The Rejean Houle years in Montreal are mostly remembered for the damage, not the salvage work. The Canadiens missed the playoffs in 1999, 2000 and 2001, and a string of disastrous moves helped drag the franchise into that stretch. But even in a run defined by painful misses, Houle did make a few trades that worked out for Montreal.
One of the cleaner deals came early in his tenure, when Donald Brashear was shipped out after a tense practice exchange with head coach Mario Tremblay. The Canadiens sent Brashear to the Vancouver Canucks and got Jassen Cullimore back.
Brashear was already moving toward life as a full-time enforcer, and while he carved out a long NHL career, his production in Montreal was modest: three goals and 10 points in 111 games. Cullimore, meanwhile, arrived as a 6-foot-5, 235-pound defenseman and eventually played 812 NHL games, winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004.
He lasted 52 games with the Canadiens before being placed on waivers and claimed by Tampa Bay, meaning Montreal lost him for nothing a year later. Still, for a trade made in that era, it was one of Houle’s better swings.
Another solid move came at the 1997 trade deadline, when Montreal was fighting just to get into the playoffs. The Canadiens finished with 77 points and edged the Hartford Whalers by two for the final postseason spot, then added Dave Manson to bolster the blue line.
Manson brought 10 NHL seasons of experience and a reputation as a hard defender who could chip in offensively. He played nine regular-season games for Montreal that spring and all five playoff games, then turned in his only full season with the club in 1997-98, posting 34 points in 81 games along with 122 penalty minutes.
Montreal gave up Chris Murray and Murray Baron to get him. Baron, a 6-foot-3 physical defenseman, scored six points in 60 games in 1996-97 and another six in 45 games the next season.
Murray had six points in 56 games before the deal.
The best trade Houle made, though, came near the end of his run. Vladimir Malakhov was a problem the Canadiens could see coming: he missed most of the 1999-2000 season with a knee injury, drew heat after being spotted skiing at Mont-Tremblant while hurt, and was headed toward unrestricted free agency.
Houle moved him to the New Jersey Devils, and Malakhov later helped them win the Stanley Cup before signing a four-year, $14 million deal with the New York Rangers. Montreal got Sheldon Souray, Josh DeWolf and a second-round pick in the 2001 Draft.
Souray became the centerpiece of the return and eventually turned into a major offensive weapon, especially on the power play. He scored 15 goals and 35 points in 2003-04, then 12 goals and 37 points in 2005-06, before exploding for 26 goals and 64 points the following season.
Houle’s overall record in Montreal will always be tied to the big names he moved out and the limited returns he got back. But these three trades stood out as the rare exceptions, the ones that gave the Canadiens something useful instead of another regret.
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Carey Price was pulled early after allowing three goals, and the Canadiens still had to climb out of a five-goal hole against the Rangers. Michael Ryder and Alex Kovalev helped drive the response, turning a night that looked lost into a comeback for the ages, with the finish ultimately decided in the shootout. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Face A Tough Samuel Montembeault Decision
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From the Canadiens side, Hughes would have to weigh whether the Oilers need is enough to justify revisiting a deal, especially with Montreal still carrying a young goalie structure and Montembeaults name continuing to circulate. Any move would come with real roster and cap complications for Edmonton, which makes the fit more complicated than a simple need-based swap and leaves Montreal with a decision that is anything but straightforward. [Read more 🡒]