A year to the day since the trade that sent Mikhail Sergachev to Tampa Bay for Jonathan Drouin, Marc Bergevin shipped Alex Galchenyuk to Arizona for Max Domi. It was another mid-June trade that rocked the Canadiens’ community.
For me, the issue here isn’t really the deal itself. Galchenyuk provides more of a scoring touch while Domi is a setup guy. Galchenyuk liked playing the perimeter and shooting from the hash marks.
In my opinion, Montreal is full of snipers, but they need someone to get the puck to the slot and control the middle. This trade was a simple one style for another type deal, where the Canadiens traded away a flashy scorer for a grittier, in-your-face player who can produce about the same number of points.
#Habs Bergevin’s response to backlash against Domi/Galchenyuk trade: “I guess I understand to a degree because they don’t know Max… I welcome (fans) to watch him and to get to know him, and I think once he’s here and they’ll watch him play they’ll appreciate what he brings.”
— John Lu (@JohnLuTSNWpg) June 16, 2018
The fans will come to love Max Domi, that I do not doubt. The issue is that once again this trade does not fill the glaring holes in the Canadiens lineup. This is the third year in a row the Marc Bergevin has traded a good asset and did not address a team need.
The Montreal Canadiens need two top-six centres and a left-handed, puck-moving defenseman. Domi is a left-winger. The same thing happened last year when Drouin, another winger, joined the team with the plan from management that they could turn him into a centre. The season before, P.K. Subban was traded for Shea Weber.
Bergevin is fully aware of what he needs but, for some reason, fails to make the moves to solve the problems. It goes without saying that the players acquired in all three trades are not chumps. Although older, Weber is still considered an elite defenceman who just plays a different style than Subban. Drouin also has tons of potential and could be a very good, high-scoring forward, just not as a center. Domi is a great setup guy, something the Habs also need but he can’t put the puck in the net, and he is now on a goal-starved team.
I would call these safe trades. Bergevin traded a good player for a good player. He received a player who can produce in a different way than the one that departed. He’s not losing or gaining anything. In order to better understand my point, let’s take a look at these three trades more closely.
Subban for Weber
Subban is a flashy, speedy, full-of-life, puck-moving defensemen who will get the crowd out of their seats. P.K. entertains both on and off the ice. However, he also makes poor choices in his own end and at times can seem greedy with the puck, making low percentage passes.
Weber is a hard hitting, in-your-face defenseman who makes smart passes and controls the puck while having a cannon for a shot. He is also four years older than Subban. He plays things safe and isn’t flashy at all.
Both players produce on average between 45 and 55 points a season. Weber scores more goals, but Subban can control the play and change the game. It is similar production, but two different types of players.
Sergachev for Drouin
This trade is a bit different because these players don’t really match up at all. In a very small sample with the Canadiens, Sergachev played four games and looked fine before being returned to junior hockey.
Drouin had a productive season with 53 points his last season in Tampa but had some attitude issues. He can shoot, pass and skate and, in my opinion, has the tools to be a top scorer in the NHL.
When the trade was made, no one thought Sergachev would go on and almost outscore Drouin, but he did and played extremely well on the third pairing in Tampa. Drouin struggled to learn the centre position and floundered until the near end of the season where he started showing signs of what he could do.
Galchenyuk for Domi
Galchenyuk proved his worth to the Habs with tremendous goal-scoring ability. He was drafted to be the next top centre. In his third full season with the Canadiens he scored 30 goals. He can shoot like the best of them and score highlight reel goals. In his own end, at times, he seemed lost. He didn’t like playing the corners and at times didn’t seem like he was putting in the best effort.
While on TSN 1050, Darren Dreger said, “Julien didn’t see how Galchenyuk‘s game could fit into what he is trying to develop, promote and build in Montreal.”
Domi brings fast skating and a gritty style of play. He is a good setup man who sees the ice and knows where to put the puck. He is also small and has had a hard time putting the puck in the net, four of his nine goals were empty-netters.
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In all three of these trades, Bergevin gave up a top asset for a top asset. This shows that he isn’t willing to trade an asset to improve the team, focusing instead on changing the style of play. In other words, he is playing it safe by not making bigger deals to get a star player in a position that needs to be filled.
The Habs have been in need of a decent center since Bergevin arrived as GM. He had three big assets he could have moved to get a centre, but he never did. It appears that Bergevin is unwilling to use the assets he has in order to fill the needs of his struggling team. I guess trades really are hard.
Edited by Cate Racher, All Habs Hockey Magazine
All Habs Hockey Magazine
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