Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey has apparently seen enough. With just three wins in their last 12 games, the Habs have fallen down the ranks and out of a playoff spot.
While the likes of Saku Koivu, Michael Ryder and (to a lesser extent) Alex Kovalev produce on a daily basis, the team needs an all-around effort to win.
Head coach Claude Julien has tried to mix up his lineup, hoping that someone would gel somewhere, but it hasn´t worked. It´s time for a change.
According to La Presse, Gainey is in the midst of trying to complete a significant trade that would change the chemistry of his club.
Gainey is apparently serious discussions with a number of teams, one of them being the Chicago Blackhawks.
La Presse suggests that the Hawks´ three most attractive pieces of inventory are Mark Bell, Kyle Calder and Tyler Arnason, with Bell being the most appealing and most expensive. Montreal apparently is also interested in expensive veteran defenseman Adrian Aucoin
The paper claims the Habs are offering center Mike Ribeiro in a package deal that would also include a defenseman and a younger player.
Blackhawks pro scout Marc Bergevin was in Colorado yesterday keeping a close eye on the Canadiens, while Montreal´s Director of Professional Scouting, Pierre Gauthier, has been attending Chicago games.
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