Montreal Canadiens: Is a Busy Offseason on the Horizon for Marc Bergevin?

Brendan Gallagher’s Surgery

Marc Bergevin confirmed that Brendan Gallagher had surgery to repair a broken jaw that was sustained in Game 5 upon taking an illegal cross-check from Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Matt Niskanen. Gallagher was expected to make a full recovery but would have missed an extended period of time nonetheless had the Canadiens been able to advance to the second round. Matt Niskanen was suspended for the lone game in which the Flyers would go on to win the series and advance to the second round of the playoffs to face the New York Islanders.

This was not the only injury Brendan Gallagher was dealing with as Marc Bergevin also revealed that the forward had suffered a tear in his hip during the play-in series against the Pittsburgh Penguins that he played through. It is no secret that Gallagher got off to a slower than expected start these playoffs, and it appears we may finally know the reason as to why that is.

Will Carey Price Finally Get a Reliable Backup Goaltender?

It has been a topic of discussion for several years now. As we saw in these playoffs, a rested Carey Price is still one of the most dominant goaltenders in the NHL, recording a 1.79 GAA to go with his .936 SV% in 10 games played.

Marc Bergevin went on to confirm that one of the main priorities heading into this offseason is to get Carey Price a reliable backup goalie so the team can reduce the number of games played by Price, citing that”

"It’s important for Carey Price to get rest."

There are several serviceable options available during Free Agency, such as Corey Crawford, Jaroslav Halak and Tomas Greiss. The trade market may also be an option if solving the issue is as much of a priority as Marc Bergevin claims it is.

The Montreal Canadiens have the necessary cap space to make such a move, and if it benefits the team in the long run, it will make sense for Marc Bergevin to pull the trigger.