Five Habs Questions Left Unanswered by the NHL Lockout

The Lockout Leaves Question Marks After A Disappointing Season

Just over two months have passed since the 2012-13 lockout officially started. The annual Winter Classic has been nixed and the All-Star game is sure to be next. The cancellation of the All-Star game shouldn't come as a shock to anybody. After all, how can there be stars without a season?

I've come to care less and less about the lockout as time goes by simply because, while I love the game, I refuse to let it take over my life.

Though I enjoy Saturday night games as much as the next fan, I've had little trouble moving on. Sure my "Mardi's" aren't nearly as "méchant" as I would like them to be, but I've had no trouble replacing these traditions with enjoyable new ones such as "Whiskey Wednesday's".

The thing that bothers me most about this lockout is that the absence of a season leaves too many questions unanswered. The Montreal Canadiens went through many changes during the summer and I — along with pretty much every other Hab fan — was looking forward to seeing what those changes would bring.

And with that, here are five questions regarding the Montreal Canadiens that have been left unanswered due to the ongoing lockout.

1. Are the Canadiens tough enough?

With the free agent signings of forwards Brandon Prust and Colby Armstrong along with the re-acquisition of defenseman Francis Bouillon, a large portion of the Habs fanbase immediately felt that the team would no longer be pushed around as easily as it has been for... well, as long as I can remember.

While Armstrong is not especially big, he doesn't shy away from throwing his body around, something that isn't done nearly enough by many Canadiens.

Bouillon's 5'8" 198 pound frame hardly screams heavyweight either but anybody who has seen him play knows his hits are hard and willingness to drop the gloves is borderline suicidal.

Prust, however, was the prize signing. After letting beloved tough guy Brad Staubitz leave via free agency after just 19 games, the Habs were in desperate need of a designated tough guy. With Prust in the lineup the Canadiens now have a player who can protect his teammates, cause problems for opposing players and occasionally pitch in offensively.

The question remains, are these three enough?

2. Is Andrei Markov back for good?

Unfortunately, as I write this Markov is injured in Russia. Markov has been playing for Vityaz Chekov in the KHL but left a game on October 26th with what was described as an "upper body" injury.

Markov would have been returning to the Montreal Canadiens at the beginning of the season after missing what seems like a kajillion games due to repeated knee injuries. With Markov healthy heading into September the Canadiens powerplay as well as their defensive zone breakout was guaranteed to improve drastically.

However, given his current predicament, it's hard to imagine that he would've lasted through the entire 2012-13 season.

In the end though, who really knows how thing's would've played out if he was back in a Habs uniform when the puck was supposed to drop.

3. Is David Desharnais for real?

One of the few positives to come out of the disastrous 2011-12 season was the emergence of David Desharnais as an efficient point producer. The argument can be — and has been — made that his success was due in large part to having Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty on his wings. Whether that's the case or not, the fact is Desharnais finished third on the team in scoring with 60 points.

With that 60 point season came constant debates on who is better between himself and Tomas Plekanec — cough, Plekanec, cough. Regardless, what seems clear is that Desharnais can play with the big boys.

This season would've shed light on Desharnais's true role and value. There is no doubt that he would've started the season with the same line mates but there were many out there wondering if the 5'7" 177 pound center could put up similar numbers in a season where opposing players would be more aware of him.

4. Is Michel Therrien the man for the job?

I'm quite tempted to just type "no" and move on. The reason I won't is Marc Bergevin.

Since Bergevin burst into the Habs hockey scene he has done nothing but better the organization. The one thing that may go against that statement is the hiring of Therrien. Seeing as how Bergevin has a Stanley Cup ring, though, and I don't I feel compelled to blast his choice just yet.

Therrien is mostly known in Montreal for his meltdown behind the Canadiens bench against the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2002 playoffs. Therrien took an unsportsmanlike penalty in a game the Canadiens were leading, eventually contributing to a devastating loss. The Hurricanes win tied the series at two and the 'Canes would go on to win the following two games earning a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.

People can change and there is a possibility that his reputation of demanding tough play and placing accountability on players could be just what this squad needs after a season where only a handful of players seemed motivated.

5. How will Alex Galchenyuk be handled?

The Montreal Canadiens' number one pick in the 2012 draft is quite possibly the silver lining to this lockout mess. After missing last season in Sarnia due to a knee injury, it seemed that another season in the OHL would be the best idea to further the prospects development.

Rene Bourque's surgery at the end of August was especially concerning. With a top-six nine forward expected to be sidelined for 8-12 weeks and Galchenyuk's skill — not to mention the hype surrounding him — I couldn't help but worry he would be rushed.

Sure, I have faith that the Canadiens development will improve drastically under the watch of Marc Bergevin. Yet, after years of watching talented young prospects be rushed and ruined by this organization, I couldn't help but worry about what would happen if Galchenyuk played well and was given a spot in the NHL right away.

Even if he were to be productive in a handful of games with the CH, I would still want him to play one more year with the Sting in order to better prepare for the main stage. So far, the lockout has proven beneficial for Galchenyuk who is currently tied for eighth in OHL scoring with 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 22 games.

With no NHL schedule, Galchenyuk can continue to succeed without any distracting debate over where he should be playing.

Without the 2012-13 season to answer these questions, what do you think:

1. Are the Canadiens tough enough?
2. What are your thoughts on Markov?
3. Is Desharnais for real?
4. Is Therrien the man for the job?
5. Will Galchenyuk really benefit from the lockout?

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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.

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Panesar and Moustakas: Michel Therrien Named Habs Coach

Kamal Panesar: Well if you haven’t heard by now, the Montreal Canadiens have appointed Michel Therrien as their new head coach, replacing interim coach, Randy Cunneyworth.

I don’t know about you, Louis, but I don’t love this move.

I actually wrote a piece over the last week or so, outlining why I was not a fan of bringing in Therrien. Basically, he is the type of coach who can be rough and gruff. The result is that he tends to wear thin in a couple of years, losing the room and ultimately being shown the door.

I really feel the Habs need some stability rather than a continuous carrousel. And while Therrien’s past performances don’t guarantee he’ll get the boot in two or three years, he has done nothing since leaving the Habs last time, to show that he has changed.

For more on that, see Penguins, Pittsburgh.

Louis Moustakas: Kamal, I understand your reservations here. Michel Therrien's emotional, gruff style can, at times, be detrimental. Truth be told, the unsportsmanlike penalty he took in the 2002 Playoffs against Carolina is still a sore spot for me. At the end of the day, coaches, regardless of their style, always seem to come with an expiration date.

But, to my mind, Therrien has grown and improved much since his early NHL days. He ate some humble pie, riding the buses in the AHL again and then getting a chance with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he did reasonably well. He led Pittsburgh to consecutive 100-point seasons and helped them reach the final in 2008.

He still can be rough around the edges, but his passion and knowledge of the Montreal market can prove to be tremendous benefits. After a series of relatively quiet men behind the bench, it will be a welcome change to have someone like Therrien behind the bench.

Between him and Marc Bergevin, there should not be any lack of dialogue between the team's staff and media.

That is something not to be overlooked. When the coaching staff and management are less than forthcoming, the players are often asked to fill in the blanks. Montreal provides enough of a fishbowl environment already and having some of that attention deflected away from them could be very beneficial.

After all, it's a lot easier as a player if the spotlight is focused on your coach's most recent press conference as opposed to your latest scoring drought.

Kamal Panesar: To be honest, despite Therrien’s reputation, the best thing he has going for him is time. In that it has passed since he was last in Montreal. Not only has Therrien gained AHL and NHL experience since his first stint with the Habs, but he is more than a decade older. I know I’ve learned a lot and changed a bunch in the last ten year, so I’m pretty sure he has too.

The Therrien hiring is not the worst thing imaginable, as some people are making it out to be. He is a competent, if defensively oriented, coach. He has a ton of experience and, having been through the cycle in Montreal, likely knows what not to do this time around.

Do you think if there was a replay of the 2002 playoffs, that Therrien would blow a gasket again, putting his team in penalty trouble? I highly doubt it.

I don’t know about you, but I have always learned the most in life in situations where I make mistakes. What is there to learn when everything goes right?

That said, this hiring brings up two very important points. One, is that Therrien, Marc Crawford, Bob Hartley, Patrick Roy…this isn’t exactly the cream of the coaching crop. GM Marc Bergevin was clearly fishing in a shallow pool. Partly because of the requirement that his coach speak French, but also because there really aren’t many great coaches available right now.

But the big question, for me, is whether or not Therrien is a place holder. Was he hired, knowing the he’s likely expire in two to three years, paving the way for Bergevin’s first choice, Joel Quenneville, to take the reigns?

Conspiracy theorists will likely jump all over that one!

Louis Moustakas: That we can agree on. There is no learning or growth without failures or mistakes. Therrien, like the rest of us, has had a few of both. Hopefully, his experience will allow him to thrive in Montreal.

As for being a place holder, I certainly hope not. I think it would reflect poorly on Bergevin to engage in such a thought process. He needs to have a win-now mentality and not focus on trying to predict the coaching market years down the line.

Nevertheless, it is hard to disagree on the fact that the coaching pool is a shallow one. Of the names you mention above, all came with serious caveats. For my money, Guy Carbonneau and Michel Therrien were my preferred candidates. The fact that two former coaches of the team were leading candidates is a testament to this very lack of depth. Still, I remain satisfied with this choice. I admire how Therrien has rebounded from his firings and has dipped his toe in various aspects of hockey operations, including scouting and media. I expect good things from him on his second tour of duty.

If you were given the GM hat, which choice would you have made?

Kamal Panesar: Man, that’s a tough question and, to be honest, I didn’t love any of the candidate names being bandied around. Of the names that I heard, however, I would have gone with Crawford over Therrien. But even then, I didn’t feel he was some kind of outstanding candidate.

One the Carbonneau note, since you mentioned him, I wouldn’t rule out him coming on board as Therrien’s assistant. He already held that position once and, for a guy who wants to get back into the coaching arena, Carbo might jump at that chance.

Unfortunately, I think the Therrien hiring kills any possibility of Larry Robinson coming on board as an assistant. And he would be the ideal man to run the D on this team, at least from where I sit.

Ultimately, I don’t hate the Therrien hiring, but I also don’t love it. I would have preferred the Habs go in a new direction and bring a new face with new ideas to the table…hence my Crawford pick. That being said, I am fully giving the Therrien redux the full benefit of the doubt. And while this move feels, to me, like Bergevin’s first misstep, I’m willing to let it play out before passing judgement. In other words, Therrien wasn’t my choice for coach, but now that he has the job I’m not going to sit there, arms cross, shoulder slumped with a frown on my face, waiting for him to screw up.

He has the benefit of the doubt and the onus is now on him to prove that he has changed. If he hasn't, then we’ll be having “new coach” discussions again in a few short seasons.

What are your thoughts on the Therrien hiring? Are you satisfied or would you have hired someone else?

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Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a regular on-air contributor on TSN 990, CJAD, and LiveSport New Zealand.

Follow Kamal on Facebook and 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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