This latest cast will be the first of what should be many to include the insight and corny jokes of TPinch. It may be too early to tell if he knows what he’s talking about, but he does somehow manage to add what certain Habs fans call a certain “je ne sais quoi.”

With a discussion of what to expect from les Habitants, Eric, Pat, and T officially get the 2010-2011 season rolling. Let the Lars Eller era begin!

Eric and I will argue over the long-term implications of the Pleks / Halak moves during our podcast – if I can ever find Eric – but for now…

…let’s give a warm welcome to the new Habs. They are just like the old Habs.

Don’t expect any big changes because:

a) Gauthier doesn’t have cap space to sign a major UFA to his lineup.

b) No major trade on the horizon either, because no team is going to take on Hamrlik and/ or the Kostitsyn brothers without some weird combination of picks, prospects, Markov, Gorges or Subban.

c) Gauthier could trade a couple of spots up or down in the draft…but again, the options are really limited in either direction so even if he does, it won’t be a major move.

But the biggest reason?

d) I think Pierre Gauthier, at heart, is a calculated, but cautious, General Manager. He sees what he wants and goes for it, but only if he is sure of all the parameters. And I think Gauthier, both as a function of the cap-strapped situation he finds himself in but also because of his personal management style, wants to stay in his sandbox. He does not want to make too many changes.  More on that later.

Right now, I think we all know how the rest of Gauthier’s playbook reads, in order of importance:

1. Sign Carey Price.

2. Sign a good back-up goalie for Carey Price (Marty Biron, Johan Hedberg, Antero Niittymaki and for the wild card: Chris Mason!!!??!!).

3. Tend to the well-rehearsed list of UFA / RFA’s already on the team (Dominic Moore, Max Laps, Pouliot, etc).

In other words, don’t expect Alex Frolov or Colby Armstrong to come on over. As much as they could help the team, there isn’t any money for them. The Habs may not be able to keep Dominic Moore either. Also say goodbye to Glen Metropolit, Marc Andre Bergeron and Paul Mara. But we all saw that coming, didn’t we?

Not to beat a dead Slovak goalie, but the Halak (or Price) trade was the one chip Gauthier had to really upend his lineup in a major way. A chance to clear space, get rid of expensive pieces and maybe, maybe, find a larger bigger / cheaper body to replace Tomas Plekanec – with enough room to chase a big UFA winger or two (hence Frolov or Armstrong).

But Gauthier didn’t go down that path.  He stayed inside his sandbox.

Take Exhibit A: The Halak trade. It seems reckless on the surface (and I am still convinced that Gauthier should have waited before pulling the trigger), but in reality, Gauthier sees this as minimal risk because he already knew who he was getting. Lars Eller (in exchange for Halak), and earlier in the season Aaron Palushaj (for Matt D’Agostini), were both selected by the Blues in the 2007 draft, right after the Habs picked Ryan Mcdonagh and PK Subban, respectively, that same year. Gauthier already knew those players very well, because the Habs were in a position to draft them (and in hindsight, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Benoit Pouliot – drafted right before the Habs picked you-know-who in 2005 – was the player the Habs reached out to when they were looking to dump Guillaume Latendresse).

Cautious. Calculated. He stayed in his sandbox, within his frame of knowledge. He is clearly comfortable here and sees no reason to leave.

Now I’m not saying that the next time the Habs make a deal with the Rangers, for example, prospects like Chris Kreider (picked after Louis Leblanc) or Bob Sanguinetti (after David Fisher in 2006) will be in play, but it wouldn’t surprise me. And I’m not just talking about this specific pattern either. It’s more general than that: A pattern that points to how Gauthier conducts business: He deals with what he knows.

And there were too many possible intangibles and permutations with all the possible Halak trades – and, yes, too many possible financial consequences of signing Halak and trading Price. Gauthier didn’t want any of that clutter. He chose to keep it simple. Block by block. One move at a time.

Back to off-season 2010:  Maybe Gauthier pots a Kozlov here, a Halpern there, if they agree to $ 1 million or less. Maybe Gauthier goes crazy and tries to finagle a Chris Higgins back in the fold (actually, might not be a bad idea and would fit the Gauthier sandbox)!!??!!!.

But aside from  a couple of TBD’s at back-up goalie and on the third line, we know what the 2010-2011 starting lineup will be for the Montreal Canadiens.

But in a week where Philly traded for Dan Hamhuis, Boston acquired Nathan Horton AND ALSO  Hall / Seguin, where Tampa, Washington, Florida, Ottawa and Carolina are going to draft big or make big changes, the big question is:

Are the Habs any better than last year?

Frankly, I have no idea. But I suspect, as of now, maybe not.

This one’s a can’t miss if we’ve ever had one…

I’ve been thinking about Malcolm Gladwell lately and his book, The Tipping Point.

I am a sweet, doe-eyed hockey fanatic

The book explores the idea that sometimes small changes / phenomena – like how a single person with the flu can start an epidemic, or how hush puppies became huge only after the right fashionable kids in New York started wearing them – can quickly result in big changes or trends.  Applying it to hockey teams, a tipping point could be reached when some minor adjustments result in a big winning streak.

Since the Habs returned from the Olympic break,they’ve won 4 straight, and 5 of 6. They should have won all 6. At the same time, the play of the Habs’ third and fourth liners has been off the charts.

Coincidence?……Is it possible that the Habs have hit their very own Tipping Point as a result of the minor changes in the play of these “minor” players?

I admit, there are a lot of other reasons why the Habs have won 4 straight and 5 of 6 since coming back: The rest definitely helped, especially for the older guys. The Habs are healthier. The Gomez-Gionta-Pouliot line has played very well, and the goaltending has held up.

But all of that is just the price of admission. In order to just have the chance of winning, every team needs to be healthy, to have a good first line and get decent goaltending. But to win consistently, the Habs, and most teams, need everyone on the team to play well all the time.

Before we get to the Tipping Point of the Habs As The Theory That Explains All, look at the other teams in the East: Holes in almost every lineup (save Washington, Pittsburgh, and maybe, maybe, New Jersey). Buffalo has excellent goaltending and a few great front line players, but not much else. Boston, Tampa, the Rangers, Florida, all suffer from the same thing: Lack of steady players once you get past the excellent front liners of Bergeron, Chara, Stamkos, St Louis, Gaborik, Henrik, Vokoun etc. Ottawa and Philly have more good skaters, but for they don’t have standout goaltending. None of these teams have every player performing great. Because not all of their players are great. They don’t have enough depth (I’m simplifying a little bit with certain teams – injuries play a factor with Boston, team chemistry for Philly, for example – but you get the idea).

So why are the Habs winning lately? I believe it’s because their depth scoring has been INCREDIBLE. Metro has 2 points in 2 games (including a career-high 15th goal. I repeat, Glen Metropolit might score 20 goals this year). Brother Sergei had a goal and an assist last night – and he has been the best Habs forward in the last 4 games, save Gomez and Pleks. Down the list we have Travis Moen with 2pts in 2 games.  Mathieu Darche: 2pts in 2 games. Dominic Moore: 3 pts in 4 games.

Glen Metropolit: Hockey Super-Hero?

That’s 5 skaters who have scored 9 points in the last 2 games.That’s an average of almost 2 points per game from the depth players. And that’s before we talk about the specialized skills, steady defense and special teams coverage they have been providing (Brother Sergei was on the ice for the final 3-on-3 scrum last night and has become a very steady penalty killer. Moore wins a lot of faceoffs, most of Metro’s goals come on the power play, etc).

Add all of that to the price of admission – the fact that the Habs best players, Gomez, Markov, Plekanec and (last night) brother Andrei – are performing to their skill level, and now you have a team that wins consistently.

Sometimes, it’s the depth players that are the glue that stick the team together (ex-Habs like Robert Lang and Frankie Bouillon are doing that for their teams). Sometimes it’s the depth players who can serve as the tipping point for the team, that extra catalyst or motivation that causes everyone else to step up their game.

In the past, I’ve expressed my doubts about the depth of this team, especially on defense. But that was before Moore came on board, Sergei started getting actual minutes and Darche won a spot on the team. Now it’s only been a week, and the real test is if they can keep it up. If they do,maybe the Habs have hit a tipping point for their season and will win with consistency.

If they falter, my bet is that this will be just another random hot streak.

PG has gone on record a number of times now, saying the priority this year is for the Habs to make the playoffs. So I can’t say I’m surprised by this move. Though it would probably be best for the franchise, PG doesn’t want to unload salary and stock up on prospects. So let’s not expect that.

***let’s not get too excited***

A lot of people don’t like this deal because:

* The Habs give away a future high-ish pick for an aging journeyman who will see limited ice time.

* Moore is a UFA at season’s end and will likely not return to the Habs.

* Considering Moore was picked up on WAIVERS last year, a 2nd rounder seems high (even though “everyone” is saying 2011 is a weak draft).

Here is what people are saying Moore brings to the table:

* Good faceoff skills, can relieve Pleks on the PK, smart positioning and decent skater. An upgrade on Maxwell.

I agree that in some critical situations, Moore might be of benefit. I also agree that a 2nd round pick seems a little high for this guy. But here is one reason why this deal MIGHT JUST WORK:

* It allows Max Pacioretty to stay down in the minors and develop with Guy Boucher.

Face it. Coach Jacques either doesn’t have the time or the ability to take our young forwards by the hand. Coach is many things: fair, protective of his players, cagey with the goaltenders, a believer in hard work. But one thing he hasn’t done well this year is TEACH. The young forwards who started this season with the Habs have slumped BIG TIME. And I remain convinced that the only reason AK-46 broke out is because Pleks kept encouraging him. Gui was traded. SK-74 is only now showing signs of life. Laps has sucked. Dags has sucked. Chipchura sucked. MaxPac has sucked.

The young ‘uns who have performed well on occasion (Pouliot, Pyatt, White, Desharnais) did not start the year with the Habs. They were traded for or CALLED UP.

So barring another trade or even more injuries (plus AK-46, Benny, and Cammi are all coming back soon), MaxPac, who was downright lost in the big leagues, gets to stay in Hamilton with the Guru. MaxPac has loads of potential, he is only 21, and has yet to have a full season in the AHL. I say the longer he stays down there, to learn and develop his skills away from the pressure, the better he will be in the future.

Would you trade a future 2nd rounder if it meant Max Pacioretty could unleash his true potential next year?

I definitely would.

And IMHO, that’s the real reason why this trade might work out in the end.

***Tune in on Tuesday for our final Habs Podcast before the Olympics***