Montreal Canadiens Prospects To Watch in The Pre-Season

With just a few weeks to go before the start of the NHL season, teams around the league are gearing up for exhibition matches. This is an exciting time of year where fans and management alike get to take stock of not only their team’s roster players, but up-and-coming young prospects as well.

Oct 1, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jarred Tinordi (24) holds a torch during the opening ceremony before the first period against Toronto Maple Leafs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens opened their camp last Thursday with 64 players; 31 of which advanced from last week’s rookie camp. While most of the Habs regulars are assured of their roster spots, there are still some potential openings at the wing and on defense. It is not uncommon for rookie prospects to impress so much at camp as to secure a roster spot to start the season. In fact, Canadiens’ GM Marc Bergevin invites the possibility in an interview with TSN’s Bob McKenzie: “I welcome those surprises (…) I always tell the players, force me and our staff to make decisions and make room for the young guys.” Ultimately, it is up to the players to earn a shot at starting the season with the big club.

“I always tell the players, force me and our staff to make decisions and make room for the young guys…” – Marc Bergevin

Luckily, this team has some very promising young prospects. Thanks to Marc Bergevin’s philosophy of building through the draft, the Habs have stocked up on young talent over the past few years. Not only did the organization draft well, but greater emphasis has been placed on player development since Bergevin took the helm. This strategy can be pointed to as one of the main drivers of success stories like Galchenyuk and Gallagher making the jump to full-time NHL duty two years ago and Michael Bournival doing the same last year. Training camp and the accompanying exhibition games carry with them the potential for yet another pre-season surprise. Here are the prospects to watch during the pre-season who could fill an NHL roster spot:

Jarred Tinordi & Nathan Beaulieu, Defense

These prospects need no introduction to Habs fans. The long-awaited first-round picks are both widely expected to make the jump to the NHL at the start of the season. Both left-handed defensemen, they will be competing with each other for the spot. If either of them fail to impress at camp, it would set back the development plan and be a big let-down for management. The time is now for them to take the next step.

Oct 26, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (40) stretches during the warmup period before the game against the San Jose Sharks at the Bell Centre. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

Jiri Sekac, Winger

The Habs were in a bidding war with at least a dozen other NHL teams to acquire this potential star. At 22, he has experience playing with men in the KHL and the Czech Extraliga and is familiar with the North American ice surface (he spent two seasons in the USHL and had a stint in the OHL before playing pro in Europe). The skillful winger has great size at 6’2” and seems in top shape, as he scored the highest ever on the camp’s beep test with a level 14.5.

He could also develop good chemistry with fellow Kladno native Tomas Plekanec. Sekac is definitely the front-runner among forwards to make the team out of camp. Canadiens fans should be very excited to see what this kid can do in game situations. For more on Sekac, check out Nick Lariviere’s article here.  

Sven Andrighetto, Winger

Sep 15, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Sven Andrighetto (58) shoots against Buffalo Sabres goalie Jhonas Enroth (1) during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, another small winger in the Habs organization. His 5’9” frame probably had something to do with Andrighetto’s getting passed over in two successive drafts. That said, he sure plays big. Weighing in at around 188 pounds, he isn’t afraid to battle along the boards despite his short stature. Kind of reminds you of another small right winger in the organization, actually. Having to wait until he was 20 years old to be drafted didn’t stop the feisty Swiss player from making an impact in his first pro season in Hamilton last year, posting 44 points in 64 games. That was good for second on the team. With the right wing position especially up for grabs, expect Andrighetto to get a lot of attention in the coming weeks.

Jacob de la Rose, Center/Winger

At just 19 years old, de la Rose is already being talked about in NHL circles and topping organizational prospect rankings. He has experience playing with men in Sweden’s top league and was an important part of Sweden’s silver medal win at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Russia. He is a solid two-way player who can play any forward position, and that versatility gives him an edge in competing for a roster spot. Add to that an impressive 6’2” frame, which he knows how to throw around. However, he is still young and needs to adjust to the North American ice. He may not be a lock to make the team this year, but will definitely be looking to impress the brass at camp.

Greg Pateryn, Defense

Sep 15, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn (64) skates with the puck during the first period against Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

Pateryn has flown under the radar in past years, no doubt due to the extra attention first round picks Tinordi and Beaulieu tend to get. But last year, Pateryn emerged as Hamilton’s most consistent two-way defenseman. He often played on the top defense pairing and posted 15 goals and 34 assists in 68 games played with the Bulldogs. In fact, that goal total was higher than both Tinordi’s and Beaulieu’s while Pateryn also posted a positive +/- total of +4 compared to Beaulieu and Tinordi’s negative numbers. At 24 years of age, Pateryn should have enough maturity to make the big club this season. It all comes down to whether he can outperform his competition and show that he is more NHL-ready than the two defense prospects everyone is watching so closely.

Magnus Nygren, Defense

As per Marc Antoine Godin , the Habs brass want to keep him in North America this season:

Despite the tough competition on defense, Nygren will surely be looking to make an impression in camp. He still has no contract with his Swedish team Farjestads, and his rapid exit from Hamilton last year showed that he is not keen on playing in that city. So he has enough incentive to compete, and despite his highly touted competition in camp, we must remember that Nygren won an award for best defenseman in the Swedish league two years ago. He has a lot of offensive talent, and he can shoot this hard:

It’s up to the player if he ends up in the minors or not. If the other three defensemen on this list fail to live up to expectations, Magnus Nygren may still have an outside shot at promotion.

Christian Thomas, Winger

It’s do or die for Christian Thomas this season. The right winger has failed to make his mark in the organization since being acquired from the Rangers for Danny Kristo last year. He is another diminutive winger standing at 5’9” and plays an offensive-style game. Considering he only scored 11 goals in 55 games with the Bulldogs last year, Thomas has yet to live up to his projection as a high-skill sniper. At 22 years old and with one final year left on his rookie contract, this pre-season may be his last shot to earn some NHL credentials. I don’t think he can outshine guys like Sekac and Andrighetto, but you have to think that is the goal he will be setting for himself in the next few weeks.

Nikita Sherbak, Winger

Fans are always excited to see their team’s most recent first round pick in action, and it seems to hold true for Nikita Sherbak. He has good hockey sense, good NHL size, and great puck skills. He also has a wonderful opportunity to showcase his talents in upcoming exhibition games. While I do not think that Sherbak will make the team so soon after being drafted (even Galchenyuk and Gallagher had a half-season of lower level play before graduating), he is still a player worth keeping an eye on. Habs fans deserve to have something to be excited about and I think this kid will do just that.

Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Nikita Scherbak puts on a team sweater after being selected as the number twenty-six overall pick to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The Montreal Canadiens have a wonderful problem on their hands right now: too many good players to choose from. With all but a few roster spots locked down by experienced NHLers, Bergevin and company have some difficult decisions to make concerning who will don the bleu blanc rouge this season and who will have to wait until next camp. Marc Bergevin’s team has done a great job of drafting and developing good players thus far. Now let’s see if they can make equally astute decisions in the area of roster management. Either way, Habs fans are in for a treat during the pre-season as we get a look at what the future has in store for the Montreal Canadiens.

Source used for statistics: http://www.hockeydb.com/