Opening Day: Angst or Opportunity?
September 11, 2017
By Brian Wilde
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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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.