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Recrutes: Hockey scouting from a professional perspective from Grant McCagg and Habs coverage from a 33 year veteran covering the NHL from Brian Wilde.

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Opening Day: Angst or Opportunity?

Montreal Canadiens’ General Manager Marc Bergevin wasn’t in the mood to leave any doubt about his thoughts this morning. It was the serenity of a golf course, but he played it like a boxer at the opening bell ready to answer with force on topics that in the past he has been purposefully vague.

“I’ve been here for six years. I’ve seen Alex everyday, and at this time center is a tough position,” said Bergevin. “It’s demanding. I’m sure as we speak today Alex is not able to play that position everyday, and I don’t need ten more tries to know he’s not”.

Oh my! That couldn’t be any clearer.

It was almost a shot across the bow to the armchair GMs who keep telling Bergevin that if he would just give Alex a longer look that he could learn this time. Listening to that, don’t ever expect Alex Galchenyuk to play center again for the Montreal Canadiens. If he gets traded, another coach and GM may take a shot at it, but they’re completely fed up with the ‘Alex as a C’ talk here in Montreal.

“I see him as a winger for his own good. It’s not a bad thing,” chimed in head coach Claude Julien.

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About Brian Wilde

Brian Wilde has worked in hockey since he was 20. He was the rink side host for the Edmonton Oilers at CTV and Ottawa Senators for Sportsnet. He was also lead reporter on the Montreal Canadiens for 17 years at CTV Montreal.

View all posts by Brian Wilde

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  • There are certainly question marks heading into camp. Unless there is an unknown (Jerabek?) that opens eyes, I am most concerned about this hodgepodge collection of d-men, with no obvious puck-mover with any history of success.

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    • How many did they have last year? One. I am not so sure about this puck moving thing. The Pens just won a cup. Their defense was who again? I hear ya, but I am not sold that it is the end of the world. And if it is…. someone has 8.5 million to change the end of the world. We’ll see.

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      • The ability to move the puck a-la PK, was sorely missed, especially on the PP. Time will tell how this group will fare.

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  • “Bergevin would say that Schlemko is better than Beaulieu and Alzner is better than Emelin, so would feel that the defence is better”… and I agree with him on both. But he used the same logical fallacy this morning with the media. His argument was basically: Markov was good, but the other swaps are upgrades. That doesn’t make the D better as Markov was by far the most important of the bunch, and nobody can replace what he brought. (Also: he was not a flashy player who looks pretty at times but then completely messes up with a gorgeous pass to the other team in front of his own goalie). Of course he’s going to have an easier time replacing the lesser players.

    That being said, I agree with you that it’s not the end of the world and the Habs should still be good enough to make the playoffs. But saying that the D is actually better? Does he think we’re stupid?

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  • Thanks for the great recap Brian! I actually like the steady, unflashy D corps over last seasons starting top 6. Markov is a loss but I think collectively this D group can overcome the loss. I think replacing Beaulieu and Emelin instantly makes Prices job that much easier. I was hoping to see Galchenyuk get one more shot at C but if they try him with Patch and Drouin that could be a dangerous first line! It would have been nice if Radulov stuck around. The forward group would have two proven scoring lines but now there are some question marks. The best part about this time of year is every team is starting from scratch. I am caustiously optimistic heading into the season!

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  • I think a lot of angst is that both sides of the fan base know we’re through the first five years of the Bergevin era and it’s unclear if the team is going in the right direction.

    I’m patiently waiting for the season to begin to see how it goes and I’m usually a pretty good optimist, so I’m probably somewhere in between – hopeful it goes well but fearful it may be a long season if some underachieve too much.

    Still, it’s a young team so there’s always a chance that with a veteran coach like Julien it all comes together. Here’s hoping!

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    • The angst is weird to me. That’s my honest truth. He had more than 100 points in 4 of the 5 seasons. Angst is Colorado. I don’t know about this season. I think he is down a Markov or his team is better than last year. Without Markov as I have said, I think they’re a 96 point team. However, they have 8.5 million to spend. We shall see, but the doom and gloom is odd to me.

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      • Remember though that angst isn’t necessarily doom and gloom – perhaps hightened anticipation because a lot of people feel we’re heading toward a make or break season in the Bergevin era, fair or not.

        You’re right the team has been pretty good most of the era so far, but eventually pretty good won’t be seen as good enough – again, fair or not, that’s reality in Montreal. The highs are stratospheric, the lows quick and deep to come.

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  • Bergevin painted himself in the corner. He is just not that good at mathematics.

    Median caphit (capfriendly) for
    no1 goaltender = 5M
    no1 D = 6.35M
    no2 D = 5M
    no3 D = 4M
    no4 D = 2.8M

    total: 23.15M

    MTL 18-19
    Price 10.5M
    Weber 7.8M
    Petry 5.5M
    Alzner 4.6M

    total: 28.4M

    ….and there is no No2D

    in every other industry, Bergevin would have already been fired

    hhhhhhhhjr

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    • Those are pretty skewed numbers..$5.3M for the best goalie in the world? $500K less than the average NHL salary for a 2nd pairing dman? How about YOU do the math. $75M salary cap….average salary for 20 players is #3.3M. Cap friendly is clueless about the value of a 2nd pairing dman and best goalie in the world. Ridiculous to lump Price in as a “median goalie”…yes..that would have gone over well if Bergevin lost Price because he would only offer him $5.3M because Cap Friendly told him so.

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      • I’m not saying Bergevin should have signed Price 5.3M. I say the difference (.010) between Price and the 16th goaler doesn’t worth 4.2M.

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        • Sure he is. I’m sorry but spending $23M on your all-world goalie and top 4 Dmen is right in line with pretty much every team in the league with a top-notch goalie and a dman in Weber’s league. You also have to factor in Alzner being a FA dman…of course you pay a little more. Let’s see him and Schlemko play a season before you anoint them as has-beens please…obviously the Habs feel differently, as do I. Alzner brings elements to a defence that aren’t seen on the scoresheet. Petry’s salary is fine as a #3 dman as well. Spending $23M on an all-world goalie and top four dmen is right in line with what should be paid…not even a third of the cap for the most important core of a team..as you build from the net out. Bergevin’s math is just fine..he has a highly competitive team and still has %8.5M in cap space…hard to suggest he’s prone to overpayment..at all.

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          • You have no idea if they have a solid 2nd D or not right now as the Habs have 6 new dmen in the org. , wait and see. $23M for your top 3 D and Price is fine..leaves $52M for the rest of the team..which is plenty as Bergevin has shown. AS stated…they are $8.5 M under the cap and have a very good team…Habs are one of the better capologist teams in the league.

    • The more I think of this, the more I see that all people in this world are different. That some minds choose this path and some minds think this path is inane. You see this and see Fire Bergevin and I see this and I see this as some fantasy world gibberish that has no reality in an environment that actually deals with human beings. I’m not trying to say you’re wrong, but just point out that my mind is different from your mind. That I can look at that and see silly and you look at that and see me as a numb skull.

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      • U just can’t offer Alzner, a no4D, 4.6M when the median is 2.8. And do it again for the no3 D, and the no1D and the no1 G. Soon you will not have enough cash.

        Bergevin is in a situation where he has to find a no2 D (left) for 1-2M. That is an ELC.
        Those guys are not free.
        It will cost something like Juulsen and Poehling for it.

        I don’t mind Weber and Petry’s contract. But Price and Alzner’s are really bad.

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        • The median ISN’T $2.8M….not even close. Do the math…don’t use Cap Friendly as Gospel..use logic. Average salary is $3.3M ..Alzner will be a top three dman..so he’s worth more than $3.3M. You don’t pay a top 3 dmen $2.8M..not even close. Look around the league..#3 dmen aren’t making $2.8M on average..that’s ridiculous,

          No..Price’s contract is NOT bad. Are you serious? I will not be continuing this discussion…please move on.

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          • Are u serious? don’t use capfriendly?

            i think it is safe to say that better players are better paid.

            ActiveD season 2017-2018

            no1D
            caphit 15th pietrangelo 6.5M
            caphit 16th yandle 6.35M
            caphit 17th green 6M
            no2D
            caphit 46th greene 5M
            caphit 47th dekeyser 5M
            caphit 48th methot 4.9M
            no3D
            caphit 77th gardiner 4.05M
            caphit 78th fowler 4M
            caphit 79th russel 4M
            no4D
            caphit 77th trouba 2.8M
            caphit 78th ceci 2.8M
            caphit 79th button 2.8M

            those numbers are not made up.

            Bergevin signed Alzner, a no4D, like a no2-3D and places him on the second pairing as a no4.

            Schlemko is OK at the number 4 spot. But Super Bergevin paint himself in the corner giving no2D money to a no4D money.

            It is normal to have players with a caphit above the median…but they all can’t.

            that is simple mathematics

            Goaler no1

            caphit 15th howard 5.3M
            caphit 16th andersson 5M
            caphit 17th bishop 4.9M

            Price had the best sv% at .929 for the last 3 years.
            Schneider was 15th at .919
            Bishop was 16th at .918

            On a 60games basis with 30 shots each night, that means that this 1% difference saves 18 goals.

            Does this 18 goals worth 5.5M? Will Price keep on saving at .929 in 3 years? in 5? in 7?

  • U just can’t offer Alzner, a no4D, 4.6M when the median is 2.8. And do it again for the no3 D, and the no1D and the no1 G. Soon you will not have enough cash.

    Bergevin is in a situation where he has to find a no2 D (left) for 1-2M. That is an ELC.
    Those guys are not free.
    It will cost something like Juulsen and Poehling for it.

    I don’t mind Weber and Petry’s contract. But Price and Alzner’s are really bad.

    I like the game. The good games not a NJD-VAN game.

    I’m a Habs fan. I like them winning. But i don’t care if they win or lose on a february tuesday night. I just want a great entertainment. And Julien with Alzner and Drouin with defense duties won’t , i believe, give the fans a great show.

    Bergevin’s team with Julien as a head coach will neither be a fun team nor a winning team. But it will make the playoff.
    But i may be wrong. I hope. I wanna see Drouin scoring the overtime SC winnning goal.

    But the odds are 20-1 at mise-o-jeu

    Reply

  • The key to the Habs will be whether or not they can generate enough offence on a consistent basis. The optimistic view is that the addition of Drouin means they will, ie. he becomes the number one centre. But almost no one seems to want to consider the opposite: what if Drouin struggles at centre, and what if he underperforms overall? That leaves Danault and Plekanec at the top, not a promising situation. And again, people point to Danault’s numbers last year, but do not point out how much his numbers declined as the year went along. For the record, 3 goals from late January to the end, nothing in the playoffs.

    I don’t know if the Habs will be able to generate enough offence; don’t know they won’t but it is not a given. I’m thinking a bubble team, if Price carries them, likely will make the postseason.

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  • Grant McCagg says
    SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 AT 9:12 AM

    You have no idea if they have a solid 2nd D or not right now as the Habs have 6 new dmen in the org. , wait and see

    ———

    really? i have no idea? the hockey planet knows there is no pmd no2 on that roster.

    Reply