Like a lot of narratives surrounding the Montreal Canadiens, this one starts with last year’s P.K. Subban-Shea Weber blockbuster.

General Manager Marc Bergevin signalled a focus on reliability in the defensive zone over anything else a rearguard might offer. His moves so far this off-season have only reinforced this ideology: shipping out the puck-moving-if-defensively-spotty Nathan Beaulieu for a third-rounder; leaving Nikita Nesterov to walk as an unrestricted free agent; allowing hard-hitting, giveaway-prone Alexei Emelin to be claimed in expansion.

The pieces Bergevin has added in the last few months, including Jordie Benn and more recently Dave Schlemko — both around 30 years old and known for being steady and not very flashy — are very much defencemen in line with Bergevin’s increasingly apparent philosophy. In fact, they aren’t unlike the player Bergevin was himself over the course of his 20-year career.

Low-scoring, team guys. Hard to play against.

Reliable.

Those qualities don’t necessarily jibe with the direction many teams are heading in today’s NHL. Generating offence from the back end pushed the Nashville Predators within a few wins of the Stanley Cup, as many a passerby in downtown Montreal is eager to proclaim.

But the repeat champion Pittsburgh Penguins won the Cup without their best defenceman, Kris Letang. Pittsburgh had three pairings of virtual unknowns held together with a little scotch tape and a lot of hope. They were efficacious and not stupendous, and capable of doing what was necessary to support the superstars on the front lines.

That’s not to say the Canadiens have stars of the calibre of Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, and it’s no secret the Habs are still looking for help on the back end. But the moves made by Bergevin do indicate it’s something of a model the GM may be watching with interest.

Rumours have linked the Tricolore to the New York Islanders and the Minnesota Wild, with scoring forward Alex Galchenyuk mentioned as the piece potentially going the other way. But Bergevin wants several assets in return for the 30-goal-scorer, and that’s not an unfair ask for a player who has only scratched the surface of his potential.

Checking my mentions, it's worth reminding that Marc Bergevin would want multiple pieces back in any trade for Galchenyuk... — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) June 22, 2017

But it’s not news that Montreal is lacking in the scoring department, and while Galchenyuk definitely has his flaws, he is a highly capable offensive contributor. The further addition of Jonathan Drouin gives the Canadiens a more potent top six, and the idea of Drouin and Galchenyuk working together on a power play is enough to make fans drool and opponents sweat.

Having seen what other teams are offering, that duo may be proving too enticing to give up on, and the GM’s game plan regarding Galchenyuk may be changing.

There’s no question that Bergevin isn’t finished playing the market, and he’s never been one to shy away from pulling the trigger on surprise deals big or small. Both defence and centre remain areas of need, but it’s not hard to envision a Montreal team built to be big and reliable on defence, led by skilled forwards capable of gaining the zone, and finishing when they get there.

Carey Price is in negotiations for a new contract. The Canadiens bringing in defensive help to insulate him, while adding goal-scoring to take the team off his shoulders, has to seem like a pretty good sell.