(Wrote that on Nov 22 2017, on a 'rebuild' thread at the time, don't exactly remember the op though. Still relevant, I think)
I once believed in that core. Especially when Bergevin took over... Plekanec was still producing, Price was 25, Pac and Subban 23, Gallagher 20, finally got a big center with a top pick (Chucky) and that whole 2012 draft was nice overall (most of the picks were hyped ones at the time, Collberg in the 2nd was seen as a late 1st, Thrower I remember people were surprised was still there, Bozon in the 3rd seen as a potential great pick, Hudon as a potential steal in the 5th... ), Beaulieu and Tinordi were developing... I thought we simply needed was new blood at the GM position, and Bergevin was hyped as hell.
And I believed everything.
But 5 years and a half later... this core, which is now older and essentially the same, has failed.
Time to start anew. Past plan was probably to reap on Price's excellence in goals, but building around a goalie is wayyyy too risky, especially if you actually don't build around too much. Molson will have to swallow this plan, and think about lowering his prices, because while I think people are ready for a rebuild (was actually very surprised by one of the latest surveys, where people think a rebuild is a better solution than a big trade...), they won't want to pay a premium for a Habs game anymore, not until it's a competitive team again. So swallow up your pride, find an excuse, and lower those damn prices.
-Review the whole development hockey ops staff, listen to whatever they have to say about our failures.
-No matter what, fire Eric Crawford, the head of Pro scouting, never understood why Bergevin thought it was a good idea to replace Vaughn Karpan with him, as IMO, he's one of the reasons the Vancouver Canucks sucks now. And damn, get some Pro scouts to cover the East, we have 3 to cover the West (Scott Master, Reid Simpson and Sean Burke) and I'm not sure there's even one in the East (David McLean ?). Keep Dave Starman (NCAA), got some good ones over the years.
-Fire Shane Churla, head of amateur scouting (people seem to forget that too often). Our prospect pool didn't produce a lot over the last nearly 10 years eh, one of the major reasons why we suck right now and management think it's a need to get players like King, Ott, Benn, Morrow, Davidson, Mitchell and co, because our depth sucks ! ... ok, the last 2 drafts were above average IMO, but damn our forward prospects sucks or a near non-existent. Poehling/Vejdemo/Evans are up to great starts, but damn we need way more than that... I'd keep scouts covering the WHL cause I think they're doing a nice job, but otherwise... and get a damn scout in Sweden please, and listen to Euro scouts more too ! (in fact, a whole change of mentality is needed there)
-Martin Lapointe and Rob Ramage needs to leave too. Development is arguably the other major reason why our depth sucks as it is. Some will say they work with what they have, well, you can't really use this excuse when failure is so common... I'd keep Bouillon from development, just because his attitude will most definitely rub the kids the good way.
-Dudley and Mellanby, out. Larry Carriere too. Foxhole is over. Thanks but no thanks. Nepotism has no place in a successful business.
-Timmins... see, while I always thought he was overrated because of that legendary 2007 draft, his 1st rounders were mostly abysmal otherwise, and we need more than just late round steals... he's supposedly not into amateur drafting anymore, but I think he still pull the cords somehow, and it shouldn't be. Thanks for all your years of service, but it's just time to start anew.
-AHL level, Lefebvre and co... LOL get the **** out of there. And get Dominique Ducharme and/or Joel Bouchard in his role. (cause I really think they have what an organization needs for the new NHL, smarts, communication and potential for more, not only because they're french)
-Claude Julien ? Arg... I really thought it would be smoother than that. He's part of the old NHL, but he still can communicate what he wants to his players. But... not all the time, it seems. I would fire JJD and Lacroix in a hurry, that's for sure, and anyway I think that Bergevin imposed them to Julien, and, while I always liked Muller, I think he should leave too. Let Julien hire his guys, then wait and see, have fun with the rebuild...
-Pacioretty... has a premium value, even with his poor play, everybody knows he can score at any moment, especially past the beginning of the season. His salary cap vs production is great. But I sure don't want to see him get a new contract. Get a premium for him, like Sakic got for Duchene. And young assets with potential, not similarly aged guys.
-Price, now that's a complicated one... he's the guy responsible for mostly everything that went well over the last 5 seasons, when he wasn't there, we saw what happened. Yet, I also think his contract is atrocious (Thanks Bergevin !), and that he won't necessarily help a rebuild, can't ask him to lose on purpose. Just shop him discreetly (but the guy has a NMC right ? a total one or we need to ask him if he wants to be traded ? not sure about it), if anyone has interest in getting that contract, but not just for anything. The guy is a gamer, just not sure he wants to go through a rebuild. (not like he has any kind of choice, unless he void his contract, but that would be a premiere for a superstar player...)
-Weber, I really like the guy, and I'd keep him around to help kids learn the game through the rebuild, but, if someone offer something great in return, I'll think hard about it...
-Plekanec I'd keep around, not like he has a lot of value anyway, and, well, I kind of like players who plays their whole careers with the same team. His salary cap vs production is abysmal, we all know about it, but he still plays the same kind of responsible defensive game, that would help some kids a lot just to look at his work ethic. But well, if someone offers me a 2018 late 1st for him, anytime ! (who am I kidding ?)
-Shaw, never liked his acquisition, he works hard, alright, but a small grinder is everything we don't need. Ship him for whatever we can get.
-Petry... he probably doesn't hold a lot of value, even though he a RHD with great mobility, his head needs a major screwing job this season, and his contract... if someone knocks on the door, I listen, that's for sure, but if Weber is traded, I probably keep him just so I have a veteran RHD.
-Gallagher needs to be named Captain ASAP. Because he is the Captain of that team. (I hope Pacioretty is ashamed to look at him play like he does, while he's floating around.)
-I build around Gallagher, Drouin, Chucky, Danault, Hudon, Lehkonen, and whoever we get back from those trades, I think long and hard about keeping Mete in the NHL or not, but I hold a long conversation with Julien before, about his usage of young players, that's for sure...
And damn I hope Molson has the smarts to hire a real President, because while I know I could do whatever I want with Molson (like Bergevin is actually doing) cause he doesn't know anything about hockey, I'd much prefer working for someone who knows the drill...
Lastly, and it should actually be the first thing to do, I'd address the fans and the medias on the 'plan' to rebuild, the reasons behind the idea, and in hope they will back the team up again through the pains and understand there will be growing pains, and that booing developing kids won't help them at all. (especially if Molson actually dropped the prices to reasonable levels, in that case, come on...)
Ultimately, who am I but a simple, disgruntled and pissed fan who may have a bit more of a grasp on hockey than a casual fan, but still just a fan.
Would this go that way ? Most probably not.
Real question is, would I be a revived fan if something like that would happen ?
Absolutely.
Cause right now, there's something dead inside of me, and I never thought it would happen.
Cheers.
