by Blain Potvin, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
After an eventful off-season, many fans had a renewed hope in the Canadiens. Habs fans have now had an opportunity to digest the largest trade by the franchise in the last 25 years. Then, they were treated to watching the play of Shea Weber in the World Cup of Hockey (WCOH) and gauge his potential impact on the franchise over the short term.
Most importantly, the WCOH allowed hockey fans to witness Carey Price return to world-class form. His beginnings showed minimal signs of rust, but by the end of the WCOH it was obvious that Price had returned to 100 per cent heath and form. The bout of flu to start the season is simply a minor bump in renewed confidence for the best goaltender in the world.
After such a dreadful season in 2015-16, it is natural for management and fans alike to assess the situation and breakdown the areass for improvement. The free-fall provided management the opportunity to assess the depth of the system and the readiness of youth to step into larger roles. It also provided management more impetus to make drastic changes. There were several areas in desperate need of improvement to help transform a good team into a contending team.
This season marks the fifth year of the Marc Bergevin era. After five years, the general manager should have had enough time to put in place the pieces necessary to be a championship contender.
But to come close to completing the five year plan, Bergevin needed to step away from his methodical, conservative approach to: make improvements on the power-play, increase secondary scoring, upgrade the top-four defensively and to add leadership, experience, some grit and depth. Perhaps most importantly, it was also necessary to find ways to keep the team healthy.
A new head physician can only help, but not as much as a healthy Carey Price. Adding veteran NHL backup Al Montoya was the first unrestricted free agent signed by the Canadiens. Did Montoya accept Bergevin’s offer for the included bonuses?
Al Montoya. Congrats on the bouncy castles tickets #Habs #allhabs #GoHabsGo https://t.co/9Ux3Gfcbl5
— Blain Potvin (@Potsy_70) July 1, 2016
Montoya can easily shoulder 20 games this season which should help Price stay fresh going into the playoffs. Montoya will start the season in Buffalo with Price battling the flu. And Jeff Petry will be on the sidelines but is travelling with the team and could return as early as Saturday.
Bergevin’s first off-season move was to address the woeful power-play. To improve, there needed to be a change in philosophy, and moving on from J.J. Daigneault to Kirk Muller is the perfect remedy. As Michel Therrien stated on an episode of L’Antichambre on the 10th of October “He’s a perfect fit.”
Over the last few seasons, the Canadiens’ power play devolved into a slow-paced peripheral game designed to get P.K. Subban open on the point for him to unleash a slap shot. It became predictable and easy to defend as evidenced by the low-efficiency percentage. Muller has plans to change that.
In an interview with the Journal de Montreal, Muller stated “We don’t want to be a peripheral power play. We don’t want to stay to the outside. We want to attack with numbers and do it with a high tempo.” This style is the same that Muller employed while with the St. Louis Blues. Their power-play last year finished sixth in the NHL at 21.5 per cent efficiency. If the Canadiens had produced at that rate with their 259 power plays last season, would have translated into nearly 14 more goals.
Bergevin’s next off-season move, the acquisition of Shea Weber for P.K. Subban, was the most franchise altering, by far. This trade addressed two major issues. Firstly, Weber is the prototypical defenceman. He is viewed by most managers and coaches as superior defensively because he consistently makes simple but extremely effective plays.
He may not get fans out of their seats at the rate Subban did, but there is no denying he is one of the league’s best defenceman. Weber has a cannon-like shot from the point and the ability to score goals. He also adds experience, gritty physical play and leadership to the team. While this move will remain controversial for the short term, the true value of the trade will be shown in wins. In today’s NHL, wins are often earned by playing a less exciting brand of hockey than fans in Montreal have enjoyed.
The addition of Weber and a healthy Carey Price should significantly lower the team’s goals against from last season. But that blueline still requires a more efficient puck-mover to be paired with Weber. Andrei Markov is aging and he cannot be relied upon to play the minutes Weber will log. Nathan Beaulieu, at 23 years old, can physically handle the load. However, the issue has been his consistency and decision-making. After a strong showing in camp, Beaulieu taken the first step to prove that he could be ready to earn a legitimate opportunity to play with Weber.
The biggest addition to the blueline of the future is Mikhail Sergachev, the ninth overall selection of the 2016 draft. The six-foot-three-inch, 215 pound defender plays a solid two-way game, in a style similar to Drew Doughty. With an excellent showing in camp this year, Sergachev is the first 18-year-old defenceman to crack the Canadiens opening lineup since Petr Svoboda in 1984. If Sergachev remains with the Habs past his nine game audition, it would signify a major personal accomplishment and provide a significant boost in raw talent to the third pairing.
After improving his goals-against situation, Bergevin then added scoring depth. The Canadiens top-six needed an injection of talent, and after having already made one blockbuster, Bergevin wisely chose to hold onto his current core and dipped into the free agent pool. The fish he landed was Alexander Radulov, likely the most-talented non-NHL’er available.
Radulov had a difficult time at the end of his last NHL apperance with Nashville, however he has matured and refocused his game. After a stellar pre-season, Radulov has proven himself capable of putting in the hard work necessary to succeed. If he can continue, it would not be unreasonable to expect a 60-point season from him. Radulov will be almost guaranteed to see time on the power-play with Alex Galchenyuk, as the two have shown chemistry in the pre-season.
Another addition to the second-line scoring is 2013 second round pick Artturi Lehkonen. After a dominant SHL playoffs last season, even Saku Koivu was certain he would play in the NHL this season, And he was correct. Lehkonen demonstrated his speed, maturity on defense and an ability to get his hard, accurate shot on net. He earned his spot in the top six with his play in camp. It is not unreasonable to expect 15 to 20 goals from the 21-year-old NHL rookie.
Having addressed offence and defence, Bergevin moved to shore up the experience and grit of a young Canadiens lineup. Having Daniel Carr on the opening day roster and for a full season helps the grit factor on the third line, especially when David Desharnais is the pivot on the line. Adding Andrew Shaw fits the mold of the style of player Bergevin adores.
Shaw is known as pest, playing a Brendan Gallagher type of game. Shaw’s aggressive style made him a fan favorite in Chicago. Expect Canadiens fans to embrace him as well. His experience winning two Stanley Cups will also prove invaluable for this young squad when the team enters the dog days of the season and into the playoffs.
Brendan Gallagher agreed when he stated “He’s a pain, he makes you work and that’s what we need — we need to be harder to play against. To bring in a player like that who’s going to compete … with his experience, it’s going to be huge for our group.”
So as we enter the fifth season of Marc Bergevin’s tenure, we see a much improved team from the one he inherited. It is a team now blessed with Kirk Muller, a coach capable of adjusting and communicating with players while improving the power-play. It is a team with a true top line in Max Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Gallagher who are each capable of scoring 30 goals, or more. It is a team with uber-talented Radulov and a motivated Lehkonen on the second line. It is also a team with an improved defensive game anchored by Shea Weber and complimented by young puck movers in Beaulieu and Sergachev. It is a team that boasts speed, size and grit. And let’s not forget the most important piece: a healthy Carey Price.
So what can we expect?
For starters, it should mean an increase in goals from the 221 mark set the past two seasons. This is a team capable of 240 goals. The goals against should improve drastically from the 236 allowed last season to the sub-200 level again.
It is safe to say that, barring another disaster, this is a playoff team.
But just making the playoffs is never enough in Montreal. Will this be the team that can go deep into the playoffs? The team has added the depth, grit, experience and leadership that are seen in every great team. The top players need to be consistent producers supported by production from depth players.
Can this team make it to the Stanley Cup Finals?
On paper, the Montreal Canadiens have the ingredients of a contender that Bergevin has assembled over the past five years. This is a team that can compete with the Panthers and the Lightning for the Atlantic Division title. There is always room for improvement so expect Bergevin to be willing to trade high draft picks to acquire any pieces needed to fulfill the promise of the five year plan. The time is now for management’s plan to bear fruit. And that should energize the hope for Canadiens fans everywhere as this new season is about to begin.