Confirmed with Link: Erik Cole traded to Dallas Stars for Michael Ryder + 3rd round pick!!

[Shaby23]

Not really a bad trade imo but....

Is now really the time to shake things up?

You know Cole had bad influence in the locker room when you are 1st and you trade someone like that.

 

[Habsterix*]

I'm sad to see Cole leave. A classy player and individual, and a great leader.

We won't know the true value of this trade until the summer I'm guessing, as between the Gomez buyout and likely Kaberle, in addition to this trade, Bergevin has dropped close to $16M for each of the next couple of seasons.

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of two things happen:

1. Bergevin will be going after a good UFA in the summer; or
2. He has another deal brewing which would bring salary back.

Ryder could do well with Eller and Galchenyuk in the mean time.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I'm sad to see Cole leave. A classy player and individual, and a great leader.

We won't know the true value of this trade until the summer I'm guessing, as between the Gomez buyout and likely Kaberle, in addition to this trade, Bergevin has dropped close to $16M for each of the next couple of seasons.

I wouldn't be surprised to see one of two things happen:

1. Bergevin will be going after a good UFA in the summer; or
2. He has another deal brewing which would bring salary back.

Ryder could do well with Eller and Galchenyuk in the mean time.

That line makes sense.

 

[Habstract]

Welcome back Night Ryder !!

 

[Dharvey33]

Desharnais Ryder 2nd for ROR haha

 

[shawdowmaker]

Rejean Houle

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

 

[Dharvey33]

Ryder the last mtl player that had mutliple 30 goals season but still hated, yeah he was pretty unidimensional but at least we was good at it.

Ryder Plekanec Bourque(when he comes back) would be a great line.
Eller Galchenyuk Gionta (maybe awake the little man)

 

[Jigger77]

Not really a bad trade imo but....

Is now really the time to shake things up?

Yeah I thought the same thing.

 

[Habstract]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

You must be kidding... right?!

 

[Odelein24]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

Slight overreaction here.

 

[Maffew]

Physical? Eller is as "physical" as Kostistyn was.

Kostitsyn was one of our best hitters before he left. To say he wasn't physical is to say he wasn't Belarussian.

Favorite food
Chicken, pasta and steak

His kind aint welcomed here

How does he feels about Italian coffee?



I watched Cole's interview on RDS.ca, and one thing that caught my attention was him openly saying there's a big change in the locker room compared to last season. I can't recall if anyone outside of Cammy came out and cited issues there.

Everything else Cole said was pure class and seemed to be completely honest. He's handling it like a pro and it sounds like everything was amicable on all sides. I can't imagine someone who caused locker room problems speaking so well of his teammates and the team's management as he's leaving. Nothing but respect for him on his way out.

 

[overlords]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

You know absolutely nothing about rejean houle's tenure here if you think that him trading an aging, tired vet for a slightly younger, and more productive player makes MB anything like him.

 

[Jigger77]

Any Bergevin interview or anything anywhere? There's about 20 videos about the trade on RDS all saying the same thing. Can't seem to find Bergevin's comments anywhere.

 

[Hackett]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

All things equal, I'll take cole over ryder, just like you. He's simply a better fit, and when things get tighter and more intense, that's when I really expect to miss Cole's presence.

However, there's the financial aspect involved. I think the fact that Cole had 2 years left, vs Ryder who is in the final year, gives the habs some flexibility this summer, and acted as an equalizer in the deal along with the draft pick.

Its too early to say, but my feeling is that ryder will not be back next year and that saved money will help with the cap figure going down. Its also entirely possible that MB is not a Cole fan, and would rather bring his own type of player in.

There's still 4 plus million of cap space rotting in the press box. Now, if MB can find a way to shed that contract, then he truly is a genius.

 

[SB164]

I'm sure the coaching staff will ask Ryder to tell them everything he knows about Tuuka Rask's goaltending weakspots.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

You know Cole had bad influence in the locker room when you are 1st and you trade someone like that.

That is my thinking. Management had to feel he was either bringing down the room or something to make this trade now. Obviously they felt he was not worth waiting to see if a rebound was around the corner.

 

[mitchmagic]

Shat my pants when I heard about this.

This is great.

 

[Habs]

Weird trade. Don't really see the point of this one...

It appears Habs management wasn't happy with Cole's comments during the lockout about retirement etc, nor his remarks about P.K ... I'm guessing there must be issues in the locker room as well (There has to be when a high paid player looks uninterested and isn't performing)

 

[Hackett]

I'm sure the coaching staff will ask Ryder everything he knows about Tuuka Rask's goaltending weakspots.

Hopefully, he can burn the bruins the same way he tended to burn us.

The bruins had a couple years where they would pick up former habs who would come back to haunt us. Pouliot was the other.

Its nice to at least have the potential to return the favor this time, although he isn't directly coming from boston to montreal... close enough, though.

 

[Bloumeister]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

 

[Dharvey33]

If Ryder does good this year i would resign him at 3 mil for 2 years i think he could still be of use and he still has a wicked shot that's what goes last just ask Shanahan. Could play on the third line and score 20 goals 40 points worth it IMO.

 

[shawdowmaker]

You do not trade a character player for a sniper. If Ryder doesn't score he offers what? grit-no toughness -no veteran leadership-no Defence- no game changing momentum -maybe aggressiveness no this is why he was ran out of town.

 

[fsdev905]

I don t understand why MB aka Rejean Houle would trade one of his leaders when the team is doing good? Erik Cole is the prototypical power-forward off to a slow start ...who cares! he has 6PTS MP has 14 and Plek 13 wow (only in Montreal) The team has a chance to win now or at least had a chance to win. Who is next ...PK? he's already on the 3rd D line. (I miss Garbo and Gainey)

That's an absurd comparison!

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

WTF?! If it weren't for the "Confirmed with Link" thing, I thought this would be a joke thread.

First bad transaction of the Bergevin era. Ryder was a third liner on the Bruins for damn good reason. He's one dimensional as heck. I suppose the brass believes that the young guys will be entering the top 6, because Ryder better not.

Ryder was also the 4th best scorer on a Stanley Cup winning team for damn good reason. And as much of a one dimensional player as you say he is, you can't say Cole's defensive play has been very good so far this season. We might miss him on the forecheck and we might miss his checking, but then again, with guys like Pacioretty, Gallagher, Prust, Bourque and, when he's on, Moen, who bring a good sustained forecheck and who have a physical element in their game, it's not as crucial as it looked like it was back when we signed him, when we had Kostitsyn, Cammalleri, Gionta as wingers. Gallagher might not be the biggest guy out there, but he sure is provoking a lot of turnovers and can hit quite a bit.

In the end, Bourque's performance this season has made Cole expendable.

As for the trade itself, I like it on the longterm. It brings a lot of versatility to this team going forward, and we couldn't take the risk of being stuck with a declining Cole's expensive contract. We add a 3rd round draft pick in what is said to be a very deep draft.

On the short-term, I know Ryder is, and will always be Ryder, that he is inconsistent and that he's not known for having a regular work ethic. That being said, he matured quite a bit under Julien. We also get a sniper, which we could have used a couple of times so far this season. We immediately get a guy who's 1st in our team for points.

In the end, we made a safe pick, the downside is low, and it gives Bergevin, Dudley and co. a good opportunity this summer to put a real stamp on this team.

We'll see what happens, but here's my prediction;

Ryder gives us a very interesting option on the PP, as the book looked more and more like it was out on the fact that most of our offense on those opportunities is on the backend/blueline. He's also capable of getting those trash goals. He should have an ok 2nd half with us. Let's just not forget he's Michael Ryder, and that, you know, he's not known for his consistency, even if it improved big time.

As for Erik Cole, he's going to have a good second half. I trust him on that. But the fans have to look over that and not forget that this move was a move that had to happen at some point.

In the immediate future, I'd like to see Ryder with Galchenyuk. Ryder likes to float around the high-slot and watch the play evolve, and he's actually pretty good at pinching in the backdoor and waiting for the pass from the other wing. Galchenyuk is actually very, very efficient in seeing those opening and in making those perfect crisp, lethal passes in the O zone. That, coupled with the fact that Eller is doing very, very good in puck possession and can keep the puck behind the other team's defense for extended periods of time... I just see it being too logic of a combo for it to not work out.

So my lines would go as follow, whenever we get healthy;

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Gallagher
Bourque - Plekanec - Gionta
Galchenyuk - Eller - Ryder
Moen - White - Prust
Armstrong

 

[shawdowmaker]

I totally agree!!! but i wished we went for it this year! time will tell if MB had the vision.