If nothing else, in his third stint as an NHL GM, Pierre Gauthier of the Montreal Canadiens isn't afraid.
His courage -- admittedly, some might call it something else -- was on display Thursday when he dealt playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis for a pair of highly regarded prospects (C Lars Eller and RW Ian Schultz).
In the short term, this can't be a popular move in hockey-mad Montreal, where the memory of the Habs' stunning spring remains fresh. Legendary hockey scribe Red Fisher already has panned the deal, calling it "the mother of all brain-dead decisions in recent memory."
Does E.J. agree or disagree with Red? To see his whole argument laid out, you must be an ESPN Insider.
E.J. Hradek
Senior Writer, ESPN The MagazineABOUT THIS BLOG
E.J. Hradek
E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.
In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.
Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.
