For the better part of a decade, Montreal Canadiens fans have been begging management to make our favorite team better, tougher and meaner.
The Habs have been way too soft for way too long. Moreover, in recent years, they rarely forechecked or dropped the gloves on questionable hits.
Images of Gregory Campbell hammering away on Tom Pyatt, Zdeno Chara slamming the head of Max Pacioretty into the glass or even Andrew Ference flipping off the fans because of a "problematic glove equipment malfunction", perpetually fill my mind.
The Montreal Canadiens, lacked character, cohesion and toughness and that is where Marc Bergevin comes into play.
In a short amount of time, Bergevin has begun addressing this issue with the signings of Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong, Travis Moen, Ryan White and Francis Bouillon. On paper, we will likely never have to see a line-up which features the likes of Yannick Weber or Rafael Diaz playing on the fourth line again.
A huge step in the right direction right? Surely, the team has a chance at the playoffs now?
I hate to play devil’s advocate here but the answer is no!
You can argue that the team has better depth, but there is no way that I am buying into the notion that the Habs got tougher.
Travis Moen and Ryan White were already part of this team last season. Only Prust, Armstrong and Bouillon have actually been added to the squad.
Brandon Prust
Prust's best asset is the fact that he has developed into an elite penalty killer. He was a key component of the Rangers PK, which sat near the top of the league in every year that Prust was part of the team.
On the physical side, Prust is one tough SOB. Though relatively small at a little over 6’0, he is a pit bull on the ice. Prust backs down from no one, sticks up for teammates and, despite his diminutive frame, led the league in fighting majors last season.
Colby Armstrong
Then there is Armstrong.
Here is a guy I have wanted in the Habs uniform for the better part of the last five years. When Colby is on top of his game, he is a skating torpedo. An agitator who absolutely lays people out with his vicious hits and then backs it up with his unwillingness to fight.
Like P.K. Subban and White, Armstrong gets under the skin of alot of players in this league.
Francis Bouillon
Finally, little Franky Bouillon, a player the Habs should never have let go. I cannot think of a single player who plays with more heart and determination than Soupy.
He is a good bottom pairing blueliner who will give his all and will serve as an excellent guide for those unfamiliar with Therrien's ways.
Still Not a Contender
All in all, the above three are players who play big and add depth to the organization. A group of players, who for some reason, most fans seem to think will help turn the team back towards playoff contention.
The problem is that their gain comes at the loss of Brad Staubitz, Mathieu Darche and Hal Gill.
Brad Staubitz
Staubitz is easily a better fighter than any of the players named above. He is bigger than Prust, meaner than Prust and led both the Habs and Wild in fighting majors last season. Like Prust, he backs down from no one, the only difference is that he usually comes out on top.
Hal Gill
Gill, although not ill-tempered, still represented a 6’7 frame capable of tying up some of the bigger bodies in this league. He was a beast on the PK, a great leader and, when called upon, was not shy to drop the gloves. Most fans were sour to see him arrive in a Habs uniform but he grew on many of them and will surely be missed.
Mathieu Darche
Darche was by no stretch a mean player, but he was a dependable role player on a 6’2 frame who still finished ninth on the team in hits despite playing just 61 games. I cannot say I am sad to see him go, yet he was an extremely serviceable player who provided grit to the bottom line.
What does this mean?
For the sake of argument, let’s remove Darche from this equation.
Anyone who even tries to argue that the Habs are tougher with Darche in the line-up has been smokin' a bit too much of the wacky tabacky.
So, what does this mean?
The team is younger — and you can perhaps argue more talented — and has a better group of fourth line players. However, the squad has definitely not become tougher and, in the process, somehow actually lost a full collective foot in height.
What is even more confusing is the fact that, despite finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference—due to a lackluster powerplay and limited goal production—the only positions addressed were the fourth line and bottom defencemen.
Where to go from here?
I firmly believe that Marc Bergevin is nowhere near finished tinkering with this line-up. Between Scott Gomez, Yannick Weber, Rafael Diaz and Tomas Kaberle, I would be shocked to see more than two of them return next season.
The organization must acquire a big, gritty, mean winger to compliment the skilled players. A power forward who can play 20 minutes a game, drive to the net, crash the boards, create turnovers and drop the gloves when called upon to do so.
The question is who and at what cost?
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Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America)
