Trade Deadline day just became a billion times more important for the Canadiens.

Robert Lang is done for the season.

I know that the team is simply saying "indefinitely" but that's their way of pussyfooting around the fact that Lang had surgery on a slashed Achilles tendon. That's not just something you bounce back from. In other words, it's no mysterious "lower body injury". His foot. And his season is effed.

Mark March 4 on your calenders folks. Because Bob Gainey needs to come up with a quasi-miraculous trade to keep the Canadiens season, a season.

I've tried to keep my giddiness level down when I hear those Vincent Lecavalier trade rumours ... but if ever a rumour were to play out to reality, could it please be this one?

Speaking of reality...

To make matters (and Guy Carbonneau's mood) worse, Kovalev has not been playing well since the all-star break. During the latest press conference a reporter asked if it had to do with forfeiting the captain's C to the return of Saku Koivu.

"I hope not," said Carbonneau. "I hope that's not true. We're in trouble if it is, because I'm not going to take the C off Saku. If someone has to have a letter to perform on the ice, I have a problem with that.

"He's not a rookie. He's been in this league a long time. In the long run, we're going to need him."

Good god. Does Bob Gainey have to have a little one-on-one, again, with our Russian friend?