A comprehensive report card grading every trade Marc Bergevin has ever made (2024)

The Canadiens visit to Arizona and Vegas this week will mark the return of Max Domi and Tomas Tatar to their former team’s stronghold. We can tip our hats to Marc Bergevin for the trades he made to acquire them, both of which have benefited the Canadiens to this point. Earlier this week, colleague Arpon Basu did a fine job of explaining the extent to which the environment that has swaddled both players has contributed to raising their levels of performance.

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If it’s possible to qualify the Domi and Tatar deals as good (and it is), what about Bergevin’s body of work as a whole on the trade front? It’s well known the three major areas that GMs work in on the personnel front are trades, the waiver wire, and the free agent market. Each of these aspects must be considered in evaluating a manager, but today we’re going to focus more narrowly and specifically on the player swaps Bergevin has swung and give him an overall grade on the basis of the 57 trades he has completed since arriving in the job.

The objective is to provide a comprehensive look at this portion of his work without being blinded by his recent successes, or by difficult seasons like last year, where the GM earned the benefit of the doubt on approximately nothing. The only way to get there is to examine every deal one by one, in succession.

In each case, we’ve assigned a grade from 1 to 10, but given not all deals are made equal and seeing as hockey is a strong link sport, we’ve also tied them to a weighted measure of that trade’s impact, or a significance index, if you will.

A – Involves marquee or star players (x 5)
B – Involves front-line players (x 4)
C – Involves role and support players (x 1)
D – Involves minor league players (x 0,5)

So? Ready to pore through six years of wheeling and dealing? Get comfortable, and we’ll see you on the other side for the final report card…

2018-19

Oct. 3, 2018 – Gustav Olofsson (Wild) forWill Bitten

Significance index: D
Grade: 7

Like any of the most recent trades, caution is in order when it comes to attributing grades. If Olofsson, who has had all kinds of trouble with his shoulders, doesn’t manage to stay healthy, or if Bitten reveals himself to be something other than a fourth-liner, we’ll reassess. That said, Bergevin had doubts as to Bitten’s upside and in obtaining Olofsson put his hands on a defenceman who is clearly capable of playing in the NHL.

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Oct. 1,2018 – Brett Kulak (Flames) forRinat Valiev et Matt Taormina

Significance index: C
Grade: 8

Bergevin traded a pair of defencemen who would have been something like Nos. 11 and 12 on the Canadiens organizational depth chart, and that the club didn’t see helping them in the near term, for a player who, at worst, is a seventh defenceman. One thing is for sure: Kulak is an NHL player. Bergevin speaks of him as a different and better player relative to what he showed in Calgary. Even if Kulak regresses from his current form and is relegated to a bit role, this is still an excellent piece of business by Bergevin.

(Photo: Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Sept. 10,2018 – Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick (Golden Knights)forMax Pacioretty

Significance index: A
Grade: 8.5

It’s not just the fact the Canadiens never would have parted with the kind of money Pacioretty got from Vegas, nor that Tatar is doing a more than credible job for his new team (he has more points than Pacioretty). What makes this trade a stunner is that Bergevin was backed right up against a wall and still managed to extract a haul so tremendous that even with Tatar’s production, the central piece in the deal isn’t even in the NHL yet.

Aug. 20,2018 – Hunter Shinkaruk (Flames) forKerby Rychel

Significance index: D
Grade: 5

Rychel didn’t have the foot speed to play in Montreal, and he’s fairly one-dimensional, but he was call-up worthy. Shinkaruk, on the other hand, just doesn’t stop regressing. This is a classic case of two teams rolling the dice on former first-round picks.

June 30,2018 – Joel Armia, Steve Mason, the Jets’ 7^thround pick in 2019, 4^thround pick in 2019 and 4^thround pick in 2020 forSimon Bourque

Significance index: C
Grade: 8.5

Bergevin is so enamoured of this trade that he held it up as an example of the way he’ll be able to exploit his salary cap flexibility over the next two seasons. Essentially, the Jets asked if he’d accept a top-9 forward in exchange for taking the remainder of Mason’s contract (which Montreal immediately bought out). Sure, no problem! The financial savings for Winnipeg was meant to go toward signing Paul Stastny, which didn’t exactly work out the way the Jets hoped.

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June 23,2018 – 5^thround pick in 2019 (Oilers)forHayden Hawkey

Significance index: D
Grade: 5

What was the urgency in making this move? In his final year of university, Hawkey is the Hockey East conference’s dominant goalie. He probably felt somewhat neglected since the Canadiens drafted fellow goalie Cayden Primeau out of Northeastern, and it’s reasonable to conclude the team didn’t believe he had more upside than, for example, Michael McNiven. The Oilers got a netminder who could well play for them in Bakersfield next season, and didn’t pay retail for him.

(Photo: Sara Schmidle/NHLI via Getty Images)

June 15,2018 – Max Domi (Coyotes) forAlex Galchenyuk

Significance index: A
Grade: 8.5

Another case where the Canadiens weren’t exactly negotiating from a position of strength. Galchenyuk’s value had probably never been lower, yet both teams were looking for a centre and believed the candidates at hand couldn’t do the job. Whatever Galchenyuk eventually does or doesn’t do in Arizona, Domi’s accomplishments to this point – not merely on the offensive side of the game – clearly tilts the scales on this one in favour of the Canadiens, for now anyway.

2017-18

Feb. 26,2018 – 4^thround pick in 2018 (Jets) for Joe Morrow

Significance index: C
Grade: 7.5

This trade needs to be seen as a companion to the acquisition of Mike Reilly the same day. The Canadiens picked up a better defenceman than Morrow in addition to improving its stockpile of draft choices.

Feb. 26, 2018 – Mike Reilly(Wild)for a 5^thround pick in 2019

Significance index: C
Grade: 7.5

We’d sure like to move this one up into the “B” category, but Reilly’s lack of consistency is preventing him from establishing himself as a significant player on this team. That said, we like the fact the Canadiens were able to scoop up an asset on trade deadline day despite being a major seller.

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Feb. 25,2018 – Kerby Rychel, Rinat Valiev and the Maple Leafs’ 2^ndround pick in 2018 (Jacob Olofsson) forTomas PlekanecandKyle Baun

Significance index: C
Grade: 9

The Canadiens expertly cashed in on the reputation of a Plekanec who, as both the Leafs and Canadiens realized after the fact, was reaching the end of the road. Olofsson, one of Sweden’s top centres at the World Juniors, is a quality prospect and perhaps was well worth doing this deal all on his own.

Feb. 21,2018 – 5^thround pick in 2019 (Capitals)forJakub Jerabek

Significance index: C
Grade: 6

At the time it felt like the Canadiens were heaving Jerabek overboard a little prematurely given the club’s other defencemen were having a tougher time than he was. But the fact he ended up bouncing around four organizations over the next nine months and hasn’t managed to carve out an NHL job for himself is about what you’d expect given what the Canadiens obtained in exchange for his services.

Jan. 4,2018 –Conditional 4^thround pick in 2019 (Oilers) for Al Montoya

Significance index: C
Grade: 7.5

The Canadiens had no particular plans for Montoya, the Oilers had a desperate need for a goalie, and the games they got out of him turned into a fourth-rounder for Montreal. All in all, solid work.

2016-17

March 1,2017 –Andreas Martinsen (Avalanche) forSven Andrighetto

Significance index: C
Grade: 3

Much like Nikita Scherbak and Charles Hudon, Andrighetto was an offensive-minded forward who made for a poor fit on the fourth line. Montreal wasn’t keen to give him more ice time, but the Avalanche didn’t need to be asked twice to do so when the Canadiens decided they absolutely needed to get bigger. The air has gone out of the Swiss forward’s balloon this season, but his contribution is still miles better than anything Martinsen provided to Montreal.

March 1, 2017 –Dwight King (Kings) for a conditional 4^thround draft pick in 2018

Significance index: C
Grade: 3

The big man (6-foot-4, 232 pounds) was meant to be the signature trade deadline acquisition for the Canadiens, instead it became quickly apparent that the Eastern Conference game moved too quickly for him to keep up. The trade ended up being the former Cup champion’s NHL swansong. The problem isn’t so much what the Canadiens gave up to get King as it’s the fact they stubbornly continued to play him to the detriment of better, younger options. A decision that was going against the NHL’s undeniable trend.

March1,2017 –Steve Ott (Red Wings) for a 6^thround pick in2018

Significance index: C
Grade: 6

Ott cost basically nothing and held up his end of the bargain better than King did during his short stay in Montreal. He opted for retirement at the end of the season.

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Feb. 28,2017 –Brandon Davidson (Oilers) forDavid Desharnais

Significance index: C
Grade: 6.5

Desharnais had become surplus to requirements in Montreal, and was happy to grab the chance to start anew in a different city. Davidson, who had a number of promising assets, started well in Montreal, but his confidence quickly waned and he had difficulty leveraging those assets into a more prominent role. Since leaving Montreal, he has changed addresses three more times.

(Photo: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports)

Feb. 27,2017 –Jordie Benn (Stars) forGreg Pateryn and a 4^thround pick in2017

Significance index: C
Grade: 5.5

Pateryn was unhappy with his meagre ice time in Montreal, he wasn’t shy talking about it, and good for him if he was able to hit the reset button on another team. Would he have played better hockey if he had been given the same leeway that Benn got afterwards? That is the question. Benn was quite good when he arrived in Montreal, struggled mightily last year, and has returned to the form he showed in Dallas –that is, a 6^thor 7^thdefenceman. He’s a beloved teammate, and the fact he’s comfortable playing on either the right or left has come in handy for the Canadiens.

Feb. 21, 2017 –Keegan Lowe (Hurricanes) forPhilip Samuelsson

Significance index: D
Grade: 6

Who?

Jan. 26,2017 –Nikita Nesterov (Lightning) forJonathan Racineand a 6^thround pick in 2017

Significance index: C
Grade: 7

Nesterov didn’t exactly set the town on fire in Montreal, but the price for immediate NHL help was reasonable.

Oct. 8,2016 –Jonathan Racine (Panthers) forTim Bozon

Significance index: D
Grade: 7

It’s a real shame that Bozon, who was laid low by a life-threatening case of meningitis, never took flight as a pro. Racine enabled the Canadiens to pick up Nesterov a few months later.

June 29,2016 –Shea Weber (Predators) forP.K. Subban

Significance index: A
Grade: 7

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Forever controversial, this trade will remain problematic from a hockey standpoint because of the age disparity and the contracts involved, the direction the NHL was headed when the deal was consummated, and Subban’s under-appreciated defensive skills. Thing is, from a team-building perspective, a trade had become necessary. Unavoidable. Brendan Gallagher finally shed a light on that reality last season. In came Weber who, in addition to his cannon of a shot and his ability to stifle opposition plays, brought a certain gravitas and credibility to the Canadiens’ team culture. It will continue to pay off for a while yet.

(Photo: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports)

June 24,2016 –Andrew Shaw (Blackhawks)for two 2^ndround draft picks in 2016

Significance index: B
Grade: 5

On the draft floor, giving up a pair of second-rounders to acquire two others essentially resulted in bringing Shaw over as a direct replacement for Lars Eller. That’s an eminently defensible idea. But here’s the problem: Alex DeBrincat and Samuel Girard would have been available to the Canadiens in the second round that year,not that we’ll ever know if they would have been the players chosen. The long-term contract handed to Shaw, which was pretty much a prerequisite to the trade, didn’t help improve its complexion. That being said…

June 24,2016 –2^ndround pick in 2017, 2^ndround pick in 2018 (both Washington’s) forLars Eller

Significance index: B
Grade: 7

… if the Canadiens had traded Eller without picking up Shaw, they would have tossed away a centre without having a viable NHL replacement. Basically, these deals were intertwined. The Canadiens picked Joni Ikonen with one of the two picks, the other was sent to Edmonton in exchange for a 3^rd(Jordan Harris) and a 5^th(Samuel Houde).

2015-16

Feb. 29, 2016 –Stefan Matteau (Devils) forDevante Smith-Pelly

Significance index: C
Grade: 4

Smith-Pelly seemed bewildered by the speed of the Eastern Conference, and left the Canadiens wanting more (they weren’t alone among Smith-Pelly’s employers to feel that way). Still, he found a way to be an NHL player, which is more than can be said of Matteau.

(Photo: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Feb. 26, 2016 –Phillip Danaultand a 2^ndround selection in 2018 from theBlackhawks forTomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise

Significance index: B
Grade: 9.5

This probably stands as Bergevin’s best trade to date. The GM sold two soon-to-be free agents who no longer held any interest to the Canadiens and sank his hooks into a young player the Hawks had undervalued. You don’t see that brazen a case of theft every day. The second-rounder turned into Alexander Romanov, a much more mobile version of Alexei Emelin.

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Jan. 15,2016 –Victor Bartley andJohn Scott (Coyotes) forJarred Tinordi andStefan Fournier

Significance index: C
Grade: 5

As befits a fishy decision, this carried a certain stench right from the start. One suspects the NHL quietly encouraged a deal that would have created a handy excuse to not have Scott play in the All-Star Game. And it signaled something of a sad ending for Tinordi, a first-round draft pick who never quite managed to live up to expectations. The fact his exit came in something of a bogus deal counts as a fail for the organization, both in terms of scouting and development. A bad trade for everyone involved.

Jan. 7,2016 –Max Friberg (Ducks) forDustin Tokarski

Significance index: C
Grade: 6

Friberg never suited up for the Canadiens, but the club wasn’t exactly torn up about parting ways with the grouchy goaltender.

Dec. 28,2015 –Ben Scrivens (Oilers) for Zack Kassian

Significance index: C
Grade: 5.5

Bergevin had warned Kassian there would be zero tolerance in regards to disciplinary matters, but the feisty winger didn’t take long to cross the line. Almost immediately after the rehab stint that followed his much-publicized pickup truck crash, Kassian was flipped to the Oilers in exchange for a goalie they needed until Carey Price returned from injury – which didn’t happen until the following year. Kassian is still in the NHL whereas Scrivens, who was better at producing soundbites than key saves, went on to wrap up his career in the KHL.

Dec. 15,2015 –Lucas Lessio (Coyotes) forChristian Thomas

Significance index: D
Grade: 6

Two longtime pals who were traded for one another. We won’t be seeing either again in the NHL.

2014-15

March2,2015 –Torrey Mitchell (Sabres) forJack Nevins and a 7^thround pick in 2016

Significance index: C
Grade: 8.5

Mitchell was a more useful player to the Canadiens than Brian Flynn, and the Sabres essentially gave him away. Among the 50 contracts the Canadiens had on the books at the time, Nevins’ was the hardest to justify. Dumping it in this trade was a pretty nifty bit of sleight-of-hand.

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March2, 2015 –Brian Flynn (Sabres) for a 5^thround pick in 2016

Significance index: C
Grade: 6.5

Flynn might be as beige a player that suited up for the Habs over the past 10 years. But other than Maxime Lajoie in Ottawa, no other fifth-rounder from 2016 has yet found his way to the big league.

(Photo: Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

March2,2015 –Jeff Petry (Oilers)for a 2^ndround pick in 2015

Significance index: B
Grade: 8.5

It might have been considered an “A” type of trade but bear in mind that Petry was brought in as a rental. But what a catch on trade deadline day. Petry became a better defenceman in Montreal than he’d been in Edmonton, and his emergence changed the face of the Canadiens’ blue line. The pro scouting department nailed this one, spotting qualities in Petry that the Oilers apparently had ceased to see. Getting a top-4 defenceman without sacrificing a first-round pick? Very nice work.

Feb. 24,2015 –Devante Smith-Pelly (Ducks) forJiri Sekac

Significance index: C
Grade: 6

Bergevin did Sekac a solid in trading him away from a Michel Therrien who didn’t believe in him. A bit like Jerabek a few years later, the Czech skater had a hard time finding a permanent home in the NHL.

Nov. 20,2014 –Bryan Allen (Ducks)forRene Bourque

Significance index: C
Grade: 8.5

The trades involving Bourque and Travis Moen, which happened 10 days apart, were canny accounting maneuvers on the Canadiens’ part –they accepted to take on richer contracts for 2014-15, but with less term than the out-going ones. Allen used to be one of Bergevin’s many teammates. How often does a GM trade for a former teammate?

Nov. 11,2014 –Sergei Gonchar (Stars) forTravis Moen

Significance index: C
Grade: 8.5

Just like the earlier trades of Erik Cole and Josh Gorges, these two deals were an illustration of smart cap management.

Oct. 5,2014 –Eric Tangradi (Jets) for Peter Budaj and Patrick Holland

Significance index: D
Grade: 6

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The Canadiens sent the last year of Budaj’s contract ($1.4 million) plus a minor-leaguer to Winnipeg and received a player for whom the step up to the NHL would prove just a little too high. It was either that or pay Budaj a hefty sum to play in the American league.

July 1, 2014–2^ndround pick in 2016 (Sabres) for Josh Gorges

Significance index: C
Grade: 7.5

This emotion-packed trade, from Gorges’ point of view at least, will be remembered for the fact he didn’t want to leave a team he gave his heart to. The front office, ever pragmatic, was looking to free up money that it could spend elsewhere. The likeable defenceman had four years left on his contract, at a cap hit that probably out-stripped his value. The second-rounder would later be included in the Andrew Shaw trade.

June 30,2014–Pierre-Alexandre Parenteauand a 5^thround pick in 2015 (Avalanche) forDaniel Brière

Significance index: B
Grade: 5

Parenteau had put together three prolific seasons on Long Island and in Colorado before falling out of favour with Patrick Roy in Denver. Brought to Montreal in hopes of replacing Thomas Vanek or Brian Gionta, he was no better a fit than Brière. The two players made the same money, but Parenteau’s contract was a year longer. The Canadiens ended up buying it out.

June 14,2014–Conditional 5^thround pick in 2015 (Ducks) for Louis Leblanc

Significance index: D
Grade: 4

This was basically extending a chance at a fresh start to a young player whose career was going nowhere fast with the Canadiens. Leblanc would have had to play 15 games for the Ducks for the draft pick to change hands. He never played even a single NHL game for them.

2013-14

March5,2014 –Thomas Vanek and a 5^thround pick in 2014 (Islanders) forSebastian Collberg and a 2^ndrounder in 2014

Significance index: B
Grade: 9

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Just like Petry, another borderline “A” deal. Vanek was considered the best rental player available in 2014 and the Canadiens got him for a song after Garth Snow misplayed his cards. That Vanek underperformed in the playoffs doesn’t change the fact the GM knocked it out of the park on deadline day. Granted, Collberg was hampered by concussions, but he ended up being a major flop and the Canadiens sniffed it out at just the right time.

March5, 2014 –Devan Dubnyk (Predators) for future considerations

Significance index: D
Grade: 5

Acquired as an insurance policy after Carey Price was injured at the Sochi Olympics, Dubnyk basically just passed through town with the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. He cost nothing, and elected to go home to be with his family rather than being a black ace with the Canadiens in the playoffs. The only regret is there was a star goaltender lurking in Dubnyk, and at the time neither he nor the Canadiens seemed especially interested in looking for him.

March 5,2014 –Mike Weaver (Panthers) for a 5^thround pick in 2015

Significance index: C
Grade: 8.5

Acquired at the trade deadline, the personable blue-liner was a pleasantly surprise during his stay in Montreal. He stepped out of the shadows with the Canadiens, becoming quite an efficient third-pairing defenceman and eventually signed a one-year contract that saw him end his career in a Montreal jersey.

Feb. 6,2014 –Robert Czarnik (Kings) for Steve Quailer

Significance index: D
Grade: 6

Wow, Steve Quailer. We’d forgotten about that guy. He was supposed to be the Canadiens’ hidden gem of the 2008 draft. Still hiding.

Feb. 3, 2014 –Dale Weise (Canucks) forRaphael Diaz

Significance index: C
Grade: 8

Back in the days when advanced stats and the Hockey Men eye test lived in separate neighbourhoods, there was an outcry at Diaz’s sudden departure. But sometimes it’s worth waiting before piling on the criticism. This was an excellent trade for the Canadiens. Weise enjoyed the best moments of his career in Montreal, Diaz never was able to nail down a regular job in the NHL.

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July 5,2013 –George Parros(Panthers) forPhilippe Lefebvre and a 7^thround pick in 2014

Significance index: C
Grade: 4

Parros will probably go down in the Canadiens’ annals as the last “goon” to play for the team. By the time he arrived in Montreal enforcers’ contribution to the league was essentially nil, as the price to obtain him demonstrates.

July 2,2013–Christian Thomas (Rangers) for Danny Kristo

Significance index: D
Grade: 9

The Canadiens corrected a draft day mistake by going out and getting a speedy winger who at least played 25 games for them. Mr. Frostbitten Toe never did set foot in the NHL.

2012-13

Apr. 2,2013–Davis Drewiske (Kings) for a 5^thround pick in 2013

Significance index: C
Grade: 3

Bergevin doesn’t rate a passing grade here, but not because he overpaid for a depth defenceman. It’s because in a moment of irrational exuberance he inexplicably decided to give him a two-year, one-way contract. Drewiske would not play a single game in Montreal during those two years.

Feb. 26, 2013 – Michael Ryder and a 3^rdround pick in 2013 (Stars) for Erik Cole

Significance index: A
Grade: 7.5

Cole was viewed as a better player than Ryder at the time, and was coming off one of his best seasons in a Canadiens uniform the previous year. But Bergevin had clearly done some thinking during the lockout and correctly identified the problem Cole’s contract could constitute going forward, given it had two more years to run at $4.5 million. Ryder was, well, Ryder for the 27 games he played for Montreal. But this was a sign early in Bergevin’s tenure that he can think a move or two ahead.

Feb. 14,2013 –Dustin Tokarski (Lightning) forCédrick Desjardins

Significance index: D
Grade: 7

This trade involving a pair of AHL goalies resulted in the Canadiens snapping up the better of the two players, but also the one whose work habits left something to be desired. Tokarski did enough to occupy Montreal’s net in the Conference Final, and to snaffle the backup role from Budaj before the Habs saw their opportunity to move on.

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Jan. 14,2013 –Jason DeSantis (Panthers) for Brendon Nash

Significance index: D
Grade: 6

Bergevin’s first trade didn’t exactly turn into his most pivotal move. Nash, who was fleetingly viewed as a defenceman capable of winning a call up to the Canadiens, later played against DeSantis… in Austria.

Once all the grades have been weighted as a function of the relative importance of each trade, Marc Bergevin ends up with a final mark of 70 per cent. The overall grade isn’t as spectacular as some of Bergevin’s suits, but it does mean his trade record is comfortably within the margins of what one would expect— roughly league average. Taking the trades of just the last five months in isolation, the cumulative grade is 81.5 per cent. The fortunes of GM and team are inextricably linked.

To no one’s surprise, the bulk of Bergevin’s activity has involved “C” quality trades. Were we to conduct the same exercise with the NHL’s other teams, it’s a fair assumption we’d reach a similar if not identical conclusion; the supporting cast changes addresses more often than the names on the marquee. In all, “C” trades make up 56 per cent of all the player moves Bergevin has made to date. By comparison, “A” trades constitute 9 per cent, “B” represent 10 per cent and “D” trades 25 per cent.

What is surprising? Contrary to the perception that has taken root over recent years, Bergevin hasn’t necessarily had that much success riffling through the bargain bins. If you look at the values assigned in this exercise a different picture emerges, one that shows the bigger the trade, the higher his grade tends to be. Indeed, Bergevin turns in an average score of 7.7 on his “A” trades, 7.3 for “B”, 6.4 for “C”, and 6.1 for “D”. Sure, he’s pulled off some minor coups with a few of his role players, but the range of successes and failures in the “C” category is quite vast.

Among his major trades (categories A and B), only the Andrew Shaw and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau moves don’t earn a passing grade. All of the others, in our view, have made the Canadiens better. Yup, including the Shea Weber deal. It goes without saying these are the kinds of personnel moves that can totally revamp the look of a team. Thus, if one concludes Montreal hasn’t progressed notably since Bergevin’s arrival in 2012, it probably has more to do with drafting, developing and signing free agents. Because his work on the trade market has, without question, improved his lineup.

That might be worth bearing in mind the next time everybody freaks out at a trade announcement involving the Canadiens.

(Top photo of Shea Weber:Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports)