Canadiens Sign Petry to 6 Yr/$33M Contract; What's Next?

After what can only be described as a stroke of genius by Montreal Canadiens' General Manager Marc Bergevin at the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline, and an above-average contribution to help bolster the Canadiens' blue line in the latter part of the season and the playoffs, it was announced today that Jeff Petry signed a six-year, $33 Million contract to remain with the Habs.

The deal includes a full no-movement, no-trade clause, which has become a standard offering by teams wishing to sign trade deadline acquisition prior to them testing the free agent market come July 1st.

Many assumed that Petry, a native of Detroit, Michigan, wanted to sign with his home town Red Wings, however this year's playoff run, and the experience of playing with the league's most storied franchise, seemed to be enough to keep the 6' 3", 196 lbs defensemen with "Les Glorieux".

The signing now solidifies the top four defensemen on the Canadiens' blue line, with Norris trophy nominee P.K. Subban, veteran Andrei Markov and up and comer Nathan Beaulieu.

The last two spots and the role of the Canadiens' 7th defenseman are now up for grabs. While Alexei Emelin is still under contract until the 2017-2018 season, many observers believe, given the chatter about the Russian blue liner being dealt during the season, that the Habs may shop him around to try and alleviate themselves of the $4.1 Million cap hit his contract represents. Emelin has not looked anywhere as good as he did prior to injuring his knee against the Bruins on April 6th, 2013.

Emelin would definitely be a player teams would be interested in. His brutal physical assaults on opponents have brought many a Canadiens fan out of their seats, and would be a welcomed addition to any blue line. One team in particular, the Edmonton Oilers, might be a good fit. With the expected selection of Erie Otters' superstar Connor McDavid in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers will have to part ways with one of their young forwards. Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov have both been rumoured to be trading chips for Edmonton, but that may all change with the arrival of their new GM, Peter Chairelli.

That said, the Canadiens are in a situation that will force them to make some very difficult decisions. Jarred Tinordi, who played the majority of last season with the Habs' AHL affiliate, nursed a wrist injury for the majority of the season. His 6' 5", 218 lbs frame is a much need commodity on the Canadiens' back end, so the organization cannot afford to make the wrong decision in his case. Tinordi is a restricted free agent, and must be signed to an offer sheet prior to July 1st.

Veteran rearguard Tom Gilbert ran hot and cold all season for the Canadiens. While he showed flashes of why Marc Bergevin signed him in the off-season last year, he also made his share of defensive gaffs in his own zone. The inconsistency in his game may relegate the 32 year-old to the role of 7th defenseman, as was the case with former Hab Mike Weaver, whose game plummeted since he resigned with the club after some fantastic play in the 2013-2014 run to the Eastern Conference finals.

Then, there is Greg Pateryn. For the last two seasons, this analyst fully expected the American-born defenseman to crack the Canadiens' roster in 2012-2013, only to see get pushed back down to the AHL by the signings of Douglas Murray and the aforementioned Gilbert. In the latter part of last season, the native of Sterling Heights, MI showed he had all the necessary tools, the skills and the mindset to remain with the big club.

Now What?

With the defense accounted for, now the daunting task of adding supplemental scoring is what faces the Canadiens' brass. While GM Bergevin was unwilling to admit what needed to be done going into next season, it's all but a foregone conclusion that the Canadiens' 1st round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Alex Galchenyuk, will need to make the move to centre at the start of next season.

Galchenyuk has spent most of his first three NHL seasons on the left wing, bouncing from linemate to linemate, and restricted to playing up and down the half wall. Having watched quite a bit of his junior career with the Sarnia Sting, it's obvious that his biggest asset is his ability to use the entire offensive zone to create scoring opportunities. Despite Canadiens' coach Michel Therrien claiming his young forward needs to improve in his own zone, Galchenyuk finished last season with a +8 rating. He is oftentimes the first forward back in support of his defenseman, unlike some of his teammates who seem disinterested in defending their own zone.

With a move to centre, the Canadiens would now need to address the need for a scoring winger. Granted, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche last off-season in exchange for Daniel Briere to fill that need, but a string of concussion issues kept the veteran right winger from getting his game to where everyone expected it to be.

Many expect the Habs to make a move or two at the 2015 NHL draft in Sunrise, FL, and they may be right, but there is a name on the unrestricted free agent list that is definitely worth dealing a draft pick or two to get the negotiating rights for before the 2015 free agent frenzy begins.

Capitals' forward Joel Ward, who had 19 goals and 15 assists during the regular season and added another 14 points in the playoffs, can fit the bill nicely in my opinion. His size and physicality, along with his ability to finish from in tight, would be a much needed addition to the Canadiens' all but non-existent power play. His play along the boards, and ability to separate the puck from defenders would help the likes of Max Pacioretty and Galchnyuk, but allowing them to get into prime shooting areas in anticipation of Ward's puck retrieval prowess.

It's going to be a very interesting summer for Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens, and given the long term commitment given already to Jeff Petry, for once, this team will be the aggressor.

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Montreal Canadiens’ Alex Galchenyuk Looking For More Playing Time

After a month-long slump, the Montreal Canadiens’ most highly-touted rookie is finally showing signs of life for the struggling Habs. The 18-year-old American, who was drafted 3rd overall at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, scored his 7th goal of the season on Monday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

In his last 8 games, the versatile forward has notched 5 goals and 3 assists for 8 points to go along with a +2 plus/minus differential and 15 shots on goal. On the season, Galchenyuk (AKA Chucky) has recorded 8 goals and 15 assists for 23 points with an impressive +10 rating in 43 games with the Bleu Blanc Rouge. Galchenyuk has also 20 penalty minutes to go along with two game-winning goals and 72 shots on net (1.67 per game).  This ranks Galchenyuk 6th in scoring among rookies, behind players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nail Yakupov and his teammate Brendan Gallagher. He will certainly receive some votes for the Calder Trophy awarded to the best NHL rookie.

After going scoreless in 18 games from February 25th to April 4th, when he finally found the back of the net at home against the Winnipeg Jets, Chucky has finally regained his confidence and is clicking very well with linemate Lars Eller. Despite his offensive drought, the young forward has demonstrated great defensive qualities and a good positioning in his defensive zone this season after dominating junior hockey during the lockout.

Galchenyuk is currently ranked 6th among rookies both in scoring with 23 points and in the +/- category with a +10 differential. The big difference compared to the most productive rookies is that he is ranked 58th in time among rookies who have played at least ten games this season with an average of 12:24 minutes per contest.

While his teammate Brendan Gallagher is getting 2:17 minutes/game on the man advantage, Galchenyuk is barely getting any ice time on the special units, averaging a mere 1:03 minute/game on the power play. Heck, Chucky has only one PP point this season, recording a stunning 95.6% of his points at even strength. In fact, the former Starnia Sting star has recorded one point every 23.68 minutes of play.

Galchenyuk is producing despite the lack of PP time (Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports)

In comparison, the team’s #1 pivot Tomas Plekanec has notched one point every 26.06 minutes of play and team captain Brian Gionta has scored one point every 33.08 minutes of play. The best forward in this department is the other Habs’ rookie Brendan Gallagher with a point every 22.08 minutes of play.

With Brian Gionta slumping right now (only 2 goals in his last 13 games) and Michael Ryder missing last night’s contest with an upper-body injury, it would be a good opportunity for head coach Michel Therrien to use Galchenyuk and Eller with Plekanec on the first power play unit.

Galchenyuk has also been reunited with familiar linemates as Brandon Prust drew back into the line-up after missing Monday's contest with a shoulder injury. Prust will line-up beside Eller and Chucky, a trio that played very well together earlier this season.

Like Therrien did with Gallagher, it is time to increase Chucky’s playing time in prevision for the last stretch and the playoffs. The kid has proven that he is ready to benefit from more playing time, especially on the man advantage where other players have been underperforming this season, most notably David Desharnais (only 5 points) and Brian Gionta (only 6 points).

The Canadiens would make the most of Galchenyuk’s creativity and hockey IQ by rewarding him with more quality ice time with better players, rather than play only the remaining 20 seconds of a power play where he has practically no chance of putting points on the board.

Alex Galchenyuk undressing Robin Lehner on March 13, 2013

It’s time for a changing of the guard in Montreal, and Galchenyuk and Gallagher should be the main beneficiaries of this much-needed change in Habs land!

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Montreal Canadiens: Should Alex Galchenyuk play in the NHL this season?

Now that the NHL and the NHLPA finally managed to conclude a deal and agree to a new collective bargaining agreement yesterday morning, NHL training camps are slated to open between Wednesday and Saturday all around the league after the Board of Governors meets on Tuesday to officially ratify the new agreement.

Will Galchenyuk crack the Habs’ line-up? (Terry Wilson/OHLImages)

The exact specifics of the season are still unknown, but Habs fans should expect a 48-game season that will begin on January 19th, 2013 at Air Canada Centre against their division arch-rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. New general managerMarc Bergevin will be hard pressed to put a competitive roster on the ice after the Canadiens finished last in the Eastern Conference last season.

Bergevin will have to start negotiating withrestricted free agent PK Subban in order to sign the über-talented and charismatic defender to a long-term contract in time for the beginning of the shortened season. Another important decision that Bergevin and his new head coach Michel Therrien will have to make is whether or not to keep the Habs’ third-overall selection of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Montreal or send him back to his junior team, the Sarnia Sting.

Golden Gally

Overall, 2012 has been a successful year for the 18 year-old American. Galchenyuk played a key role in the United States’ gold medal victory over Sweden at the 2013 IIHF U-20 Championship, recording 2 goals and 6 assists for 8 points in 7 contests, to go along with a +2 plus/minus differential during the tournament.

Prior to his participation to the World Juniors, Galchenyuk had recorded 61 points in 33 games (27 goals, 34 assists) while posting a solid +16 plus/minus differential with the Sarnia Sting. Now back with the Sting, the native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, could finish the season with more than 100 points should he remain in the OHL.

Alex galchenyuk@AGally94

Yeah baby ! #2013WJC #usahockey pic.twitter.com/bmBQE6Yw

5 Jan 13

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Impressed by his performance at the World Junior Championship and in the OHL, many Canadiens fans are asking for the organization to keep Galchenyuk in Montreal for the whole shortened season. While that sounds interesting and tempting to bring the youngster up to play with the big boys like Nail Yakupov with the Edmonton Oilers or Jonathan Huberdeau with the Florida Panthers, the Canadiens would be wise to leave Gally in the OHL for the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign.

Alex Galchenyuk is tearing it in the OHL (Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE)

Still, look for the Canadiens to invite him to their one-week training camp to see what the young man can do against professional hockey players. The team currently has 13 forwards on a one-way contract, not including Louis Leblanc who played 42 games in the NHL last year and who is currently playing in the AHL for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Keeping Galchenyuk creates two problems for Michel Therrien and Marc Bergevin. First, the lack of playing time on the first two forward lines will be hard to come by. With the first-line of Erik Cole, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty set in stone to begin the season, and a probable second line of Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta and Rene Bourque, Galchenyuk, who can play center or right wing, would find himself playing with Lars Eller and Travis Moen on the team’s checking line. Not exactly the best way to develop a top draft pick!

The other hurdle is his entry-level contract. Should he make the NHL after the brief training camp, Gally would earn a prorated $3,225,000 over the remainder the season and burn one year of his entry-level contract. With PK Subban still unsigned (and most likely commanding a salary around $5 million per year) and the organization already tight against the salary cap at $63,897,976 (of $70,200,000), it is safe to assume that the organization would be best suited if they return Galchenyuk to Sarnia to polish his skills and continue to dominate among his group age.

Finally, with the Canadiens most likely battling for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference and not being serious Stanley Cup contenders, Galchenyuk would greatly benefit from a full junior season after missing most of last campaign due to a major knee surgery, and graduate with the Canadiens next September instead.

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A long-time Joe Sakic fan, Fred, 34, is a freelance sports writer and translator. Fred earned a Bachelor of Translation in 2002 at Laval University in Quebec City. He also writes on the Montreal Canadiens for thehockeywriters.com and he is an associate editor and a baseball columnist on Dobberbaseball.com. He is also fluent in English, French and Spanish.

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Gomez In Alaska? Gorges Playing Mentor, Subban Not Signing A Plus And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

We are now two weeks into the NHL lockout, and the news of NHL'ers flocking overseas to find work is starting to overshadow the endless CBA play by play.

Among the recent handful of outsourced NHL'ers is Canadiens own Scott Gomez. Or is he?

There were reports online yesterday that the Habs forward had signed with the Alaska Aces of the ECHL. Gomez, an Anchorage native played with the Aces during the previous lockout and lead the league in points.

Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette however, reported via twitter that Gomez simply signed a pro tryout contract with the team in order to practice with them and stay in shape.

Stubbs tweeted that Gomez had reached him through text assuring him that he would not be a part of the team during the lockout.

Habs and Hockey News

- In other Habs news, Josh Gorges has taken prospect Brendan Gallagher under his wing trying to help him develop into a pro.

- Nicholas Goss explains why not signing defenseman P.K. Subban before the lockout was not a mistake.

- Stu Cowan has in interesting - but not very encouraging - article on the lockout. Cowan spoke with Aubrey Kent, an associate professor of sport management at Temple University in Philadelphia. Kent shared his views on why the players can't win over economics.

-  Nail Yakupov has been cleared by Hockey Canada to play in the KHL.

-  If anyone is benefiting from this lockout it's the Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate.

- 40 of the top American born prospects eligible for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, will play today in the inaugural CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game at First Niagara Center in Buffalo.

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Alex Galchenyuk Will Get Nine-Game Look With Montreal Canadiens

Alex Galchenyuk's first moments as a Canadien

Greetings addicts!

As October takes its sweet time in arriving, there's more than enough question marks surrounding the Montreal Canadiens.

Most interesting to me is Alex Galchenyuk and what his immediate future holds. After all, when was the last time we had such a highly touted prospect in the system?

Let's just say I wasn't a Habs fan yet.

The "Nine-Game Look"

It's too early to tell if he will be the first draft choice in decades to make the jump to the Habs right away—Petr Svoboda being the last to do so in 1984—but my money is on Galchenyuk getting the nine-game look.

What is the nine-game look? Well, the NHL has a rule that a rookie player can play nine games in the league without it taking a full year off of their rookie status.

In other words, they can still be sent down after those nine games, come up the following year and still be a rookie.

When it comes to the Habs, it could be argued that their second and third lines would do well to play with familiarity players, or that nine games with the big club could negatively effect Gally's confidence.

But these shouldn't be things to worry about.

For the sake of Michel Therrien's head, I hope a good start to the season is in store, but fans will need to exercise some serious patients this time around.

In regards to confidence, well, just look at Mark Scheifele's rookie preseason with the Winnipeg Jets last year. He led the team in scoring with four goals and eight points in five games. Only Mike Ribeiro had more preseason points in the NHL. The Jets then gave him the nine games, where he showed to be lacking a bit of strength.

He was excellent against rookie-laden teams, but didn't learn much about himself until those nine games. Overall, though, it was a wholly positive experience for Scheifele.

Getting Back On His Knee

Unless he falls flat on his face, Gally should start the regular season a Hab for the same reasons Scheifele did. To find out where he's rusty and to really feel where his surgically repaired knee is at.

As former teammate Nail Yakupov will likely join the Edmonton Oilers from the get-go, there is a serious confidence boost to be had for Gally with a full year as the Sarnia Sting's top player—if not the OHL's top player.

That being said, one simply cannot rule out the possibility of him sticking with the team for good after those nine games.

Galchenyuk is a kid with an astonishingly complete game for his age. The only possible thing that could be called a weakness is his physical game, which isn't an essential asset if you do everything else well.

It is my opinion that if this...


...didn't happen, I may not even be writing about him right now.

Someone in Edmonton would be.

What do you guys think about the nine-game look? Are you nervous about the right thing being done to secure his full potential? If Gally maintains as complete a game as he's shown in the past and it translates to the NHL, should he still return to Sarnia for a season? Do you feel he needs to be more physical to be a No. 1 pivot in the NHL?

Let's hear it!

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Amos is freelance writer and columnist who covers prospects for HabsAddict.com. He also covers the Habs for RantSports.com. Follow Amos on Twitter and Facebook

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

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Yakupov for Subban, Rask Feels Ready, Reihart, Maillet and More

Good AM!

Richard Cloutier, the excellent Edmonton Oilers blogger at HockeyBuzz, came up with a rather interesting idea yesterday.

Trading P.K Subban for Nail Yakupov.

While I doubt this would ever happen, especially in the form of a one-for-one deal, his logic makes sense.

The Oilers have a wealth of top-six talent but, in spite of the acquisition of Justin Schultz, still need help on the back end. Conversely, the Montreal Canadiens could profit greatly from reuniting Nail with his Sarnia Sting teammate Alex Galchenyuk, whom the Habs drafted third overall in June.

Would you make this kind of a deal?

Habs and Hockey News

- Tuuka Rask says he feels ready to take on the starting netminder role following the departure of Tim Thomas. His numbers say he is ready as well. Over the last three years, his lowest save percentage was .918. Not too shabby. And you can bet the Boston Bruins will benefit from not having to deal with Tim Thomas' misguided political outbursts.

- Sportsnet counts down ten events that changed the game of hockey.

- The Vancouver Canucks have signed Alexandre Maillet to an entry-level contract. The 20-year old was a second round pick in this year's draft.

- The New York Islanders have inked Griffin Reinhart — their 2012 first round pick — to a deal has well.

- Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Fedorov will join the festivities at the Winter Classic in Michigan.






(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Draft Roundup, Yakupov goes first, Galchenyuk, Staal traded, Canadian teams, and more

Morning puck addicts!

So did you watch the draft last night? Or tune in online? Or by radio?

It's amazing how easy it is to get draft coverage in this day and age. It's also amazing what a big event it has become. And, despite all the hype, last's night's entry draft did not disappoint.

Aside from Nail Yakupov going first overall, the biggest news of the day was the ground shaking trade of Jordan Staal by the Pens. Pittsburgh moved their third line center (likely a first line center on any other team) to the Hurricanes to play with his brother.

In return they got Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin and the Canes' first round pick this year.

This was on the heels of Staal rejected a long-term deal from the Pens and you've got to respect the speed with which Pens GM, Ray Shero, dealt with that situation!

On the Habs front, Montreal picked Alex Galchenyuk third overall. And this kid is the perfect fit for a lineup that lacking for size up the middle.

Round Two of the draft picks today with the Habs holding two high second round picks (33rd and 51st), where several good players should still be available. So it should make for an exciting day!

Habs News

HabsAddict.com - 2012 NHL Draft: Get to Know Habs Draft Pick Alex Galchenyuk

RDS - Galchenyuk, l'homme du CH au 3e rang

TSN - CANADIENS SELECT GALCHENYUK WITH THIRD OVERALL PICK

Habsworld.net - Habs select Galchenyuk 3rd overall

Hockey Inside/Out - Who’s left in Round 2 for Canadiens?

Hockey News

TSN - OILERS SELECT YAKUPOV FIRST OVERALL IN NHL DRAFT

TSN - MAPLE LEAFS SELECT RIELLY WITH FIFTH SELECTION OF 2012 DRAFT

TSN - JETS ADD TROUBA WITH THE NINTH OVERALL SELECTION

TSN - SENATORS TAKE OTTAWA NATIVE CECI WITH 15TH PICK OF NHL DRAFT

TSN - FLAMES TAKE JANKOWSKI WITH 21ST PICK AT NHL DRAFT

TSN - STAALS REUNITED AS PENS TRADE JORDAN TO HURRICANES

THN - Round 1 winners and losers

ESPN - Jordan Staal trade a win for all

(Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Draft Day Roundup

Good morning Hab fans!

The reward for a 15th place is finally upon us, as the Montreal Canadiens get to cash in their third overall pick tonight at the 2012 NHL Draft in Pittsburgh.

What will Marc Bergevin do? Select the highly touted Filip Forsberg? Opt for defensive star Ryan Murray? Take a risk on Alex Galchennyuk? Trade the pick?

In any case, we have you covered this morning with a roundup of the best previews and analysis from HabsAddict and accross the web.

Also, do tell, what would you do if you were in Bergevin's shoes today?

Draft News

HabsAddict - Montreal Canadiens 2012 1st Round Draft Preview

HabsAddict - 2012 NHL Draft: Interview with Scout Rick Springhetti - Part I

HabsAddict - 2012 NHL Draft Preview with scout Rick Springhetti - Part II

HabsWorld - The History of the 3rd Overall Pick

La Presse - Galchenyuk, si le CH le peut

La Presse - Troisième, un choix hasardeux

RDS - Gilles Courteau est rassuré

Sports Illustrated - 2012 NHL Mock Draft -- First Round

The Hockey News - Ken Campbell: Bobby Ryan interest interfering with Rick Nash trade

The Hockey News - Ryan Kennedy: Mikhail Grigorenko happy to prove doubters wrong

The Hockey News - Brian Costello: Blended draft rankings list

TSN - Dreger: Nash headlines all pre-draft trade speculation

TSN - Insider Trading: Rating the trade market at the NHL Draft

USA Today - NHL draft could have American flavor

USA Today - 10 things to know about this year's draft

(Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

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2012 NHL Draft Preview with scout Rick Springhetti - Part II

With the draft only two days away we continue with Part II of our interview with McKeen's magazine scout, Rick Springhetti.

In Part I, Rick spoke about being a scout and the draft in general. In Part II, however, we get more specific and talk about the Habs.

So here goes part two...

On the Habs

Q: The Montreal Canadiens are picking third overall. If everything goes according to your rankings, that will mean Matthew Dumba will be playing in a Habs jersey in the not-so-distant future. Many have said this kid could be the next Scott Neidermayer, or Drew Doughty.

What is your assessment of Dumba?

A: I don’t think there’s a defenseman in this draft who has the potential to be anywhere near as good as those two but that’s not surprising, those are special players. Dumba has a lot of Subban in him but he’s not as reliable defensively.

What he does have over Subban is an ability to lay out very hard open ice hits.

Q: Can you see the Canadiens making a splash and selecting Malcolm Subban?

A: If he’s available in the second round, it could happen. I would think Montreal would look at drafting a goaltender as the cupboard is a little thin at that position in the system right now...mind you, after the top three of Vasilevski, Rask and Subban, there are a few more intriguing option for later on in the draft in Brandon Whitney, Matt Murray, Francois Brassard and Etienne Marcoux among others.

Q: OK, you get a call from Habs GM, Marc Bergevin, tomorrow morning...Trevor Timmins is fired and you are the new head scout. With what you know about the Canadiens and the upcoming draft—and assuming they don’t trade their pick—who is the player who you would love to pick at third overall, and why?

A: I think at some point, you may have to consider need, at least a little bit. So if it was up to me, Galchenyuk, Yakupov and Teravainen are three options that I really like for the Habs. All 3 have abilities with the puck that impress me.

Q: Many of the Canadiens prospects just finished having great runs at the Memorial Cup, playing key roles in the process. Out of all of the players currently in their ranks, who do you feel is closest to the NHL?

A: I believe that Tinordi is the closest. Beaulieu may have the biggest impact but someone like him, who is more creative with the puck, he has to take risks so he needs time to learn how the minimize mistakes.

Tinordi is already so big and his role will pretty much be strictly as a stay-at-home defenseman. I would like to see both play a full year in the AHL but at the end, their performances will dictate what will happen going forward.

Q: Is Brendan Gallagher NHL ready? Given his diminutive stature, can his skillset translate to success in the NHL and, if so, is he a top-6 forward or more of a top-9 guy?

A: I would think more of a top-9 guy. Due to his size, he does have to be matched-up in certain situations but then again, he’s proven to do better than expected and he’s fearless so he’s someone to keep an eye on.

One thing though, with the current (Habs) roster being what it is, he will have a tough time getting a spot (on the team).

Q: Who is the most underrated Habs prospect? Who is the best?

A: I would have said Morgan Ellis is the most underrated prospect a few weeks ago, but so many people have seen him during the Memorial Cup so they’re now aware of how good he’s become.

The one guy who I really enjoy watching is Darren Dietz. Still has some growing to do physically but once he does get bigger, he can be a stay-at-home defenseman who plays with some jam and, once in a while, can surprise opponents with some offense.

Josiah Didier is another one I like. His raw tools were better than I expected them to be when I saw him at the Habs development camp last summer.

On you

Q: You are very active in social media and, especially, the Twitterverse. How do you feel Twitter has changed hockey reporting and, more specifically, your job.

A: I think twitter is a fantastic tool to gain contacts mostly and to even meet up with people who don’t live in your area.

In recent years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting-up with people from Ottawa, Shawinigan, Quebec and Victoriaville when scouting games there so that’s been fun. The hard part to put up with is that some, because there’s a 140 character limit, seem to want to give opinions that require a lot more thought than Twitter allows.

A perfect example is the hiring of Michel Therrien.

Too many seem to classify him as either an excellent coach or a terrible one. Truth is that most coaches have strengths and weaknesses and success or failure is not only coaching but the players, the decisions made by management, a little bit of luck, etc.

Q: You have a reputation as someone who is always willing to talk hockey, as many on Twitter can attest to. How can people get in touch with you, see more of your work, and even ask you questions?

A: I can always be reached at rick1042@hotmail.com. I can’t always give too much details on prospects out of respect for the work we do at Mckeen’s but I will do my best to answer questions or comments when I can.

As always, Rick can be reached on Twitter @rick1042.

Missed Part I of the interview? Read it here.
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Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com. Kamal is also a regular on-air contributor on TSN 990, CJAD, and LiveSport New Zealand.

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter.

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