MAJOR MILKSHAKE ON THE HORIZON

Major.

Rumours about a major change in the Habs' front office began last night. It seems as is General Manager Bob Gainey is leaving the team. The terms are not clear at the moment.

President Pierre Boivin is making the announcement at 4pm today.

Pierre Gauthier will replace Gainey on an interim basis.

The timing couldn't be stranger. Days before the trading deadline, is this Gainey saying that he's just not capable of making the deals he's been after? So many hunts for a big fish that have come up dry. One tight race for the last playoff spot after another, year after year.

One thing is very interesting, Carey Price just lost his biggest supporter.

Let's just see if from this perspective. There have been many moves. Some were good, some not so good, but on a whole, nobody can question Bob Gainey's dedication, value and sacrifice for this organization of the last 35 years. He's been a staple in Montreal and for this we thank him from the bottom of our hearts.

HF29 edit - yours truly just got the call from CBC, I'll be on Daybreak tomorrow morning at 7:15 AM to discuss this. Tell me your opinions people, I'll shock the world with 'em.

...and then there was one

Bob (GM Of The Year) Gainey now has Josh G(e)orges, last year's Most Improved Player, under contract for three years at $1.1M per. This leaves Rhino as the Habs' last remining RFA.

It also leaves the Habs with about $7.5 M in cap space, so if they're planning to sign Mats at $7M per, Rhino will have to come cheap. The good news is that they then wouldn't have cap room for Breezer. Thank God for small miracles.

BTW, for those who object to the "GM of the year" title, keep in mind Trader Bob got Georges AND Max Pacioretty for Craig Rivet. The FHF wouldn't make a straight-up trade of Rivet (almost 34, $3.5M cap hit) for Georges (23, $1,1M cap hit) today, never mind including budding power forward Max Pack. And we still like Rivet - although I'm sure that will change come October when he's in a Buffalo uniform.

Is it training camp yet???

UFA Review: In Gainey We (continue to) Trust

So Habs GM Bob Gainey's big signing in the UFA sweepstakes was ...Georges Laraque.

No Mats. No Hossa. No problem.

While some in Montreal are all in a tizzy over the Habs striking out on Hossa and Sundin (possibly) - some even suggesting that the playing field needs to be equalled by giving Canadian teams more cap space - the fact is the Habs can be better than last year with this line up. If Mats does end up signing, it will be (barring injury blah blah blah).

Alex Tanguay is a HEE-Yuge improvement over Milk Carton Mike. Dance a dix is intact - thanks to a great deal with Big Tits - Gainey's best signing so far. Little Tits and maybe Tenderness occupy the third line wings, while Slowinski's 3rd line centre spot will hopefully be upgraded by My Boy Chips' emergence as a full-time NHLer - a centre that can get from point A to point B on the ice without the help of a walker. Laraque, all 6'3, 243-pounds of muscle, will be a welcome addition to a line up that relied on 6-foot 200-pound Greek Lightening to fight it's battles - yes, yes, Komo and Rhino are huge, but the team needs them on the ice, not the sin bin. The French interconnection Forth line (Bagin'/El Dandy/Mad Max/Georgy Boy) plus Greek Lightening is serviceable and can certainly play with the big boys - unlike the days when Patrick Poulin patrolled one of those wings.

On "D", nothing much had changed except for the loss of part time forward Swiss Mister. Arguably, his blueline spot presumably being taken by Rhino results in an upgrade in team defence, but that was not what the Swiss Mister was all about: the Habs are losing an integral part of their #1-in-the-league powerplay. And unlike last year after Sheldon Souray's departure, there does not appear to be any natural replacement. Only Markov is truely an offensive defencemen on this blueline (all due respect to Hamr, but those days are behind him). Anyone out there relying on the inevitable return of Breezer and his playoff point work? Didn't think so. In terms of minor league options, Mathieu Carle is probably a year away. Hopefully, as we at FHF dearly pray, the Subbanator grabs a roster spot - along with, presumably, most of the microphones in the dressing room. Of course, he's going to have to fight Georgy Boy for them.

So who's left? My pick would be Jason Williams, formerly of Chicago. He's a winger, but plays the point on the power play. He's relatively young at 27, and unlike Slowinski, has wheels on the ice. Plus, he would be a good addition to the 3rd line, allowing Tenderness to slip down to the 4th line - a kick in the ass that he needs, IMHO.

There's also Bryan Berard. To that, I say: In Gainey We Trust. Then again, I also called Slowinski a "journeyman" who Gainey wouldn't touch last off season - and that's why none of the FHF are NHL general managers. Just in case you were wondering.

Next week: Brushes with Habs' Greatness - Brent Bilodeau Edition (yes, seriously)