Canadiens Prospects and Newcomers

A few days ago, I compiled a bit of a list for you all of the players that we may never see again. From Yannick Lehoux to Alex Monahan, there will always be players who don't make the final step in their decades-long journey to the NHL. Of course, there's sympathy, but they must be proud to have even made it as far as they did and hopefully cherish the opportunity for even a single development camp if that's all they ever get.

Today, it's time for a change of gear. Time to focus on the players that the Canadiens do still have in the system. And, more interestingly, some that they have been adding.


Andreas Engqvist

By now you'll have all heard that the Canadiens have signed Andreas Engvist to a three-year deal starting this season. Reports of that are all over the web.

But unless you read Swedish, the most you can find out about this guys is that he is 6'0" tall, 200 lbs and scored a few SEL goals last year. There are videos highlighting his best moments (looking good), but we all know most players could put a highlight reel together.

I did a little more digging to come up with something extra for you all and this is what I found:

– Apparently the Canadiens have been after signing Engqvist for a while now (along with other clubs), but he's happy to sign here

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– And the best from a very clued- in fan who saw the events in person:
"Clearly, I am way too happy to see big centermen on the ice ’cause he also impressed the hell out of me. Clearly needs to work on his foot speed. Probably amongst the big guys, the one that needs to improve the most on his overall speed, first steps and agility. But he is big, loves to implicate himself physically, loves to sit in front of the net, has some nice hands and a nice shot. I really don’t see how we will not sign him to a contract. Either it’s this year or next year, Habs NEED to make some kind of arrangements to get him here. He has a nice potential. Great size, great strength upper and lower, so beside his speed, I really don’t see how you cannot like this kid. Out of the Swedish kids, I mean today it’s no contest Engqvist way ahead of Johansson."


Development camp suite

If you are a masochist and like to watch skating drills that will tell you very little about how a player will react on the NHL ice in 5 years time, there's plenty to see on youtube. But if, like me you'd prefer not to listen to the man on the handycam, then I found a nice snippet from the CFCF evening news that's still available on their website. It doesn't give the all encompassing view that you'd have got going to the game in person, but it does give a glimpse of PK Subban in flight, some of Mac Bennett (though not enough to understand what they were on about) and Avtsyn.

The best summary I found was not from the mainstream media (though that CFCF report was a great recap), but from a fan. His whole piece of commentary can be found in English on Matthias Brunet's blog in the comments section (posted by stanley 25 at 09h51). That'll be for the most crazed among you – and I know you're out there.


Dany Masse

Dany Masse was the first free agent to get the ball rolling this year for Bob Gainey. Signed on the very eve of this season's playoffs, it was good to see Gainey scoop up a player that would have surely been given a shot somewhere else.

Looking at Dany Masse's statistics could be a bit deceiving, because although he did score 110 points with 40-odd goals in the QMJHL this year, he was a man among boys – something the 5'10" player may never e again.

But his signing was worthwhile for other reasons. For one thing, he was part of a championship team, which is always a good thing. And not just any championship team, but the team that turned last place into first with a 37-point turnaround. The lessons from that experience are surely valuable ones. For another thing, he was coached by Guy Boucher (new coach of the Bulldogs). As Dany was signed first, it may be that he already did all he needed to do with the Habs already by adding just that little extra incentive for the top junior coaching prospect in all of Canada to choose the Habs. Guy Boucher must like Masse, because, as Dany states in this interview before deciding whether to keep up with the QMJHL:

"He changed my mind," smiled Masse, who spent two seasons with the Titan scoring 55 goals and adding 80 assists in 139 regular season games. "I decided to go right away. I think it is the best decision I've ever made."

As a player, Dany is surely a big gamble. He was on the radar for NHL scouts as many as 3 years ago, but has gone undrafted in each subsequent draft. While his breakout season may be a turning point, it may simply be the exception to the rule. But as there is no harm (for the Canadiens big club, anyway) in giving this young man a chance, then I think it is certainly worth the gamble. Odds are he'll go the way of Thomas Beauregard, but if he's about to take off, then I'm glad we have his rights.


Mikael Johansson

The original Swedish free agent signing. This one happened back in May when we were all still licking our open wounds.

In many ways, he's probably the more interesting of the two new Swedes. Where Engqvist is bigger, based on the reports and the statistics he's not a top-line talent to get excited about. Johansson is the more skilled.

Mikael was also drafted – drafted by the Detroit Red Wings (which must mean something). Sure, he wasn't signed by them, but the line is that he hadn't progressed by the time contracts were being handed out. The difference now is that he has had his jump in form. Last season was the marked improvement where he doubled his goals and his points totals to find a place on scoring leaders. This season his goal totals suffered, but he was still posted the 12th most assists leaguewide (even though 28 doesn't look much).

Importantly, Johansson was also member of a championship team, as the team went through a 55-game schedule with 30 wins, 8 losses (3 in OT) and 17 ties. A most impressive season and massive improvement on the previous year.

According to his teammate on the Swedish champions Farjestad, he is skilled to the utmost degree. Fast skater, incredible hands and a catalogue of moves (you can hear all about Mikael about 2/3 of the way into this interview from SRC radio fromt he spring). According to our favourite fan at the camp, Johansson is overhyped. Apparently he looked pretty average in the scrimmage. While it may well be the case, one has to think that the Canadiens were still right to take a chance on a guy who could make the leap that Brunnstrom did last season (a player who may be labelled a bust by some, but who was probably a clip above Latendresse in scoring this season even as a rookie).


Mathieu Darche

The veritable old man in this piece, I wanted to give a nod to Mathieu Darche, my fellow Redman.

The Canadiens signed Mathieu on July 2nd, before they even put pen to paper with any of their own RFAs. In what may well be an AHL only signing, I think the Canadiens have picked up a nice piece here. And, if injuries do happen and you stare down the left wing depth chart and start to realise there isn't one, then it will be a relief to have Darche in the pocket for a call-up. After all, he has played over 100 NHL games, with one 73-game season 2 years ago. The timing of the move shows me Gainey was targeting Darche and was worried that other teams might also be interested.

I wouldn't look for him to be the star of the training camp in the fall. But the quietly effective player will be sure to keep some of the other aspiring Habs honest and at their best.


Gabriel Girard

As a final note, I wanted to mention Gabriel Girard one more time. I really think the Canadiens have a big problem in the goaltending depth column at the moment, particularly if Halak starts to make a fuss about getting traded. Nobody wants to see Cedrick Desjardins too much and after him is like staring into the abyss.

Girard did not have the best development camp (well scrimmage), but has some pedigree. His stats in Shawinigan this year were very, very impressive and he did outstanding work to press Drummondville to the very last (no small feat this year).

I hope that the next new signing I read about will be his...

2008 Canadiens Entry Draft Preview

The draft is about to start, there's a new scoring phenom coming out of the CHL, the next pick isn't shabby with a big and able defenceman from Ontario likely to be picked next. The draft is deep and the Russian star of the day might not get a look in the top 5. Meanwhile the Habs are mired down in the 20s for their pick. No luck, right?

That was 1993. Daigle was the can't miss at the time. Chris Pronger was that able defenceman. All the talk of Viktor Kozlov only got him selected 6th. The Canadiens, fresh off a Stanley Cup snagged the third best player in the first round with the 21st pick. Not only that, Saku Koivu has gone on to become a Canadiens icon and the second-longest serving captain in team history.

Here and now, it's the Stamkos draft. Steve is the talk of the place, but is he a sure thing? If anyone is thinking of giving the unequivocal yes, then maybe they should think again. First overall means nothing about your future career. Scouting of Stamkos provides reports that certainly project the likelihood of him being a star int he league higher than any of his peers, but the reports did the same for Daigle. Ottawa, in hindsight might have preferred Pronger, Kariya or Koivu.

What we need
There is no doubt about what the Canadiens need. For me it is a winger who can score (big or small). If he's big and can score, all the better, but scoring is what matters. The problem is the Canadiens need that player now. The player they select on the weekend may not be ready for another 4-5 seasons. The Habs have to address the need for that winger by other means than hoping an 18-year old will be our saviour next season.

As such, the Canadiens needs get rejigged. assuming the Habs do address the need there with a relatively young first-line scorer, then that will no longer be a need. So what will?

The answer is simple, and has been the Canadiens draft strategy for a while. The Canadiens need good players, the best prospects. When Trevor Timmins gives his post-draft interview and explains that they took the best player available in their estimation, they will have done their jobs. If they draft with positional or biometric shackles like some teams do, then they will be imitating the wrong teams (i.e., not the Red Wings).

The first round

I won't pretend that I know everything about the players in all the lists and profiles I've been reading. But sometimes a player just gives me a feeling. It's a product of the name, the size, the stats (in the context of where he plays, of course). Once in a while I am right about this too. As Tobalev will attest, in my card collecting days I went around and bought every Saku Koivu UpperDeck Finland rookie card from the WJHC before the Canadiens drafted him in 1993. I only had to look at his stats in a typically (back then) low-scoring Finnish league and read about his temperament to know I wanted the Habs to have him. I hoped and hoped for Saku that year, and in the end we picked my man.

When I look down the list this year, I am largely unimpressed with the list. There seem to be a lot of Chris Phillips' and few truly exciting prospects. I would be hugely disappointed if the Canadiens went weak and drafted someone like Tyler Cuma, who TSN says:

"is a strong two-way defenceman with leadership ability and a willingness to compete hard at both ends of the ice."

You can sign any number of players like that in an offseason. You shouldn't be drafting anyone whose best-case secnario is the next Steve Staios in the first round.


If we're looking for a steal

As a general rule, when looking for a steal, I look for a couple of things. First, I look at size. Big players are generally overrated by scouts and small players are underrated. The other thing is mention of skating. if they can't skate by now, it's too late guys. So, when I see a small player who can skate in the top tier of the draft, I am curious. It was the case with Saku Koivu, and it is the case with my new poster boy this year: Mattias Tedenby.

TSN ranked him 26th, but unlike the reviews for the defensive defencemen ahead of him, his review glowed:

"The diminutive Swedish winger is amongst the most competitive and skilled players available in this draft, but his lack of size is likely going to discount him in this draft. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with confidence, on and off the ice. He has an extra gear, which is essential for small guys looking to succeed in the NHL, and doesn't take a backward step in the mold of a Mats Naslund or Marty St. Louis. Could fall to the second round because of size issues, but if a team really likes him and is willing to look past the height, he could go much higher than ranked. "

The Central Scouting Bureau, who ranked him much higher than TSN (3 from Europe), have even better things to say:

"Mattias is excellent on every shift. He has outstanding speed, stick work and work ethic. He is small but fearless - he takes hits and always comes back. He creates scoring chances with his outstanding skating and is very difficult to stop when he is at full speed. He has excellent balance and quick, smooth hands, but needs to improve on his defensive awareness."

This is 2008's Saku Koivu! We'll lament him for being too small, but once he makes the team – icon... (I'm just off to buy the rookie cards now).


My next 4

Assuming as I am that the Canadiens will not be trading up in this draft, I am listing these 4 players based on the likelihood that they could be available at 25th overall:

2) Chet Pickard, G – Tri-City Americans
I have already put the goalie option forward elsewhere, to which I usually get mocking or disbelief as a response:

"Topham - why would we take a goalie in the first round?"

Just substitute the name Timmins for Topham and think back 3 years, and maybe you'll see where I'm coming from. Chet Pickard, from all reports, is a bit like our man Carey. Their stats from draft years are remarkably similar. Funnily though, the Americans actually did better with Pickard after losing Price. So the temptation to dismiss him, should probably be, well, dismissed. If he's available, I might have trouble buying the "best player" line if Timmins were to select someone else (other than Tedenby, of course).

3) Erik Karlsson, D – Frolunda, SEL
Offensive defencemen are great assets. Possibly the greatest around after goaltenders. but unlike goalies, teams can carry more than one offensive D, and as such they are very tradeable. Why draft for trading you ask? Because then you can get hold of that power forward with NHL experience you always want...

4) Kirill Petrov, LW – AK Bars Kazan
Here he is, the power forward we want. Apparently, the knock is that he doesn't want out of Russia. Well, if the Canadiens let this Russian issue stand in the way, then I can tell you someone else won't. That team, whoever they are, will pluck gems from the draft and we'll be looking back in 15 years after their 4th Cup in 10 years and asking how they did it. It'll take bravery, but what's the point in going to the draft if you're not willing to be brave?

5) Jordan Eberle, C – Regina Pats
Described as refreshingly offensive-minded, intelligent and goalscorer, he would be a good pick-up too. Not as big as some rival choices, but you can't teach the scoring knack to anyone.


If we have to go big
If it's gotta be a big guy, then I'd prefer Joe Colborne, but could stomach Greg Nemisz. Again, if they were passed off as the best player available, I won't be buying it.


If we're looking for someone from the backyard
Some of the Montreal media, including Mike Boone have had an eye on Danick Paquette from the QMJHL. Personally, I would steer clear of anyone who can still honestly list Todd Bertuzzi as their idol(!!!) no matter how many Xmas parties they throw. That and the fact that although he is sold as a big power forward, he's only 6' tall – he sounds like Latendresse without discipline or size.

More like it from the QMJHL, at least, are Nicolas Deschamps and Jacob Lagace from the Sagueneens (Carbo's toy). From this NHL.com article, they both sound like their stars are on the rise. If I had the say, I'd skip Deschamps if he's projected as a first rounder and pick up Lagace with a later pick. Obviously, neither has shown outstanding offensive talent just yet, and it would be an admission of defeat to pick a third line talent in the first round, no matter which province they hail from.

I, for one am a big believer in restocking the ranks from Quebec. If I were in charge, I'd be picking from Quebec in the late rounds. For one thing, we have more intimate knowledge of the local talent, and can also make the transition easier for the players who will struggle to learn new hockey skills at the same time as a new language and possibly culture. I'd like to think that some of the local boys would work that much harder for their beloved CH too.


Beyond round 1

You think about Joe Thornton, Ilya Kovalchuk, Rick Nash and company and ask what happened to those teams. Then you look at NJ and Detroit and marvel at their low first-rounders or lack thereof.

Tickets may be sold with first rounders, but dynasties are made in the later rounds. I have spoken about the desire for the Canadiens to jump all over the reluctance of other teams to draft Russians. And I mentioned their advantage in Quebec. I think the Canadiens have to leverage these two things in the later rounds to start bringing in consistent hauls of NHL quality players.

That said, I would hope that the Habs come up with some of the decent players from the Q this year. Specifically, I covet Yann Sauve or Maxime Sauve, one of Lagace or Deschamps (from above) and possibly Patrice Cormier if he's available 4th round or later.

As for Russians, it will depend on whether Petrov is the man early or not. There's taking advantage and then there's the foolishness of putting all the eggs in one basket – even Detroit wasn't taking all Swedish boys. If f we're safer than Petrov in round 1, then Evgeny Grachev in the second might make sense.

Viktor Tikhonov would also be a late intriguing pick, given the legacy of his grandfather. In fact, it might be just the sort of strategic pick (to sweeten the Habs chances in Russia overall) that could make sense.

Other names that jumped out included Jared Staal, who you know will never be small and David Carle, skating at Sidney's old school and playing like his brother Matt (San Jose's not ours).

That's about all I can muster having very little personal exposure to any of these guys. Happy Draft Day. See you in 5 years to see what the aftermath of all this was (and reaping the gains on all my Tedenby rookie cards)...