Starting with Habs stuff…

• Great move by Marc Bergevin to file for arbitration with Carey Price. All fears of the word “arbitration” should be dismissed as all the move does is ensure no team can move in and give Price an offer sheet. Both sides can, and likely will, still come to an agreement on a long-term deal before the hearing date.

• Congratulations go out to Max Pacioretty for winning the Bill Masterton trophy. Pacioretty has had a pretty remarkable career already and watching him flourish is one of the best aspects of being a Habs fan right now.

• If you missed it, Dustin Penner inspired a solid amount of outrage among some Habs fans with his opinion on who should have won the Masterton. Here is the tweet in question:

“Hey who won Bill M. Award? Was it the guy w/2 back surgeries,blood clot&infection,missed 1 yr,2 sets of iv for 3mo at a time,traded,allstar?”

I fail to see any reason for outrage here. Penner did nothing different than what we all do on Twitter and that is express an opinion. Furthermore, he didn’t even state that Pacioretty wasn’t deserving; only that he felt Joffrey Lupul was more deserving. Calm down, people.

• The obvious question after Erik Karlsson signed his seven-year/$45.5 million extension with Ottawa is what this means for P.K. Subban’s contract. Karlsson commands more if only because of his second-to-none point production from the blueline so a $5-5.5 million salary for Subban is probably what should be expected.

• The news of Ethan Moreau signing on as a Western Conference scout was met with bewilderment by many. Moreau had a pretty respectable playing career, playing all of his 928 games in this conference he will scout so I don’t mind him telling Marc Bergevin about his observations.

• The idea of trading for Bobby Ryan or Rick Nash just isn’t one the Habs should pursue. The team is rebuilding and if they are to accomplish their goal of being a perennial contender in a few years, it can only be done through a slow, proper development of their young prospects. Trading those away isn’t the way to go.

• If you’re at all curious, my hope is that the Habs select Alex Galchenyuk with their first-round pick at Friday night’s NHL Entry Draft. Runner up? Filip Forsberg.

…and on to other stuff.

• It was hard for me to imagine an NHL without Nicklas Lidstrom let alone without Teemu Selanne as well so I met the news of Selanne returning for another year with glee. At 41-years-old, Selanne just had his fourth straight 25+ goal season and continues to prove those who said he was done after his disastrous 2003-2004 season with Colorado wrong. Great story.

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Starting with Habs stuff…

• In what quickly became one of the worst-kept secrets in hockey, Gerard Gallant now occupies one of the Habs’ assistant coaching spots. Despite a very successful run with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, the argument against Gallant is that he was spoiled with talent which made his job easy. In my book, success is success and I’m excited to see how Gallant has grown since his failed stint in Columbus.

• The rumored candidate to take another spot behind the Habs bench as assistant coach is former Hamilton head coach Clément Jodoin. My first reaction to that is having Therrien, Jodoin and Gallant together is that there are too many guys in that mix used to being a head coach, used to being the guy with the final decision. However, the extensive interview process the team is putting all of its candidates through is becoming the stuff of legend so obviously, Bergevin & Co. are convinced of a positive dynamic among their revamped hockey operations team.

• I’m glad to see Martin Lapointe and Patrice Brisebois on board with the Habs in player development roles. Combined, they bring 33 years of NHL playing experience and obviously, you don’t last that long in the league without knowing a thing or two about how to be a professional. I look forward to our young prospects absorbing their valuable nuggets of wisdom.

• I don’t know much about Sylvain Lefebvre’s coaching career but from everything I’ve heard, he made quite a name for himself in Colorado. Lefebvre seems like as good a candidate as any to guide the most promising group of prospects the Habs have had in years through the beginning stages of their professional careers.

• One advantage (of the many) of having a general manager who actually communicates with the public on a regular basis is that stories like a possible return to the Habs for Georges Laraque get shot down before they have a chance to pick up steam. It keeps the focus of the Habs world on worthwhile topics.

…and on to other stuff.

• Though I’m sure it was a lot more difficult than they made it look, the Kings are the first Stanley Cup champion in awhile that looked to me like they could easily roll through yet another best-of-seven series. That was a hell of an impressive run.

• Most of the reaction I saw on Twitter was quick to condemn Steve Bernier for his hit on Rob Scuderi but there was a segment that took the referees to task for essentially awarding the game, and thus the Cup, to the Kings with the five-minute major penalty. Generally, the referees get blasted for swallowing their whistles in the playoffs turning everything into a clutch and grab bonanza. The last thing they deserve is criticism for making a ballsy, and right, call.

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Starting with Habs stuff…

• Michel Therrien has every right to select his own assistant coaches and the organization was right to let Randy Cunneyworth and Randy Ladouceur go before the off-season began to increase their chances of landing with another organization. That being said, the overall treatment Cunneyworth received during his brief tenure with this team will go down as one of the darkest black eyes in recent Canadiens history.

• As if Cunneyworth hadn’t been embarrassed publicly enough already, the Journal de Montréal’s “Bye Bye Randy” headline on the front page the day after his dismissal was nothing short of disgusting. Then again, this is what we’ve come to expect from the same rag that snuck into Saku Koivu’s hospital room following his eye injury and used flash photography to show their readers what Justin Williams’ stick did to the captain, risking further damage to Koivu’s eye. At this point, I wouldn’t even line my hamster cage with that paper.

• As timing would have it, I get to mention one of the brightest spots of Montreal journalism after condemning one of the darkest. Congratulations to Red Fisher on 58 years of covering the Montreal Canadiens. In an industry where your work is constantly scrutinized while covering a team that inspires such passion in so many, being about to write about the Habs for over half a century is an incredible feat.

…and on to other stuff.

•  Regardless of outcome, the push-back of the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals has been really something. Obviously, I have no idea what Martin Brodeur’s plans are for the off-season but the past two games, and really the playoffs in general, would be a hell of a way for him to go out.

• The morning after a botched call that caused the Toronto Marlies to go down 3-0 in the AHL’s Calder Cup finals, Marlies coach Dallas Eakins took the high road in a remarkably short amount of time with the following tweet:

“Never forget that @theahl is a developmental league for the referees as well. Players and coaches have made mistakes. We all move on.”

His affiliation with the Leafs will obviously prevent Eakins from having my full support but that’s some admirable class and leadership right there.

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For the three of you who followed my old blog, you’ll remember The Backcheck quite well. It’s basically a series of quick-hit thoughts, most of which on topics that don’t really deserve full-length posts without diluting it with filler. Some have likened The Backcheck to Elliotte Friedman’s great 30 Thoughts column on CBCSports.ca, a comparison I see as nothing more than an insult to Friedman. The Backcheck stands alone as what it is and hopefully you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Starting with Habs stuff…

• I always like to take special note of my initial reactions when big Habs news breaks and when I heard about Michel Therrien’s hiring…..I shrugged my shoulders. Underwhelmed probably best describes how I feel about the move but I remain so badly scarred from the previous regime that my optimism in Bergevin & Co. fuels my “wait and see” approach with Therrien. I look forward to seeing how he’s evolved as a coach.

• Therrien said all the right things at his (re-)introductory press conference Tuesday. I was relieved more than anything to hear his emphasis on not getting pushed around and emphasizing work ethic with the promise that Bell Centre fans will get a product they’ll want to cheer for. On the other hand, I can’t remember an introductory press conference when the new hire HASN’T said all the right things.

• Patrick Roy held a press conference Wednesday to address his not being named head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. That sentence right there encompasses why I’m glad he was not named head coach.

…and on to other stuff.

• I’ve rather enjoyed how the widespread Internet theory of “low seeds don’t succeed in the playoffs because they tire themselves just trying to get there” has now shifted to “low seeds are succeeding because they got used to playing desperate hockey just trying to get to the playoffs” all thanks to the Los Angeles Kings.

• Have to admire Ray Shero identifying and addressing his team’s one glaring weakness so aggressively with the trade/signing of Tomas Vokoun. I believe a much different script would have been written for these playoffs had Marc-André Fleury provided even average goaltending for the Penguins.

• I’m still scratching my head as to why Brian Burke was reluctant to pull off a Vokoun deal simply because he didn’t want to offer the net-minder a second year. Sure, Vokoun is an injury risk but with such a liability in the Toronto net, the relatively minimal risk definitely shouldn’t have won over the potential reward of ending a seven-year playoff drought.

• Congratulations to Patrick Burke and the You Can Play team on celebrating their three-month anniversary this week. The progress the project has made in such a short period is admirable and getting to a point where sexual orientation is a non-issue in locker rooms in all sports and casual homophobia is eradicated should be something we should all do our part in striving for. Read/see more at youcanplayproject.org.

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After 32 days, the Montreal Canadiens have finally chosen the man tasked with the responsibility of leading the most storied and respected hockey franchise in the world out of arguably all-time lows in on-ice performance, league-wide respect and public perception.

On the surface, Marc Bergevin looks like a man who deserves to be trusted with the keys to this classic car in dire need of restoration. Upon his retirement in 2004, Bergevin, a born and bred Montreal boy, progressively rose through the front office of the Chicago Blackhawks, one of the more respected franchises in the hockey world in recent years. There’s file footage of the guy hoisting the Stanley Cup from this decade. Good enough for me. Even as far as physical appearances go, Bergevin just LOOKS like he knows what he’s doing with managing a professional hockey team’s roster.

I’ll admit, Bergevin wasn’t “my guy” throughout the search, though I didn’t really pick a horse in this race. I read a lot about the qualifications and profiles of the various candidates but took everything with a grain of salt because quite frankly, I don’t run in NHL front office circles and I don’t know exactly who has been instrumental behind the various successes around the league. There’s a lot of politics and agenda-pushing in the world of sports media so in realizing that, I just decided to back whoever ended up winning the job because that person deserves to be judged on the decisions he will make rather than the friends he’s made along the way. I have no doubt that a certain segment of media wanted someone who regularly appears in the tacky blue chairs on RDS’ L’Antichambre for personal reasons just like I have no doubt that another segment wanted a guy who supported The Team/TSN 990 since its inception for personal reasons.

Naturally, there are candidates I met with more skepticism than others. I shuddered at the thought of Vincent Damphousse taking the job for the obvious reason that he simply didn’t have any management experience. The same reason should’ve applied to Pierre McGuire but over the years, his logic and arguments gave me a sense of calm and confidence when envisioning him as the general manager.

In the end, the man who’s worked alongside respected hockey minds like Dale Tallon and Scotty Bowman for the last several years sure seems like a safe, and maybe the best, option. Even if he isn’t “your guy”, you’re stuck with him now so you may as well just get on board. Haven’t you had your fix of general manager-bashing for a lifetime by now?

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It’s finally over and the page is ready to be turned. One of the most disastrous seasons in the history of the Montreal Canadiens has mercifully been put to an end. The debates about whether it’s acceptable to root for your team lest any success they have lessen their chances at a top draft pick can now stop. We can all finally agree that from this moment forward, we want a new regime that can lead the team back to perennial success.

Though my support of this team never waivered, it was hard to stand behind many of the decisions Pierre Gauthier made over the past few years. What happened this past year both on and off the ice has been well-documented so there’s no need to go over it once again. The important thing to realize is that significant damage has been done and a carefully though-out overhaul is desperately needed. The Montreal Canadiens are known as the classiest organization in hockey but little they did this season seemed to reflect that. Quite frankly, the team became a laughing stock, a punch line. When Gauthier was finally dismissed, it seemed to represent that long-awaited turning point. Geoff Molson spoke frankly about his disappointment with what his team has become and won many over with the passion and pride he exhibited for the team he has supported since his childhood. ”Just qualifying for the playoffs cannot be our goal and our standard,” Molson said. “Not for this team. This organization going forward must set its sights on competing for the game’s ultimate prize every season and no lesser standard should be accepted. Our fans and our tradition demand nothing less than this.” Those are the words every fan who lives and dies with this team with each passing game wanted to here. Fans want the man whose opinion actually matters and who has the power to act on those opinions to care and win as much as they do.

Last night was a nice start. With nothing to play for other than pride in front of their home town fans for the last time for several months, the Habs destroyed their traditional rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to game time, the team aired a video essentially apologizing for what went on the last six months and promising to return strong next season. After the game, players, both healthy and injured, along with coaches offered their heartfelt thanks to the fans for supporting them unconditionally. Geoff Molson oversaw the entire thing from the player’s tunnel with a look on his face that he was proud that at least some of the prestige of his organization was being restored before his very eyes.

Now begins one of the more eagerly anticipated off-seasons in recent team history. The seventh floor of the Bell Centre and the Habs locker room both figure to have a lot of new faces in it by the time September rolls around. Molson has inspired confidence that above all, he will hire who he feels is best-equipped to take his ship and steer it towards success.

Whoever is put in charge will inherit many good pieces already in place but also a heaping load of problems. Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, P.K. Subban, Josh Gorges, Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Alexei Emelin represent a solid core that any new coach will be happy to inherit. Unfortunately, the new general manager will have to deal with the albatross contracts of Tomas Kaberle and Scott Gomez along with some tough decisions to make about what he’ll want his supporting cast to look like.

This team alienated a lot of fans this year but in the end, the resolve of Habs fans is strong and they’ll be following along from this point forward eagerly wanting the organization to redeem themselves. That’s what unconditional love is all about.

Follow Me On Twitter @HeyMyNameIsWill

To be clear, your guess is as good as mine as to who is running the show as far as who is general managing the Montreal Canadiens right now. In the interest of not going off on a tangent as to who exactly is pulling the strings, I’m comfortable with assuming it’s some sort of combination of Pierre Gauthier, Bob Gainey and Geoff Molson as the organization tries to balance managing public outrage and the welfare of the hockey team. So that being said, due to the confusion as to who exactly is deciding which players currently represent the more storied franchise in the history of professional hockey (can you sense my frustration?), I’ll try and avoid specifically using names with my assessment of how I feel the string-puller(s) did leading up to the trade deadline earlier today.

For me at least, what the Habs ended up doing at the deadline began with the Hal Gill trade. Some would say it was the Michael Cammalleri deal but that seemed to be a case of shipping out a bitter player as soon as possible for the sake of salvaging team harmony. It was far before the point where the Canadiens labelled themselves as “sellers”. The Gill trade made it perfectly clear to the rest of the league that Montreal was waving the white flag on the 2011-2012 campaign.

I was absolutely thrilled with the return on the deal and it led me to believe that because of the apparent premium placed on defensemen at this year’s deadline, there was a CHANCE that the useless warm bodies that the Habs employ to roam around the blue line could be dealt to other teams for SOMETHING…..ANYTHING. For a 36-year-old defenseman who isn’t having his best year but remains a tremendous weapon on the penalty kill and brings loads of playoff experience, a second-round pick along with two young players, both with at least SOME potential, is quite the return. As far as Blake Geoffrion goes, he hasn’t turned out to be the player most expected the former second-round pick to be but at 24-years-old, there is still an amount of potential there. Add the much-talked-about “family history” aspect of Geoffrion and to me, you see a guy who could embrace the jersey that has meant so much to his family and use that motivation to re-ignite his once-promising career. At worst, Geoffrion stays the player he currently is and that is depth for Hamilton or a bottom six forward for the big club in a pinch. Geoffrion’s performance in Hamilton to date lends optimism to the former. Consider Robert Slaney not much more than a throw-in (see Ian Schultz in the Jaroslav Halak deal).

I expected the Gill deal to set off the fire sale of the team’s other impending unrestricted free agents who didn’t appear to fit in to the Habs’ long-term plans. By now, I expected Andrei Kostitsyn, Mathieu Darche, Travis Moen and Chris Campoli to be in other uniforms (prayers that someone would take Tomas Kaberle obviously went unanswered). Of course as you know by now, only Kostitsyn is no longer a part of the team.

I’ll always wonder what Andrei Kostitsyn could have been with the Montreal Canadiens. I appreciated him for the consistent 20-goal scorer and underrated physical player he is but I’ll always believe he could have been much more. Part of that is because he doesn’t have the head for the enviable skill set he has and part of that is because he has been jerked around by sub-par coaching staffs for the better part of the five seasons he spent in Montreal. I’m still somewhat conflicted as to whether I wanted to see Kostitsyn go at all. On one hand, I classify each player as being one that you can either win with or can’t win with. Kostitsyn was a player I believe you can’t win with but his production was undeniable when you consider his salary and the type of contracts players with similar offensive output have started getting (see Tuomo Ruutu). As strange as it might be to say, Kostitsyn is underpaid. The most important factor in all this appears to be that Kostitsyn had finally mentally checked out and was ready for a change and when that happens with a player who will bolt in twenty meaningless games from now, you get what you can for him. So all that being said, I’m satisfied with getting a second-round pick for Kostitsyn.

The part that disappointed me about deadline day as far as being a Habs fan goes are the players that stayed in our uniform. Perhaps injuries to Mathieu Darche and Travis Moen prevented any kind of deal but neither are believed to be long-term injuries so how much of a part could that have possibly played in the eyes of playoff-bound teams? If Moen gets re-signed, I’m fine with him not being dealt. He’s a useful player who brings many elements to the table this team could use more of and he’s young enough to be productive for years to come. As far as Darche goes, I’m not sure he had any value to begin with but he had been playing easily his best hockey of the season to date. In the end, I’m disappointed nothing could be had for Darche and the same goes for Chris Campoli. With the premium placed on defensemen in the days leading up to the deadline, I’m hard-pressed to believe at least a sixth-round pick couldn’t be fetched for him.

In the end, this deadline period marks the beginning of what I expect to be a rather lengthy rebuilding process. The organization has stockpiled draft picks who will hopefully be used on players the organization will successfully develop and contribute to the Habs as PK Subban, Max Pacioretty, Lars Eller, Louis Leblanc, David Desharnais, Carey Price, Alexei Emelin, Rafael Diaz and Josh Gorges really come into their own as the core of the Habs’ future. Players like Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Danny Kristo, Michael Bournival and Brendan Gallagher will hopefully be along soon and provide the young edge winning teams need to go along with their veteran compliments. The free agent retooling the team did three seasons ago obviously failed in the long run and 2011-2012 will forever be known as the year the Habs learned the harsh lessons of need to rebuild rather than retool. Better late than never.

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I try to write every blog post with the idea in mind that, at worst, it will spur feedback and at best, will promote passionate debate. I try to convey thoughts, opinions and ideas that will make you think (or rethink) your position on a given topic. Well today, I will do no such thing. Today is a day for singing Max Pacioretty’s praises, for furiously waiving my Habs pom-poms and for chanting “67″ for something other than needling Leafs fans. If you click away from Cowhide and Rubber at this point, well, I don’t blame you because maybe more than any piece I’ve ever written, this is completely self-serving. I am absolutely giddy that a player like Max Pacioretty is rocking our laundry and I need to put that giddyness into words.

Last night, Pacioretty launched the Canadiens to their third straight win with his first career NHL hat trick and in the process, took over the team lead in scoring both in goals and points. As impressive as that is, keep in mind that Pacioretty is only in his FIRST full season as a mainstay in Montreal. His first reign as scoring leader on the Habs comes almost 11 months to the day after Pacioretty’s career was cast into doubt as Zdeno Chara tried to lay an imprint of Pacioretty’s face into a Bell Centre stanchion. To go from a broken neck and severe concussion to leading the team in goals and points in under a year? Pacioretty is cut from a different cloth, folks.

Pacioretty’s success, however, isn’t only resonating on a local level. His effectiveness as a goal-scorer is starting to rank up there with the league leaders. Pacioretty is now tied (with Chicago’s heralded captain, Jonathan Toews) for fourth in the NHL in even-strength goals. Only Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel, each poster boys for their respective teams, have been better at scoring five-on-five. With each of the aforementioned players holding a significant lead in powerplay goals over Pacioretty’s lone marker on the man-advantage, who knows where Pacioretty would rank among the league leaders in overall goals if the Habs didn’t have such a putrid powerplay. Who knows where Pacioretty would rank if he had the powerplay time his peers have (Malkin – 4:30/GM, Stamkos – 3:44/GM, Kessel – 3:25/GM, Pacioretty – 3:00/GM).

If Pacioretty keeps up the pace he’s held all season long, he’ll end up with 33 goals playing in a system that, for the most part, doesn’t promote free-flowing offensive hockey. That would be good enough to become Montreal’s first 30-goal scorer since Alex Kovalev’s rally-inspiring season in 2007-2008. The difference between Pacioretty and Kovalev, however, is that Max gives you the obvious sense that this is just the beginning for him. It’s entirely reasonable to assume that, barring injuries, Pacioretty will become a perennial 30-goal scorer, perhaps even hit 40 a few times over what should become an illustrious career. Who knows where Pacioretty would be in overall league scoring had he not gone through a cold spell where he scored only a single goal in 13 games following his three-game suspension for concussing Kris Letang. Before moving on from his scoring statistics, I feel I should mention that Pacioretty hasn’t gone more than two consecutive games without scoring in 2012.

By now, I’m sure I’ve conveyed enough what a fan I am of Max Pacioretty. It isn’t only his scoring prowess that I’ve been impressed with though. In my several years of being a dedicated Habs fan, I’ve long hoped for a smooth-skating power forward to come our way with the scoring touch Pacioretty obviously has but there’s something different about him. When you watch him play and hear him speak, you notice in his body language and his words that he wants nothing more than to win and to succeed wearing a Canadiens uniform. This is the key difference in a player like Pacioretty as opposed one like, say, Benoit Pouliot. Pacioretty has an air of confidence about him that separates average players from elite ones. That confidence has been shown several times, most notably when he controversially spoke out about how he is a player who deserves top six ice time and if he wasn’t going to get that in Montreal, he’d rather get it in Hamilton. He has that edge and willingness to sacrifice his body to win and any aspiring Stanley Cup contender should try and load up with as many as those players as possible. As Pacioretty continues to rise to prominence in this city, no doubt he will be a franchise cornerstone solid enough to help support the weight of some playoff success in this city.

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By now, I hope the vast majority of you have realized the playoffs are little more than a pipe dream for the 2011-2012 Montreal Canadiens. I won’t beat you over the head with unrealistic winning percentages and point totals the team needs to theoretically sneak into the playoffs but needless to say, they’re far off the pace of former coach Jacques Martin’s recently-admitted goal of six points for every possible ten.

With the trade deadline approaching in a bit over a month, it’s time for the Habs to start thinking about next season and beyond. This is more of a plead rather than an expectation as despite the team’s pitiful performance to date, Geoff Molson and Pierre Gauthier have shown every indication that they still fully expect to climb out of this deep hole and achieve playoff glory. However, pointing out the ineptitude of this front office is really besides the point of this post. Every member of this team needs to be evaluated on the basis of whether their value to the team is in the form of being a member of the Habs for years to come or whether their current value should be used to acquire assets that will better serve the team in the future. Here’s how I feel every current roster member should be evaluated:

Scott Gomez - What can you really say at this point? His mind-boggling albatross of a contract holds absolutely no trade value and no real use to the team going forward. The hope is that the team gets granted some sort of out when the next CBA is agreed upon or Geoff Molson suddenly opens up his pocket books and buries Gomez in the minors.

Tomas Plekanec - While he unquestionably is having a down season, Plekanec remains among the most important members of the team and is still one of the better two-way forwards in the league. He has a reasonable salary of $5 million and only turns 30 on Halloween. He’s still a keeper at this point if only for leadership among a young group of centres.

Brian Gionta - Due to his bicep injury that will likely keep his out for the rest of the year, Gionta is untradable at the moment. However, he does provide valuable leadership for a rebuilding team and you still need that element in the locker room even if you choose to blow the whole thing up.

Erik Cole - While Cole has exceeded the expectations created by his free agent contract, other teams will still likely be turned off by the terms of that deal, especially given Cole’s age of 33. If Cole had one additional year after this season on the contract, his value would be significant. For now, at least, the Canadiens would not get fair value for that Cole brings to the team.

Rene Bourque - Bourque has a long way to go to re-assert any value he has around the league among general managers not named Pierre Gauthier. His game-to-game work ethic is questioned and the fact that his contract only expires after the 2015-2016 season does his value no favors.

Andrei Kostitsyn - Kostitsyn is maybe the toughest player to judge as far as whether to try and keep or cut loose. His scoring punch can be attractive to a team looking for just that like the Los Angeles Kings or Nashville Predators. He is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year so there is no trepidation in acquiring his contract. He is one of the few trade chips the team has that can likely bring a decent return so I’d trade Kostitsyn.

Max Pacioretty - Pacioretty is one of the players I’m building the team around for the future so under very few circumstances would I trade him. He is exactly the type of player the franchise has been begging for for so long now and would be foolish to deal away unless a team were to give the Habs an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Travis Moen - Gauthier would be a fool if he hasn’t been fielding calls for Moen by now. Moen provides very good depth for any Stanley Cup contender and is the type of player built for playoff hockey. If he is still in a Habs uniform come February 28th, a terrible mistake has been made.

Lars Eller - Eller has yet to truly come into his own but you get the sense his potential will be realized sooner rather than later. Eller is one of the players I would build the team around going forward.

David Desharnais - I always have a hard time figuring out where Desharnais stands in my eyes. His production is undeniable but his size still renders me skeptical as to whether he can be an effective long-term top six centre. I also feel like the league as a whole doesn’t recognize his talent the way fans in Montreal do. Playoff contenders would also be unlikely to want to make their team smaller at the deadline.

Mathieu Darche - We’re hopefully seeing the Mathieu Darche farewell tour in a Habs uniform because the clock has stuck midnight on his Cinderella career. He is a fringe NHLer at this point and likely holds no value.

Ryan White - White is a player the Habs have greatly missed this year. His energy would’ve been a welcome addition to stagnant performances on several nights. He can be a valuable character guy on an energy line for years to come. His element of grit is also needed on a team still lacking in that department.

Michael Blunden - Like Darche, Blunden likely holds no value at the deadline. His greatest value could be in a Habs uniform going forward as a fourth-liner or 13th forward. He gives the team good, energetic shifts and his size and grit are welcome. I’d be interested in seeing how he pairs up with Ryan White on a line in the future.

Petteri Nokelainen - Noki’s value is also limited at the deadline but his young enough, gritty enough and productive on face-offs enough to perhaps have a role on the team going forward.

Andrei Markov - Obviously Markov has little to no value at the deadline due to his glass knee and his contract is looking more and more like another regrettable one that the team will be stuck with. Markov would provide veteran stability on a young blue line going forward….provided he can ever stay in the line-up.

Tomas Kaberle - Yet another awful contract that Pierre Gauthier inexplicably saddled the team with. I can’t see any team that would take him on so like Gomez, one can only hope the next CBA brings the team an opportunity to cut Kaberle loose with minimal consequences.

Josh Gorges - Absolutely a guy I’d keep under almost any circumstances. Logically, he will be the team’s next captain and is the glue that currently holds the defensive corps together. His contract is reasonable and is the kind of player I’d be thrilled to have as one of the faces of the franchise. Gorges would provide immeasurable guidance and leadership for our young defensemen going forward.

Hal Gill - Gill is exactly the type of defenseman a Stanley Cup contender would be interested in. The legend of his performance on a pairing with Gorges in the 2010 playoffs likely lives on and despite a decline in play this year, Gill is still a very effective shot blocker and valuable on the penalty kill. He would bring solid value at the deadline and like Moen, should already be shopped around.

Chris Campoli - Campoli could interest teams as a veteran, puck-moving defenseman and obviously doesn’t factor into the team’s plans long-term so any assets that could be acquired in return for him should be accepted.

Alexei Emelin - Emelin has had a predictably up and down first year in the NHL but the team should be excited about the element of toughness and aggression he brings to the team going forward. Emelin brings the only true physical element on the blueline at this point and I’d be excited about the role he could play in the team’s future.

Raphael Diaz - Like Emelin, Diaz has also had an up and down first year but that’s to be expected playing in a foreign country and going from the Swiss League to the best hockey league in the world. Going forward, Diaz would make for a good puck-moving defenseman and an asset on the powerplay.

P.K. Subban - Subban is a rare talent and despite a sophomore slump, is one of the franchise corner stones for years to come. His ability shouldn’t be taken for granted despite his growing pains and Subban should be one of the handful of players the Habs build around in the next few years.

Yannick Weber - Teams could find value in Weber as a hired gun for a powerplay but almost any offer the Habs receive would probably be a low-ball. Still, Weber has an attractive skill set and despite a tough year, his upside is something worth being excited about.

Carey Price - Probably the face of the franchise right now and for years to come. Never underestimate the value of a franchise goaltender as he is the greatest source of confidence for young players on a developing team afraid of making costly mistakes. It should go without saying that he is to remain in a Canadiens uniform for years and years to come.

Peter Budaj - Solid backup who can come in and give the team a chance to win on any given night but just not good enough to solidify the goaltending position for any playoff team.

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