According to a French news outlet (TVA Sports), Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has been spotted at several recent games involving the Chicago Blackhawks.
Bergevin is believed to have interest in adding a left-shot defenseman to the Habs roster and, in this case, that left-shot defenseman may be Erik Gustafsson.
After recording 16 points in 35 appearances during his sophomore season, the Hawks decided that Gustafsson was ready for a larger role with the club 2018-19. Gustafsson responded by recording 60 points in 79 games, prompting many to believe that they had found their answer to the defensive woes in Chicago.
Unfortunately, Gustafsson has not been able to build on the momentum he generated last season. Through 33 games, he has accumulated a miniscule 13 points through the first 33 games for the Hawks this season, prompting many to wonder if Erik wouldn't benefit from a change in scenery.
TVA Sports' Yvon Pedneault's comments on the situation:
"Erik Gustafsson earned 60 points last season, but things are not working at all this season," said Pedneault over the weekend. " I believe that the Blackhawks are currently not interested in the idea of trading Olli Maatta. In the case of Gustafsson however, there are surely offers that will be made and offers that will be listened to by Stan Bowman."
The Habs and the Blackhawks have come together on previous deals, so there's no reason to believe that the rumours are unfounded. Given Bergevin's presence at several Hawks games, it's unlikely that he is investing his time for nothing. Sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire.
Source: Hockeyfeed.com
