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| quote: | WASHINGTON — Alex Kovalev won’t be in the lineup when the Canadiens play the Washington Capitals Wednesday — and nobody should be surprised if the talented Russian has played his last game for the Canadiens.
Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey dropped a bombshell before the Canadiens’ practice Tuesday afternoon when he announced Kovalev would not join the team for games in Washington Wednesday and Pittsburgh on Thursday night. (Click for audio of Gainey's comments)
Gainey said he “suggested” Kovalev take a rest away from the team, and while he added that the situation would be evaluated at week’s end, Gainey wouldn’t offer any guarantee Kovalev would be back in the lineup Saturday afternoon when the Ottawa Senators visit the Bell Centre.
When asked whether Kovalev was on the trading block, Gainey replied: “Nobody’s called me yet.”
The general manager was then asked whether he expected any calls: “Well, this is the trading season.”
The announcement was a shocker, because despite a downturn in his production, Kovalev is universally regarded as the Canadiens’ most talented player. But Gainey offered a damning appraisal of the superstar’s recent play when he said, in French: “The team has no need of (Kovalev’s) services the way he’s currently playing. He’s tired and he isn’t playing with any emotion.”
Gainey said by Kovalev not going on the road trip, it would help him recover physically, while he would also benefit emotionally from being away from the team.
Kovalev was coming off the second most productive season of his career, but his numbers have fallen off. He has 13 goals and 26 assists this season, but only one goal and four assists in the 11 games since he was named the most valuable player at the NHL All-Star Game in Montreal.
“He’s the kind of player who’s judged on his production, how many goals he’s scored, how many points he’s scored,” Gainey said. “That’s the bottom line for a player like him. How he gets there is the place where the confusion is.
“To score goals and help others score goals, you have to do a lot of different things to make that happen. When production is not happening, to stay on task, to do the small, mundane, mandatory things to help the team is a harder thing for some players than others. But I have to say if he wasn’t doing those and he had twice as many points as he has now, we probably wouldn’t be standing here.”
Gainey said he suggested Kovalev take time off at a meeting on Tuesday morning.
“Alex and I have a good communicating relationship,” said Gainey, who was credited with putting the Russian’s career back on track after a heart-to-heart talk during a stroll following the 2006-07 season. “He’s proud, he doesn’t want to leave the team when he feels they need him the most. He was not in direct agreement with me, but at the same time I think he can trust me enough that my request, my suggestion, could be something positive for him, for the team.”
Gainey informed the players of his decision at a meeting before Tuesday’s practice.
“Bob always makes the decisions in the best interest of the team,” defenceman Mike Komisarek said. “He felt Alex needed to clear his mind and get some rest and we have to respond as players. ... We’ll see what happens, but I think the message is loud and clear.”
Added Christopher Higgins: “It’s strange because I don’t think anyone’s happy with the way we’ve played lately. He’ll be missed in the lineup. He’s one of the most skilled players I’ve ever played with.
“It’s unfortunate that he’s getting all the attention. But by singling out Alex, Bob sent out a pretty strong message.”
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