MONTREAL - General manager Marc Bergevin spoke with reporters on Saturday morning via Zoom to discuss the transaction that brought veteran Eric Staal to the Canadiens.
Staal was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a third and a fifth-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The 36-year-old centreman registered 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 32 games with Buffalo this season before Montreal secured his services on Friday afternoon.
Here are a few highlights from Bergevin's media opp:
Bergevin on why the Canadiens traded for the veteran pivot and what he brings to the group:
Looking at the way our team was performing, the centre position was a little bit vulnerable in terms of experience. Being able to get a player like Eric Staal, he isn't the same player he was when he was 25, but he has a lot of experience. Things were tough for everybody in Buffalo, but if you look at last year, he still had 47 points in 66 games with the Minnesota Wild. He brings a lot to the table. He's excited to come to Montreal. He's a Stanley Cup winner as well. It's no accident that we've brought in players who've won Cups in the past. With all the picks we have in the Draft, it was a price we were ready to pay.
Bergevin on the mechanics behind the trade after indicating that deals would be difficult for Montreal because of salary cap issues:
Some trades take a long time, while some trades are quicker. This one came really fast. What I said was true at the time, not that I wasn't looking, but I didn't think it was going to happen. The main reason was that I needed cap space, and whatever money I was getting in, at least in Eric's case, they had to retain 50%. Buffalo was willing to do that, and the price was a third and a fifth, so with all the picks we had the last few years, now we have 12, and in a normal year we only have seven picks, so we still have a lot of picks available to us.
Video: Marc Bergevin on acquiring Eric Staal
Bergevin on how Staal could be used when he's finally ready to suit up:
I've talked to Dom briefly. I will leave that to him to tell you how he sees his lineup. But, Eric will not be available right away. You don't make lineup decisions until you have to, so in the meantime, there could be injuries next week where the decision becomes a lot easier in terms of where he fits in and how Dom wants to use him. Until then, we're only going to speculate where he's going to fit and where he's going to play. A player's performance tells you where they should be playing and how much ice time they should get.
Bergevin on Staal's mandatory quarantine and why he makes the Habs better:
He's coming in today and starting his quarantine. It's seven days now. It's been approved by the government, so depending on when our schedule comes out, when we're able to restart again, hopefully it's this week, so it's still unclear. Eric has size and experience. A centre is a centre. There's always a premium on centremen and defensemen down the stretch. With the amount of picks we had, a third and a fifth, those are good picks, because there are players in every round. We still have two third-round picks and two fifth-round picks, and we picked a lot last year, so I felt comfortable giving up these two assets to acquire Eric.
Bergevin on the intangibles Staal brings to Montreal, even if he isn't as quick as he used to be:
It's a fast league. You can't forget that. You can't have 16 players who aren't fast. We have speed on the wings. You can have a player who's very fast, but who doesn't think at all and doesn't have any hockey sense. That doesn't work. A player like Eric is someone with experience. He isn't a 25-year-old player, but I think he'll bring some energy. We also have some young players in Nick, KK and Jake who don't have a lot of experience. Even Phillip Danault will benefit because he only has 16 games of playoff experience. We're bringing in a guy who has a lot of playoff experience. He'll definitely help us up the middle.
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