Montreal Canadiens players that may not survive the season
Hello everyone, sorry about the delay in posting, things have been pretty hectic but will make up the posts over the next couple of weeks. Anyways, on to the post. Players come and players go, that’s the way of life in the NHL and the Montreal Canadiens are no exception. Like my first article, I’m going to play things rather safe by talking about which players may be gone by the end of the season and potential circumstances that may dictate that move in no particular order.
Rene Bourque
Why he may go:
May 27, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens left wing Rene Bourque (17) celebrates his goal against New York Rangers during the third period in the game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Rene is a very inconsistant player at the best of times, a ghost on the ice the rest. The habs have put him on the trade market without much success in the past but this year may be different. Last years playoffs, Bourque woke up in a big way and was the player that the habs hoped for when they got him from Calgary, This may have opened up the trade doors if he keeps up his play to start the season. Bourques $3.3 million contract is still a very sizeable contract for a very inconsistant player, but if he shows sig
ns of life, he could be used as a piece in a trade with someone who wants a power forward and doesn’t mind the cap hit.
What will it take to keep his job:
Either a slow start to the season like he typically does or a near elite level of play could keep him in Montreal. If he starts slowly, nobody will want him, if he comes out like gangbusters, then the habs won’t want to trade him. He is still a very good power forward and plays with passion in the playoffs, but only when he shows up to play. To stay in Montreal, he will have to show up every night and do really well, or just check out and collect his final paychecks heading into UFA next year.
Dustin Tokarski
Why he may go:
May 27, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski (35) and defenseman Josh Gorges (26) react as New York Rangers left wing Rick Nash (not pictured) scored a goal during the second period in the game five of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Dustin is a great goaltender and under the brief trial as the man between the pipes in Montreal after Price was mowed down in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he showed he can play at an NHL level. The problem is that the habs already have an elite goaltender and a star prospect in Carey Price and Zachary Fucale respectively. Now he could be used as a backup for Price, but he really wouldn’t be happy playing 10 games a year and they already have a solid backup in Peter Budaij. This leaves him as the odd man out in Montreal and a pretty attractive trade piece for teams with goaltending issues like Winnipeg, Pittsburgh, Calgary, and a host of other teams with either no real goaltending or suspect goaltending.
What will it take to keep his job:
Sucking. I think that may be his only hope as he wasn’t really in the Canadiens plans as a NHL goaltender when they got him and was more of a placeholder until Fucale settled into his job in the AHL. If Dustin does good, it will just up his trade value to land a bigger fish so his only salvation may be becoming the most average goaltender possible. Sounds weird that you have to do poorly to keep your job, but with a logjam between the pipes and a stronger prospect coming in, that may be his only hope for staying, but doing good will mean more steady NHL work for the guy.
David Desharnais
Why he may go:
May 19, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais (51) before the game two against New York Rangers of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Last season, he started very cold, so cold even the Mayor of Montreal was calling for the boot. He is also a second line center playing on the top line. The habs brass knows this and the team has a plethora of centers in the pipe waiting for the chance to move up, namely Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller. Eller will make a good second line, two way center when he eventually overtakes Plekanec in the depth charts but Galchenyuk is the future number one center as everyone can agree. So Davey’s days in the bleu, blanc, et rouge are certainly numbered, the question is not if, but when does he go.
What will it take to keep his job
Sidney Crosby level of scoring? Pictures of the Molson family in a precarious position? An iron like grip on the door frame? I really don’t think there is much that he can do to keep his job in Montreal aside from a lack of interest from other teams. He is a very serviceable second line center and an excellent playmaker who is decent in the faceoff circle, but his size and his very streaky play would make him a slightly more difficult trade piece.
Greg Pateryn
Why he may go:
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
He is primed and ready to take the leap into the NHL. He is a very serviceable defensive defenceman who has started to work his name into the 6th defenceman this season with his solid play in Hamilton. This is both a good thing and a bad thing as it means the habs have an enviable dilemma in the fact that they have an abundance of new, young, and ready defenseman for the big leagues. That being said, Tinordi and Beaulieu are both the front runners for the 6th and 7th defenseman and that would leave Pateryn the odd man out without much hope for promotion aside from a possible injury replacement. There is also the fact that the habs invited Francis Bouillon to camp as an insurance policy/possible 7th man which means that only one of the three would be allowed to stay with the big club. The team is very high on Tinordi and Beaulieu which means that Pateryn could be the trade piece being dangled to bring in a top 6 scorer.
What will it take to keep his job
Like the others, it would probably be either a really good camp, or a really bad one. A good one could move him above Beaulieu and Tinordi and put him as the 6th defenseman on the team and a bad one would make him an unappetizing target for trades and keep him in the system. The trade of the next person may also keep him as a call-up for injuries but with the habs wanting a legitimate scoring threat for their top 6, Greg may very well be the odd man out.
Alexei Emelin
Why he may go:
May 25, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Montreal Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski (35) and defenseman Alexei Emelin (74) react after giving up the game-winning goal to New York Rangers right wing Martin St. Louis (not pictured) during the overtime period in game four of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Last year, Emelin started off very slow after coming back from injury. It also took quite a bit of time for him to get his game back on track, but even then, there were some very spotty plays. There is also the issue with how Emelin will deal with his assignment without Andrei Markov guiding him on the blue line. If he doesn’t gel with his new partner, he may see another slide in his numbers and possibly a benching for Tinordi or Beaulieu. If the young guns outshine him, he may be on the trading block to give the new blood more ice time. He is a good, hard hitting defensive defenseman and would help many teams looking for a shutdown defenseman that can be paired with a veteran to help guide him
What will it take to keep his job
A strong start, or even just slightly better than the level from last year. He is already a rather safe bet, unless he starts getting into trouble. Being a big, strong, defensive defenseman is one of the most underrated needs on a team, and one that is proven to be NHL ready is even rarer, so unless he drops the ball and the other players overtake him, he is a pretty safe bet to stay in Montreal.