Report: “Expect earth moving shakeup after holidays” for Eastern conference team

Several teams are in a precarious situation a quarter way into the 2017-18 season. The list includes, but isn't limited to - the Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes, and Montreal Canadiens.

The last team on that list is under the spotlight this week, having suffered embarrassing losses to the Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs. 

General manager Marc Bergevin is reportedly the most active general manager out there, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. The Habs' GM is looking to make a move that will "shake up" the team.

It was discussed by Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday that the Canadiens' ownership planned on meeting with Bergevin to discuss the future of the team. Kypreos went so far as to say that he expects they are heading towards a rebuild.

The Habs have been at the center of speculation and controversy all season, with Alex Galchenyuk, Max Pacioretty and Carey Price at the center of it all.

"Incarcerated Bob" on Twitter has been known for some bold tweets, but has a track record of calling trade rumors in advance. His latest was cryptic, but very intriguing.

In line with all the rampant speculation of the Habs tearing things down this year, the timing certainly seems right for something to happen following the holidays and leading into the trade deadline.

Do the Habs trade their captain? Franchise goalie? Galchenyuk or Weber? It's madness in Montreal right now, and TSN Insider Bob McKenzie chipped into the conversation on TSN 690.

“So I get that the fans have had it. I think ownerships and hierarchies of hockey clubs, in terms of making mid-season regime changes with the general manager – I’m not saying it never happens, it does – but it doesn’t happen that often. And it’s a difficult thing to do because you’re basically saying, ‘Okay, everything that we’ve been working for here, we’re kind of throwing that out the window and we’re going to start over again.’ And I’m not saying at times that those aren’t necessary, but I think a guy like Geoff Molson probably gives this a lot more thought than the fans do."

McKenzie doesn't believe that they are at the point of firing Bergevin, or doing a full-on rebuild, but he admits to being wrong before. He didn't believe Michel Therrien would get the boot, but a week after making that statement, Claude Julien was hired.

He went onto discuss the hypothetical possibility of firing and replacing Bergevin.

“Hypothetically speaking – entirely hypothetical because nothing has happened yet – but my understanding is that if a team wanted to talk to Julien BriseBois about being the general manager of their team in-season, that team can ask the Tampa Bay Lightning for permission,” began McKenzie. “And there’s only two factors at the other end. From the Tampa perspective, one is does Julien BriseBois’ contract even allow him to contemplate anything in mid-season. There are some executives in the National Hockey League who clearly have it in their contracts that they’re not able to contemplate outside offers in-season."

Darren Dreger also added to the discussion.

“The Max Pacioretty rumors – if this team doesn’t turn it around very, very soon, the whispers are going to get a lot louder. A lot louder. So now you’re Bergevin and you have made some real bold trades, haven’t you. You acquired Jonathan Drouin, moving out a piece in Sergachev who is lights-out good in Tampa Bay. You made the significant deal with P.K. Subban going to the Nashville Predators. You get a good piece in Shea Weber coming back. But who’s kidding who? Shea Weber isn’t getting any younger. So the next logical piece is to do something unsettling to shake this group up, and that’s perhaps considering trading your captain.