In Gainey we trust

[Habsfan84]

Imagine having a job where you are constantly second guessed. Where every move you make and the ones you don't are scrutinized day in and day out. A job in which everyone shares with you their opinion and beneath it all, a job in which everyone thinks they could do it better.
Welcome to Bob Gainey's world, a world in which the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens can never do right, where Joe Public wants this and that done. A world in which success is measured in championships, and most of all a world impatiently waiting for what they feel is their personal property; the Stanley Cup.
To say that the Montreal Canadiens have succeeded well beyond expectations is an understatement. Holding down first place in the Eastern Conference with just a few games left, this was a team destined to never even make the playoffs according to the experts last fall. But the experts can be wrong and Gainey a man criticized heavily for the Canadiens inability to sign big name free agent talent is being lauded by many for building his team around youth and the annual NHL entry draft.
You would think that Gainey would currently be the toast of Montreal, but a quick view of the television, a closer reading of the papers, and a quick spin through cyberspace reveals that there are still pockets of dissent within Habs Nation.
Sadly there is a segment of the population, however small that has trouble accepting the Habs success. A large part of it stems form ego, when you have an opinion on something, and then you're proven wrong and Gainey's proven right it's tough to swallow your pride. The most recent example of this was the trade of Cristobal Huet. Many at the time derided this move, as well as the thrusting of Carey Price into the starter's role. Many felt that the Canadiens lack of goaltending experience would be their demise.
Reading the papers, watching TV, and cruising through cyberspace you don't see many people writing about the Habs missing Cristobal Huet. Much too many people's surprise, and to a few people's dismay, the Canadiens haven't missed a beat with the goaltending tandem of Price and Jaroslav Halak between the pipes.
Criticism over Gainey's moves is nothing new.
There were outcries when the Habs failed to resign Sheldon Souray last summer. Many "experts" felt that the Habs vaunted power play had been forever changed. And while it had, sometimes change can be good. The Habs power play is still the leagues best while the departed Souray had a disappointing injury plagued year for Edmonton.
Many wondered aloud about the Signing of Roman Hamrlik to a long term deal as Souray's "replacement". Now nine months later, comparisons between the two are few and far between. After all, Hamrlik has provided that one element that Souray was always lacking; responsible play in the defensive end.
One could go on and on. Many questioned the wisdom of drafting Carey Price with the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft. Nobody's raising a hand in protest now. The trading of Craig Rivet for a first round pick and the unheralded Josh Gorges, who has blossomed into one of the team's steadiest defenders. And above all, the belief in the talent of the mercurial Alex Kovalev, who has performed at a level this year that many thought he no longer possessed.
Does this mean that Gainey has been perfect? No. Obviously every general manager has a move or two they would like to take back. But when looking at Gainey's track record the plusses far outweigh the minuses.
The secret to Gainey's success is the commitment he makes to the job. Every move is thought out, his staff is relied on for their opinion, he's not afraid to gamble, but only when he has gone through all the possible results. There is a calmness about the man, a resolve to stick to his plan, to not react to the moves of others, but instead focus on his own needs.
Ironically, there was never a more trusted player with the Montreal Canadiens than Bob Gainey. I think it's time we extended that same belief, that same trust to Bob Gainey; Montreal Canadiens general manager.