Montreal Canadiens NHL Trade Rumors: Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin Thinks Team Can Win Now
When the Boston Bruins let Claude Julien go, the well-respected hockey coach probably thought that he could take some time off away from the game. But Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin wasn't going to let a coach of Julien's caliber slip through the cracks and end up with another team. So, a week after Julien was fired, Bergevin relieved Michel Therrien of his coaching duties and gave the job to Julien.
The coaching change surprised many observers, and during the press conference announcing Julien's hiring (via Sportsnet's Eric Engels), Bergevin talked about how he believes that the team could challenge for the Stanley Cup with their current roster. However, he also admitted that he was not ruling out the possibility of a trade if he could get a player who could help the team. "It depends on what player and it depends on what term. Depending on who they want from us and who we can get from them, I'm open. I'll never ignore the possibility," he stated in French, according to Sportsnet.
Bergevin will continue to look for ways to improve the team, but he refuses to include his young players in trade talks. "I'll always look to make the team better but if the price is a young guy who can have an impact for 10–15 years, I won't do it. Don't expect a big trade like that. It's not going to happen," he said in the same press conference.
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Can the Canadiens acquire a player like Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene before the trade deadline? Sources say the Avalanche want a young defenseman in exchange for Duchene, but Bergevin has already said he's not going to give up a player like Mikhail Sergachev in any deal.
It seems that Bergevin may not be done tinkering with the team, but who can he acquire if he's not willing to give up his young players?
