As respectable and admirable Montreal Canadiens’ general manager Marc Bergevin has been since joining the team, there are often decisions that are taken which remain questionable. In fact, some of the internal signings the GM is responsible for have left many scratching their heads in confusion.
While I’m certainly nobody to judge the work of a man who has come to the Habs’ organization and helped turn the morale and mindset of the entire culture around, I can’t help but discuss the very contract extensions that have not played out as originally expected.
David Desharnais 4 years, $3.5M
I’m not sure what’s going on with David Desharnais, but ever since he signed a 4-year deal, there’s been an evident drop in both production and, clearly, confidence. He had a tremendous season playing alongside Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty in a campaign that saw him put up 16 goals and 44 assists for 60 points (stats comparable to Tomas Plekanec’s career average) in 2011-2012. The following year, he posted 28 points in 48 games during a lockout-shortened season, 52 points in 79 games in 2013-2014, and 48 points in 82 games last year. While those numbers are certainly not the worst around the league, I believe the issue is that Desharnais was sold on the idea that he would be the team’s number one center, considering the exceptional chemistry he’s had with Max Pacioretty. Unfortunately, last season proved that there needs to be a lot more consistency from the small center, especially if he’s called upon to play in practically all situations. It’s not rare to find Desharnais go through dry spells of 10, 15 and even 20+ games at a time, production wise.
While many have been longing for Bergevin to pull the trigger on a trade, it’s going to be extremely difficult to convince another team to absorb this salary, given the player’s size and offensive output in recent times.
Travis Moen 4 years, $1.85M
Bergevin certainly made up for this blunder of a contract last year when he sent Moen to Dallas in exchange for Sergei Gonchar. However, he should have never offered Travis Moen that kind of money in the first place.
Granted, Moen was a proven leader who did well for himself and the Anaheim Ducks during their Stanley Cup winning 2006-2007 season, but had not achieved much else to merit a 4-year extension worth almost $2 million per season, especially for a 4th line player. While Moen would occasionally drop the gloves and defend his teammates, he registered almost no fights during the last two years that he played with the Habs, and his role on the team was easily filled out by a much younger player from the Hamilton Bulldogs for less than half of the cost.
Alexei Emelin 4 years, $4.1M
I believe that at this point, most of the fan base has come to acknowledge that Alexei Emelin is not a defenseman who is worth $4.1M per season. This contract has “Josh Gorges… written all over it, where purely defensive defensemen are being paid way too much for what they bring to the table, and will surely find a home elsewhere in the NHL.
Yes, Emelin adds a physical presence that is lacking with the Habs, and he often knows how to make a good first pass, but his limited skillset and hockey sense do not merit this type of contract. I’m certain Bergevin is more than aware of this, and has surely been busy working the phones in order to find Emelin a suitable team that could use his services.
In my opinion, it’s going to be very hard to convince a team that Emelin is the right fit for them.
Lars Eller 4 years, $3.5M
Logically speaking, Lars Eller has never put up the same statistics as David Desharnais, and yet he earns the same amount of money. Again, this is a contract that Marc Bergevin did not impress anyone with…
I’m torn when it comes to Eller, because I personally see an enormous amount of potential in a decent two-way center. The problem is, much like Desharnais, Eller has a difficult time remaining consistent. He often plays at the wing, but is better suited at the center role. His hockey sense is at times questionable, and at times exceptional. Clearly, this lack of consistency stems from within the player himself, whether it be a confidence issue or spite towards the head coach for not allowing him to thrive as much as he believes he deserves to.
Nevertheless, players don’t get paid based on their potential. Often, it’s the numbers that tell the truth, and while Eller did impress with 30 points in 48 games during the lockout season, some are starting to think that his time is almost up here in Montreal, considering his salary cap hit is very reasonable.
Andrei Markov 3 years, $5.75M I’m very divided on this contract, much like the type of seasons Andrei Markov tends to have. He’s very steady and rarely ever looks out of place during the regular season, and even puts up points (50 points in 81 games), despite his age and injuries that have slowed him down. It’s come playoff time that I can’t seem to wrap my head around what goes wrong. Maybe the ice-time allotted to him wears him out and he ends up having no gas left in the tank during the postseason, but a $5.75M player cannot content himself with a measly 2 points and -1 rating in 12 games.
He’s a proven veteran with exceptional hockey sense, and is lauded as being the quarterback of this team. Unfortunately, I cannot see how the next two years will show signs of improvement during the playoffs for Andrei Markov. Had this been the last year of his contract, I would not be complaining, but Marc Bergevin overpaid and the duration was too long. In short, I have issues with the contract more than the player himself.
In my next blog, I will look at the acquisitions that did not work out in favor of the Canadiens.