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Montreal Canadiens: In Other News… Series Deficit, Lineup Changes, AHL Signings

By Scott Cowan |
Jul 2, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 2, 2021; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens Phillip Danault. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
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As an avid fan of the AHL myself, I’ve been a noted supporter of how Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin, has been handling the Laval Rocket’s off-season. Though, considering how things have been going for the Canadiens over the past few months, I doubt many of you took notice of it. Heading into Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Finals series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, it seems as though Montreal’s proverbial bubble has been burst.

Facing what many consider to be the NHL’s best team, the Habs haven’t managed to turn their series in their favor or get the bounces to go their way in spite of some relatively solid play. Had it not been for a shaky start to Game 3 that resulted in a 2-0 lead early on, however, we might’ve been singing a different tune, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be, with Montreal ultimately losing 6-3. With numerous developments having come up in the lead-up to Monday’s potential series clincher, here’s a look at what’s been going on recently, in other news… for the Montreal Canadiens.

Lineup Changes a Possibility for Canadiens Following 3-0 Series Deficit

Over the course of this postseason, the Canadiens have made numerous changes to the lineup most were familiar with over the course of the regular season. The Habs long standing first line of Tomas Tatar, Brendan Gallagher, and Philip Danault? Gone. After producing just 1 assist over his first 5 games as Montreal went down 3-1 in their first round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tatar was relegated to the press box and hasn’t returned since.

In spite of being a positive presence off the ice alongside fellow black aces like Alex Belzile, fans and analysts alike are now tempting the idea of inserting Tatar back into the lineup come Game 4, alongside some notable defensive adjustments. Theirs no beating around the bush here. Montreal’s third pairing of Erik Gustafsson and Jon Merrill hasn’t played well.

Now granted, when I caught wind that the Canadiens had acquired Gustafsson, I was excited to see the former 60-point option join Montreal, in spite of a less than stellar start to 2020-21 in Philadelphia. Well, unfortunately, that less than stellar start carried over into the post-season, as aside from a clutch powerplay marker in Game 4 of their second round series against the Winnipeg Jets, he’s been virtually invisible, ditto Merrill in spite of some solid plays here and there.

While the two are listed in Montreal’s lineup as their third pairing, for the most part head coach Dominique Ducharme and interim head coach Luke Richardson have chosen to flip flop the two between the other two pairings. With Brett Kulak and Alexander Romanov continually waiting in the wings in spite of continually solid play, it remains to be seen whether Ducharme will opt for the three now rested options come Monday’s potentially deciding Game 4, with both Kulak and Romanov have performed well when slotted in.

BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND, QC – FEBRUARY 08: Danick Martel. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
BLAINVILLE-BOISBRIAND, QC – FEBRUARY 08: Danick Martel. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Laval Rocket Sign Danick Martel to One-Year, AHL Deal

As I stated earlier, the Rocket have made numerous solid AHL-contracted additions over the course of this off-season, and in my opinion, Danick Martel is one of the most intriguing. An undrafted product of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, Martel has primarily bounced around the AHL since being picked up by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2014-15. In spite of posting 48-54-102 totals over 64 games that season, Martel’s small 5’08, 176-pound frame resulted in him getting his start with the AHL’s Leigh Valley Phantoms. Since earning a regular shift in his rookie season, Martel has established him as a consistent, reliable top-six option with some notable offensive upside at times, with four 20-goal seasons under his belt.

After putting up 25-15-40 totals over 59 games in 2017-18, Martel earned his first cup of coffee with the Flyers, subsequently seeing action with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2018-19 after being claimed off waivers. In spite of injuries limiting him to just 13 games total that season, Martel has managed to rebound with solid 6-8-14 totals over 24 games in 2020-21, playing off his first AHL deal with the Binghamton Devils.

Possessing soft hands, decent skating and a quick release, Martel is your prototypical AHL scorer, and should be a perfect fit into Joel Bouchard’s system with his something to prove mentality, now playing on his second consecutive AHL contract. Should he be able to get a hot start and find some chemistry with fellow AHL additions like Gabriel Bourque and Yannick Veilleux, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Martel finds himself with a league minimum deal with the Canadiens in the near future.

Carl Neill, Charles-David Beaudoin, Signed to Two-Way AHL Deals

Leading on from Martel’s addition, the Rocket have also picked up too less heralded defensive options in Quebec Natives Carl Neill and Charles-David Beaudoin, signing both players to one-year, two-way deals. Neill, a product of the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, was taken as a fifth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2014 NHL draft, yet never saw action nor a contract with the Canucks aside from a few training/rookie camp appearances. Posting 13-56-69 totals over 67 games in his over-ager season in 2016-17, Neill brings a lot of intriguing qualities to the table.

With a solid 6’01, 200-pound frame and decent puck moving abilities, Neill has spent the past three seasons with Concordia University’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team, much like former discussed alumnus Anthony Beauregard, before being picked up by Laval out of the Danish league. Continuing his solid offensive production at Concordia, Neill is a toss-up as to where he’ll fit into Montreal’s system. While it’s expected he’ll see time with the Trois-Rivieres Lions first, due to the two-way nature of his contract, his offensive abilities/potential leave me thinking otherwise.

In Laval’s mostly, if not entirely lost initial 2017-18 season, a number of surprise producers came through the grapevine as the Rocket struggled to dress a full roster, let alone win a game. Willie Corrin, a brief addition who put up solid 1-3-4 totals over 7 games, has since found a consistent role in the ECHL and overseas, and in my mind, is a player not too dissimilar to Neill, possessing gifted playmaking abilities and experience as a powerplay quarterback.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Beaudoin, an undrafted product of the Drummondville Voltigeurs who, like Neill, spent time in U Sports with the University of Trois-Rivieres. A Drummondville native, Beaudoin is a stay-at-home defenseman through and through, having managed to briefly find a stable role in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Since then, however, Beaudoin has primarily bounced around the ECHL, having spent this past season with Linz EHC of the Austrian league. In spite of a less than ideal 5’10, 180-pound frame, Beaudoin plays much bigger than that and could find an immediate role with the Lions as a fan favorite/captain, not too dissimilar from the St. John’s Icecaps experiment with Julien Brouillette in 2016-17.

GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 18: Eric Belanger (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – JANUARY 18: Eric Belanger (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Eric Belanger Named Head Coach of Trois-Rivieres Lions

Now, as a bit of ancillary content (and something admittedly much less recent than these other developments), the Trois Rivieres Lions now have their first bench boss in former NHL forward Eric Belanger. Along with former Canadiens defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron being named GM, Belanger should bring experience and a calming presence to the first-year team.

A former fourth round pick of the LA Kings in the 1996 NHL draft, Belanger found a consistent shift in the NHL after making his debut in 2000-01, getting into 820 games split across 7 teams, with 138-220-358 totals. Since retiring after a brief stint in the KHL in 2013-14, Belanger has found work with a number of U-16, Midget Espoir and Midget AAA teams, both in the USA and Quebec. After spending the past two seasons as head coach of QMAAA’s Levis Chevaliers, he’ll see his first professional gig with the Lions.

With a city brimming with excitement over the prospect of a new team, and a number of untested rookies and junior products coming into Montreal’s system, Belanger should be a solid fit, comparable to Bouchard’s tenure with the Rocket, and with the right touch, can, in my mind, turn the Lions into a true contender similar to the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, who found immediate success with a Kelly Cup title in their first season.

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