Marc Bergevin’s tenure as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens was anything but boring.
Over nine years, he orchestrated several brilliant moves — like turning Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann into Phillip Danault and landing Nick Suzuki in 2017. But not every decision has stood the test of time.
With that in mind, here are four Bergevin-era moves that Canadiens fans are still questioning:
1. The Christian Dvorak trade
When the Carolina Hurricanes handed Jesperi Kotkaniemi an enormous offer sheet in 2021, the Canadiens made the right decision not to match it.
Kotkaniemi hasn’t exactly blossomed since then, and the compensation — a first- and third-round pick — was a promising haul.
However, instead of holding onto those picks, Bergevin traded the 2022 first-rounder and a 2024 second-rounder to Arizona for Christian Dvorak in a hasty effort to replace Kotkaniemi.
While Dvorak has been… fine, he hasn’t filled the role of a top-six centre, leaving many to wonder if those picks could’ve been better spent. Arizona eventually flipped the 2022 first-rounder to San Jose, where it became Filip Bystedt, a rising forward prospect.
On the bright side, the third-rounder acquired from Carolina turned into defenceman Adam Engstrom, who looks like an exciting piece for the future.
2. Trading for Jonathan Drouin
In 2017, Bergevin pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending prized defensive prospect Mikhail Sergachev to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Jonathan Drouin. The hope for Drouin was that the Quebec native would become a franchise forward for the Canadiens.
Unfortunately, Drouin’s time in Montreal was marked by injuries and inconsistency. Meanwhile, Sergachev quickly developed into a top-pairing defenceman, playing a key role in Tampa’s back-to-back Stanley Cup victories.
Drouin eventually left the organization as a UFA in 2023 and is now finding success in Colorado alongside longtime pal Nathan MacKinnon. For Canadiens fans, though, watching Sergachev thrive as an elite NHL blueliner has been a tough reminder of what could’ve been.
3. Letting Phillip Danault walk
Phillip Danault was one of the Canadiens’ most reliable players during his time in Montreal, emerging as one of the NHL’s premier shutdown centres. His contributions were especially critical during the team’s unexpected run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
Despite his value, Bergevin allowed Danault to leave in free agency, with the forward signing a six-year, $33 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2021 offseason. Danault has only improved since getting to California, even hitting a career-high 54 points in his second season.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, have struggled to replace his defensive presence, especially in key areas like faceoffs and the penalty kill.
4. Josh Anderson’s contract
When the Canadiens signed Josh Anderson to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract in 2020, there was plenty of skepticism regarding the price tag. Anderson was coming off a one-goal season that was cut short by injury.
Now in 2024-25, the 30-year-old winger is earning a $7 million base salary while carrying a $5.5 million cap hit. Though he brings physicality and occasional bursts of offence, his most productive season with Montreal saw him net just 32 points.
With two years left on his deal, finding a trade partner willing to take on the contract won’t be easy, but it’s a move the rebuilding Canadiens may have to make to free up cap space.
