It’s a shame to say this but perhaps it is indeed time for Saku Koivu to move on. Not for the reasons pimped out by some so-called experts but for his sanity. There are too many observers who unfairly find fault in his game. Furthermore, as captain of the Montreal Canadiens, he’s an all too easy target and scapegoat.

I don’t know how much of it is related to parochial Quebec nationalism and his lack of French speaking skills. Nor do I care. I judge him by what he does on the ice - though his work in the community has been stellar and exemplary.

The bottom line is that the Montreal Canadiens failed him the last couple of years. They did not surround him with bona-fide seasoned wingers to help buoy the team’s offensive fortune. Not fair to a player who has been their most consistent player. Koivu is a fierce competitor who faced many adversities (knee injury, cancer etc.) and still managed to come up with his most productive season in 2006-2007.

He does deserve to retire as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. 

Yet, the press, mostly on the French side, demand for the removal of the captaincy on the most frivolous of reasons.

Like anything in life, options will have to weighed. Does Koivu want to be part of the youth movement? What are the chances of winning a cup in Montreal within the next, say, two to four years?

What to do? 

Attracting free agents to Montreal has been difficult and possible reasons for this are not the point here.

This season, on a team that has little offensive depth or prowess, coach Guy Carbonneau refuses to play the team’s only proven offensive but mercurial talent Alex Kovalev with Koivu. Michael Ryder has decided to ride - excuse the pun - this season out. 

The Canadiens are in rebuilding mode even though they never came out and said it. There are many young players coming through the ranks that are poised to take over- which is reason enough to be cautiously optimistic. Whether they will be able to lead the Canadiens into the promised Cup land remains to be seen.

Manager Bob Gainey needs to avoid the mistakes made building around Koivu and provide the future leaders of this team, Christopher Higgins and Mike Komisarek, with better talent or else the cycle will start over again. Especially considering these two players are only signed for two years.

In a salary cap era, teams are not afforded the luxury of waiting for talent to pan out. Players develop at different speeds which is why it is incumbent on the Habs to sign the right experienced players to fill in the gaps. Teams can’t keep all their talent anymore.

That said, Koivu should be traded because he deserves to be on a team in Stanley Cup contention. But what team might that be?

Logically, it all points to San Jose. They are stacked with picks and young players including Steve Bernier and Devin Setoguchi. However, Montreal needs help up the middle. 

I summon the Anaheim Ducks. Hear me out. I know Scott Niedermayer is back and this poses a minor cap problem for the Ducks but that doesn’t necessarily preclude them from dealing with their offence. 

With the loss of Teemu Selanne, where the Ducks might need some help is up front. They do have a solid mix of forwards, but Saku Koivu has the leadership and experience that might fit in perfectly. Koivu is not a prolific goal scorer like Selanne but he does play with maximum intensity and is a supreme play maker. Of course, taking Koivu's contract may mean some creative accounting from their capologist or pulling some deals. 

So who would General Manager Brian Burke (never a man to be indecisive) have to deal to get him? It’s tough but Andy McDonald may be a possibility. I would venture to say his young players but Burke has lost some leverage here in the last couple of years losing Dustin Penner and Joffrey Lupul. He may still have enough depth to package something the Habs may need.

Conversely, McDonald is a solid centerman but he may not solve Montreal’s problems so they may need some draft picks or something else in return. They lack depth at the centerman position and a rugged kid like Logan Macmillan might be worth the risk.

I’m not a GM (but I play one on a blog), nor do I profess to know what Bob Gainey has planned for his team at the forward position, but my instincts tell me that the Habs can use Koivu to help rebuild Montreal’s offensive unit.

Unless the Habs make a serious effort to bolster the talent around Saku Koivu, it may be time for this great player and captain to move on. Let him try and win a Championship with a team that is ready.