BY DEREK CARSON - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
The second half of the 2011-2012 NHL regular season is underway and as we head toward the All-Star break, our teams have some soul searching to do.
In a seven-part series, I will present the burning question that will be keeping the players and fans of their favourite Canadian team up at night. Today I look at the Montreal Canadiens and wonder whether general manager Pierre Gauthier has a plan to fix the franchise.
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Habs fans have been shaking their heads for a while now. First Jacques Martin wasn't passionate enough to coach the team, and now Randy Cunneyworth isn't bilingual enough. To make matters worse, the Habs have only won five out of 17 contests under Cunneyworth and are in a virtual freefall in the standings.
To shake things up, Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier recently traded away Mike Cammalleri (arguably the Habs' best forward) to Calgary for Rene Bourque (a second liner at best) and a second round pick. The move may have cleared up $2.66 million in cap space but the problem is that Bourque is signed for four more years and the 30-year-old is no spring chicken. This is not a move for the future unless it's a diabolical scheme to make the Canadiens worse this season so they can draft in the top 10.
For Gauthier to make this trade when he's basically a sitting duck GM on the last year of his contract, Habs fans must be shaking their heads at him even more than they've done at their coaches.
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