Have you heard?  It’s all over the habs blogsophere.  Pierre Gauthier has lost his mind and traded Tomas Kaberle for Jaroslav Spacek.  Actually, according to the blogsphere that may be kind. Print media has not been that much gentler.  According to the Gazette’s Pat Hickey, the deal, “boggles the mind”.  On TSN 990, ‘the voice of the habs’,  callers overwhemingly  criticized the deal, lead by TSN radio host Tony Marinaro who entertained thousands with a combination of shock and disbelief.  Other GM’s have been rumored to be in disbelief that Gauthier could make such a deal.

Lets’ be clear.  Mr. Gauthier has not earned my trust in his short run as Habs GM. The critics have good reason to be concerned.  The team is not looking great. Canadian’s management has a recent history of taking on or signing high priced talent that for one reason or another doesn’t deliver.  That history has led to a chorus of fans and media that want a divorce. “It’s not us, it’s you!” is the familiar chant.  There are just too many elements in this contract that remind fans of the Gomez deal.  Older player, no longer in his prime, doesn’t go in the corners, big money, multiple years, yada yada.

If we all could take a collective breath here for one second we might be able to recognize that this trade, if handled properly could be a huge plus for the Habs.

First off the short term.  Kaberle at 4.25 for Spacek at 3.8?  Yes, Kaberle has hit some road bumps after being traded to Boston. He wasn’t the saviour they were hoping for. Yes, he showed up out of shape this season after winning the Stanley cup, but he still is five years younger than Spacek, scored 47 points this season and just half a season ago was traded for a high end prospect and a first round draft pick.  When you add to that Spacek’s skill set does seem custom made for the Habs woeful powerplay, I think he’s an upgrade. He fits. The Canadiens have a knack for finding a missing element mid season and making that element improve their team.

Long term. The biggest problem with this trade is obviously the salary cap issues that may impede the Habs from signing some of their younger players.  Carey Price, Josh Georges, P.K. Subban, Andrei Kostitysn, Alexei Yemelin, Raphael Diaz and Lars Eller all will need to signed with 20 million. That number may be improved but when you consider that there would still be additonal signings, this becomes a huge problem. There are several possible solutions.

The first one may present itself. Andrei Markov may never return, which opens up 5.5 million.  We simply don’t know what will happen with Markov, and this is my least favorite relief valve. I’m sure it’s Geoff Molson’s as well, but the way this season is going, you know it’s in the back of everyone’s mind and it not only makes the Kaberle deal much more financially feasible but makes up for the loss of an elite powerplay defenseman as well.

The next option is a trade involving some of the higher paid but movable assets. The main problem here is the ability to trade a valuable asset without damaging this season’s playoff hopes.  The most tradable asset I think is Andrei Kostitsyn but personally, I would rather sign him.  I could live with Brian Gionta being traded but he’s not having the best season and may be hard to move.

The final option is something that would test the pride of Hab’s management. They may simply have to admit Gomez is a mistake and send him to the AHL.  I don’t think the Kaberle trade was made without this being discussed because it’s the only option you can control. I know Gauthier comes across as an impersonal corporate head  but  I think he’s the kind of corporate head who tries to protect his own job, especially when the possible offense is spending too much of his boss’s own money.

This trade may actually force the Habs to take Gomez off the books.  It’s sad that it would take a somewhat overpaid player that Habs desperately need to force them to get rid of a grotesquely overpaid player that has over stayed his welcome but the net result may be a positive for the Habs.