BIG DECISIONS FOR GAINEY
As usual, there are several big names to be had as the trade deadline looms but this year, there are 2 big name players available that the Canadiens have coveted for quite some time. Marian Hossa and Oli Jokinen have both been on the Bob Gainey’s radar, in Hossa’s case, for well over a year. Until now, Jokinen was considered an untouchable in Florida but recent developments have changed that dynamic. Of These 2, who do the Canadiens need more and are the Canadiens prepared to give up what it would take to land either of these 2 stars.
In my opinion, the Canadiens, in the present tense, need what Hossa brings to the table, a genuine sniper and threat every time he’s on the ice. It would give Montreal 2 very offensively threatening lines and in the playoffs, that would make them a very tough team to defend against. Marian Hossa would be an immediate impact palyer on the Canadiens. Oli Jokinen is a player the Canadiens need almost as much as a sniper. A hard-nosed, big centre who can create time and space for himself as well as make the players around him better. He would be the perfect transition from the Saku Koivu era and the organization is void of any centre remotely like him. Jokinen almost fills more of a long term need than Hossa does.
OK. here’s the rub. To obtain a Hossa or a Jokinen, the common wisdom is that it will take either Higgins or Andrei Kostitsyn and then some. The big question facing Bob Gainey is do you trade a piece of your foundation for either of these 2 star players? The Canadiens are clearly building towards something special. It has been a slow, methodical road that Bob Gainey has paved but the Canadiens appear to be on the verge of being a Stanley Cup contender for years to come. Dismantling any of the key pieces of this team could hurt more than it may help. Bob Gainey can afford to sacrifice from the top prospect pool he’s assembled during his tenure but i would have to think that he would be very reluctant to part with any of his core group.
That being said, here’s a radical suggestion for Bob Gainey that could land the Canadiens a Marian Hossa or Oli Jokinen without having to part with any of our key assets. I would look to San Jose as the catalyst. The Sharks are in desperation mode. They are a serious contenders in the west but clearly there is a spark missing there and the way it looks now, they could see another early playoff exit. The biggest single need in San Jose is a puck moving defenseman, a quarterback for their powerplay. Enter Mark Streit, this years version of Sheldon Souray. If Gainey learned anything from last seasons Souray pending UFA status, it is that nothing is certain in the new NHL. Players go where the money is and where their compatriots are playing. As much as Souray loved, and Streit loves Montreal, there are no guarantees. Streit, Ryder, Begin and Paccioretty for Marleau and Steve Bernier. San Jose immediately gets their quarterback in Streit, invaluable grit in Begin, Ryder, who with Thornton, could regain his form and a good prospect to replace Bernier in Paccioretty, an american kid, to boot. The Canadiens get Bernier, who can move on to the line with Higgins and Koivu. Marleau becomes the chip. The chip that can be used to get either Hossa or Jokinen. As a centrepiece of the deal, Marleau and a prospect and/or a draft pick should be enough to satisfy Don Waddell or Jacques Martin. The Habs either end up with Hossa or Jokinen and Bernier and if it isn’t enough, Marleau ends up a Hab and would fit right in as the their 3rd line centre between Latendresse and Sergei Kostitsyn. It’s a win-win for the Canadiens. And best of ll, they do it without giving up any of the future leadership of the team.