On Jan. 12, 2012, Mike Cammalleri was traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the Calgary Flames for Rene Bourque. I am a die-hard Habs fan, but how are you supposed to react when your favourite player is traded? I have followed Cammalleri endlessly. Some would call me obsessed: I have his jersey, game-worn skates, know his mother’s name, and have even used his name for numerous Internet passwords (better change those now). As you can imagine, I was shocked and angry when I found out the news that he was traded. I felt as if Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier had personally wronged me. After signing him just a couple of years ago, the Canadiens have advertised endlessly with Cammalleri, working hard to build his image in order to win fans over. One day he was the face of the franchise, and the next, he gets pulled off the ice mid-game and told that he’s heading to Calgary.
I have always held to the notion that no one is untouchable, especially if the price is right. However, having analysed this trade from every possible angle, I do not understand why the deal was made. A lot of attention has been focused on the comments he made about the team, saying they “play like losers,” which some credit as the reason he was traded. After the comments were released, the Montreal media erupted into a hailstorm, claiming Cammalleri didn’t want to be in Montreal and was a cancer in the dressing room. This seems unfair. He was likely expressing the fact that the team wasn’t displaying the confidence they needed to win games, which certainly isn’t far from the truth considering their record this season. Cammalleri also made many pro-Canadiens comments, going on record stating that “… I really enjoy what it means to play for the Montreal Canadiens, always have.” This quote was rarely published in the media, and received nowhere near the same press that his first one did. Reporters undoubtedly focused on what they believed would make a better story. I hope these comments had no effect on Gauthier’s decision to trade Cammalleri. A competent General Manager should not fall into the media trap, especially in this hockey-crazed city.
Media fiasco aside, I tried to examine whether the trade made sense in hockey terms. Gauthier said the trade had nothing to do with Cammalleri’s comments but instead claimed that the Canadiens were looking to add size to their lineup to help them push for a playoff spot. Well Gauthier, trying to add size to your roster is a horrible reason to make a blockbuster trade. Why does a hockey team specifically need size? To score goals? In his past three seasons, Cammalleri has scored more goals per game and notched more points per game than Bourque. While neither player is having huge success this year, of the two, Cammalleri has six more points. It can be argued that a change of scenery could be good for both players, but Cammalleri’s playoff success makes it clear that the Canadiens lost in this trade by a landslide. Cammalleri had 10 points in seven playoff games last season and 19 in 19 games the year before, including a league-leading 13 goals. The Canadiens, whenever they succeed in squeezing into the playoffs, have been a big threat to any team and Cammalleri was always a major reason for that. It can also be argued that size can be advantageous in the defensive zone. If so, then it can be expected for Bourque to have a stronger plus/minus rating than Cammalleri. While none of the two can boast particularly great numbers, Cammalleri has held the stats advantage over Bourque in each of the past two seasons in this category.
As a Cammalleri and Habs fan, I am frustrated and sad to see him go. Hopefully Bourque will prove to be the consistent scoring threat and physical asset Pierre Gauthier believes he is. If not, then the Habs just made a huge mistake.
– Adam Taras
