The Montreal Canadiens have put an onus on keeping the younger players together, rather than insulating them. This clearly indicates that expectations for the best offensive players are high, and management wants to watch them get to work.
On Monday the Canadiens practiced in Brossard, before making their final two cuts, just two days ahead of their regular season debut clash against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
While having some insurance insulation will be an important factor for the younger guys, and while the Canadiens didn’t put veterans with the under-23 players, they did ice an interesting third line. Sean Monahan centred a line between two veteran wingers, Tanner Pearson on the left wing, and Brendan Gallagher on the right. This line might not sound too interesting, but there’s a good chance that they become a very important trio.
Not only do they provide a veteran presence in a young lineup, but they also provide the team with a line that will give the opposition headaches each and every night. The trio has a nice blend of tenacity, high hockey IQ and responsible two-way play. They also complement one another offensively, Monahan is the shooter, but he also loves to screen the goalie and deflect point shots, Gallagher’s office is in and around the net, and he has no problem mixing it up with defenders, and Pearson is a bit of an unknown to Habs fans, but he has the Stanley Cup pedigree, and he plays the game the right way, he is a solid playmaker and he will help Monahan to ensure the line is responsible.
I love the fact that they were all put together after the young top six, and they bring some nice veteran leadership and presence to help Nick Suzuki lead the team through the rebuild. As mentioned Pearson is the new shiny piece and hasn’t really introduced himself to the Habs’ faithful yet, but given that his two linemates are smart and easy to play with, his strengths will only enhance the line. What are those strengths though, well that’s exactly where I will start in this exercise with the newest part of the line.