Yet another loss Wednesday night for a dispirited Montreal Canadiens team that has pretty much no chance of getting back into the playoff race.

They're six points out, but it feels like 16 given their fragile state.

Turning the page on this season is something I believe Habs general manager Marc Bergevin did long before most other people. It's why for a while now, I think, his focus has been on a long-term approach to fix what ails his team.

If there's any silver lining to having the world's best goalie out for most of the season, it's this: Bergevin has looked under the hood and had a chance to observe the rest of his team for what it really is to some degree. Or at least see how much Carey Price covered up en route to winning the Hart Trophy as league MVP last season.

So the focus ahead of the Feb. 29 trade deadline for the Habs is selling off some rental players. The heavier lifting, the potential for real hockey trades, will likely wait until the offseason, when most real hockey trades have happened in the NHL for the past half-decade. Think of the deals involving Tyler Seguin, Doug Hamilton, Milan Lucic, Jason Spezza, etc. Those were all June trades. It's the way the cap system has altered the way you build or fix your team. Summer is easier than February, for the most part.

That doesn't mean there can't be a big deal in the next 11 days. I think Montreal would listen to many ideas. But, from talking to people around the league, the Habs' main focus is mostly to get whatever they can for pending unrestricted free agents Dale Weise, Tom Gilbert and Tomas Fleischmann (for example).

Center Paul Byron, who has generated interest from other teams, is also a pending UFA, but the Habs would seem to rather keep him and re-sign him at some point. He has been a positive in a tough season after being picked up on waivers from Calgary on Oct. 6.

Sources suggest a few teams have shown interest in defenseman Alexei Emelin, who has two more years on his contract at a $4.1 million cap hit. But unless the Russian's camp approaches Habs management and asks for a move, I can't see how he goes anywhere.

Other players may also move, depending on the offers; the Habs can't afford to not listen these days.

In the meantime, it's not the worst thing in the world for the Habs to make the most of the offseason, pick an impact player in the June draft and turn the page.

Bergevin is a patient, calculated dude. This season has been trying, but other teams around the league seem to think the Habs GM is calm within this crazy storm in his passionate market.

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