What the Puck: fixing Canadiens will be a difficult task for Jeff Gorton

Article content

Geoff Molson better not be wrong this time.

Article content

The first 12 years of the Geoff Molson era were a failure. Let’s see how the next dozen goes. I think the second era is going to be more successful than the first for a simple reason: You now have a smart, competent, experienced guy running hockey operations.

That was not the case the first time. The Molson Canadiens owning group was incorporated in 2009 at the end of the Bob Gainey years, and the team was already slipping in a big way. The slide continued under the “guidance” of Gainey’s successor, Pierre Gauthier, who was arguably the CEO’s worst option since Réjean Houle.

Molson’s first real-world-changing decision as president and CEO of the Canadiens was to hire Marc Bergevin in the spring of 2012 and, in hindsight 20-20, it was a monumental mistake. He picked the wrong guy, and worse, he stuck with him when everyone knew he had the wrong person at the key job.

Article content

It is truly shocking to hear from media experts saying positive things about Bergevin since he was relieved of his duties on Sunday. The fact is, his team gained nothing from Bergevin and he never had anything remotely close to a plan.

Now Molson has gone with Jeff Gorton, who appears on paper like the ideal candidate. It’s everything Bergevin wasn’t when he was hired in 2012. Gorton served in the executive ranks of the Boston Bruins for 15 years and during his four-month tenure as interim general manager in 2006, he oversaw the draft that saw the Bruins pick up. Phil. Kessel, Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic, and made the masterstroke trade that sent goalie Andrew Raycroft to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goalkeeper prospect Tuukka Rask. He also signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents in 2006. In other words, Gorton wore it.

Article content

He then moved on to the New York Rangers as general manager and acquired, among others, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome and Adam Fox. More significantly, he, along with his boss, Glen Sather, sent an unprecedented open letter to Rangers fans in 2018 clearly stating that the team would go into a full rebuild. He then orchestrated the rebuilding, which was a great success.

So Gorton seems to be the one to fix the broken hockey team that is the Montreal Canadiens. But it won’t be easy because Bergevin has left a big mess. Head coach Dominique Ducharme has clearly lost space and just as clearly doesn’t know how to win in the NHL. There is also a group of players who have contracts with too much money and too much term attached.

Article content

There is a star goalkeeper who has been in decline for years and has substance problems. There is the captain who will probably never play again, but has not retired.

Gorton is already looking for a bilingual GM who can learn on the job because, as everyone already knows, the real GM is going to be Gorton. But Gorton has to start working right away to build for the future.

There has to be at least one mini rebuild. First, he should stick with Ducharme because he has proven to be very good at losing hockey games. You want to finish last or as close to last as possible. To help with that, I would suggest that Gorton start the dumpster fire right away.

The only untouchables are Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. All others are commercial bait, even if many will be difficult to sell, starting with Price. The Seattle Kraken wouldn’t take the troubled veteran goalie for free, so imagine how difficult it will be to trade him. But there will be a market for Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, Mike Hoffman and Brendan Gallagher.

Article content

And here’s a thought that hasn’t occurred to anyone in the Canadiens organization for 20 years: find someone to run the writing department and know how to identify young talent. For example, someone who knows that when the choice is between Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brady Tkachuk, the correct answer is Tkachuk.

The most important thing is to find hockey executives and coaches who know how to develop talent and will continue to play with children even when they make mistakes.

And finally, Geoff and Jeff, don’t be afraid to embrace star players with personality who can top the scoring charts and win the hearts of fans. Go for the next Guy Lafleur. Once and for all, exploit the idea that you rely on a goalie and insist that everyone play dunk and chase hockey. In short, let’s have fun.

[email protected]

twitter.com/brendanshowbiz