Montreal Canadiens: Pre-Season Wish List

As we approach opening night, every site out there will talk to you all about the obvious picks to challenge for roster spots, they’ll all have similar looking rankings, and they’ll all have the same basic outlook. All of these are aimed at repeating the regular season success and simply tweaking the team in order to make it further into the playoffs. Sure, that’s fine if you want basic vanilla improvements that may or may not work. The problem is that none of these go to the root of the problems the Habs had last season: the lack of scoring to support the outstanding play of Carey Price.

I’ve pointed to Eric Staal as a possible acquisition the Habs could make to resolve some of their issues, but in truth, my number one “fix” for this team is simpler than that. It just requires something that you don’t expect to happen in Montreal: a commitment to youth.

Of all NHL teams, the Habs have had a hard time developing high scoring players. They may be top 20 to 30, but they never seem to be able to put a rookie on a top line, recognizing his offensive potential, and leave him there to learn the ropes. They didn’t do it with any player, although I give them credit for promoting Brendan Gallagher more quickly than any other young player in recent memory.

Here are the possible projected lines, depending on who you talk to today:

Max Pacioretty – Tomas Plekanec – Alexander Semin

Zack Kassian – Alex Galchenyuk – Brendan Gallagher

David Desharnais – Lars Eller – Dale Weise

Devante Smith-Pelly – Torrey Mitchell – Jacob De La Rose

P.K. Subban – Andrei Markov

Jeff Petry – Alexei Emelin

Nathan Beaulieu – Tom Gilbert

The problem with the lineup above is that it still leaves a lot to be desired in many areas. Desharnais is hardly a checking forward, particularly on the wing, there is still an overall lack of scoring, and there is a lack of scoring touch on the third and fourth lines, making the 1st and 2nd lines vulnerable to facing shut-down lines consistently.

Instead of this approach, my wish list includes its first item:

1. BEGIN THE YEAR WITH THE BEST TALENT

So long as their bodies are able to withstand the NHL play, I say the Habs should do what the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and others did last year and go with the best talent, regardless of contract or age. Instead of repeating past mistakes and having one of the most predictable lineups in the NHL, I want the Habs to re-energize themselves and bring up youth from the very beginning. If that means skipping the AHL, so be it.

In my opinion, the Habs have three young players who could make such a jump fairly easily and make an immediate impact. Their bodies are NHL ready, they each bring a different ingredient to the team, and they add energy and skill to a team that so sorely needs it. Here’s what my opening night lineup would look like as a result:

Max Pacioretty – Alex Galchenyuk – Brendan Gallagher

Nikita Scherbak – Tomas Plekanec – Alexander Semin

Charles Hudon – Lars Eller – Mike McCarron

Zack Kassian – Torrey Mitchell – Dale Weise

P.K. Subban – Andrei Markov

Jeff Petry – Nathan Beaulieu

Greg Pateryn – Alexei Emelin

First and foremost, this lineup is much tougher overall than the one above. The addition of McCarron and Pateryn into the every day lineup works wonders to add some grit to the team. Second, the talent is spread throughout the team. You still get an excellent top line that should offer plenty of scoring. The second line is led by one of the most sound two-way centres in the game, something that should help compensate for the youth of Scherbak, and you get a third line with so much scoring potential that it isn’t a simple shut-down line anymore. If you’re the opposing team, you now have to weigh your options and may have a harder time slowing down all lines as a result. The defensive pairings are still so strong that you shouldn’t be giving up any more scoring than in 2014-15, particularly with Carey Price holding the fort.

I understand the theory behind allowing some players to gain experience in the AHL and to get stronger doing it. But in this case, Hudon already has the experience he needs, McCarron is already bigger and stronger than most Habs players – and can fight better than all of them, and Scherbak is also ready to take on and absorb NHL level hits.

What’s the worst case scenario if they try this for October and November? Let’s say they do this and they don’t like what they see in the first few months, they still have a ton of options. They have others in the AHL, such as Sven Andrighetto and Daniel Carr, Brett Lernout and Jarred Tinordi, and others who are chomping at the bit, looking to get a shot. So just because some may or may not work out right away, it’s not the end of the world. What I do know is that they have the talent and physicality to play in the NHL today at a higher level that fits what the Habs need MORE than what David Desharnais, Jacob De La Rose, and David Smith-Pelly can provide.

So why not try them out now? Why wait? Bring them up right away, give them the experience that will allow them to have more confidence for the upcoming playoffs, and go for the best skilled team you can possibly put together!

Now on to phase two of my wish list….

2. TRADE DESHARNAIS AND GILBERT

Now that the Habs have committed to playing Alex Galchenyuk at centre, setting what should be their four centres as Galchenyuk, Plekanec, Eller, and Mitchell, there’s really no room for Desharnais. Well, unless you like diminutive non-checking wingers that can’t offer much on the power play.

Both Desharnais ($3.5M) and Gilbert ($2.8M) take up a lot of Cap space for what they provide. I know there has to be a team out there that would love to have a player like Desharnais who can provide 45-50 points and play a decent 2nd line role. While I don’t think the fit is there in Montreal, a team like the Carolina Hurricanes could surely use someone like him on their roster. For Gilbert, who is 32 years old, the same holds true. In Montreal, the skill level shown by Greg Pateryn last season was strong enough to make Gilbert expendable. But, on some other clubs, Gilbert would be one of a few with strong playoff experience and is a UFA at the end of the season, something some teams may find attractive.

Dealing these two players would bring back some return, likely draft pick(s) and/or prospect(s), and would be a commitment to using the talented youth the Habs have in-house. It’s one of the options they have, instead of chasing someone like Eric Staal. But, if things do fall through after they make this commitment and they feel they need to make a deal, the option is always there and may be easier to accomplish once other teams know they’re out of the playoff race.

3. EXTEND TOMAS PLEKANEC

Instead of waiting until Plekanec has all, or most, of the leverage, commit to keeping him around. If the trades I just spoke of are made, the Habs will save $6.3M on next year’s cap, making room for them to keep Plekanec around while still leaving some flexibility to the budget. He’s been a rock up front for the Habs for a very long time, he still fits in the lineup as a third line centre if his play does deteriorate over the next few years, and he’s always going to be an excellent penalty killing asset.

To minimize the distractions as the playoffs approach and ensure the team is solely focused on bringing a cup to Montreal, I want to see Bergevin sign Plekanec. Who knows, it’s possible they’ll assign him the C and sign him to an extension. You never do know….

That brings me to my last pre-season wish….

4. COMMIT TO WINNING THE CUP IN 2015-16

I’m a huge supporter of Marc Bergevin and the overall job he’s done in Montreal. I think that a lot of his moves have worked out extremely well, and that he is bringing the team into the right direction to win a cup. I just want him to make that final move which will propel the Habs to the next level. I do believe that he hopes Alexander Semin will be the Marian Hossa of the Montreal Canadiens and that it will lead to at least a Stanley Cup final. However, if it doesn’t work out, I want the Habs to find that guy. The one that will take pressure off the top two Habs forwards and will spread out the skill level.

In essence, I want Marc Bergevin to do whatever it takes to bring a Cup to Montreal this season. This is the year that has Price, Subban, and Pacioretty in their primes. They have the leadership of Markov and Plekanec, the youth to back them up in Galchenyuk and Gallagher, and the grinders to support them in Kassian, Weise, and Mitchell. What I want now is the last pieces to be set in place. And that’s why I believe that the best way to do so is to see what you have in-house first, THEN go out there and get it if you don’t have the right guys to get the job done.

I’m fine with Bergevin waiting until the season is well under-way to go get that piece (or two), but if the right piece was right under his nose and he never gave it a shot, he and the Habs may kick themselves later. You don’t have this much talent healthy and playing at its highest level every season. Take the shot, go for it, make the big splash – if you have to. Just make an educated decision.

SUMMARY

Mandatory Credit: Hamilton Bulldogs

That’s not too much to ask for, is it? A couple of moves, giving guys a shot, bringing competition onto the team instead of going with the old guard. I think it’s a good way to refresh the lineup, add energy and skill, and give teams a lot to think about when they face the Habs. Adding those elements to the team could take some focus and pressure off of Galchenyuk and others and give them the room they need to take another step forward.

It’s been a long time since the Habs had the types of players in-house that can much as much of an impact as Hudon, McCaron, and Scherbak. The more I watch them play and the more I look at the lineup, the more I wonder why we would send them to war elsewhere when the battle they need to be facing is in Montreal. All three are ready for the NHL. All three can add elements to the roster that the team needs. And all three are supported by enough talent in the AHL and on the rest of the roster to ensure that if things don’t go well, they won’t be thrown to the wolves.

I know how far-fetched my wish list is and how unlikely it is to happen under Michel Therrien’s old-guard ways, but here they are. If two of the four happen, I will be pleased.

What are your wish lists this pre-season?

Next: Habs Tomas Plekanec Pending Free-Agent at Crossroads

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