Montreal Canadiens: Year for development could stem positivity
By Zachary Cook
The Montreal Canadiens won’t be competing for a Stanley Cup in 2018, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to look forward to with the season quickly approaching.
It’s no secret that the Montreal Canadiens are headed down a path they haven’t travelled on this decade. Even if Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin isn’t ready to call it a full rebuild, the language used is irrelevant. With some solid pieces in place from the 2018 NHL Draft, Habs fans might find themselves watching Junior hockey, and some overseas, more than the big club itself this year.
That’s not to say that there won’t be interesting storylines in Montreal this season.
There will be, but a lot of those stem from young player development. And that’s exactly what the Montreal Canadiens and their fans should want to see.
On defence, look no further than sophomore defenceman, Victor Mete. Mete’s season was cut short due to an injury, but that didn’t stop him from showing Habs fans the promising potential of the youngster.
The smooth, quick skating Mete offered Montreal a glance at the 2018 style of play that is essential in order to be successful in today’s NHL. Many had slotted him beside Shea Weber before the veteran defenceman’s surgery, and that could certainly be the case in the second half of the year.
Mete’s growth this season will play a significant role in the future success of the Montreal Canadiens. Realistically speaking, the Canadiens brass and their fans should expect the 20-year-old to become an important part of the clubs top-four on the back end for years to come.
The other defenceman to keep an eye on this season is Noah Juulsen. With a logjam on defence, Juulsen could see himself start the season with the Laval Rocket, which wouldn’t be the worst case scenario. Juulsen has a sneaky good shot that can find its way on net and plays a solid game defensively that the coaching staff will certainly appreciate.
The curious case of Jacob de La Rose has puzzled a lot of people. Performing admirably down the stretch and at the World Hockey Championships, the question needs to be raised, which de la Rose will we see to start the year?
There will continue to be critics of his offensive upside, but in a year where the Habs likely won’t compete, Claude Julien will be able to give him more offensive minutes and see if it correlates to success.
To conclude, up front, Charles Hudon, Nikita Scherbak, Joel Armia and Matthew Peca should all have ample opportunities to prove themselves offensively. The luxury of a team in this situation is that they have the ability to try out new things, get creative, and see what clicks.
With all of this being said, the Montreal Canadiens and their fans will be keeping a heavy eye on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who could get a nine-game tryout with Montreal to begin the season. Its likely Kotkaniemi spends another year in Finland and headlines their World Junior team, but a taste of the NHL life to begin the season might not be such a bad thing.
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In regards to being a competitive team, the Canadiens might not have a lot to look forward to in 2018. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from being excited about the development of young talent in hockey’s most storied market.