Montreal Canadiens: Key Points From #Pacioretty2017

Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty took part in the Captain’s Tournament on Tuesday, but fans will be interested in some of the things said during the player interviews.

This may have been the last major off-season event for the Montreal Canadiens. The golf clubs were out and the weather was nice as Max Pacioretty and some other members of the team took part in the Captain’s Tournament on Tuesday. For all the flack that Pacioretty gets, no one can deny that he isn’t a great representation of what it means to be a Montreal Canadien.

There were some media scrums before the games began. Some may say this was the highlight of the day. Information is one the greatest things to have as a fan, especially in the off-season when news is scarce. Besides the usual phrases, we actually got some interesting content from the scrums.

Off-Ice Chemistry

Pacioretty was asked about his relationship with new addition Jonathan Drouin. He responded with:

We’ve gotten a sense of this all summer. Pacioretty and Drouin appeared  Just For Laughs Gala in Montreal at the end of July. Additionally, this summer wasn’t the first the two trained together. On the NHL Network in July, Pacioretty said this about Drouin when asked about the trade:

"It was funny because I train with him in Montreal and I see him everyday, he was super excited about it and I was as well, he’s one of those kids that’s hockey obsessed, everything is about hockey in their lives, it’s a breath of fresh air to be around someone like that who’s always working on the next thing and talking about hockey and what other players do"

So it looks like the two are becoming, if they aren’t already, good buddies off of the ice. A lot of people will tell you that the players who have the best on-ice chemistry are the ones who have the best relationship away from the rink.

How close Pacioretty and Drouin are may confirm that they’ll be tried to play with each other. At the very least, Claude Julien will have to try it in training camp. He did say that he wants to give him a shot at center.

Drouin is an elite playmaker, and Pacioretty is an elite goal-scorer. What a perfect match.

Related Story: Trying Drouin at Center

100% Confidence

Phillip Danault had something to say as well. The 24-year-old was asked on whether people should consider him a top-six forward in the NHL or not. Danault had a pretty good answer to that to say the least:

Brings a smile to your face doesn’t it? Danault has had a lot of hurdles to jump over after he was first acquired back in 2016. When he finished the remaining 30 games with only five points, a lot of people thought that he was just a throwaway in the deal.

He took a massive step last season, not only in points but in overall play. So much so that coach Julien trusted him more to play on the top-line with Pacioretty and Alexander Radulov over Alex Galchenyuk. The top-line may not be ideal for him going forward, but Danault on the second line would be perfect.

Can he do it? He seems to think so. There’s nothing better than a player with something to prove. And looking at where he is in his career, there is definitely room for him to grow as a center.

Related Story: Season Expectations for Phillip Danault

Origin of the Bubble Hockey Game

There was a point during the Radulov negotiations where it was between the Montreal Canadiens and the Dallas Stars. Fans were just waiting for a final decision to be made. Jamie Benn decided to have fun with it and tweet this out.

This isn’t really “key news”, but we do have the story from Habs defenceman Jordie Benn as to how it started.

The NHL. A place where anything a hockey player does will be talked about. Even if it was just for the laughs.

Next: How the 1992 Draft Got the Habs Pacioretty

What do you think of the comments made at the tournament? Will Drouin and Pacioretty’s friendship help the Montreal Canadiens? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!