By Blain Potvin, Staff writer, All Habs Magazine
HALIFAX, NS — Perhaps it is time for Marc Bergevin to dust of his PlayStation(TM) and try and negotiate a deal for that ever elusive top line Centerman that is mystically never available to Montréal. Perhaps that is, until now.
If we look back to November 2015 there were rumors circulating on the availability of Matt Duchene, the former 2009 third overall pick, a draft that included such stellar draft selections as Louis Leblanc and Alexander Avtsin who are both now plying their trade in Europe. That 2009 Draft held in Montreal during the Centennial celebrations created much fanfare, but provided no impact on the team’s current roster.
Duchene and Colorado coach Patrick Roy are rumored to be nearing irreconcilable differences. Roy calling out Duchene after a goal celebration in a losing effort can be a sign of a possible war of wills between the star player and the fiery Avalanche coach.
Add in the disappointment in a team filled with star power and veteran leadership being on the outside of the playoffs. Especially after the season began with hopes of a postseason appearance and you start to get the ingredients for an offseason filled with changes. And the biggest change could be shaking up a talented core group.
The core in Colorado is deep in talent, it includes Duchene, Semyon Varlamov, Nathan Mackinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Tyson Barrie. There are also young players such as Chris Bigras, Nikita Zadorov, and Mikko Rantanen on the way, the future looks to be filled with high end talent. Yet there is a perception the core group is not playing to a high enough standard. Perhaps even due to a lack of veteran leadership and consistency. And here is where Marc Bergevin needs to exploit his constant networking and pick up his controller and provide a shakeup for the core groups of both the Avalanche and Les Canadiens.
Montréal boasts one of the most consistent veteran two way centers in the NHL, Tomas Plekanec. He provides steady production despite a rotating cast on his wings, all while providing excellent defensive play and a publicly quiet leadership where his play sets the example. Add in Sven Andrighetto who had rumors of being linked to Colorado in the past and is proving to be a capable top 9 NHL player; Noah Juulsen, a Bieksa styled 2015 first round pick; and add in a 2017 first round pick provides another quality future piece to graft onto their core. Perhaps that is enough of a shakeup to jolt these two franchises back into NHL playoff relevance next season.