Habster:

Josh Gorges was arguably the most improved player and the biggest surprise on the Canadiens this season. The last 30-40 games of the season is when Gorges really turned the corner and become one of the most consistent defensemen on the Habs roster.

Josh Gorges overall game is what makes him so valuable to the Canadiens. His play along the boards has been the most improved part of his game whereas last year (when he had a chance to play) it was one of the weaker aspects of his game. This season he won the majority of the battles along the boards and was strong with his defensive zone coverage.

Towards the end of the regular season when Gorges defense partner Francis Bouillon was out of the lineup with an injured ankle, he started to display some flashes of offensive skill by rushing the puck with more regularity or joining the up ice rush with the forwards. He didn’t score too often but did show he had some decent wheels when he want to motor!!

Another thing that caught my attention was how he didn’t look out of place when he played on one of the top four pairings when Mike Komisarek went down with a hip pointer and back problems.

Josh Gorges showed enough improvement last season to deserve a regular spot on the third pairing for the upcoming season. He will undoubtedly improve even more next season and should be an important element to the team’s success for years to come.