We have no Ryan O'Byrne

We have a Michael Bournival instead.

via Francois Gagnon on Twitter this morning:

Ryan O'Byrne vient de quitter le vestiaire du Ch avec son équipement sur une épaule et Scott Gomez qui transportait ses bâtons à ses côtés.

Yes, that's right, just as we were all practicing a moment of silence for our veterans and fallen and current soldiers, I found out that Ryan O'Byrne was traded.

Of course he was. We all saw this coming a mile away. He barely had any ice time this season, and wasn't necessarily impressive when we did see him. I think (and hope) he'll improve in Colorado, not unlike his former teammates who've found their place in the Western Conference. And yes, I am one of those people who think that he might not have been developed to his full potential. I might not be able to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong or who's at fault, so to speak, but I think that O'Byrne's best games were proof that he was capable of more than what we saw. Maybe he just needs the right coach, or the right teammates, to give him that extra push. Maybe if his play improves in the next two seasons, someone will finally start to wonder whether some Canadiens' prospects were improperly developed, rather than just bad draft picks.

And maybe, just maybe, after combing through the details of his career to date in light of this trade, we can stop making "Ryan O'Byrne stole a purse" jokes. Or at least make a whole lot less. Don't people know by now, that those have been replaced by "Patrick Kane in a taxi" jokes?

So, get with the program, people. Wish Ryan O'Byrne good luck in Colorado and make sure you've got a Patrick Kane joke up your sleeve. Oh, and brace yourselves for the eventual arrival of Jarred Tinordi, who I'm hoping will be Ryan O'Byrne with a happier ending.