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NHL Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens Improve Roster With Some Serious Changes

By @LissaRantSports

Rene Bourque

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin has had a busy week — and it’s only Tuesday afternoon. Within the past 36 hours, he has succeeded in lightening the team of two forwards whose names have mostly been spoken in the context of a trade: Rene Bourque and Travis Moen.

Neither player has been exceptional for the team on a consistent basis. They’ve had their moments — Moen has had more than Bourque — but by the end of last season and into this one, neither has done much to help the team advance; in fact, many people would say they’ve done exactly the opposite.

Bourque was acquired in a bizarre mid-game trade in January of 2013. The Habs were on the road, playing the Boston Bruins, when forward Michael Cammalleri was suddenly absent from the lineup between periods. The rumor mill had him traded to a handful of teams, and it was announced shortly after the game that he was being sent to the Calgary Flames for Rene Bourque. Bourque was a streaky player with the Flames, and many wondered how he would fit into the Canadiens lineup.

He never quite hit his stride. Bourque came alive in the playoffs, and in last season’s deep run, the Canadiens saw Bourque experience a huge success in scoring goals and making smart plays. But as hockey analyst Michael Farber said: “I nicknamed him The Bear; he hibernated in winter, and came awake in the Spring for playoffs.”

Teams don’t need exclusively playoff performers; after all, if players don’t perform all season long, playoffs are usually not going to happen. Bourque became the fodder for ridicule among many in the fanbase, and while that is a topic for another post, I didn’t join in. He was never guaranteed to be a top-line player or power forward. He was acquired in a convenient, last-minute trade and his reputation for performance was never stellar.

On Monday, Bourque was placed on waivers. When he cleared, he was sent down to Montreal’s AHL team, the Hamilton Bulldogs, where he will play alongside teammates who are five to ten years younger than him. Will he see NHL action again? It’s debatable. But fans are pleased with the move, as his sitting out in recent games cleared the way for young rookie Jiri Sekac, a popular player who is successful and exciting to watch.

The second move Bergevin made was today’s trade of Moen for defenseman Sergei Gonchar of the Dallas Stars. Moen, too, was considered at the end of his stint with the team. But Moen — acquired by the team in 2009 and with 328 career regular season games with the Habs — had at one time been beneficial to the Canadiens. Never an elite player, the word “grit” has been used often when referring to him. Still, he has been pointless this season, and when taken out of the lineup to allow for the younger set to come in, the Habs were unquestionably better.

Gonchar comes in with a fairly good record; though he has only played three games this season, due to a foot injury, he has one assist and power play experience which is sorely needed in Montreal. He is in the final season of his contract, and at age 40, he will likely be with the Canadiens for only the season. It should also be noted that head coach Michel Therrien coached Gonchar in 2006-07 with the Pittsburgh Penguins in one of the team’s most successful years of improvement where Gonchar scored a career-high 67 points.

Many are wondering why another defenseman when the Habs have P.K Subban, Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin in a strong defensive corps. More to the point, does this mean younger defensemen Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu will see even less ice time? Both have played nine games with the Habs this season and show promise.

Bergevin will address the media prior to the game against the Winnipeg Jets, and I suppose he will shed light on his decision. I believe the two moves were not only good, they were necessary. The writing was on the wall for Bourque and Moen. The unexpected acquisition of a defenseman is going to have to play out as the season unfolds. But if he had to acquire a blue-line player, Gonchar is quality.

Lissa Albert is a Montreal Canadiens writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow her on Twitter @LissaRantSports. “Like” her on Facebook and/or add her to your network on Google. 

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