Should Habs Give Tomas Kaberle One More Chance?

After clinching a playoff berth for the first time in 2 years, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves in an all too familiar slide entering into the post season. Their defence is looking silly of late against teams whom they might end up playing against in the playoffs. Without a question, in order to avoid an early first round exit, some changes need to be made. Why not give Tomas Kaberle one more shot? After putting up 11 pts in the Bruins 25 game Stanley Cup victory a few years ago, Kaberle could really help the Habs in the playoffs. Montreal, like Boston a few years ago, put too much pressure and emphasis on their main defensive stars (Markov and Subban) that the remaining players are lacking the skill to compete against stronger teams. Kaberle, one of the top defenceman in Czech Republic history is a nifty playmaker who if played right can really help the transition game for the Habs. Are Gorges, Weber, Boullion and Drewiske really better than Kaberle? Not at all. They are bottom pairing defenceman at most if not AHL material. Diaz is the top Swiss Defenceman in the NHL right now and will be a mainstay for the team. Imagine Subban-Markov, Kaberle-Diaz and Boullion-Gorges for the Habs in the playoffs?

Right now forwards on the Canadiens have to drop back as the defence are not clearing their zone effectively and it is causing a decline in their offensive output. Although Carey Price has not been stellar of late, many of the goals he has let go he has had no chance or has been left confused by his own defenceman screening him or missing coverage. Looking down into the playoffs, no defenceman on the Habs right now has put up more points against their potential competitors in the Eastern Conference than Tomas Kaberle. The Habs need Kaberle now.

Is Stephen Harper Afraid of Justin Trudeau?

Fresh from being elected as leader of the Federal Liberal party Justin Trudeau is facing a campaign of dirty advertising by PM Stephen Harper’s conservative party featuring out of context ads and slandering of the newly elected leader. With an election probably not until 4 years away why is the current PM spending money on this for someone who is not even the leader of the official opposition party? Why is Stephen Harper going to such lengths? There is a big philosophical difference between Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper. Even Trudeau’s comments about the recent Boston Marathon bombings holding society and government responsible for finding and resolving the issues that are making people feel so angry and isolated have a lot of truth behind it rather than using fear to promote a government run police state. Having enjoyed financial stability due to years of Paul Martin as either Finance Minister or PM of Canada, Stephen Harper has slowly turned Canada’s entrepreneurial success into one of monopolization and selling off assets to the highest foreign bidder. We all know former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was a nationalist and would never permit growth in Canada without Canadian’s sharing a piece of the pie. Rather than selling off Canada and it’s rich base of resources, Justin Trudeau would bring back Canada to the ownership of it’s citizens and close the economics gaps or imbalances (ie. status quo or winner takes all) that Harper’s Conservative Party have so deeply ingrained in their decision making policies.

From no longer being a part of the UN Peace Keeping Role to going on the offensive lines in US created wars under Harper’s watch, Justin Trudeau would bring Canada back to the global leader in peace and diplomacy like it once was during his father’s era. With Canada now being one of the biggest polluters per capita in the world under Harper’s government, Trudeau would push for environmental reforms so the big oil and gas companies would not have such a stranglehold on politics in Canada and deplete our environment rather than push for alternative energy. One of the because recent polls show that if there was an election today Justin Trudeau would win by a landslide and I think the right has become very fearful of that.

Should Habs Trade for Vincent LeCavalier?

With the NHL post season approaching within weeks, the Montreal Canadiens are closer than any season since 1993 to challenging for Lord Stanley’s Cup. A far cry from last season’s last place finish in the Eastern Conference, the Habs are now sitting in 2nd place. Is the time now for the Montreal Canadiens? Should they go for it all? Definitely yes. With the deadline hours away, who can they aquire that would guarantee a cup win on the 20th anniversary of Patrick Roy’s heroics of their last championship in 1993? The answer is plain and simple. Trade for 6’4″ powerfoward Vincent Lecavalier.

Set to return to the lineup later this week, Lecavalier would be a good fit with the current team. He plays well under pressure. He needs more ice time, more offensive zone ice time, to play in front of family and friends, to play for his country and most importantly to play for his boyhood favourite team the Montreal Canadiens. He is a very strong player (probably stronger than any player in Habs history) with the size who also provides the leadership no current Habs player can provide. With future francophone prospects Louis Leblanc, David Desharnais, Nathan Bealieau, Charles Hudon, Gabriel Dumont, Oliver Archambault and Michael Bournival moving up in the organization, Lecavalier would help spark their play as well as be a mentor big time. The last time the Montreal Canadiens traded for a power forward named Vincent (Damphousse) they shortly afterwards went all the way. But how can the Habs management justify his high salary? Simple, get rid of Brian Gionta. Perhaps one of the least effective captains in Habs history, there is no way the dimunitive Brian Gionta can ever give the Habs the same edge that a Vincent Lecavalier would bring especially against the top lines in the NHL.

But how can such a trade be completed? Montreal would have to ask Gionta to waive his no trade clause by trading him to a team in the playoff hunt of his choice (perhaps like Minnesota or New Jersey Devils) and receive draft picks or prospects in return. This will clear up salary cap. After that, Montreal could trade a high draft pick plus maybe Lars Eller to Tampa for Lecavalier. This might sound insane but Eller would never be able to be a top 3 forward on the team especially with the current roster of forwards plus those coming up in terms of the Hab’s future prospects. Brandon Prust or better yet Galchenyuk could be moved back to his natural position as 3rd line center. David Desharnais could be better utilized as a left wing playmaker or set up man for LeCavalier. From taking the number 4 on his jersey in admiration of the former Habs Captain Jean Beliveau (who was the same height 6’4″ as Vinny), no other player in the NHL has Montreal Canadiens dynasty written all over him but Vicent Lecavalier. Now it is up to Marc Bergevin to do something that no recent GM (since Serg Savard did decades ago) and that is bring a French Canadian superstar to the Montreal Canadiens as well as a Cup winning team.