Montreal Canadiens TPT: Ales Hemsky on the Top Line

On this week’s Twitter Poll Thursday, we ask Montreal Canadiens fans whether they believe Ales Hemsky should be on the first line or not.

The Montreal Canadiens handing out a one-year deal to Ales Hemsky was confusing at first. The veteran had played the previous few seasons with the Dallas Stars, but missed significant time the year before with injury. After some time, the rationale behind Marc Bergevin‘s decision started to make more sense.

You could look anywhere be it NHL line combination sites, forums, or Twitter, but many Habs fans had the veteran on the fourth line. It’s hard to make those kind of predictions in the off-season, especially with a Habs team that would see some kind of make-over to implement Claude Julien‘s system to the fullest. Additionally, promoting more goal scoring is always a priority.

So it would be pretty surprising to look at some of the combinations at practice and see Hemsky on the top line. Max Pacioretty playing with Jonathan Drouin was a no-brainer. They’re two of the most skilled players on the team and would be able to play of each other’s strengths. Hemsky being there was tough to understand at first.

More from Editorials

• Montreal Canadiens: Senators Rebuild At Crisis Point As Kent Hughes Moves Forward
• Montreal Canadiens: Jonathan Drouin Continues Charity Work In Montreal After Leaving Habs
• Montreal Canadiens: Laval Rocket Lineup Going To Be Must Watch
• Montreal Canadiens: Jesse Ylönen Contract Extension Analysis
• Montreal Canadiens: Top 31 Prospects – #31 Quentin Miller

Watching the scrimmage games last weekend, it didn’t look like Hemsky belonged. It may be because he didn’t play too much hockey in the past year. He was missing some assignments and sometimes couldn’t keep up with the other two.

Preseason has been going on for the last couple of days, and that line hasn’t changed. Should it? We took to Twitter and asked Habs fans whether Hemsky should be on the top line.

Poll Results

So it’s not hard to miss. Most Montreal Canadiens fans don’t think he should be there. It may also be worth mentioning that this poll was posted before their second game against the Washington Capitals. Hemsky looked a lot better with Drouin and Pacioretty.

Related Story: Young Stars Shine But the Habs Lose 4-2

There were still some fans who believed it wouldn’t be a good idea to keep him on that line despite his improved play. A player such as Artturi Lehkonen is the one many believe would be a better fit. The sophmore has been lining up with Tomas Plekanec and soon-to-be Hab Charles Hudon. He had a great rookie season after scoring 18 goals, and there’s a chance that he could exceed those numbers.

I understand that, but there’s a reason why Hemsky is playing with Drouin. It’s a two-way street in terms of aid actually. Playing center in the NHL is hard, especially against another team’s top or shutdown line. Drouin is going to need some help, and having a defensively responsible player Hemsky with him will help.

Looking back at Hemsky, he needs to play with skilled players to put up points. He doesn’t shoot the puck much, but he can hold on to it and make a play to a teammate to finish for themselves. Save for maybe Paul Byron, Hemsky wouldn’t find much of that on the fourth line.

Wednesday’s game may be the starting point for Hemsky’s turnaround among Montreal Canadiens fans. If he can make passes like that every game, the desire to have him bumped down may be put to rest sooner than later.

Next: Thank the Blue Jackets for Hudon

Do you think Hemsky should be on the top line? If not, who replaces him? Let us know your thoughts down below.