Kaiden Guhle Traded To WHL Edmonton
- A notable trade occurred in the WHL today when Canadiens prospect blueliner Kaiden Guhle was dealt to Edmonton. The 2020 first-round was acquired for a package of four draft picks including two first-rounders plus two players, headlined by 2021 Senators fourth-round selection Carson Latimer.
Brodeur Not Expected To Pursue Montreal GM Job
- Martin Brodeur isn’t going to be leaving the New Jersey Devils for the Montreal Canadiens general manager job, at least that’s what he told Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Brodeur is obviously more connected to the Devils than any other franchise in the league, and going to Montreal never did seem like a very good fit for the legendary goaltender.
Canadiens Ownership Wants Long-Term Role For Shea Weber
The Montreal Canadiens organization is in a state of tumult, seeing their entire front office overhauled over the weekend and losing at home to Vancouver. The news cycle around the team isn’t stopping, however. In today’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger says that Canadiens ownership has an interest in retaining defenseman Shea Weber in a long-term fit with the organization. Weber is currently on long-term injured reserve, and after dealing with injuries for much of the last few seasons, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever be fit to play again. While he hasn’t officially retired yet, if that move comes, it seems as though he’ll still have a place in the industry with Montreal. Pierre LeBrun also mentioned that there’s some uncertainty as to how new hire Jeff Gorton sees the fit of goalie Carey Price in the organization, and while it seems there’s nothing concrete, he notes that “there are teams around the league, some contenders, I can tell you already that are intrigued to find out where that all goes” if the Canadiens opted to rebuild.
- News surrounding Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk has evolved quickly over the past 24 hours, with news of his trade request breaking last night and rumors today that he was drawing significant trade interest. Now, on that same episode of Insider Trading, Dreger said that the Rangers, Canucks, Canadiens, Flames, and Coyotes have all expressed interest in the young forward. He also notes that while they haven’t necessarily called recently, the Blues have been historically involved in DeBrusk trade talks. Regardless, the situation seems favorable for a good return for the Bruins as a bidding war emerges.
Daniel Briere Linked To Montreal Canadiens GM Job
Montreal Canadiens president and CEO Geoff Molson met with the media for more than an hour today to discuss the recent changes in senior leadership. He discussed several things, including the dismissal of former general manager Marc Bergevin, the appointment of the new executive vice president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, and the search for the team’s next GM. The team continues to explain to fans that the next GM will speak french, which immediately set off speculation across the hockey world on who could be a candidate for the job.
One interesting point Molson made, however, is that the Canadiens are open to hiring someone who does not have previous GM experience. The executive pointed to the fact that Bergevin himself did not have any GM experience when he was hired in 2012, and the new front office boss will have Gorton to lean on in a partnership.
With that in mind, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that Daniel Briere is “very high up on the list” of candidates for the GM job. That would certainly make sense, given his familiarity with the language, market, and Gorton. The Gatineau native played the 2013-14 season for the Canadiens and has been running the Maine Mariners of the ECHL–a team that was affiliated with the New York Rangers when Gorton was in charge–since 2017. Briere is considered an up-and-coming executive after his long, successful NHL career, though jumping from the ECHL directly into the Montreal GM job would certainly be a leap.
Of course, the Canadiens are likely to hire several people after firing not only Bergevin but also assistant GM Trevor Timmins and seeing assistant GM Scott Mellanby resign. Even Molson admitted today that the job is too big for one person, explaining his regret that he didn’t insulate Bergevin further with another high-ranking executive. Obviously, Gorton–who signed a long-term deal–will be one of the decision-makers, but whoever does take the GM job will need assistants as well.
In all, this should be an exciting search that could result in a huge opportunity being given to someone who has yet to lead an NHL front office. Briere is very high up on the list, but that list is long.
Montreal Canadiens Fire Marc Bergevin And Others, Hire Jeff Gorton
The Montreal Canadiens have made another front-office change following Scott Mellanby‘s resignation yesterday. Per the team, they’ve fired general manager Marc Bergevin as well as assistant GM Trevor Timmins and senior VP of public affairs Paul Wilson.
Bergevin’s been the GM and executive VP of hockey operations for the Canadiens since 2012-13. Under his term, the team made the playoffs six out of nine seasons.
Timmins was named assistant GM in 2017 but had been with the organization in various capacities since 2002.
Jeff Gorton has been hired as executive vice president of hockey operations. Bergevin is expected to be replaced by another French-speaking general manager, as the release states. Gorton will oversee operations on a day-to-day basis while the search for a new general manager continues.
Gorton, 53, was the GM in New York from 2015-2021 and had previously worked with the Rangers and Boston Bruins in several different roles, including scout, director of scouting, director of player personnel, and assistant general manager. His multiple decades in NHL front offices have now led him to one of the most coveted positions in the NHL, but also one with some of the highest pressures.
The Canadiens, the league’s most historic franchise with 23 Stanley Cup championships, made it all the way back to the finals last season but were unable to capture their first title since 1993. Just months later and the organization has collapsed, losing 17 of its first 23 games and owning the league’s second-worst goal differential. The absences of Phillip Danault, Shea Weber, and Carey Price from last year’s playoff team have been catastrophic, with almost no one playing up to their potential on an already underwhelming roster.
Yet, this move comes a day after the Canadiens won their sixth game of the season, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. It needed a 47-save performance from Jake Allen to do it though, and three of the goals were of the empty-net variety, meaning the final score was not indicative of how the game played out. Still, Gorton walks into a fan base that has at least been temporarily subdued, despite some season-long failure.
One of the decisions that Gorton will have to make in this newly announced position is on the future of head coach Dominique Ducharme, who signed a three-year contract extension earlier this summer. Ducharme now has a 21-31-9 record in the regular season as head coach of the Canadiens, a dreadful number that is only partially masked by his playoff success. Yes, he is the coach that led Montreal to the Stanley Cup Finals (though even then, he was replaced for a short period by assistant Luke Richardson), but there have been clear signs that Ducharme either does not know how to properly deploy the roster he has or that the roster is unwilling to accept that deployment.
Mellanby, meanwhile, left the organization after initially believing he would be the next general manager of the team. Marc-Antoine Godin of The Athletic examines the way that team president Geoff Molson handled the situation, including “deep talks” with Mellanby to become Bergevin’s successor. When things pivoted to a president of hockey operations and Gorton, Mellanby’s “trust was broken” according to Godin. That means Gorton will not only need to replace Bergevin but also Mellanby’s position of assistant GM.
The focus of incoming front office members will be interesting, as it is unclear whether the Canadiens brass believes the team to still be in a contending window. There are talented youngsters like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Alexander Romanov, but also too many bloated contracts for players that have not shown an ability to be true difference-makers. The roster should be better than 6-15-2, but it was always going to be a challenge to make the playoffs after some of the key offseason departures.
Poor play from several previously reliable defensive options–including Jeff Petry and newcomer David Savard–may have to be at the top of the list of concerns for the Canadiens. The team got through the playoffs with stingy defense and timely counterattacks, neither of which appear likely on any given night this season. With several long-term deals on the books, including more than $70MM committed to 2023-24 (though that’s counting Shea Weber‘s LTIR-bound deal), there is a lot of work to do for a new front office.
Scott Mellanby Resigns As Canadiens Assistant GM
8:09 pm: The Canadiens have released a statement, confirming that Mellanby has resigned. The team thanks Mellanby for his work but says they have no further comment at this time.
6:49 pm: As originally reported by The Athletic’s Michael Russo, it appears Scott Mellanby will be resigning from his role as an assistant general manager for the Montreal Canadiens.
It’s one of the multiple reports surrounding the state of Montreal’s front office on Saturday night. Minutes before Russo’s report, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canadiens are requesting permission from the New York Rangers to speak with former general manager Jeff Gorton about a role within the organization. While nothing is confirmed, it’s rather logical to believe that they view him as a potential replacement for Mellanby.
Friedman says in his report that the team isn’t inquiring about Gorton with the intention of hiring him as general manager. Current boss Marc Bergevin is in the final season of his contract, and now TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the “widely held expectation inside the industry” is that the Habs will be hiring a French-speaking general manager to replace Bergevin. While Bergevin’s future with the team is still technically undecided, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that he won’t be back with the team after this season.
Mellanby likely won’t have any issue finding work elsewhere. He’s long been desired by other teams for roles, but Mellanby has opted to stay with the Canadiens when faced with the choice. A veteran of nearly 1,500 NHL games, the 55-year-old Mellanby has been with Montreal since the beginning of Bergevin’s tenure in 2012-13. He’s been the assistant general manager for the past eight of his ten seasons in Montreal.
The Canadiens are just 5-15-2, and their .273 points percentage is third-last in the league.
Chris Wideman Injured, Out Saturday Versus Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed today that right winger Bryan Rust won’t play Saturday night against the Montreal Canadiens. When talking about Rust’s injury, Sullivan said that “[Rust’s] continuing to be evaluated… I do not have an answer for you about if he will be on our upcoming road trip.” Rust was a late, unexpected scratch for Friday night’s game against the Islanders after suffering a lower-body injury during warmups. Rust has two goals and seven assists through 12 games this season, which has been a tough one for him so far with a variety of injuries and COVID concerns. It will be concerning if Rust doesn’t appear for Pittsburgh on their upcoming road trip, which ends on December 10th and includes stops against the red-hot Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Washington Capitals.
- Per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, defenseman Chris Wideman is out with an injury for the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night game versus Pittsburgh. Forward Michael Pezzetta will draw back into the lineup after the team had iced 11 forwards and seven defensemen in their last contest. Wideman, who’d signed a one-year, league-minimum deal with Montreal this past offseason to return to the league after a good season abroad in Russia, leads Canadiens defensemen in points with eight.
More On Jordan Harris' Future With Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens were unable to convince Jordan Harris to turn pro and sign his entry-level contract last offseason, as the 21-year-old instead returned to Northeastern University for his senior season with the Huskies. Serving as captain, he now has ten points in 14 games, and in a piece from Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic, Harris’ coach Jerry Keefe calls him “the best defenseman in the country.”
The piece details how Harris has always shown loyalty to the programs and teams he plays for, but also examines how the young defenseman’s draft rights will expire if not signed by August of 2022. At that point, he could become an unrestricted free agent and sign anywhere in the league, should he decide that Montreal isn’t the best step for his career. It’s obvious that the Canadiens want to bring him into the organization, but there will be a ticking clock from the time his season ends.
Poll: How Should The Montreal Canadiens Handle This Season?
The Montreal Canadiens are one of just three teams that have already hit the 20-game benchmark this season. Their campaign is already a quarter complete – and they have 12 points to show for it. The reigning Stanley Cup finalists are tied for 31st in the NHL with a .300 record in what can only be described as a nightmare start to the year. The team is spending beyond the salary cap on a roster chock full of long-term contracts for players in the primes of their careers. They certainly did not expect to be in this spot, especially after last season’s playoff success. So where do the Canadiens go from here?
There are essentially three schools of thought when a team reaches a crossroads during the season, and that point in time does not need to be the trade deadline. They can buy, they can sell, or they can stand pat. All three strategies have merit, but the Habs would be wise to pick one and stick to it this season.
The team could certainly try to fight their way out of this funk. It would not be the first time in Montreal history that an underperforming team found a way to turn it around and make the playoffs only to hit their stride in the postseason. The Canadiens just made a surprise run last season and, at least on paper, have the pieces to do it again. As bad as the team has been so far this season, there has to be regression to the mean coming for their numerous talented scorer and stout defenders, right? There is also the potential for a Carey Price return and improved health across the roster to bring a boost to the team. However, if the plan is to compete then Montreal cannot just wait around for a spark. They need to shake up the roster and make a notable addition or two in the near future. It’s certainly a risk, but the reward for the team and its fans alike is the end to their current misery.
On the other hand, the team could look upward at the steep hill they have to climb and go in the opposite direction. The Atlantic Division is arguably the strongest in the NHL and it isn’t getting any easier any time soon. If the Habs’ current roster can perform this poorly, then they likely won’t be competitive in the Atlantic moving forward, never mind this season. A name like Brendan Gallagher or Tyler Toffoli or even Jeff Petry (though his appeal has taken a major hit) could draw a significant trade return to help the Canadiens re-tool and look toward the future. It would be a disappointing turn following last season’s success, but could be the right call given their struggles. The bright silver lining to tanking of course is remaining in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick and consensus top prospect Shane Wright. Wright could be a top line center and perhaps even a franchise player for the Canadiens and removing as much talent from their roster as is reasonably possible will help them stay at the bottom of the league standings and boost their odds in the draft lottery.
The final option is to do nothing. It actually has the potential benefits of either loading up or blowing it up, but requires no action at all. It could be the perfect plan for the Canadiens, given GM Marc Bergevin is expected by many to depart after this season, if not sooner. Rather than let Bergevin make moves in a futile attempt to save his job or impress future employers, Montreal could choose to just ride the season out. There is enough talent on the roster that they could turn the season around without making any moves. They also might never break out of their slump and remain in contention for the top draft spot. The latter could be helped along by making some easy deals like trading the expiring contracts of Ben Chiarot, Brett Kulak, Artturi Lehkonen, Cedric Paquette, or Mathieu Perreault without doing anything earth-shattering. Of course, doing nothing runs the risk of achieving neither goal. The Canadiens are better than their current .300 record, but they likely aren’t good enough to crack the Eastern Conference playoff picture either, especially with this deficit. They could end up outside the postseason and with poor lottery odds. Standing pat also leaves fans with little guidance as to the teams direction in the short-term or the long-term. However, sometimes the right move in a disappointing season is just to call it and try again next year rather than do more damage by overreacting.
What do you think? Are the Habs good enough to get back to relevance this year if they can shake up the roster? Are they as bad as they have looked and need to start the rebuild now? Or is this just a fluke of a season that deserves to be forgotten with an eye on a fresh start next year?
How Should The Montreal Canadiens Handle This Season?
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Sell/Tank 73% (803)
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Stand Pat 19% (210)
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Buy/Compete 7% (81)
Total votes: 1,094
Paquette Close To Returning; Several Other Injured Canadiens Practice
The Montreal Canadiens came back with a drastically stronger effort on Saturday night, winning 6-3 against the Nashville Predators for just their fifth victory of the season. They should also be getting some reinforcements in the coming days and weeks, as several updates were given on injured players today.