Wounded rearguard Gorges heads home
As a Hab, but he likely won’t be around next season
The belief that you can never have too many defencemen is being put to the test by the Canadiens.
A few hours after arriving here in the wee hours of Thursday morning, defenceman Josh Gorges headed back to the airport and flew home to Montreal. Gorges has been playing with an injured right hand, and an Xray taken after Wednesday’s 4-3 shootout win in Anaheim indicated he has a broken bone.
The team’s top shot blocker was hit in the hand during last Saturday’s home game against Toronto. At one point, the TV cameras zoomed in when the medical staff was treating Gorges and it appeared that his hand was cut.
Gorges continued to be an effective player despite the injury. On Wednesday, he was on the ice for 21:28, including 6:04 on the penalty kill. But he was in obvious discomfort after the game and that’s when the X-ray was ordered and the decision was made to have Gorges evaluated by the team’s doctors in Montreal.
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said he was aware of the possibility Gorges would have to shut it down and that’s when he picked up veteran defenceman Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. What appeared to be a minor, even unnecessary, move in light of the Canadiens’ depth on defence came into focus when Gorges was sent home.
“It’s like when you buy a house and you get insurance,” said Bergevin, who joined the team from Chicago, where he was attending his mother-in-law’s funeral. “You hope you don’t have to use it, but you need it. We talked to the doctor after the Toronto game and we knew there was a chance we would need some help.” Weaver was with Douglas Murray.
Weaver wasn’t the only newcomer in the Canadiens’ lineup. Thomas Vanek, who was acquired from the New York Islanders on Wednesday, was at left wing on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta.
Vanek was available because he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and is expected to sign in Minnesota, where he maintains his off-season home. Bergevin sad he wasn’t deterred by the idea that Vanek would be a pure rental.
“We’re in a fight to make the playoffs and we think he
“Since the minute I found out I had been traded to Montreal, they’ve treated me first class.” THOMAS VANEK
The 35-year-old Weaver and Gorges have similar skill sets. Weaver led the Panthers in blocked shots, has been known to hit above his weight and is a capable penalty-killer. He made his Canadiens debut Thursday night against Phoenix as coach Michel Therrien juggled his defensive pairings.
Russians Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin remain together, while the rapidly improving Jarred Tinordi cracked the top four as P.K. Subban’s defence partner. can help us reach that goal,” Bergevin said.
While observers feel that the deal that sent prospect Sebastian Collberg and a fifth-round draft pick to the Islanders was a steal for Montreal, Bergevin had a different view.
“We think Collberg is a good prospect who has had two good world juniors and I don’t like to give up draft picks,” Bergevin said.
“It’s a fifth-rounder, but Brendan Gallagher was a fifth-rounder.”
Bergevin said he didn’t give any thought to moving defenceman Markov, who is a potential UFA.
Plekanec could be the major beneficiary of the Vanek trade. He has played with a variety of wingers, but he hasn’t been paired with a quality offensive winger in his prime since he played with Alex Kovalev.
Vanek’s arrival means Alex Galchenyuk played with Daniel Brière and Rene Bourque, while Lars Eller returned to the lineup on the fourth line with Travis Moen and Ryan White.
Vanek, who is expected to give the Canadiens some size — he’s 6-foot-2 — and scoring punch, was with the Islanders in Edmonton when the trade was announced. He flew to Phoenix Thursday morning and spent a few hours introducing himself to the coaching staff and his new teammates.
“Any time (you get traded) you’re excited to come in and meet the guys,” said Vanek, who knows Brière from their time as teammates in Buffalo. “It’s a little bit overwhelming, but since the minute I found out I had been traded to Montreal, they’ve treated me first class. We just had a quick meeting this morning.”