‘I need help everywhere, but it’s not easy’: GM Bergevin
Habs get Schlemko from Las Vegas
The Canadiens plugged a hole on their blue-line Thursday by acquiring David Schlemko from the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, but there’s plenty of work to be done before the Canadiens can be considered a contender next season.
“I need help everywhere, but it’s not easy because when people have assets, they want to keep them,” general manager Marc Bergevin said as he addressed the media in preparation for the NHL Entry Draft Friday and Saturday at the United Center in Chicago.
The draft is all about the future and, while Bergevin will listen to any team that wants to talk trades, he’s also hoping to retain unrestricted free agents Andrei Markov and Alex Radulov and restricted free agent Alex Galchenyuk.
“I’d like to retain (Markov’s) services, but we have our limits with all players,” said Bergevin. He said he’s had preliminary discussions with Markov and Radulov, adding there’s time to work on a deal for Galchenyuk, who continues to be the subject of trade rumours.
Bergevin’s limits are related to the salary cap. After assuming a $2.1-million hit for Schlemko, the GM has about $21 million to sign five or six players.
The New York Islanders were reported to have interest in Galchenyuk, but they appeared to move in a different direction Thursday when they acquired Jordan Eberle from Edmonton in return for Ryan Strome. Bergevin denied shopping Galchenyuk, but he noted that this is the time of year when teams are calling about possible trades and he’s listening. He sent Vegas a fifth-round draft choice for Schlemko. The deal came hours after Vegas claimed the 30-year-old defenceman from San Jose in the expansion draft.
“(Vegas) drafted 30 players and I knew there was a possibility I would be traded,” Schlemko said in a phone conversation from his home in Edmonton. “My agent called me a few hours after the draft and said it looked like I was getting flipped and I found out this morning it was Montreal.”
“We lost (Alexei Emelin) in the expansion draft and we felt we needed to replace his minutes,” said Bergevin. “Schlemko is a prototype defenceman for today’s game. He skates well, he moves the puck well. He has some poise and the price was right for us.”
Counting his 14 hours as a Golden Knight, Schlemko has been with seven teams in the past three years. He signed a four-year contract in San Jose prior to last season, but said he and his family rented a home because they were aware of the possibility he would be traded.
The Canadiens will have the 25th selection in the first round of the entry draft and also have two picks each in the second and third rounds. Trevor Timmins, Canadiens vice-president of player personnel, said he was confident the team would find an asset in a draft that is short on marquee names. He said there were quality prospects available through the first round and into the second.