Curtis Glencross In The Montreal Canadiens' Crosshairs?

The Montreal Canadiens are desperately looking to score more goals as the team has only scored more than three goals twice in the past 19 games. With the exception of Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, goals are hard to come by in Montreal in 2015.

While Carey Price has been holding the fort well in recent games, the Habs desperately need help at forward in prevision for the playoffs. A solid option would be impending UFA, Curtis Glencross, who was officially made available earlier this week, after expressing his displeasure regarding his usage this season.

Curtis Glencross is unhappy with his role with the #Flames and has presented them with a list of teams he would be traded to.
— NHL EXPERT PICKS (@NHLexpertpicks) February 19, 2015

Making only $2.5 million this season, The 32-year-old Glencross has recorded 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points with a +7 rating in 49 contests with the Calgary Flames. A two-time 20-goal scorer, the Saskatchewan native can play left wing and center, and is a solid two-way forward.

Playing on average 16:51 per game this year, Glencross is a solid second-line player who brings speed and determination to a team. The 6'1'', 200-lb, forward is adept at throwing the body around as shown by his 97 hits which would rank his second on the Habs behind Dale Weise (107).

Because his contract includes a no-trade clause, Glencross has been asked to provide a list of teams where he would be willing to go. You can bet he would most likely waive his NTC to go to a contending team such as the Canadiens. Glencross declared that he wants out because he doesn't get much playing time this season under head coach Bob Hartley, especially on the power play and the penalty kill.

Glencross missed nine games earlier this season with a lower-body injury that hampered him throughout the season. The left-handed forward has not recorded a single point in his last ten games and he has seen his ice-time dwindle to less than 15 minutes on most nights. He also owns a low Corsi For % of 44.4, which is not very good possession-wise.

The Flames need help at centre, so they will most likely ask for a centerman or a prospect/3rd round pick in exchange for Glencross. Will Bergevin pull the trigger and get Curtis in his crosshairs before the March 2nd NHL trade deadline?

Who would you want to acquire if you were Marc Bergevin?


Do you want him to acquire a forward or a defenseman first?


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Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98

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Mike "Dream" Weaver: Underrated Trade Deadline Acquisition

Weaver is playing well for the Habs.

When Montreal Canadiens' general manager Marc Bergevin acquired Mike Weaver in exchange for a fifth round draft pick, most hockey fans did not even know who he was. Since then, the 35-year-old veteran has proven his worth on the blue line, especially with assistant captain Josh Gorges out with an injury. 

The native of Bramalea, Ontario has recorded one goal and six assists for seven points to go along with a +11 rating in 14 games since his acquisition from the Panthers. Quite a turnaround for the right-handed rearguard, who was struggling with Florida, posting only six assists and a -9 plus/minus differential in 55 games. 

The 5'10'', 180-lb blueliner has been a steady presence on the team's third defensive pairing despite playing with several different partners like Douglas Murray, Jarred Tinordi and Francis Bouillon. Weaver has been a force on the penalty kill and has been on a four-game point streak, notching one goal and four assists for five points to go with a splendid +8 rating in his last four games. 

With P.K. Subban struggling lately, Weaver has been getting more ice time, playing at least 19 minutes in his last four games and a season-high 25:39 against the Ottawa Senators last Friday. An adept shot blocker, Weaver now has 119 blocked shots this season to go along with 119 hits despite his smaller stature. 

While he is not a flashy defenseman, Weaver is rarely out of position and he is great at making a good first pass to get out of the defense zone and kick start the offense. Weaver, as opposed to Thomas Vanek, has a better chance to remain with the Habs next season even if he is also an impending unrestricted free agent. Other than P.K. Subban and prospect Greg Pateryn, Weaver is the only right-handed defenseman in the organization right now that can play in the NHL. With veterans Douglas Murray and Francis Bouillon both unlikely to return next season, Weaver makes a lot of sense a cheap depth defenseman to play on the third pairing with Nathan Beaulieu or Jarred Tinordi.

Weaver, who is making only $1.1 million this season, could prove to be a great bargain in the off-season and a much better signing than Davis Drewiske or even Douglas Murray. In the meantime, head coach Michel Therrien will be hard press to keep Weaver in the press box as he is now definitely one of the top five Habs defensemen. 

Not known for his offensive prowess, Weaver is a veteran who brings character, experience and stability, three important qualities you need from your defensive corps in the playoffs.

Should Marc Bergevin try to re-sign Weaver this summer?

Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98

No Foolin' Fred Poulin

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Welcome to Montreal, Thomas Vanek

The highly anticipated NHL trade deadline has finally come to pass, and our Montreal Canadiens didn’t go by unnoticed. Aside from acquiring defenceman Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers, and goaltender Devan Dubnyk from the Nashville Predators, the Habs pulled off one of the biggest steals of the day by acquiring unrestricted free agent forward Thomas Vanek and a conditional 2^nd round draft pick, in return for prospect Sebastian Collberg and a conditional 5^th round draft pick.

The Austrian left-winger could be one of the missing pieces to the puzzle that is the Montreal Canadiens. For one, he has size (hallelujah) at 6ft and 217 pounds who could complement Tomas Plekanec’s play-making skills to perfection. In 60 games, Vanek has posted a total of 53 points, including 21 goals and 32 assists, with a plus/minus differential of -1. Vanek has reached the 30-goal plateau four times in his career, scoring 43 in 2006-2007, his best season in the NHL as he finished the regular season with 84 points. He can be an offensive powerhouse, a player feared by the opposition. However, Vanek has had his critics. He isn’t the sharpest defensively, which is something he will have to improve coming into a team that “allegedly” likes to play defense. Moreover, the Austrian was criticized for his performance at the Olympics, in which his hockey team was criticized for their disappointing on-ice performances and off-ice partying. Despite these issues, this trade is one of the biggest steals of the season.

I’m sure many Habs fans have had nightmares after watching the Austrian skate around our zone as a Sabre or an Islander. I assume that the Montreal Canadiens will be looking to sign the forward at the end of the season. However, when asked about his future in Montreal, Vanek’s response was very lukewarm and vague: “Right now my mind is just racing a little bit... This is pretty fresh to me, but never say never” (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=708081). He didn’t seem to enthusiastic about it, but then again, hockey players are known for having a lack of expressivity. Another important question to ask is whether or not the Canadiens will be able to afford him, after reportedly refusing a seven-year pact worth $50 million with the New York Islanders. For now, let’s just enjoy the fact that the Habs landed a big power forward. Who knows, this trade might be a hit or miss. On paper, the Habs are a better team with Vanek today than they were 24 hours ago. The 30-year-old forward will make his first appearance in the blue, white, and red jersey against the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.

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