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Bergevin makes a splash & signs Radulov, Montoya & Edmond |
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Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin made an unexpected splash on Free Agent Frenzy Day as he signed skilled Russian forward and former NHLer Alexander Radulov, backup goaltender Al Montoya as insurance to Carey Price and defenseman Zach Redmond for depth. As he was not busy enough, Bergevin also took care of internal business by signing 2016 first round pick Mikhail Sergachev to a 3 year entry level contract and restricted free agent Daniel Carr to a 2 year deal.
Bergevin had been getting roasted by many Canadiens fans and media members for the P.K. Subban /Shea Weber deal. Whatever you may think of the The Trade, Bergevin was aggressive today in addressing the real needs of the Canadiens by adding a true top six forward, an experience backup and more defense. All in all, not a bad day at the office.
Obviously, the Radulov signing is a gamble. However, this is not the same as the risk he took with signing Alex Semin last year. Semin had just been bought out by the Carolina Hurricanes and was coming off of a poor season and injuries. Radulov is coming back to the NHL as a proven scorer:
His fall from grace with the Nashville Predators is well documented. It is re-assuring to hear that Bergevin spoke with newcomer Weber, Radulov’s former teammate to discuss the possibility of adding him to the Canadiens. It is important to note that Weber described the previous issue with Radulov as stemming from a lack of maturity and not a problem of character. By all accounts, Radulov changed for the better through marriage and fatherhood.
"It's a completely new experience in my life. I'm living for my child right now. I've got to set an example."
"What happened in the past remains in the past, I want to come back and play in the best league with the best players"
"I’m really looking forward to doing everything to get success and play good hockey and hopefully win and make everybody happy.”
"I’m really looking forward to doing everything to get success and play good hockey and hopefully win and make everybody happy.”
Radulov is saying all of the right things and he sounds motivated. A one year deal at $5.75 million might seem like a high end risk. However, the Canadiens have the cap space to try this experiment, especially considering that they were unable to lure any of the high profile UFA’s. Radulov may actually have been the most talented free agent that was available today. He instantly makes the top six better and the question will be if plays on the top line with Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty or on the second line with Tomas Plekanec?
Al Montoya is coming off of a very good year as backup to Roberto Luongo and provides the Canadiens with a solid veteran in net. The battle in training camp between him and Mike Condon will be interesting to follow. There is no doubt though that the Canadiens are in a better position today in the crease should the unfathomable happen again and Carey Price gets injured.
Zach Redmond is a nice low cost depth signing for Bergevin and the Canadiens. He is a right handed defenseman and had excellent possession numbers for the Colorado Avalanche, despite splitting time between the NHL & AHL. Like the previous season, the Canadiens will now start the season with 8 defensemen on one way NHL contracts barring further moves.
The Canadiens improved today. On paper, their forward group is better with Radulov and Shaw in the top 9. Bergevin has made a conscious decision to go all out despite making some risky and unpopular moves. This is all on him now. Either the Canadiens will soar or they will fail spectacularly. Providing they remain healthy, there is a good chance that this team will still be exciting to watch, even if they are missing the dynamic Subban…
Cheers & follow along!
Cheers & follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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