On the Montreal Canadiens …
Jimmy Murphy: After talking with some sources, the belief around the league is increasing that the Canadiens will “listen to” trade offers for goaltender Carey Price this offseason.
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger on TSN 690 on the Canadiens, their future plans, and if owner Geoff Molson thinks Marc Bergevin is the guy to do it.
“A lot of that stuff is what we’ve talked about – the quest for John Tavares. And the means of which – maybe they use Pacioretty or they use some of the other pieces to acquire if not another center, then acquire a defenseman or some other way of helping the Montreal Canadiens achieve their goal with a window closing on Carey Price in terms of being a Stanley Cup contender.
“So it’s less about selling job security from Bergevin’s perspective, I would think, and more about just showing the owner that, ‘Okay, here’s our plan. Here’s what we intend to do.’ And then it’s up to Molson to decide whether he likes it or not and evidently he likes what he’s seeing.”
John Tavares would be a target for the Canadiens if he hits the open market in July, but there will be plenty of teams interested. It won’t just be about money for Tavares
“And if John Tavares isn’t No. 1 on Marc Bergevin’s list, then I’m not sure what direction Bergevin wants to take this club. Now getting him is going to be something entirely different because you’re not talking about a select audience here. You’re talking about double-digit teams minimum that are going to make their pitches to John Tavares – again, assuming that he gets to free agency, and more and more it looks likely that he will.
“And it’s got to be the right fit. It’s not just about the money. The money is going to be there. Tavares – if he leaves the Islanders – has to be absolutely sure that he’ll be able to win in the near future with the team that he’s jumping to. And he’s going to, I’m sure, go through a forensic assessment with Pat Brisson and others who will help him to try to decide if Montreal is a great fit, is it San Jose, what other teams are better.”