Will We See Vincent Lecavalier In A Montreal Canadiens Jersey?
If you are a Montreal Canadiens fan then you are no doubt intrigued about the possibility of seeing Vincent Lecavalier in a Montreal Canadiens jersey. Rumors have been swirling that the Tampa Bay Lightning are shopping Vincent Lecavalier, and every time Lecavalier’s name comes up in trade rumors the Montreal Canadiens always seem to be in the mix.
This time, however, there appears to be a little more smoke than usual that we could see Lecavalier in a Montreal Canadiens jersey before this year’s trade deadline, and while that does not necessarily mean fire, no one appears to be denying the rumors outright to this point.
The media in Montreal has jumped all over these rumors, and there has been much speculation by fans and media alike as to which players are being dangled as bait to try and make Vincent Lecavalier a Montreal Canadien. Several sources have reported that Thomas Plekanec, Christropher Higgins, Josh Jorges, and prospect P.K. Subban are being offered along with draft picks. If that is true that is a pretty steep price to pay, even taking into account Lecavalier’s superstar abilities. Plekanec might not be on pace to match the 69 points he had last year, but he is still an offensive threat, and is arguably the Montreal Canadiens’ best penalty killing forward. Christopher Higgins has scored 20+ goals in the past three seasons, and only injury woes have prevented him from being on a similar pace this season. Josh Jorges is coming into his own as an NHL caliber defenseman, and currently leads the Canadiens in plus/minus with a sparkling +16 rating. P.K. Subban is one of the Canadiens’ best young prospects and was outstanding at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships held in Ottawa.
All 4 of these players are 26 years of age or younger, and each potentially has many years ahead of them in a Montreal Canadiens jersey. On the other hand, Vincent Lecavalier is one of the NHL’s very few true superstars, and he already has a Stanley Cup ring to his credit. He is a native son of Montreal, and it has been almost three decades since the Canadiens boasted a French Canadian superstar (Guy Lafleur) at the forward position. It is an old adage that the team who gets the best player wins the trade, and there is no question Lecavalier would be the best player in this deal. However, in this new NHL it is the teams that have the greatest depth who have had the greatest success over the past few years. So, will the Canadiens be sacrificing too much of their depth to put Vincent Lecavalier in a Canadiens jersey?
The question, in the end, may very well be moot. The likelihood of such a blockbuster deal actually coming to fruition is slim. Still, in these days where salary cap issues handcuff NHL General Managers, we the fans rarely get to see a major trade any more, so when these juicy rumors surface we have to milk them for all they are worth.
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