Montreal Canadiens
Ben Chiarot – Shea Weber
Joel Edmundson – Jeff Petry
Brett Kulak – Alexander Romanov
Ben Chiarot and Shea Weber proved to be a great two-way pairing last season that could shoulder an enormous load. They each played more than 23 minutes per night and made opponents pay the price every time they went into the Habs zone.
Petry is a two-way force on the Habs blue line, scoring 40 points (again) and playing 23:38 per game last season. He signed a nice contract extension that will keep him around town for the next five seasons and he will once again play big minutes at even strength, on the power play and while shorthanded. Edmundson is an interesting addition for that second pairing as he really fits the same frame as Chiarot. He is more of a stay-at-home type than Petry which should allow Petry to join the rush without anxiety this season.
Brett Kulak was great for the Canadiens in the playoffs last season and looked fantastic next to Petry in the regular season as well. If Edmundson doesn’t fit well there, a swap could happen quickly. If not, having Kulak on the third pair gives the Habs nice depth. Alexander Romanov has the skills to step in and be a physical force but he is also getting some power play time in training camp, showing he is more than just a hit machine.