LOL. Tough on the system isn't it?
Everybody over and over again says Bergevin has made horrible deals and that the coaching is atrocious...but there's no factual basis for these things whatsoever...just an emotional outcry that is supposed to be agreed upon by everyone else....
In the offseason MB signed Briere, Murray and Parros. Briere has been underused and the other two have actually had a negative impact.
No factual basis?
29th in 5 on 5 scoring. 24th in GF overall (and dropping) 5th overall last year.
A PP that has fallen from 1st to 15th.
A team that's in the Wildcard spot behind the Leafs.
A Norris winning blueliner who's play has fallen off dramatically.
Not a single player who has improved from last season - apart from maybe Carey Price.
There's reason to criticize him... heavily for this. Those moves didn't help us (I'd argue they hurt us) and the team has regressed. We can give him praise for bringing in a new goalie coach but even there Price has been pretty good for a while now anyway. Apart from this, what has he done this year that's been positive? Can you tell us?
Bergevin and Therrien took over a team that was last in their conference. Without signing any outrageous free agents or trading away draft picks..the team in the past 95 games has more points than every eastern team except Boston and Pittsburgh..while at the same time adding a couple of top 90 picks.
Nobody has a problem with the previous season Grant. MB - and MT for that matter - were praised for their work, and deservedly so.
This season though is a different matter.
I'm not a Therrien backer..I'd rather it was someone else coaching the team..but it isn't, and he's here until season's end at least..so I'll try to support him, and hope he succeeds, because that will mean the Habs succeeded. Bottom line is he has this team right ion the thick of the race for the second straight season..a team that is not brimming with talent and size.
I really find it difficult to understand why so many don't take that approach. I'm involved in the hockey industry..have a lot of connections and do a lot of scouting...but when a trade happens I like to wait to see what happens before judging the trade....it's just the fair, intelligent and reasonable way to do it. Yet there are many on here that will condemn a deal instantly..and quite often when the player or assets being obtained have not been scouted by that person at all.
Heck..people will rely on posts from other team's fans to criticize a trade before they ever saw the player.
Weise was called a minor leaguer, fourth line plug a dozen times before he ever played a minute for the Habs. Did he look useless last night? Not even the least optimistic Hab fan on here criticized Weise's game last night..he was damn useful.
Same with draft picks. I don't go over the top about players being picked where I don't think they should..I realized a long time ago through experience that you're never always right with prospects..I can remember back in my 20's laughing at a team picking a certain player only to see that player become a very key piece for that team...I didn't forget those reactions..and frankly was later ashamed after getting involved in scouting for being too quick to judge. i learned from my overzealousness, and it was a humbling experience that reminded me that I wasn't not the be all to end all in the scouting world, and am still not. I'm not going to get them all right, no one does.
Nothing bothers me more on here than an anonymous person ripping the team for a draft pick right after the draft. NHL scouts don't rip other teams for their picks..they know better as you never know what will happen...but all of the armchair scouts on here rip Timmins et al a new one if he didn't pick the guy they wanted. Like they for sure know better than the scouts. I find it to be extremely insulting.
I know first hand how hard scouts work...and it is quite disturbing when some anonymous Hab fan gets on here and rips Timmins a new one for not taking a Q player or what have you...right after the draft. I remember how many fans ripped Timmins for taking Patch instead or Perron...hell there were all kinds who ripped him for not moving up to take Esposito. Invariably..they never even saw the prospect who was drafted play. That for me is complete lunacy. I just don't understand it. It comes across as hard headed, tremendously arrogant..and completely unjustified.
Some fair criticism in here. I'll only speak for myself though...
Weise was never the problem for me. Neither was dealing away Diaz. What didn't make sense was keeping Murray in the lineup and benching (and then trading) Diaz. The vast majority of posters who were upset with this move saw it the same way. Some (Ohashi being a prominent one) didn't like the return.
I know nothing of the player we got back. Truth be told it's a minor deal and Diaz was going anyway. What IS of concern to me is that MB didn't see Diaz as being a better option than Murray. Doug Murray (and Bouillion for that matter) should not be in the lineup. Period. THAT's what I see as being scary here. If our GM can't see this... then we're in trouble.
Like everyone here, I'll sit and wait and see what MB does (we don't have any other choice) and make my judgements then. But I'm not impressed with what I've seen so far and many feel the same way. I don't see why you'd be upset about this.