The Canadiens Reportedly Attempted to Trade for Seth Jarvis in the Past, but the Hurricanes Rejected
This week, Marc Bergevin surprised many by giving his first interview since his dismissal three years ago.
If the purpose of this interview with Pierre LeBrun was clearly to return to the spotlight and catch the attention of team owners in the league, we also learned a lot about several aspects.
An attempted trade with the Carolina Hurricanes involving Seth Jarvis for the Montreal Canadiens
One of the interesting pieces of information revealed is that Bergevin had been looking for some time to offload Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Discussions even took place with the Carolina Hurricanes to try to find common ground for a trade, but Don Waddell refused to part with the player Bergevin wanted, Seth Jarvis.
In the end, knowing that the Canadiens no longer wanted their 2018 first-round pick, the Hurricanes instead extended an offer sheet.
Seeing that Kotkaniemi had no desire to stay in Montreal, Bergevin chose not to match the offer. As compensation, he received a first-round and a third-round pick instead of Jarvis.
Speaking of Kotkaniemi, the former Canadiens GM admitted that, in hindsight, he should have selected Brady Tkachuk instead of the Finnish forward with the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.
However, he explained that the decision to pass on the American was due to Tkachuk having a difficult college season and not being a strong skater.
The Canadiens' significant need for a center also factored into the decision.
A return to the spotlight stirring conversation
Marc Bergevin's return to the spotlight has sparked discussions. Many have revisited the less positive aspects of his tenure as Canadiens GM.
BPM Sports' morning show revisited this, with the excellent Martin Leclerc sharing an anecdote that reflects Bergevin's personality.
According to Leclerc, Bergevin did not hesitate to threaten the team's Francophone players with being kicked out if private information ever leaked to the media.
Meanwhile, Alain Crête and Gilbert Delorme recounted different stories that highlighted the wall Bergevin built around his players.
They recalled how the former GM denied Jean Béliveau and his guests access to the hallway in front of the locker room.
Delorme even added that a former Francophone right-handed defenseman who played over 1,000 games for the Canadiens (likely Patrice Brisebois) was denied access to the locker room after a game.
This illustrates how Bergevin didn't like the club's alumni.
It's no wonder Bergevin is now trying to polish his image..
| POLL | ||
Who do you think is the best forward? | ||
| Seth Jarvis | 655 | 50.1 % |
| Jesperi Kotkaniemi | 82 | 6.3 % |
| Alex Newhook | 431 | 33 % |
| Kirby Dach | 140 | 10.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
