Gainey didn't feel itch to change roster

Many Montreal Canadiens fans probably figured Bob Gainey's recent pickups of defencemen Mathieu Schneider and Doug Janik were precursors to an even bigger deal.

But the NHL trade deadline came and went Wednesday without so much as a waiver claim by the longtime NHL general manager.

The Canadiens were rumoured to have serious interest in Tampa Bay Lightning centre and Quebec native Vincent Lecavalier in the weeks leading up to the deadline, but Gainey said he was never tempted to try to land a big name.

"We weren't out kicking tires," he told reporters.

"I think it's a message to our players, a vote of confidence for the players that we have, that many of them that have been sidelined with injuries or were not having the seasons they hoped for, that now is the time to get there.

"We weren't anxious to move players."

Dandenault stays put

The player considered most likely to move, defenceman/forward Mathieu Dandenault, had no takers among the 29 other clubs, Gainey said.

Two weeks ago, he sent two draft picks to Atlanta for Schneider, 39, to fill a need for an experienced shooter on the right point of the power play.

Last week, Gainey picked up Glen Metropolit on waivers from Philadelphia to add depth at centre and granted little-used veteran Steve Begin's trade request, sending him to Dallas for Janik.

The moves look to have worked, as Montreal entered Wednesday night's game at Buffalo having won four straight after a stretch in which they had only three wins in 15 games. But the Canadiens were stymied by goaltender Patrick Lalime in a 5-1 loss to the Sabres.

"We feel we have good depth at each of the positions — in goal, on defence and with our forwards," Gainey said.

"I think the crisis we went through, where we were losing a string of games, may have been part of the motivation to make changes earlier rather than later.

"We've got some results from those moves that have taken us out of that and now we're on the other side. We're winning games."

Gainey had routine talks with other clubs last weekend, but no serious discussions.

"I feel we have some guys who have been a little below their potential this season," said Gainey, "and it's time for them to prove me right, and for our coaches to take the players we have and squeeze as much or more from them as we have up to now."

Gainey said he wasn't interested in Phoenix centre Olli Jokinen, who ended up with the Calgary Flames on Wednesday in exchange for centre Matthew Lombardi, forward Brandon Prust and a conditional first-round pick in 2009 or 2010.

The Canadiens hope to get a boost from the return of some injured players, starting with winger Alex Tanguay, who has been out since early January with a shoulder injury. Tanguay is expected to return either Friday in Atlanta or Sunday in Dallas.

Lang gone for season

Left-winger Guillaume Latendresse is expected back from a left shoulder injury in two weeks, but defenceman Francis Bouillon may be gone for the rest of the regular season with a thigh injury.

Centre Robert Lang is gone for the season and probably the playoffs with a severed Achilles tendon.

The February slide erased the cushion Montreal had built in terms of securing a playoff position. But the Canadiens are fifth in the Eastern Conference entering play Thursday with a favourable schedule ahead of them.

They play nine of the next 10 games at home, including six against teams currently not in playoff position.

"I believe this group can get us into the playoffs and once we get there, then we start to work," said Gainey. "We have a more diverse group of players than we had a year ago and we need to be aware of how to use all those players.

"But the key is to get into the playoffs."