Thanks to everyone who sent in questions and comments for the mailbag! Here are the top questions/themes that were prevalent:
Q) Should Bergevin fire Therrien to go after Claude Julien if he gets canned by the B’s?
A) This was obviously asked before the Boston Bruins held their year end press conference and confirmed that Julien would be staying. While some Bruins fans may have been disappointed to hear that news after missing the playoffs for consecutive years, no one was likely more disappointed than Canadiens and Ottawa Senators fans who were hoping to snatch him up. Julien is one of the most respected coaches in hockey and a Stanley Cup winner. Had he been available than Bergevin needed to at least entertain the possibility of switching foxhole partners. When asked if he would ever trade P.K. Subban, Bergevin alluded to how even the Great One Wayne Gretzky got traded, that no one is safe. Bergevin has to do his job and entertain any way that he can make the Canadiens better. By the same token, if a better coach than Therrien is out there, then Bergevin should at least entertain the notion of changing coaches. But that won’t happen. Loyalty seems to be reserved for his coaches, not the players.
Q) Will trade deadline acquisitions Mike Brown, Phillip Danault and Stefan Matteau be back with the Habs next season?
A) Danault is the most likely candidate of the trio to be on the Canadiens roster next season and should be a part of the Habs bottom six. He will be a restricted free agent this Summer but I fully expect him to be resigned. In 21 games with the Canadiens, Danault recorded 3 goals and 2 assists playing a variety of roles on the 3rd and 4th lines. He has versatility as he can play left wing or center and he is especially strong on faceoffs, winning 56% of them while with Montreal. Brown will be an unrestricted free agent but I would not be surprised if Bergevin signs him to a 1 year contract. At the post mortem press conference, captain Max Pacioretty spoke very highly of Brown’s veteran leadership and positive effect that he had on the team. It would not shock me if Brown is the Habs 13th forward come October, but I would put the chances closer to 40%. I don’t believe there is a place for Matteau on the Canadiens, however he is the only one who is still signed for next season. He is big and fast but did not do enough to impress, finding himself a healthy scratch while only dressing for 12 games. Perhaps Matteau can be an NHL player one day, but players like Danault, Andrighetto, Carr, McCarron, De La Rose are all ahead of him on the depth chart. He should be starting next season in St. John’s, not Montreal.
Q) Which UFA’s should Bergevin go after this Summer?
A) Convincing a highly sought after unrestricted free agent to come to Montreal has never been an easy task for a variety of reasons. After this tumultuous season, it will likely be even more difficult. Obviously if Steven Stamkos is available, the Canadiens need to explore signing him but he will be chased by just about every team in the NHL. Realistically, he is not coming to Montreal. Kyle Okposo, Loui Eriksson and Mikkel Boedker would all be excellent additions to the Canadiens top six. Okposo and his 23 powerplay points would fit right in with Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk to make a truly dynamic 1st line. Brendan Gallagher would slot next to Tomas Plekanec on the second line and they have played well together in the past. Or, I could see Eriksson fitting in really well with Plekanec on the second line while keeping Gallagher on the first. Eriksson would provide some veteran leadership as well and would fit right in with the Canadiens style of play. Boedker would be more of a risk but he has talent and would certainly be an upgrade for the Canadiens top 6. David Perron could also be of interest but it would certainly depend on the cost…
Q) Will Lars Eller be back with the Canadiens next season?
A) Despite never putting up great numbers, Eller remains to be one of the Canadiens more ‘moveable’ assets. He is a big center and is excellent in the role of a 3rd line center, capable of shutting down top lines. However, this season he was tasked to play out of position because the Canadiens did not have a better option than to play him as the 2nd line left wing. Eller has 2 more years left on his contract at $3.5 million per season. The Canadiens are overcrowded at center and he is likely the one that is easiest to trade due to his versatility and reasonable contract. If the Canadiens want to make room for young Michael McCarron next season, than one of Eller and David Desharnais are certainly gone and chances are, Eller will be the one packing his bags.
Q) Should the Canadiens trade one of their top prospects like McCarron/Scherbak or Beaulieu to get a top 6 forward?
A) Like Bergevin said, you don't fill a hole by creating another hole. I think that Beaulieu is almost untouchable at this point because the Canadiens only other prospect with top 4 D potential is Noah Juulsen and he is a few years away from being NHL ready. The Canadiens simply don't have the depth to allow them to trade Nathan Beaulieu. McCarron is also in the same category for me. His size, versatility by being able to play center or wing and toughness has been desired by the Canadiens for so long. It is very hard to see a situation that they would be ready to let him go. McCarron's style of play screams to be a playoff performer, that is once the Canadiens in fact return to the dance. Scherbak is the most likely of the three to be traded as he is likely still at least another year away from being NHL ready. If he can bring in a return for an immediate impact player, then that is something that Bergevin has to consider.
Thanks to everyone who sent in questions!
Cheers & follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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