For the three seasons immediately following the lockout of 2012, the Montreal Canadiens appeared to be trending upwards, ready to emerge as a genuine contender.
Although the Habs had underlying issues, they were not so great as to irreversibly torpedo the team’s long-term prospects, so long as these issues were properly identified and rectified.
The 2015-16 season, following the injury to Carey Price, exposed these issues to the light and gave General Manager Marc Bergevin a legitimate opportunity to push the team to the next level during the offseason.
The moves culminated in a disappointing 2016-17 campaign which saw the termination of Bergevin-loyalist head coach Michel Therrien and a limp first-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers.