So Long José
-- by Mario Perrazzino; GOHABS.com
Who would have expected that at the 2006 NHL trading deadline, the Montreal Canadiens would have pulled off the biggest trade, when all the dollars and cents are accounted, sending Jose Theodore to Colorado for David Aebischer?
Having had a few days to digest the Jose Theodore trade, I can say this was a trade that had to be done, for both the Canadiens and for José Theodore.
Short-term, this trade looks excellent for Montreal. With Theodore out until middle of April, if the Canadiens are to advance to the playoffs, it will have been on the back of Christobal Huet. And who would be the starting goalie come playoffs time had Theodore not been dealt? Well Huet of course.
So Theodore would have been a write-off this season anyway. And who can blame the Canadiens? Sporting the second worse goals against average amongst no. 1 goalies this season, and third worse save percentage, Theodore had been regulated to no. 2 despite his injury. (Just to put things into perspective, Theodore’s save percentage is approximately, 5 percentage points worse than what Canadiens fans have been accustomed to. This translates to about 1.5 more goals per game. Astonishing!).
But like GM/Head Coach Bob Gainey stated after the trade, it was obvious that Theodore’s on ice, as well as off-ice problems forced Gainey’s hand.
On ice, Theodore’s teammates lacked confidence playing in front of him. Theodore struggled with the double whammy of using league sanctioned smaller goalie equipment, and Theodore’s commitment to stick with his equipment endorsement supplier. Even after Theodore and Canadiens management met with Theodore and his equipment manufacturer, Mission-ITECH, and the team suggested he try a different manufacturer, Theodore was adamant with sticking with the manufacturer.
Off ice, persistent rumors of who Theodore associates with continued to dog him. Testing positive for a banned substance and being banned for two years from international play, didn’t help either. The poster boy image was fading quickly.
In the end, Gainey realized that if Theodore is to re-gain his MVP form of 2002, it could not happen in a Montreal uniform. For Theodore to flourish again, it would have to be in a different environment where Theodore would be removed from his “Montreal” element.
During the past couple of days, some fans argued that this trade is similar to the trade that sent Patrick Roy to Colorado back in 1995. At the time Patrick Roy was a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Theodore has won two playoff series only. Looking at what the two gentlemen accomplished prior to getting traded, there can be no such comparison.
For one thing, the trade gives the Canadiens solid goaltending with two proven no. 1 goalies now competing together, with Gainey having the option to go with the hot hand for any game. In addition, the trade also gives the Canadiens additional salary cap relief. Money they will need to re-sign Andrei Markov, Michael Ryder, and newly acquired David Aebischer who become restricted free-agents after this season. Furthermore, it permits Gainey to get into the upcoming off-season free agent market which will be loaded high caliber defensemen.
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