During CBC’s Hot Stove last night on the Hockey Night in Canada segment, the questionable Al Strachan threw Vincent Lecavalier’s name out in a surprising rumour.

Just to get the record straight, I personally feel Strachan is a load of you know what and most of his rumours are outlandish in an Eklund kind of way anyway.

Back to Vinny now, Strachan claims an “inside source” had informed him that Lecavalier did all he can do in Tampa Bay and would prefer to be traded to a bigger market team that has a better chance of winning.

Not totally unbelievable, but if this is this case, should the Canadiens, one of the 3 mentioned possible teams for his services along with the LA Kings and the Rangers, save their money and go after him instead of trying to land Marian Hossa from Atlanta right now?

It’s a tricky situation if Bob Gainey is looking at it this way, I am by no means one of those crazed OMG OMG VINNY LECAVALIER GET HIM BOB HE’S FRENCH CANADIAN HES GUY LAFLEUR (he might turn out to be) but if he’s trying to get us that superstar, should he wait for next year’s UFA period when Lecavalier will almost certainly test the market in my opinion or trade for an unsigned Marian Hossa, and give up young players and huge cash in the process?

I think Jay Feaster wouldn’t move Lecavalier unless he was truly desperate or the return would be worthwile.
If Peter Forsberg can net Ryan Parent and Scottie Upshall, two potential first tier players, then I wonder how much Lecavalier’s value might demand.

With that being said…Bob, just go after Hossa.
-Because Lecavalier would be mercilessly scrutinized by his fellow French Canadian media here and there would be no end, absolutely none, to subpar chatter surrounding him.
-Because we don’t exactly have Vinny Prospal or Martin St. Louis to offer as linemates (Saku Koivu and Chris Higgins right now).
-Because he’s a centre.

Koivu may be nearing the decline of his career, but like I’ve said before on my older blog, Koivu is not a first line centre.

I admire the guy and I’m actually sticking up for him right now, unlike 75% of the Habs fanbase that want his head on a stick, but he’s a second line centre at best and Tomas Plekanec is more than capable of carying the load of first-line centre one day (he’s already technically that but Carbonneau can’t slot him there on paper, it’s taboo).

Now that I got you all into my Habs propaganda involving Lecavalier (once again) and Hossa, I’d really like to know what you would do, if you were Bob Gainey and if you had these above choices with the consequences presented to you.

-BBeR