Funny how no one's brought up the one aspect of the trade that i disliked.
Was it at all necessary to give away Karri Ramo?
At the time Price was on his bridge contract and there was no gaurantee
Ramo should've been kept instead of being a throw in.
If you take the long view of this trade, Ramo may be the one player in the deal that really matters. He's 10 years younger than Kiprosoff and has been putting up stellar numbers in the KHL for a few seasons in a row.
Sure, he may never have come over with Price playing in front of him. But Calgary may have taken care of the goaltending position in post-Kiprosoff era with a very economical and crafty move.
It's still probably too soon to tell. You're talking about two notoriously streaky players. Bourque could suddenly switch off tomorrow and Cammalleri could put up 10 goals in his next 10 games. So right now it seems to weigh in our favor in terms of how the main pieces are performing, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Just last year it was looking like a disaster for us, and it'll probably swing back to that end of the spectrum before the dust settles on the deal.
The x-factors in the deal are also on our side for now (the cap space, Calgary's 2nd rounder shaping up to be a good pick, Holland looking decent in the AHL) but I don't think Ramo should be forgotten about. If he keeps playing overseas and steps in when Kipper retires (and plays well), then Calgary basically added a starting goalie from the deal, which swings things considerably. Not that Ramo would have ever started for us, but that's no cause to throw a player away.
your right but one thing I can see is that no one guy wants to be the goat of the team and not compete like the rest of the lineup, so i doubt Bourque would want to be that guy, he's not doing anything amazing other then showing up and driving the net like a big body guy like that should. good for Bourque seems like a good lad.
Always liked this trade, simply because we got rid of Cammy. I felt confident at the time that we had seen his best years, and that the time was right to dump him. Getting what we got back was all gravy imo. Now that Bourque is producing, it's turning into a heck of a deal. With Holland working on his game in Hamilton and a 2nd rounder on the way, it will be the trade that keeps on giving. Definitely the best desal Gauthier made in his sojourn here.
I really liked the trade at the time, could not stand to watch Cammy any more and the fact that he was due 14M (7M + 7M) in the final 2 years (salary not cap hit) I so badly wanted to see him traded. I was a big fan of Bourque's when he was in the NCAA but hadn't paid much attention to him in the NHL, so getting the 2nd rounder and not having to pay Cammy 14M were the biggest reasons why I liked the trade.
We'll see how the season goes for Bourque, glad to see him playing better after looking terrible last season. Hopefully that 2nd rounder will get us something very good.
If anyone thought Ramo could be an NHL starter Tampa wouldn't have traded him for Desjardins and gone into the 10/11 season with Roloson and Smith. If he could be a starter he would be.
Bourque has a hot start every year. After 20 games last season, Flames fans were ready to pronounce him the franchise's new superstar; a month and a half later, they were dancing in the streets to see him leave.
Bottom line: Don't get used to this version of Rene Bourque. It won't last. It never does.
If anyone thought Ramo could be an NHL starter Tampa wouldn't have traded him for Desjardins and gone into the 10/11 season with Roloson and Smith. If he could be a starter he would be.
Wasn't he under contract in the KHL at that point?
Actually, he really was. His trades weren't great and getting Kaberle was just stupid.
That's not what made him bad though. It was his micromanaging and media paranoia that made him bad.
Trying to control the Montreal media is always a doomed proposition. Trying to guide the Montreal media from time to time sure, controlling it...screwed right from the start.
It was the atmosphere PG created that infested all levels of the team that made him bad. Bad for Montreal and any other high profile team where such an approach is just not going to fly.
He tried to run the Habs like it was a corporation in which every employee of the organization right down to the towel boys had signed a non-disclosure contract.
He was a PR nightmare for the tradition of the Canadiens.
Was it? If you put everything into context, it wasn't stupid, it was desperate.
Follow me back in time...
The day is December 9th, 2011. The Montreal Canadiens are sitting in 12th place in the east with a dismal 11-11-7 record for 29pts. Washington is in 8th place with 31 pts, but with 2 games in hand. Pierre Gauthier realizes that Markov is not going to be back anytime soon and our PP is struggling. To try and save his job, Mr. Gauthier makes a trade that will forever live in infamy. He trades Spacek, who as much as I liked the man, and even the player (He did better than most will give him credit for) for Tomas Kaberle. Kaberle didn't fit his new team and the team wanted him out. Montreal desperate for some help on the PP make an offer that really will never hurt this franchise.
Kaberle goes on to play 43 games for the Habs and has 22 points and 12 on the PP. We all knew that Kaberle is a one dimensional player, and he came in to score points. Scoring a point in every other game is quite respectable for a defencemen.
With Bourque playing some inspiring hockey, it is quite clear that Kaberle will be bought out or traded come the deadline. I would keep him and buy him out at the end of the year or try and trade him. Having too many D for a playoff run is never a bad thing (if we keep winning that is).
The Kaberle trade was never stupid it was desperate. He tried to save his job and failed.
Bourque has a hot start every year. After 20 games last season, Flames fans were ready to pronounce him the franchise's new superstar; a month and a half later, they were dancing in the streets to see him leave.
Bottom line: Don't get used to this version of Rene Bourque. It won't last. It never does.
After 20 games last year Bourque had 6 goals and 1 assist. Not a hot start by any imagination. After the first 3 games, he had 3 goals and after the first 9 games he had 5 goals.
I can't speak for his game play in those first 20 games, but what we are seeing from him this year is that he is willing to battle every game and go to the dirty areas. Stats don't tell the whole story. I am one who wanted him to be bought out, but if he can continue to play like this, I believe we have a keeper.
Always liked this trade, simply because we got rid of Cammy. I felt confident at the time that we had seen his best years, and that the time was right to dump him. Getting what we got back was all gravy imo. Now that Bourque is producing, it's turning into a heck of a deal. With Holland working on his game in Hamilton and a 2nd rounder on the way, it will be the trade that keeps on giving. Definitely the best desal Gauthier made in his sojourn here.
That second pick could be a very high one if Calgary finishes at rock bottom.
If the Habs keep up their play all season don't get too attached to Calgary's 2nd rounder. I think they should just go all in with the current roster and keep building and not trade away any picks, but winning can change your game plan a little, we'll see how things materialize but the Habs do own 3 second rounders.
Way too many people are saying they liked the deal at the time. Come April 95% of the board was ready to buy Bourque out/ trade him for whatever they could get.
Karri Ramo wouldn't have netted anything better. If there was interest for him, they would have called Calgary and Calgary would have dealt him. He wants to be a number 1 in the NHL, or he's not coming back.
It looks as though Calgary drafted Ryan Culkin with the pick they acquired from us.
On a side note, Calgary's 2011 draft class looks great.
Wasn't he under contract in the KHL at that point?
Yes and no.
Quote:
With the prospect of a return to the AHL for the 2009–10 season on June 23, 2009, Rämö left the NHL, opting to sign a two-year contract with Avangard Omsk of the KHL.[1]
Took it from wiki, he was going to the AHL anyways and was traded after this move. The guy is 26 years old, he aint coming back.
Way too many people are saying they liked the deal at the time. Come April 95% of the board was ready to buy Bourque out/ trade him for whatever they could get.
Karri Ramo wouldn't have netted anything better. If there was interest for him, they would have called Calgary and Calgary would have dealt him. He wants to be a number 1 in the NHL, or he's not coming back.
It looks as though Calgary drafted Ryan Culkin with the pick they acquired from us.
On a side note, Calgary's 2011 draft class looks great.
I liked the deal at the time and I like it even more, check my post history if you have to.
The fact is, I think people let themselves get lulled in a false fantasy with Cammalleri because of his one good playoff run. His production never warranted his price tag, he was never as good as he was in Calgary, or L.A; he was just never that good as a Hab.
At the end of the day we had received a player that produced similarly, for half the price tag, and a 2nd in what's looking up to be a deep draft.
Our entire team played that way. Soft as baby poop. We never were first into the corners...it wasn't a Cammy thing.
Do you really think Cammy would have 2 points on this team?
That's moot, but he sure wasn't scoring for the Habs last season and his D hasn't gotten any better. The Habs have played several close games (losing only one) and his presence might have been costly in any of them.
