by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
MONTREAL, QC. — After such a long and painful season it is normal for team management and fans alike to look back and try to dissect the events that led to the terrible conclusion of this last season to try to improve. Fans rightfully feel disappointed after such a promising start. And while it was not plausible to expect another season with no major injuries, it is also an easy excuse to blame the shortcomings of the team squarely on that one point.
With that in mind, we need to understand what Marc Bergevin has in hand and, based on that, what possible moves he can make to improve this team. We begin where any good GM would when looking at a team, in goal.
The Canadiens have the best goaltender in the world in Carey Price. When healthy, Price has proven he is capable of carrying his team further than they could without him. His trophy case is filled with personal achievements to go with his gold medal at the World Junior Championships, Winter Olympics gold medal as well as an AHL Calder Cup. The only one missing for him is the Stanley Cup.
Price is signed to his current contract for two more seasons. At that point he will be 30-years-old, at the peak of his playing career and will more than likely be due a big raise on his current $6.5 million salary. For now, the Canadiens are as set in goal as they have a Hart and Vezina winner guarding the crease.
The key to this situation for next season is not Carey Price, but who will back him up. Carey is the type of goaltender built in the Martin Brodeur mold in that he would play every game if allowed. However, it is important to have a competent backup to be capable of taking 20 to 25 games for Price to stay mentally and physically healthy in time for a playoff run.
Enter Mike Condon. The 26-year-old Condon, signed as an unrestricted free agent out of Princeton two seasons ago. He began last season’s camp with little pressure as he was seen as the heir apparent to start in the AHL. Yet, he was able to take advantage of the opportunity to shine when Dustin Tokarski faltered before eventually being traded to Anaheim. Condon earned the role as backup for the Canadiens.
Condon proved willing and able to learn. Unfortunately, Condon also proved he wasn’t yet ready to be a full time starter in the NHL. While he did show flashes of brilliance early in the season when given ample time to prepare for games, he struggled with consistency when he had to take over for an injured Carey Price. And this could be due to his lack of experience as Condon had spent only one season in the ECHL, followed by one season in the AHL.
Despite Condon’s inability to carry the Canadiens into a playoff spot, he has proven to be a capable backup. A veteran backup would be helpful, but in a salary cap league, Condon’s league minimum contract only has one year remaining and allows cap to be used in other, more pressing areas.
In the System
Looking further into the organization, we find newly signed NCAA UFA Charlie Lindgren who led St. Cloud State to a National Collegiate Hockey Conference Championship in 2016. And he showed he has potential after winning his NHL debut in a 4-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
Lindgren will be dueling for the role of starter in St-John’s with 2013, 36th overall pick Zachary Fucale. Fucale completed a promising rookie professional campaign. Playing 42 games and showing some potential despite some consistency issues, he will be expected to improve upon his numbers to battle for the role as starter in St-John’s.
Eric Brassard, who was recently signed to the ECHL Affiliate the Brampton Beast provides more depth to the goaltending prospect pool. While his QMJHL numbers seem underwhelming, what needs to be kept in mind is that he was playing for the Halifax Mooseheads, who at the time were one of the worst teams in the QMJHL. He is a prototypical butterfly style goaltender who owns good athleticism and has an excellent work ethic. He will provide the organization the depth needed to ice competitive teams in the lower leagues.
Hayden Hawkey, the Canadiens 2014 sixth round 177th overall selection was putting up incredible numbers in the USHL until he suffered a serious knee injury missing nearly an entire season. Hawkey returned to play five games at the end of the following season for the Providence College Friars of the NCAA. In that short time he looked completely recovered and put up impressive numbers.
He has the talent to be a starting goaltender as he is technically sound, and aggressive in challenging shooters. Yet he will need the next three seasons in the NCAA to work on gaining strength in his reconstructed knee and working in the finer points of his game.
Michael McNiven, an undrafted invitee to the summer pro try-out camp impressed Marc Bergevin enough to earn a three year entry level contract. He returned to the OHL Owen Sound Attack where he was able to carry his team into the playoffs, yet lost in the first round to the eventual Memorial Cup Champions London Knights.
McNiven was the only goaltender to record wins against the Knights throughout the playoffs as he stole two wins before London completed a 17-0 run in their championship March. McNiven is still junior eligible, and will benefit from another season in the OHL.
To keep track of them and all the Canadiens pro prospects playing with the Ice Caps follow Ice Caps Hockey Report on Twitter.
Possible Moves
If a veteran backup goaltender is targeted as a need, there would be several options available in the one million to two million dollar range per season. This list includes Al Montoya, Jeff Zatkoff, Chad Johnson and Jonas Gustavsson.
Finally, reviewing the goaltending situation in Montreal is quite simple. As Carey Price goes, so go the Montreal Canadiens. There is some promise in the future if Fucale can eventually be groomed to be an NHL starting goaltender. It is obvious thing that anyone inherits the starting role from Carey Price is very unlikely to replace what Carey Price’s value is to the the franchise, the city of Montreal and the fanbase.