Before Bergevin's termination it has widely been reported that his loyalty to certain members of the organization had long been an issue. On multiple occasions Bergevin reportedly refused to even have conversations about certain players. Unfortunately for a rebuilding team loyalty can be viewed as a weakness.
One of the players that Bergevin reportedly considered untouchable was Alexander Romanov. Romanov was the 38th overall pick by Bergevin in 2018 and he viewed him as a key member of the Canadiens' core. Unfortunately for Romanov with the hiring of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, his place in the franchise changed.
At this year's Draft, Kent Hughes opted to trade Romanov to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 1st round pick. After scoring his first point as an Islander last night, Romanov was asked to comment on his departure.
Much to everyone's surprise Romanov took a shot at his former GM, while complimenting Bergevin.
It's clear Romanov still has some hard feelings, but he may need some thicker skin. Especially now, being employed by Lou Lamoriello will teach absolutely everyone that hockey is purely a business and nothing else.
POLL | ||
Will the New York Islanders make the playoffs this year? | ||
Yes, as a top 3 in the Metro | 16 | 12.8 % |
Yes, as a wild card | 56 | 44.8 % |
No, they won't | 53 | 42.4 % |
List of polls |