Former Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin Speaks To The Athletic

In a lengthy interview with The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, former Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin reveals a lot of information that really do make you think. He speaks about his firing, the toll Covid took on him, contract negotiations with some players, trades, there's a lot of material in there and plenty of things I didn't know personally.

For instance, when Geoff Molson pulled the trigger and fired Bergevin after the team disastrous start to the 2021-22 season, it must not have been that hard to pull the trigger. Why? Because the GM had already told Molson he would finish his contract and move on. There had been extension talks but Bergevin had said thanks but no thanks. In other words, regardless of the outcome on the ice, the outcome for the Habs brass would have been the same, a new man at the helm.

As for his reason to move on, he puts it down to the toll Covid had taken on him. The strict restrictions in place in Quebec prevented him to see his kids for over a year. He wasn't the only member of the organization to want out for that reason either.

It was the pandemic restrictions which led Julie Petry and her (then) three sons to move back to the United States to be nearer family and get some support. I don't think anyone can blame a mother of three for needing some help, but ultimately, that's what prompted Jeff Petry to want out. Ultimately, being a pro athlete comes with great privileges, but they remain human beings and you can't put a price on being with those you love.

On his much vilified contract extension with alternate captain Brendan Gallagher, Bergevin pleads that the gritty right winger had three consecutive 30-goal campaigns before signing and that's something you have to pay for (it was actually two, but he could have had three had the 2019-20 season not been cut short - he had 22 in 59 games). As soon as the contract was signed, negative Nellies came out in droves criticizing both the length and term, arguing a contract has to be about future accomplishments and not the past. Should we be worried about them though? They seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth this season...strange.

The truth of the matter is though, when young players go to arbitration, the focus is put on what they have done for the team and not what they will do. The arbitrator cannot become Jojo Savard or to use a more universal reference Nostradamus for a day and see what the future holds. Past accomplishments matters, as they do in any job really. Whenever you get a pay raise at work, it's based on the past. How would people feel if they were approached by their boss and told "You're getting older and slower, there's no way you'll keep producing as much as you did, I'm docking your pay"?

I know, pro sports are different, but until players sign 35+ contracts, their body of work is part of the discussion, it just has to be and that's perfectly normal. Besides, trying to predict the future doesn't always lead to great results either. When Bergevin flipped Max Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Josh Anderson, he gave his new power forward a great contract based on what he felt he would become, a few years later, it's obvious the player didn't become the kind of impactful power forward the Canadiens decided to pay him like.

Related: Did the Canadiens Win the Anderson/Domi Trade?

Negotiations are a game of balance, between what there was, what there is and what will be. Nobody stays exactly the same throughout all those years, the players are not wrestling great Brett Hart (had too put him in given the fact I almost quoted him).

Of course, Bergevin goes back to the offer sheet he put to Sebastien Aho and to its consequences, saying he learnt a lot from the experience. Of course, if he had to do it again he would structure the deal differently, but he wouldn't change the way he dealt with the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet.

It's interesting to learn the young Finn was not going to sign long-term with the Canadiens because he wanted a change of scenery. That tidbit of information must have made it even easier to decide not to match the offer. However, I don't think anybody blamed Bergevin back then for letting him walk or now that the Carolina Hurricanes are tied up to him for five more years after this season.

Bergevin also confirmed the rumours were true, the Canes did try to acquire KK via trade, but they wouldn't include Seth Jarvis to the deal and it was a deal breaker for the Canadiens GM.

I won't tell you everything about the interview, but these points really made me reflect on past events. If you have time, I highly recommend reading LeBrun's piece. No matter how is tenure ended in Montreal, it's hard to believe Bergevin won't get another GM job one day or another. Since leaving three years ago, he's had three interviews but wasn't picked, I'll let you find out from the original article where he could have landed.

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