Montreal Canadiens: 4 Reasons Why Marc Bergevin Is the Right Choice for GM

The Montreal Canadiens believe that Marc Bergevin is the guy to get them back to the top of the Eastern Conference and hopefully back in the conversation as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. One thing is for sure—he definitely has the experience to fill such a big role, considering that he has been involved with the NHL ever since his rookie season with the Chicago Blackhawks back in 1984.

Since his retirement, Bergevin has served as a scouting director, assistant coach, and most recently was the assistant GM for Chicago. His background is there, and everything is pointing in the right direction.

So Canadien Nation, I give you four reasons why you can sleep okay at night knowing that Bergevin is a guy who can turn this ship around, and lead the Canadiens back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

1. Bergevin Brings the Leadership that Montreal has been Needing

When Bergevin was a player, there were many aspects of his game that he was known for, but perhaps his greatest trait was his leadership, and that is something the Canadiens organization needs if they want to make it back to the playoffs.

Sure, he played in the league for eight different organizations, which is definitely not the norm when it comes to a guy known for his leadership, but you don't play for 20 years in the NHL without gaining a voice in the locker room as your career progresses.

The GM needs to be a guy who is looked up to and rarely doubted, since he is the big man on campus calling the shots. And having a guy who is already known for his leadership qualities will be huge when it comes to bringing in new personnel.

2. He Knows the System from Both On and Off the Ice

This shouldn't come as too much of a shock, but being the GM requires an immense amount of knowledge from the perspective of both the front office and the guys lacing up the skates. Bergevin is a guy that has seen the in's and out's of the game for years and that will be crucial when it comes to rebuilding a franchise.

He has a strong commitment to winning and he is going to need every ounce of knowledge that he has acquired over the last few decades in order to pull Montreal out of the gutter of the Eastern Conference.

Being a great GM in the NHL requires a keen knowledge of the game and how the system works throughout the organization, and knowing now that someone who will be willing to make the difficult decisions is calling the shots will be huge as the Habs move forward.

3. He is Hiring the Correct Personnel

Since having the keys handed over to him, Bergevin has hired Scott Mellanby to the position of Director of Player Personnel, Bobby Kinsella as a scout, and Rick Dudley as the assistant GM. These are all guys that he knows and will be able to trust, but also have immense knowledge that will be a huge help to the Habs organization as a whole.

Bergevin has played with Mellanby, worked with Dudley, and Kinsella scouted Max Pacioretty, so he is a guy that knows talent when he sees it.

The last step in the process is having to hire a head coach, as he has informed interim head coach Randy Cunneyworth that he will not be the guy at the start of next season. The lead candidate looks to be Michel Therrien, which would be a huge sign.

4. The Pieces are There

If you really look at the Habs roster on paper, the talent is there, and with such an abysmal season last year, some young, new talent should be heading up to Montreal soon.

PK Subban is one of the premiere defenseman in the league, and there were four guys this year that had over 50 points. To put that in perspective, the Los Angeles Kings, who are about to play for it all, had just three. They also only had a minus 14 rating for the season, which was the fourth best out of all 14 teams that did not make the postseason.

The main downfall this year was how bad they were in overtime and in shootouts. It's tough to move up the rankings with 16 OT or shootout losses on the season. Had they found a way to win some of those games, they would have been far from the cellar in the Eastern Conference.

So there you have it Habs fans, put a smile on and know that Bergevin is the man for the job, and things should start to improve very quickly.