Montreal Canadiens: Front Office and Coaching Considerations
The Montreal Canadiens club is in the midst of a major discussion of retools and rebuilds. Is it time to also rebuild the staff? Who should stay and leave?
The bye week is unbelievably boring, so it’s time for yet another person to give their take on the management and coaching situation in Montreal. Obviously, this management group is not working as of now, should they be changed out or is staying the course the best method for the Montreal Canadiens?
Marc Bergevin has the potential to right the ship without a doubt. In the early years of his tenure, Marc Bergevin was a mostly positive experience. It seems that only in the past couple years has Bergevin really made some serious mistakes. Bergevin should be gone though, and it will probably be within the next short period of time (1-2 years).
The main thing keeping Bergevin at work now must be the money. It is doubtful that Geoff Molson will want to be paying two coaches and a general manager salaries for no longer working those jobs. I say two coach salaries because if a new general manager is brought in, there is a very real possibility he wants to build his own coaching squad.
Management
There are two candidates for the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens: Julien Brisebois and Pierre McGuire. Brisebois should be the GM, end of story. He is proven in what he has done with the Syracuse Crunch, bringing them multiple Calder cup appearances and even a Calder Cup win in his last six years. He is also attractive in that he is assistant GM to Steve Yzerman of the Tampa Bay Lightning team.
Coming from a system that clearly knows how to build a team and learning from one of the best GM’s in the game right now, is a major plus for Brisebois. The individual accomplishments with the Lightning’s minor league team only serve to increase that value.
One may not be convinced by this as Marc Bergevin also came from a very successful management group in Chicago; but the difference maker is Brisebois’ solo success with the Syracuse Crunch’s team building, player development, and team success.
Why Pierre McGuire though? McGuire is an extremely knowledgeable man in the hockey world. He could tell you what Jeff Skinner had for his pre-game meal before his high school playoff matches, and what his mom’s secret ingredient was. He would be a perfect fit as an assistant GM to Julien Brisebois.
Having someone with an eye and vast encyclopedic knowledge as he does could be advantageous for scouting players. If it turns out he isn’t as good as one thought, then it doesn’t matter so much. There is still a very skilled man in charge to lead the team.