The Forum: Erik Cole for Michael Ryder
On Tuesday, the Habs swapped Erik Cole to Dallas for Michael Ryder and a 3rd round pick in this year’s draft. So just what do some of our contributors think of the rather surprising swap?
Kyle (@kyleroussel) – Kyle posted his immediate response on his site, Cowhide and Rubber, so check that out. It’s a good one.
Zach (@ZachVanasse) – It’s pretty hard not to like this trade. I was as adamant a supporter of Eric Cole in MTL as anyone. I mean the guy was a mainstay on The Two-Four’s Three Star selection all season long for 2011-2012. Nonetheless, I still love this deal.
We’ve all had a chance to look at all the math reasons why this makes sense. Even in the realm of advanced stats, Ryder and Cole match-up fairly evenly as players. So much so that, even if these guys were the same age and had identical expiring contracts, you might still be able to make the argument that the Habs won the deal for this season. It’s at least a wash. But considering the giant difference in contract, age, this season’s stats, plus that third round pick thrown in for fun; this is all win. Still, I’ll miss ol’ Colesy.
MB, you is a smart man.
Steph (@stephdarwish) – SO SMART!
I love that it takes into account so many things: Cole’s inevitable declining production (if not this year, then next); Cole’s 4.5-million cap hit, which would be ALL we spoke about next year; Bergevin essentially replacing 35 goals with 35 goals AND getting a 3rd round pick on top of it.
But my feelings are best expressed in this Molly Shannon sound clip.
Sean (@TheONeillFactor)- Marc Bergevin is a cold-blooded killer. If the PK Subban saga wasn’t proof-positive that Bergevin has (too much?) ice water flowing through his veins, the Cole trade clearly signifies that this is a man who won’t let silly human emotions get in the way of constructing his team.
And while it was jarring to see a first-place team unceremoniously ship out a respected team leader, it’s hard to argue that the trade wasn’t a clear win for the Habs. On-ice the swap is likely a wash; Ryder is a better pure goal scorer while Cole is likely the better all-around player. When you take into account all of the mitigating off-ice factors however (age, cap hit, term length, draft picks), it certainly appears that Bergevin has solidified the team’s mid- to long-term prospects without significantly diminishing the short-term potential. Cole will be missed – like Cammalleri before him, he certainly appeared to be the rare player who loved playing in the Montreal pressure cooker. But Bergevin has proved that there’s no crying in hockey, and it’s hard to argue with the results.
Cindy (@CL_opez)- I’m going to miss Cole. He was a fave of mine since he got here. I know this was strictly a business move however, and I’m aware that his play was on the decline as well.
What will be missed most is his presence in the room with the young guys, especially with Desharnais and Patches (Cole also had a serious neck injury and I’m thinking that’s what helped Pacioretty get his game back last season). Best line from last season.
Ryder is a similar player however and he likes to find the net. He’s a much improved player from when he left MTL, plus he’s got a Stanley Cup. The 3rd round pick was an added bonus. I think this deal is win/win.
Dennis (@DennisKane) – I’ll miss Cole, but something was definitely off with him this year, beginning with his pre-season comments. It’s interesting to note that Doug McLean mentioned on TV last night that the Canadiens needed this guy to be moved, that they didn’t like the vibes in the room, and it was time for Cole to move on. I always appreciated what he did for Louis Leblanc, flying his folks to the young fellow’s first game, and he seems to be a good guy who can really motor when he wants to. I trust Bergevin, and if the team felt he needed to go, then so be it.
Pat (@Al_Carl1n) – After the initial shock wore off, this quick strike trade certainly worked for me. I saw an interview where Erik Cole seemed to have trouble with coming to terms with the trade. That being said, Bergevin approached him Monday about this trade and he took a day to mull it over and discuss it with his family before agreeing to waive his no-trade clause. So I question how much of a surprise this move can be for someone who had all the leverage he needed for it not to happen.
It will be interesting to see Ryder return to the team whose fans booed him for two years for betraying the team and signing with Boston. I think, like Therrien, a bit of time away from the team that brought him into the league will only make his return all the better.
Whenever the Habs are trailing by a more than a couple goals, I think of that game where Montreal came back from a 5-goal deficit to win in a shootout against the New York Rangers. I certainly thought of that comeback when Montreal was totally embarrassed by Toronto 0-6. Michael Ryder had two goals that night against New York. With Cammalleri’s trade, it’s nice to see a guy join the team known for his clutch goal scoring talent.
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The only other point I’d make is that we traded a guy who is a (was?) a leader in the room and a guy who made players around him better, for a player that is not a leader (never was) and needs good players around him to make him better on the ice. That being said, I still MTL came out the winner in this one due to clearing cap space and other financial factors. Great post.
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