The Habs should trade Halak ASAP, for the good of the franchise.

Right now the team is a complete and utter mess, notably being easily the worst 5-on-5 club in the NHL. The team has good 5-on-5 players, but the coach has shackled them so badly that they’re largely ineffective. His so-called “defensive” style that results in twice as many chances against than chances for is utterly ill-suited for this roster, not that there’s any roster that could be successful playing the way he wants them to. It’s a credit to the players, and especially Halak, that they manage to win at all in these circumstances, but it also seems to me they are now subtly tuning the coach out, too.

The Habs aren’t going to progress until the coach is replaced by someone more suited (heck, someone decent would be nice) and the shackles are removed. But Halak keeps them winning game and allows them to pretend that all is doing well and they have a fighting chance when in reality they’re a complete disaster. If Halak weren’t unearthly, if he were merely very good like Carey Price or Cam Ward this year, or even excellent like Brodeur, the Habs easily have 5-6 fewer wins, they’re in the cellar, they’re counting their Taylor Hall lottery balls, and maybe they have a new coach who can get the team to make some progress.

Halak has singlehandedly saved Martin’s job several times over already and the longer they delay the necessary step of replacing him, the more it’ll cost them long-term.

(Disclaimer: I’m kidding about solving this problem with trading Halak. But not about him singlehandedly keeping a bad coach alive.)

I agree with mathman that Halak is keeping martin’s job for him, but he’s also saving the Habs season, something I don’t believe Price can do, I think we could get a decent back up &/or solid defender for price. So trading Halak, especially at this time, would be a huge mistake. Price should go, Martin & Gainey w/ him.

Trading Price will probably make him the happiest man on earth. He has been put under a lot of unfair pressure and scrutiny as the result of Gainey’s mismanagement.
He is almost certain to enjoy success if we do that.
BUT… will he prosper if he stays here?
“Pedigree”, talent, and technique will never surpass the will to win. Does he have that? He has not shown much of that other than theatrical tantrums to show “emotion”.
Halak is regarded as having less talent and not technically as sound. If so, then he is doing fairly well considering that handicap. I would think that if his comparatively mediocre skills can be improved upon, his consistency will only improve.
While it is generally accepted, and I agree, that Price has the better “upper bound” in his game, my thoughts are that Halak is actually the safer bet for this team. His mental toughness and professionalism override his perceived technical and athletic shortcomings.

The organization should really do their best to keep both goaltenders. There’s little the team has in its favor other than that. I don’t have much faith in Gainey at this point, and less in Martin.

Honestly, I disagree, I believe Halak is the better goaltender, considering that he stands on his head game in and game out making +40 saves on almost a nightly basis, although that doesn’t say too much for the Habs’ defense, still say price should be traded for a defender and/or back up, take some pressure off of Halak, he’s earned the position of starting goaltender.

You can talk all you want about statistical comparisons…but take it from a goalie- 90% of the game begins and ends in your head. Price has all the tools to be a great goalie, I just don’t see it happening here. Jaro’s built up his skills, being brought along slowly, without being thrown into the fire (gee Bob…what an idea!). He deserves every bit of the no. 1 spot.

As for Price, there is the potential for a Roy effect if we trade him. But honestly, let the guy have a shot somewhere else. The media in Montreal have eaten him alive, and I don’t know if he’ll ever be able to play well enough to meet expectations, which were absurdly high from the outset. The booing he received in last year’s playoffs was undeserved- he was playing behind a team falling apart. Gainey should have been smarter than to throw a 21 yr. old goalie to the wolves like that.

At the end of the day, I think Jaro’s at the point in his career where he can handle the pressure. Carey’s not, and I doubt he wants to play second fiddle, in front of fans who doubt his capability. Furthermore, the final indictment lies in the behaviour of the players in front of the goalie. When Price starts, the team visibly lacks confidence in him. Its the opposite with Jaro. Do what’s best for the player, and the team Bob, and let Carey have a fresh start.