Trade Deadline: Will The Habs Address Their Scoring Woes?

Newly acquired Devante Smith-Pelly

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Much has been said about the lack of scoring by the Canadiens this season. While we are sitting in first place in the Eastern Conference by a point - with two and three games at hand over the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively - is it safe to say that the play of Carey Price is the sole reason we are in this position?

Carey Price has been outstanding. He has been outstanding since Michel Therrien took over and implemented his often-maligned system. He began to finally turn the corner after Jaroslav Halak was dealt and the franchise committed themselves to the former 5th-overall NHL draft pick. Carey was handed the reigns, matured and has not looked back. He is now among the elite of NHL goaltending. As it stands now, it is a two-horse battle for the Vezina Trophy between Price and Nashville's Pekka Rinne. The only difference is, Nashville can score goals for Rinne. Aside from Max Pacioretty, Montreal cannot. The Predators have scored 181 goals heading into Tuesday, good enough for 7th best in the NHL. The Canadiens have scored 157 goals. Good enough for 11th. In their own conference. Overall, that is 23rd best in the NHL. Big difference in support on a nightly basis.

Photo Credit: ESPN NHL Standings

With a record of 38-16-5, the Canadiens are amongst the elite teams in the NHL. But heading into the playoffs, is it largely smoke and mirrors based on our elite goaltending? Aside from Max Pacioretty, where would our other top-six forwards play on contending teams?
Would Brendan Gallagher be a top-six forward for Nashville or Chicago?
Would David Desharnais get top-six minutes in St. Louis or Anaheim?
Would Dale Weise be playing on the top line for either New York team?

In a gritty best-of-seven series would the Canadiens be able to match the fire-power needed to make a run to the Stanley Cup? Would they even make the Eastern Finals again this year? Are we setting ourselves up for heartbreak by believing they can?

The line-up this year is largely the same as last season minus Thomas Vanek. Danny Briere was swapped for P.A. Parenteau and the contribution is largely the same as last year - next to nil. The kids have been called up to provide some energy, but will Jacob De La Rose and Christian Thomas be able to provide the secondary scoring required for a long playoff run? Can Lars Eller flip the switch again this year? Possible? Will Devante Smith-Pelly (acquired in a trade announced earlier today for Jiri Sekac) be a difference maker here in Montreal during hockey's second season?

Possible? Sure.
Likely? Not very.

There is a big difference between the trade deadline this year and the trade deadline last year. There is no Thomas Vanek available.

Among the pending unrestricted free agents, the top forwards include Mike Ribeiro from Nashville, Mats Zuccarello and Martin St. Louis from the New York Rangers, Justin Williams from the defending Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings and Antoine Vermette from the Arizona Coyotes. Of those names, only Vermette is likely to move anywhere at the trade deadline.

Justin Williams

Los Angeles is currently on the playoff bubble and Justin Williams is the kind of player you want to have in your top-six heading in the playoffs. However, if the Kings fall out of contention, could 'Mr. Game Seven' be a viable target for Marc Bergevin? The 33-year-old Williams is not an elite scorer, but has an offensive game and he steps up his effort in the playoffs every year. With an expiring cap hit of $3.65 million, the right-handed shot could be the equivalent of a Thomas Vanek acquisition for the Canadiens down the stretch. Williams is not likely to be dealt and he might very well have a movement clause of some sort in his contract; however, his name is one worth remembering as Bergevin has surprised us in the past and could work some magic if the Kings decide to mail it in.

Amongst the non-free agents, the sad sack Toronto Maple Leafs are officially rebuilding. Superstar forward Phil Kessel is likely out of most-teams price range at the trade deadline, more likely to be moved during the summer. Joffrey Lupul is talented but never healthy, either. The Edmonton Oilers have names like Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov forever rumoured to be available. All three of these young players would also be pricey acquisitions.

Jaromir Jagr

Jaromir Jagr has openly stated that he would like to be traded to a contending team; however, the New Jersey Devils still feel they are a playoff-contending team. Frankly, trading for Jagr now would be disappointing. Jagr has slowed down this year considerably, physically and statistically. This is a player who wished to join the Canadiens as a free agent to play with countryman and friend Tomas Plekanec four seasons ago. And each summer thereafter as a free agent was spurned by the Habs. Subsequently, he put up some solid numbers for the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, including 24 goals and 67 points last year for the Devils at age 42. During that stretch and the Habs have had Danny Briere and P.A. Parenteau acquired to provide next to nothing positive at similar cap hits. Bringing in Jagr now, as age has started to take an increased toll on his overall numbers (11 goals, 29 points, -9 in 56 games this season) would be almost too-little, too-late. What better mentor for young players than a future first-ballot Hall of Fame player who has a work ethic second to none and a willingness to mentor younger players. Not signing Jagr originally - tremendous resume, skill set as well as size - was a serious miss by management in this author's opinion.

So what does Marc Bergevin have up his sleeve for the trade deadline? With the injuries to Alexei Emelin and Sergei Gonchar, added depth on the blue line is likely coming and has been mentioned at length already. But where are the goals coming from this time? Thomas Vanek provided a huge spark last year as the team made a huge push into the playoffs. He fell off big time during the playoffs and essentially had the entire city sour on him by the end of the season. Vanek ended up signing in his adopted hometown of Minnesota as the entire league expected he would, but at a fraction of the price expected. His playoff effort was duly noted by the Wild brass for sure. There is no Thomas Vanek available at the trade deadline this season, either.

In the playoffs, you need to score goals and you need balanced scoring. Games get tighter-checking, and goals start coming at a premium. The defensive effort has been strong again and the Canadiens received the balanced scoring last year against Tampa and Boston as they advanced past those two teams. For the most part, goals have been provided by a committee this season too. But to expect us to go deep into the playoffs as a favorite this year with nary a point-per-game player in the lineup is asking for a lot. Something has to be done. If some added scoring punch is not found by the trade deadline, Carey Price better continue to stand on his head because if he slips even a little bit, this season could end a lot earlier than we all hope. Or expect.

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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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The General Continues To Stand Tall

Greetings Habs Addicts!

The Habs swept the season series against the Boston Bruins the other day for the first time since the 2007-08 season with a 3-1 win in Boston on Sunday night. The Habs are 10-1 in their past 11 games against Boston, including six straight wins in Boston. Impressive!

Andrei Markov had an empty-net goal to ice the victory, his seventh goal of the season. Last night he set up David Desharnais' overtime winner against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Habs 2-1 victory. He now has 31 points in 53 games played this season. The General is continuing to defy the aging process that inevitably hits all players and is averaging 24:48 of ice time per game this season at age 36. He may have lost a step in terms of speed, but in terms of skills and stats, he is hardly slowing down.

Photo Credit: RDS.CA

Andrei Markov has been a rock for the Canadiens since he broke into the NHL back in 2000-01. He suffered a series of knee injuries that required reconstruction and limited him to only seven games played in 2010-11 and 13 games the following year, but Markov has returned strong and appeared in all 48 games during the strike shortened season, missed only one game last year and thus far has appeared in all 53 games thus far this season. Media and fans were concerned about re-signing Markov after the knee injury and management faced a lot of criticism when they did re-sign him to a contract with such a high average-annual salary cap value; however, he has rewarded management's faith in him by returning to his high level of play. Calm and cool with the puck, you never see Markov panicking on the ice. The quarterback of the power play for years, he has proven to be a lethal combination with P.K. Subban on the back end. What more can you ask of a player who was only drafted in the 6th round, 162 overall in 1998?

Habs fans cringed last summer when Markov was approaching free-agency for the first time in his career. Coming into last season with a salary cap hit of $5.75 million, fans and media alike were concerned about Marc Bergevin extending the soon-to-be 36 year old at that current cap hit. Well, Bergevin rewarded his veteran leader with a three-year extension at the same salary cap hit and Markov has responded in year one thus far, on pace for 11 goals and 49 points.

Markov has started to show signs of age creeping up to him. As stated earlier, he has lost a step in the speed department after the knee injury, but he has not let that affect his play as he better positions himself and takes advantage of the vast hockey smarts he developed over his 13-year career. Last season, it was evident that fatigue was catching up to him as he entered the playoffs as he had only one goal and four assists in his final 13 regular season games and then was kept off the score sheet entirely during the four-game sweep of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Markov was beginning to feel the effects of his first full regular season in four years. Critics were calling for Michel Therrien to rest the veteran, and limit his minutes to keep him fresh, but Markov played over 25 minutes per game last year and is very close to that same amount of ice time this year. Will he fade a bit down the stretch? Even with his fade, Markov finished last years playoff run with 10 points in 17 playoff games. Solid production from a solid producer.

The trade deadline is approaching. Bergevin will address some needs and another puck-mover on the back end would surely help. Names like Cody Franson and Mike Green have been bandied about. Edmonton is trying to move Jeff Petry and he could be an option, as well. Bergevin has already acquired fellow Russian veteran Sergei Gonchar earlier this year and he has paired up tremendously well with young Nathan Beaulieu. On the flip side, Alexei Emelin continues to make baffling mistakes both mentally and with the puck on a game-to-game basis and his partner Tom Gilbert has provided only nine points in 49 games played this season after being expected to anchor the second power-play unit. Veteran Mike Weaver has been a healthy scratch for most of the season and has appeared in only two games since the middle of December.

Michel Therrien will be wise to limit the minutes for Markov down the stretch, especially late in games where the outcome is more or less decided. The only problem is the Canadiens have an inability to score goals this year which has seen them play in a lot of one-goal games. Hard to limit your stud leader when the game is on the line. It would be nice to see the scoring pace pick up and Markov finish the stretch run playing around 20 minutes per game and subsequently have a bit more in the tank for the playoffs, where fans expect another long spring of hockey in Montreal.

It will be interesting to see how they play Markov during the home stretch of the season and how The General responds this year. Even if he does slow down next year and the last year of his deal, he will still be a valuable power-play producer. Kimmo Timonen in Philadelphia is a prime example of what kind of player Markov can develop into as he advances into his age 37 and 38 seasons. Not too shabby.

When its all said and done and he wraps up his career, there might very well be a #79 banner hanging in the rafters of the Bell Centre.

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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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The Good, Average & Poor ... Habs First Half Analysis

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Photo Credit: latimes.com

The NHL All-Star game in Columbus was played yesterday, with Team Toews defeating the hometown team, Team Foligno, by a Lacrosse score of 17-12. That's right. There were 29 goals scored in the game, or basically a goal every two minutes of play. Whether or not they were playing with six attackers each and no goalies has yet to be confirmed. Carey Price was the lone all-star for the Canadiens this year, even though P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty had numbers deserving of an all-star berth. Price was solid, allowing four goals on 16 shots. Price was also wearing a mike and spent most of his time answering questions from Glenn Healy and providing commentary while making saves. It was a lot of fun to watch.

The All-Star game generally marks what is considered to be the half-way point of the NHL season. As for that, it is time to take a look at the the Montreal Canadiens performance to-date.

Overall Record (29-13-3, 3rd in Atlantic; 4th in the East; 8th overall in the NHL)

The Habs are having another season that places them in the upper echelon of the NHL. Michel Therrien continues to ice a team that does not quit when down in a game, in fact the Habs have had a tendency this year to show up for the second and third periods of games while snoozing through the first periods. The Canadiens are second only to the Buffalo Sabres for least amount of first period goals. But the Canadiens are also amongst the league leaders in third-period goals as a team, illustrating a team that does not quit and gets better as the game progresses. It seems if the Habs can come out of the first period tied or trailing by one, they likely leave with a victory. If they lead after the first, they are almost guaranteed a victory. They have also won seven games in overtime or shootout. Even when they fall behind, they do not quit. Stealing point in games they have no business being in has turned into a trend. Carey Price has been the saving grace to the team this year and should be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy at the end of the year, if not the Hart Trophy as well. No player has meant more to their team than Price means to the Canadiens.

Statistically, the Canadiens have been good but not as good as their record illustrates. Offensively, the Canadiens average 2.6 goals per game, which is 21st in the NHL. On the power-play, they have been operating at a 17% clip which is also good for 21st in the NHL. They have been inept with the man advantage for most of the season, Of the 23 goals the team has scored with the man-advantage, seven of them have come in the last four games. This may be a sign that things are picking up, in which case the Canadiens can be a force in the second half of the season. They need the power play to step up as its hard to continue winning when one-third of your victories come in one-goal games (11 in 29 wins).

Defensively the Habs have been solid. Michel Therrien has iced a defensively responsible team and the bulk of the credit goes to Carey Price. The Canadiens rank 4th overall in the NHL allowing only 2.4 goals per game. They also kill penalties among the best in the league, operating at an 84.9% clip which is 5th best in the NHL. Solid defensive play has kept the Canadiens in games they had no business being in this year. They have allowed some high shot totals on Price, who thrives with the high workload. They need the offense to catch up because Chris Kreider illustrated to us what happens when Price cannot carry the workload. Dustin Tokarski has been a decent backup, but he cannot take the reigns and run with them.

Forwards

Good - Max Pacioretty leads the team with 21 goals and 38 points in 45 games played. Patches has been consistent this year and entered the break coming off a six-game goal scoring streak ... Tomas Plekanec has been consistent this year with 13 goals and 32 points in 45 games anchoring the second line. Plekanec has had a revolving door of line-mates, but has continued to be the teams best two-way player ... Alex Galchenyuk has been coming into his own and has 12 goals and 31 points in 45 games this year. Chucky has finally moved to the centre spot on the top line where he exploded for his first-career hat-trick in December before being moved back to left wing in recent games ... Dale Weise has carved his niche in Montreal as a feisty spark plug with some skills. Fan favorite Weise has seen power-play time, top line time and has six goals and 16 points in 42 games played and has exceeded expectations of him coming into the season.

Photo Credit: usatoday.com

Average - Brendan Gallagher has continued his pesky ways and is continually driving to the net and providing screens on the power play. Gallagher has 11 goals and 25 points in 45 games, on pace for another 20 goal, 45-50 point season. Typical Gallagher ... David Desharnais struggled early on this year and lost his spot on the top line. Since being separated from Pacioretty, Davey found his niche on the third line as a winger and started shooting more. For the season he has 7 goals and 24 points in 45 games ... Jiri Sekac represented the Canadiens at the All-Star game skills competition as a rookie, but spent a stretch of games as a healthy scratch and has seven goals and 15 points in 38 games. Sekac has tremendous skills and has been one of the best players on the ice a few times. Developing consistency will be the key to his development as the season goes forward ... Brandon Prust is Brandon Prust. Chippy, scrappy and fighting as always, Prust has three goals, 11 points and leads the team with 83 penalty minutes. No one is taking liberties on the Habs young players with Prust in the line-up. For a player who has an injury history due to his playing style, Prust has appeared in all 45 games this season.

Poor - P.A. Parenteau was an off-season acquisition that was expected to provide secondary scoring. While his Corsi stats are solid, he has not found the score sheet at all and has a measly six goals and 15 points in 40 games while dealing with concussion-like symptoms. Parenteau was expected to provide 50-60 points of offense and that has not happened. He is in position to improve in the second half ... Manny Malhotra was brought in to win faceoffs and kill penalties. That he does well. At even strength, he has one assist and is a -8 in 42 games played. That he does not do well ... Lars Eller continues to frustrate fans and coaches alike with his inconsistent play. With a second line skill-set and tons of potential, Eller is backing up his big contract with eight goals and 15 points in 40 games played ... Michael Bournival has had a season lost to injury, but has two goals and one assist in 15 games . He should improve over the second half ... Hamilton Bulldogs' call-ups Sven Andrighetto, Eric Tangradi, Drayson Bowman, and Christian Thomas have combined for two goals and three total points in a combined 25 games played with the big club this season, mostly in fourth-line roles. All three points belong to Andrighetto.

Defence

Good - P.K. Subban is playing at a high level as usual. He has really come on as of late with the recent rebirth of the power play. For the year, Subban has 11 goals and 31 points in 45 games, leading the team with 25:21 in average ice time and is a +7 as well. Subban has seen more time on the penalty kill this year and continues to electrify the crowds with his stick skills ... Andrei Markov continues to defy the clock and has been our most consistent defenseman on a game-to-game basis. Markov has lost a step, but makes up for it with sound positioning and continues to quarterback the power play. Markov has five goals and 26 points in 45 games, 14 of those points coming on the power-play. Markov should have his ice time monitored going forward, as he is averaging over 24 minutes per game, which has worn him down the past two seasons.

Photo Credit: thescore.com

Average - Sergei Gonchar was acquired in a deal for Travis Moen and has provided one goal and ten points in 29 games. Gonchar is the elder statesman on the blue-line at 40 years old and continues to QB the second unit, paired up as a mentor with youngster Nathan Beaulieu ... Beaulieu has finally cracked the line-up full time and has only four assists in 30 games, but has been solid defensively and should continue to improve as the season goes forward.

Bad - Alexei Emelin has one goal and 11 points in 43 games and is a +3. On paper, he looks solid. He continues to hit hard, but not the same bone-crushing hits we've seen in the past. He has been tentative since returning from his knee injury last year and is often out of position, turning the puck over or looking lost. Emelin has been paired up with another disappointment in Tom Gilbert, who has two goals and seven points in 42 games played. Brought in to be a puck-moving, right handed shot on the power-play, Gilbert has been mediocre at best at the two skills he was expected to possess ... Mike Weaver provides leadership and depth to the blue line, blocking shots and killing penalties when he finds his way into the line-up. Age and playing style has caught up to Weaver this season, but he still has four assists in 27 games played ... Jarred Tinordi has appeared in nine games this season, with two assists and a -5 to show for it. He has spent the bulk of his season in Hamilton where he just returned after missing games due to a concussion. This season may be lost for Tinordi at the NHL level.

Goaltending

Good - Carey Price has continued his all-world play this season, compiling a 24-10-2 record with a 2.15 goals-against and a .929 save percentage. He has two shutouts as well. Without Price, the Canadiens are not a playoff team. Period ... Dustin Tokarski took the reigns from Peter Budaj during the playoffs last year and is the backup to Price this season. In 10 games played, Tokarski has a 5-3-1 record with a 2.50 goals-against and a .917 save percentage. If Price were to be injured, Tokarski can handle the load better than Budaj, but is better served as a more than capable backup. Combined, this goaltending tandem is one of the NHL's best.

The Habs return to action on Tuesday, as the Dallas Stars head into Montreal. The Canadiens also face the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals this week and look to continue their winning ways as the latter half of the NHL season commences.

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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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Therrien Changes The Lines But For How Long?

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Well, it took another lacklustre effort, this time against the Dallas Stars on Saturday before Michel Therrien finally did the unthinkable: He surgically removed David Desharnais from Max Pacioretty's hip and replaced him with Alex Galchenyuk.

Now Habs fans have been clamouring for a Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Brendan Gallagher combination for a while now and they finally had a chance to see it in action - albeit briefly - in the third period of what had been a non-competitive game up until that point. The Stars went on to win the game 4-1, but the Canadiens showed signs of life in the period. The second change Therrien made was moving Tomas Plekanec onto a line with  Jiri Sekac and Sven Andrighetto, who scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game.

Photo Credit: allhabs.net

The big question going into Tuesday's home game against the Vancouver Canucks is whether or not we will see a full game of these line combinations or if Therrien the juggler will switch things up again. Building chemistry takes some time and Therrien never likes to take time and see how things develop. Instant results or see you later seems to be his mantra. Unless you're Desharnais, in which case you remain with Pacioretty regardless of the circumstances.

Until Saturday night.

Alex Galchenyuk is a natural centerman who has not had the opportunity to play the position on a consistent basis. Arguably, if Lars Eller had not gotten injured, he would probably still be toiling on the wing. Galchenyuk has the best stick skills on the team. Pacioretty may be a natural goal scorer, but Galchenyuk has the skills and vision to create scoring chances and put the puck in the net. With space in the middle and an opportunity to produce, he should be able to feed the sniper with some creative passes and give the diminutive Brendan Gallagher a chance to clean up the rebounds in front of the net. There is no reason why this trio cannot all score 20+ goals before the season is over. Provided they stay together. And how long they stay together is the million dollar question.

Michel Therrien's coaching decisions have been less than stellar this season. He has been a far cry from the coach who came in during the lockout and changed the losing culture in Montreal. Last year showed some regression across the board in many categories aside from their overall record, at least until the playoffs came along. He abandoned the puck possession approach that worked during the lockout-shortened season in favor for a dump-and-chase approach and it did not work. Then he went back to puck possession during the playoffs and they had the magical run to the Eastern Conference Finals. This year he reverted back to his favored dump-and-chase approach and the team is floundering from a lack of scoring, a lack of discipline and this time there is no Thomas Vanek lingering on the trading block to come in and save the season again. Off-season acquisition P.A. Parenteau has been disappointing so far, with only 6 goals and 11 points in 29 games and David Desharnais needs to have his play called out by mayor Denis Coderre again as his two goals and 15 points in 29 games is terrible for a player who averages over 17 minutes per game on the top line and top power-play unit. Therrien finally separated him from Pacioretty on Saturday, which may be a blessing in disguise for the Habs offense.

Jiri Sekac spent a chunk of time in the press-box until Marc Bergevin dealt away Travis Moen and Rene Bourque to essentially force Therrien's hand to play the touted rookie. Aligned with Lars Eller and Brandon Prust, Sekac responded by putting up 8 points in 16 games of third line minutes after his press box vacation. With Eller going down with an injury, Sekac finished the game with fellow countryman Plekanec and Hamilton Bulldogs prospect Sven Andrighetto. There is a lot of talent and speed on this line. Plekanec is also defensively responsible, which should recover some of the rookie mistakes his line-mates may make as the season progresses. A smart Therrien should allow this line an opportunity to be creative with the puck. All three have tremendous stick skills and following a dump-and-chase mantra would be a waste of their skills and play away from their strengths. But alas, it is Therrien logic that ultimately decides how things play out.

Therrien appeared to see the light in Dallas. He saw the need to take some chances and make the changes that he was unwilling to make to this point. He created two line combinations that have the talent and ability to dominate a puck-possession game and put the puck in the net. If he can find a way to adapt his strategies to exploit the strengths of these two line combinations and give them the patience and time to develop some chemistry, he may have solved the scoring woes and save the season. The 17-10-2 record is misleading, as the Habs have failed to generate any offense in the first period of games and often have to rally late to win the games. This resilience is a testament to a never-quit attitude but not the recipe for success at the NHL level. If he decides to revert back to his previous ideas and force these talent trios to dump the puck and chase after it, we can expect to go 3-6-1 in the next ten games too.

The choice on how your season plays out is all yours, Michel. Choose wisely.

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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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Great Night For A Breakout

Greetings Habs Addicts,

What a great night in Montreal last night. The Canadiens retired Hall of Famer Guy Lapointe's #5 in an emotional pre-game ceremony then went on to beat the Minnesota Wild pretty convincingly in a 4-1 victory. For those wondering the significance of retiring Lapointe's number prior to a game against Minnesota, it should be known that Lapointe is currently the coordinator of amateur scouting for the Wild, a post he has held since the teams inception. Thomas Vanek had an assist on the lone Wild goal in his return to Montreal, but was otherwise in fine playoff form as he was rather invisible as he floated around the ice. No word on whether he lost money on the game, either. Carey Price stood on his head in the first period and kept the Canadiens in the game before they took over and dominated from the second period onward.

Photo Credit: NationalPost.com

First off, Guy Lapointe's jersey retirement was long overdue. A brief history lesson about the man affectionately known as "Pointu" for those who never saw him play begins with the fact he was a six-time Stanley Cup winner with the powerhouse Canadiens squads of the 1970s. As a member of the 'Big-Three' with fellow Hall of Fame defencemen Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, Lapointe holds the Canadiens record for goals in a season by a defenceman (28) and by a rookie defenceman (15). Savard and Lapointe were key members of the 1972 Summit Series against Russia. Lapointe put up big points, laid thunderous body checks and kept the locker room loose with his notorious pranks. Among those pranks is the story of Lapointe coating his own hand in Vasoline prior to shaking the hand of Pierre Elliott Trudeau, then Prime Minister of Canada during a visit to the Canadiens locker room. For his career, Lapointe scored 171 goals and 622 points in 894 career NHL games. He shares his #5 in the rafters with the great Bernie 'Boom-Boom' Geoffrion. This honour is a long time coming. Credit to his daughter, Stephanie Lapointe (Twitter: @RavenMontreal) who spent many long hours working and rallying for this honour. Stephanie made appearances on MontrealHockeyTalk.com last year to gain support for a petition she started and the hard work paid off. Congrats to Guy Lapointe and family. Well deserved honour and we hope you enjoyed the moment!

This high profile game was also used by Jiri Sekac for his breakout performance as a Canadien. Sekac was a highly-touted off-season signing by Marc Bergevin after a solid performance in the Russian KHL last season. Sekac played in the first six games of the season before spending seven straight in the press box as a healthy scratch. Fans were clamouring for Sekac to return to the lineup, especially with veterans such as Rene Bourque and Travis Moen seeing undeserved ice time. Sekac returned to the lineup against Buffalo this past week and last night had a dominating performance on a line with Lars Eller and Brandon Prust, scoring a goal and adding an assist while being named First Star of the game. It was a great time for the Czech forward to step up into the spotlight. Hopefully this is the breakout game needed to get himself and the under-performing Lars Eller going. Eller is notoriously streaky and on a line with a gritty forward like Brandon Prust could spark the beginning of good things for the trio. One cannot forget how youngsters Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher started their careers strong on a line with Prust during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.

Sekac has a ton of talent and has a great opportunity in Montreal. Spending time in the press box while Rene Bourque and his $3.3-million dollar cap hit went game after game contributing nothing to the offense was a waste of his talent and frustrated many fans. Here at HabsAddict, my own article 'Should #AlmostBourque be #AlmostBenched?' sparked some controversy with the listeners and fans at our affiliate MontrealHockeyTalk.com early on, however the analysis proved to be true as the next ten games played out and Bourque's on-ice effort continued to deteriorate. HabsAddict editor Fred Poulin's 'Jiri Sekac in Michel Terrien's Doghouse' echoed what was a growing sentiment among fans and media that Sekac was somehow being punished by Michel Therrien for his lack of offense through the first six games. Well, his replacements contributed nothing at all and Sekac finally returned to the lineup this week and hopefully will use this Saturday performance to get on a roll with Eller and Prust. There is just too much talent and potential there for him to spend the season watching the games from the rafters. The rafters that now hold another deserving legend's retired number.

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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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Dale Weise, P.K. Subban And The Habs Power-Play Struggles

Greetings Habs Addicts!

The Montreal Canadiens are 8-2-1 heading into this evening's game against the Calgary Flames. The record is certainly misleading on how they have played to this point. They have shown tremendous character by winning six of those games by one-goal margins, often after trailing to start the game. They have also scored three goals or less in eight of their eleven games (5-3 in those games) this season. The team is even in goals for/against at 29/29 and they are averaging only 2.4 goals per game while allowing 2.6 goals per game. While the penalty-killing is just as strong as last year (86.7%; 6th best in the NHL) the power-play has been power-less with only a 9.4% conversion rate (three goals in 32 attempts; two of the goals were scored in the same game). The Canadiens have been relying on all-world goaltender Carey Price to keep them in the games and he has thus far delivered. But is this a smoke and mirrors start or will the team turn things around offensively?

Dale Weise & P.K. Subban.
Photo Credit: montreal.ctvnews.ca

A couple of weeks back, HabsAddicts' own Fred Poulin analyzed the struggling power-play and offered up a hockey player's perspective on what is going wrong and how it can be corrected. Since that time, the Canadiens have not converted a power-play goal (five games; 12 power-play opportunities). Clearly the rest of the NHL has keyed in on P.K. Subban being the catalyst to the Habs' offense with the man advantage. Subban spends most of his time at the point awaiting an opportunity to unleash his booming slap-shot at the net. But Subban is rarely moved from the point this season and any hockey player will tell you that a stationary target is much easier to defend then a moving target.

Subban is an extremely talented offensive defenseman. His right-handed shot is one of the hardest point shots in hockey. He is very similar in that regard to Shea Weber, the right-handed shooting all-star from the Nashville Predators. Weber last year led all defensemen in scoring with 23 goals. A video montage of all of his 2013-14 goals can be found on YouTube. For those who do not wish to take the link to the video, the summary of this goals based on location on the ice are as follows:

The same page on YouTube also has a summary video of all of P.K. Subban's goals from last year's regular season and playoffs. Again, for those who do not wish to view the video the summary of those goals relative to position on the ice are as follows:

One noticeable difference, aside from Weber having more goals (23 regular season vs 15 for Subban in regular season/playoffs) is that Weber pinches more on rushes and power-plays and scored eight of his goals from within the face-off circles or the slot area whereas Subban is more content to stick to the blue line and fire lasers. As we have seen from some of his rushes, including his gorgeous breakaway goal against Colorado this season, Subban has the stick-handling ability to fight through traffic and score from in close. Having a player like Subban floating along the blue line waiting for one-timers is a waste of his immense talent. There is no reason why Subban cannot score 20+ goals in this league if utilized correctly.

Another difference in the videos is that in almost every single one of Weber's goals, there is traffic in front of the net. The Predators have never had top-level scoring talent on their roster. They are always a defence-first grinding team who scores by committee and yet they have a player leading the NHL in goals by a defenceman; one who's biggest weapon is a slap-shot, not necessarily creative stick-handling. They achieve this by having one or two bodies in front of the net, providing enough of a screen on the goalie that he cannot pick up the shot right away. If you cannot locate the shot coming at you from that velocity, you are not saving it. Ask a Major League Baseball hitter if he can hit a 100 MPH fastball if he does not pick it up right away out of the pitcher's hand. He will tell you there is no chance. And they are not being screened.

P.K. Subban has that kind of shot.

The Canadiens do not have a big body in front of the net on the power-play this year. Teams are keying on Subban and the goalie is getting a view of the shot as it comes in. Brendan Gallagher does what he can up front, but he does not have the size to truly screen the goalies, as most of them in the NHL are well over six-feet tall. Max Pacioretty is a sniper, not a net crasher. Little David Desharnais is not screening anyone and Alex Galchenyuk is not a power-forward.

Good power-plays have traffic in front of the net. In their primes, both Todd Bertuzzi and John LeClair were forces to deal with in front of the net. Boston uses Milan Lucic in that role. Pittsburgh has Chris Kunitz to bang home rebounds. Montreal does not have skilled players with size like this on the roster. But they do have one gritty player who is skilled enough to hold his own with the puck and big enough to stand in front of the net and bang in rebounds. One player who can use his tremendous speed to get to the corner and win battles for the loose puck off dump-ins. That player is Dale Weise.

Weise is not a sniper. He is not a pure goal-scorer, but he is a strong and sturdy presence who can get in front of the net and take the abuse from an opposing defender. He showed in the playoffs that he can score a big goal and win the battles. With skilled shooters such as Pacioretty and Subban on the ice along with puck-handlers such as Galchenyuk or Desharnais and the general at the point in Markov, having a player like Weise on the ice to take the onus off Gallagher in front of the net could be an effective way to occupy a defender up front and force two bodies to be blocking the view of the goaltender. If the Canadiens can find ways to move Subban into the slot or pinch from the blue-line more, there is no reason why the Habs cannot have a Shea Weber of their own. We do not need Weise to score 20 goals, just create a solid screen and occupy a defender and let the goal scorers do their work.

When trying to score goals the conventional way is not working, it may be time to think outside the box. Teams are keying on the point with Subban and the Canadiens are not generating any traffic in front of the goal. That is allowing the four defenders to box them out and keep the Canadiens on the perimeter. There is no reason to take a defender away from Subban. Forcing one of those four to fight Weise in the slot will open up more space for Subban to maneuver around. Allowing him to pinch into the circles or the slot to shoot will give a screened goalie even less time to locate and react to one of the NHL's hardest shots. Like a the ball player trying to hit the fastball, you will not hit what you cannot see.

Michel Therrien is making some changes to his line pairings tonight against Calgary. What he should be doing is changing his power-play strategy. It has been ineffective all year long.

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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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Should Almost-Bourque Be Almost-Benched?

Greetings Habs Addicts,

After last night, the Montreal Canadiens are sitting pretty with a 5-1 record. Of course the loss was a 7-1 dismantling by the Tampa Bay Lightning, surely hell bent on avenging the playoff sweep of last year. The Habs spoiled the Toronto Maple Leafs home opener with a 4-3 win on opening night and beat Boston 6-4 on Thursday in a sloppy, but very entertaining home opener in Montreal. Overall, it has been a solid start to the season for the Habs.

Thus far, Carey Price has been far from stellar. His 4-1 record is deceiving with a 3.38 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage thus far. Most of the goals have not been weak and it's safe to say that the pre-season Vezina darkhorse will turn things around soon enough.

Photo Credit: LaPresse.com

While Thomas Plekanec (four goals, seven points), Alex Galchenyuk (two goals, six points), Brendan Gallagher (three goals, five points) and P.A. Parenteau (two goals, five points) have started the year off well, two players who struggled mightily are struggling again. Lars Eller and Rene Bourque have combined for two assists (one each) and are each minus players (-6 for Eller; -7 rating for Bourque) through the first six games of the season. They are playing 14:33 and 12:54 per game respectively and have totalled 20 shots on goal combined (12 and 8 respectively).

Both players were catalysts in the playoff run last season after miserable regular season showings. Lars Eller signed a lucrative extension (4-years/$14-million; $3.5 AAV) this summer with expectations that he would produce. Rene Bourque is under contract for another year after this season at a cap hit of $3.33 million. CapGeek.com has his actual salary for this season and next at $2.5-million.

Lars Eller is also a younger player that still has a tremendous amount of upside. He is also a strong defensive player, so his offensive shortcomings can be hidden so far. He sparked P.K. Subban for a gorgeous breakaway goal coming out of the penalty box Saturday night against Colorado while killing a penalty. Bourque is 32 years old and is not going to return to his Calgary glory days unless he receives top-line minutes. That will never happen.

So what is Michel Therrien and Marc Bergevin going to do with the player affectionately known in the Twitter-verse as #AlmostBourque for his ability to "almost" score goals?
Is there a cap-floor team that would be willing to pick up some of that salary in a trade to dump the underwhelming native of Alberta?
Did Marc Bergevin drop the ball by not finding a deal - any deal at all - this summer with Bourque coming off a clutch playoff performance?
After all, professional sports is all about "What have you done for me lately?"

There are a lot of questions being asked and no real answers. It is only six games into the season. This really is not a time to panic. But we have seen plenty of nothing from Bourque since he was acquired from Calgary in the Mike Cammalleri trade back in 2011-12. Since joining the Habs, Bourque has managed only 21 goals and 38 points in 134 regular season games. Cammalleri surpassed that (24 goals) in his first 72 games with Calgary (rest of the 2011-12 season and all of the strike-shortened 2012-13 season). Cammalleri would also have been off the books at this point in time as well (he signed a free-agent deal with the New Jersey Devils this past off-season). Unless Zac Fucale - the draft pick acquired along with Bourque - develops into a stud netminder/great trade bait, it's safe to say the in-game trade made out of anger and panic was one of the worst made by the Habs in a while. It was also not Marc Bergevin's doing, no fault is being dished out.

But rehashing the past aside, should Rene Bourque be spending time in the press box again this year? He was benched frequently towards the end of last season. When he returned to the line-up, he would produce for a small stretch before disappearing again. Is it time for him to return to the spectator role for a few games? Should Michel Therrien separate Eller and Bourque in order to spark each player? Do you mess with the chemistry of the top two lines in order to do so? Is it bad luck and not a lack of hustle that has led to the disappointing numbers so far?

There are many questions to be answered, but it is safe to say that most Habs fans do not expect anything this year from Rene Bourque. He has given us no reason to expect anything other than an ugly cap hit that keeps the Canadiens from adding pieces down the stretch. Most fans are certainly ready to see #AlmostBourque be #AlmostDone in Montreal.

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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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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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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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Now That The Contract Is Signed, What's Next For P.K.?

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Well the ink has dried on the enormous 8-year/$72-million dollar contract signed by P.K. Subban this past week. With an average annual value (AAV) of $9-million dollars, P.K officially has the highest cap-hit for a defenseman in the entire league. While he does have a Norris Trophy and Olympic gold medal under his belt, he does lack the Stanley Cups that past Norris Trophy winners Duncan Keith and Zdeno Chara can boast about. And the Stanley Cups that fellow Gold medallist Drew Doughty can boast about.

Is Subban worth $9-million per season? Has he done enough to deserve it? These are some of the questions being tossed around the league right now.

Subban's $9-million cap hit is the highest in terms of average, but this season alone there are several defensemen who are actually making the same if not more money than P.K on the basis of them signing front-loaded contracts prior to the new CBA being signed. They are:

Photo Credit: Sportsnet.ca

1. Shea Weber, Nsh - ($14,000,000)
2. Ryan Suter, Min - ($11,000,000)
3. Dion Phaneuf, Tor - ($8,000,000)
4. Duncan Keith, Chi -($7,600,000)
5. Kris Letang, Pit - ($7,250,000)
6. Brian Campbell, Fla - ($7,142,875)
7. Zdeno Chara, Bos - ($7,000,000)
8. Drew Doughty ($7,000,000)
9. P.K. Subban ($7,000,000)
10. Brooks Orpik ($6,500,000)

In terms of actual dollars being paid this upcoming NHL season, Subban ranks ninth.

Subban is coming off of a season where he put up 10 goals and 53 points, won an Olympic Gold medal and paced the Canadiens with 14 points in 17 playoff games, including an upset of the Boston Bruins and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. Yes, he was mostly a spectator at the Olympics, but the way he carried himself showed tremendous growth and maturity as well as an ability to stay humble and put the team's best interests first. When you look at some of the names on this list there is no reason to believe that Subban does not belong with the likes of Brian Campbell, Kris Letang or Dion Phaneuf. Subban is not in the same defensive class as Weber, Suter, Keith or Doughty, but at 25-years old, he has plenty of time to develop that part of his game.

With the NHL having agreed to a massive $5.2 billion dollar cable deal with Rogers Communications, the league is going to be raising the salary cap each year for the foreseeable future. This massive infusion of income has put every team in good position to spend and when players such as Keith, Doughty, Brent Seabrook and Erik Karlsson have their contracts expire, expect them to sign for as much if not more than Subban did. It is hard to compare contracts on a year to year basis. Arguably, if Carey Price was a free-agent this summer, he would be making far more than the $6.5 million average he agreed to a couple of years ago. Each summer is a different market with a different salary cap. This happened to be the year that Subban became a free agent. It is what it is.

Obviously the Habs expect Subban will continue to improve in all aspects of his game. He has a tremendous work ethic which will not change. It's ingrained in his blood. It is part of who he is. Subban handled the Olympic situation and his lack of playing time with tremendous grace and professionalism. If he was upset about it, it did not show. If it was a blow to his ego, he played it off well. Anyone who saw his medal-winning video saw an energetic player who was enjoying the experience in whatever capacity. It was a maturity level that he finished the year with and brought into the playoffs. He stepped up big in the playoffs again, pacing the club and playing big minutes. While he still does not kill penalties, that should change next season as more responsibility is added to his plate. 

There is a leadership void in the locker room, either real or perceived. Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges are both playing for the Buffalo Sabres now. That means there is a vacant captain and assistant captain role that needs to be filled. Andrei Markov is the other assistant and the Russian warrior has turned down the C in the past. Subban is now the team's highest paid player; its star. Carey Price is the other but Roberto Luongo has shown that a goalie cannot be a captain in this modern NHL era. Subban is confident, skilled and vocal. He will address the media and he will step up and lead. Gone is the cocky, arrogant and undisciplined player he was when he broke into the league. If he is not named the captain this year, he will be sporting an A on his chest this season. He's earned it and he deserves it. Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos and Gabriel Landeskog have earned letters at a young age. It's time for P.K. Subban to get his. 

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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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Bergevin Ships Out Briere for Parenteau; White Non-Tendered

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Amid all the Josh Gorges rumours yesterday, Marc Bergevin did complete a trade. But it did not involve Gorges afterall. Bergevin shipped Daniel Briere to the Colorado Avalanche for P.A. Parenteau and a 5th round draft pick in 2015 in an exchange of Quebec natives who lost the trust of their respective head coaches this past season.

Parenteau was rumoured to be coming to Montreal at various points during the regular season. One rumour had Rene Bourque being offered. Another rumour had the Avalanche requesting prospect Sven Andrighetti to be included with Bourque for Parenteau. In the end, Briere moves west and the Habs get a bonus draft pick in return. Truth be told, I'm sure Bergevin would have traded Briere just for the 5th rounder alone. The 37-year-old Danny Briere has one year at $4 million left on his deal; the 31-year-old Parenteau has two years at $4 million left on his. So the Canadiens absorb an extra year of contract for a proven top-six winger who is six years younger and likely to slot in on the RW side.

Photo Credit: Canadiens.com

While the 6'0" Parenteau is not a physical player, he is a bigger player than the 5'7" Briere. Size is size. The pass-first Parenteau has a style of game similar to former Avalanche and Canadiens forward Alex Tanguay. Tanguay only played one season in Montreal, where he had 16 goals and 41 points in 50 games while suffering from various ailments. While it is too early to speculate where Parenteau fits in the line-up, it is hard to see him fitting on a line with David Desharnais and as both players have pass-first tendencies although he might mesh well with the sniper Max Pacioretty.

Briere never earned the trust of Michel Therrien and spent most of the season juggling between the bottom lines and most centered the 4th line. His 13 goals and 25 points in 69 games represented his worst statistical output since his 1999-00 rookie year and his average time on the ice of 12:46 was the lowest it was since 2000/01 with Phoenix. Briere might not be a top-6 forward any more at this point of his career, but Colorado is willing to gamble that he has something left in the tank. Briere can still contribute on the power-play.

Photo Credit: Sportsnet.ca

Parenteau briefly talked to Montreal as a free-agent prior to signing a four-year/$16-million deal with Colorado two years ago. The Boucherville, Quebec native had a 20-goal season in 2010-11 and a breakout 67-point season in 2011-12 while playing with John Tavares on the New York Islanders. His first year in Colorado saw him put up 18 goals and 43 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season. Last season he struggled with Patrick Roy at the helm and has acknowledged there was some friction between the two. In 55 games, Parenteau had 14 goals and 33 points. Last season was also the first time in his career that he missed games due to injury as he suffered a torn MCL. He is expected to be completely healthy in time for training camp.

Parenteau has friends on the Canadiens in Dale Weise, Brandon Prust and Desharnais so he will see some familiar faces when he arrives at training camp.

Notes: The Canadiens career of Ryan White has ended, unless he signs a minor-league deal as the Canadiens declined to offer him a contract and he is set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent. White failed to crack the line-up consistently and was subsequently replaced in the Therrien circle of trust by his good friend Dale Weise. Minor leaguers Peter Delmas and Robert Czarnik were also non-tendered.

Marc Bergevin did extend qualifying offers to forwards Lars Eller and Joonas Nattinen and defenceman P.K. Subban, thus retaining their rights. While Eller and Subban are expected to sign long-term extensions, qualifying them was necessary in retaining their rights and as such, this is hardly considered news.

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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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Getting To Know The Habs 2014 Draft Class

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Well the 2014 NHL draft has came and went and the Montreal Canadiens have added six new faces to the organization. Trevor Timmins and his staff added three forwards, two defensemen and a goaltender. Or essentially, one player at each ice position. Talk about balance. Here they are:

Photo Credit: MontrealGazette.com

Nikita Scherbak (RW) - 1st Round (26th overall)

• 6-2 and 174lbs.
• Shoots Left
• Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2013/14 (Saskatoon Blades)

Brett Lernout (D) - 3rd Round (73rd overall)

• 6-4 and 205 lbs.
• Shoots Right
• WHL in 2013/14 (Swift Current Broncos)

Nikolas Koberstein (D) - 5th Round (125th overall)

• 6-2 and 190 lbs.
• Shoots Left
• Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 2013/14 (Olds Grizzlys)
• Has committed to play at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks after completing his AJHL career.

Daniel Audette (C) - 5th Round (147th overall)

• 5-8 and 168 lbs.
• Shoots Left 
• Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) in 2013/14 (Sherbrooke Pheonix)

Hayden Hawkey (G) - 6th round (177th overall)

• 6-1 and 180 lbs.
• Catches Left
• United States Hockey League (USHL) in 2013/14 (Omaha Lancers)
• USHL Goaltender of the Year (2013/14).
• Has committed to play at Providence College after completing his USHL career. 

Jake Evans (RW) - 7th Round (207th overall)

• 6-0 and 172 lbs.
• Shoots Left
• Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) in 2013/14 (St. Mike's Buzzers).

Analysing The Picks

Nikita Scherbak was a highly-touted prospect who fell down a few notches and was available to the Habs are 26th overall. Various scouts had him going on average at the 20th overall pick, so he did not slide by any means. The Russian import had a fantastic first season in the WHL. Scherbak showed that he is fearless when he opted to break into the North American game playing in the tough and very physical WHL. His Saskatoon Blades team was among the worst in all of Canadian junior hockey, but he still managed to lead all WHL rookies in scoring with 78 points. Scherbak was in on 41% of his teams offensive output. Scherbak also impressed the media and fans alike with his post-pick interview with TSN's James Duthie. If you haven't seen it, take a moment and do so now. Not bad for a kid who has only had a year of English under his belt. He already wants to take up French. 

The next two picks were questionable. Third round pick Brett Lernout improved his stock with an impressive showing at the scouting combine and had a solid season in the WHL. He is a big, hard hitting, nasty defender who lists Chris Pronger as his idol. He will not provide close to the offensive output that Pronger did during his career, but should be a capable penalty killing crease clearing beast. Nikolas Koberstein was considered a stretch pick by Trevor Timmins. That is putting it quite mildly. He was ranked 205th by Central Scouting entering the draft and the Canadiens took him at 125th overall. Another physical defender, Koberstein has a lot of leadership traits having served as his team's captain in the AJHL this season and will return to that role next season. For a fifth round pick, it's not the worst thing to take a gamble on potential. 

Daniel Audette is the son of former NHL player Donald Audette. The elder Audette played briefly for the Habs during his career and is currently a member of the team's scouting staff. Timmins indicated that the family connection did not influence the pick and that Donald was not in the room when discussions were made involving his son or other potential choices. Donald also sat in the stands with Daniel during the draft and not at the Habs draft table. There is no question that the younger Audette is talented. He was the first overall pick by the expansion Sherbrooke Phoenix and was the team's leading scorer this season. He has great hands and great hockey sense, but his small frame brings into question his ability to match up physically. He is often pushed off the puck and will not win too many battles for loose pucks. Trevor Timmins acknowledged that his size was an issue, but the talent level was unquestioned. You draft for talent and again, in the fifth round there really are no bad picks. 

Goaltender Hayden Hawkey has a last name made for the sport. Literally. Hawkey. Hockey. Perfect. The reigning USHL goaltender of the year had a tremendous season and will be moving onto University hockey after his USHL junior career is over. He has a chance to develop into organizational depth with upside. Afterall, if there is one position that the Canadiens seem to routinely develop well its goaltenders. Nothing wrong with this pick in the sixth round.

The last pick, Mr. Irrelevant of the Canadiens draft class is an OJHL winger Jake Evans. He has average size, average speed and has a chance to crack the organization in a depth role. Most likely a career AHLer when it is all said and done. Nothing wrong with that in the seventh round. 

Summary

Frankly, this draft is all about Scherbak. 

Brett Lernout might develop into a third pairing stay-at-home type or a solid depth option to fill in for injuries. If he can fashion himself a Mike Komisarek career it would be considered a success. Koberstein will be given time to develop. Audette needs to develop strength in order to make it past junior, skill or no skill. None of these players will be in Montreal next year. For as talented as he is, Scherbak is still raw in the North American game and another season of junior would serve him well as he adds some bulk to his frame. TSN listed Scherbak as a player comparable to Jakub Voracek on draft night, which is pretty solid upside. He has tremendous skill and vision with the puck and he will look good lining up beside Alex Galchenyuk in 2015/16. 

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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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