Canadiens: Analyzing Julien’s Fourth Lines at Training Camp

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Montreal Canadiens options for the fourth line.

With the Montreal Canadiens opening training camp Monday, there were a lot of new and old faces on the ice at Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. GM Marc Bergevin made several changes to the team’s lineup over the course of the off-season These changes and additions were made to each facet of the team.

One thing that Bergevin made clear this fall was the team needed to be harder to play against. Early on, he made the acquisitions of skilled, power forwards Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli. With both players expected to be integral parts to the team’s forward line, it will force some top nine regulars to play further down the lineup.

In December, the NHL announced that the season will begin on January 13 and the league will be split into four separate divisions of 7 to 8 teams. They had also made it clear that teams must respect league-and governmental safety protocols and procedures regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Players will need to undergo regular COVID testing. In the event a player is diagnosed with the virus, they must quarantine. This will require a team to resort to its player depth for answers. With the AHL season standing without a clear start date, teams must travel with a taxi squad to be able to call up non-roster players on the go.

With that in mind, Bergevin made two key depth signings by bringing in veterans Michael Frolik and Corey Perry. They bring in some skill, size, and experience while also being players Julien will be able to rely on in case of injury or a player being out due to COVID.

It will be interesting to see how Claude Julien decides to juggle his lines this season given the current circumstances. He has a lot of options for his bottom three with a good mix of skill, grit, and experience at his disposal.

TORONTO, ONTARIO – JULY 28: Paul Byron #41 of the Montreal Canadiens takes the puck in the third period against the Toronto Maple Leafs during an exhibition game prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /

Byron – Evans – Lehkonen

As training camp began, HC Claude Julien decided to place F Tyler Toffoli away from his usual right-wing position, playing him on the left side of center Jesperi Kotkaniemi on the third line. This allowed for winger Joel Armia to retain his position alongside his fellow countryman on a crucial third line that brings both skill and grit.

With this sudden change, it seems as though regular middle six forwards Paul Byron and Arturri Lehkonen will become regular fourth liners barring injury or sickness. Jake Evans is no surprise here as he showed last year that he could give the team everything they need from a bottom six center.

Evans played 13 games last season after being called up from Laval in wake of the team’s desperate need for forward depth. He put up three points with an average of 10: 21 minutes of ice time. However, the most important statistic for him is his 51.8 faceoff percentage.

Despite the small sample size, he ranked third on the team in that category behind the long since traded Nate Thompson (55.12) and number one center Phillip Danault (54.49). He can become a solid and reliable faceoff taker for Claude Julien, being able to take defensive zone faceoffs during lead defenses and on the penalty kill.

Arguably one of Marc Bergevin’s best acquisitions of his career (thank you Calgary), Paul Byron has shown in the past that he can be more than your regular bottom six forward. He posted two 20+ goal seasons (22 in 2017 and 20 in 2018) and reaching career highs in points during his five-year tenure with the team.

However, he is coming off an injury plagued season where he played only 29 games, scoring 10 points. His stock with the team has dropped, especially with this year’s acquisition of forwards. Despite this, he still proves his worth with his unbelievable speed, leadership, and skill that is incredibly valuable to the team’s bottom-six.

One player who seems incredibly out of place here is winger Arturri Lehkonen. He has played the most part of his four-year career on the second and third lines, putting up 20+ point seasons in each one. He has shown to be one of the team’s best defensive players, averaging 2:25 mins per game on the penalty kill, being a plus player in the last two seasons.

Having Lehkonen on the fourth line will be considered a luxury with the current depth as he can do pretty much anything you ask of him while being able to produce at the same time. However, it will be interesting to see what he can do playing without his fellow Finns in Kotkaniemi and Armia.

A combination of these three will bring in a lot of skill, speed and energy to the team while being able to make defensive zone clearances and crea6te scoring chances.

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – SEPTEMBER 26: Corey Perry #10 of the Dallas Stars celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second overtime period. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Frolik – Poehling – Perry

At camp, HC Claude Julien was running another potential fourth line that included newly acquired forwards Michael Frolik and Corey Perry, along with top Montreal Canadiens prospect Ryan Poehling in the middle. Each player brings his own level of skill and production while also being able to bring a lot of physicality. We can call this line Montreal’s ‘goon’ line so to speak.

Michael Frolik’s production has dipped over the last season, failing to hit the 20-point mark for only the second time in his twelve NHL seasons. It does not seem unlikely that he will ever be able to reach 30-40 points in again, especially playing as a fringe fourth starter. However, he brings in a big body presence at 6”0 and 195 pounds. He will be able to hit, play in the corners and bang in a few pucks here and there.

Ryan Poehling will get another crack at making the Montreal Canadiens’ main squad this year. However, if he does manage to impress at camp, the only spot for him seems to be on the team’s fourth line, where he will be competing with Jake Evans. It is unlikely to see him usurping any of the players Julien has currently playing on the third line.

Poehling has not yet managed to hit his stride in the pros, putting up 13 points in 36 games with Laval and 2 points in 27 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. His ice time and usage played a big factor in limiting his production (10:23 minutes on average) but the Montreal Canadiens management expects more from the 22-year-old who was named World Junior Championship MVP in 2019.

However, Poehling’s ceiling remains high and can still surprise people during camp and over the course of the season. His physical presence is unmistakable at 6”2 and 204 pounds and can make life a little bit difficult for opponents.

What more can we say about Corey Perry? He can hit, make plays, score goals, and will be a huge veteran presence for the team’s rising stars. In this year’s playoffs, the 34-year-old was an important part of Dallas’ Stanley Cup Final run, playing physical and posted 9 points in 27 games in the playoffs. Perry will especially be a big help for Ryan Poehling as he looks to develop his game in a similar style to Perry’s.

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