Montreal Canadiens: Depth Chart And Player Movements

One week before the 2014-15 season, the Montreal Canadiens' roster is most likely settled for the beginning of the upcoming campaign, unless GM Marc Bergevin manages to shed some salary or fix the goalie situation. There won't be many surprises in training camp like last season when Michael Bournival made the team thanks to a solid training camp.

At forward, if we take into account that Jiri Sekac has all but officially made the team, the Habs currently have 14 forwards slated to begin with the season in the NHL following the departure of veterans Brian Gionta, George Parros and Tomas Vanek, among others.

On defense, the team's top five is settled, with Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi battling for the sixth and last regular spot. Unless the Canadiens decide to sign veteran Francis Bouillon as an insurance policy, there won't be any surprise on the back end either. Currently in the lead, Beaulieu is expected to begin the season in the top-6, relegating journeyman Davis Drewiske to a reserve role as it should be. As you know veterans Josh Gorges (Buffalo) and Douglas Murray (UFA) will not be back this season with the team.

The biggest question mark right now is in net as we still don't know who will be Carey Price's back-up. So far, Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski have both played well in pre-season so it might comes down to whoever is the less likely to be claimed off waivers that will head to the AHL, while the winner has the chance to back-up Price.

Habs Depth chart:
Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Max Pacioretty David Desharnais Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau
Rene Bourque Tomas Plekanec Jiri Sekac
Alex Galchenyuk Lars Eller Brendan Gallagher
Brandon Prust Manny Malhotra Dale Weise

Extras: Travis Moen, Michael Bournival

Defensemen:
Andrei Markov Tom Gilbert
Alexei Emelin P.K. Subban
Nathan Beaulieu Mike Weaver

Extras: Davis Drewiske

Goaltenders:
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski/Peter Budaj

The Canadiens really improved their AHL depth during the off-season, signing career AHLers Joey MacDonald, Jake Dowell and TJ Hensick, and adding a few more players who are making the transition from junior hockey to the AHL, namely Charles Hudon, Tim Bozon, Mac Bennett and Jacob de la Rose, to name a few.

With the arrival of new prospects, transitioning from Europe and the CHL, Hamilton will be much more competitive than last season. The team should be able to leave the basement of the AHL unless head coach Sylvain Lefebvre continue to be stubborn and hinder the players' development.

Bulldogs Depth chart:

Left Wing Centre Right Wing
Jacob de la Rose T.J. Hensick Christian Thomas
Tim Bozon Gabriel Dumont Sven Andrighetto
Nick Sorkin Charles Hudon Patrick Holland
Connor Crisp Jake Dowell Jack Nevins

Extras: Stefan Fournier, Daniel Carr, Maxim Macenauer

Defensemen:
Jarred Tinordi Greg Pateryn
Mac Bennett Darren Dietz
Joe Finley Dalton Thrower

Extras: Bobby Shea, Morgan Ellis, Magnus Nygren (Back to Sweden?)

Goaltenders:
Peter Budaj/Dustin Tokarsi
Joey MacDonald
Mike Condon (if Budaj or Tokarski is claimed off waivers or traded)

I don't expect the Canadiens to sign defenseman Francis Bouillon and forward Drayson Bowman, who are both attending the camp on professional try-out.

I hope the above gives you a bigger picture of the organization's depth chart and shows you that the team is making every effort to rebuild its pool of quality prospects through the draft and the free agency.

Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98 if you want to talk puck and Habs.

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Save The Date: Some Key Habs Games for 2014-15

Greetings Habs addicts!

As training camp progresses forward - how about that Jiri Sekac!? It is time to take a look at the upcoming schedule and mark some key dates on the calendar. Last season was a special season for the Canadiens, advancing as far as the Eastern Conference Final before bowing out to the New York Rangers, who promptly bowed out to the powerhouse Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup final. Looking ahead at the 2014/15 season, here are some entertaining games to look forward to throughout the season:

Photo Credit: HockeyInsideOut.com

Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Wednesday October 8, 2014
The season opens on the road against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Although the Leafs have been afterthoughts come playoff time seemingly every non-strike shortened year for the past decade, they tend to start strong every season and have a very physical style that gives the Canadiens trouble. Last year this same season opening match-up led to the downfall of George Parros, as he suffered a horrible concussion while scrapping with Colton Orr. The Leafs did not improve much this off-season, choosing to bring back former role players in Matt Frattin and Leo Komorov. A win here always starts the season off right.

Boston Bruins @ Canadiens
Thursday, October 16, 2014
After starting the season out with four games on the road, the Canadiens return to the Bell Centre welcoming their bitter rival the Boston Bruins for the home opener. Fresh off last season's heated playoff series, the Bruins will be looking to avenge the playoff loss and ruin what is always an incredible atmosphere for opening night. The Bruins were strapped by the salary cap this off-season and did not make any significant improvements while watching Jarome Iginla take his 30 goals to Colorado. As always, this will be a tough game after a truly captivating opening ceremony.

Colorado Avalanche @ Canadiens
Saturday October 18, 2014
Fresh off the emotions from the home opener, the fans get a couple of days to recover before they welcome back Patrick Roy and his Colorado Avalanche squad. Last year, St. Patrick's homecoming as a head coach was quashed by a hat-trick performance from Thomas Vanek in a 6-3 Canadiens win. Vanek is in Minnesota now, but an off-season trade between the two clubs saw Daniel Briere head west and P.A. Parenteau arrive in Montreal. Expect both to show up and do their best to exact revenge against their former clubs.

New York Rangers @ Canadiens
Saturday October 25, 2014
Prior to a three-game western Canada road trip, the rematch of the Eastern Finals happens in Montreal, but this time with Carey Price in goal instead of Dustin Tokarski. The Canadiens dominated the regular season match-ups the past two seasons before the Rangers stepped up in the wake of Martin St. Louis' mother passing away and man-handled the Canadiens throughout the series en route to a 4-2 series win. Revenge will be on the Canadiens' mind and Chris Kreider should keep his head up as fans and players remember how he took out Price early on in the series. Expect Kreider to receive the Zdeno Chara treatment from the sold out Bell Centre crowd.

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Canadiens
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins make their first appearance of the season in Montreal. Sid grew up as a Habs fan and anytime these two teams match up, defense seems to be put by the wayside and a shootout ensues. While this game will not have much bearing on the standings, there always seems to be an entertainment factor involved with these high scoring affairs.

Buffalo Sabres @ Canadiens
Saturday, November 29, 2014
On the back end of a home-and-home series, former captain Brian Gionta and defenceman Josh Gorges make their return to the Bell Centre. While this is the third match-up of the season between the two teams, it will be the first time those two players get to face their former mates in the town they used to call home. Expect emotions to be high, especially for Gorges who never wanted to leave the city to begin with. While the Sabres are expected to be a bad team and the Canadiens should win easily (knock on wood), a big ovation should be expected for both players prior to the start of the game.

Los Angeles Kings @ Canadiens
Friday, December 12, 2014
While this match-up will not truly affect the standings, there is something to be said about seeing how you match up against the team that won it all the year prior. The Kings are a powerhouse of an organization and locked up deadline acquisition Marian Gaborik to a seven year extension this off-season. Last year, the Canadiens lost both games played including an embarrassing 6-0 drubbing in Montreal. Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Drew Doughty, Jon Quick and company are looking to repeat this season. This will be a true test to see where the Habs rank this season.

Washington Capitals @ Canadiens
Saturday, January 31, 2015 @ 1:00 PM
Arizona Coyotes @ Canadiens
Sunday, February 1, 2015 @ 1:00 PM
The annual Superbowl weekend tradition of matinee games. This year Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals come to town on Saturday while the Arizona (formerly Pheonix) Coyotes make their lone appearance in Montreal on Superbowl Sunday. Always a fun weekend of sports in Montreal.

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Canadiens
Saturday February 14, 2015
There will be no love on Valentine's Day between these two teams or their respective fans as the Maple Leafs make their first appearance of the season in Montreal. Throngs of fans will make the trek up Highway 401 from Toronto to create one of the most energetic atmosphere's in sports. The crowds are always split for this match-up and Hockey Night in Canada viewers will hear a "Go (garbled gibberish) GO!" chant throughout the game as both sides try to out-do the other cheering on their favorite teams. Where these two teams sit in the standings will also add to the excitement as we are entering the second half of the season and the games begin to have more meaning, especially division match-ups such as this one.

Canadiens @ San Jose Sharks, 
Canadiens @ Anaheim Ducks, 
Canadiens @ Los Angeles Kings & 
Canadiens @ Arizona Coyotes
Monday, March 2 - Saturday March 7, 2015
Easily the toughest week on the calendar for the Canadiens this season as they make the annual West Coast road trip. Four games against three of the NHL's best teams in six days is extremely tough. Last year, Dustin Tokarski filled in admirably for the injured Carey Price, making 39 saves in his first start as the Canadiens beat the Ducks 4-3 in a shootout in what proved to be Saku Koivu's last game against the Habs as the former captain retired this off season. That was the only win on the road trip as they lost 2-1 to Los Angeles, 5-2 to the Coyotes and 4-0 to the Sharks. Safe to say the Canadiens want to have a little more fun in the sun this time around.

Canadiens @ Toronto Maple Leafs
Saturday, April 11, 2015
The season comes full circle as the Habs round out the regular season with one final match-up in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. This will be the fifth and final regular season match-up against the teams and in years past, it has had some significant bearing in the standings. Expect it to be one more barn burner before the playoffs begin. As great as this match-up always is, its even more special when it has meaning. There is nothing like knocking the other team out of playoff contention on the last day of the season. If all goes well, it will be Montreal eliminating Toronto and not vice versa.

There you have it, Habs addicts, some great match-ups to look forward to. While every game is always entertaining, some are just a little more special than others. Be sure to listen to the Pre-Game and Post-Game shows on MontrealHockeyTalk.com and participate in the Tweet Chat using the Hashtag #MtlHockey. Corey Collard, Rob Elbaz, Steve Hindle, Nick Murdocco and Coach K bring some of the most interactive and uncensored analysis of each and every game. If you haven't listened before, make this the season you tune in. You will not be disappointed!

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Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

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A Look At The Habs Prospects and Veterans Heading Into the 2014-15 Season

Greetings Habs Nation,

With the NHL pre-season finally under way, fans have been getting the opportunity to see the Montreal Canadiens' prospects in action. While anybody with the Internet and more specifically, Twitter, has been able to read what analysts, scouts and teenagers in their parents' basements have to say about each and every Hab hopeful, now is their chance to see for themselves.

I'll be honest with you, I missed last night's 3-2 exhibition match against the hated  Boston Bruins as I had a game of my own. I did however, get a chance to attend the Canadiens intra-squad scrimmage at the Bell Center the night before. There are quite a few rookies as well as roster players I was looking forward to seeing and so I'll be sharing my thoughts on them with you here.

Prospects

- Nikita Scherbak: May as well start with the Habs' first overall pick in the 2014 draft. Scherbak played on a line alongside Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. While it's clear that the 18-year -old Scherbak won't be cracking the line-up for the upcoming season, he was very impressive and meshed very well with fellow countryman Galchenyuk. The two Russians... well the one Russian and the one kind of Russian (mostly raised in U.S., but he still has a super Russian name), seemed to have found chemistry right away and had a nice give-and-go play which Galchenyuk finished off with a beauty of a goal on Zachary Fucaly.

I feel I should also point out that the Scherbak earned the fans votes as the game's MVP. I was impressed by his play, but if I had a say (which apparently I did, I just didn't do it) I would've gone with someone else which I'll get to later. Spoiler alert: It's Jiri Sekac.

Again, Scherbak is still only 18 and can use some time to fill out, but it seems as though the Canadiens scouting staff may have picked quite a special player in Nikita Scherbak.

- Jiri Sekac: As mentioned above, Sekac would've earned my vote as the game's MVP. This was the player I was most eager to see as he is said to be the early favourite to crack the Habs roster this season. What I liked most about his play was how obvious it was that he wants the puck. Too many times I find that players try to make fancy plays and are afraid to be labelled as "selfish players" and so they'll look for the pass, no matter the situation. This isn't to say that Cakes (his nickname due to it being the spelling of his name backwards, a name I would've loved to come up with myself but alas... I didn't) doesn't share the puck, but he's confident enough to dangle around the opposition rather than throw the puck away at the first sight of a defender.

He's got size standing at 6"2' 195 lbs and seeing as he's still only 22 years old, he'll be filling out in the coming years. Just as Scherbak had noticeable chemistry with his kind of fellow countryman Galchenyuk, Sekac was playing on the same page as his Czech line-mate (and one quarter captain) Tomas Plekanec.

With all this said, I can't help but agree with fellow Habs Addict writer, Fred Poulin, in saying that Jiri Sekac is the early favourite to crack the roster.

- Michael McCarron: Anybody else worried about the Canadiens' first round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft here? I'm hoping he had a strong showing against the Bruins last night because I wasn't overly impressed with him in the Red vs. White scrimmage. He threw a few hits and was a good 19 inches taller than most of the other skaters, but other than that he did very little, if anything, to stand out.

There's no question that McCarron will be sent back to the London Knights of the OHL, though it isn't necessarily a bad thing. With the plethora of talent the Canadiens have in the system, there is no need to rush those who aren't ready. McCarron seems to lack the confidence necessary to be successful in the highest of levels and so playing another year or two in the minors might just be what he needs. Fingers crossed that it's just one year as it would be great to have a hulking 6"6' 238 lbs winger on the ice in games against the Bruins, Flyers and Leafs.

- Greg Pateryn: The much talked about blue-liner had a pretty solid showing. He seemed to have a better "game" than Nathan Beaulieu and Jarred Tinordi, both of whom he's competing with for a spot in the Habs back end. That's not to say he has shot above them in the depth chart, just that he made fewer mistake and his presence was more noticeable. Beaulieu will no doubt remain ahead of him in the race to the NHL, but it's beginning to look as if he may give Tinordi a run for his money. Tinordi does have the size the Habs need at 6"6 and 227 lbs, but he'll need to start throwing his weight around more and making other teams fear him before he becomes a staple on this team.

Veterans

Alex Galchenyuk: Galchenyuk is getting a crack at center to start off this year and the line of him between Gallagher and Scherbak was the most exciting. Galchenyuk seemed comfortable at both ends of the ice playing down the middle and while there will be a bit of learning curve I'm hoping that coach Michel Therrien sticks with it to see it through. The vision and hands on this kid are unbelievable and with the opportunity to play his natural position, this could be his breakout season.

Brendan Gallagher: In the first period it seemed as though Gally had smoked a pack of cigarettes in the locker room as he didn't have much hustle. In the second, he was buzzing around like the Gallagher we love and the rest of the league hates. I can't say too much about him as this was a scrimmage and he seems to play his best when getting under the opposition's skin by crashing the net and smiling that smile that most people want to just smack off of his face.

Max Pacioretty-David Desharnais-P.A. Parenteau: I'm just going to go ahead and bunch these guys together seeing as how I wasn't much interested in seeing any of them individually so much as I was eager to see the line as a whole. Parenteau seems to have instantly jumped on to the same page as Desharnais and Pacioretty who are already known to play well together. Parenteau can help Desharnais in dishing out the puck to Patches (who by the way, sniped a beauty of a goal on Mike Condon, but it really doesn't matter, my point is Patches is a natural sniper) and can also direct the puck towards the net which Desharnais is all too often hesitant to do.

Etc...

Aside from who I've mentioned, nobody really stood out. Sven Andrighetto and Jacob De La Rose both played well, but after hearing all of the hype surrounding them I was expecting them to be closer to the level of play that Jiri "Cakes" Sekac brought to the ice. Jeremy Gregoire surprised me with a solid game. The Montreal Canadiens' 6th round pick in the 2013 draft generated a few scoring chances using his speed and willingness to go to the net.

Goaltending

It's hard to get much out of the goalies when they play 25 minutes in an intra-squad game. I will say this though, my gut tells me that this Carey Price character will get the spot as the number one goalie. Other than that I'll shy away from saying too much about the netminders for fear of a classic Montreal goaltending controversy.

In seriousness though, Fucale looked good and Condon made a huge pad stop in close at one point ,but they are both years away (Fucale sooner than later) and the Habs have enough issues with the Budaj-Tokarski situation to focus on either goaltender to closely right now.

And now for your thoughts...

-With Tinordi-Beaulieu-Pateryn vying for the final spot on D, who do you see playing the most games in the 2014-15 season?
-Is Sekac making the team as clear cut as Habs Addict writers seem to think or will another player take the spot?
-Do you think Galchenyuk will last at centre or will Therrien move him back to the wing?

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Rookie Watch Part 1: Bruins vs Habs

Last night in Montreal took place the first pre-season game of our Habs. They were playing against the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens decided to go with line-up mostly made up of rookies, with only Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov, Rene Bourque and Tom Gilbert as NHL veterans (note : you can also add goalie Joey MacDonald, even though he has only played 133 games in the NHL and former Hurricanes forward Drayson Bowman).

One thing I wanted to look at was the performance of our young players, but mostly Jarred Tinordi, Michael McCarron, Christian Thomas and Nick Sorkin.

Here are my thoughts on how they played:

Let’s start with Jarred Tinordi. He was one of the few Habs who had played some NHL games last year. Physically speaking, he was on-par with the Bruins. He was able to deliver some good body checks throughout the entire game. However, his defensive skills were lacking a bit. He has not improved his speed at all this summer. In fact, he looked slower than last year. Maybe it is because he spent almost 24 minutes on the ice ? Him and Pateryn looked exhausted in the third period and definitely were Montreal's worst defensive pairing.

Michael McCarron played a great game, for the small amount of time he spent on the ice. He delivered spectacular body checks, managed to put some pressure on B’s defense, took a couple great shots on the net. However, in early second period, he got injured. The latest news are that he suffered a day-to-day upper body injury and that his timetable is still unknown. The only thing he was missing last night was speed. He really does need to work on that aspect of the game this year in London under Dale Hunter. If he can improve at least just a bit, then I would not be surprised to see him in the Canadiens' line-up in a couple of years.

Christian Thomas definitely impressed me. Great speed, good hockey sense, great passing skills and always backchecking hard to prevent scoring chances; he was probably one of the best players on the ice last night. He scored an awesome goal by putting in some effort during a powerplay, as well as preparing Bowman’s game-winning goal with a very accurate pass. He deserved to be named the game's First Star in my opinion. However, I doubt he’ll stay in the big league since he’s a pretty small guy. Who knows, maybe if many injuries happen during the season, he will be called-up…

To be honest, I did not know what to expect from Nick Sorkin. I did not even know the guy up until he showed some promising things during the rookies’ training camp. Well, I must say he has been pretty impressive last night. In fact, if a single rookie could cause a surprise this year, I would put an old $2 bill on him. The problem for Sorkin is that he signed to an AHL-only contract. He is not a giant, but he definitely has a pretty good size. He can be physical, he has a reliable speed and he would definitely have everything it takes to be a power forward in the NHL once he's polished and more mature. I would like to see him perform against a faster team such as the Colorado Avalanche.

That about sums it up for my last night observation on those four guys. The only one who really needs to step up his game in order to even be recalled if something happens is Tinordi because at this rate, he’s going to spend the entire year in Hamilton, while Nathan Beaulieu and Francis Bouillon stay with the big club. 

Written by Dan Beaulieu @Azgarde54                         

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Jiri Sekac The Early Favorite

Source: La Presse

Now that the intra-squad scrimmages are finally over, we will have a better idea of which youngster figures in the plans of the Canadiens for the upcoming season. The ongoing battle between Jiri Sekac, Jacob de la Rose and Sven Andrighetto is raging and, so far, Sekac is the early favorite.

Playing on a line with fellow Czech mate and mentor, Tomas Plekanec, the 22-year-old right winger is given every chance to succeed in the NHL this season. Sekac, who dazzled everyone during the rookies' fit test by reaching level 14.5 of the BEEP test, is physically ready for the rigors of the 82-game calendar. He now has to adapt to the smaller ice surface and adjust his European style to play on a regular basis and play a prominent role with the Canadiens this season.


After signing a two-year pact worth $2.7M (including bonuses) in early July, Sekac trained hard all summer with NHL veterans such as Plekanec and Jaromir Jagr to be in the best shape of his young life. Earlier this week, the shy Czech confirmed he accepted the Habs' offer because he thought he had a great chance at cracking the opening-day line-up and to collect a big pay-check.

"I could have gone elsewhere, but most teams didn't have an open roster spot available for me. So I guess it was a gut feeling in a sense... I had a gut feeling I could make more money here. Basically, it was two parts money, one part Club Super Sexe, and one part Schwartz smoked meat sandwiches. Simple, really," joked Sekac. 

A fast and agile skater, the 6'2'', 195-lb Sekac is blessed with good hands and a high hockey IQ.
Already a solid two-way forward who can excel in both zones, his KHL experience gives him the edge over de la Rose, who is only 19 and most likely to begin the season in the AHL, and Andrighetto, who is more known for his offensive abilities. Sekac is also very adept at winning puck battles along the boards and at driving the opposing net to create scoring opportunities.

Here are the lines for tonight's first pre-season game against the Boston Bruins:

de la Rose - Plekanec - Sekac
Bourque - Hudon - Scherbak
Bowman - Dowell - McCarron
Sorkin - Andrighetto - Thomas

As you can see, De La Rose and Sekac are given every chance to succeed while Andrighetto will pivot the 4th line with two AHL players. 

Tonight will be the first real chance for Sekac to shine and prove he is ready to make the jump to the NHL right away!

UPDATE: Sekac scored his first preseason goal last night on a nice wrist shot.

Michel Therrien said after Tuesday's game:

“He does a lot of good things out there. He’s excellent with the puck. He works extremely hard, and he’s in terrific shape. We really like the way he competes. There are a lot of good things that really stand out about his play,” explained the Canadiens’ bench boss, who rewarded Sekac with 19:10 of ice time on Tuesday night, the most of any Habs forward in uniform. “We’re starting a new stage of training camp with these preseason games. We’ll give him every opportunity to prove himself.”

Who do you think will make the team?
1. Sekac
2. De La Rose
3. Andrighetto
4. None of the above

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Travis Moen The Odd Man Out?

While former Montreal Canadiens Josh Gorges mentioned him as a potential candidate to become the team's captain because of his experience, character and grit, veteran left winger Travis Moen appears to be on the outside looking in, heading into the 2014-15 season.

Currently playing with youngsters Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher during intra-squad games, Moen looks disinterested and slow, trying to keep up with the speed of the Gallys.

Currently playing the third year of a four-year pact that pays him annually $1.850.000, Moen has been struggling on both ends of the ice since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, during which he played almost every game of the lockout-shortened season, but managed to record a mere 2 goals and 4 assists for 6 points to go with only 32 penalty minutes and a -4 rating. That year, Moen often found himself playing on the team's second line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta,

Last season, Moen's season was forced to miss 17 games after sustaining facial fractures in late October and a concussion in late March after a fight with defenseman Kevan Miller of the Boston Bruins. In 65 games, the gritty 6'2'', 218-lb, forward managed to pot only 2 goals and 10 assists for 12 points and 49 penalty minutes. As a result of the concussion and his poor overall play, Moen dressed for only five games during the Habs' playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers.

Previously known for his physical play, Moen only distributed 92 hits last year, compared to 82 in 20 less games during the lockout-shortened season. Add this drop to his lack of pugilistic talent and his diminished offensive skills and you get a 32-year-old player who is becoming less and less important for the Canadiens, especially with the arrival of dynamic winger Dale Weise who plays a similar style of play but with a much better offensive flair and smooth-skating abilities.

The arrival of penalty killing specialist, Manny Malhotra, will also affect Moen's ice time as the team will be able to play him on the second PK unit behind Tomas Plekanec. Also, if the scrimmage combinations are any indication, Malhotra is currently paired with Weise and gritty pest Brandon Prust on the team's fourth line.

Factor in the presence of Michael Bournival who is having a great training camp so far and the emergence of youngsters such as Jiri Sekac and Sven Andrighetto and you can easily imagine Moen spending a few nights in the press box.

Moreover, now that Moen's no-trade clause has expired, Marc Bergevin can now trade him to whichever team he wants looking for veteran leadership and a physical body. However, the likely scenario for this season is too see Moen act as the team's 13th forward and dress against bigger and nastier teams while Michael Bournival plays against faster and softer teams. This way, it would allow Michel Therrien to dress 12 regular forwards, including rookie Jiri Sekac, who is expected to make the team out of training camp.

Finally, we know that every team sustains multiple injuries during the season so a veteran like Moen is always nice to have around in case the Habs suffer injuries to key players and are forced to juggle lines and call-up rookies from their AHL affiliate.

What would you do with Moen?
1. Keep him and play him regularly.
2. Use him as an extra forward and play him sporadically.
3. Bury him in the minors.
4. Trade him for the best offer, whether it's a good draft pick or a bucket of pucks.

No Foolin' Fred Poulin

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Five Burning Questions

Here we are Habs fans. Training camp has opened and the start of the 2014-15 NHL season is just around the corner. I have five burning questions on my mind. Habs fans feel free to weigh in.

1. Who will be the next Canadiens back-up goalie?

The battle to be Carey Price's backup could be a three horse race. At the moment, Dustin Tokarski and Peter Budaj are the two battling for the job. However, Martin Brodeur, if signed to a tryout, would be an interesting darkhorse. No doubt if Brodeur gets a tryout he'll be given every opportunity to make the team. My prediction, it's Budaj's job to lose. He has more experience and while Tokarski held his own last year in the playoffs, he could benefit from another season as the starter for Hamilton

2. Who will be the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens?

At least to start the season, the Montreal Canadiens will have four alternate captains (PK Subban, Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty) and no team captain. At some point, the team will have to decide on who will serve as the next team captain. For the purposes of this question, I am replacing Markov with Brendan Gallagher. One can make the case for all four of Gallagher, Subban, Plekanec and Pacioretty being the next Canadiens captain. Gallagher wears his heart on his sleeve and battles every night for his team. Subban has been the best defenseman in the NHL (won Norris trophy in 2013). The argument for Plekanec is he has been with the Canadiens organization the longest, since 2003. Finally, Pacioretty would make a good captain because  he's a consistent player who other players can model their game after. I endorse PK Subban for the next captain of the Canadiens because he is just entering his prime and he knows how to win.

3. What was the best off-season move the Canadiens made?

Signing Manny Malhotra to a one year deal. This is a low risk move with the potential for high reward, provided Malhotra doesn't get hurt or experience more problems with the eye he injured in 2011 on a gruesome fluke accident. To refresh your memories Habs fans, Malhotra was hit square in the left eye by a deflected puck. He would miss the remainder of that season and most of the Stanley Cup run that year. The next season the Canucks released him after only 9 games played citing the risk to his health being too great. Last season, Malhotra tried out for the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina's farm team) and did well enough to earn a contract with the Hurricanes. Malhotra won't replace the scoring of Brian Gionta, who was traded to and later signed with Buffalo. However, he is great in the faceoff circle and will certainly be a key addition to the penalty kill unit. All in all a great signing by the Habs.

4. What are the biggest challenges the Canadiens face this season?

The Montreal Canadiens will have more of a challenge scoring this season. They will rely on scoring by committee. There is a lot of potential in their lineup starting with the speedy Brendan Gallagher and a big shot in PK Subban on the blueline. The big challenge will be scoring on a consistent basis. It's one thing to score two or three goals in a single game but the top players do it almost on a nightly basis. Another inevitable challenge will be dealing with the adversity of injuries/illness that will crop up. Currently, the biggest worry is with starting goalie Carey Price, who injured his knee during last year's playoffs. Price has been skating for about a month now but until he plays in a game, we won't know if he is completely over the injury. Thankfully, he was able to avoid surgery. During day one of training camp,  Tomas Plekanec tweaked an elbow during fitness testing. Hopefully the injury is minor and he misses minimal if any time.

5. Will the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup this season?

Sorry Habs fans but the Canadiens overachieved last season and the East is looking stronger. Definitely the Canadiens should make the playoffs. However, the team lost too much scoring with the departure of Gionta, Gorges, and Vanek. This year, Montreal will be relying on Carey Price and the defense to keep the other team off the scoreboard and hoping that the offense can bury just enough of their chances to win. Expect low-scoring games most nights. There is reason for optimism. The Habs have a lot of good young players in their lineup, such as Alex Galchenyuk, and flashy players like
Brendan Gallagher, who will keep fans on the edge of their seats. The future looks bright but I think the Canadiens might take a step back this season statistically and in the standings.

Let's go Canadiens. Drop the puck on the 2014-15 NHL season!

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Alex Galchenyuk Shifting To Center

TSN Insider Bob McKenzie revealed earlier today on Twitter that Montreal Canadiens' general manager Marc Bergervin told him that the organization plans to move Alex Galchenyuk back at center to start the upcoming training camp, which is slated to officially begin at the end of the week.

The team wants to assess his defensive awareness in order to determine if he can finally move back to his natural position after playing the first two seasons of his career as a left winger. The 20-year-old forward has recorded 22 goals and 36 assists for 58 points in 113 games (0.51 PPG) in the NHL. The move is logical for Chucky's optimal development as he has been able to learn the ropes during his first two seasons in the league.

The Dallas Stars took the same decision when they acquired talented forward Tyler Seguin from the Boston Bruins. The Bruins, who were very deep at center, used to play Seguin as a right winger instead of his natural position. The outcome was phenomenal as Seguin finished last season with 84 points in 80 games playing alongside Jamie Benn on the team's first line.

While the Canadiens appear to be set down the middle with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller, Manny Malhotra and Michael Bournival as the team's first five centers, The Habs could simply decide to trade of the above-mentioned pivots or simply move one of them to the wing.

A scenario that is often overlooked by traditional media and fans alike would be to shift David Desharnais to the wing, a position he had to play earlier during his career. The move would allow Galchenyuk to center Max Pacioretty and Desharnais without breaking the chemistry they have had together since their arrival in Montreal.

The smaller Desharnais wouldn't have to play against big centermen and this would allow him to focus his game on the offense, where he is the more creative, efficient and able to help the team. The move would also allow head coach Michel Therrien to split DD and Brendan Gallagher and put them on two different lines, thus splitting the team's two smaller forwards.

Potential line combos with Galchenyuk at center:
Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Desharnais
Sekac-Plekanec-Parenteau
Bourque-Eller-Gallagher
Prust-Malhotra-Weise
Extras: Moen, Bournival

Another possibility is that the team will trade of the centers during training camp or early in the season to make room for Chucky, especially with the logjam the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge currently has at forward. The odd man out could very well be Lars Eller, who is signed to an affordable contract, and still has plenty of value on the trade market. Trading Eller would also allow Therrien to play Galchenyuk on the team's third line and isolate him against weaker opposition to facilitate his transition at center.

Ask Ryan Nugent-Hopkins how hard it is for a young player to graduate as the team's first pivot at a very young age. While RNH is producing well offensively, he is struggling mightily on the face-off circle and needs to improve in defensive game to be considered a top center in the NHL. Galchenyuk took only 15 face-offs last season, going 5 for 15, or 33%, which is far from being good, so he will need to improve dramatically this aspect of his game to be able to play as a pivot on a regular basis with Montreal in 2014-15.

Do you agree with the decision to move Galchenyuk back to his natural position?
Should the Canadiens trade Desharnais or Eller, or simply move them to the wing?

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No Captain, My Captain For The Habs

Greeting Habs Nation,

Over the last few weeks there has been quite a debate in regards to who should don the "C" for the Canadiens in the upcoming 2014-15 season. When asked on the www.montrealhockeytalk.com show "Habs Under the Sun" in August who I felt should be captain, I expressed my belief that the team didn't necessarily need one right away. I echoed that same sentiment just last week on CBC's Daybreak and so with the announcement that the Habs will go with four alternates and no Captain I am not surprised in the least.

From left to right Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, P.K. Subban
and Max Pacioretty have all been named alternate captains of the
Montreal Canadiens.      THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

I am not sold on the thought that a team without a designated captain lacks leadership. Whether or not a player wears the "C", if he is a leader, he will lead. It doesn't take a letter sewn on your jersey to stand up in the locker room and tell your team what it needs to hear. A leader will hit the ice and give it everything he has on every shift without letting up to make it clear to his team that half efforts are not acceptable.

If the Detroit Red Wings went without a designated captain, would Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom not be viewed as leaders in the locker room and on the ice? To me it's just silly to put so much stock into who is viewed as the captain by the fans as opposed to by the players.

With that said, here's a look at the four players chosen by Montreal Canadiens management to serve as alternate captains.

1. Andrei Markov

Andrei Markov is  content to wear the "A"
on his jersey.

No surprise there. 35-year-old Markov will be entering his 14th NHL season as a Montreal Canadien, longer than anybody else currently on the roster. While he's not the most charismatic man, he addresses the media when called upon and has been known to let teammates know how he feels about their performances and work ethic in typical intimidating Russian fashion. After the departure of Saku Koivu in the summer of 2009, it was said that Markov wouldn't accept the title of captain. Markov has been a top-tier NHL rearguard for the Habs organization for years and with his freshly inked three-year deal with the club, will more than likely retire as a member of the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Whether he wears the "C", an "A" or a Youppi! sticker on his jersey, his teammates will undoubtedly look to follow his example on and off the ice.





2. Tomas Plekanec

Tomas Plekanec celebrated a goal while wearing
a turtleneck.

The longest serving member of the Montreal Canadiens second to only Andrei Markov. TurtlePlek (A name I've given due to his insistence on constantly wearing silly turtlenecks and my insistence on constantly using bad puns. I'm hoping this is the year the name sticks) is entering his tenth NHL season with the Habs. Plekanec has held himself accountable when he feels he is under-performing and hasn't ever complained about the never ending rotation of wingers that have been thrown on his line over the years. Last I checked he has played with 528 wingers over the last three seasons (don't look that up). He plays his part without whining, gives it all he has and rocks turtlenecks on a nightly basis, which is why he would get my vote if I had one.

With neither of the aforementioned candidates chosen to be the Captain, it leads me to believe that management wants a fresher face who can hold the title of captain for a longer period of time. At 35 and on legs that are roughly 45, there is little to no doubt that Markov will retire at the end of his current contract.

While Plekanec is only 31 the annual "Pleks is getting traded" rumours are due to begin swirling in about a month or so. With Lars Eller, David Desharnais and Alex Galchenyuk on the roster the rumours may hold some merit. It's never a popular move to trade your captain and with the possibility there, Pleky just wasn't the ideal choice.

In my opinion, there's more to it than the whole trade possibility scenario. Plekanec still has some years left in him and if's named captain and remains on the team, it will be years before we go through this debacle again just to give it to P.K. Subban which is pretty much the plan. Three to four years from now is too long to wait yet this year is too early for the young star defenseman. The Habs are playing it quite smart by having the top leaders share the responsibility while at the same time giving Subban the opportunity to learn how to handle it on his own next year.

3. Max Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty with his 2012 Bill Masterton
trophy.

Out of the four players given the "A", Pacioretty is the one who I would least expect to see as the team's leader. I get that he can fall four stories from a burning building and land in a pool full of glass shards only to return to the ice the following day. He scored 39 goals last season and that's nothing to scoff at (do people still scoff?). He never hides from the media. So in short, he's determined, talented and comfortable with the media. All great qualities... I just don't see him getting the "C". I don't see him as a passionate enough player, which I'll probably get ripped on for saying and that's somewhat fair.

Yes, he's come back from broken ribs, broken vertebrae, concussions etc. He's not only come back but he's returned each time without losing any of his game. There is passion there. However, I don't see him as the type of player to stand up and be heard when his team has taken the night off, I don't see him as the type of player who can rally his troops after his team has given up the tying goal late in the game in the playoffs. I don't see him ever not being so monotone in his interviews. That last one may not matter but everything he says just sounds so rehearsed and robotic.

As I mentioned, Pacioretty is basically indestructible, knows how to find the back of the net and doesn't shy away from the cameras. Those are all great qualities and why I have no qualms with him being an alternate captain after Markov and Plekanec have moved on (Jeez, that sounded a little morbid, no? I'm referring to retiring and/or being traded just to be clear).

4. P.K. Subban

P.K Subban is a safe bet to wear the "C" for the Canadiens
next season.

Make no mistake, Subban will be the Montreal Canadiens 29th captain. He is the most exciting player to don the "CH" since Alex Kovalev, yet he shows up more than 35 games a season. With Subban it's not a matter of getting him to face the media, it's a matter of him stepping away from the camera once in a while. He is a fan favourite, the media can't get enough of him and there is no doubt he will speak his mind to his team and lead by example on the ice. He has all the qualities needed, he just needs time to take them on without putting too much pressure on himself.

Subban is coming off of yet another contract issue which was turned into a media circus. He still lets him emotions get the best of him at times and is rumoured to have a rocky relationship with coach Michel Therrien. Giving him the captaincy this year would be too much, too soon. Having him share it with a teammate his age in Pacioretty, and two veterans such as Plekanec and Markov, will take the load off his back and give him time to gradually learn what it takes to be the leader of the most storied franchise in the history of the NHL.

I couldn't agree more with the decision to hold off on naming a captain. Hopefully, this whole situation won't be made into a distraction throughout the course of the year and to all you Subban supporters out there, relax... Subban will be named captain for the 2015-16 season.

One last note, a friend pointed it out how it is quite fitting to not have a captain the same year that Saku Koivu calls it quits. If I were GM I would offer Koivu a one game contract so he could retire as the captain of the Montreal Canadiens. The send off would blow the roof off of the Bell Centre and would show Koivu just how much he mean,t to not only the organization, but to the entire city of Montreal who he did so much for.

Thanks for reading and of course don't forget to share your thoughts.

1. Will not having a captain affect the team's play?
2. Did management choose the right players to share the responsibility?
3. Is there any doubt the Subban will wear the "C" next year?
4. Koivu on a one game contract, too cheesy or well deserved?

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Habs Training Camp Battle: 13th Forward

Written by Rohan Sukhdeo

Greetings and salutations everyone, this is my first article and I hope I can offer a pleasant but insightful read on the upcoming season. For this article, my focus will be on training camp and the battle for the last forward roster spot. Barring a trade in the next few weeks, the Habs have a good mix of youngsters and veterans on each line. They will look to complement their line-up with one of their up-and-coming prospects.

First, let us go through who we can more than likely expect to be in the line-up on opening night October 8th, against the Leafs. The Habs will look slightly different this upcoming season as Habs GM Marc Bergevin traded Daniel Brière to Colorado for PA Parenteau and a 5th round pick, just before free agency opened. More changes happened on the first day of free agency when now Ex-Habs captain Brian Gionta signed on with Buffalo, along with Josh Georges, who was traded for a 2nd round pick at the 2016 NHL Draft. Thomas Vanek, who often was rumored to be signing with Minnesota in the offseason, did in fact sign on with the Wild for three years at $19.5 million. To complete his day, Marc Bergevin signed D Tom Gilbert to a two-year pact worth $5.6 million, F Manny Malhotra to one-year $850,000 and F Jiri Sekac to a two-year entry level contract at $925,000/year. Dale Weise and Mike Weaver both re-signed prior to July 1st.

At first glance, based on the changes made in the offseason, and last season playoffs, the first line would be Pacioretty, Desharnais and Parenteau. Galchenyuk, Plekanec, Gallagher would be the second line. Bourque, Eller, Weiss will be a very gritty third line and Prust, Malhotra, Bournival will be the fourth line. On defense, we should be seeing Subban and Markov as the first pairing, Gilbert and Emelin as the second pairing, as well as Weaver and Tinordi/Beaulieu as the last pairing. With the departures, there is going to be a fierce battle for that 13th and final forward spot at training camp. The leading candidates to fill that role are Jiri Sekac, Jacob de la Rose, and Sven Andrighetto.

Jiri Sekac is a native of Czech Republic who played for HC Lev Praha in the KHL in 2013-2014. The left winger scored 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 47 games, along with a +12 rating and 18 penalty minutes. He also played eight games for the Peterborough Petes of the OHL in 2009-2010. Before signing with Montreal, he was coveted by 15 NHL teams, including the Habs. At 6’2” and 190-lb, he sure has the size that Montreal needs at the forward position. In the offseason, he was spotted training with fellow Hab Thomas Plekanec and longtime Czech and NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr, in their hometown of Kladno of the Czech Republic. “He is a very good skater and very good with the puck, a little like Max Pacioretty”, explains Plekanec of his future teammate, in an interview published in the Journal de Montréal. Rookie camp has already begun and Sekac has not missed a beat, as reported by Allan Walsh his agent, Jiri Sekac set a new Montreal Canadiens fitness record on Friday. Due to his age and experience, Sekac is the number one prospect in the organization. He is listed as a LW but can play the RW, which is where the Habs need the most help. And though he is not known for his defensive game, he is responsible in his own end, which should please head coach Michel Therien. The lanky winger is gifted with a great wrist shot and is projected to be a borderline second-line winger, but should start the year on the third line if he makes the team.

Jacob de la Rose, a native of Arvika in Sweden, Jacob stands at 6’3”, 205-lb. He was a 2nd round, 34th overall pick in 2013, and is a solid two-way player who is projected to be on the third line, but could see second-line duties. A true team player and leader, DLR always gives a 100% in intensity and work ethic. He doesn’t shy away from the rough stuff and has good timing on his hits, but is not a natural scorer. His strong two-way game and forechecking ability will only make the Habs that much better in the long run. Last season, de la Rrose played for Leksand in Allsvenskan in the SHL and competed for Sweden in the 2014 U20 and U18 World Junior Championships. He scored 13 points (seven goals and six assists) in 49 games for Leksand, adding two goals and one assist in three playoff games. In the WJC, he scored three goals and three assists for six points in only seven games for a Silver Medal winning Swedish squad. With his physical attributes, he will also be given a long look at training camp. If he can find some chemistry with either one of Eller or Plekanec, we may be seeing his name on opening night.

Sven Andrighetto, native of Sumiswald in Switzerland. He is a 3rd round, 86th overall pick in 2013, and stands at 5’9” and 188-lb. His physical attributes does not give him any advantage with how Montreal is shifting their philosophy to bigger and stronger players. But this player has a year of AHL experience under his belt playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2013-2014, and will be looking to improve his 44 points (17 goals and 27 assists) rookie campaign. He was 15th in AHL rookie scoring and was voted PMA Top Rookie by local Hamilton media. Hamilton did not have a good season as they finished out of the playoffs yet again, but Andrighetto was one of the “bright spots”, as said by Dogs' head coach Sylvain Lefebvre. Andrighetto has a lethal combination of both speed and skill that he will bring to training camp in hopes of forcing Habs brass to give him a shot to play with the big club. Sven does have one advantage over Sekac and DLR where he knows the North American game better. Both Sekac and DLR will be competing in smaller rinks for the first time, although Sekac played eight games with Peterborough earlier in his career. For Andrighetto to be effective, he will need to be on the first two lines, in an offensive role. For that to happen, he will need to outplay the likes of Gallagher, Parenteau and even Galchenyuk. The more than likely scenario is he starts the year in Hamilton, but will be the next call up when injuries occur during the season.

After Day 1 of the intra-squad scrimmages, we can that Sekac is currently in the pole position among the above prospects as he was the only one who has shown some flashes of brilliance on the ice.

Honorable mentions to Martin Reway, Christian Thomas, and the 2014 1st round draft pick Nikita Scherbak. Quality prospects, but only one can make this team, so this will be a fierce battle.

Who do you think will be the surprise of the Habs' training camp?

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As The New Season Dawns ... Who Came? Who Left?

Greetings Habs Addicts!

One of my favorite days of the calendar year was yesterday: HABS TICKET DAY!

Select veterans, including Max Pacioretty
take an option skate as training camp approaches.
Photo Credit: NHL.com

So far I only managed to get one pair of tickets - vs Buffalo for the return of Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta at the end of November - but I intend to get down to Montreal for another game or two later on in the season. But ticket day also means the season is fast approaching!

There has not been much to report this summer after the draft and free agency hit. Obviously the acquisition of P.A. Parenteau for Danny Briere, the trading of Josh Gorges to the Buffalo Sabres for a draft pick, the drafting of Nikita Scherbak and the extension signed by P.K. Subban were the biggest news making events of the summer. There have been a few changes made to the coaching staff this summer, most notably the departure of Gerard Gallant to take of the role of head coach for the Florida Panthers and the addition of Dan Lacroix from the New York Rangers. Rob Ramage was also added to the front officer in a player personnel role. Marc Bergevin had a busy start to the off-season and came out of it very well.

There were some other notable moves this summer:

Who left?

• Thomas Vanek - as expected, he left to sign with the Minnesota Wild.
• Brian Gionta could not come to terms and signed with the Buffalo Sabres.
• Ryan White was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Louis Leblanc was discarded to the Anaheim Ducks for a draft pick.
• Danny Briere was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche for P.A. Parenteau.
• Josh Gorges was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round draft pick.
• Francis Bouillon was not re-signed.
• Douglas Murray was not re-signed.
• George Parros was not re-signed.

The first one and the latter three were expected, although the rumour mill is always churning lately that Bouillon might return (in fact, he will attend camp on a PTO, more on that later). We all knew Thomas Vanek would not return. Everyone around the league knew he was going home to Minnesota. His terrible playoff performance just made it easier for the Wild to afford him and his coasting ways easily cost himself millions of dollars. Minnesota might be a very dangerous team in the Western Conference next season. Vanek makes his return to Montreal in mid-November, expect the boo-birds to be out in full force. Murray and Parros will not be playing in the NHL at all next season. Ryan White was essentially forced out after Dale Weise was acquired and took over his role. Between newcomer Manny Malhotra, Travis Moen, Michael Bournival, Brandon Prust and Weise, there was already a log-jam on the fourth line. White was expendable. His style will fit the Flyers. He also makes his return trip to Montreal early on this season. Lastly, Louis Leblanc was finally labelled a bust and was dumped to the Anaheim Ducks. Sound familiar? It should. The Habs did the same trade a few years ago with another first round failure, Kyle Chipchura. While still bouncing around the league, dumping Chipchura never came back to haunt the Canadiens. Highly doubtful Leblanc does, either. 

Who is joining us?

• Manny Malhotra signed on to be a big-bodied fourth line face-off specialist and penalty killer.
• Tom Gilbert replaces Josh Gorges and brings a right-handed shot and power-play presence.
• Jiri Sekac is a highly touted Czech prospect who could make the club out of training camp.
• P.A. Parenteau was acquired for Danny Briere.
• Andrei Markov re-signed to a three year contract.
• Lars Eller re-signed to a four year contract.
• Mike Weaver returns on a one-year deal to provide depth.

Bringing back Andrei Markov was expected and at the same salary was also expected. A three-year deal is risky for the veteran rearguard at his age; however, his 'chronic knee problems' are well in the past. He can continue to be a top pairing this season and if they manage his minutes he can be extremely productive. If by year three of the deal he is simply a power-play specialist, no harm there. He's very intelligent and is a calming presence on the blue line. An apt comparison for Markov is Kimmo Timonen. If he ages as well as Timonen has, the contract will be a bargain. Lars Eller is back for four years and is due to break out at any time. His style of game reminds me a lot of Pheonix Coyote forward Martin Hanzal: Decent size, solid defensively and plays a physical game. If he can start to break out the way Hanzal did last year, he could very well become the second-line centerman we expect him to be. Tom Gilbert is a journeyman, but he plays a solid possession game, is a right-handed shot and has a power-play presence for the second pairing. To lose Gorges and replace him with Gilbert for less money is a solid deal. What is lost in shot blocking and rah-rah leadership is replaced with offensive numbers and better Corsi numbers. Retaining Mike Weaver is perfect when Nathan Beaulieu cracks the line-up as a regular this season. That's right, I said when. They were a solid pairing in the playoffs and the veteran leader should be a steadying presence on the back end of the rotation. P.A. Parenteau is a bigger physical presence with more upside than Briere at the same salary. Suitable as a second-line winger and more of a set-up man, he reminds me of another former Avalanche forward who had a solid, albeit injury riddled season as a Canadien a few years back: Alex Tanguay. Jiri Sekac has tremendous upside and an opportunity to break camp as a third-line winger. He will be battling with Sven Andrighetti in camp, barring a late addition to the roster.

The Canadiens rookie camp started this weekend and training camp is around the corner. Francis Bouillon is confirmed to be attending the camp as a non-roster invitee. In my opinion, it should be as an on-ice player/coach because I do not believe the ageing veteran should be able to supplant any players currently on the roster. Other veterans should be inked to try-outs as the camp approaches. Stay tuned to HabsAddict over the new few weeks for more camp news as it happens.

The new season has dawned, are you excited yet!?!

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

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Can Max Pacioretty Score 50 Goals In A Season?

Following a very solid 2013-14 campaign during which he recorded 39 goals and 21 assists for 60 points in 73 games, Max Pacioretty will be counted on to provide the bulk of the offense for the Montreal Canadiens this season.

The 25-year-old left winger, who is one the most serious candidates to become the team's next captain, is entering his prime and is ready to breakout offensively. Two years ago, during the season shortened by the lockout, he potted 15 goals and added 24 assists for a total of 39 points in 44 contests, which would have resulted in a 69-point season over a full 82-game calendar.

Last season, he finished only behind Alexander Ovechkin (51 goals in 78 games) in goals per game with a 0.534 goals per game played. If he had not miss three weeks with a left hamstring strain in late October/early November, Max Pax would have scored a prorated 44 goals in 2013-14.

Add the struggles of his friend and centerman David Desharnais to the mix and the 50-goal barrier could have been very well within reach of the power forward. After his first 12 games, Pacioretty had only potted 2 goals and 2 assists for a mere 4 points. This means that from November 19th to the end of the season, the native of New Canaan, Connecticut, recorded 37 goals and 19 assists for 56 points in only 61 games.

If we prorate this goal-scoring production over a full season we get exactly 50 goals for Pacioretty, which indicates us that it is fairly reasonable to predict the first 50-goal campaign for a Habs player since Stéphane Richard potted 51 goals back in 1989-90, which is 25 years ago!

With the arrival of Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and the maturation of Brendan Gallagher, the David Desharnais-Max Pacioretty duo will finally be able to rely on either one of these two players to play alongside them on the team's first line.

The arrival of Manny Mahlotra will, who will take most of the defensive zone face-offs will also allow head coach Michel Therrien to start his two best lines even more in the offensive zone. Last season, Max Pacioretty started 53.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone, a number that could easily increase to 55% this season, which would allow him and his line-mates to get even more scoring chances.

Over his career, Pacioretty is scoring at a 11.1% pace, which is slightly lower than last year's 14.4%. Still, reaching the 50-goal mark is quite a feat when you consider than most sniper score about 15% of the time. Alex Ovechkin scores on 12.3% of his shot attempts over his illustrious career, but he shots from everywhere! As for Steven Stamkos, he is a true goal scorer and he is scoring on 17.5% of his shots attempts.

If you assume Max Pax scores on 15% of his shots, he will need to stay healthy and shoot more than 333 times on net to reach the 50-goal plateau. While it is quite possible to reach, it's no small feat to accomplish!

Finally, do you think Pacioretty will finally hit the 50-goal mark?

If so, will he reach the 80-point mark in the process?

Finally, who should play with DD and Max? Parenteau or Gallagher?

*******************

No Foolin' Fred Poulin
Follow me on Twitter for more Habs news and discussions.

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Habs Summer Recap + 2014-15 Prediction

Source: USA Today

Greetings Habs Nation,

After an absence of almost two years I've decided to get back into the Hab-it (see what I did there?) of writing on the going-ons of the hockey world, and more specifically, the Montreal Canadiens. And what
better time to get back into the world of hockey than the first week of September when there is not much going on and every subject has been covered by everyone with both the internet and an interest for hockey?

That being said, there are a few options when it comes to choosing a subject. First off I could cover some rumours, secondly I could do a recap of the most talked about topics regarding the Canadiens and lastly, I could give my take on the upcoming season and how I feel the Habs will fare.

Alas.... I will do all three. I'm kind of an all-or-nothing kind of guy. Now with the intro complete I will dive right into the first of my three topics... rumours.

Martin Brodeur to the Habs

Let me start this off with a quick and simple, no thank you. Unless Marc Bergevin has the Delorean parked in his garage and is preparing to reach 88 mph on his way to bringing in the veteran goaltender, this rumour should be put to rest immediately.

I do not doubt that Brodeur could chalk up a few W's for the Habs in the upcoming season; however, I don't feel it's worth the circus that will come with it. There should be no goalie controversy in Montreal. Carey Price is the go-to-guy, and no matter what anybody says, the second he loses two or three (or God forbid four!!) games in a row, how could the media and a large collection of the fan base, not start to rally for the hometown, two time Stanley Cup winning goalie to step up and lead the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge to the promise land?

This organization does not need that sort of attention and distraction. Price and Peter Budaj are a more than capable duo where their roles will not be questioned and they can both focus 100% on the job at hand. Although, to be fair, Budaj may not be as comfortable after Dustin Tokarski's performance in the conference finals last year.

There is also the matter of price (monetary, not Carey).

How much will it cost to have the twenty-year veteran come home for his final season? The Habs currently have $2,651,667 in cap space according to www.capgeek.com. It's no question that Budaj would be moved to make room for Marty McFly (nickname given due to his first name being Martin as well as my Delorean reference from earlier on). Let's say Budaj is traded for a draft pick or prospect in order to not take any salary in return, that adds another $1.4 million. The Habs are now looking at $4,051,667 to play around with. That seems like a comfortable amount of money, but keep in mind the Habs may need some cash in the bank come trade deadline to either add to the roster or replace an injured player. If Brodeur is willing to sign for $1 million the way Brad Richards did in Chicago or Dany Heatley over in Anaheim than it would be a little bit harder to ignore, but still it doesn't seem worth the sideshow that would accompany the future hall of famer back to his hometown.

Phase one complete, phase two: My take on the most talked about topics over the summer

1. The $9 Million Man

P.K. Subban became the highest paid Canadien with an average
of $9 million over eight years.

P.K. Subban is extremely talented offensively, underrated defensively and hasn't yet reached his full potential. The man doesn't get tired, he has been learning the game from Andrei Markov whose vision and decision-making on the ice is better than roughly 90% of the league's rearguards and has one hell of a shot. Why is this contract an issue to anybody?

Yes, it's a ton of money. How many defensemen are there in the league like Subban? Drew Doughty in Los Angeles (the only one I would personally rate higher then #76)... I'm out. Shea Weber is phenomenal, but doesn't have the speed that Subban uses for those end to end rushes. There is Erik Karlsson, but he's on the Senators so who really cares, right?

Bottom line is, Subban's contract is a good one and will only look better in a few years when the cap is even higher and players with less than half the talent that P.K. possesses are making a bazillion dollars.

2. The Captaincy

Once again, an issue I feel has been overblown. Should it be Subban? Plekanec? Markov? Pacioretty?

Here's an even more important question... does it matter? Whether or not there is a "C" on somebody's jersey, the true leaders will make their selves heard in the dressing room and seen on the ice. Regardless, I'll give a quick rundown on my opinion of each of the candidates most often named both by the media and fans.

Subban: Not yet. I could see it happening if Bergevin decides to go a year before handing out the "C", but it seems a little bit early for a player who has yet to sign a contract without making the whole process into a gong show.

Markov: Doesn't want it.

Pacioretty: Really?

Gallagher: See "Pacioretty".

Plekanec: He would be my pick if I was relevant in any way to the organization. He's been with the team longer than anyone who isn't named Markov. He plays hard and deals with the media well, and anybody who can rock a turtleneck in a world where turtlenecks have never been anything less than silly, can lead me into battle any day.

And now for my final act.... My prediction

How Will The Canadiens Fare?

I will keep this short as I am not usually good at predictions. There are too many factors at play when stating how a team will do over an 82-game schedule. However, I already said I would do it and I don't feel like editing my article so here it goes.

Habs will take the Atlantic Divi... Conference?. There. I said it, and it's not because I'm a fan... well it probably is at least a little bit. I'll explain quickly how I came to this conclusion.

Ottawa and Toronto are bad.
Buffalo is worse.
Florida is..... Florida.
Tampa Bay could do it, but will be relying way too heavily on Ben Bishop to have another stellar year like he did in the 2013-14 season.
Detroit has a ton of talent up front, but not the most impressive blue line and I'm still not completely sold on Jimmy Howard.
Boston is stupid. More importantly though, Chara is not the Wookie he once was. He is still strong and possesses a hell of a shot, but he's becoming easier and easier to just skate around. Marchand is becoming more of a distraction than a help to his team due to his insistence on being the league's top jackass. Iginla walked and was replaced by... nobody. Ville Leino has been invited to the Bruins' training camp but admit it, before I mentioned his name you forgot he existed.

With all that in depth research and analysis isn't it clear that the Habs will win the divi... conference?

Bonus non-Hab related prediction: Jaroslav Halak will be traded six times in the upcoming season.

And with that my first piece back is complete, and for the record... part of me does think it would be pretty badass to see Brodeur wearing the "CH" despite everything I just said.

I'll leave you with a few questions:

1. Brodeur - yes or no?
2. Would not having a captain matter and if so, who would you give it to?
3. Where do you see the Habs finishing?
4. Is two Delorean references too many? I say it's not enough, but that's just me.

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