Popping a Rivet

So Methuselah Gainey finally pulled the pin, and ever conservative, it was, on the surface, nothing to write home about. Could the move possibly bode well for the Habitants a year or two from now though? Or even in the immediate future?

By jettisoning the longest-serving Canadien, assistant captain Craig Rivet of North Bay (Saku Koivu's roommate), Bob is not only retooling the team for the future by ditching an overpaid underachieving temperamental player who had become selfish, taking dumb penalties, fighting with the coach and resisting discipline but Bob and the brain trust have also acquired a very decent young kid. Captain of Kelowna's juniors, an ex Team Canada Silver Medal winning defenceman who is already playing 17-18 minutes a game for the Sharks. With him comes a first round draft pick, showing GM Wilson's desperation perhaps?

I had grown increasingly disappointed if not outright exasperated with Rivet's temper tantrums on the ice, several of which hurt the team. Losing it after what he thought was a questionable penalty call, he drew another (unsportsmanlike or misconduct), putting the team down by two men, usually leading to an 'automatic goal' by the opposition. When told he was sitting out a game recently by Guy Carbonneau, he lost it again, stormed out of the arena, well...just another example of his level of frustration and lack of control. When passion becomes irration(al), it's time for action. It was not a Brashear-Tremblay showdown or Roy-Corey but it was enough.

Rivet had become a very average or below average 32 year old, unable to adapt to the new faster NHL. Now the next guy on the bubble as an overpriced under-achieving player is Matthieu Dandenault, who seems to be treading water and is over his head far too often, eclipsed by even the small Mark Streit as an effective utility player. Where is J-F Cote`, scheduled in October as the sixth defenceman? Injuries to him and Frankie Bouillon didn't hurt the team out of the blocks but it's been telling since Christmas as the vets sagged.

It will take more than the Rivet move to magically transform the Habs into a playoff contender though. With Huet gone (and he was 'gone' as an effective backstopper well before he tore his hamstring), Aebischer back to being a question mark as an effective number two and the 21 year old rookie Halak looking promising but yet to 'walk on the water' in a Dryden or St. Patrick game-robbing team-carrying fashion, things are looking bleak.

If Steve Begin returns in time, if Kovalev suddenly heals and shows some heart...well there are too many 'ifs.' (Both may play against the Leafs tonight, Kovie describing himself as "70%".)

Overpriced, underachieving, emotionally fragile, this year's version of the Canadiens looks headed for the links. True, if they make they playoffs they could surprise someone in the first round with hot goaltending but that's about as far as they could go. No Claude Lemieux dudu-disturber, no Stephane Richer sniper as in '86 and '93, no game-stealing wunderkind goalie (yet)...the Leafs game will either show their mettle or the way to the showers. Who wants it more? That eighth spot should be enough motivation for their best players. The grinders are doing their best. Too often it's the two top lines who have snoozed while the team lost. Contrast their play with that of the Buffalo Sabres: eight regulars out of the lineup and still giving a fine team like Ottawa a rough weekend (they split the games with Buffalo scoring ten goals in spite of their thinned ranks).

If this fade continues down the stretch it will be time to jettison the perpetually disappointing Koivu. He's again suffered long periods of moody ineffectual play, 2 goals in 24 games type of stretches, he's no leader. Watch him next game against Sundin, let's measure him that way.

Your move, Saku. Playoffs or playing through?

(Late note: RDS is claiming Gainey may be stocking up on first round picks with this Rivet trade, as he can now trade a 1st-rounder, keep one and acquire a a second line scorer rental player without really losing anything. The clever old goat may have done himself a goodun here. Who'll he go after?)