The Money Side aka why it won't happen

However there is now the Habs side of this including a little problem in the way of this deal that a lot of people are ignoring: the salary cap. All the deals that TSN are reporting that are being discussed do not work under the cap. Chris Higgins, Tomas Plekanec, Josh Georges, PK Subban and at least 1 first round pick is the supposed deal. Sure this could work but the NHL would have to ignore the fact that the Habs would be more then 4 million over the salary cap. The Habs have many big ticket players that would be UFA at the end of the season. One or more of Robert Lang, Alex Tanguay, Alex Kovalev or Mathieu Dandenault.(Also UFA would be Francis Boullion and Tom Kostopoulus but Tampa wouldn’t want pluggers at this point and they’re very valuable to a playoff run, and Saku Koivu has a NTC in his contract and I doubt he’d waive it to go to a last place team this late in his career.). Tampa Bay would have to take on one big expiring contract and out of the group I’d say that it would be Tanguay, who hasn’t been the same since getting wallpapered against Detroit by Brad Stuart. And since I can’t ever fathom Gainey giving up Subban after the World Juniors he just had. A fathomable deal would be Tanguay, Higgins, Plekanc and Ryan O’Byrne/Josh Georges(although I hope not this kid is fantastic). Along with prospects Ryan McDonough and Pavel Valentenko(who bailed on Hamilton to go to Russia for money. If Tampa gave him a spot on the big club which they probably would he’d come back) as well as a 2009 first rounder, conditional 2010 first rounder, and some lower round draft picks. This might be enough to pry Vinny out of Tampa but that would pretty well be gutting the team which Gainey would never do. And that 11 year deal is a major sticking point. Especially with Mike Komisarek to re-sign after this season for 4 million +, and come 2010 when the cap is expected to go down it happens to be the summer the Canadiens will have to give Carey Price a brand new contract and he won’t sign for a few bags of airline peanuts and a club membership to Chez Parée so Gainey will need a good amount of cap room set up for that summer. So all in all I really don't see the deal happening for the money reasons and I’m not convinced Vinny would want to be in Montreal and he would pretty much have to approve any deal even though his NTC doesn’t kick in till July 1rst. But it does make for interesting discussion and it really would be every Habs fans dream come true.

Next up this weekend, Glenn Anderson and Oilers jersey retirements