by Josh Saunders, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
Be honest. When asked to identify your favourite player on the Montreal Canadiens, who is the first player to pop into mind?
I predict that the Habs stars would be the most frequent answer. Carey Price would likely be number one on the board, playing every bit as well as he ever has and looking unbeatable most nights. Or maybe it’s Alex Galchenyuk, who has quietly found himself with 17 points on 6 goals and 11 assists.
Perhaps it is a new acquisition such as Shea Weber or Alexander Radulov, who are both making Marc Bergevin look a genius thus far. Did you pick Brendan Gallagher, the energizer bunny of the squad? Or maybe you prefer a veteran like Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec or Andrei Markov.
My point is that the names of players in supporting roles wouldn’t be heard very often. Bottom six players often have a primarily defensive role but tend to stay out of the spotlight. It is the part of the lineup that experiences the most turnover from year-to-year.
But this season, it is bottom six players who have stepped up and to help lead the team.
Personally, I was skeptical about some of the players in the supporting cast. Phillip Danault secured a spot in training camp and has performed well offensively so far. The 23-year-old has not yet mastered a defensive game but has nine points with five goals and four assists in 15 games.
Danault is a favorite of Montreal media and is gaining fans every game. The Canadiens coaching staff also seem to be members of his fan club choosing Danault to take the third line centre spot from David Desharnais. Danault along with Max Pacioretty and Andrew Shaw have looked solid since they were assembled.
Paul Byron is a bottom six player who has found his was up to the top line given his fine play. So far, Byron is on track for a career year. He has used his speed at times to be a game-changer, including as a scoring threat on the penalty kill.
No longer is Byron the guy who can’t score on the breakaway as his latest goal on Jimmy Howard in Saturday’s victory against the Red Wings will attest to. Fans who may have questioned signing a waiver pick-up after a bad year to a three-year contract have definitely had to reconsider their skepticism. Now playing on the first line with the Habs’ most skilled forwards, namely Alex Radulov and Alex Galchenyuk, Byron hasn’t looked out of place.
Torrey Mitchell, sometimes known as “Scorey” Mitchell on Twitter, has five goals so far this season. Since being acquired, the Montreal native has been a steady presence on both Montreal’s fourth line and the penalty kill. Mitchell is one of the key reasons that the Canadiens can boast one of the speedier line-ups in the NHL.
Mitchell is relied on for faceoffs but is the type of player who is not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice to score goals. Mitchell, much like Byron, provides an element of speed and skill rather than the old school fourth line made up of grit and toughness.
So far, this recipe has paid off for Marc Bergevin, who has been key in bringing in every single one of these players. You know what may be even better than their production? The price being paid for their services.
At their combined cap hits, Mitchell, Danault, and Byron represent only 4.58 per cent of Montreal’s salary cap. In terms of goals, however, these three players have delivered 28.30 per cent of the offense. Contributions from secondary players are huge for any team who wants to be a contenders for the Stanley Cup.
Is this formula sustainable? Can we really expect these players to sustain their current pace? Probably not.
But it’s good to know that this team is capable of confidently rolling four lines. The depth will help avoid a reliance on the top six and help that group perform better once the playoffs arrive. Knowing that any player on any given night could be the one who contributes generates confidence.
So far, that mindset is paying off in a big way.