If someone were to ask me to describe Josh Gorges, I wouldn't need to hesitate.

He's a straight shooter.

If Gorges says something, I would have to be convinced not to believe it.

Maybe that makes me naive, maybe that makes him a great actor, but that's my take on the guy and it would take overwhelming evidence to the contrary to have me change it.

So when Gorges spoke to CJAD's Barry Morgan on Monday and told him he understands why the Canadiens felt more comfortable giving him a one-year contract, and that he doesn't take it personally, my primary instinct is to take him at his word.

But if that same someone were to ask me to name another characteristic of Gorges that I've observed over his time in Montreal, I would say he is the ultimate team guy.

His teammates mean the world to him, and his loyalty to the organization where he has blossomed into an excellent shutdown defender knows no bounds.

So, in this instance, it appears those two characteristics are diametrically opposed to one another.

On the one hand his honest side is telling him to fully express his disappointment in failing to negotiate the long-term contract he so coveted, while on the other hand the team guy is telling him to focus on proving to the organization that he is fully healthy and fully deserving of that contract.

A team guy first 

Ultimately, he managed to satisfy both sides, but Gorges' answers to Morgan's questions in this interview suggest that perhaps he is more of a team guy than he is a straight shooter because he refused two separate invitations to express his frustration over how things unfolded.

"I wanted a multi-year deal," Gorges began. "I've said it right from the start, I'll say it today and I'll say it to anyone who asks that I want to stay in Montreal as long as I can. It feels like home to me, I've been there long enough that I really enjoy my time there. I enjoy the team, I enjoy the organization and I enjoy the fans. That's where I want to be, that's where I want to win a Stanley Cup. So I wanted to get as many years as I could."

This is where Gorges shifted gears and put himself in Pierre Gauthier's shoes, also marking the last time he said anything that could be remotely construed as a complaint.

"But I think looking at it, I understand from the team's perspective that coming off a major knee surgery and not finishing the year, there is a risk involved in how my knee is going to hold up," he continued. "I think they just wanted to do their job and make sure my knee was 100 per cent, if not even better than 100 per cent coming into this season so I'm not putting the team at risk."

Won't take the bait 

From that point on, Morgan pressed a few buttons that could have set Gorges off, but they didn't.

First, he asked about the three-year, $17.25 million contract given to Andrei Markov in spite of the similar – some, like me, would say higher – degree of concern over his knee.

"We're two different players, we were in two different situations, a lot of different things to discuss in that situation," Gorges responded. "I'm extremely happy that we got this done. We avoided arbitration, which is something I didn't want to go through, and I get to come back and play hockey in Montreal, which is what I want."

Morgan then asked if the one-year deal is akin to a slap in the face.

"I think I've learned in my short time in the NHL that not everything is going to go your way," Gorges said. "Especially the route that I've taken in my career, I try not to take anything personal...I go out there and do my job. My job is to go out there and play as hard as I can and do the best I can to help the team win. At the end of the day it's up to the team to decide what I'm worth and how long they want to keep me around and all those types of things. I think they thought it was best to do a one-year this year and we re-evaluate things throughout the course of the year or at the end of the season, whenever they see fit."

That answer, to me, shows the "team guy" Gorges shining through, because very few players would openly admit that it is up to the team to determine their worth. Of course, that is the reality of a restricted free agent in a system where offer sheets are never coming, but for an unrestricted free agent it is the market that determines worth.

So that naturally leads to Morgan's next question, asking whether or not this negotiation would lead Gorges to play that market next summer. And in his answer, we see the two Gorges characteristics I pointed out at the top melding into one.

"Those are the types of things that are tough to answer now because I don't want to think about that, I don't want to think about going to another team," Gorges said. "Like I said, I love Montreal, I love playing for the Canadiens and we'll see how the year goes. Last year was a crazy year and they didn't want to talk about contracts at all during the season. And coming into this year I want to focus on being the best that I can and helping the team the best that I can and not have to worry about what's going to happen next year. I don't want to focus on contracts; I don't want to focus on anything like that. The only thing I want to focus on is helping the team win games and helping the team try to win a Stanley Cup. That's where my focus is and that's where my mindset's going to be all year."

Gorges has never hidden his desire to stay in Montreal whenever he's spoken to reporters. A lot of players beg off giving any information whatsoever when contracts are discussed because, rightfully so, they know that is the domain of their agents and anything they say may show their hand. Gorges has never had that instinct of self-censorship, probably to the great dismay of his agent Kevin Epp.

Loyalty unharmed

Canadiens fans should be pleased to see Gorges' loyalty and desire to stay in Montreal has not waned in light of his failing to get what he wanted out of this contract. The fact he said so publicly and with such passion indicates it is not merely lip service, if Gorges were capable of such a thing.

Should the Canadiens make the playoffs – and I believe they will – it would provide Gorges with yet another opportunity to showcase how valuable he can be at that time of year. I would venture to bet that if Gorges was a UFA back in 2010, teams would have been lining up to sign him after his playoff performance.

Gorges went head-to-head against Alexander Ovechkin in the first round as a right defenceman facing a left wing, and by the end of the series it was Ovechkin facing questions about his lack of productivity. In the second round, Gorges and Hal Gill were given the challenge of stopping Sidney Crosby and he was held to just a goal and four assists – with all the assists coming on the power play – after he had torched the Ottawa Senators for 14 points in six games in Round One (nine points at even strength). Yes, Jaroslav Halak had a big part to play in both of those shutdown performances, but Gorges' abilities were brought to the forefront like no other time in his career.

He is the type of player – with little offensive skill and driven by heart and will – who doesn't get recognition until it counts come springtime. The one player who jumps out at me is Rob Scuderi, who got his four-year, $13.6 million contract from the L.A. Kings largely on the back of his shutdown role in the Penguins 2009 Cup run, coincidentally enough playing alongside Gill. With this one-year contract, it will be up to Gorges to show that value again.

The onus is on him to prove his health and his worth to the organization heading towards July 1, 2012, and the fact that he's accepted that challenge without complaint proves – at least in my eyes – that Gorges is a player worth keeping for the Canadiens.

While many question marks remain regarding Gorges' health, there is one sitting above Gauthier's head as well: Will he have the willingness – or even the desire – to pay Gorges what it will take to keep him here when the time comes?