The Montreal Canadiens hit rock bottom this season, and though there were plenty of issues, a lack of goal scoring was certainly one of them.
The Canadiens scored 221 goals this season, finishing 6th from the bottom of the league, though a ten goal outburst in Game 82 saw them jump from second last on the final day of the season.
Luring free agents to Montreal is not easy, with the terrible winter weather in the city and the high tax rate that players have to deal with compared to other locales such as Texas and Florida. That puts an even higher emphasis on the NHL Draft to acquire talent for the Canadiens.
The Canadiens have the first overall pick in the upcoming draft that will take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal. That will give the new regime a chance to add an elite talent to the roster.
It shouldn’t be difficult to find a better scorer than their predecessor ever did in his ten NHL Drafts. Marc Bergevin was the team’s general manager since just before the 2012 NHL Draft, and though draft guru Trevor Timmins was leading the charge at the draft table, the general manager is the one that makes the final decisions.
So, a look back at the 2012-21 NHL Drafts shows a complete lack of offensive production. There is some promise from the recent drafts, but the top ten scorers that were taken while Bergevin was the team’s general manager are a pretty laughable bunch.
Points are not the only measure of a player, so it is bit unfair to judge Bergevin’s draft tenure solely on points. Especially since he drafted such great defenders like…. Romanov…. and…. ummmm…. Noah Juulsen?
The goalies must have turned out great right? Zach Fucale and Hayden Hawkey not so much. Cayden Primeau, Frederik Dichow, and Jakob Dobes still have a chance of making it to the Canadiens, but that’s a big question mark.
Let’s count down the top ten scorers that were drafted by Bergevin, regardless of whether they scored their points in Montreal or elsewhere.