Marc Bergevin's Worst Decision Will Continue to Haunt the Canadiens for Years
Although Marc Bergevin made some great moves during his tenure as the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, his last months with the organization were a complete disaster. Several decisions made before his dismissal are currently having a very negative impact on the team.
Indeed, even though Brendan Gallagher showed some signs of life at the start of the season, he is clearly not the shadow of the player who could score 30 goals a season. His intense and relentless style of play still makes him an asset for the Canadiens, but certainly does not justify the salary Marc Bergevin granted him. Earning a salary of 6.5 million dollars until 2026-2027, there is no doubt that the weight of his contract will be a burden for Kent Hughes.
Additionally, one can also think of the deal signed by Joel Armia after the Canadiens' playoff run. Despite playing a very important role on the fourth line with veterans Eric Staal and Corey Perry, the Finnish forward has never been able to be consistent in his performances since his arrival in the NHL. This is notably the reason why the management decided to send him twice to the American league this year.
However, according to Steven Ellis from the site Daily Faceoff, the contract that is hurting the Canadiens the most right now is that of Josh Anderson. He is particularly categorical on this subject, mentioning that the deal of number 17 is among the five worst contracts in the entire Bettman circuit. His poor start to the season (5 points in 26 games) plays greatly against him, but it must be admitted that he has been improving in the recent games, accumulating three points in the last three matches.
« The good news? He finally scored! The bad news? It was an empty-net goal. Anderson's season has been absolutely dreadful, and he has an annual salary of 5.5 million dollars with a no-trade clause until 2027. Yes, it's terrible. He is on track to get only 16 points this year, which is half of his identical 32-point campaigns from the last two years.
Anderson's linemates don't seem to matter either. He is cursed and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon. It's sad to see his downfall, but at the time, many agreed that the contract didn't make much sense when he signed it. He is really not tradable right now. » - Steven Ellis
Wow! Let's just say Steven Ellis is quite clear in his words!
According to him, it would simply be impossible for Kent Hughes to offload his contract to another NHL team, as his current trade market value is very low. It's sad to see his value at its lowest, especially since he could have brought back a very interesting return for the Montreal Canadiens last season or in 2021-2022.
One thing is certain, we strongly hope that Josh Anderson will be able to bounce back and offer a more significant offensive contribution by the end of the season. He is a key element in Martin St-Louis' lineup when he is at his best, and his offensive input plays a crucial role in the team's success.
| POLL |
8 DECEMBRE | 118 ANSWERS Marc Bergevin's Worst Decision Will Continue to Haunt the Canadiens for Years Who's contract is worse? |
| Josh Anderson | 39 | 33.1 % |
| Brendan Gallagher | 79 | 66.9 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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