Halak’s Trade to the Blues Helps Ottawa

 Angry words. Those are being tossed around here today in the somewhat beautiful city of Montreal. Dartboards with Pierre Gauthier’s face are being bought a record high, and it’s all because of one stupid trade. I can understand though, because this really was a stupid trade.

Pierre Gauthier’s short time in Bytown and the helm of the Senators went un-noticed, known as “The Ghost”. Well, starting his time on the Habitants, he certainly is no quiet guy. You can get that Jaroslav Halak may not want to come back to Montreal. But this is way too early to deal a goalie of this kind of caliber. Their return isn’t very high either, although Lars Eller is a promising prospect. They’ve now named Carey Price their starter, unless something drastic happens. Yet, we’ve seen how Price does in that role. And let me tell you, it’s not pretty.

Although, this trade helps Ottawa a bunch. Firstly, almost all good goalies have now been transplanted to the West. Luongo, Kiprusoff, Nabokov (if he stays in San Jose), Backstrom, Bryzgalov, Quick, Hiller, Anderson, and now Halak. In the East the only real threats are Martin Brodeur, Ryan Miller, and Marc-Andre Fluery. We’ve seen how both Miller and Fleury play against us, and Brodeur is obviously at the tail spin of his storied career. It allows our potent offense more goals, and more room for other goalies to develop here in the East.

Another good reason why this deal helps us is the Draft. I’ve never mentioend it but Jack Campbell is guy that Bryan Murray would love to get his hand on, even though it’s unlikely he will. Now that the team everybody thought would get his (St.Louis) has Halak and Jake Allen in the system, Ottawa has a better chance of snatching him up at #16. He and Robin Lehner could form a sick goalie tandem in the future, if the fort stays true.

As the say all around the National Hockey League, what hurts the Montreal Canadiens helps other teams. And thank god it’s the Senators’ turn on the Wheel of Hab-Not.