Let’s talk puck…for a change

Hockey is back. Let us rejoice. 

Let’s face it, for most of us Montreal sports fans, a season cancelled in its entirety would have been the proverbial “end of the world” scenario. An exaggeration, of course—but with no other local major sports teams to support until the summer, combined with the end of the National Football League playoffs, and a seemingly major lack of interest in the National Basketball Association, Habs fans would have been left out in the cold (literally) with nothing to do, nowhere to turn for diversion. We would be forced to pack away our Price and Pacioretty jerseys, store our supportive Bristol board signs, and store our legendary “Olé’s” for next season.

But alas, Gary finally took the pucks, sticks, and nets out from wherever he hid them, and Donald agreed to play nice for a minute. The two sides came to an agreement after a 16-hour marathon bargaining session last weekend, so we can now look forward to a bittersweet shortened season.

In my last column, I wrote about how little I cared about the lockout. I never said I wouldn’t be happy when hockey came back; but I refused to let the greed of millionaires and billionaires drag down my mood with every passing day. Of course, there were a few Saturday nights where I would have been much better served watching a hockey game rather than billiards or darts, but the past shall no longer be dwelled upon. It’s time to drop the puck.

So, as training camps continue, it’s time to get back to doing what Montrealers do best: delve into, dissect, and analyze ad nauseam the Montreal Canadiens. This will pop up a few times during the season, so let’s roll out the pre-training camp version breakdown of the Habs.

BETWEEN THE PIPES

Perhaps the backbone of the team, and the entire organization, is the man tending the net for Les Glorieux. Does anybody still miss Jaroslav Halak? 

Carey Price’s numbers might not be at the elite level yet, but there’s no doubt the 25-year old has matured from the wild, moody youngster who made the Canadiens five seasons ago; and he seems primed for a breakout season. It’s unfortunate that the lockout happened when it did, as it would have been nice to gauge Price over a full season, but he’ll get plenty of games in this shortened schedule. Often described as a “thoroughbred”, excpect Price to get close to, if not more, than 40 of the 48 games to be played (barring injury of course-knock on wood). 

I worry that Price’s inactivity during the lockout will lead to a slow start as he tries to shake the rust off; problem is, there won’t be much time to shake off the aforementioned rustiness. A hot start is imperative, not only for the Canadiens playoffs chances, but to tame the fiery critics who will be screaming bloody murder should Price falter at the start of the season, especially after receiving a pricey extension this offseason (no pun intended…sort of). 

I don’t have anything against Peter Budaj; but if we see him in more than 10 games, something went terribly wrong. 

ON THE BLUELINE

It’s hard to say where lays the most uncertainty amongst the teams 21 skaters this season; on defense or with the forwards? Time will tell, but for now the two biggest concerns surround the team’s defensive corps. The main issue: will P.K Subban sign before the start of the season? Will he sign at all? Will he still be a Canadien?

…OK, enough yelling. I didn’t mean to startle you. Subban isn’t going anywhere; new GM Marc Bergevin knows better than to start his tenure in this fishbowl atmosphere, and he’s on record as saying P.K isn’t going anywhere. But it is alarming to note that he might not be under contract for the beginning of the year. I remain optimistic, though, that as we draw closer to Saturday’s season opener, both sides will come to their senses and compromise, ultimately meeting in the middle; the Habs want to give Subban a “bridge” deal, something short that gets him to his next contact, which would be the long-term deal that Subban is seeking right now. 

Of equal importance, if not more importantly, is what to expect from Andrei Markov. For the first time in far too long, Markov will be healthy and ready to go at the start of the season, coming off two devastating knee injuries that have kept him on the sidelines for the majority of the last two seasons. Markov (and his knees) held up just fine in the KHL during the lockout, so while he might not get back to his elite form right off the bat, I expect we see Markov back to his old self once he hits his stride. 

Amongst the other defenseman, perhaps the only other question which Tomas Kaberle we see throughout the shortened year. Does he find the form he had in Toronto years ago, or will he be the defensive liability we saw last season? Coach Michel Therrien seems to have confidence in Kaberle, and it would be a pleasant surprise if he exceeds expectations. 

Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon fall into the “ol’ reliable” category, while Alexei Emelin and Rafael Diaz will be expected to progress. Yannick Weber could be on his way out of town, as he is too similar to Diaz, and in the event of injury the Habs have depth in the form of veteran Mike Commodore and rising prospect Jarred Tinordi. 

UP FRONT

Seeing as this a bigger group, we’ll break it down quick-hitter style (lines are projected based on current training camp trios.):

First line: Erik Cole, David Desharnais, Max Pacioretty

In a perfect world, this line would repeat, if not exceed, last season’s production: and for the Habs sake, they better. Expect Cole to have another solid season, and for Pacioretty to continue to improve his production. The real question here is whether David Desharnais will be able to deal with the added attention this season: he won’t be surprising anyone anymore.

Second line: Alex Galchenyuk, Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta

If this line is able to create chemistry fast, watch out: Tomas Plekanec will bounce back from a subpar year playing with good linemates, Brian Gionta is back from a season-ending injury, and Alex Galchenyuk is a star in the making; a star that will eventually move to center, but will for now learn the ropes besides to veterans on the wing. The only question is whether or not he sticks past the six games the Habs are allowed to use him without burning a year of his entry-level contract, or if he gets sent back to junior for more seasoning. If he does, look for Rene Bourque or even Brendan Gallagher to get a shot in this role. 

Third line: Rene Bourque, Lars Eller, Travis Moen

The bottom two lines will probably be more fluid than the top two lines (hopefully). It would appear that this will be the starting third line, which has a bit of grit, a bit of scoring and a bit of two-way play. The biggest question is whether or not the scorer (Rene Bourque) actually plays to his ability; if he does, he may even find himself on a higher line. Brandon Prust may also factor into this line.

Fourth line: Armstrong-White-Prust

I can’t wait to see Brendan Gallagher play for the Habs, but I don’t want to see it if he’s going to be stuck on a fourth line. He may start the year with the team until Petteri Nokelainen returns from injury. Because of these reasons, the fourth line becomes the grinder line, with the proverbial “sandpaper” that the Habs have been lacking for a while now. Gabriel Dumont, then, would be the ideal choice as the 13^th forward, as he could easily slide into a bottom six role as an agitating, energy-type player that can chip in offensively every once in a while. Prust also comes in a boon for the penalty kill, hopefully taking some of the pressure off of Plekanec in that aspect of the game.

The Habs MAKE the playoffs if:

• They avoid major, long-term injuries (like last season). 
• Subban signing, soon. 
• Bounce back seasons from Bourque, Kaberle, Plekanec. 
• Surprise production from Galchenyuk and Eller. 
• Carey Price playing to his full potential: he has the talent to be the league’s best goalie.

The Habs MISS the playoffs if:

• They don’t get off to a fast-start under Michel Therrien, who is implanting a new system with little time to teach it. 
• A major drop off from the Desharnais line. 
• Injuries hit hard. 
• Subban does not sign, or not early enough to make an impact on the standings. 
• Carey Price has a sub-par season. 

Prediction: The Habs squeak into the playoffs, grabbing the seventh seed in the last week of the year.

Andrew Maggio Hosts The Game Misconduct on Sundays from 12:00pm to 1