Will Marc Bergevin Make One Last Move This Summer?
The summer months have come and gone, and Marc Bergevin failed to make a big move. The question is, will he make a late acquisition for the Montreal Canadiens, and if so, who will it be?
As is the case every summer, the Montreal Canadiens were involved in dozens of rumours, most of which seem silly retrospectively if they didn’t already at the time. From the possibility of signing Erik Karlsson to potentially trading Max Domi, the media (some more credible sources than others) came up with some crazy rumours.
While there were the usual fantastical rumours, Marc Bergevin did pursue some big names. It is no secret that the Habs were high on Matt Duchene, and as we all know, the Sebastian Aho offer sheet failed, but it was an attempt (weak as it was) nonetheless.
Of course, since the Canadiens failed to land any big fish, they did sign a handful of free agents. Ben Chiarot will be a solid penalty killer while playing bottom-four minutes. Nick Cousins will likely be a depth producer on the fourth line adding grit. Keith Kinkaid has to be an improvement on Antti Niemi, and Phil Varone and Riley Barber will rack up points in Laval.
Like most Habs fans, I found the offseason haul (Caufield aside) disappointing. I mean no slight to any of the acquired players as I am sure they will thrive within the confinement of their roles, but Montreal is still on the brink of playoff contention; the same position they were in for the majority of last season.
I am of the belief that Bergevin is entirely aware of this and is still trying to work up a deal that could give the Habs an added edge going into the season. Elliotte Friedman is of the same belief, as he stated on “Tim and Sid” a few days ago: “I have no doubt that Bergevin, who likes the action, is still trying to do things.”
Claude Julien also gave a cryptic statement at Jonathan Drouin‘s golf tournament last week, which seems to imply that something is in the works.
Claude Julien was asked today about his expectations for this season. “I think we have until Sept. 9 for our official golf tournament and by then we’ll have more clarity on what to expect because there’s still some things we’re discussing," he said. Draw you own conclusions...
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) August 29, 2019
Of course, I very well may be overanalyzing the interview, but I can’t help but have a feeling in my bones that a trade will still be made before training camp begins. Whether this hypothetical move will be big or small, your guess is as good as mine, but if I were a betting man, I would say that a significant acquisition will be made to go along with any smaller moves.
I have seen many names popping up in Habs rumours throughout the past week, but three have stood out. Those four being Jason Pominville, Julius Honka and Jake Gardiner. Since rumours very rarely pan out, I would like to look at why these players are linked with the Habs and if the acquisition of a player of their mould would make sense.
Because Marc Bergevin rarely shows his hand, his trades and signings often come out of the blue. This discredits Habs rumours. However, these three players would all fill a specific hole and slot into a specific narrative.
Let us begin with Julius Honka. This one is strange, really strange. You would be forgiven to require a bit of time to recall the depth the Habs possess on the right side of defence after an entire summer of talk about the left. The right side is in fact in very good shape. Shea Weber and Jeff Petry slot into the first and second pairings without the need of much consideration.
The bottom pairing is up for grabs, but four solid candidates will contend for the right side spot. Noah Juulsen is the favourite, he played some very effective, no-nonsense hockey last season before his eye injury. Christian Folin was effective in a similar fashion following the trade deadline and will want to show that he has earned the one-year contract he received in April.
Cale Fleury was very good in his first professional season with Laval, playing a big role. He has a decent shot at beating out the two more veteran players with an impressive training camp and preseason. The least quantifiable contender, Josh Brook, will likely spend the year under Joel Bouchard in the AHL but will be given a chance to prove his worth with the Habs.
A Complicated Jesse Puljujarvi Trade. light. Must Read
With all of this depth, why would the Canadiens need or even want Julius Honka? Well, the only scenario that would make even a sliver of sense would be if the Habs traded Jeff Petry for draft picks, a left-handed defenseman or a top-six forward. Right defensemen have a lot of value, and after his monster season, Petry’s value is at an all-time high.
If Bergevin believes he can fashion together a deal that will improve the team that includes Jeff Petry, he will not hesitate to do it. Unlikely as it may be, Petry is not an untradeable asset. He is 31 and has two years remaining on his current contract, which sees him making $5.5 million annually. While I would hate to see him go if it fetched a top-pairing left defenseman or a first-round pick along with a second or two, I would be content with the deal.
His departure would, of course, leave a gaping hole on the right side of the defence. Enter, Julius Honka, a previous first-round draft selection who has excelled in sheltered minutes in Dallas over the past few years. The 23-year-old has posted 2 goals and 11 assists throughout his 87 games in the NHL. Honka has a career Corsi For % of 52.3%, meaning that his team controls the puck for the majority of his time on the ice.
Honka’s underlying metrics look very good as a whole. Then again, it is a small sample size. He is currently an RFA, and the Stars only have $970 000 in cap space, which would make Honka a rather tight fit. Thus, he is on the trading block. As I stated previously, however, this is more about the mould of player than any individual player, given how little information we get out of Bergevin. If the Habs were, in fact, to offload Jeff Petry, acquiring a young, unproven defenceman on a cheap contract may not be the worst solution if internal graduation is not yet an option.
The second player has been linked to the Habs for the longest time, Jake Gardiner. He has been a free agent for over two months. He seems to want to work out a deal to stay with the Leafs, but they will struggle enough fitting Mitch Marner under the salary cap without even considering the large salary Jake Gardiner wants.
While he would immediately be at the top of the Habs left-defence depth charts, I doubt a left defenseman will be acquired before the season starts given that Chiarot and Kulak just signed this offseason and Mete would be wasted in Laval for the last year of his entry-level contract. With Romanov arriving next year, the left-defence would be overcrowded if Gardiner were signed. He also doesn’t seem to be very interested in signing in Montreal according to Elliotte Friedman, so I would be shocked if Gardiner donned the CH this upcoming season.
As for the acquisition of a different top-4 left-handed defenceman, who knows. The Habs are weak at the position, but their woes may very well be resolved within 365 days, so the pricey acquisition of a young LD may not make the most sense.
However, if Bergevin were able to fashion together a deal for a veteran LD with a year left on his contract, such as T.J. Brodie, Montreal may very well be a more competitive team this upcoming season without interfering with the development of our younger players.
Last but not least is Jason Pominville. While he is not a big name, he was still able to produce 16 goals and 31 points while averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time over a span of 73 games last season. Pominville has always been a thorn in the Canadiens’ side, consistently scoring against us. While he turns 37 in November, his metrics and heat maps from last season looked really good.
I disagree with Ken’s article, though I understand where he is coming from. I believe that Pominville’s a viable fill-in option for the right-wing this season, before Nick Suzuki and perhaps Cole Caufield enter the mix next season. If Suzuki shows that he deserves a spot in the NHL as of this year, then Pominville’s services will not be required.
If the Habs were to bring in Pominville on a PTO, he would have to show Claude Julien that he still has what it takes to compete at the NHL level. If he does, then great, a good stop-gap was found! If he doesn’t, then, there are no hard feelings or consequences, and he can sign somewhere else.
Either way, acquiring a veteran forward on a PTO or in a cheap trade would be a cautious route for Bergevin to take if Nick Suzuki needs a year in Laval. While Montreal has a lot of fourth-line calibre forwards, an addition of a middle-six forward should be considered.
Next. Domi is not the Player to Move. dark
Marc Bergevin is an unpredictable GM, but moves of this mould could very well occur. Whatever happens, I will go into the season with a huge smile on my face, because I have really missed watching the Habs play. My main hope for this season is that the Canadiens will be just as exciting to watch as they were last year and can improve that joke of a powerplay.