Welcome to Puck Drop Preview 2014-15, where our hockey department gives you a detailed look at each team from around the NHL leading to the start of this hockey season and
offers our insight and analysis. Makes sure to stick around until the end of the series, where we’ll offer our full predictions for the standings in each division, and eventually our collective LWOS 2014-15 Stanley Cup pick. You can check out all our articles on our Puck Drop Page. Today is the 2014-15 Montreal Canadiens.
Last Season
Having finished in third place in the Atlantic division, the Montreal Canadiens faced off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2013-14 Stanley Cup playoffs. Divine intervention or just a stroke of pure misfortune on the Lightning side, starting goaltender Ben Bishop suffered an injury late into the season that would take him out of the first round of the playoffs. The Canadiens seized their opportunity and in doing so, swept the Lightning in four straight to move on to the second round.
It wouldn’t be a Stanley Cup playoffs without a Montreal-Boston series and the outcome did not disappoint. A seven-game series that saw the Habs outlast their division rivals and move on to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2010. Hoping to not re-live the crushing loss of their 2010 run against the Philadelphia Flyers in five games, the Canadiens took on the New York Rangers who they themselves did not have an easy route to the third round, defeating the Flyers in the opening round and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round.
The only problem was Carey Price. In game one at the Bell Centre, Rangers forward Chris Kreider broke into the Habs end with the puck and took it straight to the net. The end result wasn’t a goal but rather a high speed collision that saw Kreider crashing feet first into Price, knocking the net loose and Price with it. Despite his attempts to stay in the game, Price did not return for the second period. In fact, Price did not return at all. He would be spotted before game two sporting a knee brace and with things clearly not looking good, Michel Therrien delivered the news that Habs fans feared the most: Carey Price’s playoffs were over.
It was likely the Habs playoffs run was over as well and although their series with the Rangers ended in a six-game defeat, it was the Canadiens back up that stole the show. No, not Peter Budaj but Dustin Tokarski. The 24-year-old stood his ground and rivaled Henrik Lundqvist well enough to keep the Canadiens in every game and never showed signs of having only played 10 career NHL games, three of which he registered with the Canadiens that season. Things were not meant to be in the end and the Canadiens would suffer a second Conference finals defeat in four years.
The playoffs up-and-down run mirrored their regular season efforts to a tee, none better than the road of center David Desharnais. Things got off to a rocky start for the 27-year-old Laurier-Station native. In the month of October, Desharnais registered just one point in the first 13 games. After 25 games through the opening two months, Desharnais posted 7 points to continue his decline early on. Without not many options left, coach Michel Therrien made the decision to sit Desharnais down for a game. One game became two and two became more. If this couldn’t wake up the top-line centerman, nothing would.
But it did. Desharnais responded in the following two months by notching 20 points in 26 games before going at point per game pace in the months of February and March (22 points in 22 games). Finishing the year with 52 points in 79 games, a year that started off in disaster had culminated into something spectacular. A rebirth, if you will.
No other player benefited more from this than Desharnais’ linemate and good friend, Max Pacioretty. His goal production actually coincides with Desharnais’ game reaching another level as Pacioretty posted 26 goals from the December to March, the same time when Desharnais put up 42 points in 48 games. The hotter Desharnais got, the more goals Pacioretty scored. This led to Pacioretty being a fingertip away from hitting the 40-goal plateau for the first time in his career, scoring four more goals in the final six games to complete his season with 39 goals.
Lars Eller, on the other hand, kicked off his 2013-14 campaign with a bang. Centering a line with youngsters Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, the kid line — or EGG (Eller-Gallagher-Galchenyuk) line — was the biggest reason why the Canadiens came out of the first two months with more wins than losses.
Playing a third-line role, Eller and the Gallys registered a combined total of 47 points in the first 27 games of the season. For Eller, this would be his best moments of the season and his fall from grace came the following month in December. Scoring just four points in the next 14 games, Gallagher was taken off of his wing and placed with Desharnais and Pacioretty to get them going, while Galchenyuk alternated off the second and third lines. Eller struggled to find his game, scoring a measly 7 points in the final 36 games of the season. What went up came crashing back down into the ground.
Eller managed to pick his game right back up when it mattered — the post-season. Centering a line with Dale Weise and Rene Bourque, the rejuvenated Dane not only elevated his play but the play of Bourque and Weise. Bourque casted away his inconsistent label and became a warrior while Weise became the one of the brightest stories of the Canadiens playoff run.
On defense, P.K. Subban came off his Norris-winning season to lead the Canadiens in assists with 43. The Toronto-native progressed at improving his two-way play, showing efficiency in his own end and proving to be as reliable around his own net as he is firing pucks at the opposing net. While the opposition managed to solve the Canadiens one and only powerplay strategy of “getting the puck to PK”, Subban was still able to impose his offensive-minded ability to create some production.
Averaging 24-26 minutes per game over an 82-game season, Subban was relied on in the post-season especially, considering he saw his ice-time increase to 30+ minutes per game. Having gained the trust of the coach entirely, Subban scored five goals in the post-season, four of which came on the powerplay. While finishing the season without a nomination to repeat his Norris win of the prior season, Subban played well enough to veto him from most criticism.
2014-15 Montreal Canadiens
The Offseason
Marc Bergevin found himself to be a busy man, both at the NHL Draft and Free Agency.
Starting with the draft, Bergevin and company added to their skilled forwards group by selecting Russian winger Nikita Scherbak. After trading their third and fourth round picks to Arizona in order to move up a handful of spots in the third, the Habs confused their fans by selecting Brett Lernout, particularly due to the assumption that he would have still been available at their original pick of the same round. The Canadiens topped off their draft by going with bloodlines in Daniel Audette and adding to their goaltending pool by taking Hayden Hawkey, a goaltender out of the USHL.
With a handful of picks to talk about, the main forum of discussion wasn’t really about the draft itself. It was about a rumor circulating that Bergevin had not only put the name of Josh Gorges on the trade block, he was adamantely attempting to trade him out of Montreal. Closing in on a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gorges had to waive his trade clause in order for the deal to go through. Gorges refused. Unwilling to go to a rival team, Gorges was traded a few days later during the opening day of free agency to the Buffalo Sabres. In return, the Canadiens received a second round draft pick in 2016.
Clearly something else was in the works and the trade that manifested wasn’t a reflection on Gorges as a player or a person in the locker room but rather the amount of money he made and the duration for which he made it. Devastated by the news that he was being shopped around so aggresively, Gorges settled with a deal to the Sabres despite his wishes to remain with Montreal. With the defensive defenseman, who had made a name for himself with his shot-blocking ability and tenacity in the defensive zone, now gone, the Canadiens suddenly found themselves with a gap to fill.
Enter Tom Gilbert. Formely of the Florida Panthers, Gilbert isn’t really much of a replacement for Gorges. In fact, he isn’t similar at all to a stay-at-home defenseman. Gilbert is most known for his offensive upside, namely the powerplay where he utilizes an excellent pass that sets up a shot from the point. Perhaps a move to help Subban and take some responsibility off of Markov or perhaps to create a balance on the two powerplay waves.
In his own end, Gilbert is considered by most to be soft and not much of a presence, although he’ll look to cast away any doubt with a new team and a fresh concept. With a newly enforced top-4 that includes Subban, Markov and Alexei Emelin, the Gilbert signing allows Mike Weaver to play a bottom-pairing role and concentrate on the penalty kill. The question remains who will be his partner?
While Gilbert was one of the few notable names to be signed by the Habs, he wasn’t the first. As a matter of fact, the very first signing of the day came from Montreal; Manny Malholtra. A 17-year veteran, Malholtra is one of the feel-good stories of the sport in this era.
After suffering an eye injury in 2011 that required several surgeries, Malhotra returned that year in the playoffs to play with the Canucks, however the following season was a difficult one. After nine games with the Canucks, a decision was made to take Malhotra out of the line-up for the remainder of the season due to his struggles with his vision in the damaged eye.
After signing a 25-game professional try out with the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, the Carolina Hurricanes came calling and signed Malhotra to a one-year deal. Malhotra became an alternate captain and showed he still possessed the ability of an NHL regular. He brings to the Habs something they have been missing; stability in the face-off circle. Malhotra is a wizard in the dot and can provide some possession-based upside to the Canadiens side. Known typically as a grinder/energy type player at this stage of his career, Malhotra can still provide the Canadiens with some key defensive plays.
The next signing that may not seem like a big deal at first glance but could actually turn out to be an absolute steal from the Habs. Rumors first circulated of a player by the name of Jiri Sekac of the KHL gaining interest from half of the teams in the NHL and these murmurs were later confirmed by TSN’s Bob MacKenzie. Bergevin was able to lure Sekac to La Belle Province, signing a two-year deal with the team.
While he was unable to make the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and his stint in the USHL was a failure, Sekac made great strides at improving his game. He became a better skater, learned to compete every shift and became a confident player because of it. With two seasons under his belt in the KHL, the Kladno-native gained steam rather quickly in the off-season and it became a betting war to acquire the 22-year-old. His two-way play could be a good reason why Sekac might find himself on a line with fellow Czech Tomas Plekanec.
A move that has since slipped the minds of many, thanks in part to the drastic changes made on the blue line, is the trade that saw Daniel Briere’s time in Montreal cut short. On his way to the Colorado Avalanche, Briere fetched a return of P.A. Parenteau, a young winger often criticized for not being consistent enough to be considered a top-6 player. At $4 million per season for the next two years, Parenteau also came with a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft, likely to compensate for the extra year on Parenteau’s current contract.
The trade itself brought both players a new start. As Briere felt unappreciated by coach Therrien, Parenteau’s injuries kept him out of the lineup for some time and thus created tension between he and head coach Patrick Roy. At 32, Parenteau still has lots of hockey left in him and his goal scoring ability will be appreciated in the Canadiens top-9. His two knee injuries did not require surgery so there shouldn’t be any lack of jump in his stride. With many possibilities to choose from, the Canadiens have set themselves up to have quite the competitive forward group.
With Eller, Weise, Subban, Markov, and Weaver all choosing to remain with the Canadiens, be it a short or long-term basis, the Habs also said good-bye to a handful of bodies. Tough guy George Parros searches for a new team after suffering not one but two concussions during fights last season. Douglas Murray could be finding it difficult to get work in the NHL after advanced stats show he was one of the worst defenseman around the league. Long-time veteran Francis Bouillon may have seen the final days of his NHL career last season, although some teams could use some veteran experience on their bottom-pairing and may take the chance with Bouillon on a one-year deal. Gorges and former captain Brian Gionta have both parted to Buffalo and the gritty Ryan White is now a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Log Jam at Center
With Desharnais holding down the number one center spot for the time being, there are three spots left. Plekanec and Eller should be locks for the second and third line roles while Malhotra was signed for the forth and final center spot. Where does this leave youngster Galchenyuk?
The superstar-in-making was drafted to be the next big center for the Canadiens and despite playing wing for the majority of his final year in Sarnia with the Sting, his natural role is at the center position. The only way he can excel and improve at playing both ends of the ice and inside the face-off dot is to actually play the position. At this point, Galchenyuk is set to play wing for at least another year.
Look to the Colorado Avalanche and their work done with Nathan MacKinnon. Freshly drafted, MacKinnon was assigned to his natural position of center and flourished immediately. Winning the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year, MacKinnon went on a 13-game point streak, notching 18 points during the run. All of this while playing center. At 20 years of age, Galchenyuk could reach the same level of success as MacKinnon if he would just be given a chance to do so. Through mistakes comes a learning experience and that shapes the way a player thinks and makes him better through the long run. The Canadiens have capable wingers with the speed needed to help out on the back-check, the only thing they don’t currently have is room.
With all this taken into account, we’re not counting into the equation that Michael Bournival is also a natural center but is playing wing, while there is no room for local talent Gabriel Dumont, who is spending time in Hamilton despite his capabilities of playing an energy role on the forth line for the Habs. With Jacob De La Rose on the rise and possibly challenging for a spot on the roster sooner rather than later, the log jam at the center position could lead to forced changes down the road.
A Chance For the Youth on Defense
With the departures of Murray, Bouillon and Gorges, the Canadiens have two spots open and they are up for grabs this pre-season. Nathan Beaulieu filled in nicely last season before the Olympic break but due to his struggles down in Hamilton at the time, Bergevin chose not to bring him back up after the break. The decision affected Beaulieu’s confidence but during the post-season he was given another chance. Put in a scenario where you either sink or swim, Beaulieu was inserted into the line-up against the Boston Bruins. The young defenseman showed his upside every time the puck touched his stick.
The Canadiens bread and butter is their puck management inside the defensive zone. Subban can rush the puck from end to end, Markov has an excellent outlet pass and Gilbert’s passing is also a positive. With Beaulieu in the line-up, the Canadiens would have three pairings that feature at least one defenseman who can move the puck, which leads to less time spent in the defensive zone and more chances
On the other hand, you have Jarred Tinordi. At 6’6 and about a quarter over 200 pounds, Tinordi brings a much different element to the line-up, but one that is equally as important – size and grit. Tinordi is a mean defenseman. He can hit hard, drop the gloves to fight and he also plays good hockey too. While he’s not as fluid a skater as Beaulieu, don’t let his size fool you into thinking he isn’t mobile.
Under the Hunter regime in London, Tinordi learned not only how to hit but also when to pick your spots and when not to take yourself out of position. It was a learning curve for Tinordi but one he has picked up and learned in excellent fashion. While Beaulieu would seem like the best option between the two, Tinordi in the 7th spot isn’t necessarily a bad idea, although management may decide to let him play some more in Hamilton and decide on where he fits in mid-way through the season.
The dark horse in all of this is Gregory Pateryn who is almost lost in the shadows of Tinordi and Beaulieu. Pateryn is your typical every-day defenseman. Solid in his own end and in front of his net, Pateryn blocks shots, clears the crease and is a work horse in corners. He does the little things right and is consistently reliable when he is on the ice. While he may be a few notches back on the depth chart now, Pateryn deserves a sniff at the NHL level again at the very least to prove his worth.
Other defenseman currently in the system that are starting to scratch the surface are Darren Dietz, Morgan Ellis and Dalton Thrower. All three have made the pro level and will report to the Hamilton Bulldogs to further their development. Dietz and Ellis have shown flashes of brilliance, utilizing their efficiency at moving the puck up the ice and taking full advantage of their skating technique. Thrower comes from a different background. The rugged blueliner is aggressive, ferocious and doesn’t hesitate to drop the gloves. Perhaps all three aren’t as close to the Habs roster as the aforementioned first three but before you know it, they could be challenging for a spot.
The Price Is Right; but What About the Back-Up?
There is no doubting who will be the starting goaltender for the Canadiens going into this season and for a very long time. It’s one of the luxuries the Habs have that most teams wish they had. After going down to injury last year in the playoffs, Carey Price trained and still is training hard this off-season to make sure he is completely ready to go once the season starts up. With images circulating on the internet of him lifting weights in the gym and doing strenuous workouts, it’s almost safe to assume he’ll be fit come opening night. Unfortunately (or fortunately in this case) the case is not as well known when it comes to the back-up spot.
Peter Budaj or Dustin Tokarski?
Budaj is an absolute professional when it comes to the sport. At this stage in his career, Budaj has learned to accept his role on the team and has been gracious both on and off the ice. That only adds to the fact that he can also provide solid goaltending from a back-up perspective when he is called upon. With one year left on his contract at $1.4 million, the ball is really in Budaj’s court. Depending on how he fills in for the team this year, Budaj could be an asset come trade deadline if that is the way Bergevin wants to go about things. If not, the Habs have a solid 1-2 punch going deep into the season and the playoffs.
But it was in the playoffs that Therrien made the decision to go with Tokarski over Budaj. While it was received as a rather unpopular decision, Budaj took it in stride and supported the decision going forward. Over time, the Habs fanbase did as well when they saw what Tokarski could do under immense pressure.
In this situation, it can be tough to choose between the two based on the gamble with Tokarski. He showed flashes of absolutely stunning goaltending but at the same time he only has ten NHL career games in the regular season on his resume. If the Habs were to dump their veteran back-up and go with Tokarski, they lose a near-guarantee that their back-up will be reliable consistently. If Tokarski falters and Budaj is gone, the pressure will double on the shoulders of Carey Price.
It’s a situation that any team would love to find themselves in but for the Habs, it can be a dangerous decision to make whichever way they choose to go.
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