A former Habs miracle man may give trouble to his team...
Remember that famous spring of 2010 when Jaroslav Halak had performed miracles against the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins? He had been unstoppable!
One thing is for sure, despite the famous trade that sent him to the St.Louis Blues, fans will always have fond memories of him.
Now 36 years old, good old "Jaro" is currently the backup goalie for one of the rising stars in the NHL in Thatcher Demko.
Despite having only one win in eight games, he has been very solid in front of the Vancouver Canucks cage this year. He has accumulated a 2.59 goals-against average and now has a .915 save percentage, despite the team's struggles before Bruce Boudreau arrived.
TSN's Darren Dreger even wondered if Jim Rutherford might be tempted to trade him, considering his rising value.
"I think the Canucks might consider trading Halak because Thatcher Demko is likely to play a lot and his value is drinkable. His cash bonus could be part of the equation, but that doesn't seem to be the main reason," said Darren Dreger.
If Halak plays two more games, he will have $1.25 million in performance bonuses. That amount would be effective on the Canucks' payroll next year, if he stays in Vancouver.
Remember that Halak had signed a one-season contract with the BC organization this summer.
What could get in the way of the Canucks is the fact that Halak has a no-movement clause in his deal. In order for Vancouver to trade him, the Slovak will have to agree to leave Western Canada.
The former number 41 will certainly want to compete for a championship, considering his advanced age. The Canucks are on a good run right now, but maybe not at the point where they are considered for the big time.
A trade to an ultimate trophy contender seems inevitable.
