HabsWorld.net -- 

If there’s one thing Bob Gainey does well, it’s stealing the show at trade deadlines.  Late in his tenure in Dallas, he traded for Jason Arnott from New Jersey seconds before the deadline; 2 years ago, Alexei Kovalev, and now the biggest move he’s made with the Canadiens.  It’s official, Jose Theodore is heading west to Colorado.  In return, the Habs acquire a healthy David Aebischer.

As of 9:00 PM EST, the Canadiens had yet to confirm and/or comment on the trade.  However, Colorado GM Pierre Lacroix had this to say:  “Our entire hockey staff is very excited about the addition of Jose Theodore.  With this acquisition, we are convinced that we are securing our goaltending position for many years.”

Based on the way Theodore played with the Canadiens this season, it’s easy to say that Lacroix is hoping that Theodore can turn it around, given that he has a career worst 3.46 GAA and .881 SV%.  Meanwhile, Aebischer has turned around his struggling season lately, and recently got his GAA under 3 (2.98) and his SV% up to .900.

Meanwhile, the newest Hab had this to say:  “I’m pleased to be a member of Montreal. I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

Now, the key rationale for this trade from Montreal’s standpart is as follows:

Aebischer, unlike Theodore, is healthy now and can help for a playoff run.
Cristobal Huet, although solid, is starting to show signs of fatigue, and Yann Danis has just 6 games of NHL experience.
Theodore’s on the hook for $5.33 mil US for 2 more seasons, Aebischer makes $1.9 this year and is then an RFA.

CKAC is reporting that the Canadiens will hold a news conference at 10:00 PM EST tonight to discuss the deal.

Aebischer’s career stats:

Regular Season:

Playoffs: