Can Marc Bergevin Save Habs Season?

[RGM81]

My extended thoughts on what ails the Canadiens, and some possible solutions to what has become much more than just a mid-season slump.

https://www.sportscardforum.com/threa...ve-Habs-Season

Courtesy: Hockey Reference

As of this writing, the Canadiens have fallen from first place in the Atlantic Division to the second-place wild card position in the East. The huge points advantage they mustered during their 9-0 run to start the season has been squandered entirely. They have won only four games since December 1st and all but one of their losses have come in regulation time, so they don’t even get the benefit of the “loser point” for an overtime/shootout defeat. Goals have dried up: they have scored two or fewer goals in all but five games in that time period. Tensions are mounting, as made evident by a post-defeat expletive-laced response by alternate captain PK Subban to a question about how he felt about scoring his first goal since October. Things seem to be falling apart for the Canadiens, and there are more questions than answers as to how this highly-skilled team has gone 4-15-1 in its last twenty games.

[MacDuff77]

Good article, and agree with your points. The team is on a death spiral (stolen from Eric Engels' article this morning) with no signs of pulling out of it. I don't pretend to have an in-depth knowledge of hockey strategy (born and raised in Scotland; ask me anything about football/soccer), but in Price's absence, Therrien's defense-first approach based has really sucked the offense out of this team and now that we need goals; there's no easy switch to flip. Desharnais was having an impact on the 3rd line, away from top opposition, but Gallagher's injury and the continued notion that Galchenyuk is not ready as a top centerman is now impacting this team. The team looks disjointed and at times, flat. Heads are down, the freedom of offensive creativity is gone, the chances are not coming or not being buried. For the most part, Therrien and Bergevin have been good dealing with the bottom 6 (Mitchell, Byron, Weise, Flynn, DSP). That's a decent core for bottom six players (with Weise's ability to move up the lines), reliant on the fact that the players are not overused/overplayed. But what the Habs have failed to do is make that impact move for a scoring winger to complement the top 6. We need goals, and fast.

I did not like the Kassian trade and I hate the Tinordi trade. In Kassian, I still believe there is a 20 goal scorer, power forward there. He might just get the playing time Edmonton to prove that. In Tinordi, I still feel he can be an impact player and to give him away for peanuts blows my mind. The mis-management to get to this point is where the damage was done. I get that Pateryn/Barberio passed him in the depth chart, and I like both players a lot, but I feel someone from the core could have been moved out sooner. Emelin, despite his NTC and Gilbert are two names that come to mind, even though I like both players and they are easy targets to trade out of town. Tinordi needed playing time to improve and develop, he should get that in Arizona.

Would I trade for Drouin? Ofcourse, if the price is right and the future is not mortgaged.
Would I trade for Simmonds? Definitely, he would be awesome in a Habs uniform. But, as you state, the price will be high.

This week will be interested. Losses to Boston/Toronto and I think we may not have the ability to climb back out of the hole. If that's the case, what comes first? An impact trade or Therrien fired... or both?

Stew

[RGM81]

Francois Gagnon of RDS stated today that Tuesday against Boston could be Therrien's last game.

[RGM81]

Francois Gagnon of RDS stated today that Tuesday against Boston could be Therrien's last game.

I'm still waiting for this to happen. After that debacle last night it's merited.

[Zorro]

If they have any hope of making the POs. I would...

- trade for e. Staal and Drouin
- make sure price 100%

[10-4 collector]

I don't agree with Drouin. Yzerman is asking too much, he knows Drouin is a francophone and would fit well in Montreal. Probably asking for Galchenyuk and more. Drouin has done nothing so far to prove himself a true nhl'er. I would personnaly see Yakupov in Mtl. He played in Sarnia with him, I think they would see each other well on the ice. Galchenyuk is too fast for Desharnais, Fleischmann... Yakupov isn't worth that much right now, maybe Beaulieu or Emelin. Yakupov is not a Therrien type of player though! If Therrien wasn't a francophone, he would've been long gone by now!

[piper1]

I think the question should be does he want to save the season. If he does nothing before the end of the month I think we will have the answer to that question.

[piper1]

That Bergevin would declare Therriem's job safe for the rest of the season basically supports my belief that he has given up on this season.

http://www.tsn.ca/therrien-s-job-saf...eason-1.426583

[creasecollector]

I really like how Bergevin stuck up for his coach there and took all the blame. People will have different opinions, but I think Therrien needs to stick around with the Habs and the players need to battle through it themselves IMO. Too much of the time it's the coaches job on the line in these scenario's, and I don't think all the blame should be on him. Price is out and the team moral is down the drain, not too much a coach can do here, just need to ride the waves here and push through this. The start this year was incredible, so I think this team has that same potential, and the same can be said for the coaching staff.

[huskies3]

The simple fact is that Montreal is just not that good. They are a mediocre team without Carey Price. A good team with him. Since they're in the East, it's possible that they could make the Finals, but even with Carey Price I don't think they can hang with the Capitals. I don't know why everyone is so surprised that they have come down to Earth.

As far as getting Drouin, I don't see what Montreal has to offer that trumps Dumba or Vatanen in either fit or talent. Yzerman wants a right-hand shot defensemen and Tampa can't really take on salary.