VALUE FOR MONEY? - Rene Bourque

Is Montreal Canadiens Forward Rene Bourque Value for Money?

 

Bio

Rene Bourque has not exactly had the most impressive numbers since joining the Canadiens early in 2012. The 32 year old right winger was traded from the Calgary Flames along with Patrick Holland and a 2nd round draft pick for Mike Cammalleri, Karri Ramo and a 5th round pick. On the 12th January 2012 he signed a 6 year contract worth $4m a year.

Rene Bourque shoots on Anders Lindback

In 128 regular season games with the habs Bourque has scored 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points. In contrast in his previous 3 seasons with the Flames Bourque never scored less than 40 points in a single season. What Rene Bourque lacks in regular season success though he appears to making up for in the post-season, in only 8 games with the habs Bourque already has 5 goals and 1 assist including the game winner in Game 2 of the 2014 playoffs against Tampa Bay Ligthning. He scored 2 goals in that game and added another in Game 3 just 11 seconds into the 1st period., one of the fastest in history.

 

Under the cap

Bourque's current contract, which will see him through to 2016 is worth $4,000,000 per year, which equates to $3,333,333 towards the salary cap. Bourque scored 16 points in the 2013/14 regular season campaign, a whopping $250,000 per point. The following habs players all earned less than Bourque in the 2013/14 season:

• Brendan Gallagher - $685,000 - 41pts - $16,707 per point
• Alex Galychenyuk - $925,000 - 31pts - $29,839 per point
• PK Subban - $2,875,000 - 53pts - $54,245 per point
• Alexei Emelin - $2,000,000 - 17pts - $117,647 per point

 

 

Where are they now?

In 135 games since returning to Calgary Mike Cammalleri has scored 50 goals and 46 assists for 96 points, his current contract is worth $6m per year.

2013/14 marked Karri Ramo's first season in the NHL since 2006-2009 where he spent 3 seasons as back-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He posted 17 wins, a .911 save percentage and 2.65 GAA in 40 games as Calgary finished 13th in the Western Conference.

Calgary selected Ryan Culkin with Montreal's 5th pick of the 2012 entry draft. The 20 year old defenseman has played 5 seasons with the Quebec Remparts and Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QJMHL, registering 25 goals, 106 assists for 131 points in 232 games.

22 year old Patrick Holland played 5 games for Montreal in 2013/14, without registering any points. The right winger has played his past 2 seasons with the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs, scoring 45 points in 126 games.

Montreal selected goaltender Zachary Fucale with Calgary's 3rd Round Pick in 2013. The 18 year old has played 3 seasons with the Halifax Mooseheads, in the most recent season he posted 36 wins, a .907 save percentage, 2.26 GAA and 6 shutouts in 50 games. He also back-stopped the Mooseheads to a Memorial Cup win in 2013.

- images courtesy of Getty Images & NHL.com

See also:
VALUE FOR MONEY? David Clarkson

Montreal vs Tampa series has it all...

Tampa Bay Lightning (3) vs Montreal Canadiens (4)

The 2014 first round series between the Lightning and Canadiens has not failed to disappoint; raw emotion, spectacular goals and controversy, this series has definitely given the fans something to shout about.

The Canadiens have put the Lightning into an almost insurmountable hole after winning a nail biting Game 3 at home in the Bell Centre 3-2 on Sunday night. Only 3 teams have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit, most recently the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010, and the way the Canadiens are playing it is unlikely that the Lightning will make it past the first round.

Rene Bourque scores opener in just 11 secs

Rene Bourque scored just 11 seconds into the 1st period off a chip pass from PK Subban, one of the fastest playoffs goals in history. Tampa levelled the score on the powerplay in the second period and had a controversial goal disallowed after Carey Price was deemed to have been impeded. After some nifty deking PK Subban set up Brendan Gallagher to score the go ahead goal late in the period. Tomas Plekanec extended the lead after 5:43 in the 3rd and the Canadiens clung on to win 3-2 in what for many Canadiens fans must have been a nail-biting experience.

With production from all 4 lines, a resurgent Rene Bourque and in-form PK Subban, is there anything the Lightning can do to resurrect their series?

- images courtesy of Getty Images & NHL.com

Rene Bourque scores in 11 seconds

Rene Bourque scored one of the fastest goals in playoff history in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup playoffs against Tampa Bay Lightning. After just 11 seconds Rene Bourque raced into the Tampa zone picking up a bouncing puck chipped forward from defenseman PK Subban and ripping a wrist past Anders Lindback on the short side. Rene Bourque has now scored 3 goals in his last 3 games.