Patrice Bergeron and Kristopher Letang will be married on January 1ah July, and many want Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to try their luck with the two veterans. Don’t count me among them.
Not because I don’t like the two players, quite the opposite.
I have a lot of respect for what Bergeron and Letang have achieved so far in their careers. In fact, I don’t want to see her in Montreal because I respect her too much.
For a Quebecer at the end of his career, going to Montreal can be a very bad decision. We know the market. Fans will expect to have the Letang or the Bergeron in the lineup on fine days. They would be under enormous pressure to play the role of first defender or first center at a rebuilding side and if anything went wrong the criticism would be relentless.
LET’S FISH THEM!
Those who know me know that I am a passionate advocate for Quebec talent. I think too many of them aren’t judged on their fair value and I want the Canadians to have as many of them in their lineup as possible.
And there’s a way for that: let them fish it out!
We’re talking about some very interesting Quebec draft hopefuls that will be available in the Canadian ranks. Forward Nathan Gaucher or defenders Tristan Luneau, Maveric Lamoureux or Noah Warren have all spent the season on the Habs’ court and the team will have no excuses in July as they hold 13 selections in 2022.
TORONTO?
If Letang decides to leave Pittsburgh, I see him ending up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite losing again in the first round of the playoffs, the Leafs showed they meant business and, were it not for the format of the series putting them at a significant disadvantage, they might have had what it takes to end well.
There’s a lot of talk about the goalkeeping position, but I think right-back is a big gap they need to improve and Letang would be the perfect candidate. The Quebecer would back Morgan Rielly and add even more impressiveness to the Leafs’ power play.
Of course, everything will depend on what the penguins are willing to offer him. It looks like there’s going to be big changes in Pittsburgh this summer, but when you have Sidney Crosby on your list, you always need to be taken seriously.
THE FUTURE OF #37
As for Bergeron, I think his future will go through Boston if he chooses to continue his career. In recent days, several members of the Bruins organization have said they want him back, including his lifelong accomplice Brad Marchand.
Personally, I have the impression that the Quebecer will return for at least another year. Obviously, this isn’t a decision you’re making alone, and his family needs to be ready as well. One thing is for sure, the Bruins will always have an open door and we will give him what he wants to stay.
It’s not like it’s in decline, either. He’s proving season after season that he’s still among the league’s elite. He’s the Bruins’ captain and the heart and soul of the team.
Will he want one last chance to win? Perhaps. If so, he can ask the Bruins to trade him like Raymond Bourque did in 2000.
— Interview by Kevin Dube
Echoes of Bergie
LET’S GO ON
Those who read this column regularly know that I didn’t appreciate Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield refusing to represent their country at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Finland. Imagine when I found out that star players like David Pastrnak and William Nylander had decided to join their national team after they left. Pastrnak had a great season, he just made two playoff rounds and still opted for the World Championship. What are our little boys doing in the meantime? They are resting while waiting for the Canadiens golf tournament in September. And of course they don’t have it easy in Montreal! They returned home safe from criticism. I can not believe it.
GOOD CHOICE
It looks like there will be no organizational changes in Toronto despite the first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. That means Kyle Dubas and Sheldon Keefe should keep their jobs. I say bravo to that! The Leafs needn’t be ashamed of their performance against the Lightning, who wasn’t so embarrassed against CH last year. On the contrary, the Maple Leafs probably played their best hockey in several years. Unfortunately, the series format has to change. If I had my way we would be back to the old formula of the first team playing 16th and so on regardless of Combine.
MCDAVID THE MIRACLE
I saw Bobby Orr play with the Oshawa Generals when he was 14. When I look at Connor McDavid I get the same feeling. Obviously, the Oilers center will never match Wayne Gretzky’s or Mario Lemieux’s numbers because hockey has changed and he’s not surrounded as well as the other two. Still, the Oilers have a real miracle on their hands. When he picks up speed, he is literally in another world. I don’t know if he can help the Oilers defeat the Calgary Flames in the so-called “Battle of Alberta,” but he’ll definitely do his best. The Oilers have made some good acquisitions since last summer, but they haven’t addressed their biggest shortcoming: goalies. You never know what to expect with Mike Smith.
