Marc Bergevin made a big mistake that still hurts the organization to this day
Earlier today, the 24-year-old forward, Brandon Hagel, inked a new six-year deal worth $52 million with the Tampa Bay Lightning. A well-deserved contract extension for the former Chicago Blackhawks player, who racked up an impressive 30 goals and 34 assists (64 points) in 2022-2023.
However, you're probably wondering what the connection is between Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens. Surprisingly, a few years ago, the Habs could have acquired the left-winger from Saskatoon for free.
Indeed, Hagel was invited to the team's development camp in 2018, but the former general manager decided to sign Joël Teasdale instead, freeing up the Lightning's number 38.
Ouch! That's painful to read now!
At 24 years old, the Quebec-born forward has played the last three seasons with the Laval Rocket (AHL), only making appearances in two NHL games. On the other hand, Brandon Hagel has emerged as a top-tier forward, now playing on the top-6 for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Additionally, the Chicago Blackhawks obtained two quality prospects, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, as well as two first-round picks when they traded the forward about 17 months ago.
One thing's for sure, the Canadiens' top brass clearly misjudged the potential of the two forwards back then, and that decision undoubtedly haunts the organization today.
Imagine if the Canadiens had a player as talented as Brandon Hagel to join the likes of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Kirby Dach. The rebuild would have undoubtedly been much shorter for the Montreal team.
Marc Bergevin and the CH fans must surely regret that decision!
Credit: GoNordiques
| POLL | ||
Is Bergevin one of the worst Habs GM? | ||
| Yes | 161 | 60.5 % |
| No he was ok | 105 | 39.5 % |
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