Although the Montreal Canadiens have a lot of work ahead of them this offseason, Max Pacioretty’s comments may keep him safe from the trading block.
We’re currently in the midst of the Montreal Canadiens offseason plans. Now that all the media and questioning is done with, for now, Marc Bergevin and Geoff Molson have to focus on taking the appropriate measures to improve the team. Trades aren’t possible at the moment, but they can continue to plan and scout options whether they’re in the playoffs or not.
The one thing that many are waiting to see happen is the eventual trade of Max Pacioretty. The 29-year-old was up to his neck in trade rumours this season after talk peaked around the deadline. Apparently, the Calgary Flames, Los Angeles Kings, and Florida Panthers were teams in the mix, but after that 3:00 PM cutoff, Pacioretty was still a Montreal Canadien. If you were to ask Bergevin himself, he’d deny it and say that he wasn’t shopping the team captain, but anyone could see the writing on the wall there.
Regardless of the fact that a Pacioretty deal wasn’t made then, seeing a move involving him at or around the draft was the next likely scenario. However, there’s a problem here.
Bergevin made it clear that the underlying reason as to why the season went the way it did was because of the team’s attitude. It explained everything that went wrong. The team’s lack of compete and pushback at times, their inability to find solutions throughout the year, and the underwhelming play of a few individuals were all because of this issue (apparently).
It’s been debated ever since he said it, so there’s no point in getting into it more. The thing that stands out is what the Habs general manager said in a result of this. The Montreal Canadiens need to change their attitude, and it doesn’t matter what players they acquire if they do not have the right one (paraphrasing Bergevin’s words).
So what’s the attitude that they want? You’d have to assume it’s players who always work, who don’t get discouraged by adversity, and most importantly, who play like they want to be on the team.
Pacioretty made it clear in his final interview for the season that he wants to play for the Montreal Canadiens.
"I know it’s not always going to be perfect. No one’s perfect. But I know that the fans do love me because I’m told that on a daily basis from the fans, not from someone telling me what the fans think. And I love it here."
Now there’s the emotional aspect of the NHL to face. If Bergevin wants only to have players who have the right attitude, and Pacioretty is aware of his and the team’s shortcomings and is willing to put in the work to improve, do you still trade him?
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The methodical general manager answer is yes you do make the move because a Pacioretty trade can get the Montreal Canadiens the pieces they need for the future. You hope their able to get a young capable centre in the deal and possibly another first-round pick to further add to the poll this year.
But does that send the right message? What it may do is take the bulk of Bergevin’s ‘attitude’ argument and make it sound like another excuse, which we all may agree with to in some extent.
To add on to this, Bergevin sat down with Pierre Houde and agreed that a player’s love for Montreal could factor into their evaluation process. It’s a very sticky situation the Habs general manager has put him in. Whether he believes that attitude is the issue or not, Bergevin has put himself in a position to be further criticized for future decisions.
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If Pacioretty needs to be moved, then he needs to be moved, but for the Montreal Canadiens to truly move on from this season, the true issues must be dealt with and changed. It doesn’t take a ten-year hockey analyst to know that attitude/character isn’t the only problem.