Habs fourth line needs some attitude

Former Montreal Canadiens enforcer Chris 'Knuckles' Nilan feels the Canadiens fourth line needs some guys who aren't afraid to mix it up.

Michael Pezzetta is the lone forward on the fourth line who throws his weight around and has no issue dropping the mitts. Without him, the Habs offense doesn't exactly strike fear in opponents and he hasn't been a regular in the lineup. If the Habs want to be successful, guys like Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch are just what the team needs.

Since both aren't likely to touch Bell Centre ice this season, the Habs should get creative and bring in some character players. Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia have been keeping two spots warm, and while they aren't generally on the Habs fourth line, their departures could open up space for some fresh blood in the lineup, though.

As Nilan put it, the Habs need some players on their fourth line who don't go to church on Sundays. You can use your imagination to determine what exactly he means by that. Some guys that have the don't give a damn attitude would fit nicely in Montreal. Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble have that mentality on defence, and Josh Anderson sporadically brings that to the table, but some sandpaper could be just what the fourth line needs.

Crystal ball of the future

A lot happens over a couple of seasons, so what it may seem could be a potential line configuration of the future, might change after the next NHL draft. Right now though, if I were to predict what the Habs fourth line might look like in a few years, there are a couple of names that would be a fit. If Arber Xhekaj brings it on defence, his brother Florian is more of the same upfront.

I also like the idea of bringing Luke Tuch in at some point, and while he isn't one for the fisticuffs, he is hard to play against, and he throws heavy body checks. For the fact that he plays a heavy game in all three zones, I believe he is a viable option to fill a role sooner rather than later. Ideally, he will play another season down the American Hockey League, but I like his odds to play for the Habs in the future.

Right now, I like the thought of Pezzetta joining this version of the Habs fourth line, he is gritty, plays hard and is a throwback kind of player. I think he is the perfect example of what a fourth liner should be, and he gives 100% every shift. But, the Habs have a budding prospect pool, and a guy like Tyler Thorpe could play himself into the mix at some point as well.

It might not be a big conversation piece, but the Habs' fourth line of the future is something worth discussing. They might not score the big goals, but they do bring an identity and spades of character to the roster. Precisely what powers teams during the hard times of the Stanley Cup playoffs.