that was on the ice?

*****

Laura:  I wouldn’t say you are wrong, but I wouldn’t say you are right either. I would say that part of the reason the fan base loves him is because of the person he is, but this is Montreal, and if there’s one thing we know, it’s hockey. If there is one thing we have been obsessed with to the detriment of our careers, marriages, and children’s futures, it’s hockey. If Saku Koivu was anything less than an excellent player, we would have loved him that much less.

I will concede that he may be seen as injury-prone, but my point was, that is not what defines his career. For example. Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders may be an amazing goaltender, but we will never really know this because he is what I would call injury-prone. When I think of Koivu, his injuries are not the first, second, or even seventeenth thing that come to mind.

I want to point out, as well, that many of Saku’s injuries were a direct result of his playing bigger and tougher than his size. All good athletes can elevate their game, the best athletes risk injuries to become warriors. There are quite a few seasons once he was named captain, where Koivu led the team in scoring. He may not have cracked 60 points during some of those seasons, but was leading the team with only 47. When your scoring leader only has 47 points, chances are there’s nobody there to pass him the puck, or for him to pass the puck to.

The fact of the matter is one player cannot score 80, 90, 100 points if the rest of his team is terrible. Jon Tavares, an elite player with great potential, appears to be learning this in Long Island. You need adequate teammates and linemates in order for you to play to your potential. I don’t doubt for a second that Phil Kessel has the ability to score 40-50 goals a year, but take a look at the team and linemates he’s currently playing with. Where would Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis be without each other? Look at Martin Brodeur’s current season and the team in front of him.

As for the playoffs, guys like Vincent Damphousse and Mark Recchi were no longer with the Habs when Saku was their captain. Martin Rucinsky only cracked 50 points before Koivu was named the Canadiens captain. For fun, I just looked up the 1999/2000/2001 Canadiens rosters and had to stop because it was breaking my heart. Slim, slim pickings.

And just for fun: remember that time in the 2002 playoffs, when the Koivu-led Habs skated circles around the Joe Thornton-led Boston Bruins, who were perceived to the better team (friendly reminder brought to us from All Habs friend Kyle Roussel)? Or when they met two years later and the same thing happened?

Saku’s price tag with the Habs appears to be steep to you now. At the time he was given his contract, however, he had yet to begin to show signs of age. He was the best player not named Markov on the Canadiens. He had a lot of responsibilities as the face of the Habs, and given that he had had two 70+ point seasons just before, the price tag was not so steep at the time.

*****

Stevo:  Clearly, there are certain points we don’t agree on, but at the same time, we are in agreement on other points.

In my opinion, Saku Koivu does not go down as one of the great hockey players that played for the Montreal Canadiens organization.  I think he was a good player, not a great player.

I do however greatly respect the man that he is, he’s been through a lot in his life, and I have only respect for him in that regards.

For that reason, along with you, and many Habs fans, I will salute him on Saturday night, maybe not for all the exact same reasons as everyone else, but with the same level of respect.

*****

Related articles:

• Saku Koivu: Did You Know? (By Rick Stephens)
• Your Most Memorable Saku Koivu Moment (By Rick Stephens)
• Saku Koivu: In Our Own Words (By Rookie and Czechtacular)

(Photo: André Pichette, La Presse)