The Colorado Avs managed to work their way back onto the first pages of sports sections in recent days by leaking info about a meeting between legendary goalie Patrick Roy and Avs president Pierre Lacroix, presumably spurred by the open general manager position -- and the excitement this news generated increases the prospect of a return. Problem is, Roy's other former team, the Montreal Canadiens, are reportedly mooning after him, too. So who'll win his hand? The answer may lie in the Habs' interest, or lack thereof, in two former Avalanche leaders. According to an ESPN report, the two main candidates other than Roy for Montreal's head-coaching position are Bob Hartley and Marc Crawford, both of whom previously handled these duties for the Avs. Indeed, Crawford won his only championship as either a player or coach while helming the Avs to the Stanley Cup in 1996 -- a victory attained in part because of Roy's amazing performances.
When Lacroix wants somebody, he usually gets them, as witnessed by the deal that brought Roy to the Avs in the first place. But does Lacroix want him badly enough to get into a bidding war? After the Avs' dismal 2008-2009 season, my guess is: yes.
