Let me get this out of the way quickly: This edition of the Montreal Canadiens is not a Stanley Cup contender, and isn’t particularly close.
Marc Bergevin has taken a roster that was two games from the Stanley Cup Final three years ago, and is staring at missing the playoffs entirely for the second time in three seasons.
He has let go of two of the best puck-moving defencemen the franchise has had since the days of Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, and has done nothing to surround the best goalie in hockey with a championship-calibre team.