Hey Bob! Here’s a few thoughts…

Always the “thinking man”, Bob Gainey has caught an awful lot of flack as of late because of the way certain players within the organization have been playing.

Troubling times ahead or not, with a 2-3 record through a Western road swing,  which normally brutalizes this club during and through the New Year, and a couple tough games with divisional rivals, there is hope yet for this Markov-less Habs squad.

But what about the most pressing issues?

Yes, we all need to give Gainey, Martin and the Habs time to work things out, but is it worth the wait or can Bob be proactive n order to help his team out NOW?

With a casual glance at what is going in the Montreal media and the Canadiens fanbase, it is easy to see that fans are remaining optimistic and willing to give the newcomers, including the coach, a chance to prove themselves, but the consistent criticism of certain players never seems to fade away.

Those players are, of course, Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, Guillaume Latendresse, Tomas Plekanec and Jaroslav Halak.

These names never seem to fade from the Habs-faithfuls collective criticisms and one has to wonder what bearing, if any, that has on the team’s General Manager.

Gainey has to know that the pressure is on.

With a 5 year plan down the drain and a whole new roster to play with, he still has to deal with issues surrounding all of the players mentioned above.

But what is Gainey to do???

Andrei Kostitsyn is loaded with talent and potential, but for some unknown reason, just cannot seem to dominate like a player with his skill set should. With his on again-off again contributions scaring fans into premature hair loss(maybe that’s what happened to Andrei…), is it not time for Gainey to start exploring options for a new home for the seemingly maligned winger?

And what of his none-too-happy brother Sergei? Word is that he is behaving like a good boy in Hamilton, but intentions are clear that he feels the need to move elsewhere. But with his current attitude, how do you trade him? There is tons of upside to him, many say moreso than his brother Andrei, and there is history of past-successes with both Patrick Kane and Sam Gagner, but is that really enough to entice a GM to return Gainey something of interest?

Then there is ever so confusing Tomas Plekanec. Pleky, who has yet to truly recapture the magic that made both he and Andrei Kostistyn have career years alongside Alex Kovalev 2 years ago, is always a fan favorite when it comes to trade talks. Is he or isn’t he a bonafide 2nd line center? With 3 points through his first 5 games thus far, he sure seems like he is up to the task this season, but with consistency always the discerning factor of criticism among the Canadiens fans, if Plekanec cannot string together a strong opening to his season, both the fans and management will likely be looking for a trade partner.

Jaro Halak is probably to the most mystifying of all the Canadiens assets. From all accounts he  could very well be better than Carey Price, but with all of the kingdom’s hopes placed on Price’s shoulders, Halak will likely find himself out of town sooner than later. He is a great goaltender, but hasn’t gotten a chance to truly prove himself. Only once Price had proven himself capable of a NHL workload did Gainey trade Halak…is this the same situation once again? Is Gainey waiting to see if Price’s consistency levels off before shipping off the Slovak netminder? With perhaps the possibility of getting the greatest return for Halak, the smart money is that Gainey won’t trade him unless he gets an absolute gem of a return. At least that is the hope.

Then there is the “power forward” Guillaume Latendresse. Gui!, as fans oh-so affectionately like to refer to him as,  has not blossomed into the top 6 power forward he was so highly touted to be. Instead he has found chemistry in a pairing with fellow Quebecer Maxim Lapierre on the Habs shutdown 3rd line. Is that really where management expected Latendresse to be after 3 years on NHL experience? If anything, maybe Lats is proving to be a bust in terms of his top 6 projection, but is it possible that his chemistry with Lapierre has given him new life in the NHL? Yes. He may not skate like the wind, but if expectations of him being a top 6 menace are dropped, Latendresse should likely have no problem as a 3rd line hustler with scoring potential.

Yet still, does Gainey try to find the ‘power forward’ project a new home? Would trading Latendresse be an option to exercise in order to open up the spot?

Considering each and every one of these players has been a product of the Habs system and that they are all constantly in question, is it perhaps not time for Montrea’s new ownership to insist that they fully clean the cupboard to start new?

Losing both Kostitsyn brothers, Plekanec, Latendresse and Halak would obviously indicate failure in terms of drafting solid players, but would admitting that be all that terrible?

It’s one thing to be so passionate about a team and want to continue to give those you like a shot, but considering how these 5 players never seem to escape criticism, would it not be a bad to just move on?

If I were Bob, I wouldn’t wait too long.

These players are assets, but they are also a hindrance as they take up cap space and roster spots.

Gainey does have options before him.

Rumours have been there forever, the guy is without a team and, on top of everything, would offer the Canadiens an actual power forward(albeit an aged one) that brings a right handed shot to the power play. He would also serve as an excellent mentor to project power forwards Max Pacioretty and Matt D’Agostini. Were he signed it would most likely spell the end of the Latendresse power forward project, but not necessarily Lats’ spot on the 3rd line. Shanny would fit in the top 6 and could always be switched up with both Patches or Dags.

The Habs need a quality D man who brings an offensive touch to their blue line. Yes, Marc Andre Bergeron will boost the D-corps, but as he is once again another project, perhaps the Canadiens would be better suited to look in a long-term direction. Cam Barker offers an awful lot in terms of offense and a decent cap hit and has also proven to be a quality top 4 defender, so what is there to lose by pursuing his services? The Hawks are barely playing the kid more than 16 minutes a game, even after the terrific season he had last year. Why not offer up any combination of the Habs “assets” in order to bring some help to the blueline? Sergei Kostitsyn enjoyed enormous success with Patrick Kane during their Junior careers, perhaps that is a starting point right there. The Hawks are looking to clear cap space and the Habs have approximately $3.5 million dollars available due to Markov’s salary being placed on the LTIR, why not at least kick the tires?

For the life of me…someone please explain to me what Shane Doan is still doing in the desert? Does this guy not want to play for a contender or in a big market?

He is Carey’s cousin and would settle the kid down like no one else. He is a Team Canada staple and A CAPTAIN. He is a scoring machine and an aggressive hitter.

What is there to lose? Providing a team like the Coyotes with a massive return would not be a terrible thing to do. The ‘Yotes could use all the help they could for the future.

Why not pull a Burke? Offer up some serious draft picks or a combo of picks/players and prospects and aggressively pursue the sniper. Doan has had his issues with the Quebec media before, but with hockey the primary focus of everyone in Montreal, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be welcomed with open arms.

If Gainey can manage to wait things out until the 20 game mark, I will be surprised. That said, there is no harm in giving this entirely remade team a fair shot, but with the loss of the teams best defender in Andrei Markov for nearly the entire season, it is far more likely that the holes that do exist within this club will be exposed sooner than later.

If Gainey wants to go for the quick fix route or the trade avenue, he would likely find better results.

He has to give his coach time to try and whip this team into shape, but let’s be honest, adding in Shanahan(who would not cost anyone a job and would instantly help the team) and pursuing Cam Barker(who can be had for the right price) would immediately improve this Canadiens team.

There are always options for Bob, yet with his time as Habs GM possibly nearing an end, why not go out with a bang?

Biting the bullet and removing more players from the old club would not be as hard to digest as many might think. They’ve already completed the most impressive and massive overhaul in the team’s 100 year history, so what’s another couple moves going to do…

Give Jacques time if you must Mr.Gainey, but if the 20 game mark comes and goes with the same questions swirling around the same players, I would move like the wind to complete to clubhouse cleaning!