by Michael Ham-Fan, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
MONTREAL, QC. — The Montreal Canadiens season has gotten off its rails. Before their shootout win against the Maple Leafs, the team was on the worst losing streak since the 1940’s. Unfortunately there isn’t much to be hopeful about as far as this season is concerned. Carey Price, the team’s unquestioned leader, is going to be sidelined for at least three or four additional weeks and seeing him in practice, he seems very uncomfortable.
If fans want to see identify a silver lining or two to this season, they will have to look to the bigger picture, as in the longer term. There are still a few positives that could come out of this season.
While the team has been greatly lacking in scoring, and especially in clutch scoring as of late, the Canadiens’ player are still demonstrating a high level of effort. I would be a lot more concerned with this team if they looked like they didn’t care. It doesn’t seem like there is any locker room issue and in that way, I think that the Canadiens have a united team. I will not comment on Michel Therrien’s coaching strategies yet, but I will at least admit that he would benefit from having better offensive components to his team.
The Carey Price Absence
A lot of fans were arguing that the Habs could still maintain their level of play in the absence of their MVP but his prolonged injury has shown the team’s management that the team still has a lot of holes to fill. In a way, if this is what makes them realize that we are still quite a few pieces away from being a contender, so be it. In my opinion, we will see a more aggressive approach towards building this team from this season on.
The Youth
I can already hear people react to this saying, “What is the use of having good young players if we don’t give them bigger roles?” I agree with that statement. That said, if there is one thing that I am in lock-step with Marc Bergevin is that we have some very solid prospects coming up. We saw flashes of what they can do this season with the call-up of Daniel Carr, Sven Andrighetto and Charles Hudon who all showed glimpses of what they could eventually offer. Some would like Bergevin to sacrifice a piece or two to get some immediate help. I’d agree with that as well, granted that the deal is worth making. But keep in mind, the Habs are a year or two away from having the players that this management drafted to come into the mix in the NHL.
The upcoming draft I have read numerous opinions about this season, about how the Habs should just give up on this season and get a high draft pick. I personally don’t think that the Canadiens can fall that low, despite how bad it is looking right now. If Price were to return for a month, I have trouble seeing him losing more half of his games. With all this in mind, if they really fall to the bottom, this is a good year to have a high draft pick. There are quite a few young players that would be beneficial to the team’s future.
The Coaching and the Management Situation
Finally, the hottest topic in town: the coach and the general manager. In the middle of this drought, it is understandable that everyone is looking for someone to blame. I am feeling rather ambivalent concerning theses two positions.
Like I initially said in previous articles, when the Habs hired him, I considered Michel Therrien a good motivational coach, but his message can get repetitive in the long run. He is a coach that depends on his teams’ relentlessness to win games. In the present situation, his team is giving out a fair effort but are not getting the results. In a way, he has to find a way to get those results out as the head coach. If he falters to do that, he won’t keep this job heading into next season, in my opinion.
As for the general manager, I personally think that while it is good that he is staying with his plan to stay patient and develop from within, he should have been more pro-active in a few situations this season. The “adding offense” part has been already over-discussed, but one move I would have liked him to make is to get a veteran goaltender when Price went down. A veteran goaltender that is nearing the end of his career, that could have filled in for a year while mentoring Mike Condon into the NHL life. I am not ready to give up on Bergevin, like the majority of Habs fans, but the next 12 months are gonna be very deciding in terms of his reign as the Montreal Canadiens general manager.