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Gainey could be gone at end of playoffs

April 15, 2009 08:03 AM | Posted by   Elliotte Friedman  

It's been 36 years since the legendary Sam Pollock fielded "Bob Who?" questions after the 1973 NHL draft, trading down twice and taking an unknown guy named Gainey with the eighth overall pick.

You can't call it Pollock's grandest larceny - two other deals stole Guy Lafleur from the Seals in 1971 - but it's right up there. Sixteen years later, the owner of five Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and an award created in his honour (the Selke) left Montreal for France, then Minnesota and Dallas.

Ken Dryden tried to get him to Toronto, but the Canadiens were in his blood. No one was surprised when the rudderless Habs turned to him in 2003. There was never a doubt this conquering hero would be anything less than an enormous success. And, up until this season, he was.

The Canadiens hit the iceberg this season, with Gainey's reputation ripped apart like the Titanic's hull. It's as if 20-plus years of accomplishment have been wiped away by a province-wide case of amnesia.

And it's why you can't help but wonder if, win or lose (and it's probably going to be the latter), Gainey walks away from the Canadiens once again. This time, for good.

It's hard to make such a prediction with any certainty, because Gainey is the ultimate poker-face, someone who reveals little to even his closest confidants. (And, I am not one.) One person who is close to him told me in March that "it's 50-50" the current coach/GM returns in 2009-10.

There is some of circumstantial evidence to suggest he won't:

1) Gainey is clearly tired of the public scrutiny surrounding his hockey team, on and off the ice. One of his greatest strengths as both a player and an executive was the ability to keep calm in a maelstrom. There've been a few occasions this year where he's snapped at questions, which is unusual for him. (Then again, some of the off-ice accusations have been insane.)

2) He's no longer bulletproof. Everything - from making Carey Price the number one guy, to signing Georges Laraque, to how he handled Alex Kovalev's "vacation" - is being criticized. To be fair, some of that is deserved.

3) One of his longest friendships may have been damaged beyond repair. Gainey and Guy Carbonneau won two Stanley Cups together (I'm counting Dallas 1999) and re-united in Montreal, a Dynamic Duo hoping for number three. Their relationship may be one of the greatest casualties of this nightmarish Montreal season, because Carbonneau clearly felt surprised and betrayed by his firing.

4) The uncertainty of George Gillette's ownership. The team is for sale. Gainey had almost total autonomy under him. Will a new owner be so willing? Come to think of it, even if Gillette retains control, will he flex more muscle after this disappointment?

5) He recently celebrated the birth of his first grandchild. And, after all the tragedy he's been through, could anyone blame Gainey for wanting to spend more time with him?

It should also be noted that a successor would have plenty of flexibility. Gainey's been criticized for having too many free-agents-to-be on his roster, but that could make the job very attractive for the next guy. Think about it: most new GMs go into situations where they have to clean up someone else's mess. He could walk away saying he's given his replacement plenty of cap room and lots of cheap young talent, although some of it needs an attitude adjustment.

The 100th anniversary season is four losses away from being a complete and total bust. Barring a total turnaround, there will be a lot of victims: Carbonneau, Kovalev, the Kostitsyns, Price, Plekanec, Laraque, I could keep going all day.

But the biggest hit could come to Gainey. It shouldn't happen, and it seems ridiculous to suggest: But could Canadiens fans be happy to see their one-time hero go away?

Careful what you wish for.

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