Montreal Canadiens: Is a Busy Offseason on the Horizon for Marc Bergevin?
By Emmanuel D
On Saturday, Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin took questions from the media following the team’s elimination at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers.
In upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins in a qualifying series and forcing a Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens gave good reason for fans and is it so happens, management alike to be optimistic for team’s chances next season. However, upon further analysis, the offseason may be a busier time for the general manager than he may be letting on.
Here are the main takeaways from the Canadiens’ post-mortem as well as what they may mean for the organization going forward.
Claude Julien’s Health
Just one game into their series against the Philadelphia Flyers, Claude Julien was hospitalized due to chest pains that same night, later requiring a stent operation and missing the remainder of the playoffs. Julien was expected to make a full recovery and was sent home following the operation. In his stead, Kirk Muller would take over as interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
In regards to Claude Julien, Marc Bergevin said that:
"The latest news is that Claude is in good health. But it’s early. A heart attack, chest pains, it’s not evident (what the future holds). We’ll take the time to evaluate his health."
As we did the day the news broke, we wish Claude Julien well in his recovery, and if more time is needed before returning behind the bench, the tenured head coach should do what is best for his well-being.