Montreal Canadiens: Top 3 Roster Battles To Watch At Training Camp

The Montreal Canadiens officially open training camp today. There are several key roster battles about to take place and here are the three biggest ones to keep an eye on during the exhibition schedule.

The Montreal Canadiens 2019-20 training camp is finally here! The offseason is over and it is finally time we get to see Habs players in their red white and blue jerseys once again. Of course, it won’t be long before we start asking when the preseason games finally end and we get to the real schedule.

However, there are many key position battles to be worked out during the exhibition schedule. The Canadiens have invited 57 players to their camp and will play seven preseason games. Their first exhibition contest is on Monday night against the New Jersey Devils.

Though there are close to five dozen players showing up for camp, many positions are already set in stone. I don’t think Carey Price is on the hot seat to keep his job as the starting goaltender. Shea Weber and Jeff Petry are clearly the first and second defensemen on the right side. Victor Mete, Ben Chiarot and Brett Kulak may battle each other for ice time on a given night, but it would be a shock if they weren’t the three defenders on the left side on opening night.

Up front, the trio of Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher played so well together it would be foolish to split them up now. Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin will also be playing top six roles next season.

However, there are some big roles still up for the taking during this year’s camp. There are several interesting young prospects with a chance to force their way into a prominent role right away with a great showing over the next three weeks.

Let’s take a look at the three biggest position battles and who are the players that will be fighting for those roles.

2. Who Will Be The Fourth Line Center?

The Canadiens didn’t make any huge signings in free agency this summer. They did sign some depth pieces, and it has created a bit of a logjam at the bottom of the roster. There is nothing wrong with having plenty of depth pieces, but it does lead to tough decisions at the end of training camp.

The Habs top three centers last season were Max Domi, Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. All of those players are returning, but the fourth line role is wide open. There are veterans, newcomers and rookies all battling for the job. Who are the top candidates?

The favourites:

Ryan Poehling

Poehling was a first round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2017. He had a stellar career at St. Cloud State, leading the Huskies to two seasons of being one of the best team’s in the entire country. He signed his entry-level contract when the Huskies season ended in April and made his NHL debut.

Poehling scored a hat trick in his only NHL game to date and added a shootout winner as well. Not a bad debut. He has the potential to be an excellent two-way center in the Ryan O’Reilly mold, but could he handle a fourth line role as a 20 year old? He will soon be a huge part of the Habs penalty kill and wouldn’t be on the fourth line for long before he moves up the lineup.

Nate Thompson

Nate Thompson is great at winning faceoffs. That’s about it. However, he did sign a one year contract extension shortly after last season ended. This would lead you to believe the Canadiens have plans for him. He is not going to play a top nine role, so the only spot for him would be as the fourth center. Keep an eye on his defensive play to see if he is reliable enough to play every night.

The longshots:

Nick Cousins

The Canadiens somewhat surprisingly signed Nick Cousins to a one year contract this summer. They appeared to have enough options for the bottom of the lineup, but again, what is wrong with a little extra depth?

Cousins played last season with the Arizona Coyotes and scored 27 points in 81 games. He is not a terrific skater, but is a smart defensive player who can be trusted to get the job done is his own zone. He has primarily played center, but only won 46.7 percent of his draws last season. There is a possibility he earns the fourth line center job, but he will have to prove he is a better option than Poehling and Thompson over the next few weeks. Otherwise he could find himself moved to the wing.

Jake Evans

Jake Evans was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL Draft by the Habs. He played four years at Notre Dame before making his pro debut last season. He was second on the Laval Rocket in points with 45 in 67 games. He looked good at the recent prospect camp as well and has a chance to make the NHL roster if he continues that play during the main training camp.

1. Who Will Win The Available Top Six Role?

The Canadiens finished last season with the Tatar – Danault – Gallagher line as their most reliable. They will stay together in all likelihood and Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin will also play top six roles. The final spot inside the top six is definitely up for grabs right now after being vacated by Andrew Shaw.

There are many options available to take on a top six role next season. Also, with Domi’s flexibility between center and wing, the possible combinations become even greater. Let’s take a look at the most likely players to grab the biggest role that is available during the Canadiens training camp this season.

The favourites:

Joel Armia

A year ago on the opening day of training camp Max Domi was centering a line with Drouin and Armia on his wings. The Canadiens definitely had high hopes for the Finnish winger after taking on Steve Mason‘s contract and immediately buying it out so they could land Armia.

He played a strong two way game last season and finished the year with 13 goals and 23 points in 57 games. That is close to a 20 goal pace for a player who rarely played in the top six once the regular season began. He definitely has a chance to take on the role that was first carved out for him last fall.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Kotkaniemi turned a few heads at this time last year. He was not expected to make the team, but he played so well he was put on the opening night lineup. His hockey sense, passing abilities and deceptive shot made him a threat at the NHL level as an 18 year old. He mostly played a third line role, but after surviving a full NHL schedule and an offseason of bulking up, he is ready to be even better next season.

There is no question Kotkaniemi is going to be a top six player for the Canadiens at some point. We are going to find out in the next few weeks if he is ready for that role right now.

The longshots

Paul Byron

Paul Byron was picked up off waivers from the Calgary Flames four years ago. Since then, he has proven to be an exceptional bottom six winger. He has two 20 goal seasons and scored 15 last year in 56 games. He is stuck behind Tatar and Drouin on left wing, but if anyone has the versatility to switch to the right side and not miss a beat it is Byron.

Nick Suzuki

Nick Suzuki was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights a year ago and since then has been one of the best players in Junior hockey. He is a super skilled winger with excellent puckhandling skills, vision and creativity. He just turned 20 last month, but has a chance to jump right from the Ontario Hockey League to the National Hockey League.

It is rare that a player jumps from Junior hockey to the Montreal Canadiens, but if anyone has the skills to do it, it would be Nick Suzuki. It will be worth keeping a close eye on training camp to see if Suzuki is ready for a role with the Habs.