2. Bergevin Will Be Given An Ultimatum
General Manager Marc Bergevin has been with the Montreal Canadiens since 2012. Since he was hired, the Habs have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs four times in seven seasons. However, should the Canadiens fail to make the postseason in 2019-20, they will have missed the playoffs in three consecutive years.
That’s unchartered territory for Montreal. They’ve only had one such streak in the modern era (1998-99 to 2000-01). Whether it’s fair or not, Bergevin’s job is likely going to be on the line this summer. This is why it can be expected for the Canadiens to be aggressive.
Bergevin has made his good moves and bad moves. However, his bad moves have cost the team quite a bit. For every Tomas Tatar trade, there’s been a P.K. Subban trade. He’s been a polarizing figure, but it’s hard to argue with his recent draft history.
Still, the Canadiens aren’t going to tolerate three straight years of not playing hockey into April. Bergevin has to be getting some eyebrow raises from the ownership group after not using his cap space last season. Had he used some of it to upgrade the team, the Canadiens would have made the playoffs.
Life is rarely fair. If the Canadiens don’t make the playoffs, it likely won’t be completely Bergevin’s fault. But he’ll be the scapegoat.