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Key Roster Decisions Loom for Habs' Bergevin |
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The Canadiens have had some excellent performances from their players at the World Championships of hockey.
As you undoubtedly know by now, Max Pacioretty has been outstanding for the Americans, popping two goals and nine assists in just seven games.
This morning, Alexei Emelin put on a clinic in the Russia-Norway game, notching an assist and scoring what proved to be the winning goal.
Lars Eller had three goals and two assists for the Danish team, and Tomas Plekanec has fared decently as well with a goal and five assists in the Czechs seven games.
Perhaps if P.K. Subban had been participating, Canada would have done better against the Slovakians, who knocked them out of the tournament with a surprising 4-3 win earlier today.
Plekanec aside, these pinnacle players for the Canadiens are developing quite nicely. Add Carey Price and David Desharnais to the mix and they make up the young promising core that should provide the greatest incentive for Habs fans to be excited about next season.
Naturally, Erik Cole and a healthy Brian Gionta will be key components as well. Cole will have the tough task of outdoing what was an exceptional campaign from a personal standpoint. Gionta will have to prove he can return to the form that saw him score 28 and 29 goals for the Canadiens in his first two seasons with the team.
The Canadiens have good support players in Ryan White, Michael Blunden, Louis Leblanc and Blake Geoffrion--three of which await contract renewals as RFAs.
The pressing questions are on hold, as Marc Bergevin processes candidates for the vacant head coaching job, but obviously, everyone is anxious for imminent decisions to be made first, with Scott Gomez, and second, with Tomas Kaberle.
Does Bergevin have to settle these dossiers before unrestricted free agency begins on July 1st? Or is he best suited to wait for the renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement?
Rumors of a Gomez buyout have been outright dismissed based on the foolishness of the decision, but no one from the organization has given any official word on what the future holds for the Canadiens troubled centreman.
As for Kaberle, a buyout could be an option they exercise, with the cap-implications being significantly less severe.
Is there a chance either player will be on the roster next season? Highly unlikely, and most likely impossible in Gomez's case.
As Bergevin has already noted, new contracts for Price and Subban are a top priority for the Canadiens, but nothing more than cordial talks have been reported in both cases.
How Bergevin deals with the four big-money decisions in front of him regarding Gomez, Kaberle, Price and Subban, could have a significant impact on whether or not the Canadiens will be able to attract quality free agents to add to their already promising core.
Bergevin's short-term success will depend on the changes he can make to the team's personnel, right now. While his mandate is to return the Canadiens to the winning path, and have them compete for a Stanley Cup as soon as possible (something that should reasonably take a few years) some success in year one will go a long way in him garnering the support he needs to execute his long-term strategy.
Translation: After finishing in 15th place in the East, the Canadiens must find a way to be among the eight teams participating in next year's playoffs.
One avenue Bergevin will have to venture down is that of trade. Take Gomez out of the picture and the Canadiens will be stuck trying to give it another try with Plekanec, Eller and Desharnais down the middle.
When you look at all the contenders from this season, most of them have elite players up the middle. Not to knock the three mentioned above, but how can the Canadiens compete with what Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston and Vancouver have in those positions, and expect to come out on top?
There are certain teams on the cusp of being elite that could really use a second line centre. That makes Tomas Plekanec an incredible trade chip for the Canadiens to be holding. Among those teams, the Washington Capitals and Bergevin's former employers, the Chicago Blackhawks would be at the top of the list.
Not to say the Canadiens will move Plekanec, but if they've got to do something to upgrade on his services if Eller and Desharnais retain their positions up the middle. And given their value, at this stage of their respective careers, there's no reason to believe either player will be moving from their position with the team.
If the Canadiens can find a way to upgrade on Plekanec without moving him, that's a bonus--but revisiting the earlier paragraphs of this blog--that depends on what happens with financial decisions regarding Gomez and Kaberle.
The draft, of course, also provides the Canadiens with the opportunity to get a quality centreman in, but there are no guarantees that player will be able to hold down one of the top two positions in Montreal this season.
Other trade chips from the roster include Rene Bourque and Yannick Weber, who wouldn't exactly fetch a reasonable return. Chances are that the Canadiens will move Weber, but be stuck with Bourque, at which point, they have to have some serious consultations with the troubled winger to exact at least some of his potential. They got none of it last season.
Raphael Diaz is a restricted free agent who could be signed, and inevitably traded as well. Not to say Diaz can't make a healthy contribution to the Canadiens as he did last season, but Bergevin has to assemble a blue line that's more capable of defending in front of Price, and Diaz could be a very attractive commodity for a team looking for a solid, puck-moving defenseman.
Would Bergevin consider packaging one of his promising prospects in a deal with any of the names listed above; to get a top-line centreman or a bruising, shutdown defenseman? Could he be enticed to trade either Jarred Tinordi or Nathan Beaulieu, one, if not both of whom are likely to see NHL action at some point this season?
A pretty full plate for the new GM, and we won't have to wait long for him to start emptying it. A decision on a coach could be made as early as near the end of this playoff round, as the Canadiens get set for the draft. And then the real tough stuff should unfold from there.
I'd personally speculate that the draft will be a much more active day in terms of player movement than July 1st will be. With the cloudiness of what's to be of the new collective bargaining agreement, GMs might hesitate to deal with certain players at the onset of free agency.
Exciting times ahead...
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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