Hossa Traded To Rangers

[Jaimoe]

It makes sense given the log-jam of young talent on the Habs. From TSN:

Canadiens trade Hossa to Rangers

9/30/2005 3:26:06 PM

The Montreal Canadiens could be ready to keep Guillaume Latendresse in the lineup, as the team has traded forward Marcel Hossa to the New York Rangers for forward Garth Murray.

Murray will immediately join the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens farm team in the American Hockey League.

Hossa, 23, played in 59 games with the Canadiens between 2001 and 2004, scoring 10 goals and nine assists. His best year in Montreal was in 2002-03, when he collected six goals and seven assists in 34 games.

Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey told TSN's sister station in Quebec RDS Thursday that the only options they have for Latendresse is playing the entire season for the Canadiens or spending another year with Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

According to Gainey, the team has had sufficient time to evaluate his play without having to offer him a 10-game test and return him to junior afterwards.

The Canadiens are under public pressure from their fans to keep the 2005 second-round pick, who has become an instant favourite in Montreal.

By sending him back to junior, the Canadiens would postpone his free agency by one year. Latendresse also has a shot at playing for Canada at the world junior championships in December.

Making the decision even more difficult was the fact that the Habs already had Hossa, Chris Higgins, Alexander Perezhogin, and Tomas Plekanec ready for NHL duty.

Hossa had to clear waivers if the Canadiens wanted to send them to Hamilton of the American Hockey League.

Edited October 1, 2005 by Guest

[Guest Low Roller]

I would have traded Alex "stick-boy" Perezhogin myself... I guess we'll never see the line of Latendresse/Bonk/Hossa again, which is too bad after their 11 point performance against the Lightning.

In return the Habs get a bag of pucks... typical. They should gone for a draft pick for Hossa, which would make sense. I guess Gainey was desperate to get something out of it...

[Jaimoe]

Maybe the Habs thought they had enough finesse type players. Murray is a year younger than Hossa and is tough as nails. Obviously Gainey has seen something in the other young guys in camp and perhaps got rid of Hossa in order to develop the players with more of an explosive upside - Latendresse and Perezhogin. Also, Hossa hasn't proven himself yet at the NHL level, so Roller, do you think you've over-valued him?

[Guest Low Roller]

According to all reports, Hossa has had an amazing training camp, and was being considered for the second line in place of Pierre Dagenais. I have never seen him play personally, so I'm just going on what I read.

Radek Bonk said that playing with Marcel Hossa was "like playing with Marian. They think the same way on the ice." That's a pretty big statement to make...

Of all the young guns that are gunning for a spot on the team, the one that stayed the quietest is Chris Higgins. If Latendresse was to stay on the team, Higgins was the one I expected to not make the cut.

[badams]

I turst Gainey

[badams]

I also trust Gainey

[Booche]

I think what happened here is that Hossa was NOT going to make the club and would have had to go on waivers before getting to Hamilton. Someone would have picked him up and the Habs would have got nothing in return.

Makes sense to me.

I am really surprised they are keeping Guillaume Latendresse up with the big boys. He is pretty damn young, which goes against their usual format. I think I am going to pick him up in my Franchise pool.

[M.O.B.E]

I'm gonna phone my buddy Wardo tomorrow and see if I can get the scoop on this one...Jason Ward and Hossa were housemates in Hamilton and are really good friends. I wonder if that had anything to do with him going to NY??

[dave-O]

"I think what happened here is that Hossa was NOT going to make the club and would have had to go on waivers before getting to Hamilton. Someone would have picked him up and the Habs would have got nothing in return."

Exactly.