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Montreal Canadiens: Growing Pains - All Part Of The Rebuild

By Tyler Major-Mcnicol |
Nashville Predators v Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages
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Montreal Canadiens X (formerly Twitter) has turned into a cesspool amidst the Canadiens free-fall down the Atlantic division standings.

Suggestions that Martin St. Louis needs to be given the chop, he has no control over the team; and Kent Hughes is blind to it. The honeymoon is over - the Canadiens aren’t competing well of late, so decisions need to be made. Why hasn’t Hughes made a move, this isn’t a playoff team. 

But a week ago, the same pundits sat comfortably in the woodwork. Things were so different then, but so much has changed in three games. This team is rebuilding while dealing with injuries and inconsistent goaltending; aside from Samuel Montembeault prior to the Bruins game.

The Canadiens aren’t expected to make the playoffs and the plan hasn’t changed. At the end of the day, the goal remains the same, to keep developing and improving. NHL trades will be made if there is an opportunity, but the future won’t be leveraged for a return. 

Nobody on the team will say they are rebuilding. A professional hockey player is wired to win and the team’s status doesn’t change that. But reality is telling, if the kettle is black, let’s not pretend it’s blue. 

Trading veterans on expiring contracts to contenders is the smartest route. It allows the Habs to add more draft picks to their bag. But it also allows the veterans to go compete for a Stanley Cup.

If they wish to re-sign in Montreal, Hughes could contact players during the offseason. I’m looking at you, Sean Monahan. Truthfully, losing him right now would massacre the Canadiens center core, a three-player group, but the return could be a first-round draft pick.

Trading Veterans At The Deadline Will Help The Team In The Long Run..

Should the Canadiens consider moving a player for draft capital or a return including a prospect, the Canadiens could improve their team for the long run. 

Going forward the goal is to get younger, while ensuring the young core is well supported. So it’s unlikely that Hughes trades away all the veterans. Understandably so. 

However, I thought we could dive into the three players who should be highly coveted as we speak. Players that will instantly impact the club they go to for an array of reasons. One of them also has a Stanley Cup ring. 

One has doubled as both a mentor and the Canadiens number two centre. Playing on both the powerplay and the penalty-kill. While remaining the clubs most efficient in the faceoff dot.

The third player has run the Canadiens' powerplay from the QB position since the beginning of the season. He plays the most minutes for the team every night. And he leads the blueline in points with 32 in 47 games. 

David Savard

Ottawa Senators v Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

Savard isn’t as fleet of foot as he once was, but he is the type of defender that you win with. Savard can serve as a mentor to young defenders and he leads by example. As a sixth or seventh defenseman, you could have much worse than Savard.

Savard is among the top shot blockers on the team each year. Offensively he won’t wow you, but the big man has decent mobility and a great first pass. And his Stanley Cup-winning presence is a great addition on the ice and in the dressing room. 

He has another year left on his current deal after the 2023-24 season. His cap hit is $3.5 million and while it’s a bit rich, salary retention could make it work. The value that he provides comes from his consistent play and he plays a simple rugged game. 

In the thick of the playoffs, having a veteran defender to help the team could be t

Sean Monahan

Monahan was brought in to be a single season rental, but found himself on IR early in the year. The Canadiens and Monahan agreed to a one-year extension that will last him through the remained of the season. With an expiring contract, Monahan has made the most of a healthy season.

He serves as the Habs second line pivot, with Dach out for the year. Monahan has played on the team’s number-one powerplay all season. The former Calgary Flame is one of the most efficient Habs in the faceoff circle and a stalwart on the penalty kill. 

It’s hard to quantify why Monahan is so important in words, you have to watch him play; then you realize what makes him so effective. Positionally he is so aware, which has rendered him a mentor for younger players trying to acclimate to the NHL. Very seldom is he out of position and his great vision makes him an easy choice to play alongside. 

You can never have too many centremen, especially during the playoffs; where depth often pushes teams over the hump. 

Mike Matheson

Matheson can be a frustrating player to watch, simply because he is so talented. This issue is that he overthinks and forces plays sometimes. But teams will certainly call Hughes wondering about Matheson’s availability.

Chances are, if you’re a contender you already have a powerplay quarterback on the number one group. That works perfectly for Matheson, who could slot onto the second unit and run an efficient powerplay from the blue line. In the playoffs, being able to exit the zone quickly and efficiently is crucial, Matheson’s vision, mobility and great first pass all contribute to consistent zone exits. 

Matheson can take the pressure off of primary offensive players. His ability to log 25-plus minutes a night should unquestionably garner interest. He rushes the puck up the ice himself regularly and he supports his forwards well in transition. 

Having two puck movers balances the skill throughout both defence pairs and powerplay units, which makes the team stronger overall. 

Final Thoughts

2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Round One
2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Round One / Bruce Bennett/GettyImages

Your guess is as good as mine - whether or not Hughes trades any of Matheson, Monahan or Savard. But the value cannot be ignored, it’s obvious that the Habs need some talent on offence. With the draft in June, the Canadiens could add some more picks ahead of the trade deadline. 

So long as the scouting makes good use of the arsenal of picks that Hughes accumulates, the team will continue to rise. The strength of the rebuild will ultimately come from the development staff's ability to push out NHL players. A method that has been used a bit recently, at least with Joshua Roy and Emil Heineman is brief NHL stints.

These stints allow players to get a feel for the NHL, which they bring back with them to the AHL to use as an assignment. Understanding weaknesses and strengths that can be worked on in the American league to prepare for the NHL, is a strong development strategy. It hurts to see Roy go back down, but with Laval playing better of late, adding Roy to the mix should help steady the offence.

It's not a process that just happens overnight, Tampa Bay and Boston built up their core over time. The Canadiens will require the same amount of time to get there, so suggesting that Marty has overstayed his welcome is ridiculous. If you listen to the players, they talk about Marty with a gleam in their eye, they have bought into his systems.

To be fully transparent, even with the new arrivals next season, the Habs will need another year to grow and develop chemistry. Rome wasn't built in one day and Patrick Roy didn't become famous for one game. Like Juraj Slafkovsky, the Habs will need a bit of time to slot the pieces into the best spot and then find consistency.

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