by Chris G, Staff Writer & Podcast Host, All Habs Hockey Magazine
LAVAL, QC. — The season may be over on the ice, but we all know that there’s something going on in the NHL all year long. The All Habs team is here to keep you updated during the offseason and I have the pleasure of answering questions received in our mailbag.
Do you have a question or a topic you would like us to discuss? Okay, here’s what you can do.
Let us know:
- who you are
- where you’re from
- if you wish, send us a photo of you in your favourite Habs gear
- who’s your favorite player, present or past
- and of course, your question
You can contact us via Twitter, our Facebook page or email at info (at) allhabs (dot) net
We’ll feature you, and your question, in the All Habs Mailbag!
Here’s what you wanted to know :
Would you trade a bowl of poutine for Vincent Lecavalier? – Joshua, Philadelphia
It is well known that the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to trade Lecavalier and his four year, $18 million contract. Should the Habs show interest? I don’t think they should. His contract certainly isn’t one that the Canadiens need on their books. If he were with the Habs, his role would have to be similar to Daniel Brière‘s last season by playing on the fourth line and on the second powerplay unit. The Brière experience was not successful and forced Marc Bergevin to trade him to the Avalanche. No reason for the Habs to retry the same experiment with a more expensive player. Lecavalier is not worth a poutine to me. Thanks for the question!
The only way forward for the Canadiens is to trade Tomas Plekanec and get a decent forward in return. Do you agree? – MP, Montreal
I think that Tomas Plekanec is the most underrated player of the team. He is the best player on both sides of the rink. He can be effective on the powerplay and the penalty kill. Plekanec also succeeded last season when he faced top forwards from the opposing teams. Any team would take Plekanec on their roster, but who would replace Plekanec’s role from the current roster? There isn’t anyone that can replace him right now. Before trading Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuk will need to play in his natural position. Once Chucky is comfortable at that role, they can look at trading their veteran centre man. I don’t see a trade happening next season, but it is possible during the 2015-16 season as Plekanec enters the final season of his contract. Canadiens have more pressing needs. Enjoy the offseason!
Will the Canadiens win the cup next year? – Dante, New York
If I was a betting man, I would bet against it, but the Canadiens did show that once you make the playoffs anything can happen. The 2013-14 Canadiens succeeded because they had character, played as a team and a great goaltender. Those are characteristics that don’t appear on the game summary at the end of the game. The Canadiens being two wins shy from a Stanley Cup Final appearance has certainly raised the expectations of its fans. Will it work against them? We will see. That being said, anything can happen. Dante, the drive for 25 will continue in 2014-15.
Do you think that the Habs are done for the off-season? – Mike, Montreal
The only thing that I expect to happen now until the beginning of training camp is for Marc Bergevin to sign Restricted Free Agents P.K. Subban and Lars Eller to new contracts. The Canadiens General Manager has done a great job so far during this off-season.
Here is how I project the forward lines to start the 2014-15 season:
Pacioretty- Desharnais-Gallagher
Galchenyuk – Plekanec- Sekac
Bourque – Eller – Parenteau
Prust- Malhotra- Weise
The only need that the Canadiens haven’t addressed is a top 6 forward, preferably on the Right Wing, to replace Thomas Vanek. Is Jiri Sekac the right player to fit the role? We don’t know much about him yet, but I would think that the Canadiens would have liked to have a proven NHL player in that slot. There aren’t any available in the free agency market. Look for the Habs to address this need during the season with a potential rental player if Sekac isn’t comfortable in that role.
Do you think the Habs have addressed all their needs? Let me know by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.
If the price gets out of control, could Bergevin at least explore the option of trading Subban, to see the offers? – J.D. Lagrange, Penticton
As a General Manager of a professional sports team, I think Marc Bergevin should ALWAYS listen to any offers that he receives from other teams for any of his players. There should be no untouchables on any team. Will Bergevin get an offer that he can’t refuse for P.K. Subban? Do I realistically expect a team offer everything including the kitchen sink for Subban? The answer is no. P.K. is here to stay and that is a good thing!
Thanks everyone, I’ve enjoyed answering your questions. Please submit any question you have about the Canadiens and hockey in general.
Follow me on Twitter @chrisg1980 .