Wilde - WTF is happening in Habs land? Bergevin new GM

[tokugawa]

CANADIENS HIRE BERGEVIN AS NEW GENERAL MANAGER

Wilde our resident hockey insider and Habs expert. What's the deal with March Bergevin being named the next GM. I am sure there were better candidates out there including bilingual ones. In the shape that Montreal is in right now they need someone with experience with a proven track record who can take charge and has the willingness to implement change and the ability to give this club a new identity. They need a Scotty Bowman type of guy; yeah he did have a blip in Buffalo but other than that he was a winner. First it was Patrick Roy deal, then it was the Pierre Turgeon deal followed by the Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri and Eric Cole signings, the Halak/Cammalleri trades and now Bergevin being named GM. Not sure if Montreal will ever go back to the glory days of Sam Pollock or even to the stabler but boring days of Serge Sevard.

 

[grusse]

from his brief time here with Canucks I remember him as a guy who'd lighten the mood of the dressing room with humour.
seemed a nice guy,hope he does well in the challenging job he's been hired to do.

 

[wilde]

I don't want to give you my knee jerk reaction. I will digest this news and do some research for the next few days before I tell you how I really feel about this hiring.

 

[wilde]

I said the next few days and forgot about this. It's now more than a year since Bergevin's hiring. I can tell you now that this is the best GM we've had in a long time. So far, everything he's touched has turned into gold. Yes, even the hiring of Michel Therrien which I dreaded at first. I cringed a little when we traded Cole for Ryder but Bergevin obviously knew what he was doing. He also stood firm on PK Subban's second contract which I admired a lot but Subban's next contract will be big. I am glad that he didn't make any big trades at the present trading deadline, staying the course by building his team through the draft. Winning will make you forget about a lot of things. His big test will come when the team is not winning.

 

[AA_Train]

Uhhh there's another Habs fan on this board...MEEE!!!! Does Wilde have a Montreal Canadiens #1 Fan fan??? Or custom made Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau jerseys?

Bergevin has made some great moves for sure, but I think a lot of it is players are finally growing into maturity. Max Pacioretty is starting to emerge as a power forward. Lars Eller is becoming a solid two-way player. Alexi Emelin and Rafael Diaz are bona fide NHL defenseman. Also, Michel Therien is adapting a style of play to his players, unlike Jacques martin. Montreal is a speed, skill team and Therien coaches to that while Martin wanted those guys to be crashers and bangers. They have enough grit to go with their skill and the team is remarkably balanced. Essentially, they are three second lines and a fourth line. Most of the time, they try to enter the zone three wide and sometimes they look like the Habs from the 70s when they do.

I predict a deep run in the playoff by Montreal this year. It has all come together for them and the only team I think they would have real trouble beating in a seven game series is Pittsburgh. As long as they can win their division, that is who they should meet in the conference final.

 

[gran_torino]

Uhhh there's another Habs fan on this board...MEEE!!!! Does Wilde have a Montreal Canadiens #1 Fan fan??? Or custom made Maurice Richard and Jean Beliveau jerseys?

Bergevin has made some great moves for sure, but I think a lot of it is players are finally growing into maturity. Max Pacioretty is starting to emerge as a power forward. Lars Eller is becoming a solid two-way player. Alexi Emelin and Rafael Diaz are bona fide NHL defenseman. Also, Michel Therien is adapting a style of play to his players, unlike Jacques martin. Montreal is a speed, skill team and Therien coaches to that while Martin wanted those guys to be crashers and bangers. They have enough grit to go with their skill and the team is remarkably balanced. Essentially, they are three second lines and a fourth line. Most of the time, they try to enter the zone three wide and sometimes they look like the Habs from the 70s when they do.

I predict a deep run in the playoff by Montreal this year. It has all come together for them and the only team I think they would have real trouble beating in a seven game series is Pittsburgh. As long as they can win their division, that is who they should meet in the conference final.

Absolutely. I am a Nucks fan in the west, habs in the east. Bergevin has been patient and made smart, calculated moves. Therrien has done an excellent job coaching this year and if it werent for Paul Maclean he would be #1 for Jack Adams this year in my opinion. They have been the most exciting team to watch this year, can go goal for goal with the best of them. Gallagher has been unreal and should win the Calder. Apart from Pittsburgh, Boston(not so much) and injuries they should be able to make a real strong playoff push. At the start of this year, with their fast start, i thought this season was going to be an anomaly but i'm really getting the feeling that this team is going to be the real deal for years to come. I was not a Gautier fan at all but a lot of his picks seem to be really starting to turn into solid prospects or soon to be NHL'ers.

 

[wilde]

I was not a Gautier fan at all but a lot of his picks seem to be really starting to turn into solid prospects or soon to be NHL'ers.

The credit should go to Trevor Timmins (the team's Director of Amateur Scouting) not the Goat. You don't survive a management regime change unless you are doing something right...

PK for Norris
Gallagher for Calder
Plekanec for Selke
Markov for Bill Masterson
Therrien for Jack Adams
Bergevin for GM of the year

 

[blazejowski]

Kudos to the Habs for making the most out of the little they have...

 

[Aleister Crowley]

i,ve been to a few Montreal games this year at the Bell Centre...
am amazed at the 20 plus stanley cup banners in rafters ,
and the 22 plus retired Jerseys.....they running outta numbers.
the fans are awesome.
Loved It
GO HABS GO !!!

 

[AA_Train]

The credit should go to Trevor Timmins (the team's Director of Amateur Scouting) not the Goat. You don't survive a management regime change unless you are doing something right...

PK for Norris
Gallagher for Calder
Plekanec for Selke
Markov for Bill Masterson
Therrien for Jack Adams
Bergevin for GM of the year

PK for Norris? Maybe, but he will definitely be a finalist.
Gallagher for Calder? Again maybe but I think Johnathan Hubredeau will ultimately win it, as he is the best rookie in the NHL.
Plekanec for Selke? NO SHOT. That honour will probably go to either Patrice Bergeron or Johnathan Toews.
Markov for Masterson? A likely candidate.
Therrien for Adams? Either him or Joel Quenneville
Bergevin for GM of the Year? Another likely candidate

 

[kenchorney]

As much as it pains me to say this....The Habs can give anyone trouble this year and will not be an easy out.

Have to wait and see, the playoffs are a whole different ball of wax. Just look at the Nucks and Bruins last year.

 

[wilde]

PK for Norris? Maybe, but he will definitely be a finalist.
Gallagher for Calder? Again maybe but I think Johnathan Hubredeau will ultimately win it, as he is the best rookie in the NHL.
Plekanec for Selke? NO SHOT. That honour will probably go to either Patrice Bergeron or Johnathan Toews.
Markov for Masterson? A likely candidate.
Therrien for Adams? Either him or Joel Quenneville
Bergevin for GM of the Year? Another likely candidate

Norris will be a battle between Ryan Suter, Letang (if he's healthy soon), and PK.
I think Gallaghar should get the nod over Huberdeau, as Huberdeau is a -10 on a non-playoff team and Gallaghar is a +10 on a playoff team.
I was just pumping Plek's tires.
Markov should be a lock after 2 major knee surgeries and the comeback season that he's been having. The only knock is that Pacioretty won it the year before so they might give it to a player on another team.
Therrien and Bergevin are going to be candidates for sure but Ray Shero, Bruce Boudreau and as you mentioned Joel Quennevilleare the favs.

I am pretty sure they'll forgo all the awards for the big one, the drive for 25 is alive.

 

[wilde]

PK for Norris
Gallagher for Calder
Plekanec for Selke
Markov for Bill Masterson
Therrien for Jack Adams
Bergevin for GM of the year

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=419954

Holy shit, I should go write for TSN...

 

[AA_Train]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=419954

Holy shit, I should go write for TSN...

You couldn't do any worse

 

[badbadboy]

I liked the way the Habs handled the Bruins last night. The Bruins threw a lot at the Habs but Price and team defence won the day. They seemed very calm and took their time clearing the zone which can unnerve a team that is pressuring to get the tying goal.

Then again, I cheer for anyone who beats a Boston Team in any sport.

 

[AA_Train]

I thought they played pretty well too. Although it should of been at least 4-0 Habs, because the Boston goal was flukey, the two Habs goals were flukey and Rask made some phenomenal saves in the 2nd and 3rd that most goaltenders have no business stopping. My favourite part of the game was the ending where the Habs prevented the Bruins from getting a shot away during the game ending powerplay the Bruins had (even though Chara fell and Eller did nothing to him). Now they are only 3 points back of the Pens for the conference and 3 points clear of the Bruins for the division. With Emelin potentially out long term, the Drewiske trade is looking more signifigant. If Yannick Weber or Rafael Diaz doesn't come back into the fold, I think they should call up Jarrod Tinordi, as I think he is the better of the two young defensemen they called up recently (the other being Nathan Beaulieu).

Another note: I am so effing sick and tired of Bob Cole and Garry Galley calling Habs games. Bob Cole has a pretty obvious bias towards Toronto and Galley has a biased against them, due to his time with the Bruins and the Sens. I'd like to see some more even-handed commentary towards the Habs, especially on a national broadcast. it's sickening.

 

[wilde]

I thought they played pretty well too. Although it should of been at least 4-0 Habs, because the Boston goal was flukey, the two Habs goals were flukey and Rask made some phenomenal saves in the 2nd and 3rd that most goaltenders have no business stopping. My favourite part of the game was the ending where the Habs prevented the Bruins from getting a shot away during the game ending powerplay the Bruins had (even though Chara fell and Eller did nothing to him). Now they are only 3 points back of the Pens for the conference and 3 points clear of the Bruins for the division. With Emelin potentially out long term, the Drewiske trade is looking more signifigant. If Yannick Weber or Rafael Diaz doesn't come back into the fold, I think they should call up Jarrod Tinordi, as I think he is the better of the two young defensemen they called up recently (the other being Nathan Beaulieu).

Another note: I am so effing sick and tired of Bob Cole and Garry Galley calling Habs games. Bob Cole has a pretty obvious bias towards Toronto and Galley has a biased against them, due to his time with the Bruins and the Sens. I'd like to see some more even-handed commentary towards the Habs, especially on a national broadcast. it's sickening.

I like Beaulieu a little more because of his skating and offensive upside but Tinordi is what we need - a big stay at home defenseman, can't wait til next year when he's packed on some muscle.

I don't even bother watching CBC any more, I'd rather watch RDS even though it's not HD (Shaw doesn't get RDS on HD). Bob Cole should just retire (such an obvious Laffs homer he doesn't even bother to try to hide it anymore). Galley is bad but PJ Stock is 10 times worst. Here is hoping that TSN will outbid CBC when the current deal is up.

 

[wilde]

Now that the Habs season is over, I would just like to say that I am proud and optimistic to be a Habs fan once again. Injuries are no excuse but the team just couldn't overcome that many at the same time. Brandon Prust playing with a separated rip and bum shoulder, Max Pacioretty playing with a dislocated shoulder, Brian Ginota playing with a torn bicep are just examples of the their courage.

I like the direction the team is going, Marc Bergevin knows what he is doing. Michel Therrien is calmer and better in his second go around. The priority for the team will be to get bigger (without sacrificing too much speed) and French-er. Good luck to PK, Gally, Markov and possibly Therrien at the NHL Awards.

p.s. here is hoping TSN will get the next NHL broadcasting deal, had enough of the CBC ass wipes...

 

[wilde]

"Michelle" Therrien.....is that the coach's wife?
Sorry, I hate The Habs.....Go Hawks!!!!:thumb:

Well then, what are you doing here? (where is the emoticon for up yours?)
This is a thread about hockey, not some bird of preyound:.



p.s. here's to hoping they crash and burn in round 2:thumb:

 

[wilde]

It's good to dream.....unfortunately will turn into your nightmare :nod:

We'll see about that, won't we? Detroit or LA is not going to be a cake walk for your birds.