Montreal Canadiens likely to wait until 2019 for burst of youth
By Zachary Cook
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I’m sure you can make a case that Juulsen is a lock, but I think that having healthy competition between young players is a good thing in training camp. Juulsen had some growing pains during his 23-game stint with the big club last year, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he is part of the solution and long-term plans on the right side.
The right side future of the Canadiens likely involves Weber, Juulsen and Josh Brook. It won’t be long before fans begin to get behind Brook, and it’s very clear that the Habs brass is also high on the 2017 second round pick. Keep an eye out for him as a potential sleeper for the Canadian World Junior team.
With Weber starting the season on the IR, that leaves five spots for the remaining eight defencemen.
Goalies
Competing for the backup role
Price’s eight-year 84 million dollar contract is set to kick in this season, and it’s one that many Montreal Canadiens fans will be focusing on in a season with such low expectations. If Price is able to stay healthy and bounce back, the Canadiens will have one less thing to worry about moving forward. There is little doubt within the organization that we’ll see a better Price this year, and I think it’s quite clear that even the goalie himself expects more.
Niemi was a nice surprise last season, but as we’ve seen in the past, there are no guarantees with the backup position. Lindgren provides nice insurance, regardless.