Stu Cowan: It's time for Canadians to start rebuilding



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Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber and Devils center Nico Hischier faced each other in the game last season. Weber will be injured in the thigh at least until mid-December


Pierre Obendrauf / Montreal Gazette

It's time for Marc Bergevin to start using the word "rebuild" [19659004]. It is also time for the GM of Canadians to start doing so and forget about its so-called "reset".

With the new Thursday, defenseman Shea Weber will be sidelined until mid-December after a knee surgery last month. Canadians forgot to win next season – and probably for a few seasons – and are trying to rebuild a franchise that finished 28th overall in the NHL last season and missed the playoffs in two of the last three years.

the timing is perfect.

When Bergevin treated PK Subban to the Nashville Predators two summers ago, it was a trade that was done for the present, not for the future, and he returned against him. The Predators qualified for the Stanley Cup final in Nashville's first Subban season and have played 35 playoff games in the past two years as the Canadiens played six rebounds in the first round of the New York Rangers. two years ago. Subban, 29, was a finalist for the Norris Trophy this season

This is not Weber's fault. He played very well with the Canadiens, but was able to play only 26 games last season because of a left foot injury that required surgery in March to repair the tendons. Now add to knee surgery. By the time Weber, who turns 33 on August 14, will return to the lineup next season, he will have spent a full calendar year without having played a single game. He still has eight years of contract with an annual salary of $ 7.857 million.

It would be impossible to trade Weber for the moment, but it's probably not impossible to negotiate the goalkeeper Carey Price while he enters into 84 million contract. US dollars. Yes, Price has a no-trade clause, but it must be thought that he's not thrilled to play again behind the Canadiens defense without Weber, having experienced the worst season of his career in goal

. Weber's knee surgery I thought Canadians should try to win back Captain Max Pacioretty, but now Bergevin should continue to shop for young prospects and / or draft picks. Bergevin could then make Brendan Gallagher captain and begin a serious rebuild like the Toronto Maple Leafs four years ago with their "Shanaplan". Canadians already have a new slogan – "Attitude is Everything" – and the best way to change the attitude is with new young players.

Although things do not look very good for the Canadian, it is not necessary that everything be turned towards the future. Gallagher is only 26 years old and the Canadiens have nine under 25s: Phillip Danault (25), Joel Armia (25), Matthew Peca (25), Charles Hudon (24), Jonathan Drouin (23 years old) and Max Domi (23 years old). ), 23-year-old Jacob de la Rose, 23-year-old Artturi Lehkonen and 22-year-old Nikita Scherbak. Defender Victor Mete is 20 and Noah Juulsen is 21 years old. Goalkeeper Charlie Lindgren is 24 years old.

The Canadiens also had 11 NHL draft picks this year and will have nine in the next year. They chose Jesperi Kotkaniemi with overall No. 3 pick this year and last year took Ryan Poehling with the 25th overall pick in the first round, two players who could provide a 1-2 punch in the center in the future

. It is time for Canadians to start letting children play and make mistakes. Tell them what they have done wrong and put them on the ice to gain more experience and, hopefully, do not make the same mistakes too many times. Let them grow together on the ice as a team.

I believe that Canadians' supporters are ready to undertake a complete rebuild after seeing a boring bad team being sidelined 12 times last season and scoring only once in 14 other games. Would not you rather watch a young and rebuilding team open up a bit on the offensive and lose something like 5-3 than what you saw last season?

Supporters would also know that there is at least one solid plan. It could even fill some of those empty seats at the Bell Center that grew in numbers last season with every loss.

The disadvantage of a reconstruction is that Canadians relied on Bergevin to do it after creating this disorder in the first. place during his first six seasons at work. But with four more seasons on his contract, it does not appear that Bergevin is going away and supporters of Canadians can only hope that he has learned a lot from his previous mistakes.

Jack Hughes, an American center, is the best prospect Tim Burke, the director of the San Jose Sharks scouting, told ex-Canadian Chris Nilan last week on TSN 690 Radio. "That's the guy the teams will say:" It's the guy who can change … really change everything. "

"Losing for Hughes" has a good sound when it comes to selling a rebuild. 19659004] It's time.

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