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Montreal Canadiens: Three Potential General Manager Replacements For Marc Bergevin

By Ken MacMillan

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 21: (L to R) Pierre Dorion, Trevor Timmins, first round (#10 overall) draft pick Andrei Kastsitsyn, Andre Savard, Bob Gainey and Claude Julien of the Montreal Canadiens pose for a portrait on stage during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at the Gaylord Entertainment Center on June 21, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI)
NASHVILLE, TN – JUNE 21: (L to R) Pierre Dorion, Trevor Timmins, first round (#10 overall) draft pick Andrei Kastsitsyn, Andre Savard, Bob Gainey and Claude Julien of the Montreal Canadiens pose for a portrait on stage during the 2003 NHL Entry Draft at the Gaylord Entertainment Center on June 21, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI) /

2. Andre Savard

Andre Savard showed up to be the Canadiens general manager in 2000 after the Habs finally fired Rejean Houle from the role. The Habs have a penchant for bringing back former coaches, so why not do the same at the general manager position?

Savard had a short, but underrated run as the team’s general manager. He ran the 2001 NHL Draft and picked up Mike Komisarek, Alexander Perezhogin and then selected Tomas Plekanec in the third round. The following year he selected Chris Higgins in the first round. He was able to acquire some additional picks for the notoriously deep 2003 draft but became assistant to Bob Gainey before the draft actually took place.

He served in that role until the 2006-07 season when he took over as assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was on the bench when the Pens went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2008, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings. He left the bench the following year when head coach Michel Therrien was fired midseason.

He did however, stay employed by the Penguins and was a pro scout for the team until the 2013-14 season. He was then hired to be a pro scout for the New Jersey Devils and remains in that position now.

Savard has not been the leader of an NHL team fro many years, but with the specific characteristics necessary to fill the role as Habs general manager, he is one of the most qualified. He has experience with this exact role and has been around the game as a scout or coach since he left the Habs front office.

Savard is 66 years old, but there is a lack of options that are ready and waiting for this position. Maybe he could come in with someone like Joel Bouchard as his assistant (Bouchard is not ready for this role which is why he is not on this list) and mentor the younger guy until he is ready for the role.

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