Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The Blues got a young, proven playoff performer in net while the Habs got two prospects and only one of those prospects are what we would describe as "elite."
Why did they choose Carey Price over Halak? Halak had done more with far less opportunity during his time in Montreal. As a top-five pick, Price has mostly floundered. It was pretty clear who was capable of leading this team in net. And it wasn't Price. The Canadiens chose potential and hype over results. Halak is a proven, clutch goaltender. Price is all hype.
And if they were going to trade Halak, they had to get much more in return than this. They needed to get back an impact player. Someone like a one-time 40-goal scorer like Brad Boyes or a top-two defenseman like Erik Johnson. Or even an elite, top-level prospect like defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. You can't trade away a No. 1 playoff goaltender and get so little in return.
Eller and Schultz may be legit top-six forwards some day (especially Eller), but we would go about describing them as difference makers.
Eller has potential as a playmaking center and is a strong two-way player. He could contribute immediately. Schultz is a tough banger and crasher with some size (6-foot-3, 208 pounds) and is likely a year or two (at best) from being NHL ready.
For the Blues, they got a playoff goaltender and gave up relatively little off the NHL roster. St. Louis upgraded the position tremendously over the likes of retreads such as Chris Mason and Ty Conklin. Halak gives them their first legit playoff goaltender since they had an aging Grant Fuhr in net in the late 1990s.
While Halak is due a considerable bump in pay from the $800,000 he made last season, getting him under contract and under the salary cap won't be an issue for the Blues with forward Keith Tkachuk ($2.15 million) retiring and unrestricted free agent goaltender Chris Mason ($3 million) likely not re-signing.
Price is starting where he left off last year 2 preseason games and he loses the first 4-2 and the second 6-2 .. this guy is just not NHL caliber.
Hope management realizes when they got rid of Halak they also threw away any chance of making the playoffs in this upcoming season...
Looks like the decision to keep Price is making some one look like genius(Gauthier) as the team is off to a much better start than i could ever have imagined..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
.. this guy is just not NHL caliber.
