topshelfbkI was listening to Mitch Melnick and Pierre McGuire this afternoon on TSN Radio 990 and, naturally enough, they were talking about the Hal Gill trade. Most of the chat was about what it meant to add Gill to the Nashville Predators line-up.
But much as I love those two guys’ chats, they never mentioned the main point of the trade. This is it Habs fans. It’s over. The season is officially toast. If Ghost Gauthier is tossing Skillsy overboard, then he’s has finally decided this team ain’t doing nothing in the post-season. In other words, it’s sell-off time.
Gill hasn’t done all that much this season, as usual. He never does. But he has a well-deserved reputation as a playoff monster. He was amazing during the Habs’ miraculous playoff run in 2010 and has loads of playoff experience, going to the Cup final twice with the Penguins (including winning it all in 2009) and he has 105 post-season games under his belt.
He will most definitely help the Preds in their playoff run and if ‘Major Major’ Gauthier is parting ways with Gills, it’s the clearest signal yet that management has decided our sadsack squad ain’t making the post-season dance, as Mr. Fisher likes to call it.
And what do we get? Blake Geoffrion for one thing. His main claim to fame is his storied family history. His great grandfather is Habs legend Howie Morenz, his grandfather is Boom Boom Geoffrion, and his dad is Danny Geoffrion, who spent three season in the NHL playing for both Montreal and Winnipeg.
That’s all kind of cool but he’s spent most of this year in the minors and is heading straight to the Bulldogs. So I’m not quite clear on why so many people today seeming to be saying that Gauthier finally made a good deal. Am I missing something here?
Also, not that anyone cares about language ’round these parts, but Geoffrion was born in Florida, grew up in Tennessee and as far as we know does not speak a word of French. It’s actually kind of funny, following the pick-up of Rene Bourque, who, in spite of his name, also doesn’t parlez-vous. Not that anyone will make a big deal of that sort of thing in Montreal.
So it’s all just kind of depressing. We don’t get anything that’s gonna do much for us and we lose one of the few guys on the team with anything resembling heart. And our enigmatic GM sends out the signal he’s given up on the team. Sigh.
topshelfwithbk 
Brendan, the trade wasn’t Gill for Geoffrion. It was Gill and a conditional 5th round pick in 2013 (conditional on Geoffrion playing in at least 40 games next year) for Geoffrion, winger Robert Slaney and a 2nd-round pick this year. This is a very good trade. I thought the Habs would be lucky to get a 3rd-rounder for Gill.
But should we really be giving up on the playoff run?
That’s not an easy question to answer. Habs are 6 points back of 8th, 3 points out of 15th. Is it impossible to make the playoffs? No. Is it likely? No again. But if you can get a 2nd round pick and two professional players for a non-difference maker like Gill at this point, I say it’s the better thing to do. Better that than letting UFAs walk for nothing on the slim chance that you’ll squeak into the playoffs. The Habs are not a Cup contender, not by a long shot, so they’re better off in the long run to gather assets for the future.