FanPost

Skill And Toughness

Would you want this guy on your team?

What if I told you I had a 29 year old defenseman with the following portfolio.In the 1999-00 season in the Quebec Major Junior League he scored 24 goals and added 50 assists for 74 points along with 185 penalty minutes.The following season he scored 42 goals and added 59 assists for 101 points and was +47 to go along with 185 penalty minutes and was named the CHL defenseman of the year.

In the 2002-03 season he lead the entire American Hockey League in plus-minus at +34 and was named to the second all star team.Sounds like a guy with major holes in his game don't it?

The answer to my opening question is apparently not.This player played on a very ordinary Edmonton Oilers team that made it to the Cup Finals.After he was traded during the following season the Oil fell completely off the map.On to the Islanders where he single-handledly (sort of but with an assist to Tom Poti) lifted the Isles powerplay from 25th to 12th in a very short span.The Isles were sitting 3 points out of a playoff spot when he was dealt and the wheels fell completely off after that.

After a short stop at the Duck Pond it was on to Minnesota where he was the second best plus-minus defenseman on the team.at +5.Next stop Montreal where he was again on an over achieveing team with a very good powerplay.Once again he is looking for a team to play with and once again the team he is leaving will be on the outside looking in the following season when it comes to the playoffs.

Oh yeah one other thing: when it comes to his time in Montreal he played mostly on the fourth line with first unit powerplay time because he was a defensive liability.Does this remind anyone else of a former Habs defenseman who went on to become an all star on his new team.

Well that's all for now on my Marc-Andre Bergerant. I will leave it up to you to guess who I am talking about.

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