MONTREAL, QC — More than once today I heard the name Andrei Kovalenko. Kovalenko was nicknamed “The Russian Tank” respecting that once he parked himself in the crease, he was difficult to move. Kovalenko is now the Chairman of the KHL Players Association.
But today, Kovalenko’s name was being tossed about as people carelessly tried to compare the Jaroslav Halak deal to the Canadiens’ trade that shipped out Patrick Roy and Mike Keane to the Avalanche in return for Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault. It is considered one of the worst trades in Canadiens’ history.
Halak hasn’t won two Stanley Cups. Neither does he have two Conn Symthe trophies. Halak doesn’t need to clear shelf space for multiple Vezina and Jennings trophies. Roy had amassed quite a collection by the time he was traded on December 6, 1995.
Halak has not even had one full season as a starting goalie in the NHL.
Still the hyperbole continued. Despite Halak having a mediocre Olympic performance and being the eighth ranked goaltender in IIHF post-tournament statistics, the fairy tale said otherwise.
Not wanting to be outdone, a local sports-radio personality tweeted “Halak stole two playoff rounds, and was traded for [Lars] Eller who probably won’t play here next year and [Ian] Schultz who’s two years away. Makes sense…”
Was the radio host exaggerating? Without a doubt. Perhaps he was even being intentionally obtuse, knowing that his statement would garner a strong reaction from some fans.
Halak was a key performer in the playoffs but didn’t steal anything on his own. It would be a shame to ignore Mike Cammalleri’s 13 goals in the playoffs, Hal Gill who blocked 68 shots, and Tomas Plekanec who shut down the likes of Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.
In addition, Halak was pulled from three playoff games after awful outings. In the Conference finals against Philadelphia, Halak struggled at times and could only manage a .884 save percentage.
Not exactly a Roy-like playoff run, is it?
Still, Halak fans were dejected by the news of his trade to St. Louis. Strip away the spin, and you have a goaltender who had a career year with a fanbase who had developed an emotional attachment to him.
On the other hand, Carey Price received far more criticism than he deserved. For all the noise about the “bad season”, Price was the Molson Cup winner for October and November. Had he received the same goal support that Halak did, their regular season records would be comparable.
It’s not surprising though that supporters have grossly over-estimated the value of Jaroslav Halak. Given the bitter reaction by fans today, they are not on the same page as NHL General Managers.
Reportedly, two teams were in serious discussions regarding Halak, San Jose and St. Louis. It was Doug Armstrong’s offer of two Blues’ prospects that was the best deal available.
Was it enough? Obviously many Habs’ fans felt that Halak was worth more. But realistically, the market dictated the return.
Leaving aside the principals for now, getting two young prospects, who are former first and third round draft choices, seems about right. The league will have a glut of available goaltenders in July, and a limited number of teams with vacancies for a number one keeper.
As Canadiens’ GM Pierre Gauthier said, “the majority of teams have established goalies.”
The Blues have a number of good young roster players. Realistically, the Canadiens were not going to pry T.J. Oshie or David Perron from St. Louis. While Lars Eller has the size and potential to be a solid top-6 forward for the Canadiens, I might have preferred Patrick Berglund.
But it seems that Eller was the player that Pierre Gauthier wanted all along. Blues’ GM Armstrong said that Gauthier “honed in on a player we didn’t want to give up” in Eller. Armstrong added, “I think we have given up great value” to add Halak.
Gauthier said that the decision to trade Halak and retain Price followed a “big picture discussion” and was “based on future projections.” “We are very comfortable with Carey Price,” said Gauthier.
Canadiens’ fans debated the goaltending situation throughout the 2009-10 year. The daily competition between two number one goaltenders was not a healthy situation and could not have continued next season.
On the transaction that was most highly anticipated, it seems that Gauthier did get some things right.
First and foremost, the Canadiens now have some cap space. Halak would have been expecting a raise in the four million dollar range. Even if the Habs’ spend a million dollars or so on a back-up, they still have freed dollars to meet their other commitments like Tomas Plekanec.
Gauthier said that he “will want to complement Carey Price” with a goaltender added via free agency. Choices that fit the budget include Dan Ellis, Marty Biron, and Johan Hedberg.
But this wasn’t just a financial decision. It was a rare case of the cheaper goaltender being the better player in the minds of the Canadiens’ brass.
Most every hockey person agrees that it is Price who has the highest upside. Price has solid technique, better lateral movement and is capable of a heavier workload.
Halak tends to go down early, has difficulty controlling rebounds, and is a poor puck handler outside his crease. Halak seems to wear down after four consecutive starts. It’s unclear whether he will be able to handle a 55-60 game workload.
The NHL has become a league that is not so friendly to small goaltenders like Halak. NHL scouting reports label Halak as a “big-ice goalie” who is adept at handling shots from the perimeter and relies on a defensive system to clear rebounds and clog the slot.
So ends the myth that Bob Gainey was, in some way, protecting Price. The view that Price will be the better goalie in the future is held by the Canadiens. Gauthier reported that teams were informed that Price was not available.
It seems that the goaltender that wanted to be in Montreal most has remained. In post-playoff interviews, Halak was only lukewarm about a return to the Habs.
This followed Halak asking for a trade early in the calendar year. Gainey denied the request but instead offered Halak an opportunity to play more.
In a press conference following the trade, Halak said, “I think its best for everybody that I was dealt.”
Gauthier also did the right thing by limiting his discussions to teams in the Western conference. Given the emotional fan feeling towards Halak, it wouldn’t have been smart to trade him to a team within their own conference.
The jury is out on whether Gauthier got the best players he could back in the trade. Given the track-record of the pro-scouting department (which Gauthier headed), it is fair to be sceptical. Also, the Canadiens’ GM didn’t seem to create a bidding war like Brian Burke has done in Toronto for Tomas Kaberle, although the afore-mentioned market for goaltenders and limiting trade partners to the Western conference make that a tougher task.
We wish Halak well in St. Louis in a situation where he can prove his belief that he is a true number one NHL goaltender. The Blues were a good team without Halak and primed for a break through with all their young talent. No one should be surprised if they have a very good season and it would be overly simplistic to credit the trade alone.
Putting Halak’s accomplishments in a realistic light this past season means that this was not the worst trade in Canadiens history. Not even close. For now, everyone should just take a deep breath.
Expect this to be the first of a number of moves made by the Habs’ GM this off-season. Once the puzzle is complete, then Gauthier’s work can be evaluated as he reshapes the Canadiens for the 2010-’11 season.
Clearly your a Price Fan…Halak stole the Caps series with his remarkable performances in game 5, 6 and 7. He did the same against the Pens in game 6 and 7. And there wouldn't even be a Pens series…To discredit the way your article states shows some biasness.
i agree with most of what you said. Halak did steal games single handedly. Remember his 50+ save game against the Caps? Pleks disappeared in the playoffs. I think the deal makes sense, but time will tell.
Good post! I think Halak had an amazing year, but I agree one year does not qualify for a big pay day and I think Halak's group would be looking for a hefty raise. I also think now that NHL players have seen him more, they will begin to pick away at his weaknesses. In saying that, he was a true professional and seemed to be a great team player.
The Flyers and Hawks showed that you don't need a "so called" star goaltender to get to the dance. You need a team with depth and some size with some good goaltending. Adding Eller and Schultz are two guys that bring depth, character and size to the Habs line up. Maybe not in the near future but in the next 2 or 3 years.
This also gives the Habs some room to think about signing Pleks (a whole other story) or going after a solid veteran goalie to support Price or another big name free agent…Marleau?
Could they of gotten more? Maybe, but I prefer these two guys then nothing at all!
Great posting and dead-on. If fans are happy with the peak being a conference final, then I understand their frustration with this trade. My suggestion to these i offer a suggestion to become Buffalo or Toronto fans. If the aim is supremacy, Montreal must address size and toughness. This trade achieved size and toughness.
Is Halak a $3-4M goalie? Maybe… if you think Huet's contract is fair! By no means does this mean CP31 is the heir-apparent. There are many, many goalies out there. I think this a great move. This is not a Patrick Roy trade, nor a John LeClair disaster. The Habs made a great move…
Shut your mouth Anonymous Comment #1, you are clearly a bandwagon fan. I hope you enjoyed the ride!
Like most, I'm a little sore at the return, but let's allow this to play itself out. It's a gamble all around, and Gauthier had better hope that he's right.
The most important thing here is not whether or not Eller pans out; it's whether or not Price can overcome his detractors, which will be a very tough thing to do considering how stubborn some of the pro-Halak/anti-Price people have become.
In this age, cap relief is as precious as anything, provided it is used wisely. Gauthier now has some wiggle room to sweeten the pot for Plekanec, or set his sights elsewhere.
It's a win-win-win (or else) move for everyone. Halak gets his shot to prove he can carry the full load. Price gets a chance to shut the naysayers up (who forget about 2007-08), and the Habs get the 1st & 3rd rounder (already developed) they would have received if they let Halak walk on an offer sheet of 2.6-3.9 million per season.
The downside in my mind is that while I'm convinced Price has the greater potential, I'm not convinced he'll realize that potential in Montreal. There will be IMMENSE pressure on him now to be not just good – but great. It's no secret that the Habs needed magical goaltending from Halak just to squeak in to 8th, so Price had better at least not give people reason to pin any failings on him.
If he does, he'll be gone, as will Gauthier, Martin, etc. And losing that management group would also be a plus.
But let's be fair to Gauthier. Under tight circumstances, his 2 big moves are Dominic Moore for a 2nd rounder. Moore was terrific in the playoffs with a handful of huge goals. And now this trade, which will go a long way in shaping his legacy.
Great analysis of the trade. I would have thought Halak would have more value, especially to Philly, but I really dont know horseflesh. Why could then not have dumped Gomez on St Louis? I am feeling better about the trade after reading this. GYFH
I like most fans, was upset at the return for Halak. I knew he was going because the Habs organization has shown multiple times that Price is their guy..And I agree. What worries me now, is come october, if and when someone scores on Price,the crowd at the Bell Centre will call him out.The radio hosts and the french media will crucify him, and THAT is very concerning.A radio host just before, called out to Price that "NOW you have to prove yourself" that now he has to show the fans if he is good. LIKE WTF??? He's starting this from NOW? Price is 21 years old and this host just made the target on his back bigger. Way to go Montreal Media.
Cathie_AK27
Boy…what would people have said if the Habs didn't get that 1 point they were desperately searching for in those final games to make the playoffs? Filed under the less memorable moments for Jaro.
I'm actually more shocked at the Blues for what they gave up for the rights to speak to Jaro (afterall, he's still not signed yet). When I heard Lars Eller and Ian Schultz were coming our way in return I plotzed! You're never going to get a better deal than this, it's insane! I'm giddy over Schultz (gotta love those Calgary Hitmen) and Eller (my brother calls him a bigger Plekanec). I've only really been exposed to his play in the 2 games the Bulldogs played against Peoria (he scored 3 points, and was their top player). This is one heck of a deal. I'm actually genuinely impressed with Gauthier for pulling this off. It's like Dagger for Palushaj all over again (another crazy deal they managed to do with the Blues). Creating a bidding war like what the Leafs are doing with Kaberle is just a load of hot air and gasping for publicity to tell their fans they're trying to do something. The Habs don't deal through the media like that, ever.
The downside is the Habs now only have one NHL goalie, one AHL goalie who was heavily protected by an incredible system, and one semi-AHL goalie left in the system (until they get someone over the summer, maybe two to have a 3rd option down in Hamilton and keep Mayer with the Cyclones). Depth chart's a bit thin. However Jaro asked many times to be traded and it was made known by his agent that he doesn't really want someone 'shadowing' him per say. Guess we can say he finally got what he wanted and won't have to worry about someone taking his job in St Louis any time soon since Jake Allen isn't exactly ready yet and I don't think Ben Bishop ever will be… But he's got his work cut out for him once they work out a deal. That's a tough division to play in.
As for these fans getting out their pitchforks and directing more of their anger at the kid… THESE people need to grow up, not Price. From what I heard, I thought we traded Patrick Roy again and opted to sign Vesa Toskala. Sheesh.
On the plus side, we're finally rid of Halak's jackass of an agent.
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