Mike Cammalleri Traded: Habs Forward Shipped To Flames After Controversial Remarks

Rene Bourque Traded, Will Now Likely Face Payback For Nicklas Backstrom Hit

'Typical Montreal:' Mike Cammalleri Trade Just The Latest Embarrassment For Bumbling Canadiens

Time and time again this season, the Montreal Canadiens have proven that they can't handle any type of adverse pressure. The trade of Mike Cammalleri is just the latest example of an organization that's as bumbling as their general manager.

Canadiens Vs. Bruins: Mike Cammalleri Traded Mid-Game As Boston Defeats Montreal, 2-1

After making remarks aimed at hopefully waking up his struggling team, Mike Cammalleri was traded by the Canadiens during the first intermission of their 2-1 loss to arch-rival Boston.

Rene Bourque On Trade To Montreal Canadiens: 'I Might Be In Trouble, I Don't Speak French'

Montreal Canadiens Trade Mike Cammalleri To Calgary Flames For Rene Bourque: Who Won The Deal?

Mike Cammalleri was traded to the Calgary Flames on Thursday evening, yanked from the third period of a game in Boston and shipped across the continent. While he was the centerpiece of the deal, especially following his comments to the media about the Canadiens on Wednesday, he wasn't the only piece of the trade.

Joining the forward on the flight to Calgary will be goaltender Karri Ramo, formerly of the Tampa Bay Lightning organization. He's currently playing for Avangard Omsk in the KHL. A fifth round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft is also going to Calgary. Heading back to Montreal will be forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland and a second round pick in the 2013 draft.

Bourque and Cammalleri sort of cancel each other out in the deal. They've put up similar numbers in the last several seasons and play similar games, although Bourque may use his size to his advantage a bit more while Cammalleri is more of a finesse player.

The second round pick versus the fifth round pick is obviously a big discrepancy in the balance of the deal, and Holland likely has more upside than Ramo, who's left North America for Russia. Neither prospect is a stud, however. Holland is finishing up is final season of Major Junior eligibility with the WHL's Tri-City Americans.

In terms of the salary cap, the Flames are taking on salary here, and a considerable amount. Cammalleri has a cap hit of $6 million per season, the main reason fans in Montreal disliked his comments Wednesday, while Bourque has a cap hit of just $3.3 million, according to CapGeek.com. Of course, Bourque still has four years left on his deal following this season, while Cammalleri's deal expires in the summer of 2014.

It's really a pretty even trade. Calgary adds salary right away but gets rid of that salary sooner, and the players are really not that different from one another. The prospects are both underwhelming and shouldn't impact the overall bottom line all that much for either team.

The slight initial edge has to go to the Canadiens simply because they've added what will likely be an early second round pick in 2013, while losing a fifth rounder this season, but there's still time for that to play out.

Mike Cammalleri Traded By Montreal Canadiens To Calgary Flames; Rene Bourque Headed To Habs

Mike Cammalleri has been traded by the Montreal Canadiens, and he's heading west to the Calgary Flames, according to TSN. NHL Network reports that Rene Bourque is part of the deal in the other direction, although it's unclear if there's more involved in the trade.

The now-former Canadiens was taken off the bench in the third period of the Habs game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden, and according to reports, he was sent back to the team hotel.

He wasn't injured, and here's the fishy part: the Canadiens weren't due to head back to their hotel after the game. They're heading right for the airport. It's beyond strange, and teams almost never pull players from games in the NHL. Typically, you'd just wait until after the game to announce the deal and things would go on as usual.

The Canadiens couldn't wait. Or, perhaps they were trying to send a message. Cammalleri was blatantly honest in his assessment of the team in a session with reporters on Wednesday, saying that "We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it's no wonder why we lose."

Of course, there's the language element involved. Cammalleri doesn't speak French, and he was conveying his thoughts in English. That quote came from French-language publication La Presse, while an English-language report from NHL.com indicated that he only insinuated that the team was "playing like losers."

Regardless, it doesn't matter. Many fans in Montreal have been unhappy with the way Cammalleri has played, and his calling out of his teammates was seen not as a rallying call for an underwhelming hockey club but whining and complaining when he should be putting his head down and working out of his struggles.

We don't yet know the full package heading back to Montreal, but Cammalleri is headed back to the team for which he played the 2008-09 season. He came to Calgary in a draft day trade in 2008 and put up 82 points in 81 games for the Flames that following season, but left in free agency to sign with the Canadiens the following summer.

Bourque has put up 148 points in 211 games for the Flames over the last three seasons. Like Cammalleri, he does not speak French. For more on this developing story, stick with this Mike Cammalleri trade StoryStream.

Mike Cammalleri Under Fire For Honest Remarks About Struggling Canadiens