Making Your NHL Club

There was probably a time in the not too distant past where training camp really was a legitimate opportunity for a young prospect to take a run at a roster place. Years of accumulated commitments, collective bargaining agreements and roster regulations have changed that for the young hopefuls. Nowadays, a young player being invited to an NHL camp only needs to take a quick browse of the CapGeek website before lacing the skates to know how the Vegas odds makers are handicapping his chances of success.

After Game 5 of the preseason, in which Therrien iced an almost identical lineup to last year's edition of the Habs, we can reflect on how training camp has gone and why at the end of it we won't see the slowing veterans turfed by energetic youngsters by whom they were significantly outperformed.

Game #75 Hat Trick Seals Result For Habs Over Sens

Details

Date: 23/03/2012
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (L), Bishop

Habs goalscorers: Cole (3), Nokelainen, Eller
Opposition goalscorers: Spezza

Play of the game

There was a good handful of plays to choose from tonight. Cole's goals were all very nice, Nokelainen's was good, Price made several nice saves. But my play of the game nod goes to PK Subban for his save on Jason Spezza to keep the game out of reach at the time. Only moments after being hit by Spezza (without retaliation from PK), he kept his head and his coverage to save Habs blushes and momentum in the early game.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Erik Cole - Game Puck
If one scores three goals in a NHL game, it doesn't really matter what else one does in a game. Cole happened to play well the rest of the night and set a record for fastest hat trick by a Montreal Canadiens player from opening faceoff as well.

David Desharnais
Desharnais was slick in the offensive zone in this one. He got two assists thanks to Cole's huge efforts. But it was his play on non-goals that impressed me. But for the first 5 minutes of the game, Desharnais was the stand out forward for me.

Ryan White
White played a major role in fending off the Sens in this one. While the team chasing 3 goals probably should have gone for goals, thanks to White's urging, they ended up trying to pull out his gold locks instead. White sort of fought, he was penalized for it. His real impact came as the agitator and distractor.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Subban looks sharp. He's a spring-time player, that's becoming more clear. Tonight he was unleashed on a few occasions to rush and I very much enjoyed seeing that again. It's easy to forget how young PK is, and how really he has lots still left to learn. Highlight moments for me were that save, a rush that Bourque (brought in to stand in front of the net) botched by not being anywhere near the net, and a nice clean body check after an offside (but during the whistling down). He was doing it all in this one.

Andrei Markov
This player just exudes quality. There are things he makes look so simple that once we maybe took for granted. Seasons without his hands and feet make one realize how important keeping a puck in is, how vital to a PP a laser-guided one-touch pass can be. He's still avoiding the contact, I'm noting. But that's just fine with me. I'll gladly take the efficient defender's passing on its own.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Played a very good game. The stops were flowing and he was for once in sync with his defenders. It's a shame that this comes now and not earlier in the season. We could have used the winning before and the losing now. Whatever desire the Habs fans have for Grigorenkupov, Price counters with disregard for losing.

Comments

5:41 into this game and it was over. A team that desperately needed to win allowed a team that desperately needed to lose to get these first three goals and pouf. The strategy from there out consisted of a lot of scuffling and some decent PP action from both sides. The game ended up being long and drawn out in the end because of all the penalties and silly scuffling. In the end, that was all for naught. Neil will have earned some pooler that deals in PIMs a wonderful payout, but beyond that it's just later nights for everyone.

One can't blame the Canadiens for the approach they took, the result or the Senators behaviour. But in an ideal world, this game would have ended 8-9 in regulation after such a flying start. Both these teams are now playing with fire, as lottery and playoffs hang in the balances. As I root for Montreal to go quietly into the night. I am also hoping that Ottawa prevails in their impressive season to make the playoffs. I fear for us all if the two teams on display tonight continue into the next two weeks in this form.

Tomorrow a dose of the Flyers should aid the Canadiens to find their former quest, as the Flyers usually have something to prove and often end up proving it against the Habs. At the finish now, Toronto has won, so has Edmonton. So a victory of less cost can be enjoyed for the beautiful 5 minutes and hat trick it produced.

Game #59 Habs Use PP And Shootout Luck Store To Down Sabres

Details

Date: 17/02/2012
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Buffalo

Win: 4-3 (SO)

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (L)

Habs goalscorers: Kaberle, Gomez, Campoli, (Pacioretty, Desharnais - SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Regehr, Myers, Ennis

Play of the game

Coaches who believe in the passive box must believe that hockey players' innate impatience will will on odds alone. Tonight, the Canadiens very nearly opened their scoring on the PP. Even if it was technically ES, the goal came because of about a minute of PP possession and probably 20-odd straight passes. The play that ended it was signature Markov. Not from him of course, but from Kaberle who snuck in using the Russian route to finish Desharnais' soft pass.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Scott Gomez
I'm somewhat stunned to read the time on ice stats. To me it seemed like Gomez's line was getting prime time minutes. That's probably in most part due to the fact that they caught the eye more than any other. Gomez himself was sharper at things he hasn't necessarily been sharp at in a while - quick passes, battles on the boards, winning races. And to top it off he scored a massive goal when the wind very much needed to be put back in the Habs' sails.

Andrei Kostitsyn
To me, the most dangerous forward all night. For whatever reason he was the forward who escaped the tenacious Buffalo checking best and popped up at least a half dozen times in very dangerous positions. He ended with 3 shots and no points, but there was quality in his attempts.

Ryan White
Using his exuberance to get the two misfits going is proving a minor stroke of genius. Really, it's probably just hitting on some obvious complementary assets that should be well known by now. White makes room and wins loose pucks - something both Gomez the hot potato passer and Kostitsyn the slippery shot maker like to have taken off their own plates. Tonight White looked like a sure bet to be on the team for a while. Not something I ever thought when he was missing for all those games.

Defencemen

Alexei Emelin
We beat up our management a lot, but getting Emelin to come to North America before lapse of his rights was masterful. From learner to reliable to making Gill expendable in less than 60 games. His mark on the game tonight was in scorecard hits and blocked shots. Un-noted were a few good breakout moves and slick passes.

PK Subban - Game Puck
I'm not surprised that the energy of renewed playoff hope is awakening a player within Subban. Being a pro who can elevate his game, he is prone to this kind of effect from pressure. Tonight, he continued to build on what he has been putting together for a few games. We'll all admit that he's not yet found his PP magic. IN the defensive zone, though, the magic is there. A gorgeous 2-on-1 break-up, numerous takeaways, dives for clearance and lots of other good things. Now that his focus is taken from making the highlight hit to matters of the score, he unsurprisingly returns to Game Puck ownership.

Goaltender

Carey Price
The dome was won with a solid recovery from average start. In fact, by keeping the game 3-2 as long as he did, he did the Canadiens a massive turn. He also saved himself an asterisk by being the goalie I'd have in for the dome shootout. The extra point belongs in part to him as he made his saves cleanly and without sliding into the net.

Comments

This is a stats geek's dream come true. Regression to some mean. Players that were barren bore fruit, a PP created goals it's deserved for all the chances that it's had, and a shootout victory was sealed with 2 shots a piece (goals and saves, respectively). Smartly, they did not test their PK luck too frequently on the first game without the human bollard.

What we may also be seeing is the tale of the schedule. A schedule where the Canadiens played most of the games against the teams that are doing well this year first (hopefully not only because they played the Habs more...) and play some of the down and outs more now. If the Canadiens had played more shootouts against Buffalo, would their record be so bare? Their PP would certainly be better against such an anemic defence.

Whatever the explanation, the Canadiens have again given light to those who refuse to pack up for the season. The Habs by statistical likelihood, now have a higher than 10.6% chance (for some reason on writing, the site tells me it's still tied in OT) of making the playoffs when their light schedule is accounted for. It's not high, but it's better than that of NYI, Buffalo, Carolina and Tampa. Winnipeg beat Boston and keep floating a little higher. The better news perhaps that teams that may not belong in the playoffs are the ones perched precariously there. A win on Sunday with some other half-way decent results (sans OT) will put even some of the more cynical back on Windsor station platform awaiting the bandwagon to pass.

Cole Shoulders High Expectations in Montreal

Two somewhat paranormal coincidences to report, one being my comment on Topham's Thursday post about my "dream signing" being Erik Cole; and him being signed hours later. The second is that I apparently agree with Jack Todd, for once. Eerie.

So why Erik Cole?

In my opinion, the biggest need for the Habs up front this off-season was clear: a proven top-6 winger with size. We've all talked before on many occasions about the need for a power forward, preferably a good winger to play with the albatross that is Scott Gomez. Someone who can battle in front of the net, and not have Andrew Leighton simply look over their heads if they set a screen. Someone who can score at least 20 goals a season; the more, the better. Having another RH shot among the forwards would also be a big plus, as only Gionta and Ryan White currently qualify.

Now, we knew we were fooling ourselves if we even dared think about Jaromir Jagr or Brad Richards; and wonder idly if there was ever any talk from head office to, say, the Sharks about Setoguchi or Pavelski when they were moved. The UFA pool was fairly shallow this year, so Montreal didn't have a lot of great choices. Once Philly wrapped up RFA Claude Giroux, the market consisted basically of Cole, Michael Ryder, and Jamie Langenbrunner.

Michael Ryder
We've been here before. Ryder was a Calder-nominated rookie for us back in 2003-04, scoring 25 goals and 38 assists. He had 2 straight 30-goal campaigns after the lockout, but a sub-par 2007-08 season (likely due to personal issues related to his brother) saw him benched by Carbonneau and left to free agency. He rebounded with Boston, scoring 27 goals and over 50 points again, but since has trailed off to 33 points last season and 41 this year despite around 15 minutes of ice-time. He's a proven scorer, and at 6' and 192 lbs is large for a Habs forward. Somehow I don't know that he'd welcome an offer from Montreal, nor that Montreal fans would be happy to have him back; and there's no guarantee he'll ever return to his 30-goal form. Dallas will pay him $3.5M per year for the next two seasons finding out.

Jamie Langenbrunner
The oldest of the trio at 35, Langenbrunner is a proven 2-way forward that's won two Cups (one with Dallas in 1999, and one with New Jersey in 2003). He fit in well with New Jersey's conservative style of play and Jacques Martin would probably love him for it. He's scored 20+ goals 4 times in 16 NHL seasons and twice came within 2 goals of the mark; and has 6 seasons with 50+ points. He's got good size at 6'1" and 205 lbs. Given that he's still unsigned, I'm left wondering why - he would have likely been a decent addition to many squads and his last contract was only worth $2.8M/yr. I am guessing Pierre Gauthier talked to him, but the fact he's still unsigned makes me think there's something a little fishy.

Erik Cole
At 32 years old and beginning his 10th NHL season, Cole has had his problems with injuries with an astonishing 86 games missed since the lockout. However, he's managed to clear 50 points 4 times in that span, and score 20+ three times (with another 18-goal season). However, he doesn't seem to play well with people who aren't Hurricanes: he had a pretty disastrous 27 points in 63 games with the Oilers in 2008-09 before returning to Carolina to put up 15 points in a mere 17 games. Still, he can be productive while playing tough minutes against hard opposition, and was one of only 5 players to score over 25 goals and deliver over 200 hits last season.

I reasoned that we need a big, RH winger that can hit and score. To me, Cole was the best choice. I think he's the biggest offensive threat of the three, he uses his size and at 6'2" and 205 lbs he's far from small. If he can stay healthy, and he did play 82 games last year, I don't think it's unreasonable to think he can put away another 25 goals and help Gomez pull his numbers up to reasonable levels - but I'm expecting a fair amount of line-juggling from Jacques Martin early on and the lines might not be what we're expecting. I was hoping to sign him for a little less than $4.5M for 2-3 years, but he'll be 37 at the contract's end and not exactly ancient. The reality is that we have to pay a premium to get players from the US that would rather not pay Canadian and Quebec taxes.

Maybe less like a "dream signing," and more like a realistic one. I guess I don't dream very big. But if Cole stays healthy, I think he can be the physical 25-goal scorer we could use so badly; and it least it's a dream that has a chance of coming true.

Let us know in the comments who I missed, and who you would have rather seen putting on the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge this past weekend.

Benching Pouliot A Question Of Priority

Benoit Pouliot took a fateful penalty in Game #3. Following 2 games and a period without a point, Ben charged into Johnny Boychuk as the second man and ended up serving 2 minutes. Although the Bruins didn't technically score on the PP, they did score their 3rd (and gamewinning) goal within 10 seconds of its end while the Habs were still scrambling.

Pouliot played 2 more shifts in that game, and with Halpern's return, none since.

While the penalty was extremely ill-advised, and warrants a lesson of the sort being handed out right now. On the cusp of Game #6, however, the banishment of Pouliot turns into something bigger: a decision on organizational priority.


To bench Pouliot now reinforces the message to Ben and to other young players that the playoffs are a special brand of hockey where concentration has to come before whimsy.

The other side of the coin is that Pouliot represents a better player than many of those in the line up. A player who can break defenses on his own, who can control quick passes, who can score goals under tight checking.

The choice for the Habs, therefore: This year or future years?


This year

To go for it this year, the Canadiens need to answer Claude Julien's defensive adaptations. No longer can the Tom Pyatts of the world just carry down the boards. That avenue of attack has been sealed off. To go for it this year, Martin has to look to increase his goalscoring and the threat of goalscoring (to push Bruins defenders to make mistakes again).

Pouliot isn't going to storm the scene and take over the series, but he does offer a known quantity in terms of offensive know how. This season he scored 13 goals while playing on different lines. Never once was he given the full benefit of Gomez or Plekanec, yet he found ways to make it work for certain periods of the season.

Over the season, Benoit scored 0.856 goals per 60 minutes of play and averaged 1.975 points per 60 minutes. As a goalscorer and point getter this places him in the top 6 on the team. Consider also that he was on the ice for a total of 41 goals this season (36 of which were at ES).

This puts him in good stead vs. the current top 6 players and a good distance ahead of the others. Tom Pyatt, who rarely misses a game, was only on the ice for 12 goals all season long. Pouliot also offers promise over Eller (0.49 G/60 and 1.19 Pts/60), Moen (0.35 G/60 and 0.92 Pts/60) and White (0.50 G/60 and 1.24 Pts/60).

I think adding Ben back in would accomplish a few things like adding a third line that can score (much like the Ryder line that has troubled the Habs so much), giving another option for when Moen dries up production on the 2nd line again and just add a little bit of danger to the minds of Boston defenders who mustn't shudder when they see Pyatt and Weber coming.

I think adding Ben back in would be an indication that the choice to win tonight and to win as much as possible this season represents as big a priority as anything else to the organization.


Future seasons

The choice to defer success now for success later wouldn't be a new choice for the Habs. Three years ago, when the team gave Price his baptism by fire, they did the same.

Benching Pouliot is more than a lesson to Pouliot. It is a signal to everyone, rookie and veteran alike, that straying from the core strategy will not be tolerated - the core strategy of course being discipline under fire.

It's a valid stance. Discipline is valuable based on the season the Habs have just had. The Canadiens worst slip ups and defeats came during moments of indiscipline and largesse. To eliminate silly penalties is to eliminate one of the team's main weaknesses.

It's also valid given the make up of the squad. Price, Eller, Pouliot, Subban, Weber, Pyatt, Desharnais, White. These are all players that will be here for a while. These are all players being molded. It's hard to see it when it's taking place, but some trouble seasons, some dead-end playoff runs are valuable learning grounds. Without losing and the pressure of having to win, the precocious talent often misses being tempered into the steel that can battle through 4 rounds. If the goal is a Cup, and it should be, then hardening the competitors for a Cup run is a vital step.

If Pouliot is benched one more time, with the threat of elimination, it will mark for me the organization's priority for the future. A recognition that the team may not be there yet and lessons gathered now may be more helpful than a second round berth.



Mutually exclusive goals?

If you know our blog, then you know our thinking on this. Losing Markov, recent trades, surges of other teams, these are all lessons that show us chances are precious. Planning for the future is nice, but there are no guarantees there will be a future (at least in the playoffs).

What's more (and you can probably tell from the undeveloped argument for the future above), lessons don't have to be contained in packages that run over a year. And there are more lessons to be learned than the one Pouliot is supposed to be soaking up in the pressbox. Think for example of the lessons that a young team could learn from a disciplined couple of games from Pouliot, think of the lessons they could learn from adding passion to discipline, think of what they could learn from winning tonight's game, tomorrow's game.

My position (although I can see the other side) is that Pouliot needs to play. As probably the fourth best pure talent on the team in front of the defenders and an unpredictable proposition, he's too important a piece to leave out of the battle plans. I believe that the Habs dearth of scoring and chance generation is a bigger problem now than discipline - particularly in light of the fact referees are taking care of discipline regardless of play by now.

I hope the team of coaches and managers think this through and graps that what may seem like a black and white choice could be a winning compromise where present and future goals are sought and achieved.

Go Habs Go.

Game #82Habs Play Tight Game; Let The Real Season Begin!

Details

Date: 9/4/2011
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto

Win: 4-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Reimer (L)

Habs goalscorers: White, Gionta (2), Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Kessel

Play of the game

Price made an incredible save on a goal that wasn't, but could have been. The refs went upstairs on a puck that may well have crossed the line. The official call, however, was that it stayed out and that was because of the work that Carey did. He somehow got his hand on the puck which was rolling on the line and managed to take his hand out of the net as the rest of his body found its way in. It was a truly acrobatic play and one of Price's best saves of the season.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Ryan White
Who knows what role Ryan will play in the playoffs, but he showed his coach that he was ready if needed. He scored an early goal and then went on to get in a fight and make 4 hits (led the game) and did it all with the least amount of ice-time of any player on either team.

Michael Cammalleri
Mike didn't score tonight, but certainly got enough chances to show that he is ready to go. In fact, I think that he got the most quality chances of any Hab other than Gionta. It should be interesting to see if he can elevate his game to the same level that he did last year.

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
Two goals for Brian tonight and I guess the biggest shock was that he didn't have more. That gives him 29 goals on the year which is not only what we expect from the captain, but also what we need. Pleks, Camms and Andrei can all score, but Gionta shouldn't be forgotten as one of, if not the, most potent threat on the team. It was a good first year as captain for Brian, next up is his first playoffs.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK's ready, don't you think? He is the type of player that lives for big games and I am sure that he can't wait for next week. He played the most of any Hab tonight and his 7 shots led the team by 3. I am positive that he'll be back with Gill, so the question is whether Spacek is in and is so, who is out?

James Wisniewski
I liked the Wiz's play tonight. It was a nice reminder of the type of player that we have on our hands as I think it is a treat to have such a high-quality replacement. I am not sure how many games he has left in a Habs uniform, but 16 wins would sure be nice.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey played a good game and made a few great saves. His season wraps up with pretty impressive numbers, the type of numbers that we haven't seen for years. It wasn't all good, however, as his puck-handling almost cost him and the goal was a bit weak. Luckily he has learned to shrug off mistakes, so weak goals don't seem to phase him. If he can keep mistakes down though, then this could be another enjoyable run as I don't see many cracks in him at all.

Comments

Well, that's that, 82 games up, 82 games down. It was a nice way to end the year in that we got a win, Toronto got a loss and we avoided any major knocks. All in all it was a good season, 96 points is a good result. I wouldn't say that we are miles behind the top teams and considering that we are relatively healthy (forget the big 3 injuries) we have a certain amount of depth that I am happy about. It will be a potentially dirty series with Boston, but if we can score and score early on them then they will change their style. When that happens they start trying to score and forget the rough and dirty stuff; that is generally when we can better them. Price is the key, but with players like Subban, Wiz, Gill, Gio, Pleks, Kostitsyn and Cammalleri I feel that we have enough options. It will be good to get a few days rest this week, because we all know how tiring another 2 months of hockey watching can be!

Game #73 Winnesota Mauled

Details

Date: 20/3/2011
Opponent: Wild
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Win: 8-1

Habs Goalie: Auld (W)
Opposition Goalie: Theodore (L), Backstrom

Habs goalscorers: White, Kostitsyn, Subban (3), Wisniewski, Moen, Pyatt
Opposition goalscorers: Koivu (PS)

Play of the game

A missed call left Kostitsyn flattened after he had played the puck around. With some great play from his linemates, and to his quickly regaining his own feet, Andrei was back in to receive a puck in the slot. A split second later, he undid Theo's confidence with another high shot. It was the gamewinner minutes in, it felt like it.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Benoit Pouliot
Just as the key to the last game was the last 40 minutes, this game swung right from the start. By the time the game was 21 minutes old, the Canadiens had basically won and Pouliot had been involved in all three goals. The pre-game was a all Pouliot (his first game back in Minnesota) and so was the first few minutes as his line injected superior energy against the Minnesota bewildered. Not all his assists were big time plays, but the first goal certainly was, a highlight play for the reel.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Looked invigorated every time the camera panned to him (except maybe after 7-1). His goal was truly exceptional and his play meant the Wild D had a lot to worry about on two lines. His stat line only shows a single goal, but his pass to Eller (no goal) in the third was also sublime. The dangerous forward is back for the time being.

Ryan White
Great first goal against Theodore blocker side and a brilliant game through and through. Back when I predicted White would make the team in 2009, this is what I had in mind. It's safe to say he won't do this every time, but perhaps a little injection of confidence in Minnesota will help Ryan to open up like this more frequently.

Defencemen

PK Subban - Game Puck
It was a game ago that McGuire spoke of the emergence of a superstar. It didn't take long. Tonight's game showed Subban to be dominant in many situations. His first goal was his usual determined puck protection turned goal and the second and third showed us all the utility of his protracted wind up. But as I said to my wife as we watched, the amazing thing about Subban is that his goals were probably not his best contributions. I would count his outlet pass on important Goal #1 as example of more play, as well as other outlet passes. But in this near shutout, he also had multiple minutes of calm and controlled defensive play.

Roman Hamrlik
Most nights this performance from the Brigadier General would merit a game puck, or at least the best defender spot. He was slick and looked comfortable despite the minutes of the season. I think it shows the difference of the system and the wins the system has afforded. 20+ minutes this season is not equal to 20+ minutes in Roman's previous seasons. It's no wonder he wants to extend his millionnaire days in this city.

Goaltender

Alex Auld
Good concentration and good luck gave him a real-game shutout. The only blemish being a classy breakaway move by little (big) Koivu. In 2 straight games, Auld has done the job and performed the important task of allowing Carey to rest. Tonight, Alex returned to his early season form, filling his team with belief and calm.

Comments

One of those games for the Habs. Goals came quick and on nearly every chance. Minnesota seemed determined to show Canadiens fans that other teams can let up more odd man rushes than the defence we complain about. As the praise flows, it is important to recall that this result will have little effect on the Buffalo game.

The result does, however, have an enormous effect on the playoff security of this hockey team we watch. 87 points moves them closer to a certified place in the playoffs. 0.500 from hear (9 points) would clinch regardless of what anyone else does. It closes the door to teams lower down coming through a bit more. And it puts the heat on the Boston Brutes.

Speaking of unsportsmanlike reactions to being down by more goals than your team can score. I thought the refs did a great thing by ejecting Clutterbuck when they did. It probably saved the Habs another injury.

Habs Precariously Shallow Up Front

What you know is that the Canadiens imported Ryan White and Andreas Engqvist from Hamilton to cover for flu and other injuries to the forwards on the beat up Habs.

What you knew is that this team alredy starts rookies Lars Eller and David Desharnais to go with depthy forwards like Tom Pyatt.

What perhaps you didn't know is that this isn't far from the absolute limit of the Canadiens organizational depth.

Yesterday, I read an interesting piece from Ron Reusch that raised a red flag for me. It was addressing the promotion of Dany Masse, and what it meant:

With those three forwards out, and now losing Engqvist, it’s forced the Bulldogs to get some help, as well. The problem is the Canadiens/Bulldogs really only have one forward left in their system that isn’t already here or up in Montreal.

That’s Dany Masse, who has one goal and eight assists in 29 games with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. Masse, a left-winger, played one game with the Dogs earlier this year and was held pointless. So they called him up.

This is the full depth chart as I can tell:



Not promising for the Habs. I guess it's really a Bulldogs level problem, actually. Not a problem that can't be resolved with a minor league signing, but all the same, it illustrates why Andreas Engqvist is joining the Montreal Canadiens and David Desharnais is suddenly a third line player.

You will note that on the big team, this is a big thing. one significant injury and it's suddenly 4 rookies in the line up with a few second years.


What to do?

I didn't write this piece because I had a good idea for a solution here. I just wanted to show the depth chart, which I hadn't really been thinking about. I don't have any great new ideas, and I'm still cold on trading to get someone in at the top end of this chart (risk:benefit stuff). Maybe Hamilton just needs to restock in case the Habs need Palushaj or Maxwell...

Beware The Devils: A Preview

After a trip and a break from daily Internet, it's a return to the world of bloggery. To start with then, a look at tonight's game and the issues that surround it.


Key match-ups

Gionta and Matt Taormina
I don't know if they'll ever lay each other this evening or not. But here you have the Canadiens second line winger and the Devils second pairing weak link. Gionta needs out of a slump and injuries to Salvador, Volchenkov and Salmela give him this gift.

Kovalchuk and Price
Playing now occasionally on the right wing, Kovalchuk is known for getting shots in every game he plays in. And shots from the leading goalscorer since the lockout tend to be deadly accurate. If he streaks down the right, he'll know to shoot high. Price needs to be aware of what he's facing.


Devils forecheck vs. Hamrlik and Spacek
Traditionally a strong forecheck against two who seem to enjoy the forecheck less and less each year. Both Hamrlik and Spacek have a bit of a history to forget against the devils and it will be interesting to see if their troubles this season and from the past can be put aside for a game or not.


Pouliot and Pyatt
I know Pouliot's omission from the second line has more to do with Gomez and Gionta's need for spark, but even so the big man must somehow regain his place in the pecking order. If Pyatt overtakes him this evening, it could be a big setback. Pyatt meanwhile will want to solidify his place with some contribution. He's already the coach's golden boy, if he gets G and G going, there's no telling the currency in good will he gains.


Momentum

At a glance, it looks to all be in the Habs favour. But beware buying too much into that. The Canadiens have won their last two and managed points in their last four, but the schedulemakers at the NHL have a habit of taking the wind out of sails in October for this team. No game since Saturday means the momentum of that Ottawa win is only as meaningful as the momentum of the report on Pyatt making line 2. The Devils meanwhile look a stinker. But if I asked Felipe Alou, I think he'd tell me to put money on them in their next few games. For a team like the Devils with talent at all positions, a disappointing record is often the last thing you want them to draw on for motivation when you meet them. Strangely, I feel the momentum is even.


Devils the Habs covet

Zach Parise
New Jersey educated and a dynamic scorer to boot. Kovalchuk has all the press right now, but this Devils team's real diamond is Parise who has seldom disappointed when I've sat down to watch him.

Colin White
As players changed in New Jersey over the years, results stayed strangely consistent.Brodeur's been there through tick and thick of course. Colin White has too. Quietly, the core defender on the Devils has made a solid career out of keeping play clean in his zone. If Montreal doesn't covet a defender like this, they should.


Habs the Devils covet

Andrei Markov
The talented puck-mover they've missed since Niedermayer turned tail. And more importantly injured to start the season, allowing them to play salary tricks while making a better roster for the playoffs.

Tom Pyatt
For the first time in years, the Devils line up without Jay Pandolfo. Not to say he's irreplaceable, but I'm sure they'd like to have replaced him. Pyatt isn't that player yet, but he could be trained to Pandolfo efficiency in NJ and probably always keep his low price tag. To go with their flash and salary up front, the Devils need some balance on the cheap.


Ready-made excuses

If Montreal lose:
- Markov is injured
- Quebec goalie
- Devils are one of the elite teams in the NHL
- Weren't ready to start the game

If New Jersey lose:
- Kovalchuk is destroying the team
- Brian Rolston's salary
- Quebec posts turned on Brodeur


Impact of this result

Until now games have been relatively meaningless. And they will continue to mean little for a long while. However, this game has the potential to be important to both teams going forward.

For the Habs, with a history of allowing the devils to walk in and take points, and no doubt helping them out of slumps on many occasions, this game could prove that time is over. Kicking the Devils while they're down, and particularly contributing to Brodeur's bad start could banish a significant bugaboo for this team. Needless to say, turning the trick would be beneficial to Carey again, as beating a Hall-of-Famer is always a boost.

For the devils, a win here could really kick start their road to recovery. A small win, perhaps not. A big win, certainly. If Brodeur gets his customary support from former Forum ghosts, then his slump too might be a thing for memory.

Battles, Cuts and Intrigue Martin's Mind By Ice Time

In the world of new statistics we are told that we can tell a coach's mind to a certain extent by faceoff deployment. Important faceoffs are taken by important players (favoured players). The same can be extrapolated from ice time.

As camp winds down and the NHL team is left to rake in revenue for the Molsons, we can begin to view Martin's mind.


Battles

There are a few pitched battles going on under the radar as far as I can tell.

Up front, Eller just about locked up his place in the NHL with his display last night. But that was probably superfluous, as Martin seems smitten with the Dane - he's played 49:30 already, good for 4th most among forwards.

This has muddied the waters a bit in my opinion after the top 9. Here Pouliot has possibly slipped to earn his place along with Darche, Boyd, Maxwell, White and Pacioretty (Pyatt based on his enormous usage so far, along with Moen and Halpern, i judge to be safe). Pouliot should hold the edge but for his last 2 efforts. Even so, he holds good cards with Martin the dealer. Boyd has NHL cred to back him up. Darche the benefit of the doubt.

Its the challenges of White and Maxwell that stand out for me. Martin has used White sparingly, but with great effect thus far. Ryan looks to be what Moen, Darche and Boyd may not be. Maxwell is different. He's looked genuinely inspired at times at stark contrast with Pouliot. The fact he's a natural centre would be the only thing holding back his odds for me. Notice no mention of Pacioretty. Despite his points, his underuse to the tune of 21:19 over 2 games belies his starting position on the grid. He's a very dark horse for the big team this year indeed.

On D, there are battles too, but they seem less urgent with the injuries. With Carle out of the way, it's Weber, Picard and O'Byrne for the final two places in my opinion. Martin tips his hand with playing time here. Weber has played 64:09 in 3 games. Picard has played 49:56 in 2. O'Byrne, meanwhile lags at 36:39 for 2. It seems that Weber ad Picard have their noses in front, but we mustn't forget that a defense of Subban, Spacek, Weber, Picard, Hamrlik, Markov seems highly unfavourable to the goalies we have. O'Byrne hangs on therefore, and a couple of decent (don't even have to be great) efforts should see him through to starting lineup.


Cuts
The cuts from training camp represent a multi-tiered group. There are the players outside the plans, juniors like Lefebvre, Leblanc, Tinordi. There are the players who are tipped for the AHL. And then there are those that have played themselves out of positions.

The list of players sent to Hamilton includes:
G: Robert Mayer and Peter Delmas

D: Frederic St-Denis, Sebastien Bisaillon, Marc-Antoine Desnoyers, Kyle Klubertanz, Brendon Nash, Neil Petruic, David Urquhart and Mathieu Carle

F: Andrew Conboy, Olivier Fortier, Dany Masse, Aaron Palushaj, J.T. Wyman, Alexander Avtsin, Jimmy Bonneau, Ian Shultz, David Desharnais, Gabriel Dumont and Andreas Engqvist

The Bulldogs though are like the Habs, they are restricted in the positions they have to offer. Not to mention that 4 to 5 of the 16 forwards up in Montreal (likely to include Russell and Bishop among others), 1 or 2 of the Dmen and 1 more goalie will be demoted.

So far, only Champion has been released outright. He was a try-out with the Habs and now leaves for junior without a contract. Another in the rather lengthy list of potential goalies to attempt to fill the Canadiens shallow depth chart this summer.

Delmas is at Bulldogs camp now, but unless he does something reveletionary, he'll be in Wheeling or elsewhere come October. Ditto two of Urquhart, Bisaillon, Desnoyers and Petruic. Up front though the Canadiens only have 29 bodies to play 24 positions and fill 26 to 28 places. I'd wager Bonneau is the favourite to be deemed non-Bulldog material by the Habs, but who knows, Masse and Russell might be in that mix.

Of the cuts to be favourites on the Dogs, look for Desharnais, Engqvist and Palushaj who all got very long looks at the big camp (41:38, 35:18 and 33:11 in playing time, respectively). On D, that man would be Carle who saw 38:29, mostly out of necessity.


Intrigue

Intrigue might be a strong word, but there are some surprises from the camp.

First for me is the goalie deployment. On other teams we have seen complete unknowns get a skate out in goal. Not so in Montreal. Robert Mayer, the legitimate back-up for Hamilton got a half game, as did Sanford. The goalie overuse in these early games was probably made necessary by certain athletes needing more time to ready themselves. I feel it comes at a cost to the organization, which as I mentioned has no depth at the position.

Second has to be Spacek's playing time. What on earth is Martin driving at? 72:57 so far for the guy we all anticipate needing nights off to rest during the season. It's bordering on madness, playing Jaro as much as that. It's come at the expense of Ryan O'Byrne in part, but also the contenders like Carle, Klubertanz and St. Denis who played a combined hour between them. Not that I know what I'm doing as a coach, but I'd also have thought that it might be more useful to get those potential replacements into games ahead of Jarred Tinordi who at 18 has a few years of tutelage to come before bleu, blanc, rouge days.

Finally, there's Avtsin. Upon demotion, Martin said something about his injury from the summer really holding him back during camp. Apparently it held him back to the point that he couldn't even dress for the early undressings at the hands of the Bruins and Sens. The player commits in a big way to come to North America and doesn't even get a minute of ice. Fortier was injured a whole season and didn't have a chance of making the team at all and he got a skate. JT Wyamn is no NHLer and he got 2 games. Conboy has nothing more to offer than a scowl, he got two as well. We don't know inner workings. Maybe Avtsinn was injured. I suppose I hope he was/is, because it would be a shame if the Habs blew another prospect because Martin is stuck in his ways.

Calgary Shows What's Possible

When the Canadiens had locker room problems, they excommunicated a player. yet neither his salary nor his roster spot were gained in the transaction. It was a great PR move, but a nothing from a hockey point of view.

Calgary has been bombing in the standings of late. Possible explanations include their lack of scoring, and that old losing streak favourite – a rift in the locker room.

Considering the issues facing Darryl Sutter, the task must have seemed monumental. A second number one defenceman, but one with an attitude (and not one that helps the team). How to get value in a trade. Next, a one-dimensional attack, hampered again by an anchor of a personality. Both problem players are paid as if they're not problems, as if the order wasn't tall enough already.

Yet Sutter seems to have pulled off a coup.

In his first trade, he seemed to manage to get value for his promising, yet troublesome young defenceman. Not only that, he actually got a second line in return. Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman are among the Leafs top scorers and come in ahead of most Flames but Iginla in the scoring race. The fact he also replaced Phaneuf with Ian White, a pretty adept blueliner, without the salary or the ego, was the winning shot as he parted the negotiation.

This first trade allowed him to turn around and jettison Jokinen, which reports say he did in a trade for Ales Kotalik and sudden journeyman and trade throwaway Chris Higgins.

All in all, not a bad remake.


From the Leafs point of view

I'm not sure another pundit needs to get into this from the Leafs point of view. TSN has a month ahead of them here. But I thought a couple of thoughts wouldn't kill anyone.

Bringing in Phaneuf was a coup for Burke as well, no matter how you look at it. On the Leafs at the moment, it makes no difference who is sipped out, since it's a losing formula anyway. Phaneuf may not be a winner, but being the top dog will surely stroke his ego again, the way he likes.

It also fulfills Burke's one ask this season – improve the team for next season. In acquiring Phaneuf, he claimed a piece that will be harder to grab in July. Presumably he'll replace the forwards then, as forwards of the Stajan stature, though valuable now, are not July 1st material usually.

If I want to take a negative view on the Leafs, it's losing Ian White. But that's a case of giving to get, it doesn't happen any other way.


Habs implications

Many Habs fans are getting antsy after this. In the land of consecutive losses, a big trade would at least stem the break between Feb 1 and the Olympics with some excitement.

My feeling is that is a bad reason to make a trade. There's no way the Habs missed out too much yesterday. Phaneuf, even if he matures into a man one day, is still an offensive defenceman. With Markov and then every prospect worth the paper his name is written on being an offensive defenceman, the addition wasn't on the radar. The Giguere move would be a disaster here – we already have two goalies better than his current self. The forwards exchanged, perhaps with the exception of Jokinen were extra pieces in trades, not the key pieces. I suspect Burke doesn't trade Stajan unless he's part of a big one. Jokinen himself seems to burn a lot of bridges. Maybe he'd fit. perhaps not worth the gamble.

In terms of future trades, I don't think it changes much. Not for the Canadiens anyway. New York would have always been looking for a centre, but we wouldn't give them Plekanec, and they wouldn't have Gomez. Calgary may be finished, but a team with forwards who can't score and offensive defencemen who trip on their own feet is not one we should be mining to correct a problem.

Yes, I'm envious that Toronto fans get to dream for a few days about a better backline while we await an MRI, but ultimately, I'm fairly comfortable that we didn't get into this affair.

Game #27The Habs Did What? Lost At Home To Toronto?

Details

Date: 1/12/09
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Montreal

Loss: 0-3

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Gustavsson (W), MacDonald

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Orr, Finger, Stajan

Play of the game

Geez. I could choose one of our 26 mediocre shots, a so-so defensive play or even the fact that Komisarek, once again, was booed every time that he touched the puck, without fail. I will, however, avoid all of those as they are weak. Well, this was a weak game so I'll go with something equally as weird anyway. It was during the pre-game, it was the reception that our crowd gave to the Alouettes. It was great to see them get some recognition for winning the Cup and it was also neat to see the Grey Cup and Stanley Cup in the same building at the same time - anyone know the last time that happened?

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome



Forwards

Mike Cammalleri
Picking this dome was a stretch as I really didn't think that any Habs played all that well; just some not as bad as others. Mike, as it should be on most nights, was better than most of his teammates. He had a few good chances and actually almost put one by the Leafs, which for him shouldn't have been so hard.

Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Scott played better than all of his teammates tonight, but this will go down as the least properly-earned game-puck of the year thus far. It was nice, however, to have him back as it seemed to give our attack some balance.

Ryan White
It is finally time to applaud the work that this kid has been doing. He is what Laraque could have been, what we hoped Stewart would have been and what Latendresse wasn't - he is energy. Each shift he seems to be playing for his NHL life and I for one am taking notice. In all he had 6 hits which was 3 more than any other player on the ice. I already see him ahead of a few of our other players such as D'Agostini, Stewart, Wyman, Laraque and Pyatt. I, thus, fully expect him on the 4th line of this team come February.

Defencemen

Paul Mara
None of our D did so great tonight either, so this too is a least-bad of the bunch type scenario. First off Bergeron and O'Byrne, in my opinion were quite bad, so that leaves 4 choices. I chose Paul because he kept his game pretty clean. There were no giveaways and although he was there for Orr's goal I wouldn't call it his fault as much as either Gorges' or Metropolit's (as the centre of that line - Chips at that moment was on the wing).

Jaroslav Spacek
Let's give Roman a rest tonight. In fact, Hammer didn't really do much tonight and I thought did indeed look worse than his countryman. Jaro did have 3 giveaways and was -2 however, so it shows what type of game our D had if he was #2. His dome inclusion is mostly due to the fact that he took 11 shots (4 more than anyone else) of which 3 went on net.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Could have Jaro stopped all of the shots tonight? No. Would he have given us a better chance to win? Probably not. I do, however, think that tonight was the night for him to see some action. After 8 straight starts I thought Carey could use a rest as December will be one hell of a busy month (both he and Huet have been injured, thanks to overplaying, in this month). Also, if Halak is our back-up, which I think we can all agree on now, he should play against the worse teams, that is what back-ups do.

Comments

I always talk about games that should have been won. Well, there are two types of those games. The first are games like Saturday where you had the lead, where you played a good game and where one or two little mistakes cost you. The second, like tonight, are games that you see on the schedule and basically pencil them in as wins. The second category, for the Habs, tends to be the most dangerous. Maybe not so much this year, but in recent memory we are generally more competitive against stronger teams and have always struggled against the basement-dwellers. Tonight was example of how we simply weren't prepared to win. We were weak in the offensive zone, weak on the puck and, worst of all, weak to respond to the Leafs' attacks. The game seemed to come and go with very little excitement or emotion (thank goodness I wasn't there) which seemed to suit Toronto just fine. I will call this game a blip and I'll move on; I just hope that the Habs can do the same. We have a big weekend ahead of us and it would be a shame to end our first 100 years with efforts as poor as that.

Canadiens Depth Preview: The Centres (Part 2)

It has been said for some time that a major strength of the Canadiens has been organizational depth. Up to last season, depth was nothing more than a nice thought, but youngsters graduating at impressive rates, the depth is now being put to the test.

Ahead of what should be an exciting season, I wanted to take a look at the team's overall depth at each position. I'm starting with centres. Part 1 will be big-team guys, Part 2 will be the farm system as it stands now.

Based on team lists, prospect lists and my evaluations, here is the list of centres in order of importance to the team:

1. Saku Koivu
2. Tomas Plekanec
3. Robert Lang
4. Maxim Lapierre
5. Kyle Chipchura
6. Steve Begin
7. Brock Trotter
8. Ben Maxwell
9. David Desharnais
10. Ryan White
11. Mathieu Aubin
12. Ryan Russell
13. Olivier Fortier
14. Olivier Latendresse
15. Yanick Lehoux

First call-ups

Brock Trotter

Other than a name that would make any American Ryder Cup player proud, what do we know about this young player.

Well, for starters, we should know that with Grabovski and Locke traded, Higgins and Sergei now entrenched as wingers and everyone else largely devoid of top-tier professional hockey experience, he is the next in line. A couple of injuries to some centres and Brock Trotter could be wearing bleu, blanc, rouge. Gosh, that would be memories of Craig Darby on the second line.

A look at his career stats tells us that Brock Trotter, barring a drastic change in personality, will never be an top-line forward in the NHL. Despite an obvious level of talent (based on this week's showing), his results from Metropolitan Junior to Hamilton show that he can score but never to the point of being prolific.

So, if not an offensive star, or a giant (he's 5'9"), what drew the Canadiens to Brock in the midst of his NCAA season last year. Well, it's the steady improvement, for one thing – last season was his best. And, on top of that, he fits nicely into the mould of the new Canadiens prospect: an educated, mature player with patience and determination.

This is the insight we can get from Trevor Timmins:

"Brock was on our draft list and our scout visited his family before the draft. We knew the player and the person. When he indicated he was coming out of college and turning pro, we were Johnny-On-The-Spot."

Hockeywise, Timmins feels Brock's a smart playmaker whose strength is from the blueline in, and scouting reports put it this way:

"Trotter is extremely strong from the blueline in and displays a strong nose for the net."

All in all, a good prospect. Had he been drafted, there would be no questioning his stats or ability. But, Brock seems to have overcome all that and made his way up the depth chart. He benefits (in my rankings) from Maxwell probably being tested for durability, as in any year beyond this one (and probably sooner than that), Brock falls below Ben. For now, for me, he's the Johnny-on-the-spot.


Ben Maxwell

Hockey's Future designates Ben Maxwell the number 7 prospect in the Canadiens system, the number 3 who is not on the big team already – behind Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty.

This is significant, if only because the website now sees Ben as more promising than Kyle Chipchura (the maligned) and David Fischer (falling out of favour there as he commits to more college time). While I question the leapfrogging of Chipchura (and this week will tell), it is good for the organization that a young centre is progressing. Because, as you've seen already, the depth at this position is tied together with string.

Ben, like Brock, has not set the world on fire with his scoring. A look at his stats show a consistent output, without any eye-catching achievements. I'll grant that today's WHL is not the one in which Pat Falloon and Ray Whitney ran rampant, but point-per-game in junior is not usually the makings of an NHL scoring champion.

If we're looking for positive signs with Maxwell, it appears to be his clutch play – never a bad thing. In 10 playoff games last spring, Ben contributed 6 goals for his team, with 3 assists – outscoring his teammates. 2 years previous, it was 8 points in 6 games in the playoffs. No Memorial Cup or anything, but at least the Ice won a playoff round last season...

He's also big. well for a Canadiens centre anyway. Over 6' tall and a frame big enough to hold 200 lbs (though it doesn't yet). His junior coach doesn't exactly rave about Ben, but he does seem to pinpoint what we might expect:

"He’s a key guy for us because when you play teams with three good lines, Ben will be matched up with somebody who has a real good physical presence. Ben is a guy who will make things difficult for opponents. He generally responds quite well in the physical department.”

If we're looking for negative signs, Ben is already showing himself to be as fragile as Havlat or Gaborik in junior. It was an elbow injury two years ago that limited Ben to less than 40 games, whereas last year a freak calcification event. It will remain to be seen if he is durable enough for the pros, or whether freak occurrences are not so freak with him. If he can't be healthy and play big, it seems he might not be worth the risk. That being said, a year with some top fitness and strength coaches in Hamilton may cure his ills and pave the way for an NHL career in the not-too-distant future.


David Desharnais

I'll go out on a limb and say that if David Desharnais was 3 years younger, he would have been drafted in the top 3 rounds of this year's draft. Now that the moratorium on small players has been lifted, he can be appreciated for his skill.

But small he is – Theo Fleury small. He's listed at 5'6" and we all know how they embellish those numbers. And though there is anew day for small players being drafted, it is still a hard road for tiny players to crack the big leagues and stick. What it ends up taking is top-line skill, because no one is playing a 5 footer on the checking lines. His talent analysis gives some idea of what kind of player he could be:

"He has a strong instinct around the net and is excellent with the puck. The young center likes to use his teammates in the best possible way but will never shy from shooting the puck."

So, does David have the skill to overcome? Anyone who looks at stats alone would have to say yes. But, I think there's good evidence from elsewhere too. Take his progression, for example. Junior scoring star, to consistent junior scoring star. Undrafted – this is sometimes enough to break anyone's spirit (see his teammate Maxime Boisclair). David toughs it out and dominates the ECHL. He then leads his team to the championship.

I think this camp is a real junction for Desharnais. Given the lack of forwards in Hamilton he will play there to start with. but, impress enough in the next two weeks and he's call-up material. Given that Corey Locke is gone, I think we have a new little super-scorer to root for.


Ryan White

Durable, reliable, and already 200 lbs, Ryan White rounds out the top-level talent among prospects at centre.

Hockey's Future wants to project White as an energy forward. Not having seen enough of him, I would ask whether this means: energy forward because he plays like a Tasmanian devil, or energy forward as code for not good enough to ever reach beyond that.

Over the years, there have been plenty of people to back up the reservation of the scouts. Highly rated early in his draft year, many GMs passed on Ryan. Team Canada passed on him too. Sooner or later, this opinion has to add up. Something can't be quite right.

Even so, the Canadiens in a pickle with centres have signed White to 3 years – meaning that he'll be a Bulldog and perhaps an occasional Canadien for now. I think Gainey has made the right move. Ryan White's a player who leads his team in scoring, who has played no less than 59 playoff games in 4 years, who from all accounts plays a rough-and-tumble style while not forgetting that the goal in hockey is to score goals not win fights. I even see evidence of maturity in Ryan with a mere 8 PIMs in 16 playoff games last spring vs. 36 the year before.

Last year, I think I had Ryan White playing a game or two in my predictions. This year, I see the same. In the long run, I think Ryan could be the Hab of this bunch, but for now he'll be a Bulldog waiting behind the other three guys.


Minor leaguers

Mathieu Aubin

Huge, but not physical. Hands, but no feet. His scouting report reads like a cell-phone contract. You think there are benefits there, but the conditions that come with them are quite big drawbacks.

I demoted Matthieu to the minor leaguer category because I see that Mathieu's best chance may have passed him by. Take this from his scouting report:

"The Canadiens are expecting big things from Aubin offensively in 2007-08. Last year he bounced between Hamilton and Cincinnati, never comfortably finding a home. This year, the club will be looking for him to fill some of the offensive void that may be created should the elder Kostitsyn, Chipchura, and/or Grabovski make the jump to the NHL. The thought is a more settled environment and regular shift could help accelerate Aubin's growth and take advantage of his offensive potential."

Guess what, none of the materialised. He got a chance in Hamilton, but was largely a flop as an offensive player. He was demoted to Cincinnati, where he did win a championship, but was leapfrogged by Desharnais.

A turn-around is possible, but not necessarily anticipated. A shame, because a big francophone centre who can score is something we have missed for decades.


Ryan Russell

Ben Maxwell's older and shorter Kootenay teammate. He outscores Ben at every turn, so why is he lower in the depth chart? Well, that's just the way it works, isn't it?

The main knock on Ryan is that he is small and he plays small. he is gifted offensively, but not to the point of a Desharnais, so he falls down the chart there. he has flopped in the pros thus far, making his climb up that much more daunting. When you are the small forward, it helps to be the best one around if you want to make it. Behind Koivu, Plekanec, Trotter and Desharnais makes Russell's task a very tough one indeed.

The good news for Ryan is that he is still young. Things could turn around with a decent stint (probably in Cincinnati). But in all honesty, barring a catastrophe or a miracle training camp from Russell, i don't see him as anything more than a piece in a trade for the Habs.

For the future

Olivier Fortier

I've seen the phrase diamond in the rough tossed around a lot recently. When it comes to prospects, it is a phrase I would reserve for the few. Olivier is one of those players.

There's no doubt he's in the rough – he doesn't lead his team in scoring, he doesn't win Memorial Cups (though he'll play in one as a host, this spring). To make him a diamond, I saw this piece of evidence from Timmins:

"At every level he plays, his coaches can’t say enough good things about him. They know each and every time he steps on the ice what they’re going to get. He’s a low-maintenance player. He’s a solid two-way player – Ihttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif can’t say he has any real weaknesses. He’s got that twinkle in his eye – he’s going to be a player. The last guy that I saw with that look was Maxime Lapierre.”

Add to that, the Guy Carbonneau trophy he won last spring, and we have an intriguing player here.
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Obviously, my reservations about drafting a defensive player (expressed regarding Chipchura) apply here, but from reports, his attitude and evidence, he looks like a player, to borrow the words of Mr. Timmins. If he even gets to the point of Chipchura, that'd be very encouraging indeed.

Not this year, though. he'll be playing junior and in the Memorial Cup (hopefully for Canada, too). Next year, we'll see where we're at with him.


Other

Olivier Latendresse

Though a goal in a scrimmage can't hurt, Olivier has a long way to climb to even see time as a centre in Hamilton. He has shown great progress in the ECHL, but hasn't yet grasped hold of an AHL opportunity.

he is an intriguing addition to the organization. Guillaume's brother could conceivably help him in the way Andrei relished having Sergei around, though Gui will have to make do with same franchise proximity, I think. Olivier is another smallish offensive-minded centre, and to boot he is from the area, which is great. I would wish him all the luck, but a game in a Habs sweater seems a long way off.


Yanick Lehoux

The last man in the order. He's the career minor leaguer in this order. His career serves as a reminder to the other guys about what they should most likely expect, and how failing to grasp an opportunity and hold on for dear life can be costly.

Lehoux is not here to play in the NHL (I don't think). He has 10 games with Phoenix under his belt, but his 6 AHL seasons speak greater volumes. A nice addition to help Hamilton from repeating their miserable 2008, but not one for the Habs.

He's so low-profile that most of us didn't notice his signing in the summer. But I'll tell you, having so many Montrealers down on the farm dying for a chance to get up to the bigs might not be such a bad thing...