Looking back: the “mid-game trade” between the Montréal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames.
2011-2012 was an atrocious year for the Habs. Two days after Michael Cammalleri ripped the “losing attitude” of the team in early January 2012 – it was reported at the time, but has since been disputed, that he spoke of “losers” – he was taken out of a game against the Boston Bruins as he was traded to Calgary for René Bourque. This transaction was one of several mismanaged or controversial decisions that cost then Montréal GM Pierre Gauthier his job.
On January 12th 2012, Montréal Canadiens traded Michael Cammalleri, Karri Rämö and a 2012 5th round pick (Ryan Culkin) to the Calgary Flames for René Bourque, Patrick Holland and a 2013 2nd round pick in 2013 (Zachary Fucale).
Related transactions
On October 5th 2014, Patrick Holland and Peter Budaj were traded to the Winnipeg Jets for Eric Tangradi
On November 20th 2014, René Bourque was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Bryan Allen
NHL contracts involved
Michael Cammalleri, 2.5 (of 5) years remaining at $6 million; rights to RFA Karri Rämö; René Bourque, 4.5 (of 6) years remaining at $3,333,333 million.
Looking back on Montréal
Michael Cammalleri had been a key offensive contributor in the preceding two post-season’s epic series and was regarded as one of the leaders of the team, but in the months before the trade his production had dropped and the boobirds at Centre Bell were out. In came a bigger, cheaper, yet less consistent winger in René Bourque. Hopes that his slump in production during the first part of the season would be overcome by a change of scenery soon vanished. He was however effective in the playoffs, contributing eight goals to the run to the Conference Finals in 2014. But in autumn 2014 the slump in production and questions about his attitude led to him being waived, sent to the minors, and then traded to Anaheim for defenseman Bryan Allen – who himself now has been waived down to the minors.
Winger Patrick Holland would remain in the minors except for a couple of call-ups, playing in five NHL games. At the start of the 2014/2015 season, he was packaged with backup goaltender Peter Budaj to Winnipeg, with the more established Eric Tangradi going the other way and also serving as the occasional call-up (7 games with Montréal so far).
The 2nd-rounder in 2013 became highly talented goaltender Zachary Fucale, who is in the second year of his entry-level contract but at 19 years has not moved yet beyond the junior level. He backstopped a winning Canada to the World Championships with excellent numbers. Hopes are even that he could become Carey Price’s successor.
Lastly, Karri Rämö was at the time a Restricted Free Agent playing in the KHL. The Habs had acquired the rights to him from Tampa Bay for Cédrick Desjardins – one year after letting go of Rämö, the Habs would again send Desjardins to the Lightning for Dustin Tokarski.
Looking back on Calgary:
In Bourque, Calgary succeeded in shipping out a player whose points-per-game rate had shrunk considerably in the first part of the season and who at the time served his second suspension in few weeks. Cammalleri, in turn, started putting up points again at the same 0.7/game rate as during his successful seasons in Montréal. However, his nine-game injury absence in March 2012 contributed to the Flames missing the playoffs by a five-points difference. Two years later, he scored 26 goals playing for a rebuilding Flames team. The management’s inability to trade him in the spring of 2014 meant that he eventually would leave Calgary without any return, signing a five-year contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Karri Rämö had left for the KHL after two unsuccessful seasons as a backup in Tampa Bay. In the season following his return to the NHL in 2013, he became Calgary’s most used goaltender, with honest numbers behind a rebuilding team (.911 save percentage, 2.65 goals against average, 17 wins in 40 games). This year, before a freak injury, he put together a good winning record as a backup, although his numbers have been less solid.
The 5th-round pick acquired from Montréal was used on defenseman Ryan Culkin. After four seasons at junior level that saw Culkin establish his credentials as an offensively productive D-man, he moved up to the AHL and currently keeps up a decent production.
Current returns for Montréal:
– Bryan Allen and (in part) Eric Tangradi
– prospect Zachary Fucale
Further returns: René Bourque (141 out of 173 possible regular-season games, 21 goals, 18 assists – 10 goals and 4 assists in 22 playoff games); Patrick Holland (5 games, 0 points)
Current returns for Calgary:
– Karri Rämö
– prospect Ryan Culkin
Further returns: Michael Cammelleri (135 out of 166 possible games, 50 goals, 46 assists)
The winner: Calgary
Instead of a great playoff performer and overall reliable offensive contributor in Cammalleri, Montréal got a good playoff performer but otherwise problematic player in Bourque. Neither Cammalleri nor Bourque are still with the teams they were traded to, but there appears to be a curse on the players that came to Montréal after the transaction. Holland remained basically an AHLer and the same appears to be the case for his and Bourque’s respective replacements: Tangradi and Allen. In Calgary, however, Rämö has established himself as a NHL goalie with a solid record. As for the prospects, while Fucale raises bigger expectations than Culkin, the latter has made the step up from junior hockey already.
Written by Niels Lachmann
Michael Cammalleri
Karri Rämö
Ryan Culkin
Rene Bourque
Zachary Fucale