Out of the Red, White & Blue: Turning Point, Galchenyuk, Habs Draft, Free Agency

Written by Habsterix, Senior Writer, AllHabs.net

PENTICTON, BC. — Here are a few thoughts on different topics surrounding the Habs’ over the past few weeks. Local management and its effect, Alex Galchenyk and other draftees, Trevor Timmins, Scott Gomez, free agents and more. Feel free to post your comments as they are always welcomed.

1- The turning point of this franchise could very well be back when Geoff Molson hired his good friend and former Habs GM Serge Savard in the role of special consultant, to help him make decisions about the team’s new GM. Since then, the francophone and local flavour has returned to the Canadiens as proven with the hiring of the likes of Marc Bergevin, Martin Lapointe, Patrice Brisebois, Michel Therrien, Clement Jodoin, Sylvain Lefebvre, Donald Dufresne, Vincent Riendeau and even Montreal born Scott Mellanby. Time will tell if they sacrificed quality for language, but all seems positive so far.

2- The Canadiens made of Alex Galchenyuk the number three pick in the NHL for 2012. While some from the outside will say that it was a no brainer, it is a huge leap of faith for a team that has seen its top defenseman miss almost the entire year and most of the last three years to a serious knee injury. Let’s not forget that it’s the same team that told Pierre Gauthier that Andrei Markov would be ready by October of last year. If fully healthy, Galchenyuk should be heading back to junior this year regardless of his performances at camp with the big club, especially considering that he’s missed pretty much the entire season last year.

3- Director of procurement and player development, Trevor Timmins, was surprised to see that Sebastian Collberg was still available when the Habs picked at number 33. In an interview after the draft, Timmins compared the young Swede to Daniel Alfredsson. Many, including myself, don’t like hearing comparisons to established NHL players as it often brings unrealistic expectations and added pressure on young prospects. But if Collberg does pan out to become a player like Alfredsson, this pick might just be the steal of this year’s draft.

4- Most fans don’t know a whole lot about the other players selected by the Canadiens in this year’s draft but if what some of the comments are true, it seems like the Habs are in great shape for many years to come. You can find extensive profiles of each player taken in our Draft Center.  Dalton Thrower (D), Tim Bozon (LW), Brady Vail (C), Charles Hudon (LW) and Erik Nystrom (LW) all received favourable praise by self-proclaimed experts. While it all sounds positive, let’s err on the side of caution and let’s wait and to see how those players develop before claiming victory.

5- Almost every Habs’ fan felt a pinch at the heart when P.K. Subban’s little brother Malcolm was drafted by the Bruins. P.K. showed great professionalism when he walked to the Bruins’ table to shake hands with their management. What I found really troubling however was to read some racist tweets from some Bruins’ fans. With the negative publicity drawn by slurs and gestures made towards Wayne Simmonds and Joel Ward, one would think that those idiots would be put in their place once and for all.

6- On the second day of the draft, a French reporter asked the question on Twitter if there was any truth to the word on the floor that Scott Gomez’ contract was bought out. At the time of writing this article, there has been no confirmation of such but it is to wonder if there was any serious smoke on the draft floor. Of course, the best case scenario would be to trade Gomez but let’s be realistic here, he’s not even worth the salary he’s getting paid in dollars, even for a team trying to get to the cap floor. Would Geoff Molson be willing to bury $10 million in the minors? We’ll find out soon enough.

7- The NHL schedule is out and Habs’ fans won’t have to wait long to see their new team at work as for the first time in over a decade, they will start the season on home ice. The Ottawa Senators will be the visitors on October 11th, with the Canadiens travelling to Toronto for a Saturday night game against the Maple Leafs to close the opening week.

8- We’re only a few days away from the free agent frenzy and teams have already started moving pieces in order to have the necessary cap space to talk to some of them. As discussed and listed in a previous article, there is plenty of grit available to a team in desperate need of some. Either way, Habs fans should have a first glance in the next few days at the type of team Marc Bergevin is planning on icing for new head coach Michel Therrien. Both were quoted saying that they wanted a more local flavour and wanting to address the lack of size and character on the team. Since it seems like the days of Brandon Prust in New York are coming to an end and that his wife apparently is from Montreal, many feel like he would be a good fit.

9- Marc Bergevin acknowledged having held talks with his pending unrestricted and restricted free agents and contract negotiations have already started with many of them. The two most pressing in order of importance are two young stars in Carey Price and P.K. Subban. It will be interesting to see the approach taken by Bergevin when it comes to the terms, more than the money, allocated to his two young studs. Will he try to get them signed long term or will he take a similar approach as previous management by signing them two years at a time? I would love to see their contract staggered however, so that both contract don’t become due the same summer the next time around.

10- One contract talk isn’t unanimous amongst fans however and that’s the negotiation with winger Travis Moen. Personally, I feel like Moen would flourish under Michel Therrien and with the addition of more muscle in the line-up, reminiscent to his days with the Anaheim Ducks. Moen is responsible defensively, can contribute a goal here and there, can take a shift on the top lines if or when needed, and he will drop the gloves to defend his teammates, especially when not limited by the coaching staff the way it’s been in recent years. How much would he be willing to take though, that’s the other question.

11- The communication and relationship between Marc Bergevin and his team is a total contrast to what it was under Pierre Gauthier or even Bob Gainey. In just a few weeks, Trevor Timmins spoke to the media more often than Gauthier did all year, or so it feels. One has to wonder how the staff at the Bell Centre feels, if fans can see such a drastic change. Bergevin seems to involve every member of his management team, giving them ownership of their area of expertise. This is the best way to draw the maximum out of your staff as they get a feeling of belonging and a sense of accomplishment.

12- With all of the changes we’ve witnessed around the Canadiens organisation in recent weeks, fans and media feel a breath of fresh air around the team. Although no player-personnel movement has been done yet, there is a sense of optimism amongst fans, feeling excited about the future of the team for the first time in many years, at least speaking for myself here. Happy fans, happy media, let’s now hope for a happy team on the ice!

Once again, the next few weeks promise to be exciting around the Canadiens with opening of the free agency on July first, the contract negotiations with Carey Price, P.K. Subban and the other RFA’s and UFA’s, and to better gauge what type of trades Marc Bergevin will be attempting.

I’d like to finish this article by passing a heartfelt congratulation to the winners of the 2012 All Habs Media Awards and thank everyone for voting.