Montreal Canadiens: Thoughts on the Preseason So Far

The Montreal Canadiens have five preseason games left, and the three played so far have generated a lot of buzz, both good and bad.

Going to start off by addressing the elephant in the room. Yes, the Montreal Canadiens have lost all of their preseason games so far. Does it matter? No. Why? Because it’s just the preseason. Obviously it’s better to win, but the final result is far from the most important thing here. Coaching staff wants to see how players on the team are playing, especially the ones battling for a spot.

To give you some perspective, the Colorado Avalanche won every single one of their preseason games last season. We all know how that regular season ended up. That being said, you want to make sure the Habs start the year on a positive note.

If we could rank the quality of play in games, the Habs had their best performance in Game Two against the Washington Capitals by far. The other two, in particular the game against the New Jersey Devils isn’t acceptable.

Training camp roster stands at 46 after the recent cuts Montreal has made. There are some players who have stood out, and others who are running on very thin ice. When you have head coach Claude Julien saying that some players are making their decisions easier than expected, you know there’s a problem

The Standouts

Charles Hudon

The preseason has just been another step on Charles Hudon‘s ladder to the NHL. He’s been outstanding for the entire Habs training camp, but has hit another gear lately. Forgetting about the goal, Hudon has been very effective on his line with Tomas Plekanec and Artturi Lehkonen. He hasn’t shied away from competition and has actually been taking the game to his opponents. We won’t have to see him in too many other games ahead of October 5th, he’s on the team.

Brett Lernout

Initially, the blue-line battle for a roster spot was headlined by Noah Juulsen and Jakub Jerabek (we’ll get to him later). However Brett Lernout has continuously give Habs fans reasons to keep him in that mix. The one thing you can say about him, is that you notice him. Every game so far, Lernout has done something that’s made you stand up and say, “Wow!”. Be it a big hit, a point shot, or a great breakout pass, Lernout wants us to know that he doesn’t plan to go anywhere. After these few games, he legitimately has a chance to make the team.

Jakub Jerabek

Some Habs fans were starting to worry about the KHL free agent. He looked a little lost in the scrimmage game, but he’s looked very sharp in these last two games. Personally, I could watch Jerabek on the power play all day. He’s so calm with the puck, and his shot from the point is very accurate. However, he’ll have to do more defensively to make Julien’s eyebrows raise.

Victor Mete

There’s a reason Victor Mete is the only junior player still at camp. We all know how well of a skater he is, and how efficient he is offensively. Over the years in London, Mete has rounded out his game. His work is definitely paying off. Mete has yet to make any serious mistakes playing the Canadiens. Coaching staff is very high on him and is taking a long look.

The Duds

Joseph Morrow

Consistency is what’s been Joseph Morrow‘s Achilles heel. There are flashes of his offence every game. He can make the simple but effective play that has allowed the Montreal Canadiens to get scoring chances, and even convert on a few of them. Unfortunately, the number of turnovers he’s made have been disappointing. It’s not like they’re small ones either, some have led to goals against. There was a time where Morrow may have gotten a shot to play for the Habs, but now it’s almost a guarantee that he plays in the AHL this season.

Mark Streit

The Stanely Cup winning veteran hasn’t looked good at all. Mark Streit is great on the power play. He gets the shot through or can make a play to a team-mate. Even strength is when he stands out in a bad way. It looks like Streit hasn’t been able to keep up with everyone else. Granted, he’s only played in one game. Hopefully that turns around and it was just offseason rust holding him back.

Next: Montreal Canadiens: Make the Trade for Matt Duchene

Who has caught your eye in the preseason so far? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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