Marc Bergevin is probably on steroids. I'm not trying to spread rumors but just look at this picture of him. Maybe he should spend less time in the gym and more time not being a garbage general manager for a garbage team.
Listen, I think it's bad for hockey when the Montreal Canadiens are not a good team. The Canadiens Bruins rivalry is equivalent to the Red Sox Yankees rivalry in baseball. Think about when that rivalry was best, in the early 2000s when both baseball teams were good and absolutely hated each other. The Bruins and Canadiens are the same. 2011 was such a great year, not only because Boston won the Stanley Cup but also because they had to go through the Canadiens to get there.
I take no pleasure in shitting on the Habs like this. Actually, that's a lie. I take a lot of pleasure. Having said that let's take a look at why hockey's royal franchise is a joke.
1. Trading PK Subban for Shea Weber
This trade happened on the same day as the Taylor Hall trade. It was an amazing day in the off season. Montreal sent their superstar defensemen, PK Subban to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Shea Weber. Let's get one thing straight. Weber is a great defensemen...when he's healthy. He's also four years older than Subban and had signed a 14 YEAR CONTRACT IN NASHVILLE IN 2012. Let me repeat that. HE SIGNED A 14 YEAR CONTRACT. That means when he was traded to the Canadiens at age 31 he still had 10 years left on his contract.
Weber is currently out until mid-December with an injury. Subban on the other hand is living in Nashville and dating Lindsey Vonn. He's also been to the Stanley Cup Final, although he didn't win, and he's usually healthy. He was nominated for the Norris Trophy in 2018 and is on the cover of NHL 19. The Predators are also still a contender for the Stanley Cup, where Montreal won't be winning a Stanley Cup in the next five years.
There were rumors that Montreal management wasn't happy with Subban's big personality. In Montreal they're all about "respecting the system" and their bullshit traditions, some of which I'll get to later. One example of Subban's terrible antics was pledging to donate $10 million to Montreal's Children's Hospital. He sure is a selfish prick isn't he? He donated all on his own and didn't include the rest of the team!
2. Trading Alex Galchenyuk for Max Domi
A couple days ago Max Domi sucker punched Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers, a superior player, in the face causing his to bleed all over his jersey. Ekblad has a history of concussions so a sucker punch to the face probably isn't the best thing for him.
Galchenyuk was traded in the 2018 off season to the Arizona Coyotes for Max Domi. Let's just take a quick look at the two players.
Galchenyuk
1. Drafted third overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2012.
2. Is 24 years old.
3. Since 2014 he has scored 20, 30, 17, and 19 goals.
4. Had 51 points in his last year with the Canadiens
Domi
1. Drafted 12th overall by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2013.
2. Is 23 years old.
3. Since 2015 has scored 18,9, and 9 goals
4. Had 45 points in his last year with the Coyotes
5. Sucker punches people in the preseason
Galchenyuk is also a Center, where Domi is a Left Wing. Their point totals aren't far off but Galchenyuk clearly puts the puck in the net more and has a higher ceiling. This trade just seems so unnecessary and stupid. I don't understand why Bergevin would do this. Maybe the steroids are getting to his head?
3. Hiring Claude Julien for the second time because he speaks French or something
I love Claude. He brought the Bruins a Stanley Cup after a 39 year drought. He won us a Presidents Trophy in 2014 and returned to the Cup Final in 2013. He was great for this team when he was here, but he overstayed his welcome.
Julien coaches in a style that really worked in 2011. He's defensive minded in a game that is becoming more and more about offense. The era of Lucic and Shawn Thornton is over. Hard hitters and grinders don't win you Stanley Cups, speed and skill do.
In his last few seasons with the Bruins, Julien was incredibly frustrating to watch because he was so stubborn. He didn't like playing the young guys because he considered them a defensive liability. He LOVED guys like Gregory Campbell and Daniel Paillle. I don't think he ever in a million years would have thrown a kid like Ryan Donato on the ice during a playoff series like Bruce Cassidy did this past season. It's just not his style.
The Canadiens have this weird rule where they only want to hire coaches who speak French. It might be the dumbest rule in all of sports. They are seriously limiting themselves in terms of coaching talent. Claude had already coached the Canadiens in 2004 before being brought back in 2017. Prior to Claude being there they had Michel Therrien behind their bench, who seems like a real pleasant person when he's snorting at you. Guess what? He also coached the Canadiens before returning to them in 2012. My guess is that Julien will be fired in the next year or two and the Canadiens will bring in Alain Vigneault, who coached for them in the late 90s. That actually could happen considering Vigneault was let go by the New York Rangers this past off season and is currently jobless.
4. Having the best goalie in the world and wasting his talent
Carey Price, when he is healthy, is probably the best goalie in the world. Price was drafted 5th overall by the Canadiens in 2005 and has played for them ever since. Price even won the Hart Trophy in 2015 as the NHLs MVP. It doesn't often go to a goalie so that's pretty impressive.
I really think Price should pull a Patrick Roy and just say that he will never play for Montreal again and request a trade out of town. He's been with this team for so long and given them everything and this is how they repay him. Good job Montreal!
Conclusion
Montreal stinks. They're going to continue to stink this year and the next few years until they get a new GM and coach. It brings me no pleasure to see this dumpster light on fire. Well maybe a little....
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