Today's Jiri Sekac - Devante Smith-Pelly swap was not the blockbuster Montreal fans may have been looking for, but it was a sign that Marc Bergevin is looking to toughen up his team ahead of the playoffs. Smith-Pelley, a former second round pick, may not have the flashy skills that Sekac has displayed, but he has the grit Bergevin was looking to buffer his bottom two lines with, and provides coach Michel Therrien with a player he will, for lack of a better explanation, use.

You see, Therrien never seemed to find a place for Sekac, who bounced from line to line, never sure of his place or what was expected of him. Sekac looked good at times, occasionally great, but the fact is he never really got a shot. Should he end up on a top two line in Anaheim, he may thrive. However, what the Habs got in Smith-Pelly is much the same - a player who was being used in a variety of roles, many of which he would argue were not suited to his talent. As anyone who has worked in an office with ambiguous instruction knows, figuring out your place on a team can be a very difficult thing to do if you aren't being given guidance. 

On the surface, I view this as a good deal for both teams - skill for sandpaper, and each team needed that element. Who knows where it will sit a year or two from now - perhaps Smith-Pelly will turn into the power forward many once thought he would be, or perhaps Sekac will become a consistent 30 goal scorer. Time will tell.

For now, Habs fans will continue to be patient, waiting for that winger and defenceman they so desperately need. Five days to the deadline. Can Bergy get it done?