Serge Savard was no longer a very popular man in Montreal at the end of his reign. The Canadian had won the Stanley Cup in 1993, but suffered elimination in the first round the following year, missed the playoffs in 1995 and had a terrible start.
People may not remember it, but the GM of the Canadian was copiously booed on the ice of the Forum in February 1995 during a game of the old ones, the day after a thaw of 7-1 at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers and John LeClair, returned to haunt his former team.
The “Senator,” as he was known, left the rink heartbroken. As a humiliation, we could hardly have found worse. Savard was a worn-out man on the day of his dismissal.
Finally enjoyed several years later
It took five, ten years to finally appreciate his reign at its true value, and even to regret his departure. A change of guard was necessary, of course, and the succession was not up to par, alas, but Savard is now reserved a place among the great managers in the history of the team, with two Stanley Cups and two participations in the final, in 1983 and 1993.
Bergevin does not have the roadmap of Serge Savard, but, like him, despite the necessary change of guard, it will take time to appreciate his work.
Between 1994 and 2012, the year of his arrival, the Canadian won just six rounds in seventeen years and had a season of 100 points or more just once.
Between 2013 and 2021, during his nine-year reign, CH won six rounds, reached the Stanley Cup semi-final once, the final once, and amassed 100 or more points four times (pro-rated from a full season in 2012-2013).
There were obviously some hiccups in the second part of the course, but over the years, we will probably remember more the good shots before the bad ones.
An inevitable change
Despite everything, a change was becoming inevitable. Geoff Molson made the right decision to start a new cycle. Marc Bergevin was also a worn-out man, emptied after this grueling journey last summer and the loss of important soldiers.
The regulars of this column know the new hockey boss of the CH, Jeff Gorton, unjustly dismissed by an emotional owner last year by the Rangers in the wake of the Panarin / Wilson affair.
“The reconstruction announced two years ago will be shorter than expected in New York, thanks to the genius of Jeff Gorton, the most underrated GM of the National Hockey League », We wrote here in April 2020.
Like a growing number of managers, Jeff Gorton, 53, has never played hockey at a high level. But this holder of a university degree in physical education and a master’s degree in sports management has a sure flair.
A brilliant hockey man
Gorton set the stage for Peter Chiarelli in Boston by drafting Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and Phil Kessel (in fifth place, but still) and acquiring Tuukka Rask, Marc Savard and Zdeno Chara.
Gorton began rebuilding the Rangers a few years ago. He managed to amass four first-round picks and three second-round picks in the years following his arrival in 2015. Most were rental players, including Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello and Michael Grabner.
It took some courage for him to detonate the core, but his trades paid dividends. The transaction for Mika Zibanejad, now an elite center in the League, required daring. He was underproductive in Ottawa and Derick Brassard had had a big playoff a year earlier and was a very popular player.
Ryan Strome for Ryan Spooner is a steal from the Oilers’ Peter Chiarelli. Spooner has played only 25 games in Edmonton and is continuing his career in Switzerland. Strome is the second center behind Zibanejad.
Our man was favored by the context in the acquisition of defenseman Adam Fox, recipient of the Norris Trophy last year, but we can not take away this stroke of brilliance, succeeded in return for two second round picks.
Mistakes too
Gorton is not perfect. Defenseman Ryan Graves was a mainstay in Colorado before joining the Devils. He got in return Chris Bigras, an American League defenseman. The Rangers GM also arguably could have gotten more for Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller in that big deal with the Lightning two years ago. Returned youngsters Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek and Brett Howden didn’t make a big impact, but Gorton at least picked up a first (Nils Lundqvist) and second round pick.
His qualities as a recruiter are praised, but the Rangers, led by scout Gordie Clark, made their mistakes. Most of the important players from Rangers, Zibanejad, Strome, Panarin, Fox, Lindgren, Trouba were acquired through trade or in the free agent market. Alexis Lafrenière and Kaapo Kakko, regulars despite their young age, were drafted among the top two thanks to a stroke of luck in the draft lottery.
New structure
Geoff Molson announced Monday morning a change in the senior management structure. Jeff Gorton will be part of a now two-headed management, but he will undoubtedly be the two with the most experience. It will also be necessary to find an amateur recruiting director to replace Trevor Timmins.
A complete overhaul of the management was necessary to allow the Canadian to enter a new phase. Gorton, and his future partner, will not be attached to any player of the current edition, nor his coaches. In short, the two new hockey men will have free rein to revive the organization.
Names have been circulating for a few days as candidates for the post of CEO, one of the prerequisites for which will be bilingualism: Mathieu Darche, Stéphane Quintal, Martin Madden Jr., Roberto Luongo, Martin Brodeur, John Sedwick, Daniel Brière, Marc Denis .
Would Patrick Roy be interested in such a two-headed structure? Only he knows it.
The research will be exhaustive, but limited in time. We want a second man quickly.
Marc Bergevin leaves interesting elements to his successors. Stars Carey Price and Shea Weber are late, but the core remains in the prime of life, number one center Nick Suzuki is only 22, and the team have drafted 38 players in the last four. vintages, including 17 in the first three rounds, in addition to first, second and three third round picks in 2022.
A new era begins. Exciting times too.
TOMORROW: THE REIGN OF TREVOR TIMMINS
A new voice to convince Jordan Harris?
Some wonder if the departure of Marc Bergevin and Trevor Timmins will hurt the chances of convincing one of the organization’s best prospects, defenseman Jordan Harris, to sign a contract with the team at the end of his season. university. Harris, after all, sees those who drafted him initially in 2018 leaving the organization. But the two men in direct links with him in recent years, Rob Ramage and Francis Bouillon, are still in office. And who knows if Jeff Gorton, born and raised in Massachusetts like Harris, a 26-minute drive from the Harris clan, will not be able to convince the young man to follow the same road …
Do not miss !
1-All the details on Geoff Molson’s press conference Monday morning here.
2-Guillaume Lefrançois draws up a list of candidates for the post of CEO.
3-Can Geoff Molson find his Theo Epstein, wonders Alexandre Pratt?