Beyond Brunnstrom: Dredging for Talent

So Fabian Brunnstrom has flown. To Dallas.

The Canadiens were losers in these sweepstakes, but nowhere near a big losers as those teams not even mentioned in the sweepstakes.

How many teams were looking at Brunnstrom?

Six? Maybe eight?

This is a free player. Through development. You can see how he plays against men. Albeit not NHL players, but the risk is still so minimal compared to an entry draft pick. What's more the alleged bonus-laden contract takes the sting of potential flop away almost completely.

The teams not looking at players like these are behind the times. Detroit, Dallas, Montreal. No surprise teams like Florida, Columbus, Chicago and Phoenix aren't on the list.


So what to do now that Fabian's gone?

Back on the horse, I say. Detroit got back on the horse with immediate effect. They picked up Ville Leino, making time for the talks in the midst of a Stanley Cup quest.

That makes two conference finalists thinking ahead. The Canadiens need to keep up.

The Canadiens also have a precedent for this kind of behaviour. They signed Oleg Petrov after a brilliant Swiss season, they signed Mark Streit, they took Cristobal Huet on board based on his foreign league stats. Their most recent gamble was Janne Lahti from last summer. It looks like it didn't pay off, but at least we're still in the hunt for these freebies.

I think I have a name for them: Eric Westrum.

I have put him forward as an option before. And as I mentioned then:

He played for the Springfield Falcons and Utah Grizzlies like Streit. Check.
After trying to make it in North America, he turned to the Swiss League, where he picked up his offensive numbers. Check.


What's even more interesting is that Erik's Dad is Pat Westrum, the Montreal Canadiens hotshot scout.

Sure he's a risk, but he's big, he's a winger, he's dominated a foreign league and he's Habs family...

Streit Ahead: Of Scouting and Gambles

Mark Streit is definitely the surprise of the season for me on the Canadiens. I'm not the only person to have noticed. The league is noticing too.

Andrei Kostitsyn becoming a highlight reel stalwart and 20-goal man in February, I might have imagined. Carey Price as a starter, it may be soon, but we all knew right from training camp that it was coming. Patrice Brisebois hanging on - nothing about him and the Habs could surprise me anymore after the re-signing.

If you would have told me Mark Streit's 2006-2007 was not a flash in the pan, I would have laughed. If you would have told me that he would have the same number of goals and points as Koivu in March, I would have asked if we'd ever have thought Koivu would be on pace for 25 points.


12 goals, 37 assists. In sync with Markov and Kovalev on the PP. Plays any position but goalie. Wow!

We are lucky to have him and we were lucky to ever get him. Streit's career prior to 2005 said anything but NHL PP quarterback and second-line winger.

Take the fact that Mark comes from Switzerland. Oh sure, we're happy to call the Swiss a hockey nation now (after they beat Canada and the Czechs at the last Olympic tournament), but when Streit was coming through the ranks a Swiss hockey prospect was akin to a Canadian ski jumping prospect.

Consider also that he made the jump to North America on his own in 1999 to improve his chances at cracking the big leagues. He didn't fail miserably. But he hardly did enough to sway the cantankerous old boys of the NHL to open their minds to players from the shadows of the Alps. Perhaps in the end it was his last game in North America before packing up for the Swiss A league - a one-game stint in Utah that would turn fate in his favour as Habs scouts overseeing their own slow-cook prospect projects may have noticed his skating and skills that day.

A further 4 seasons in Switzerland would see Mark temporarily resign himself to making his winter home in Europe and if nothing else helped him to develop his game further offensively. In 2004, some lucky scout earned a bonus when he advised Bob Gainey that Swiss hockey had come far enough to merit a 9th round pick for the best Swiss player of a generation. The following season with some NHL competition (and indeed help), Mark Streit would go on to justify the draft pick as he outshone a vast number of established pros in his own backyard during the lockout follies in Europe.

Looking at all I've written, I ask whether I'd be surprised if Streit were a Swedish or Canadian prospect blooming late. In fact, I'm sure many of the GMs in the league share the same attitudes.

So, while we thank our lucky stars for Mark Streit falling right into the laps of the Canadiens for nothing more than a late afternoon afterthought on draft day 2; there are lessons to be learned from the case of Mark Streit:

1) Hockey players can come from anywhere (even Switzerland, Austria, Belarus and Slovenia now).

If the Habs want to maintain a competitive advantage, continuing to look to these relatively untapped resources for bargains. It looks like the trend will continue for a while as we watch Yannick Weber develop and accept that Janne Lahti was a worthwhile gamble, if not an NHL player. We could also stay a step ahead by asking where is next for hockey players to emerge unnoticed.

2) It's worth taking a chance on standouts from "weaker" leagues.

As other teams trawl the third lines of WHL teams, picking a star from Switzerland, Germany or Austria is worth the gamble. You can always sign those fourth liners later.

3) Make place for talent on your team

As Streit battled for a 7th defenseman place, it was judicious to allow him to play forward where he could develop his skills at a high level. A talented skater and puck-handler is always valuable to a team no matter what way his stick is curved or what letter appears beside his name on the gamesheet.


A potential gamble for 2008

Thinking about Streit and how eyes should be peeled for the next unheralded NHL breakthrough I decided to take a quick look at the Swiss A League standings and statistics.

Nothing but the best for the Habs, of course, I looked up Erik Westrum.

So, he's from Minnesota. Check.
He played for the Springfield Falcons and Utah Grizzlies like Streit. Check.
After trying to make it in North America, he turned to the Swiss League, where he picked up his offensive numbers. Check.


What's even more interesting is that Erik's Dad is Pat Westrum, the Montreal Canadiens hotshot scout. We look no further than Minnesota for first round picks anymore, since Pat knows his stuff.

Could he be submitting a positive report on a wayward overage Minnesota boy this summer? We'll have to wait and see.

Habs get it right with the rookies

Carey Price, Janne Lahti, Kyle Chipchura all had one thing in common this weekend: they didn't play any hockey games. That's because the Canadiens have bucked a trend they started by opting not to have a rookie tournament. The first few sessions for the rookies were dedicated to drills:

From the Gazette:

There hasn't been a chance to evaluate Lahti in game situations because the first two days of the rookie camp have been devoted to drills. Stickhandling was the focus for the skaters yesterday as Sean Skinner showed his expertise.

Want to know why Canadian players rise to the top in the playoffs, why their scoring doesn't tail off like Europeans in March?

Well it's because from the age of 6 onwards, Canadians play hockey games from autumn to spring. Ice time is scarce, so it's games >> practices. Juniors get an NHL-type gameload in their seasons before entry into the bigs.

But, want to know why Europeans figure in the scoring leaders, can skate so well and have actually figured out how to get over the blueline without lobbing the puck into the corner?

Practice, practice, practice.


That's why I was happy to hear the Habs rookies were actually practicing (and maybe even learning a bit) before the other training camp starts. In my opinion, a few days dedicated to practicing skills is going to be a whole lot more valuable than 4 games against other rookies – most of whom will never ever pull on an NHL sweater anyway.

Carey Price will have to stop Crosby, Elias and Alfredsson to make the Canadiens. Stopping shots from Toronto's third tier can't help him prepare for that anymore than his seasons in junior did.

The young defensemen will have to hone their puck skills if they hope to play in Montreal, a frantic game with dumpouts and 17 minutes of ice (most without the puck) isn't going to greatly help them either.

There are enough games already, so it'snice to see the Habs realise this and work to help their prospects improve. Well done management, another positive decision...

Canadiens rookie camp

So the Canadiens rookie camp is just around the corner (see habsinsideout.com). The invitations have been sent. And seeing as how everyone is intent on arguing that we are a better team thanks to all our young talent, I thought it would be worth a look.



There are three basic classes of rookie: drafted players, free agents and try-out players. Of the three, the drafted players get the longer looks, since they have been touted for some time, so even a slip in form could be seen as just that, a slip.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the try-outs have this one shot to make the team. Not all of them will, and it is surprising when even a single try-out player makes it. Free agents (like Janne Lahti) fall somewhere in the middle, but make the team with high enough frequency (e.g., Mark Streit, Pierre Dagenais, Oleg Petrov (second time)).

The way I see it, no more than 10 of these guys will see a game this year. And no more than 15 will probably ever see a game. This is simply because we already have some young players who will be very hard to budge for the next ten years (Andrei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse and Tomas Plekanec among others). However, there are a couple of permanent roster spots that may be up for grabs, so a lucky few may be plying their trade in the NHL full-time in 2007/2008.

The 5 candidates that stand-out for me as players that could make the team outright this year are:

1) Kyle Chipchura (stats)
By all accounts, Chipchura sounds like a third-line forward. What I like about him is that he has been a captain of his teams and even his country. What's more in that final of the WJCs he really stood out for me – something big game players tend to be able to do. He may fit nicely on the third or fourth line while he learns, but could probably be called upon for scoring line duties if asked. A player to watch for.



2) Janne Lahti (stats)
For one thing, he's 25 – so he wouldn't be invited if there weren't a real chance for him. For another, he scored 20 goals in the Finnish league, which is quite good in only 56 games. And he caught fire a bit in the playoffs. However, the main reason I think he might make the team is because while not huge, he's not little. He was also targeted by a few other NHL teams, which is a good sign.



3) Carey Price (stats)
What needs to be said here? A great WJC and a great Calder Cup run have put him into the spotlight. I think a season in the minors would be better, but he has a realistic chance if for no other reason than Gainey having said so. Plus we only have 2 other legitimate goalie candidates, so the competition isn't really thick.



4) Ryan White (stats)
“He’s not a great physical specimen he’s not necessarily in great physical condition, but when we put him on the ice, he does nothing but win battles,” said Hitmen GM and head coach Kelly Kisio. He just sounds like the type of player who will go to camp and win himself a spot. If he plays his cards right, he could wave Garth Murray goodbye on his way into the dressing room.



5) Ryan O'Byrne (stats)
Because defensemen get injured, he will get himself high enough in the line to see some games. From his Calder Cup play, he has the quality to stick if he gets in the door.



Those with a realistic chance (in my opinion) of a game or two this year, and full NHL seasons on their horizons include:

1) Sergei Kostitsyn (stats) – not quite his time yet.

2) Mathieu Aubin (stats) – big enough to make the team for size alone, he'll have to show he can play.

3) Mathieu Carle (stats) – maybe San Jose will get confused and trade us their Matt Carle?

4) Pavel Valentenko (stats) – again, not quite time for him.

5) Matt D'Agostini (stats) – could break through, but probably needs another season to impress.

6) Ben Maxwell (stats) – will be in Hamilton.

7) PK Subban (stats) – despite his attitude, he's probably not quite star enough to make thee league straight from Junior.

and to a lesser extent Thomas Beauregard (who may turn out to be a goalscorer in the big leagues after all), Yannick Weber and Cedrick Desjardins.

As for the rest, they need to unseat some of the guys ahead of them to even have a shot at being on the teamsheet one day. But that is what this camp is for – to see what everyone can do. I for one am looking forward to it and hoping we have a few guys coming through to the big camp with intentions of making the team...