Quotes of the day: Bergevin

MONTREAL - General manager Marc Bergevin fielded questions from reporters on Sunday in conjunction with the start of training camp on the South Shore.
Bergevin covered a number of topics during his press conference, including his expectations for the season, the addition of several key veterans, and the challenges that lie ahead for his hockey club amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are a few highlights from his Q&A session:

On his expectations for the upcoming season:
We have high expectations internally. We won't hide that. We have to perform. I really like the team we've put together. Every team is in the same boat. We only have a 10-day training camp and there aren't any preseason games. I fully expect us to be prepared for the season-opener on January 13 in Toronto.
On the challenges the Canadiens will face with several newcomers in the fold:
It's going to be a little tricky, but we're in the same boat as every other team. The good thing we have going for us is that the teams we play from the get-go are Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. Those teams started at the same time as we did. Ottawa started a little earlier, but it's basically the same for everyone. It'll be equal to start the season, especially early on.
On the players who'll be absent for the start of on-ice sessions on Monday:
There are two guys right now that won't be at the rink on Monday because of the extra day of quarantine they have to go through - Corey Perry and Tomas Tatar. But that's the only reason they'll be absent, and they should be good to go two days from now.
On the recent addition of a veteran presence in Corey Perry and why he was given an opportunity with the Canadiens:
He had a great playoff. There are guys that get you in and guys that get you through. Given what Corey did in the playoffs and his past track record, not only last year but throughout his whole career, it's what made him the player he is, along with his compete level. We know when the playoffs start, it goes to another level. Given what he did last year with Dallas, and with the team we have now, I think it sends a message to the whole league and our own players that we mean business. We're here to win, and we could play any way you want to play, so guys are excited. That I could tell you right now.
On his own personal anticipation for a brand-new campaign to begin:
I'm excited. Whenever you start a new season, you're always excited. But I watched a little bit of the skate this morning and I like what we've done. You could put anything on paper and it doesn't matter until you start playing games and getting the results, but just the fact that our players are excited, that tells me that their minds are in the right place - and also the way we could play the game - we still have a fast team and we have a bigger team. We could play pretty much any way you want. We're still going to play our game, but I think we're well-equipped to play against bigger teams now than we were in the past.

On what will ultimately make this team better than groups in the past:
Based on our schedule, I think Jake Allen is going to be a big plus. Bringing in size up front, too, with Josh Anderson. He brings some size and some skill. Tyler Toffoli brings some scoring touch, and we've got Joel Edmundson back there which gives you presence. There's also Alexander Romanov coming in. I just like our team. We will have some guys that get banged up, but I hope we don't get any major injuries where it will make our team a little weaker. If we stay healthy, I really like our team.
On playing in an All-Canadian division:
It'll be more difficult this season in terms of travel than in the past. I think we make three trips to Western Canada. I think we're well-equipped to face the Western Conference teams. I've spent some time in the locker room over the last couple of days and our players are really excited. They're looking forward to getting started. We know that only four teams will earn a playoff spot, and we expect three really good teams to quality. I'm confident that our team will be ready for the first game of the season in Toronto.
On possible difficulties to expect because of COVID-19:
The world has changed quickly because of COVID-19. We're dealing with different restrictions every week. We don't know what will happen. It was important for us to assemble the best team possible. I'd say that our play in the bubble really helped us. I liked what I saw from our players. I think they sent me a message. We did what we had to do, and for the rest, we'll find out on January 13.
On his message to his players with respect to the virus:
COVID-19 is very contagious. If one of our players, or a member of the Maple Leafs or Senators catches the virus, for example, it doesn't necessarily mean that the player wasn't careful. You can catch it in an elevator. There will probably be positive cases, but we hope not. We'll manage the situation the best we can. It's important to have depth and experience on our roster. That's why we can use our taxi squad to work around any COVID-19 cases that come up.