Montreal Canadiens: Addressing the Latest Offseason “Rumour” Mills

Made you click. Ok, wait, before you leave after reading that initial line, allow me to explain myself a bit. In the end, since I’ve gotten you to this point (to click on this article) I’m hoping that you’ll stick with me for just a little bit longer (i.e., the rest of this article). First off, no, this article will not be about the latest Montreal Canadiens rumour mills. At least, not in the way you were expecting.

Quite frankly, after what Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin was able to do over the course of the 2020-21 season, I feel as though such a discussion isn’t justified. In genuinely improving Montreal’s roster with off-season additions like Tyler Toffoli, Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson, and Jake Allen, all of whom played a part in Montreal’s improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final, Bergevin managed to bring an energy and excitement to the city that hadn’t been seen in a good 28 years.

Yet, as is the case with every NHL offseason, a number of trade “rumours” have been brought up, regarding the Canadiens, Bergevin, and any potential trades/free agents Montreal could pick up from any number of NHL teams. Now, to be honest here (unlike the initial title of this article, but more on that later), I’m not a huge fan of the whole rumour mill/grapevine idea. Typically, I brush most rumours surrounding the Canadiens off to the side, unless they’re verified by a more reputable source like Sportsnet Analyst Elliotte Friedman, or any number of TSN’s panellists, from Pierre Lebrun to Bob McKenzie.

Yet, time and time again, I find myself browsing through the latest Canadiens news, only to see an article from any number of news publications that are not quite as reputable as Sportsnet and or TSN. I think to myself, “what a ridiculous concept, surely no one believes this stuff”, and then proceed to click on the article, only to realize I’ve done exactly what said news publication had wanted from me. That click.

Now, I understand that the world of sports journalism is a cutthroat industry, and people will look for any number of ways to improve traffic and viewership to their site, something I admittedly have been no stranger to in the past (I mean, it is the driving force behind it, after all). If you’ve gotten this far, it’s clear there’s something to this article that’s enticing you, beyond my debatably hilarious fourth wall jokes.

Getting back to the title of this article, however, there have been a number of “rumours” brought up surrounding some of the NHL’s top stars going to Montreal. From Alex Ovechkin to Gabriel Landeskog, to even Seth Jones.

Now, rather than comment on the possibility of these players coming to Montreal (i.e., none), I’ll sum up these rumours in a few short words. No, no, and just no. If for some reason you haven’t gotten your daily dose of reality over the last little while, I’m hopeful this article can provide exactly that. Of course, it’s always fun to debate the possibility of these players coming to Montreal, and I have no problems with any articles discussing said possibilities, as long as they are defined as just that, possibilities.

Taking a hypothetical situation (i.e., Ovechkin coming to Montreal) and inserting it into your article/opinion piece as fact, or in this case, a rumour, is just ridiculous. As journalists, there’s every right to present your opinion as to why you think a potential free-agent addition/trade is possible if not plausible. I mean, my last article was on why I think Zach Parise could be a useful addition to the Canadiens, and my colleague Patrick Lortie’s recent piece was similarly on some off-season predictions that he believes could potentially happen. In both cases though, these weren’t discussed as something which had been brought up as a so-called “rumour”.

With the 2021 offseason already well underway, so too have the numerous “rumours” that have followed any recent news surrounding the Montreal Canadiens.

However, as the 2021 offseason has gotten off to a frenzied start (Minnesota being bricked by dead cap for the next few seasons aside), it’s similarly been met with the gas station, office water cooler based “rumours” that quite frankly, I’ve grown tired of. Ovechkin has long been known as one of the NHL’s elite forwards, a deadly reliable goal-scorer and physical force who will make your team pay on and off the puck. He’s a Stanley Cup Champion, repeated Rocket Richard favourite, and one of the NHL’s most electrifying personalities. What he isn’t, however, is a rumoured future member of the Montreal Canadiens, and considering the fact he’s played for the same team his entire career (the Washington Capitals), it seems unlikely he will ever be that.

Again, while debate/discussion over these topics is welcome, if not encouraged in this industry, it’s usually under the predisposition of this as, as stated, a hypothetical situation, one not based in fact, or “rumours”, rather mere speculation and/or fan interest. Okay, let’s say, for example, you were seeing your kids having a discussion on whether Batman could beat Spiderman in a fight. Of course, while it’s cute to see them speculating about their own interests and passions, that doesn’t mean you can take that discussion, and publish an article with the headline “Spiderman and Batman set to duke it out in new summer blockbuster”.

There’s been a lot of personal enjoyment that has come from me covering the Canadiens over the past few months, as I’ve written about previously, I’ve become a fan of the Habs once more through that playoff run. In what is my first real offseason covering the team over this summer, I’m similarly excited for what’s to come, and who Montreal acquires/departs with, in both free agency, the NHL entry draft, and the Seattle Kraken expansion draft.

However, what I’m not excited about, is the continuing onset of “rumours” related to the Canadiens that just aren’t verifiable, true, honest, legitimate, or all of the above. Again, I get that as journalists, and sports journalists at that, we’re always looking for ways to increase viewership to our work and spread our reach, but in that same sense, there’s a difference between a hypothetical and a truth, or, in this case, a “rumour”.

Is Shea Weber retiring? Well, that’s debatable at this point. Even if he misses next season and beyond, Weber will fight to the end to keep his career going, especially considering all the injuries he played through over the course of these playoffs. Is Jake Allen heading to Seattle definitively? No, most likely not, at least not until the protected lists are set in stone. Is Seth Jones coming to Montreal? No, most likely not, because there’s most likely another team who will outbid the Canadiens for the former Blue Jackets cornerstone should they try to sign him.

Again, as much as I love to pose these situations and debate and break them down, they’re not factual, and shouldn’t be seen as that, as interesting as they may or may not be.

As the 2021 offseason gets underway, there will be a lot to dissect regarding Montreal’s plans and potential acquisitions, but until then, higher viewership/traffic aside, the “rumours” surrounding them should be taken with a grain of salt, and just as I made you click on this very article, there will doubtless be a lot more similar pieces, in what should be an exciting 2021-22 and beyond for the Montreal Canadiens.