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Montreal Canadiens likely to wait until 2019 for burst of youth

By Zachary Cook

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: The Montreal Canadians draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: The Montreal Canadians draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
OTTAWA, ON – OCTOBER 15: Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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 

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