Josh Gorges officially nixed waiving his NTC to go to Toronto. According to Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette, he's expanded on his 15-team list to even include a couple of Canadian teams he's willing to accept a trade to.
Obviously, Gorges is devastated, and confirmed as much through various reporters. He wanted it to be known that in no way had he ever requested a trade out of Montreal.
This is a pretty sticky situation for Bergevin and the Canadiens, and certainly one for Gorges. We'll see where it ends up going, and how fast it can be cleared up. The best solution is for Gorges to be traded as soon as possible, but how fast can Bergevin make it work to his advantage?
Bergevin wouldn't have traded Gorges to the Leafs--a team not on Gorges' list--had he not been offered a significant return.
1) As I reported on Twitter last night, Brian Gionta is fielding better offers than what the Canadiens are willing to give him. It would take a tremendous compromise on both sides to make something work, and though the mutual admiration is there, the Canadiens plans don't really allow for them to match what Gionta's sure to get from another team.
It seems all but certain that Gionta will be moving on to unrestricted free agency, and that means the Canadiens will have a new captain as of next season.
It must be noted that Gionta was hardly appreciated for everything he brought to the Canadiens--especially by those that there were willing to label him the worst captain in the team's history. The fact is, he was an instrumental cog in the machinery that brought the Canadiens to two conference finals in his time with the team, and he was a tremendous leader for them on and off the ice. He played hurt, he played hard, he scored huge goals in huge games and he always competed to the best of his ability, and these are reasons his teammates, his coaches and his managers loved him as a Canadien.
Relegated to a third line role, it's not a given that Gionta's lost his offensive mettle. He admitted several times last year that the recovery on his second biceps tendon surgery was a lot shorter than what the lockout offered the first time around. To start the season at 34--not at 100%--is a pretty difficult thing to do, especially given how deep the Canadiens ended up going.
A full offseason to recover and train could rejuvenate Gionta's shot, which would be key to him finding the back of the net a little more often.
Naturally, rumors have Gionta tied to New Jersey, where his brother Stephen is currently under contract, and some have him tied to the Buffalo Sabres as a Rochester-born player. Don't rule out a contending team that could benefit largely from Gionta's leadership.
2) It was Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin who named Brian Gionta captain. They had identified him as the team's true leader after their miraculous run in 2010.
Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien seem more old school than to select the captain themselves. Can't help but wonder if it would be a players' vote.
If so, there are four names to keep an eye on, and I'll list them in order of probability (purely opinion).
a) Markov
b) Price
c) Subban
d) Gallagher
3) Bob McKenzie tweeted twice this weekend about the likelihood of Josh Gorges being moved--and to the Toronto Maple Leafs of all teams. Apparently, Gorges' no-trade clause is holding up the deal, as he can be traded to 15 teams--none of them Canadian.
This has a lot of people asking how legitimate the possibility is that Gorges will in fact be traded. Seems pretty obvious that if the Canadiens are willing to trade him to a divisional rival, his days as a Hab are more than likely numbered.
McKenzie notes that a roster player would be headed back to Montreal in the deal with Toronto, and that the Leafs are still holding out hope that Gorges will waive his NTC to come to them.
4) A Josh Gorges trade between now and the end of the day would almost assuredly clear the path for Mike Weaver to return to the Canadiens next season. Marc Bergevin hasn't quite closed the door on that dossier, and Weaver shed a lot of light on why Gorges is in fact expendable
(I wrote about this earlier this month, here).
The Canadiens need an upgrade in their top-4, and they don't need to be paying two defensemen--in Emelin and Gorges--$4M per to do what Mike Weaver did so effectively for less than half.
The Habs also need a second unit powerplay threat to join Nathan Beaulieu. That's why Dan Boyle's name is currently being bandied about (on a 2-year deal). There are younger options out there as well. It's pretty clear that Bergevin is aiming for an upgrade on the blueline.
Should Gorges be traded, the big question becomes, who will Subban's defense partner be next season. As things stand, the obvious answer is Markov. We'll see how much the defensive picture changes between now and next week.
5) With Thomas Vanek out, with Brian Gionta likely out, Marc Bergevin has to be eying a top-six forward. Your guess on this one is as good as mine--and that's all it would be at this point, because I don't have any solid information on who he may be targeting. I'd tell you if I did.
In my opinion, Jarome Iginla should be the primary target if Bergevin's looking for a solution on the open market. And to the idea that Iginla wouldn't join the Habs because he played for the Bruins for a season--that's complete nonsense. Iginla's decision would have to be based purely on whether or not he believes Montreal gives him a better chance at a Stanley Cup over the next season or two than the other suitors offering him a contract.
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Bonus:
I leave the draft to the experts. I can't offer a more informed opinion based on Youtube samplings, and won't pretend I watch all these players on a daily basis.
Nikita Scherbak's clippings show a very dynamic, offensively gifted and skilled player. They also show he's got a big frame and that he's willing to use it. This what you want to hear about a Russian that plays in the Western Hockey League. You can't teach the instinct, the vision, and the skill this young man possesses, but you can certainly teach a kid that learned English in one year how to play proper defensive hockey.
Bergevin's all about character, and he and Timmins had to assess that Scherbak fits the mold of what they want in a player before they decided to draft him.
If you want to read an excellent recap of what the Canadiens pulled off at this year's draft, here's
Mitch Brown's piece from All About the Habs. 
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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