The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Waddell completely shoots down Montreal rumors
By Craig Custance Saturday, February 9, 2008, 12:02 PM
The Marian Hossa rumors to Montreal refuse to die. Maybe this will help kill them. This morning, Don Waddell addressed the rumors that started when he attended Sunday’s game in Montreal, and, well, I’ll let Waddell do the talking:
“The glass broke in Montreal on Sunday afternoon. We [Waddell and Montreal GM Bob Gainey] both happened to walk in back for a cup of coffee at the same time and Marian Hossa’s name never came up in the discussion. We were talking about his team looking so good… That was the extent of it.”
Me: Have you talked to [Gainey] since?
“I have not talked to him since. Honest. I haven’t talked to him since. I’ve told everybody who has asked me along the way, my first priority is to sign Marian Hossa. If we ever get to that point where we’re not going to sign him, trust me, the world will know.”
Waddell also questioned the wide-held belief that the Thrashers will be subtracting at the deadline. He said signing Hossa will come down to (as we’ve heard a million times) Hossa’s faith in the future of this franchise. One of the ways, Waddell suggested, to improve those chances would be to make a significant addition through a trade in the coming days.
Habster:
Unless Don Waddell is throwing up a smoke screen, I would be surprised if he and Gainey make a blockbuster deal involving Marian Hossa even with the Canadiens in a mini slump after a 6-1 blowout to the Sens……or should I say the Alfredsson/Spezza/Heatley line!!!! (and we thought we had a one line team!!!). Gainey would love to add a scoring winger on Saku Koivu’s line or a #3-5 defenseman but he won’t trade away too much for a rental player who will not commit to the Habs beyond July 1st. Gainey might target players like Robert Lang, Alexander Frolov, Jarret Stoll, Steve Staios, Miroslav Satan (not my first choice!!) to name a few. These are the type of players Gainey wouldn’t have to give up too much for while maybe adding two playoff experienced players to the roster.
