Marc Bergevin - Kickstart My Heart Edition

[Draft]

The sad part is that this is the time for the team to be peaking. This is a young team with very capable veteran players (in theory), but there's no chemistry to speak of. The team has top-6 players, great depth, average defence, league-best goaltending, and a couple of potential game breakers in Drouin and Galchenyuk.

Too much north-south, too much grinding without cycling, not enough offensive skill.

 

[groovejuice]

Not really, but there is precedent of a GM being neutered during a season. Florida did it last year, Toronto did it to Nonis. Bergevin likely wont be fired, but if a new AGM or senior executive is hired, it'll be telling.

The big question is, who has Molson's ear that would push hard for a hierarchy in management as well as a mid - season shakeup?

I think mid - season is ideal because it allows the new management adequate time to discern the issues with the team first hand. I think Bergevin has outlived his usefulness and is merely treading water to keep his job at this point.

 

[Captain Mountain]

The big question is, who has Molson's ear that would push hard for a hierarchy in management as well as a mid - season shakeup?

I think mid - season is ideal because it allows the new management adequate time to discern the issues with the team first hand. I think Bergevin has outlived his usefulness and is merely treading water to keep his job at this point.

I really don't know. But I'm not certain there's room to be optimistic. I think Molson is taking his cues from the old school Montreal hockey core.

 

[Patccmoi]

The sad part is that this is the time for the team to be peaking. This is a young team with very capable veteran players (in theory), but there's no chemistry to speak of. The team has top-6 players, great depth, average defence, league-best goaltending, and a couple of potential game breakers in Drouin and Galchenyuk.

Too much north-south, too much grinding without cycling, not enough offensive skill.

Defense is not even average though. It's bad. We have a #1 (that has more of a #2 role in current NHL because he's not a PMD), a #3-4, a 19 y.o., and the rest is bottom-pairing material at best.

One of our 2 potential game breakers is being used on a 3rd-4th line and never along other players that have any type of offense. And not at the position where he really produced before.

Goal-tending is good, but good goal-tending with bad defense DOES NOT prevent goals from going in. No goalie can ever make up for a defense allowing tons of east-west pass in your zone. He can play the %, but some goals will go in because the % on good east-west plays is just low no matter the goalie.

We have forwards that are good on the rush with no good PMD on the ice most of the game. The team has absolutely no identity, it doesn't know what it wants to be. It's like there's no plan on how the team should score goals, it's shoot from everywhere when you get a chance and hope it works out. It's the NHL, won't work out very often.

 

[groovejuice]

I really don't know. But I'm not certain there's room to be optimistic. I think Molson is taking his cues from the old school Montreal hockey core.

Regrettably, I'm not optimistic. At all.

 

[sampollock]

low ticket sales is the way to get the point across, no cash coming in will make some noise

 

[Draft]

Defense is not even average though. It's bad. We have a #1 (that has more of a #2 role in current NHL because he's not a PMD), a #3-4, a 19 y.o., and the rest is bottom-pairing material at best.

One of our 2 potential game breakers is being used on a 3rd-4th line and never along other players that have any type of offense. And not at the position where he really produced before.

Goal-tending is good, but good goal-tending with bad defense DOES NOT prevent goals from going in. No goalie can ever make up for a defense allowing tons of east-west pass in your zone. He can play the %, but some goals will go in because the % on good east-west plays is just low no matter the goalie.

We have forwards that are good on the rush with no good PMD on the ice most of the game. The team has absolutely no identity, it doesn't know what it wants to be. It's like there's no plan on how the team should score goals, it's shoot from everywhere when you get a chance and hope it works out. It's the NHL, won't work out very often.

I'm not totally sure if the defence is "bad", but I'm 100% sure it's not competitive come playoff time. Looking around the league, the Habs fall into the middle of the pack (IMO) considering depth and experience. Until a viable PMD/PP option is available (Jerabek/Mete/Trade) t's just not good enough with an already weak offence.

Outside of Drouin, Price, and Weber, is there anyone that makes players around them better? I don't think so.

 

[Andrei79]

The sad part is that this is the time for the team to be peaking. This is a young team with very capable veteran players (in theory), but there's no chemistry to speak of. The team has top-6 players, great depth, average defence, league-best goaltending, and a couple of potential game breakers in Drouin and Galchenyuk.

Too much north-south, too much grinding without cycling, not enough offensive skill.

Well, they could have.

During MB's tenure, Laviolette was available.

O'reilly got traded for a modest package.

Radulov fell on his lap. Drouin was there for the taking. Galchenyuk scored 30 goals at center. PK wanted a multi year deal at 5.5M. Markov played at a high level until his late 30s. Shattenkirk was available at even if average defensively, still way better as a player than f***ing Petry. Gallagher was ripe for fleecing another team.

So many possibilities, and it would've fit the cap with just a minimum of creativity.

Well... at least I could see this team realistically get a chance at Dahlin, who's just an amazing, amazing defenseman for his age.

The ship could still right itself. The team likely gets into the playoffs. Heck, Bergevin could still salvage this mess, but if he did, it'd mean he made some SICK moves deserving much, much praise. Does anyone see that happening ?

 

[Censored Toad]

So are you thankful or hopeful, that the Habs don't win another game until November?

I will happily, take a loss every single game if it gets MB out of the GM position (still want to beat the leafs thou, for winning beer) .

We will not win a cup with him. This is my opinion and I am baseing that opinion on the last 5 years of this shitstains tenure as a GM, I reasonably believe the MB has been a complete and utter failure as a general manager of the professional sports team we call the Montreal Canadians. He isn't the right man for the job.

If we can go 3-16-1 for the first twenty games and MB gets fired, That is amazing. I will call that a win.
Getting this guy out of the GM position will be the best thing for the habs I think.

Its like ripping off a bandaid, Its going to hurt, it will be painful, but it will be great when its done.

 

[Draft]

The ship could still right itself. The team likely gets into the playoffs. Heck, Bergevin could still salvage this mess, but if he did, it'd mean he made some SICK moves deserving much, much praise. Does anyone see that happening ?

It's not impossible. Find a forward that can push players down the lineup and that will compliment teammates offensively. Give Jerabek/Morrow/Mete a chance to play on the PP and see if one of them can take the job. The foundations are there, players need to step up if the team is going to be competitive.

You can count on one hand the number of players that AREN'T playing below their abilities. There needs to be a significant addition at forward, not a swap (Radulov would have been handy here). Do whatever with the defence - I see four top-4 defenceman (Weber, Petry, Alzner, Mete) and solid bottom pairing players. The defence won't be fixed during the season.

 

[Miller Time]

I will happily, take a loss every single game if it gets MB out of the GM position (still want to beat the leafs thou, for winning beer) .

We will not win a cup with him. This is my opinion and I am baseing that opinion on the last 5 years of this ****stains tenure as a GM, I reasonably believe the MB has been a complete and utter failure as a general manager of the professional sports team we call the Montreal Canadians. He isn't the right man for the job.

If we can go 3-16-1 for the first twenty games and MB gets fired, That is amazing. I will call that a win.
Getting this guy out of the GM position will be the best thing for the habs I think.

Its like ripping off a bandaid, Its going to hurt, it will be painful, but it will be great when its done.

yup... sometimes taking a step back is a necessary move to make several steps forward.

anything that prolongs MB's tenure just prolongs how long it would take for a competent GM to build a contender

and this, of course, also requires that they actually get the GM hire right this time, which is no guarantee either.

 

[Leafsmann]

It's not impossible. Find a forward that can push players down the lineup and that will compliment teammates offensively. Give Jerabek/Morrow/Mete a chance to play on the PP and see if one of them can take the job. The foundations are there, players need to step up if the team is going to be competitive.

You can count on one hand the number of players that AREN'T playing below their abilities. There needs to be a significant addition at forward, not a swap (Radulov would have been handy here). Do whatever with the defence - I see four top-4 defenceman (Weber, Petry, Alzner, Mete) and solid bottom pairing players. The defence won't be fixed during the season.

Alzner isn't top 4

 

[Draft]

Alzner isn't top 4

Yeah, he is. He might not be the type of defenceman the team needs or you prefer, but he's an effective shutdown defenceman and can play a lot of mistake-free minutes.

 

[Runner77]

Yeah, he is. He might not be the type of defenceman the team needs or you prefer, but he's an effective shutdown defenceman and can play a lot of mistake-free minutes.

He's a top 4 on the Habs. Not sure he'd be a top 4 on most teams.

 

[Runner77]

I ask again, what's his long term plan? I don't see one at all. Why trade for Weber if you won't go all in right now?

No one can point to a specific plan. MB looks like he's working off the cuff, in a highly reactionary manner.

His plan is so covert that he doesn't even know himself what the plan is.

 

[mariolemieux66]

Yeah, he is. He might not be the type of defenceman the team needs or you prefer, but he's an effective shutdown defenceman and can play a lot of mistake-free minutes.

I dont think Alzner is a top 4. He is too slow, not physical enough, not mean enough, doesn't clear the crease and make lots of silly mistakes.
Big mistale by Bergevin to sign Alzner.
Alzner was our big UFA signing this summer, what a joke.

 

[badbrains]

Mitch Gallo preaching truth on 690 right now.

"Steve Ott is now a coach. Martinsen is in the AHL. King is in the KHL. All three of these Bergevin TDL acquisitions dressed for the Habs in the playoffs just 5 months ago."

Our GM, ladies and gentlemen.

 

[ArtPeur]

Bergevin inherited a top 3 pick. Only fair that he provide the same courtesy for the next GM that has to come in and clean up this mess.

... and that top3 is likely going to be the first guy traded before a new GM gets in

 

[Draft]

I dont think Alzner is a top 4. He is too slow, not physical enough, not mean enough, doesn't clear the crease and make lots of silly mistakes.
Big mistale by Bergevin to sign Alzner.
Alzner was our big UFA signing this summer, what a joke.

He does his job. Being slow, not being mean enough, (arguably) not clearing the crease, and making mistakes doesn't keep someone from being a top-4 defenceman. Josh Gorges 2.0 with a similarly big contract. Way overpaid and not a big difference maker, but a second pairing and PK defenceman in my eyes.

 

[Runner77]

Here's the link to the article for anyone to lazy to go look themselves.

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2017/10/12/larrogance-a-lhelium

Thanks for sharing. Anne-Marie Losique back in the news, I see.

 

[mariolemieux66]

He does his job. Being slow, not being mean enough, (arguably) not clearing the crease, and making mistakes doesn't keep someone from being a top-4 defenceman. Josh Gorges 2.0 with a similarly big contract. Way overpaid and not a big difference maker, but a second pairing and PK defenceman in my eyes.

Did we keep Gorges? No!
Why? Because is was asking too much for what he was worth.
Why sign Alzner then?

 

[Draft]

Did we keep Gorges? No!
Why? Because is was asking too much for what he was worth.
Why sign Alzner then?

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think Alzner fits with this team well at all. Bad contract and not exactly on the upswing. I don't think he should have been signed, but I do think he's a useful player and a top-4 defenceman in a vacuum.

 

[OldCraig71]

So are you thankful or hopeful, that the Habs don't win another game until November?

I am thankful that Bergevin knew there were better options than Radulov and Markov.

 

[jaffy27]

Jaffy is somekind of army grunt/jarhead. He is trained to obey and defend his overlords to the death if need be. Once you know this it all makes sense. His intentions may be in the right place but his loyalty is misguided. He just cannot see Bergevin do anything wrong because of the way his brain is wired. It's like an attack dog that must defend it's master, there is just no reasoning with it.

If there's ever an HF gathering, I'd really like to meet you

 

[jaffy27]

When a young player gets traded elsewhere and does well , we can talk about a development problem. - Marc Bergevin

Andrighetto is going to be one of many , Chucky you're next!



If you want a dog get a Bergevin defender .

Some dogs bite pretty f***in hard....take care K.I.G