A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: Three Most Pleasant Surprises In First Week of Camp

By Ken MacMillan

BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK - SEPTEMBER 18: Matthew Peca #63 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with team-mates Cale Fleury #83, Alex Belzile #60, Otto Leskinen #64 and Jake Evans #71 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in pre-season action on September 18, 2019 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/NHLI via Getty Images)
BATHURST, NEW BRUNSWICK - SEPTEMBER 18: Matthew Peca #63 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with team-mates Cale Fleury #83, Alex Belzile #60, Otto Leskinen #64 and Jake Evans #71 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in pre-season action on September 18, 2019 in Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QC – SEPTEMBER 15: Montreal Canadiens defenceman Cale Fleury (83) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC – SEPTEMBER 15: Montreal Canadiens defenceman Cale Fleury (83) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

2. Cale Fleury

The Montreal Canadiens found a hidden gem when they took Cale Fleury in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He was buried on a miserable Kootenay Ice team where he played the first three and a half seasons of his four season Western Hockey League career.

He had 38 points in 70 games before the Habs nabbed him in the draft, but he also posted a miserable plus-minus of minus 61. Plus-minus is not the greatest statistical measurement on the planet, but when it is that extreme, it is noteworthy.

Except, in Fleury’s case, his plus-minus was a direct result of being on an awful team. The Ice allowed 158 more goals than they scored that season, so a minus-61 was just collateral damage for a top defenseman on a bad team.

Fleury turned pro last season and played well for the Laval Rocket. He scored nine goals and 23 points in 60 games. That is even more impressive when you consider he began the AHL season as a 19 year old. He earned a prominent role by the end of the season because of his ability to move the puck up ice and crunch the opposition with big hits as well.

Those qualities have been on full display during the NHL preseason. In his first exhibition game he played 19 minutes with Xavier Ouellet as his partner. In the first period he carried the puck out of his own zone and made a perfect pass to Nick Cousins in stride as he entered the attacking zone. Cousins fired a shot which resulted in a rebound that Nate Thompson buried. He also led the team with four hits.

Fleury was then moved to a pairing with Otto Leskinen. He continued his strong play against the Florida Panthers and is giving the Habs a lot to think about when it comes to the right side of their defense. Obviously Shea Weber and Jeff Petry lead the way, but Christian Folin is going to have to step his game up in the next week if he doesn’t wasn’t to be put on waivers after losing his job to Fleury.

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