Biggest Team Change in Decades?

[Just Linda]

Is it just me or does the team seem... different?

Like not just improved but has an entirely new feel to it? I'd go as far and say a shifted identity.

I look year over year in my 25ish years as a Habs fan and I can't think of a single offseason where the team we ice feels as different as it did between the start of 1 season and the start of the next.

Is this the biggest identity shift of a Habs team in decades?

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[HabsCowboysOwn]

It's definitely up there but the Gainey offseason in '09 when we parted ways with Koivu, Kovalev, Tanguay, Lang, Higgins, Komisarek, etc. was quite something too.

 

[SpezNc2]

Is it just me or does the team seem... different?

Like not just improved but has an entirely new feel to it? I'd go as far and say a shifted identity.

I look year over year in my 25ish years as a Habs fan and I can't think of a single offseason where the team we ice feels as different as it did between the start of 1 season and the start of the next.

Is this the biggest identity shift of a Habs team in decades?

2009 when Koivu, Komisarek, Kovalev and many others walks to bring Cammalleri, Gionta, Gomez, Spacek and Gill.

our first line completely changed.

 

[Redux91]

One has to remember, most if not all of this doesnt happen without those out of nowhere 10 playoff games and without KK and Suzuki busting out,

It changed absolutely everything. (For the better)

 

[bobholly39]

Is it just me or does the team seem... different?

Like not just improved but has an entirely new feel to it? I'd go as far and say a shifted identity.

I look year over year in my 25ish years as a Habs fan and I can't think of a single offseason where the team we ice feels as different as it did between the start of 1 season and the start of the next.

Is this the biggest identity shift of a Habs team in decades?

Definitely not the biggest change. We didn't move any of our core guys. All of Price, Weber, Gallagher etc still here. I love the moves we did, don't get me wrong, but no chance it's the biggest.

This one year we got rid of all of Koivu and Kovalev to replace with Gomez, Gionta and Cammaleri (still absolutely hated that summer - I felt then and still feel today it was horrible all around).

In terms of non-core movement and complementary pieces though - yes this was a huge off season for us, one of the biggest ever.

 

[Roadhouse]

One has to remember, most if not all of this doesnt happen without those out of nowhere 10 playoff games and without KK and Suzuki busting out,

It changed absolutely everything. (For the better)

I would much prefer ****loads of uncertainty regarding Suzuki and Kotkaniemi's future as top centres, and Marco Rossi. Yay.

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

Yes, reminds of the 2009 overhaul when Gainey signed all the midgets.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

As a fan for close to 70 years, I have seen many phases and changes that have affected the fortunes of the team. Exchanging Domi for Anderson and the signing of a range of middling free agents hardly constitutes a seminal alteration of the team's structure and direction. In my opinion, the Canadiens' decision to replace Sam Pollack with Irving Grundman (rather than with Scotty Bowman) as General Manager, far dwarfs the effect of securing two or three players who are not, nor ever will be, elite or game changing players. The colossal error in hiring Grundman , and other subsequent and cascading management errors (Houle) have negatively impacted the team for over a generation. The fans' enthusiasm for Bergevin's moves are more a reflection of the fans' weariness of watching a team that has been mired in mediocrity for almost thee decades than a sober appreciation of the team's relative competitiveness.

 

[DrBizz4r3]

Maybe not the biggest change in decades, but the biggest in decades for sure (modern days)

 

[JianYang]

It's definitely up there but the Gainey offseason in '09 when we parted ways with Koivu, Kovalev, Tanguay, Lang, Higgins, Komisarek, etc. was quite something too.

Yeah, I doubt we ever ever see something like 2009 again. That was something else.

 

[Kriss E]

One has to remember, most if not all of this doesnt happen without those out of nowhere 10 playoff games and without KK and Suzuki busting out,

It changed absolutely everything. (For the better)

How do you figure that?
I don't think it changed much of anything.

 

[le_sean]

How do you figure that?
I don't think it changed much of anything.

It definitely did. No play-ins/playoffs and KK is still seen as an AHLer, so it’s less likely that they trade Domi.

Does Toffoli sign to go out East for the first time in his career if he thinks the Habs are as bad as they were in the regular season? His wife works for the Dodgers after all.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

People forget the turn around in 03. Markov as a sophomore, adding Kovalev, Ryder. That was a big flip/change of pace from the previous seasons.

 

[OnTheRun]

It definitely did. No play-ins/playoffs and KK is still seen as an AHLer, so it’s less likely that they trade Domi.

Does Toffoli sign to go out East for the first time in his career if he thinks the Habs are as bad as they were in the regular season? His wife works for the Dodgers after all.

Maybe it was an eyes opener for some, mostly the one that wouldn't shut up about the 50pts wonder that is Brady Tkachuk. But I would be legit concerned if the Habs are using the same parameters to evaluate their own players.

 

[Kriss E]

It definitely did. No play-ins/playoffs and KK is still seen as an AHLer, so it’s less likely that they trade Domi.

Does Toffoli sign to go out East for the first time in his career if he thinks the Habs are as bad as they were in the regular season? His wife works for the Dodgers after all.

You think 10 games of KK where he scored a few goals made Bergevin flip a switch and go after 4 new players?? Dude, that's such a reach.
This isn't Getzlaf in 06-07 POs going 17 in 21. Take it easy mate.

Bergevin has failed to commit to a clear direction ever since taking over. His contract is coming up soon too. He had this summer, or the next, to make a splash. Considering all the upcoming free agents (Petry-Tatar-Gallagher-Danault-Armia) next season, if he didn't make a push this year to show he's committed to actually improving and contending maybe Gally doesn't re-sign, maybe others walk. We probably miss the POs again this year too and then he'd be in a really desperate position as he enters the last year of his contract.

That's why he was more aggressive this summer. Just made way more sense to do it now. He had a bunch of space, teams are more willing to trade and at a reasonable price, free agents sign for less money/term, and his good players are still signed for another season.
Gives himself a chance to add a bunch of players, hopefully make significant steps forward challenging the upper divisional teams, and he has another summer to adapt accordingly next year.
This was calculated. It has nothing to do with KK playing 10 good games during this covid tournament.

 

[Habano]

One has to remember, most if not all of this doesnt happen without those out of nowhere 10 playoff games and without KK and Suzuki busting out,

It changed absolutely everything. (For the better)

100% agree

I would much prefer ****loads of uncertainty regarding Suzuki and Kotkaniemi's future as top centres, and Marco Rossi. Yay.

Get ready, they're gonna come out of the woodwork and try to convince you how wrong you are because you know, Perfetti would have solved all of the Habs' problems

 

[Habby4Life]

It definitely did. No play-ins/playoffs and KK is still seen as an AHLer, so it’s less likely that they trade Domi.

Does Toffoli sign to go out East for the first time in his career if he thinks the Habs are as bad as they were in the regular season? His wife works for the Dodgers after all.

It was the emergence of Suz & KK that showed they were ready for prime minutes (Suz already did). Domi worked his way out & the series against Philly finally drove home the need to get bigger & more physical.

With Romo coming in next year and whenever Caufield cracks the lineup this team will be solid thru the lineup. They might not have a true sniper but they will be able to roll 4 lines every night.

My guess is Tatar will be moved for someone cheaper. I’d be willing to move him for Virtanen.

Let Juulsen & Mete battle it out for 7th D.

- Edmundson will surprise people and will be just like Chariot.

- Romo is a question mark but they are very high on him so we shall see.

- Allen will allow them to give Price time off and will not be a large drop off. If price gets hurt he can fill #1 spot.

- Anderson will be physical and chip in points. He might not produce at Domi’s 72pts but he provides size they need.

- Toffoli provides balance, size and scoring on the left side.

 

[Wats]

Yes, reminds of the 2009 overhaul when Gainey signed all the midgets.

Habs were always considered small up front, even before Cammy/Gionta/Gomez.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

As a fan for close to 70 years, I have seen many phases and changes that have affected the fortunes of the team. Exchanging Domi for Anderson and the signing of a range of middling free agents hardly constitutes a seminal alteration of the team's structure and direction. In my opinion, the Canadiens' decision to replace Sam Pollack with Irving Grundman (rather than with Scotty Bowman) as General Manager, far dwarfs the effect of securing two or three players who are not, nor ever will be, elite or game changing players. The colossal error in hiring Grundman , and other subsequent and cascading management errors (Houle) have negatively impacted the team for over a generation. The fans' enthusiasm for Bergevin's moves are more a reflection of the fans' weariness of watching a team that has been mired in mediocrity for almost thee decades than a sober appreciation of the team's relative competitiveness.

As a fan who’s seen my share of parades I’ve had to learn a great deal of humility as I’ve witnessed the fall of our once iconic status as best sports franchise in NA to where it is now. Lots of reasons for this as the game has grown up around us. After Sammy & Scotty my last glimpse of organizational leadership was Serge Savard. Since then we’ve had owners not investing in talent, gm’s who can’t identify poor coaching throughout our system or manage assets wisely, coaches devoid of leadership qualities creating an environment of low morale.....I could go on. However I feel there has been a paradigm shift. Maybe the teams internal leadership got to ownership while in the “bubble” as has been speculated?

Whatever the reasons I like it. This years training camp will be most interesting to me......perhaps for the first time in a long while.
Cheers.