Roundup: What Marc Bergevin has to do to transition the Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens could have a lot of changes ahead including a ticket to the playoffs, but Marc Bergevin must find a way to take the team to a new high

1. What chance do the Montreal Canadiens have in a 24-team Stanley Cup Playoff format?

Elias Laradi: Here is my honest opinion. If the Montreal Canadiens are 100% healthy and Carey Price plays lights out, the Canadiens have a shot. Remember before the Habs were hit with the injuries to Drouin, Byron, Gallagher and Weber, they were flirting with 3rd place in the Atlantic division. What they lack is depth on both sides of the ice.

They also need some solid back up in net, which unfortunately they didn’t get this year. Remember, Montreal, in the past, has been far more successful in the playoffs as an underdog or low seed.

Scott Cowan: If hockey history has shown us anything, its that nothing in the playoffs is guaranteed, as much as analysts and fans try to create their own playoff trees to predict an eventual winner. Last year the Tampa Bay Lightning were the almost universal favorites to win the Stanley Cup and got swept in the first round by an eighth-seeded Columbus Blue Jackets team that threw everything and the kitchen sink to win. Because of this, I think the Canadiens have at least a slight chance in this 24-team playoff format should it happen.

The 2009-10 team rode Jaroslav Halak to the conference finals, and Carey Price had proven he could do the same in 2013-14. Players like Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher have been consistent all year long and could continue that into the postseason. Operating a stingy defence-first approach around players like Jordan Weal and Ben Chiarot to compliment said offense could work as well. Mix in a rotating fourth line comprised of offensive AHL players and defensive NHL regulars, and I think we could see something more from a Habs team that has struggled for most of this year.