News Article: Marc Bergevin Briefing (Feb.15 /12:30 pm)

[Tighthead]

I used to bitch that MB would win practically every trade but wasn't building a team.

We all should agree that he really added pieces to make this team very competitive - size, scoring, depth, Allen. Kudos to him.

It's now up to the players and the coaching staff to put it all together. MB can tinker a bit going forward but not much.

Well said.

As I watch the same stubborn coach, the same crappy power play, yet another season of Weber without a decent partner and a team burdened by inexperience down the middle, all I can think is “Kudos to you MB, this is truly something special”.

 

[Kriss E]

I used to bitch that MB would win practically every trade but wasn't building a team.

We all should agree that he really added pieces to make this team very competitive - size, scoring, depth, Allen. Kudos to him.

It's now up to the players and the coaching staff to put it all together. MB can tinker a bit going forward but not much.

I think this team can be interesting but there's still some questions around it. I am not a fan of our defense, Chiarot+Edmundson in the top 4 is a no-go and I don't think Weber should be a #1D anymore.
We need the kids to become premier players, if not we aren't going to go anywhere really. KK, Suzuki, Romanov, Norlinder, Caufield, those guys are gonna need to be really good if we want the team to be successful.
We might be moving on from Tatar-Danault, those are two big contributors for us, so we'll need to replace them if we want to improve. Weber, Gallagher, Price, not sure how long they can keep going for, how good will they still be in 3 years?
I think MB finally made some good additions but it's not a finished product.

Then there's also the fact we are just facing 6 teams this year.

 

[CoopersFalls]

Bergevin’s results as a GM are much like his NHL career. Mediocre. Not the worst but not close to the best.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

The only good thing if we end up sucking this year is we'd trade Tatar and Danault at deadline and get a good pick. Perhaps 3 1st round picks from that(including our own).

Of course, MB will probably be fired if we fail again but at very least new guy will have more to work with I guess.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Once again, shows winning trades doesnt mean you know how to build a team

Had cap space for yrs and with that advantage, got a 3rd liner. Whoopie doo

Defense ages out and has added pylons who dont fit todays NHL

You have young centers not ready to be contenders yet, all in with overpaid defenseman and goaltending. Spent to Cap and didnt move the needle.

It was a desperate offseason from GM throwing a hail mary

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

The only good thing if we end up sucking this year is we'd trade Tatar and Danault at deadline and get a good pick. Perhaps 3 1st round picks from that(including our own).

Of course, MB will probably be fired if we fail again but at very least new guy will have more to work with I guess.

Quarantine rules might make for a quiet deadline or lack willingness to give up much

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Quarantine rules might make for a quiet deadline or lack willingness to give up much

I'm not sure about that. Deadline is the deadline. Teams will go for big fish if they could.

Will someone pay a premium on someone like Armia? Nah.

But Tatar and Danault are bigger pieces. If they're available at deadline I think someone would make an offer.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

at the same time people would be blasting MB like crazy right now if Danault had accepted the 5M per for 5 years. Although perhaps he wouldn't be playing like this if the contract stuff was over with. But 1 goal in 37 or whatever games is brutal for a top line center or even a 3rd line center.

MB got very luck with that one. Even if Danno was playing better it's a rich contract for somebody who should be a 3rd line center.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

I'm not sure about that. Deadline is the deadline. Teams will go for big fish if they could.

Will someone pay a premium on someone like Armia? Nah.

But Tatar and Danault are bigger pieces. If they're available at deadline I think someone would make an offer.

It will be interesting but market could be slimmer. I cant imagine a team who has any doubts of playoffs risking a guy they may not get to use for two weeks.

Interesting how teams manage cap with taxi squads as well.

Lots of ???

 

[Et le But]

Starting to think this man may not know how to build a winning team

 

[Tighthead]

Starting to think this man may not know how to build a winning team

Exhibit A: consistent failure to build a winning team.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Starting to think this man may not know how to build a winning team

You went out on a limb there

 

[Supersonic]

Needs to add to this team fast (new HC, LD maybe another LW/C)

or

sell (Tatar/Danault) and build for next year

doing nothing will be terrible

 

[varsaku]

If we get rid of MB and with the French Canadian requirement, there isn’t a quality proven candidate available. We will have to take a shot on a new face. It may not be a bad idea since clearly we haven’t gotten better since MB took the reigns.

 

[LyricalLyricist]

Starting to think this man may not know how to build a winning team

Probably not although I would say we are a better team than last year and I do like our forward core.

I think what we saw to begin the season is encouraging. What we're seeing now is disappointing.

In reality, we're somewhere in the middle but if we can't beat the senators of our division we deserve to lose.

 

[hvac412]

Probably not although I would say we are a better team than last year and I do like our forward core.

I think what we saw to begin the season is encouraging. What we're seeing now is disappointing.

In reality, we're somewhere in the middle but if we can't beat the senators of our division we deserve to lose.

To bad detroit isn't in our division.

 

[sandviper]

To bad detroit isn't in our division.

Given how we did versus Detroit last season and how we’re doing against Ottawa so far, I’d say thank god Detroit isn’t in our division.

 

[hvac412]

Given how we did versus Detroit last season and how we’re doing against Ottawa so far, I’d say thank god Detroit isn’t in our division.

But it would get Claude and his laughing stock of a coaching staff fired !

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

How the honeymoon beginning of season has disappeared. I have to say I was optimistic with all the changes made, but low and behold the exact same results as every other season.

With next season being his last under contract, no time like the present to make a change. We can’t continue to bury our heads in the sand thinking that the problems from this franchise don’t start at the very top.

 

[SirClintonPortis]

If we get rid of MB and with the French Canadian requirement, there isn’t a quality proven candidate available. We will have to take a shot on a new face. It may not be a bad idea since clearly we haven’t gotten better since MB took the reigns.

If there were no French Canadian requirement, I'd say just hire Bruce Boudreau so the young bucks can have their offense flourish. Then fire him and reign them in later. Worked for Washington. Plus, the regular season product would actually be exciting.

 

[Miller Time]

Needs to add to this team fast (new HC, LD maybe another LW/C)

or

sell (Tatar/Danault) and build for next year

doing nothing will be terrible

and yet, doing nothing (outside of fringe/bargain bin re-shuflling) is the most likely reality.... followed by the ready made excuse that the quarantine/shortened season is to blame. Rinse, repeat.

sadly, best case scenario would be the team going on an extended losing streak significant enough for either Molson to finally do the most necessary thing (replacing the GM), or MB, like last year, having no real choice but to sell-off UFA's

 

[CrAzYNiNe]

and yet, doing nothing (outside of fringe/bargain bin re-shuflling) is the most likely reality.... followed by the ready made excuse that the quarantine/shortened season is to blame. Rinse, repeat.

sadly, best case scenario would be the team going on an extended losing streak significant enough for either Molson to finally do the most necessary thing (replacing the GM), or MB, like last year, having no real choice but to sell-off UFA's

Something has to give. Up front, we appear to be struggling and the forwards can be better than this. On D... What a f***ing mess. Weber is clearly falling behind. Last year I thought he was a #3, and this year is showing it more and more. Chiarot is not even a #4, let alone a number two. My early year excitement with Romanov has dwindled, but you can see this guy is a stud.

This franchise is going no where with this D and even less with Price making 10.5M and playing the way he is playing. If Allen can do just as good a job for less than half the salary, what does that tell you about how bad a contract we have with Price.

No matter what good or bad MB has done. it's 9 years of him not changing much about the quality or identity of this team. How does he deserve to remain the GM after 9 years, where the last 7 have been an absolute disaster.

 

[le_sean]

If there were no French Canadian requirement, I'd say just hire Bruce Boudreau so the young bucks can have their offense flourish. Then fire him and reign them in later. Worked for Washington. Plus, the regular season product would actually be exciting.

Boudreau? The guy couldn’t even take a team that scored 300 goals a season to the finals. The guy sucks.

 

[Habs 4 Life]

I was never a fan of his to be honest from the beggining, I still find him to be an arrogant GM
To be honest I was very suprised by how good his off season was, but the job is not finished.
IMO as mentionned earlier this season, the Habs need a game changer to take it to the next level and really compete for a Cup. We have balanced lines now yes but no team in the league is scared to play the Habs, the day we have that game changer type forward will be the day we are taken seriously by opponents.

 

[Habs]

Bergevin’s results as a GM are much like his NHL career. Mediocre. Not the worst but not close to the best.

Running with 3 kids down the middle, that can't win a faceoff... your team is constantly starting from a position of weakness, and trying to get posession again. Your other C is an enigma, doesn't score, wants a lot of money because Nate MacKinnon says he's awesome. It was never a good idea not to address the C position , for year number 1o in a row... Suzuki and JK are asked to do too much as 1 and 2.