Carriere was on the bench as assistant coach half of Gauthier's tenure, have no idea what his role is with the team but that doesn't resemble anything like normal assistant GMs. He was pro scout with Sabres so perhaps he's internal scouting based on him being chosen as assistant coach. He was coaching during the time Gauthier made Kaberle/Spacek trade.
IMO both Gainey/Gauthier are a duo, there's a reason Gainey stayed with the team in a senior advisor role after personally handing GM job to him. Both deserve the blame. To me it's ridiculous how people treat Gauthier as some victim to Gainey as if he wouldn't have had major input on the franchise hurting moves that were made from 2008 onwards. Someone that is Assistant GM/Director of Pro Scouting would have a huge say in how everything is run. When judging Gauthier's tenure with the Habs, so many people just remove that part of history from Gauthier as if he had no part of it. This defense of him is something I fail to understand.
There's a reason so many Assistant GMs get hired for GM positions, this wouldn't be the case unless they are highly involved in hockey operations. It's actually common for Assistant GMs to conduct contract discussion, trades, UFAs. Burke always mentioned at press conferences whenever Nonis did most of the work. If I'm not mistaken, at the deadline Dudley was the one acting on behalf of Bergevin while he was at a funeral.
-The reason why Carrierre went behind the bench after Martin was fired was because both Randy's were in the AHL the year before, and Carrierre being an Ast GM had more knowledge of other teams, so it was to help them.
-Also your wrong about the Spacek, Kaberle trade, the trade happined a week before Martin was fired. So Carrierre was not behind the bench.
-If you listen to Burke, or even Bergevin talk, they give their ast GM a ton of credit for the work they put in, but you always hear them say that, they are the ones that have the final say.
-No one is saying Gauthier doesn't deserve blame, but some ppl just take it overboard,with stuff like saying how he was really behind it all, and Gainey was not even really the GM etc.
-There is no way Gainey didn't know what he was getting with Gomez, Gomez before the last while in Mtl has always been the same, a 50-60 centre.
-Other than some insiders telling us, no one knows who wanted who, I mean in 07 when Gainey traded Rivet for Gorges and a 1st (Pacioretty), are we going to give only Gauthier the credit for that trade, since he was scouting and saw Gorges talent? I remember the Ducks wanted Rivet at that tradeline, maybe Gauthier said to take that deal but Gainey wanted Gorges....
-The only info that ever came out of the Gomez deal was in Elliote Fiedmen 30 thoughts a couple years ago. It said that once the Rangers knew the Habs could get Vinny from Tampa, they offered them Gomez for Mdg and it a done deal fast..
-So Gainey who was heavy into the Vinny deal, remember him being upset at the Brain Lawton for putting out players name that were rumoured all of sudden didn't know how Gomez is and how he was playing..
