Team: 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 23, 2021

Published: Feb. 24, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

I am not a Habs fan at all, but watching this team frustrates me so much. We all know what they are capable of and what they can be. However they always seems to have a couple glaring holes that will cost them in the long run

This season it has very much been Carey Price (and finishing to an extent)

I know all the Habs fans want to hop on the #firethecoach bandwagon but I do not think it is that simple for Bergevin. Generally most GMs have 1 chance to fire a coach. Bergevin has already played that card. There might be questions from management if he tries to play it again. Probably along the lines of "why do you get to shuffle coaches" and "why should he go before you"

Now even if these questions are not valid (I think Bergevin has done an okay job so far) they will most likely be asked especiallyon a team like the Habs where its all about the winning and the culture.

So here are the four things the Habs (Bergervin) will have to decide on if he wants to make this team great


-What happens to Danault?

Is he staying? Is he leaving? Can you extend him now? Why did he decline the offer from the summer?
Philip Danault has been the Habs 1C for a while now, and he has been quite effective. He might not have the high point totals or flashy skillset like other top line centres, but he is definitely a top 30 centre in the NHL
Even looking at his raw 5v5 point totals will tell you that, infact over the past 2 seasons, Danault ranks 29th in 5v5 points, that is more than that of "top line centres" like Mat Barzal, Sebastian Aho, Elias Pettersson and Mika Zibanejad" He isnt even a one dimentional offensive juggernaut like those guys. He is one of the best two way centres in the NHL. His defense is really good considering he is used in a hard matchup role and manages to shut a lot of great players down while still producing at 5v5
Yes he struggles on special teams, but he more than makes up for it with his amazing 5v5 play

-Is Carey Price going to finish his contract here?

The logical answer is yes, he has done a lot for this city. However his play has fallen off a cliff over the past 3 -4 seasons. You can blame that on injuries or the lack of a proper blueline all you want. The fact is Carey Price is not a top 20 goalie in the league anymore. (I would argue not even top 30 but Habs fans would want my head on a spike) A situation I can very much see playing out is Carey Price taking on the Marc-Andre Fleury role on the Kraken. A formerly elite goalie that is loved by almost all the fans on his team (and in MAF's case around the league) Both old and regressing. If Price is willing to do it, I dont see why Bergevin would not want to do it. Allen has played great and he should be able to find a good partner for him in free agency next summer with all the goalies on the market. Obviously If I am Seattle, I do not want to take on that awful contract without some retention and a sweetener. The Habs have a boatload of extra picks at this draft. I dont see why they wouldnt be willing to move on from one or two to get that contract off their hands

-Are Josh Anderson and Jonathan Drouin for real?

All 3 have gotten off to really hot starts this season (along with the rest of the team). But the stats (in Andersoncases) show that they probably wont keep this up. If Anderson does somehow defy all the odds and becomes a 30-40 goal scorer each year, then that deal is amazing, however if he regresses back to Columbus form and becomes a 3rd line grinder, then its a terrible deal. Anderson's SH% is unsistainably high this year while the rest of his underlying numbers look almost identical to those he had on CBJ. Drouin has hit another level this year, it seems like, everything about him is coming together like it was supposed to when he was first traded to the Habs. Is this just early season luck or is he finally becoming the player Bergevin once hoped he would become? I guess only time will tell on that one but it will definitely be interesting to watch.

Is Victor Mete going to play or not?

A lot of people will remember Mete as the guy who couldnt score a goal for the longest time. And while that is true, he brings a lot more to the table than a weak shot. He has been the Canadiens' 7th defenseman for most of the season, occassionally getting into some games in place of Brett Kulak who has been okay himself. Mete is a fantastic puck mover who is good defensively and not a black hole on offense. Yes he is quite a bit smaller than Joel Edmundson, however his impact on the team is undeniable. Mete has been the Habs' 3rd or 4th best defenseman over the past 2 years in my opinion. Definitely more impactful than the overpaid plug Edmundson. Yeah he brings grit, but he isnt helping the team score any goals or prevent any. He is just kinda there. While Mete does not score goals himself, his teammates do when they are with him. They are also way better defensively when playing with Mete rather than when playing with Edmundson. Alex Romanov the rookie has not been amazing, His potential is sky high, however right now, he has been a passenger. Not helping the team do anything much on the ice other than generate scoring chances but not being able to finish since that is what the Habs do. Generate a ton of chances but not finish.

Whatever Bergevin decides to do, the future looks bright for this team. I dont think they will have too much success this season, despite the hot start, but they will definitely be a team to watch for in the next 5 years. Would not be shocked to see them make another ECF run again only to have it cut short by an opposing forward crashing into their goalie who was having a bad playoff run already.


TL;DR Bergevin has a lot of work to do and a lot of decisions to make.
Also here is my ideal lineup for the playoffs assuming everyone is healthy