What's to Gain-ey?

Trade rumors continue to swirl around the Habs, but if history is to be believed then it's unlikely that Bob Gainey will rush into a move of any type. He knows that dealing from a position of desperation never yields the same types of results, so it seems a bit far fetched to expect that we'll be seeing any sort of major deal in the near future.

With that said, I expect the team to make a deal for a puck-moving defenceman some time before the deadline. The powerplay is stagnant, and recent games have shown an alarming decrease in the efficiency of the outlet pass from their own zone (I don't think I've ever seen so many icing calls in a single game as I have last night). The name of Jay Bouwmeester keeps getting thrown around, and I have to assume that the Habs will at least inquire to see what it would take to get him to Montreal (even if it's just for the stretch drive). Tomas Kaberle is another very reasonable option when he comes back from injury, and if Brian Burke can be convinced to make a deal within the Division then he may very well be an economical option.

The forwards and goaltending will likely be secondary, although a big presence up front would clearly help (like people have been saying for the last 10 years or so). Based on the crippling contract Lecavalier just won't happen (as much as people would like to believe it will), but maybe somebody like Erik Cole could still be possible. Also, with Halak picking up his game yesterday the backup situation seems a little less panicked than it did a few days ago, but some experience and a calming influence would certainly be an added bonus if it could be attained in a cost-effective manner.