Cam's Recipe for Success

Another trade deadline has come and gone, and after waiting 18 days, Moosehead GM Cam Russell finally made his move. His only deal of the session was moving 19-year-old Gabriel Desjardins and two second round picks to Quebec for 18-year-old Brendan Duke and a first round pick. But it’s what Cam Russell didn’t do during this trade period that really represents the new era the Herd are entering.

Russell chose not to trade two of his 19-year-old players: rugged defensemen Sawyer Hannay and high energy forward Brad Cuzner. He also decided to keep his 20-year-old star winger Alexandre Grenier. One could even include Konrad Abeltshauser amongst that list, even if Euro spots among the contenders loading up for a Memorial cup run were nil.

Four players, none of whom are expected to return to the Moose next season, all remain members of the Herd. A buck in the trend to most GM’s, who prefer to gain whatever assets they can in exchange for non-returning players(Contenders non-withstanding of course). It’s always a difficult road to the Memorial Cup, and anyone who bore witness to the Saint John show last Saturday night knows that it’s going to be incredibly tough for any team, let alone Halifax, to beat the Sea Dogs over seven games.

And still, the Mooseheads' front office held the line, making an obvious choice by sending Desjardins away. Carrying 15 forwards wasn’t an option and Desjardins had a combination of value and age working against him. However, the surprising move was to remain silent the rest of the way. It's no secret that Russell wouldn’t acknowledge publically that the Mooseheads' chances of getting past Saint John or Shawinigan are slim at best, but I’m sure he’d tell you how much they like winning, gaining an honorable mention in the CHL top 10 (even if they are cursed), and putting 8,600 people into the Metro Centre.

There is a winning attitude in Halifax right now; an attitude that neither the organization nor the fans have seen in a long time. It's this change that has brought them success. Russell knows how important it is for this team to finish their season as strong as they started it. He knows how important it is for the 16- and 17-year-olds on this team to make it into the second and third rounds of the playoffs. This is where the Mooseheads will find their success. By winning today, they’ll be better tomorrow. Continuing to win and compete hard against everyone will be what defines the Mooseheads from this point. Winning is what Cam Russell needs this team to do, and by holding onto those key players of this team at the deadline, winning is what he’s going to get.