Bergevin putting his trust in Timmins

TORONTO -- Marc Bergevin wasn't able to spend much time at the NHL Scouting Combine, but the new Montreal Canadiens general manager knows he has real good people in place that will help the team get the most out of the third pick in the 2012 NHL Draft.

Leading the way is Trevor Timmins, the club's highly respected director of procurement and player development.

"I didn't know Trevor other than who Trevor was," Bergevin, hired May 2, told NHL.com. "He's an outstanding person. The way he conducts his meeting, the way he runs his staff, is very impressive."

Bergevin, who left the Combine to return to Montreal late Thursday afternoon after arriving Wednesday night following the GM meetings in New York, said he'll have the final say on what the Canadiens do at the draft. However, he said Timmins and his scouting staff will play a major role in what happens June 22-23 in Pittsburgh.

"At the end of the day we're going to talk among the group and have an opinion," Bergevin said. "We'll make a decision. I understand the decision will fall on my shoulders, but I don't know all the answers. I don't know everything. Trevor and his staff will be a big part of that."

This won't be Bergevin's first time planning a team's approach to the draft, and said he'll rely on what he learned working for seven seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks.

"I've been through it with Chicago, I know how it's done," he said. "I know how Stan [Bowman, Blackhawks GM] did it. I know this is a big process for the draft, that's why for me it's important to be here."

Bergevin also said he believes there could be a number of trades during the draft, and didn't rule out the Canadiens being active on the draft floor.

"You always see how it plays out," he said. "It's a possibility. There's a lot of players you do like and you feel like maybe you can get them a little later and you can get an extra pick or an asset -- I'm open to that."

Contact Adam Kimelman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @NHLAdamK