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Bergevin and Therrien Make the Habs Harder to Play Against |
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Pretty thrifty moves by Marc Bergevin and co. on the opening day of unrestricted free agency. Happy Canada day, by the way.
Happy pay-day to Brandon Prust, who squeezed a 4-year, $10, 000,000-deal out of a team that desperately needed a player like him. Canadiens fans should be happy with this one.
Snagging Colby Armstrong for one year, at $1, 000, 000... Who's going to complain about that?
Bringing Francis Bouillon back? It certainly fits.
The latter two have a pretty strong connection with Michel Therrien. Armstrong having played for him in Pittsburgh and in Wilkes-Barre before that. And we all know that Bouillon played for him in Junior, and with the Canadiens.
Hasn't been a breeze for Armstrong, having suffered various injuries over the last two seasons, leading to his buyout with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but the opportunity to play for Therrien seems to be one he jumped at. And the Canadiens aren't paying much for a fourth liner who can play above his head on any given night. And if he doesn't work out, what have they really lost?
Francis Bouillon may be a bit older, but he's certainly a bit wiser too; coming off a dominant Nashville blue line.
Therrien has gained instant allies in the room with these moves.
And Prust? He'll be Therrien's favorite player by the end of the year. Chances are good he'll be everyone in that room's favorite player by the end of the year.
Montreal got harder to play against with all three moves. They gained a fourth line that can handle being a part of a steady rotation. And they paved the way for their bright future as well.
What are the chances Alex Galchenyuk makes his debut in Montreal this season?
What are the chances Louis Leblanc starts the year in Montreal?
Brendan Gallagher?
I'll say negligible in all three cases. The latter two will have the opportunity to play for Sylvain Lefebvre in Hamilton, joining Jarred Tinordi, Nathan Beaulieu, Morgan Ellis, Greg Pateryn and Michael Bournival.
Galchenyuk will have another shot at dominating Junior and then have his chance to join this great group for a deep playoff run, after missing all of last season with an ACL-tear.
The other prospects drafted this year by the Canadiens will ply their trades with their respective clubs.
All of this becomes more likely if Bergevin can grab a top-six forward over the next little while. My money's on Jaromir Jagr. Given what Bergevin and Therrien have said about Tomas Plekanec since arriving, I think they're serious about finding him a winger that can bring out more of his offensive potential.
Carey Price and P.K. Subban will both have deals in place over the coming weeks.
And then Bergevin can decide what he'll do with Gomez, Kaberle and Bourque.
Hard not to like the direction the Habs are going in. The way I see it, if they succeed in picking up a player to help out Plekanec, they're likely to make the playoffs with this team while the future prospects mature together. Contracts will expire, and the kids will jump into roster spots on a team that will be capable of contending down the line.
Wouldn't be surprised to see Bergevin sign another depth defenseman with some size. Another one-year deal type player.
Things are looking up for the 15th place Canadiens. And the future promise is palpable.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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