This is a bit of a read but these are just my thoughts as a neutral observer. I have no hate for the Habs nor do I particularly love them either. I just feel that the team has been spinning its tires since the PK Subban deal and need to stop using half-measures to address their team needs. Reading Elliotte Friedman's comments in his '31 Thoughts' blog this week about Marc Bergevin got me thinking...
Marc Bergevin made two very substantial moves over the past two summers respectively that he hung his entire GM career on. He went all-in on a small core group of players on the cusp of stepping outside of their primes. Shea Weber and Carey Price are the backbone of the Montreal Canadiens and both are now moving into their 30s. Both are signed through to 2026, when both are likely in the twilight of their respective careers. He gambled on these players because he himself was convinced that they are capable of providing the base of a championship team.
That gamble hasn't paid off. For the past two seasons Habs fans have halfheartedly called for Bergevin's head as they've seen him shuffle deck chairs and add depth toughness to try to spark their cause. Many are convinced the Habs are on the verge of a total rebuild and it's my opinion that doing so would be a substantial mistake. Trading off expensive assets is more than likely to yield lackluster returns making a Montreal rebuild a long-term, fruitless endeavor. Perhaps Marc Bergevin isn't the man to make the calls moving forward, but I believe doubling-down on his gambles could turn the team around in short order...
3. I think Montreal GM Marc Bergevin wanted to get through those three games against Boston to see if the Canadiens had a shot at getting back into the race. We know the answer, and it is no. Bergevin, busy at even the quietest of times, is very active, trying to get something going. There’s a reason he won’t use the word “rebuild,” and that reason is Colorado. The cap has evened-out the NHL. Everyone has a fatal flaw, and just because you are bad one year doesn’t mean you’re bad the next. I don’t think he’s trading Carey Price, Shea Weber or Victor Mete. I find it extremely unlikely he’s trading Jonathan Drouin. Other than that? He’s listening and ready.
Marc Bergevin made two very substantial moves over the past two summers respectively that he hung his entire GM career on. He went all-in on a small core group of players on the cusp of stepping outside of their primes. Shea Weber and Carey Price are the backbone of the Montreal Canadiens and both are now moving into their 30s. Both are signed through to 2026, when both are likely in the twilight of their respective careers. He gambled on these players because he himself was convinced that they are capable of providing the base of a championship team.
That gamble hasn't paid off. For the past two seasons Habs fans have halfheartedly called for Bergevin's head as they've seen him shuffle deck chairs and add depth toughness to try to spark their cause. Many are convinced the Habs are on the verge of a total rebuild and it's my opinion that doing so would be a substantial mistake. Trading off expensive assets is more than likely to yield lackluster returns making a Montreal rebuild a long-term, fruitless endeavor. Perhaps Marc Bergevin isn't the man to make the calls moving forward, but I believe doubling-down on his gambles could turn the team around in short order...
