Player and personnel movement had the Habs chatter buzzing on social media yesterday, but in the end it's likely to prove much ado about nothing.
One report (via SwissHabs) claimed that Alex Galchenyuk was close to leaving the NHL to sign a deal with a KHL club. There's nothing new about rumours of this sort. We hear them pretty much any time a player with Russian ties is coming up on free agency (even restricted free agency, as is the case with Galchenyuk). And occasionally, even when a player isn't a free agent! Yet, strange as the Kovalchuk case was, it's one of the few examples where a player still in the "good years" of his career (excuses to Jaromir Jagr, who it seems will remain his his "good years" until the day he's called to the pearly gates).
Galchenyuk has always stated his commitment to playing in North America. He'll be quick to tell you that he's American (as opposed to Russian). In 2010, as a 16-year old, he left home (home being the United States) to pursue his junior career in Canada with the Sarnia Sting. With the NHL locked out in 2012, just after both he and Sarnia teammate Nail Yakupov were taken as top picks in the NHL Entry Draft, Galchenyuk remained in the OHL, despite Yakupov leaving for Russia's Men's league.
So why would Galchenyuk have a change of heart and take off now? Fair to say his development wasn't what many had hoped for in 2014-15. Despite setting career highs in goals, assists, points (and points-per-game), inconsistency meant he would disappear for stretches at a time, most notably in the post-season when the Canadiens were searching for anyone on the roster who could put the puck in the net. The fact that he oozes potential when he flashes jaw-dropping dangles has left fans wanting more, but let's keep in mind the kid is only 21, and his best years are still all ahead of him.
Then there was Marc Bergevin's end-of-season press conference, where for the first time he strayed from the organizational narrative of, "We know Galchenyuk is a center; we drafted him to play center and will move him there eventually." Instead we got a fresh hot take with, "Galchenyuk is comfortable on the wing; we don't know if or when he'll ever transition to center."
Does any of this hint at some disagreements between the young budding star and the team brain trust? Doubtful (unless you believe the tabloids). There's no real reason for Bergevin to commit to a hypothetical future situation, even if he and others had done so in the past. Galchenyuk's game has inched along, and this was the first year where he received regular top 6 minutes. No doubt the guy would like to score more goals, but aside from giving him a little more powerplay time, there isn't much the coaching staff is doing that would hold him back. Unless you want to talk about Michel Therrien's gameplan, which some players did at the year-end pressers. But provided there is nothing going on behind the scenes that we don't know about, that is far from enough to scare a player off the continent.
What is more likely, based on his playoff struggles, is that Galchenyuk seeks a 1-2 year deal from the Canadiens to try to put more points on the board prior to signing long-term. At this stage, a two-year $7M - $8M deal might seem reasonable for both sides.
Speaking of Therrien's gameplan, like Galchenyuk, the head coach will also be back next season. Marc Bergevin basically confirmed it at year's end, and certainly it's hard to fire a coach who has posted the records this team has the last two years, yet still when word got out that Mike Babcock was interested in testing the market, many hoped the GM might seize the opportunity to upgrade behind the bench.
But Babcock is in Leafland. Oh, and he doesn't speak French. Like it or not, that remains a requirement to be in that kind of position of power in this organization. Yes, it may hold the team back to not consider every possible candidate. Yes, it's a handicap in a salary cap world where any extra barriers are a significant competitive disadvantage. But it doesn't mean that a French-speaker couldn't be the right man for the job.
Is that man Therrien? Results to date indicate he is good enough to take a solid roster and get it so far, but is unable to get over a certain "hump," which would require more significant changes to his preferred on-ice structure. Certainly Bergevin believes in him, however, and thus he'll be given more leash with which to progress the franchise further along the path of Stanley Cup contendership. It's on him to take positive steps forward, or eventually find his way out the door. But that day is not near.
While those two should be back, a report from site DansLesCoulisses yesterday indicated Hamilton Bulldog veteran Gabriel Dumont, a restricted free agent, wouldn't be retained by the organization for next year. An article today from beat reporter Guillaume Lefrancois stopped short of making the same assertions, though Dumont was quoted as having his agent tell him there would be no negotiations with Montreal any time soon. After paring ways with Dumont's usual linemate Mike Blunden last summer, this would be another big loss for the Habs' AHL affiliate in their debut season as the St. John's Ice Caps, but given last year's disappointing on-ice results, one can hope Marc Bergevin will go shopping to surround his prospects with enough veterans to build a winner.
One report (via SwissHabs) claimed that Alex Galchenyuk was close to leaving the NHL to sign a deal with a KHL club. There's nothing new about rumours of this sort. We hear them pretty much any time a player with Russian ties is coming up on free agency (even restricted free agency, as is the case with Galchenyuk). And occasionally, even when a player isn't a free agent! Yet, strange as the Kovalchuk case was, it's one of the few examples where a player still in the "good years" of his career (excuses to Jaromir Jagr, who it seems will remain his his "good years" until the day he's called to the pearly gates).
Galchenyuk has always stated his commitment to playing in North America. He'll be quick to tell you that he's American (as opposed to Russian). In 2010, as a 16-year old, he left home (home being the United States) to pursue his junior career in Canada with the Sarnia Sting. With the NHL locked out in 2012, just after both he and Sarnia teammate Nail Yakupov were taken as top picks in the NHL Entry Draft, Galchenyuk remained in the OHL, despite Yakupov leaving for Russia's Men's league.
So why would Galchenyuk have a change of heart and take off now? Fair to say his development wasn't what many had hoped for in 2014-15. Despite setting career highs in goals, assists, points (and points-per-game), inconsistency meant he would disappear for stretches at a time, most notably in the post-season when the Canadiens were searching for anyone on the roster who could put the puck in the net. The fact that he oozes potential when he flashes jaw-dropping dangles has left fans wanting more, but let's keep in mind the kid is only 21, and his best years are still all ahead of him.
Then there was Marc Bergevin's end-of-season press conference, where for the first time he strayed from the organizational narrative of, "We know Galchenyuk is a center; we drafted him to play center and will move him there eventually." Instead we got a fresh hot take with, "Galchenyuk is comfortable on the wing; we don't know if or when he'll ever transition to center."
Does any of this hint at some disagreements between the young budding star and the team brain trust? Doubtful (unless you believe the tabloids). There's no real reason for Bergevin to commit to a hypothetical future situation, even if he and others had done so in the past. Galchenyuk's game has inched along, and this was the first year where he received regular top 6 minutes. No doubt the guy would like to score more goals, but aside from giving him a little more powerplay time, there isn't much the coaching staff is doing that would hold him back. Unless you want to talk about Michel Therrien's gameplan, which some players did at the year-end pressers. But provided there is nothing going on behind the scenes that we don't know about, that is far from enough to scare a player off the continent.
What is more likely, based on his playoff struggles, is that Galchenyuk seeks a 1-2 year deal from the Canadiens to try to put more points on the board prior to signing long-term. At this stage, a two-year $7M - $8M deal might seem reasonable for both sides.
Speaking of Therrien's gameplan, like Galchenyuk, the head coach will also be back next season. Marc Bergevin basically confirmed it at year's end, and certainly it's hard to fire a coach who has posted the records this team has the last two years, yet still when word got out that Mike Babcock was interested in testing the market, many hoped the GM might seize the opportunity to upgrade behind the bench.
But Babcock is in Leafland. Oh, and he doesn't speak French. Like it or not, that remains a requirement to be in that kind of position of power in this organization. Yes, it may hold the team back to not consider every possible candidate. Yes, it's a handicap in a salary cap world where any extra barriers are a significant competitive disadvantage. But it doesn't mean that a French-speaker couldn't be the right man for the job.
Is that man Therrien? Results to date indicate he is good enough to take a solid roster and get it so far, but is unable to get over a certain "hump," which would require more significant changes to his preferred on-ice structure. Certainly Bergevin believes in him, however, and thus he'll be given more leash with which to progress the franchise further along the path of Stanley Cup contendership. It's on him to take positive steps forward, or eventually find his way out the door. But that day is not near.
While those two should be back, a report from site DansLesCoulisses yesterday indicated Hamilton Bulldog veteran Gabriel Dumont, a restricted free agent, wouldn't be retained by the organization for next year. An article today from beat reporter Guillaume Lefrancois stopped short of making the same assertions, though Dumont was quoted as having his agent tell him there would be no negotiations with Montreal any time soon. After paring ways with Dumont's usual linemate Mike Blunden last summer, this would be another big loss for the Habs' AHL affiliate in their debut season as the St. John's Ice Caps, but given last year's disappointing on-ice results, one can hope Marc Bergevin will go shopping to surround his prospects with enough veterans to build a winner.