The Montreal Canadiens fired Marc Bergevin one year ago yesterday, and brought in Jeff Gorton to take over the hockey operations department. After a disastrous start to the 2021-22 season, it was really no surprise when the 6-15-2 team made a managerial change.
Bergevin was in the seat as the team’s general manager for nearly a decade and saw them through some incredible ups and downs. From a near trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 to an embarrassing showing in 2015-16 to a division title in 2017 and then back to the bottom again in 2017-18.
Then the team was in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021, but just 23 games into the next season, Bergevin was gone. While he was credited for many great trades and some shrewd contract negotiations during his tenure, Bergevin failed to put together a consistent team.
That made a rebuild necessary and the team is embarking on one as we speak. In fact, they are already a bit ahead of where anyone expected them to be, and a quick look at the pieces in place shows that Bergevin laid a solid foundation for future success.
Just look at the key reasons the team is winning their fair share of games this season. Nick Suzuki, acquired in a trade by Bergevin when Max Pacioretty was shipped out, is on pace for just shy of 50 goals and 100 points this season.
Cole Caufield was passed over by many in his draft year because of his size. Bergevin, who was criticized for trying to build a team that was big on size and not so quick or skilled, chose Caufield 15th overall in 2019. Caufield is also scoring at just shy of a 50 goal pace right now and looks like he could be an elite goal scorer for the next decade.
Kaiden Guhle, a 20 year old who looks comfortable in a top pairing role already looks like a monster two-way performer from the blue line. He was picked in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Bergevin’s second last with the team.
Bergevin also had the stones to admit when a pick went wrong, and he allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to take Jesperi Kotkaniemi when they came with an offer sheet. The easy thing to do would have been to match it and keep the player he drafted third overall. But he took the first round pick and third round pick as compensation and now the Hurricanes are saddled with a player who is on a big contract and has five points in 22 games.
He also traded away Alex Galchenyuk at the exact right time, getting Max Domi who he also traded at the right time to get Josh Anderson.
The Canadiens young defence, in addition to Guhle, is a big reason they are playing well this season. Well, it was Bergevin who drafted Jordan Harris in the third round and signed an undrafted Arber Xhekaj to a contract.
He also traded for Jake Allen and claimed Sam Montembeault off waivers. The pair of goaltenders are giving the Canadiens a chance to win every night.
Kent Hughes two best trades since taking over as the team’s general manager were moving out Ben Chiarot and Tyler Toffoli for first round picks and prospects that add to the team’s future hopes. Both Chiarot and Toffoli were free agents signed by Bergevin.
The Canadiens prospect cupboards are already full as they have selected Logan Mailloux, Riley Kidney, Oliver Kapanen, Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau, Guhle, Sean Farrell, Luke Tuch, Jan Mysak and WIlliam Trudeau in the Habs final two drafts run by Bergevin.
It wasn’t all great, as the Kotkaniemi and Galchenyuk picks, Mikhawl Sergachev trade and the Joel Armia, Brendan Gallagher and Mike Hoffman’s contracts would suggest. But there is no question that Bergevin left the Canadiens in a really good spot to rebuild this thing quickly.
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