TSN: Arpon Basu on Bergevin's presser.

[justafan22]

Normally, a radio interview shouldn't get it's own thread by a non gm, but I found there to be enough nuggets that it shouldn't be buried.

This is a summary of his interview with a link to the full one.

Some of the interesting tidbits:

On how Bergevin came off during the press conference, Basu thinks the biggest changes came from the presence of Molson. Bergevin usually takes charge in talks with the media, and Molson usually defers to Bergevin when questioned. This time however, Molson stepped in on multiple occasions when Bergevin was answering questions to clarify the organizations intent or to add to the comments. To Basu, this seems like Bergevin is on a shorter leash. Molson is taking a more active role and Bergevin won’t have as much leeway.

Transparency is an important aspect of sports in today’s day and age. In the past Montreal could get away with being insular because they were the best team in the league. When you are winning, you can keep your plans to yourself. However, with the team struggling and with the way information is exchanged today, you can’t hide from the fans/media.

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Mountain]

Basu also wrote an article on it as well with maybe the best headline I've seen in a while:

Basu: The Canadiens preached change by showing how nothing...

 

[justafan22]

Basu also wrote an article on it as well with maybe the best headline I've seen in a while:

Basu: The Canadiens preached change by showing how nothing...

The knives are starting to come out more and more. I honestly believe Bergevin would've been fired by now if he didn't get that long extension. Molson knows it's a sunk cost and has to deal with it for at least another year.

 

[BLONG7]

The knives are starting to come out more and more. I honestly believe Bergevin would've been fired by now if he didn't get that long extension. Molson knows it's a sunk cost and has to deal with it for at least another year.

Molson should fire this clown, now...and take accountability for that pi$$ poor extension....but by not firing him, then neither he nor Bergevin are showing any accountabilty for this hot mess.
The standards have fallen so low, very sad for this once proud organization.

 

[TRG]

The knives are starting to come out more and more. I honestly believe Bergevin would've been fired by now if he didn't get that long extension. Molson knows it's a sunk cost and has to deal with it for at least another year.

I'll accept not spending to the cap of it's to pay for Bergevin's firing.

 

[G0bias]

Don't think he's on a shorter leash because Molson was stepping in. Molson just saw how everyone in attendance looked at Bergevin like he was on some crazy pills.

 

[Habs]

Molson should fire this clown, now...and take accountability for that pi$$ poor extension....but by not firing him, then neither he nor Bergevin are showing any accountabilty for this hot mess.
The standards have fallen so low, very sad for this once proud organization.

Its funny how many millions he has lost in playoff revenue the last 3 years, with this putz in charge. 2 years no playoffs, one year with a first round exit. Millions gone, fan favorite traded and 20 million tied up with Price and Webs next season. How on earth could you let this happen to your storied franchise? Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

 

[BLONG7]

Its funny how many millions he has lost in playoff revenue the last 3 years, with this putz in charge. 2 years no playoffs, one year with a first round exit. Millions gone, fan favorite traded and 20 million tied up with Price and Webs next season. How on earth could you let this happen to your storied franchise? Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

It has left everyone dumb-founded...

 

[Andrei79]

Its funny how many millions he has lost in playoff revenue the last 3 years, with this putz in charge. 2 years no playoffs, one year with a first round exit. Millions gone, fan favorite traded and 20 million tied up with Price and Webs next season. How on earth could you let this happen to your storied franchise? Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

And how much more money has he lost paying Bergevin's friends ?

He has millions locked up on Therrien, Julien and Muller next year.

Most of his friends just got extensions, Molson would have to pay 40 - 50 million if everyone who deserved it was fired.

Essentially, with managements contracts and Weber/Price on awful deals, we're not looking at any sort of good outcome in the next few years.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Post the article or highlights of it.

Some highlights:

"Attitude" -

Bergevin’s favourite word over the first few years of his tenure as general manager was character. It was the overriding principle he cited in player evaluation — that before talent, before size or skill or anything tangible, it was character that mattered. Bergevin did not say the word character once in 80 minutes Monday.
He did, however, say the word attitude approximately 64 times. Or, at least, he said it a lot. That word, attitude, is not much different from character in the sense it is something that is immeasurable, or intangible. It is a state of mind, abstract and difficult to pin down.

... But a question Bergevin flat out avoided was how an attitude problem can exist when character has been the overarching principle of his player acquisitions, a principle that led him to acquire Shea Weber and Andrew Shaw two years ago.

Price -

then Bergevin said that Price had the best save percentage in the NHL over the last five seasons among goaltenders who have played at least 200 games, and he’s right on that. Price has a .923 save percentage over that time, better than Corey Crawford at .922, Roberto Luongo and Sergei Bobrovsky at .921 and Tuukka Rask at .920. But if you change the parameters to four years and 160 games, Price drops to fourth. Three years and 120 games? Price is 19th. Two years and 80 games? Price is 20th.
His save percentage dropped for a second straight season from .934 to .920 to .900. It was also the second straight season he had a long, awful stretch. This season it was his start. Last year it was between Dec. 16 and Feb. 12 when he went 8-11-3 with a 3.11 goals-against average and .895 save percentage over 22 games, a slump that ultimately cost Michel Therrien his job.
So that’s two seasons in a row that Price has struggled over a significant portion of the year, and now he’s about to become the highest paid player in Canadiens history and one of the top paid players in the NHL.

Tavares -

But the major one is bringing in a No. 1 centre, and while the Canadiens were trying to explain a deeply disappointing season Monday, the New York Islanders were doing the same thing. John Tavares was asked again what he will do this offseason, and he remained as evasive as he has throughout the season. It was difficult not to get the impression that Tavares will at least see what’s out there, and the Canadiens will undoubtedly make their best pitch.

as Tavares watched the only franchise he’s known show to what extent it has been dysfunctional, did the Canadiens do anything Monday to prove they are any different?

 

[NotProkofievian]

Don't think he's on a shorter leash because Molson was stepping in. Molson just saw how everyone in attendance looked at Bergevin like he was on some crazy pills.

Montreal media yesterday be like...

 

[G0bias]

Montreal media yesterday be like...

Hell, watching that conference I felt like I was on the same pills he was.

 

[habsgirl5000]

Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

maybe he is drinking too much of his own product

 

[groovejuice]

Normally, a radio interview shouldn't get it's own thread by a non gm, but I found there to be enough nuggets that it shouldn't be buried.


Some of the interesting tidbits:

Thank you for the synopsis.

 

[Andrei79]

Montreal media yesterday be like...

That looks more like MB's train of thought, only you can usually hear a monkey hitting cymbals in the background.

 

[NotProkofievian]

That looks more like MB's train of thought, only you can usually hear a monkey hitting cymbals in the background.

We now go live to Marc Bergevin's thought process.

 

[Andrei79]

We now go live to Marc Bergevin's thought process.

Where do you get this stuff man , wtf.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Where do you get this stuff man , wtf.

Funny story about that song, if you note, there's a 10 hour version of that on youtube. In Finnish universities, they have student speak-easies. I had the misfortune of living across the road from one. They had large speakers pointed at the neighborhood. Well, one day, they let 'er rip with the 10 hour version at full blast. I'm surprised they didn't get molotoved.

 

[Wats]

Its funny how many millions he has lost in playoff revenue the last 3 years, with this putz in charge. 2 years no playoffs, one year with a first round exit. Millions gone, fan favorite traded and 20 million tied up with Price and Webs next season. How on earth could you let this happen to your storied franchise? Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

MB didn't spend like 10M this year, practically makes up for another 1st round loss.

 

[NORiculous]

Normally, a radio interview shouldn't get it's own thread by a non gm, but I found there to be enough nuggets that it shouldn't be buried.

This is a summary of his interview with a link to the full one, hat tip to reddit for this.

Some of the interesting tidbits:

IMO, Molson just thinks that the way MB (and the PR team) have transmitted the info needs to be corrected, that is why he stepped in on some questions in the PC. IMO, it has nothing to do with a shorter leash.

Molson added in the presser that he wants the Habs to explain some moves better and I think people (Basu inclued) only have wishfull thinking when they "think" Molson is "trying" to say something else then what he is saying.

 

[VAN-HAB]

Its funny how many millions he has lost in playoff revenue the last 3 years, with this putz in charge. 2 years no playoffs, one year with a first round exit. Millions gone, fan favorite traded and 20 million tied up with Price and Webs next season. How on earth could you let this happen to your storied franchise? Is Molson as dumb as he looks? I guess?

Oh yes for sure he is as dumb as his GM. I don’t see any other explanation

 

[ottawa]

Molson should fire this clown, now...and take accountability for that pi$$ poor extension....but by not firing him, then neither he nor Bergevin are showing any accountabilty for this hot mess.
The standards have fallen so low, very sad for this once proud organization.

I feel like if I was a billionaire owner, I would also be too cheap to just lose out on millions by firing him...especially considering the fact that he'll already be losing money next year by missing the playoffs again (probably).

I think Bergevin will get fired at the end of next year when the habs will be closer to being a playoff team. Get a new GM and start pushing for the playoffs again.

Or win Dahlin and fire Bergevin and start pushing for the playoffs immediately with Brisebois or something.

 

[ottawa]

But then again...the guy just saved 10m this year by being way below the cap...surely that offsets Bergevin's contract? Just fire the buffoon

 

[Brownies]

But then again...the guy just saved 10m this year by being way below the cap...surely that offsets Bergevin's contract? Just fire the buffoon

There's something weird about all that cap space and not signing Markov and Radulov. It's like they wanted to tank but didn't tell anyone. Things wouldn't have looked much different if they went all tank so...

 

[NORiculous]

There's something weird about all that cap space and not signing Markov and Radulov. It's like they wanted to tank but didn't tell anyone. Things wouldn't have looked much different if they went all tank so...

Hahaha maybe. That is the secret plan?!?

They save on cap space to make money like they made the playoffs and “reset” the team without losing a penny.

lol