Habs Mailbag: Here’s why Canadiens traded Chris Chelios and Patrick Roy
Habs’ priorities this off-season should be offence, offence and offence, but they’re not ready to go “all in” in pursuit of the Cup.
I know these questions won’t be nagging at the majority of Canadiens fans anymore, but I have never been satisfied with the answers I have heard as to why Chris Chelios and Patrick Roy were traded and I more than occasionally muse what might have been if they were both still around for the last five years of the 1990s. What do you believe to be the definitive answers?
When Chelios was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Denis Savard in the summer of 1990, it was assumed his party lifestyle was a factor in the decision. But in his autobiography, Serge Savard: Forever Canadien, the former GM said that wasn’t the case. Savard noted that Chelios missed 27 games during the 1989-90 season because of a knee injury.
“At the end of the season, we got a medical opinion that was very worrisome,” Savard said in the book. “His knee was in terrible shape and his career in professional hockey wouldn’t last much longer, maybe a season or two. That information was the deciding factor. That’s why I traded Chris Chelios. Otherwise, I never would have done it. It was one of the biggest blunders of my career as a general manager. His knee held up and he continued playing until he was 48 years old.”
As for Roy, Savard said in his book he was looking to trade the goalie before he was fired as GM four games into the 1995-96 season. Savard noted that Roy was taking up “a lot of space” in the locker room and held too much influence over head coach Jacques Demers, who was fired at the same time as Savard. Savard has said he was close to dealing Roy to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for goalie Stéphane Fiset and forward Owen Nolan.
“A change had become necessary,” Savard said about Roy. “The team revolved far too much around him.”
Former team president Ronald Corey hired Réjean Houle to replace Savard and Mario Tremblay to replace Demers. The rest is history and Roy was traded to Colorado.
Have the Canadiens re-signed all their assistant coaches or do you expect some changes behind the bench, particularly for the power play?
Sheldon Stein
While it was announced this week that the Laval Rocket coaching staff has been signed to contract extensions, there is still no word on the contract situation with the Canadiens’ assistant coaches. The club did exercise its two-year option on head coach Martin St. Louis’s contract, meaning he is signed for the next three seasons.
During his season-ending news conference, GM Kent Hughes said he would be speaking with assistant coaches Alex Burrows, Trevor Letowski and Stéphane Robidas about contract extensions and didn’t say anything about looking to make changes. Hughes added that he didn’t think the team needed a coach with more NHL experience.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes and I still believe they could use some more NHL experience behind the bench and definitely some help on the power play. If there are any changes coming, I expect we will find out within the next month.
I feel the Habs are at the point of: Go all in. Do you think now is the time to make all needed moves to compete for the Cup? Get a couple of top six forwards?
James Masse
It’s pretty much impossible to go from 28th in the overall NHL standings to “all in” over the course of one year.
The Canadiens are heading into their third full season of a rebuild and I expect Hughes will be active during the off-season when it comes to trades since he holds two first-round draft picks and an abundance of young defencemen. He might also be active in the free-agent pool, but not necessarily with a big splash.
Hughes won’t jeopardize the future and the overall plan for the rebuild at this point. I think his goal will be to make some deals that will make the Canadiens contenders for a playoff spot next season. They’re still at least a couple of years away, in my opinion, from going “all in” with hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.
In your opinion, what’s the top 3-4 priorities for the Canadiens this off-season?
Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
Three of the top priorities should be offence, offence and offence since this rebuild won’t work if the Canadiens can’t find more forwards who can help put the puck in the net. Another priority is re-signing Arber Xhekaj, who can become a restricted free agent.
Size and toughness still matters in the NHL — especially on defence and in the playoffs. Xhekaj is a unique player with his ability to play a solid defensive game, his big shot and the physical aspect he brings. The fact Xhekaj has had surgery on both shoulders is a concern, but I think the Canadiens need to re-sign him.
