Canadiens Making Big Trades? Blackhawks Making Goalie Changes?

It’s early in the season and the Canadiens are already looking to make more moves in overhauling their roster.  Latest rumors coming out of Montreal are that GM Bob Gainey has a few possibilities in the works.  Nashville Predators veteran centerman Jason Arnott and defenseman Teemu Laasko could be heading to the Canadiens as part of a big trade that would send brothers Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn, forward Tomas Plekanec and a second-round pick to the Predators.  Montreal has been trying to unload the Kostitsyns ever since their off ice incidents with Russian organized crime in the city.  Their on ice performance is the main reason for Gainey wanting to move the brothers, both are just not living up to their potential.  Gainey is also talking to two other teams as well, the New Jersey Devils and the Phoenix Coyotes.  The deal with the Coyotes is: defensemen Adrian Aucoin and Keith Yandle and a first rounder for goalie Jaroslav Halak, the Kostitsyns and Tomas Plekanec.  The deal with the Devils is Cory Murphy and Colin White for Sergei Kostitsyn and Glen Metropolit.

After Nikolai Khabibulin took the Blackhawks to the Western conference finals some worried that with his departure to the Edmonton Oilers in the offseason that the goaltending duties would be well handled by Cristobal Huet.  Well, it seems that some of those fears are now being realized.  If backup netminder Antti Niemi continues to play well, and Cristobal Huet continues to struggle, there will be a change in goal for the Blackhawks.  This comes after Huet, the No. 1, was pulled last night after just seven minutes into the third period, after allowing three goals on five shots.