Nathan Beaulieu: Possible Impact On 2015-16 Season
It’s been almost three months since Nathan Beaulieu agreed to a two-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens, a contract that most fans were eagerly awaiting as he left a solid mark with the Habs during the 2014-15 season.
During his 64 games in the regular season, he only recorded 1 goal and 8 assists as well as picking up 3 assists in 12 Eastern Conference games. To some, that may not be considered much of an impact due to the low number of points generated throughout the year. However, most forget that Beaulieu is a defenseman and that there’s more to number 28 than just points.
The question I’ve been asked the most when talking about how Beaulieu will possibly make a big impact on this upcoming season is, “How do you expect him to make a huge improvement within a year when he had such a slow start in Montreal last season?” The answer: talent, the right pairings, and determination.
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Beaulieu has skills; no, not bow-hunting skills or computer hacking skills. The 22-year-old has a crafty style and smooth hands to control the play as well as creating sleek breakouts that help the Habs get back into the offensive zone. He also has the ability to break up plays without struggle, which is a skill that is crucial for a defenseman to have, especially for a team looking to keep their possession numbers high. While Beaulieu did have a slow start in the 2014-15 season he was able to show that he can improve his play. Being resigned for two years, he has plenty of time to possibly become the third best Canadiens defenseman over that time period.
“I want to play a bigger role on the team.” – Nathan Beaulieu
If we also look back on his time with the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, Beaulieu had 3 impressive seasons, which included grabbing 52 points during his last season with the Sea Dogs before heading to the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs in 2012.
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Another way Beaulieu will make a solid mark during the 2015-16 season is to be paired with the right players. When Sergei Gonchar came into the Canadiens’ picture after being traded from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Travis Moen, this became a great opportunity for Beaulieu as he had a veteran that would take him under his wing. While this pairing did show growth in Beaulieu, the only problem was that Gonchar was already in his early 40’s which meant his time with helping Beaulieu and the Habs was limited.
With that said, if he was to be paired with a player where both could have a positive impact on each other, that player would be P.K. Subban. The reason? Beaulieu can match Subban’s fast paced skating, and together the two could create a corsi of 56.8%. While it may take some time for Beaulieu to gain enough trust from coach Michel Therrien to skate with ‘big boys’ like Subban, Jeff Petry, and Andrei Markov, he has a remarkable skill-set. It is quite possible for him to be playing in the top-4 this year. This also leads to my final answer on why Beaulieu may in fact make a huge impact on the 2015-16 season, as follows:
In Dave Stubbs‘ article on Beaulieu’s signing in the Montreal Gazette on June 14th, 2015, Beaulieu told Stubbs, “I think I’ve finally established myself as an NHLer. I feel like I’ve finally figured this league out and now that I’m done getting my feet wet, it’s time for me to show what I can really do.“ While gaining maturity with the Canadiens this past season, Beaulieu has also learned about focus and that you always have to be prepared and be ‘on your game’ every shift. “You can’t get away with having a lackadaisical shift — it will just eat you up and make you look bad. The biggest thing is maturing, focusing, understanding it’s a process, always having your head in the game.”
Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
What gives off a positive vibe about Beaulieu’s season with the Habs this year is that he acknowledges what could have been better and states what will be better. He wants to be bigger and stronger, he wants to prove that he can play big minutes, and he wants to help his team win. While he still has a lot to learn about the NHL, it’s time that Beaulieu has more responsibility and if the Canadiens are ready to improve their play, his smooth skating can help create a brilliant second power play wave for the Habs.
Overall, I believe that if Beaulieu lives up to his words and shows consistency in his game, as well as continuing to use his skill set to his advantage, he will grab a top-four role later in the season and have a large impact on the improvement of the Habs’ offense.
How do you feel Nathan Beaulieu will impact the 2015-16 season? Do you think he will have any impact at all? Let us know in the comments below!