By Rick Stephens, Editor-in-Chief, All Habs Hockey Magazine
MONTREAL, QC. — The fallout from the 2014 trade deadline has been swift and decisive: New York Islanders General Manager Garth Snow is a moron who was bested by Canadiens superhero Marc Bergevin who simultaneously attended his mother-in-law’s funeral while fleecing his Long Island counterpart.
From what I’ve been hearing, the amazing “Bam Bam” (yes, a nickname from his playing days) snatched prized free agent Thomas Vanek for nothing. Yes, NOTHING!
Well that Swedish kid, but I heard that he won’t ever play in the NHL.
Unbelievable!
Some are calling it the most lopsided trade in Canadiens history reminiscent of the deal that landed Alex Kovalev for Josef Balej. A theft.
What’s even more incredible is that I also heard that Snow turned down two other offers: one from Penguins GM Ray Shero who was offering forward James Neal plus a second round pick for the rental services of Vanek; with the other coming from the Colorado Avalanche who were willing to part with 23-year old centre Ryan O’Reilly and a second rounder.
Huh? Snow turned those down? What a maroon!
Neal is better than a point-per-game player this season with 48 points in only 40 games. O’Reilly is one of the league’s budding talents, a clutch two-way player with superb skills. He also has tallied 48 points this season.
I’m stunned. Delirious even. I just want to dance around the room chanting “Our GM is better than yours is, our GM is better than yours is…”
Wow! What a great day to be a Montreal Canadiens fan!
Wait a minute. You’re just screwing with me, aren’t you? I see that glint in your eyes.
There wasn’t an offer from the Avs or Pens, was there? Why do I feel a lesson coming on?
Okay, so what if Neal was picked 33rd overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft? And O’Reilly went 33rd overall in ’09. And I bet you’re going to say that Collberg was also taken 33rd..
In 2012.
So what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
Listen, I’m not trying to argue that Sebastian Collberg is the next O’Reilly or Neal. I don’t think anyone knows. I certainly don’t and I’ve seen him play more than most.
Collberg is quick and agile with speed to burn but is not strong on his skates. He can impress as he dances the length of the ice but equally disappoint as he is easily knocked off the puck. Collberg has a wicked shot, a quick release and soft hands.
He is a pure scorer.
At this point in his career, Collberg is a bit of an enigma. At the Canadiens’ camps, he often goes unnoticed for long stretches. But then during an offensive drill or a shootout competition Collberg would show off his dazzling offensive skill.
When I was in Lake Placid last summer for the National Junior Evaluation Camps, it was clear that Collberg was one of the best young talents. He had two goals and two assists in two games before leaving the tournament with a knee injury.
A complete scouting report on Collberg is beyond the scope of this piece and beside the point. The young prospect is not James Neal and he may never be. But, contrary to what is being repeated over and over, he is not “nothing.”
And not to complicate things any further, there is the matter of the second round draft pick. You may remember that P.K. Subban was a second round pick. Hmmm… 20+ games of Vanek for Neal and Subban.. no, let’s no go there.
That’s like blowing all your lottery winnings on a Vegas weekend.
But maybe, just maybe, once Vanek gets to Montreal he will fall in love with our wonderful city and culture and he will sign long-term! (Yes, this narrative is actually out there.) Listen Habs fans, please do not embarrass yourself by buying into this delusion.
Falling for the beauty of Montreal is a romantic notion but it is more than offset by the high taxes, education system and political turmoil. Let’s not forget hockey players are also business professionals. And this one wants to go to the land of 10,000 lakes.
Even if the unlikely happens and Vanek does succumb to the charms of our city, it is something that Bergevin would not have known at the time he made the deal. That says that he was willing to give up the assets for a short payoff and, as such, should be judged accordingly.
You may be assuming by now that I am against this trade. You shouldn’t. And yes, I am onboard with the Garth Snow botched the whole ‘Matt Moulson to Thomas Vanek to Sebastian Collberg’ affair.
But denigrating an incompetent GM doesn’t elevate ours. And it is my opinion that we should be clear about the factors driving this trade.
The addition of Vanek is obviously not part of Bergevin’s deliberate, long-term plan of building a championship team. And I can’t imagine even the most optimistic Habs fan believing that the Canadiens are just a Vanek away from a Cup run.
So, a smokestreen. A distraction. Maybe even a little fun, in a season that has generated more than a few criticisms and question marks. And most of those directed toward the head coach and GM.
As Brendan Kelly wrote, “Give the people bread and circuses. Keep them entertained. And if they win a playoff series or two, even better. That’s money in the bank for Geoff Molson’s team.”
I agree. But it’s also designed to take some of the heat off a thin-skinned management team who haven’t been at their best this season.
Enjoy tonight’s debut of the team’s new shiny bauble and have some fun over the next few months. But realize, a price was paid to divert your attention from some serious issues that stand in the way of landing the true prize. And they haven’t been magically cured by the Christmas miracle.
Totally happy with the Vanek thing even if he doesn’t stay. It’s created a terrific buzz for Habs fans. A wonderful, kind of “new hope” thing. There hasn’t been a lot of overall excitement in the past few years and I like it better this way. Maybe they’re not ready to contend for the Cup, but stranger things have happened. A repeat of 2010 would be nice. I’ve been optimistic every season since I was a kid and I’m not about to change now.
(As a side note, I may have already posted this but am writing it again because I might have deleted it by mistake).
On the surface, the trade is puzzling. There is no one credible who believes that the Canadiens are ready to compete for the Stanley Cup this season, and the trade doesn’t further long-term goals. So what was the purpose? To simply win trade deadline day? I have tried to offer one possible explanation in the piece and it is in sync with your comment Dennis. You’re right, the trade has created “a terrific buzz” among Habs fans. My concern is the hangover after this short-lived excitement when we realize that we had some fun but are no closer to No. 25.
Agreed, agreed, and agreed. Your article looks beyond the thrill of the moment to consider the ramifications of the future.
My expectation of the Habs, and the reason that I have given them my allegiance, is that they will do their utmost every season to win the Stanley Cup. Period. I care nothing for “buzz” or fleeting feel-good moments. When the Blake Geoffrion trade happened, I didn’t care that the grandson of Boom Boom was bringing the Geoffrion name back to Montreal (cue the orchestra) and the buzz that that created. I was more interested in the explanation of how his addition was going to improve the team enough to challenge for the Cup. But the explanation never came, and the orchestra packed up and went home.
There are only two ways in which the Vanek trade can be deemed a success: 1) he helps the Habs win the Cup this year, or 2) he re-signs with Montreal and is a key component in building future Cup winners.
If neither of these things happen, then the trade is a dismal failure, just like every other rental player trade that didn’t result in a championship. We will be left with no Vanek, no Collberg, and no Mystery Player/2nd round pick in the upcoming draft. The Habs will be weaker.
Remember what Iginla did for Pittsburgh after last year’s trade deadline? Me neither. Whatever he’s doing now, he’s doing it for Boston while Calgary enjoys watching the development of the 1st rounder and 2 prospects they got in return from the Pens. The Iginla trade made Pittsburgh weaker.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they were and are well stocked enough to withstand such a setback, which makes the gamble on Iggy easier to understand. Montreal? Not so much.
You’re absolutely right, Rick, that, whatever Collberg is, he’s not nothing. And whomever becomes that 2nd round pick is not nothing, either. I am very confident that Trevor Timmins would have found a very valuable player in that now-traded draft slot. I’m okay giving up those assets to get a player like Vanek, but not if he’s only around for a couple of months. That’s not a well played gamble, especially when Vanek’s interest in Minnesota (and a huge dollar contract) is as well known as it is.
I hope that those who have pointed out that Vanek has ties — strong ties — to the state of Minnesota and will sign with the Wild as a UFA this June are wrong…but I don’t think they are.
Watching him leave will be a helluva buzz-kill.
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