Montreal Canadiens: Feeling the Pressure This Season

TSN made a list of NHL players and/or management on who will be feeling the most pressure this season, and two of them were from the Montreal Canadiens.

Pressure is a very polarizing thing in life. It can make you more dialed in and focused to a task, but also make you too focused and too dialed in on a task. So much so that you overdo the simple things and fail at them. The Montreal Canadiens will have some level of pressure on them this year. After an early exit from the playoffs, the expectations are that they can play deeper into the season.

However, there may be some individual members of the organization who may be feeling more pressure than the rest. TSN Frank Seravalli made a 10 member list”s of NHLers who will have the most eyes on them to perform this season. The Canadiens had two people on this list, and no Max Pacioretty wasn’t one of them.

Not sure if the list was ranked, but Jonathan Drouin and Marc Bergevin were on it. Neither of these two choices are really shocking, but we’ll go into each.

Drouin-Man: Homecoming

If you think about it, there could be a lot of possible pressures coming Drouin’s way. Imagine little pressure blocks being stacked. First off, he’s one of the new players on the team. Many like to have a good year to make a good impression on their teammates and prove they can add to the success.

Secondly, his contract. Not too long after being acquired, the Montreal Canadiens signed him to a six-year deal worth $5.5 million per season. That made him the second highest paid forward on the Habs without even playing a single game.

It continues with looking at what position he’ll be at. They’ve experiment with Alex Galchenyuk in the past, but Montreal has still been looking for a top-line center. Drouin will be given that opportunity at training camp and the regular season. Can he do it? Many, including fans and management, believe that he’ll be a solid center for the Habs. Only time will tell.

Finally, and probably the most important, he’s from here. Drouin grew up about an hour and a half away from the Bell Centre. Montreal Canadiens may have a future Quèbècois star in the 2013 1st round. It has to be a surreal feeling for him.

That being said, all that pressure will do nothing but good for Drouin. You see how confident he is from all the media he’s done since joining the Habs. Drouin will be more than fine next year.

Bergevin

As a general manager of an NHL team, of course you’re going to feel pressure. Especially from an electrifying market like in Montreal who wants to see the Stanley Cup raised again.

However, it does make sense for Marc Bergevin to have some extra pressure added to his bill. The Montreal Canadiens have been a playoff team for all the years that he’s been GM save for the 2015-2016 season. None of those playoff appearances have ended with a Stanley Cup Final.

After the off-season additions and subtractions, there’s a divided feel about the team. Some even have the Habs missing the playoffs entirely. That won’t be the case at all, but Bergevin needs to ensure that it isn’t just the playoffs. Montreal is in a position now where their regular season success isn’t as important. You’re not awarded the Stanely Cup for winning the Atlantic Division or the Eastern Conference.

Bergevin needs to make sure that the Canadiens are stocked up and ready for the playoffs. It may be a little unfair, but the way expectations are, anything short of an Eastern Conference Final (at the bare minimum), will be considered a disappointment.

Next: Charles Hudon On Waivers

Do you agree with this list? Will the pressure do good or bad for them? Let us know what you think down below.