Montreal Canadiens Notes: Condon, Weise, and More

The Habs were able to shut out the Leafs yesterday on the back of another strong peformance from Mike Condon. The 25-year-old Massachusetts native shut the door on the Leafs and made 17 saves in the process, looking strong and fundamentally sound throughout.

MIKE CONDON vs DUSTIN TOKARSKI

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This performance and a strong few seasons in Hamilton have many people hailing Condon as the likely new backup in Montreal, something that the same people say would allow Tokarski to be dealt in return for something the Habs may be in need of. I don’t discount that argument, since it’s valid in that Condon has earned a shot at being looked at as a possible backup goaltender in the NHL.

Where I do caution fans and their approach to this issue is in that Tokarski has NHL experience, as well as NHL Playoff experience, something that shouldn’t be forgotten. He has a relationship with the team, the players, knows the preparation that comes along with being a backup and knows the pressure of playing in Montreal very well. The latter two points are not easily dealt with.

In today’s NHL, having a great backup goaltender is almost a necessity if you want to make the playoffs. So to the Habs, Tokarski has great value, even if it is for only a dozen or so games per year. The question many fans are asking is this: with Tokarski being .500 last year in his starts, couldn’t Condon provide a similar or better result while the Habs reap the rewards of dealing Tokarski to a goaltender needy team?

It’s a valid argument, but the rewards have to match what’s being dealt.

Another argumentÂ for the Habs dealing Tokarski is that it would allow Zack Fucale to begin the season as the full-time goaltender in St-John’s and bring him up to speed a lot more quickly than if they send him to the ECHL. Doing so allows them to make a quicker assessment of his skill level and whether or not he’ll eventually be a better option as a backup in Montreal. He would be battling Edward Pasquale for playing time, someone who is another intriguing option for the Habs as a future backup.

The Habs also recently signed 18-year-old Michael McNiven (OHL’s Owen Sound) to a 3-year contract. Although he wasn’t selected in the draft, he has wowed the Habs enough for them to consider him a worthy investment. At only 18 years old, he has plenty of time to prove himself.

Again, this really only makes sense if Marc Bergevin is able to get a good return for Tokarski. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with keeping all goaltenders and having the depth to deal with injuries, should they arise.

DALE WEISE

Sep 26, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward

Dale Weise

(22) tries to get off a shot on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender

James Reimer

(34) at the Air Canada Centre. Montreal defeated Toronto 1-0. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

It’s only the pre-season, I know, but Weise has been on a mission every time I’ve seen him on the ice. He’s already headed to the hard spots, fighting for space and making things tough on his opponents.

Although he was made to look fairly bad defensively during the 3 on 3 portion of the game, Weise has set the tone when it comes to work ethic. It’s exactly what most of us expect from the gritty winger, but it’s nice to see that he’s not even taking a pre-season game off and is setting the pace early on. For those young Habs that will be returning to the AHL, it’s a great example of what some players have to do in order to keep their jobs in the NHL and can help them increase their dedication to not taking a shift off.

OTHERS

PATERYN: The Habs gave a ton of ice time to Mark Barbeiro (24:56), Darren Dietz (22:54), and Greg Pateryn (22:40) in this game, something I think points to the guys battling for the last spot on the Habs depth on D. I do believe the battle lies between Barbeiro and Pateryn and that the Habs will enjoy the depth it provides them to have the extra piece in the AHL if an injury should occur. In the end, I do expect Pateryn to remain with the Habs on their 3rd pairing and that Barbeiro will be headed to the AHL, but you never know.

KASSIAN: Zack Kassian is coming to Montreal as a replacement for Brandon Prust. While many of us are hoping he can prove to have better hands and a slightly higher offensive flair, it seems he’s more concentrated on the rough side of the game. He fought Mark Fraser and roughed up Zach Hyman, good for 7 PIM in this one.

I don’t think it was necessary in a pre-season game, but at least we know the Habs can expect him to step up and drop the gloves if needed during the regular season.

ASSIGNMENTS

The following players have been assigned to the St-John’s IceCaps:

Mark MacMillan – Brett Lernout – Eddie Pasquale (G) – Dalton Thrower – Jamal Watson – Brandon McNally – Ryan Johnston – Zachary Fucale (G) – Stefan Fournier – Josiah Didier – Connor Crisp – Travis Brown – Tim Bozon – Mac Bennett – Nicolas Blanchard.

This clears up more room for the Habs regulars going forward and gives us a bit more insight into who the Habs are taking longer looks at. Remaining with the Habs are guys like Christian Thomas, Daniel Carr, Sven Andrighetto, Michael McCarron, and Jeremy Grégoire. They’re likely to be sent down fairly soon as well, but we can see that the Habs want a closer in-game look at what they can provide them with should they be called up this season.

We’re looking forward to seeing how the roster shakes out and to get a chance at seeing what this year’s Montreal Canadiens will look like when all is said and done. There are some really interesting battles shaking out, and there’s always the chance of a minor move or two making an impact on this year’s team.

Next: Canadiens Prospect Zach Fucale CHL Goaltender of the Week

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