Kyle Chipchura has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks for a 4th round draft pick in 2011.
I say the Canadiens won this deal. The fourth-rounder, whoever he may be, already has just as many points as Chipchura had over 19 games. And that’s zero. Chipchura, getting more ice time than he probably deserved, tallied no goals and no assists this year with the Habs, which, if I can say this politely and diplomatically, was quite pathetic. He did very little to help a team struggling with offence.
Chipchura was one of those guys in junior who was targeted to become a valuable player on any team he might join. He was spoken of in the same breath as Philadelphia’s Mike Richards, and was said to be future captain material like Richards. The only difference was, when both reached the show, Richards did what everyone thought he’d do – become a precious commodity, and Chipchura did the opposite. He underachieved, had hands of stone, and the captaincy wasn’t on anybody’s lips. He pretty well surprised everyone in the organization with his mediocrity.
The cleansing continues. And if there’s a lesson here, it’s this: If you want to become a half-decent player with Bob Gainey’s team, you have to at least get a point here and there. It’s not asking too much, is it?
