Montreal Canadiens New Acquisitions Making an Impact
By Jesse Zhang
The Montreal Canadiens summer acquisitions came with some controversy, but are making a huge impact on the team’s hot start to the season.
The Montreal Canadiens were finally able to play their home opener Tuesday night and fans were able to see live for the first time during the regular season the new edition of the team. New additions received some of the loudest cheers during the pre-game ceremonies, including Shea Weber and associate coach Kirk Muller.
Although there is usually controversy whenever a team makes a change, it is refreshing to see the product in its new environment. This season’s new additions have not looked out of place despite being in unfamiliar territory.
Radulov: Undeniable Desire
The only thing Russian player Alexander Radulov could do when he introduced himself to the Montreal media for the first time was insist that he was a changed man. His previous NHL comeback ended in controversy despite his impressive play, and he left as quickly as he came.
The other concern was the last risky Russian signing in Alexander Semin, the comparison between those two players being immediate. It is difficult to precisely convert the value of points in the KHL to those in the NHL, but his determination and skills makes for a deadly combination in either league.
He is showing that he has the tools to be a very effective scorer in the NHL. He has looked dangerous on a few occasions, particularly in overtime against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. As he becomes more comfortable with his new team and re-establishes himself with the NHL style of hockey, look for him to rack up points with more consistency.
Lehk-ing Artturi
Many great players have come out of the second round and Artturi Lehkonen is looking to be the next. For his first NHL goal against the Ottawa Senators, he displayed determination to play a gritty game in order to be successful.
One aspect that fans may not have expected is his defensive game. He is playing on the penalty kill, fourth among Canadiens forwards in shorthanded time on ice with two shots on goal after three games. It would be enough for many fans if he simply provided a boost to the team’s offense, but his play at the other end of the ice is definitely a nice bonus.
He is unafraid of trying to create his own chances, as he has nine shots on goal over these first five games. As it is with Radulov, Lekhonen will become more comfortable in a completely new environment.
Canadiens Culture Change
Arguably the two most important off-season acquisitions are Shea Weber and Andrew Shaw. They are the centrepiece of the culture change the team wanted to make. General Manager Marc Bergevin emphasized the leadership, competitiveness and grittiness that he wanted to add to the team. Early on this season, he received exactly that. Weber has been a stalwart on defence, making it difficult for opposing forwards to disturb the Canadiens’ net.
Although Shaw may be playing too intensely at times, he is delivering what Bergevin had hoped for. As fans may recall, Bergevin traded for a similar player for a similar purpose last season with Zack Kassian. An off-ice incident doomed his chances with the team. Shaw is not negatively attracting attention in the same way, though still catching the attention of the league’s disciplinary office.
If Shaw can successfully remain in the safety department’s good graces, he can focus on helping the team win games. He would not want his reputation to fall so heavily so soon after finding himself a new home.