Hmpf. And I thought Nadal’s French Open odds upset was a surprise. Then came Montreal’s hiring of Jacques Martin. Was I alone in being floored by it?

Your team is coming off a turbulent season and you’re about to lose half your team to free agency, so you…hire a guy who has losing deep in his blood? Martin, the guy who guided countless Sens contenders who fell flatter than the World according to Columbus? The guy who accomplished zilch in Florida?

Hmph.

Am I just not thinking this through? One thing Martin has done reasonably well is turn last-place teams around. Well, he at least did that with the Sens in the mid 1990s. Maybe this is Montreal’s way of implying that they’re going to let a bunch of guys walk and rebuild?  Martin does teach a strong defensive game, too. And he pulled it off with goalies like Patrick Lalime, Ron Tugnutt and Damian Rhodes. So maybe he’ll help Carey Price get back on track in NHL betting.

Either way, I’m officially predicting to NHL betting fans that the Toronto Maple Leafs will finish above the Montreal Canadiens in the standings next year. I’ll put money down on it now. Bad betting management by me, or am I onto something? The draft will tell us more…