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!?!

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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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What Will The Playoffs Hold For The Habs?

Hopefully this post is not considered to be too premature, but the Montreal Canadiens appear to be on their way to another attempt at a playoff run. According to sportsclubstats.com the Canadiens are looking at a 99.8% chance of sealing a playoff berth. Considering the way they have been playing of late, this does not come as a shock. After running through some tough times after the Olympic break, the Habs are back in form, and at the perfect time.

The Canadiens have won six of their last seven games, carrying possession in five of those games. Key players for the Canadiens have stepped up their play including two new faces in Thomas Vanek and Mike Weaver. Vanek seems to be finding his offensive abilities with this Habs team as they keep pushing to the playoffs, while Weaver is fitting in nicely on the back-end showing his small stature is capable of throwing bruising hits. The same old faces seem to be proving why they are an integral part of this squad, with the likes of PK Subban, Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty, and Andrei Markov stepping up to the challenge. Sophomore Brendan Gallagher has been showing his talents all season, and appears to be becoming a serious part of this team. Carey Price is obviously a huge reason for this teams success, as he has been excellent all season. If these players keep performing, and the rest of the team follows suit, the Habs could very well make a serious push for the eastern conference title. 

Montreal still has some challenges they need to over come. First, Michel Therrien needs to look at his lines, and seriously consider what kind of team he wants to ice. Make lines, and stick with them. That will create some confidence in the room, and create chemistry before the playoffs hit. Montreal has also been hit with some injuries, including Brandon Prust, Travis Moen, and Dale Weise. Basically the full fourth line. The Canadiens are lucky enough to have some decent depth to be able to fill this line with Lars Eller, Ryan White, and Michael Bournival. The big question with that is what to do once the team is healthy again. Hard to experiment in the playoffs.

It is looking more and more like the Canadiens are going to be squaring off with Tampa Bay in the first round of the post season. This could potentially go either way. As much of an obvious statement that is, it is probably one of the most even match-ups that could potentially occur. In the previous three meetings between the two teams this season, all three have gone to extra time, including two shootouts. The combined scoring, 5-4 Tampa Bay. All three games were won or lost by a score of 2-1. Montreal had an average Corsi for percentage of 45.33% which is not great; however, it is not terrible. Considering Montreal is having their best possession numbers (consistently) of the season, I wouldn't be surprised to see these numbers increase if this match-up occurs.

Should Montreal make the playoffs, this is probably the scenario I like the most. Both are quality teams, but when Montreal is on, they look like a team that can take on anybody in the East, and threaten for the Stanley Cup. They carry all the keys to success. Scoring threats on all lines. Players willing to put it all on the line. An elite goaltender capable of stealing games and the depth to be able to contend through injuries. In the last month, they managed to fabricate the comeback of the century, defeat arguably the best and hottest team in the National Hockey League with only ten forwards, and the backup goalie, and are sitting pretty with a 99.8% chance of a playoff berth. Now if you ask me, the Montreal Canadiens are looking pretty damn good right about now.

Thank you for the read and feel free to comment!

Follow me @Darrinharmy on twitter

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Team Canada Sneaks by Americans 2-1

A very pro-Canada crowd was on hand in Ufa to witness a Canadian win over the rival Americans. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Ryan Strome scored early to give Canada the only firepower it would need in a 2-1 victory.

In a game that lacked consistent momentum for either side, it was the goaltenders who stood out for both teams. Malcolm Subban made 36 saves for Canada, while John Gibson made 30 in a losing cause.

After Canada's first period goals, both teams played very timid and lacked the usual intensity of a typical Canada-U.S game. The Americans changed that at the 11 minute mark of the third period with a Jacob Trouba goal, that would cut the Canadian lead down to one.

The American momentum disappeared however, thanks to untimely third period penalties that would include two game misconducts, one of which going to captain Jake McCabe for a hit to the head. The Canadians, disorderly on their man-up advantages, weren't able to capitalise on a five-on-three opportunity.

Back at full strength and smelling blood, the U.S put the pressure on the Canadians late in the third. With just under two-minutes left, a boarding call to the tournament's leading scorer Nugent-Hopkins, gave the Americans a late power play. Phil Housley then opted to pull Gibson, giving the States a 6-4 man advantage. After many close-calls and near scoring chances, Subban and Canada's willing shot-blockers managed to hold on for the win.

The win over Team USA moves Canada into first place in the "Group B" standings, but only for now. In order to earn the first round by, Canada is going to have to play a lot better tomorrow against a hot Russian team, who is coming off of a 7-0 win against Germany, and has a home crowd ready to add fuel to the fire.

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Rob Myerson is a Quebec trained secondary education teacher. After a year in Montreal, teaching at Beurling Academy, he moved to London, England where he currently resides and works. His previous sports writing experience comes from writing for Bishop's University's school newspaper, "The Campus".

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HabsAddict Mailbag: Scott Gomez's Production with the Montreal Canadiens

Hello Hab addicts.

Bored with the lockout?

Yeah, so are we. So, in an effort the generate content and discussion, we have decided to tackle some of the questions we hear from friends, Facebook and Twitter.

Today, myself and Louis Moustakas tackle a classic query: Scott Gomez's decline.

Mika Oehling @armchairhockey asks "Any explanations to Gomez and his 1 goal a season since he joined the Habs?"

Sean Lloyd: Thanks for the question Mika, and quite a doozy to kick off the HabsAddict mailbag.

Gomez is a playmaker, always has been. While it's impossible to ignore his lack of scoring, it's his vision and passing abilities that make him an NHL player.

My best guess as to why he doesn't bury more goals would be his reluctance to shoot. In 2011-12 he was tied for 15th — with Josh Gorges — on the team for shooting. Even Alexei Emelin managed more shots with 62.

Then there is the good old fashioned "pressure of Montreal" theory. With the New Jersey Devils he scored 116 goals in 548 games, or one tally every five contests. In two seasons with the New York Rangers he scored 32 times in 153 games, once again producing one goal every five games.

Since donning the Montreal Canadiens' jersey, his average has dipped to one goal every nine games, producing only 21 goals in 196 games.

Gomez will either need to direct more pucks towards the net or learn to handle the pressure, if not we can expect roughly nine goals out of him whenever hockey resumes.

Louis Moustakas: Mika, that a doozy indeed.

Sean is right, Scott Gomez is not a natural shooter or natural scorer. In fact, his 33 goal season with the New Jersey Devils has to be considered a huge anomaly.

Other than his extremely successful 2005-06 campaign, he never reached the 20 goal plateau at the professional level, not even while playing in the ECHL during the lockout.

Having said that, it is perplexing to see a player who has regularly produced 10-15 goals per year plummet so drastically.

Beyond the point of Scott Gomez not shooting frequently, his shot locations are not optimal. Especially in 2011-12, his attempts on net came from either the wings or afar. Hardly prime choices.

Just look at his first goal in over a year. Fabulous pass, but really, he is quite distant off the wing.

That, and it's not like his head and heart have looked in the game in recent years.

What do you think? What caused Scott Gomez's precipitous decline?

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Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com

You can follow Sean on Twitter.

Louis is an Associate Editor and Senior Writer at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He is also an occasional guest on CKCU's Red Zone program.

Find him on Twitter @LouisMoustakas


(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Big News at HabsAddict, Antoine Corbin, Lockout Survival, More

Happy Friday!

As you probably by know, HabsAddict and Montreal Hockey Talk are joining forces.

For me personally, I am thrilled to be under the same roof as so many writers and players I've followed over the years. I am thrilled we will be able to reach a broader audience. And I am thrilled we will be able to deliver even better content.

Plus, I've seen the new website (you know, being an editor and all, they let me touch things on occasion) and it looks absolutely amazing.

I can't wait for all of this to be revealed and hope you follow us along for the ride.

Habs and Hockey News

- Eric Engels unveils the ultimate Habs team at HockeyBuzz. I enjoy that Andrei Markov and Saku Koivu both made the squad.

- HabsWorld reports that Antoine Corbin has been signed by the Montreal Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. The website also reveals the team's top prospects according to the fans.

- The NHL and the players' association concluded two days of meetings Thursday with no significant progress. Thankfully, at least Sports Illustrated was kind enough to provide us with a lockout survival guide. Apparently, this is going to last a while.

- An interesting story on the suspension of an NCAA prospect and its possible repercussions. 

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