MONTREAL -- Marc Bergevin has been very active during the offseason and he admits that expectations are high for the Montreal Canadiens.
On the eve of the first on-ice training session of camp, the Habs general manager said he has assembled a team ready to face the challenges of the condensed 56-game schedule, in which the Habs will play in the new all-Canadian division.
Bergevin said that the addition of goaltender Jake Allen, forwards Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli and defenceman Joel Edmundson will allow the Canadiens to continue playing quickly, but also to compete with more robust teams.
Signings in the last few weeks of forwards Michael Frolik and Corey Perry have also added depth to the squad, in the event of injuries or a coronavirus outbreak during the season.
All these acquisitions, however, will force Bergevin to work closely with the Canadiens' vice-president of hockey operations and legal affairs, John Sedgwick, in order to respect the salary cap of the NHL.
Moreover, Bergevin did not comment on the contractual situation of two important forwards on the team: Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar. The two could become unrestricted free agents on July 28.
The Canadiens' senior vice-president of public affairs and communications, Paul Wilson, began the video conference by saying Bergevin would not go into details regarding negotiations with the team's players.
-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2021.
