Montreal Canadiens likely to wait until 2019 for burst of youth
The Montreal Canadiens are set to open up their training camp, with 66 players expected to take the ice on Friday morning. Ahead of opening night on October 3rd @ Toronto, the Canadiens will have to trim their roster by 43 players. Until then, there will be ample opportunity for the young and old to prove that there’s a place for them on the Habs 23-man roster.
There are going to be plenty of projections ahead of the season for a Montreal Canadiens team that won’t exactly have the highest expectations. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Head Coach Claude Julien will have plenty of opportunities to experiment with line combinations in training camp, and he should be encouraged to get as creative as possible.
Let’s start with the forwards and by grouping the players. The players below are my locks to be in the top-12.
Forward Locks
In the mix
Jacob De la Rose
Nicholas Deslauriers
Young and promising, but needs more seasoning
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Nick Suzuki
Lucas Vejdemo
You’ll notice that some forwards you likely expected to be listed as locks, aren’t. Fans will be dying to get a look at Kotkaniemi and their new shiny toy in Suzuki. But what’s best for these two young players is to continue their development in their respective leagues and shore up their weaknesses. With 11 players seemingly locked into the Habs 12 spots, that leaves two roster spots available for the forward group.
A lot of people will argue that a player like Shaw might not deserve to be a “lock,” but with four more years at 3.9 million, it’s unlikely you’re going to find a taker for him, especially amidst health concerns. Teams still value a player like Shaw; it just feels unlikely they will find a trading partner. If they do, you’re likely to see the Canadiens eat some of that salary. Until then, assuming good health, Shaw will be in the Canadiens top-12.
Peca has yet to be seen in a Montreal Canadiens uniform, but the Habs didn’t give him a two-year, one-way deal to sit around. Management clearly sees him as a bottom-six center and part of the solution, and with his agility and quick feet, he very well could find himself as high as the third line center position this year.
I suppose the argument can be created that Armia isn’t a “lock,” but putting up 30 points on a Jets fourth line with no power play time means there’s certainly upside with the former Sabres first round pick.
There will also be questions as to whether Montreal decides to go with seven or eight defencemen, 8 is usually the safer call. The issue here is that there are a lot of bodies, but not a ton of talent. The Canadiens are stockpiling talented centers up front, and have made that ever so clear at the draft, but the back-end needs work, and it has to get more mobile than it currently is.
Defence Locks
Shea Weber *IR*
Competing for spots
Mike Rielly
Young and promising, but not quite NHL ready
Josh Brook
Cale Fleury
Weber being out until mid-December puts an interesting spin on the back-end for the Montreal Canadiens. Karl Alzner is strapped into a roster spot after signing a five-year deal with Montreal last summer. It was a season that ultimately trended downward’s for the veteran stay at home defenceman, and thus it will be interesting to see if he’s able to have a bounce-back season in just year two of his deal.
I can’t see any scenario where Alzner is traded by the Canadiens, but then again, the Leafs found a loophole with David Clarkson. Sometimes, having rich ownership helps.
Victor Mete made his presence felt on the Canadiens defence last season before his injury. Mete provides hope for a Montreal blue line that lacks mobility and speed. If Mete is able to add some muscle, he will be a staple in the clubs top-four for the next decade.
Jeff Petry quietly put together what some are saying was the best season of his career last year. The veteran put up a career-high 42 points and will continue to be one of the best trades that Bergevin has made in his tenure as Habs general manager.
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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.
Montreal Canadiens Projected Forward Line Combinations
*Keep in mind things change if Byron/Shaw aren’t healthy enough to start the year, but all signs point towards them being healthy*
Tomas Tatar-Jonathan Drouin-Brendan Gallagher
Tatar was acquired in the Max Pacioretty trade, and he should be giving every opportunity to prove his worth in the Canadiens top-six. Like I mentioned in a prior piece, it’s likely Tatar would be placed with a playmaker, and Drouin seems like a logical fit to start. Gallagher is coming off of his first 30-goal campaign and provides great IQ and jam for this top unit.
The Skill Behind Tatar. light. Related Story
Max Domi-Phillip Danault-Artturi Lehkonen
This unit likely adds a unique element for the coaching staff, because it does a little bit of everything. It’s unlikely Lehkonen scores on just 7% of his shots again this year, and you’ll likely find him much closer to his 11% from his rookie campaign. Domi will be looking to make an immediate impact in a Canadiens sweater, and it will be interesting to see if playing in one of hockey’s best markets helps him thrive like his Father.
Paul Byron-Matthew Peca-Nikita Scherbak
Byron was able to score 20-goals for the second consecutive season and ultimately has earned his role after being a waiver claim from Calgary three seasons ago. Peca will be someone who I’ll be keeping a close eye on. He could potentially be a very good under the radar signing. You can argue that Hudon deserves a spot here, but I really like Scherbak in that role, and think he has more potential in the grand scheme of things.
Andrew Shaw-Tomas Plekanec-Joel Armia
After being dealt to the Leafs last season, it always seemed like a foregone conclusion that Plekanec would find himself back in Montreal as a free agent. With his durability and veteran presence, it’s hard to view this as a bad move for a young Canadiens team.
Extra: Charles Hudon
Do I think Hudon deserves a spot in the top-12? Yes. Do I think he could potentially be the odd man out to start the year? Also yes. A lot will depend on the health of Byron and Shaw, but with the amount of NHL bodies the Canadiens currently have, there will be a lot of competition for what’s likely to be just two spots up front.
Left out: Nicholas Deslauriers, Jacob De la Rose, Byron Froese, Hunter Shinkaruk
Projected Defence Pairings *Shea Weber IR*
Victor Mete-Jeff Petry
It might seem odd to some to pair Mete with Petry, but these are the two guys you are going to want to see with the most ice time on the Canadiens back-end. There’s also an intriguing factor of what these two skilled, smooth-skating defenceman will be able to do with each other given the circumstances.
Mike Reilly-Noah Juulsen
One thing that Reilly can certainly do is skate. The defenceman needs some technical work, and to think the game a little better, but there’s reason to believe he should be given a chance at success this year in Montreal.
Karl Alzner-Simon Desprès
There has never been any concern about whether Despres can play hockey. If not for concussions, Despres likely wouldn’t have to settle for a PTO with Montreal, but alas here we are. Despres hasn’t been the same player after multiple concussions, but if he can prove to be healthy, and that’s a big if, the Canadiens would be silly not to give him a chance.
Related Story. Getting to Know Desprès Ahead of the Season. light
Extra: David Schlemko, Jordie Benn
Schlemko can play his way back into the top-six, but he’ll need a great camp to get back in the Canadiens good books after a mostly dismal 2018.
If these eight defencemen make the big club, expect Xavier Ouellet and Brett Lernout to be the first call-ups.
Given this lineup, it’s tough to see the Canadiens sniffing anywhere near the playoff race, but that doesn’t mean this can’t be viewed as a valuable year for player development.
dark. Next. Training Camp Storylines
Kotkaniemi will likely be playing as a top-six center back in Finland, while Suzuki could see time down the middle on the top line in Owen Sound. Both players will play significant roles for their respective countries at the World Junior tournament, one that Canadiens fans will be keeping a close eye on.