The week may have marked the winding down of 2010 but for Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier, it was full speed ahead.
Three days after adding defenceman James Wisniewski from the New York Islanders, Gauthier sent forward Maxim Lapierre to the Anaheim Ducks for AHL defenceman Brett Festerling and fifth round pick in 2012.
Word first broke in the hour leading up to the Canadiens’ New Year’s Eve tilt against the Panthers in Florida and spread like wildfire on Twitter. It seemed to come out of nowhere but the Canadiens GM
“Firstly, we wanted to keep adding to our defensive depth because we have a lot of injuries, including Mathieu Carle down in Hamilton. Mr. Festerling adds size and strength to the group we have. He’s played more than 80 games in the NHL. He’ll go to Hamilton but we know we can call him up,” Gauthier explained to CKAC.
“The other part is David Desharnais, who will join the team tomorrow and was so dominant in the AHL that it was time to give him his chance. He’ll be a good addition for the club.”
The Canadiens announced the Desharnais call-up Friday morning, leading many to believe it was more to spark a slumping squad that, prior to its overtime win over Florida, had two goals in its previous three games and just two wins in its last 10.
Josh Gorges was put on injured reserve, giving the opportunity for the call-up without having to demote anyone from the current roster. Then the Lapierre trade opened up an available spot among the Canadiens’ crop of forwards.
“He’ll have his chance,” Gauthier said of Desharnais, who led the Bulldogs and the AHL with points (10 goals, 35 assists) as of Friday morning. “The coaches will obviously decide how to use him but he’s been terrific this year.
“He’s a guy who works really hard. Even if he’s not a very big guy, he has the heart of a giant and I think he can help us.”
Lapierre, meanwhile, felt as though his chance to help an NHL team was no longer going to be in Montreal. But, Gauthier noted, never did the feisty forward ask to be traded.
“Maxim never formally requested (a trade). But we knew there was a time where he thought that moving on might be the best thing for his career, and us as well,” he acknowledged. “We were aware of what he was thinking.”
With a head start on many of his counterparts and the Canadiens aiming to right a wobbly ship, many wonder what Gauthier himself is thinking of. Among the most tight-lipped general managers in the league, any insight will come with any future moves.
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