By J.D. Lagrange, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
Two years ago, it was said that the Habs didn’t have enough depth, a reason for their miserable season when the team went through a rash of injuries. When he was first named as the team’s new General Manager, Marc Bergevin immediately pointed the same issue as one which he will focus in order to improve his team.
PENTICTON, BC. — Last season, in spite of a shorten season also filled with injuries, the Canadiens still managed to top the Boston Bruins by taking over top spot in their division and, against all odds, finished with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They were said to having been lucky, especially because of the way they were sent packing out of the playoffs by the Ottawa Senators, and the self-proclaimed “experts” predicted that this team couldn’t make the playoffs in a full 82 games schedule. Well with less than 20 games remaining, the Habs sit with the third best record in the Eastern Conference, only six points behind the all-mighty Bruins.
Bergevin not only added some much needed toughness to his line-up in order to prevent teams acting like the Senators did last spring, but the addition of George Parros, Douglas Murray and Daniel Briere (without giving up players in return), ensured that the team’s depth was better, even seeing Davis Drewiske sent to the minors and Francis Bouillon watching games from the press box.
At this year’s trade deadline, Bergevin felt like adding to this depth in case of injuries and to create a good internal competition amongst players. He first traded for right-handed and penalty-kill specialist Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers, giving in return a fifth round pick in 2015. At 35, Weaver lead the Panthers in blocked shots with 94 in 55 games, and his 101 hits prove that he plays bigger than what his actual size indicates. He was by far the most utilised Panther short-handed, spending 2:53 minutes per game while a man short.
Bergevin wasn’t done his shopping. He traded for 6’6″ 27-year-old goalie Devan Dubnyk and sent him immediately to Hamilton. A former first round pick by the Oilers, Dubnyk played 173 games in the NHL and he brings experience in case of an injury to Carey Price or Peter Budaj.
But Bergevin kept his biggest move for the very end when he got his hands on the most coveted player of the day and that, at a price that surprised many. The Habs’ GM managed to convince his counterpart with the New York Islanders, Garth Snow, to send him Thomas Vanek along with a conditional fifth round pick in 2014 in exchange for prospect Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second round pick. The 30-year-old Vanek scored 21 goals and racked up 32 assists good for 53 points this season in 60 games while playing for the Sabres and the Islanders. He automatically becomes the team’s best points getter ahead of Max Pacioretty (43 points) and he is now second in goals’ scoring behind the same Pacioretty (30 goals).
It is important to note that with those three trades, Bergevin did not give up any roster player in return, therefore adding even more depth in net, on defense and on offense.
It now remains to be seen how the team will react as when you add two players on a team at the NHL level, it usually means that others won’t be getting as much ice time to produce. There are two kinds of reactions possible: either players can pout or they work even harder in order to prove that they have their place on the roster. Let’s hope that the players’ positive character will surface as ultimately, the team will benefit from it.
Go Habs Go!
En français : Canadiens : Beaucoup de profondeur