While the panic button in Montreal hasn’t been pressed just yet, you must think GM Marc Bergevin has his hand circling around the big red button.
The Canadiens have fallen to a 1-4-1 record after their defeat last night against San Jose, finding themselves at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
There may be a sense of urgency inside the Canadiens management, as the club looks to start moving forward before it is too late. One way to build their team in the early going of the season is adding some much-needed firepower. Marc Bergevin was seen taking in the New York Islanders game roughly a week ago, meaning some Islanders’ players are on the Canadiens radar.
But who exactly? Well, former NHL amateur scout Grant McCagg believes Brock Nelson and John Tavares are the big targets for Montreal. “Best bets are that Brock Nelson, and yes, Tavares are the main targets of his (Bergevin’s) visits.” McCagg wrote in his own post on Recruites.ca.
The 27-year-old Tavares has been the life of New York for some time, but there is the possibility he won’t resign with the Islanders for next season. Tavares has 2 goals this season. He also has a modified NTC in his contract.
Brock Nelson has tallied 3 goals and 4 points this season. He has recorded over 40 points in his last 3 NHL seasons. Nelson is also in the final season of his contract and becomes RFA for the 2018-19 season.
If the Canadiens were to peruse the life of the Islanders, you’d have to expect Montreal would need to give up their farm system to do so. The addition of these players would come at a hefty cost.
