Spector:

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau recently dismissed the rumours of the Canadiens having struggling winger Michael Ryder on the block. “(T)here was a guy in Montreal last year by the name of Kovalev who was mired in a season-long slump, and now that same guy leads the team in scoring”, write Proteau. “Though they’ve made him the occasional healthy scratch, the Habs are betting Ryder undergoes the same reversal of fortune.”

Spector’s Note: But Kovalev was in the midst of a four year contract paying him over $4 million per season. Ryder is a UFA at season’s end who’s earning far less this season than Kovalev. Bob Gainey is a patient GM but if he’s got a chance to improve his team by the deadline using Ryder as a trade chip, he’ll do it.