News Article: Marc Bergevin Drops The Ball As Canadiens Lose Alexei Emelin

[Poulet Kostopoulos]

MB dropped his crystal ball? Yeah, I agree.

 

[Kriss E]

What I don't get is that he actually traded for a stay at home bigger D. I mean, from what I understand, what's bothering him is that he didn't for a big name D.
If 44DD ends up being like Gorges, it'll be a huge steal.

Gorges needed some time to adapt when he came from SJ. So let's see what happens.

Also, we don't know how long Emelin will be out for.

To finish, Emelin wasn't injured at the Deadline day. We still brought in a depth Dman.

Article doesn't make much sense. Just sounds like a bitter fan that wanted a big name D.

 

[Monctonscout]

Shero traded for Murray...2 picks
Lombardi traded for Regher.... 2 picks
Chia traded for Redden.


Do you know what all those three GM's have in common?
They are the last three stanley cup winners! Are they all idiot GM's for giving up draft picks?

I guess Bergevin decided that the Habs are not ready to compete for the cup this year.

...and all 3 of those players sucked ass before the trade. Who is to say that Drewiske or Tinordi won't provide better production from here on in?

It's not like Redden Murray or Regehr could step into the Habs lineup and play top 4 minutes, they were playing #5-6 or press box minutes on prior teams. The Redden and Murray deals were trading for somebody else's trash.

 

[Em Ancien]

He did if we could've gotten Bouwmeester for roughly the paid price by St-Louis. But that would be true even without the Emelin injury.

 

[WakeUpNHL]

...and all 3 of those players sucked ass before the trade. Who is to say that Drewiske or Tinordi won't provide better production from here on in?

It's not like Redden Murray or Regehr could step into the Habs lineup and play top 4 minutes, they were playing #5-6 or press box minutes on prior teams. The Redden and Murray deals were trading for somebody else's trash.

Yeah, those 3 GM's can't hear what you're saying because 'they have their stanley cup rings plugging their ears'.

 

[Mario le Magnifique]

What I don't get is that he actually traded for a stay at home bigger D. I mean, from what I understand, what's bothering him is that he didn't for a big name D.
If 44DD ends up being like Gorges, it'll be a huge steal.

Gorges needed some time to adapt when he came from SJ. So let's see what happens.

Also, we don't know how long Emelin will be out for.

To finish, Emelin wasn't injured at the Deadline day. We still brought in a depth Dman.

Article doesn't make much sense. Just sounds like a bitter fan that wanted a big name D.

Actually, from my PoV Drewisky seems to have some offensive instinct, and seems to be reliable defensively. So we might even have somoething mroe complete than Gorges. I wouldn't be surprised if he could be playing in the top4 with Markov and fit in right away, he seems to have a good first pass and is confident with and without the puck, won't commit / make stupid moves, always the safe bet.

To me, he's an extremely good pickup.

And nope, I don't think it's the Habs year, so MB did the right moves at the deadline.

From my PoV, let the kids mature, especially the D. In one or two years this team will be a force to reckon with.

 

[Kriss E]

Shero traded for Murray...2 picks
Lombardi traded for Regher.... 2 picks
Chia traded for Redden.


Do you know what all those three GM's have in common?
They are the last three stanley cup winners! Are they all idiot GM's for giving up draft picks?

I guess Bergevin decided that the Habs are not ready to compete for the cup this year.

Bergevin had a plan before this season started. He said that he wants to rebuild the habs so they can be considered contenders, and not just for one season. This takes time as he'll need to evaluate his own players, some less known than others, and he'll have to make smart trades and great drafting/signings.

To think that just because we're playing well with 36 games played (I mean, that's not even half a year) he should start selling valuable picks is moronic. It's the perfect way to mess up your plan.

It's pretty clear that once you make the POs, anything can happen. Bergevin also believes that. So, does he think we can compete for the cup? I'm sure he does. But does he think it was worth it to trade away picks for rentals or aging vets in a year where half a season is being played? Clearly not.

It's not because Bergevin didn't trade away picks for Robyn freaking Regehr that he think we can't compete for the puck. I mean seriously, wtf.
Sometimes I wonder if people are able to see that the team is sitting at #2 in the east. We are already one of the best teams in the NHL, but because we didn't get a name player, it means we're screwed and Bergevin doesn't believe in this team. Man, some people like to reach really far.

 

[Born in 1909]

So many writers are Hab haters...

MB did the right thing.

 

[Strat]

I do agree though that Tinordi was very soft and not using his frame... which is exactly what I predicted when the Habs called him up. Wish he could prove me wrong and play with an aggressive edge, but he physically looks like another Hal Gill ; big & soft.

 

[Monctonscout]

He did if we could've gotten Bouwmeester for roughly the paid price by St-Louis. But that would be true even without the Emelin injury.

Bowoumeester has a 6.8 mil cao hit next year. If you pick him up so say bye bye to Ryder or anybody else they can sign to replace him.

With Emelin Diaz Gorges Subban Markov and Bouillon signed next year plus Tinordi/Beaulieu knocking on the door it would have been a dumb move.

 

[Poulet Kostopoulos]

I do agree though that Tinordi was very soft and not using his frame... which is exactly what I predicted when the Habs called him up. Wish he could prove me wrong and play with an aggressive edge, but he physically looks like another Hal Gill ; big & soft.

Given his pedigree, I would be VERY surprised if he turns out to be a soft player like Hal Gill. This guy fights -- that's already a difference compared to Hal. It's just normal for a young defenseman to be rather timid physically in his first few NHL games. He gotta concentrate on not making mistakes, play good positioning and have the basics right before thinking about the physical aspect and be aggressive.

 

[WakeUpNHL]

Bergevin had a plan before this season started. He said that he wants to rebuild the habs so they can be considered contenders, and not just for one season. This takes time as he'll need to evaluate his own players, some less known than others, and he'll have to make smart trades and great drafting/signings.

To think that just because we're playing well with 36 games played (I mean, that's not even half a year) he should start selling valuable picks is moronic. It's the perfect way to mess up your plan.

It's pretty clear that once you make the POs, anything can happen. Bergevin also believes that. So, does he think we can compete for the cup? I'm sure he does. But does he think it was worth it to trade away picks for rentals or aging vets in a year where half a season is being played? Clearly not.

It's not because Bergevin didn't trade away picks for Robyn freaking Regehr that he think we can't compete for the puck. I mean seriously, wtf.
Sometimes I wonder if people are able to see that the team is sitting at #2 in the east. We are already one of the best teams in the NHL, but because we didn't get a name player, it means we're screwed and Bergevin doesn't believe in this team. Man, some people like to reach really far.

You are contradicting yourself.

I'm sure that Bergevin's plans did not foresee the Habs being a top 6 team in the NHL this year. If we are already one of the best teams in the NHL this year then you adjust your plan slightly to take advantage of your position.

Spending a 2nd round pick, when we have three of them this year, would not have screwed the Habs future but would have given the habs a better shot at getting to the cup finals. That is my point.

 

[Team_Spirit]

This guy is from Quebec City, so hopefully they get a team again and we don't have to read these articles anymore.

zing!

 

[Em Ancien]

Bowoumeester has a 6.8 mil cao hit next year. If you pick him up so say bye bye to Ryder or anybody else they can sign to replace him.

With Emelin Diaz Gorges Subban Markov and Bouillon signed next year plus Tinordi/Beaulieu knocking on the door it would have been a dumb move.

It is possible to work with the cap. It's not this thing that kills teams as soon as they acquire players with high cap hits. We'd have around 3M$ of cap space once Kaberle is gone and Bouwmeester on the payroll. I think we'd have 8 defensemen too.

Overall, not that big a concern considering the flipside is getting a pretty damn good top 4 Dman for a late first and marginal prospects.

This is all contingent on Bouwmeester willing to agree to the deal though.

 

[Analyzer*]

How exactly does Montreal/Bergevin drop the ball ?

By not spending assets to acquire more d ? Wouldn't he have dropped the proverbial ball had he acquired more d and none of them gone down ?

 

[WakeUpNHL]

Given his pedigree, I would be VERY surprised if he turns out to be a soft player like Hal Gill. This guy fights -- that's already a difference compared to Hal. It's just normal for a young defenseman to be rather timid physically in his first few NHL games. He gotta concentrate on not making mistakes, play good positioning and have the basics right before thinking about the physical aspect and be aggressive.

Agree completely with this concerning Tinordi. He will be a good physical Dman for the Habs, but even Chara needed 4 years in the NHL before his game came into focus. Rushing Tinordi into a pressure packed situation like Habs playoffs could turn bad very quickly.

 

[windycity]

I do agree though that Tinordi was very soft and not using his frame... which is exactly what I predicted when the Habs called him up. Wish he could prove me wrong and play with an aggressive edge, but he physically looks like another Hal Gill ; big & soft.

or maybe he's a rookie playing his first NHL games who is playing conservative and not going for the big hit that might pull him out of position?

have you even seen him play in the AHL? He's anything but soft there and once he gets used to the speed of the NHL and gets his confidence he will be much more physical

 

[Monctonscout]

I do agree though that Tinordi was very soft and not using his frame... which is exactly what I predicted when the Habs called him up. Wish he could prove me wrong and play with an aggressive edge, but he physically looks like another Hal Gill ; big & soft.

He definitely had a mean streak in the OHL and AHL. Probably just a matter of getting more comfortable and knowing when he can throw his weight into guys.

 

[WakeUpNHL]

How exactly does Montreal/Bergevin drop the ball ?

By not spending assets to acquire more d ? Wouldn't he have dropped the proverbial ball had he acquired more d and none of them gone down ?

That's like saying you wasted your money on car insurance last year because you didn't have any accidents.

 

[Habskrieg]

On par with the regular Pejorative Slured journalists we get on a daily basis.

Ok, so... By this train of thought, Bergevin should have gotten 1 blueline offensive D, 1 shut down D, 1 two way center, 1 top line center, at least 1 power forward, at least 1 sniper, at least 1 shutdown offensive player/agitator, 1 top goalie. Because you know... You have to get players in order to foresee injuries and prevent a gap from shaping.

Look Drewiske isn't very proven. I'll give you that. But there's a reason why he was signed as an UFA and not through the draft. That's because he's a smart shut down D. There's a reason why LA barely gave him some ice. That's because LA loves to play one shutdown, one blueline D pair. They already had more experienced shut down players, so Drewiske gets the scratch.

Will Drewiske be one of the best D in the league? Probably not. This guy is a sort of Gill/Gorges mix. We loved both and we recognize the role they play. Drewiske's first game wasn't great, but it was far from terrible. We were playing an extremely aggressive Flyers team, our entire team had a tough time adapting. Since then, Drewiske has been decent. He even palyed rather well in Emelin's spot.

Gorges was also mediocre when we first acquired him. He only needed some time to adapt. Give this kid time too.

And by the way, we did do trades this year. Though our GM had the intelligence and actual foresight to get what we needed much ahead of anyone else, and much cheaper. Those players are Ryder and Halpern. Whom we've paid a fraction of what we'd have had to if it was at the deadline. Both players have been just incredible.

Either you're trying to stir **** up and get some attention, or you're just too narrow-sighted to really look at the big picture. What ever it is, welcome to the ignore list.

 

[Ghetto Sangria]

I do agree though that Tinordi was very soft and not using his frame... which is exactly what I predicted when the Habs called him up. Wish he could prove me wrong and play with an aggressive edge, but he physically looks like another Hal Gill ; big & soft.

I agree that he has been a little soft this season, but I don't think that will last. He won't be a chara, but he won't be a Gill

Speaking of which, I'd take a mobile Hal Gill on my team any day of the week. You said it like it's a bad thing

 

[Moen is Gone]

That's like saying you wasted your money on car insurance last year because you didn't have any accidents.

So MB also dropped the ball on Luongo, in case Price gets injured in the next couple of games?

 

[Ghetto Sangria]

That's like saying you wasted your money on car insurance last year because you didn't have any accidents.

While I agree with you in a certain way (I would have like a top 4 dman signed through next year like klesla), you are missing a key point in what everyone else is arguing here. Would Regher, Murray or Redden (lol!) really be that much of an upgrade over Drewiske?

Especially when taking into account the picks they sent for these guys. Bergy believes the juice wasn't worth the squeeze... and maybe Drew will surprise you. He didn't trade him for nothing. They got him because they believe he can be an asset to the habs

and also taking into consideration that emelin was pretty terrible these last few weeks, how much worse can Drew be? We will find out haha.

 

[WakeUpNHL]

On par with the regular Pejorative Slured journalists we get on a daily basis.

Ok, so... By this train of thought, Bergevin should have gotten 1 blueline offensive D, 1 shut down D, 1 two way center, 1 top line center, at least 1 power forward, at least 1 sniper, at least 1 shutdown offensive player/agitator, 1 top goalie. Because you know... You have to get players in order to foresee injuries and prevent a gap from shaping.

Look Drewiske isn't very proven. I'll give you that. But there's a reason why he was signed as an UFA and not through the draft. That's because he's a smart shut down D. There's a reason why LA barely gave him some ice. That's because LA loves to play one shutdown, one blueline D pair. They already had more experienced shut down players, so Drewiske gets the scratch.

Will Drewiske be one of the best D in the league? Probably not. This guy is a sort of Gill/Gorges mix. We loved both and we recognize the role they play. Drewiske's first game wasn't great, but it was far from terrible. We were playing an extremely aggressive Flyers team, our entire team had a tough time adapting. Since then, Drewiske has been decent. He even palyed rather well in Emelin's spot.

Gorges was also mediocre when we first acquired him. He only needed some time to adapt. Give this kid time too.

And by the way, we did do trades this year. Though our GM had the intelligence and actual foresight to get what we needed much ahead of anyone else, and much cheaper. Those players are Ryder and Halpern. Whom we've paid a fraction of what we'd have had to if it was at the deadline. Both players have been just incredible.

Either you're trying to stir **** up and get some attention, or you're just too narrow-sighted to really look at the big picture. What ever it is, welcome to the ignore list.

Not trying to stir up s**t at all and I am looking at the big picture... which to me is winning the Stanley Cup this year. A year where the habs are in a position to do so.

 

[Kriss E]

You are contradicting yourself.

I'm sure that Bergevin's plans did not foresee the Habs being a top 6 team in the NHL this year. If we are already one of the best teams in the NHL this year then you adjust your plan slightly to take advantage of your position.

Spending a 2nd round pick, when we have three of them this year, would not have screwed the Habs future but would have given the habs a better shot at getting to the cup finals. That is my point.

I'm not contradicting myself at all.

You take over a team and have a plan you set in motion.

After just over 30 games, you act like a 12yo school boy and get excited because your team is playing really well. So, you start taking decisions you really shouldn't take. It doesn't mean your team is actually set to be a contender for many years to come, which was what your plan was about.
Keep in mind we're talking about 36 freaking games here. Not even a real half of a season.

The Kings spent two 2nd rounders on Regehr. Already that's too much for my liking.
Then, put yourself in Buffalo's shoes. You get two 2nd rd picks from LA that play in the West, or get two 2nd rd picks from a team that plays in your division and who's also higher ranked than LA meaning their picks are likely to be beneath LA's.

We would have had to outbid LA, and who's to say it doesn't escalate to a higher point.
Not only that, but with Timmins running the show, our picks are way more valuable to us than to other teams. Our drafting record speaks for itself.

And there's no way of knowing if spending a couple of 2nd round picks would have helped us reach the cup finals more. There's only 2 teams that get to the Finals, yet how many make trades at the deadline?? How often do we see teams spend a lot at the deadline only to go nowhere in the POs. It's happened time and time again.
So no, spending a couple draft picks doesn't guarantee us an easier time reaching the Finals.

We've also made adjustments throughout the year. We swapped Cole for Ryder+pick, who's our leading forward, grabbed Halpern off waivers, and traded for Drewiske.
I don't understand how you're still complaining that we didn't trade for more.
We made three transaction within 3months, and yet MB dropped the ball?? You realize how freaking stupid this sounds?

All this because he didn't bring in a bigger name around the deadline? Please man, that's lame.

We don't need to go for the cup this year. And it's not Regehr, who hasn't really played all that great this year anyways, that's gonna turn us into a major contender.
Come draft day, you'll be happy we kept those picks. We have a lot of picks in the early rounds and our drafting team is the best in the NHL. It's the best way to secure a great future, which is what you should be looking at, more so than winning the cup this year.