Robert over at Habs Eyes On The Prize is trying to inject some thought into the rage his fellow Canadiens fans hold over the trade of Jaroslav Halak. A day after that deal went down, people are angry. Robert tries to change that.
"I cannot believe the Canadiens have traded the player who singlehandedly allowed them to beat Washington and Pittsburgh and make it to the third round of the playoffs! What were they thinking!"
The reaction is a common, and angry one, upon first take. Fans, after all, are supposed to be passionate!
It is a broad summation of the feelings of Habs fan immediately after hearing news of the trade, but it is quite typical of what information is consistently fed to brains in small bits and bites, usually and largely, through the media.
Often, what one selects to believe determines reactions.
Jaroslav Halak is one heck of a good goaltender, and his greatness will be determined by his longevity.
But my friends, things must be placed in proper proportion, analysed some, and disected smartly, before rendering an absolute opinion one way or the other in deciding whether the Canadiens chose the right course of action.
If this were the summer of 1985, I suppose I would be devastated had the Canadiens traded Steve Penney to Calgary for Joel Otto and prospect Brett Hull, placing all their hopes on a skinny kid named Roy.
The comparison is totally superfluous of course, because we have benefit of hindsight.
But maybe it isn't all that out of whack.