Third Time The Charm?
2022-01-01Opening Thoughts:
If the first season as GM of Montreal was bad how much worse could it really get? The short answer is bad. The Canadiens lost 60 games last season and for the second season had a chance at the lottery powerball that would help the rebuild. Of course Montreal GM should stop playing the lottery as Montreal lost the opportunity for the first overall pick to Toronto and had to settle for 4th again. However, there is some good news. Management continued unloading players that served little purpose on the team, both in Montreal and Laval. GM Forget brought in players that fit the mold of what he is looking for. The Canadiens also spent money this off-season bringing in veterans who by the time they age out will be replaced by the kids. Goaltending was addressed and the defence was completly gutted.
Forwards:
The Canadiens finished last in wins, regulation wins, GF and 30th on the PP. The team atually scored 4 more goals than the season before while the PP which finished last the season before at 17% dropped to 13.% last season. So the Canadiens opened the vault to buy themselves some scoring. Schwartz arrived last season from Florida for a prospect [Afanasyev] and will give the club apotential 20 goal scorer. It is doubtful he will ge 70 points on this club but if he scores 20 goals and gets 50-60 points the Canadiens will be happy. His contract is up so he will be auditioning for a new deal. Marchessault broke the bank with a 9.7 million dollar deal but he gives Montreal an option at center other than Anisimov. Speaking of Anisimov, he matched the 48 points he got in Vancouver the previous season in a season that saw him miss 8 games. While it does not seem like a big deal, the injury to Anisimov started the downward spiral of the club after going 5-5-0 in the first ten games. Montreal went 2-5-1 when he was out and never recovered. Dach was asked to play more minutes than a rookie should play finishing with a plus/minus of -37. Look for a modest improvement in those numbers. Sturm gives Montreal some more depth at center scoring 3 goals and 10 points in 23 games. The right side is still an issue with aging veterans Perry and Turris on the roster for another season. Bjugstad was in the same boat as Dach in that more was asked of him than he could deliver. Kyrou will help on the RW but more help is needed.
Defense:
In a word, the Canadiens cleaned house with only waiver wire d-man Carrick surviving the purge. The defense not only finished last in GA but surrendered 30 more goals than the previous season. The PK improved a touch at 78% but still finished 27th in the league. Chariot will be counted on to play big minutes with Sanheim who was acquired from Philadelphia last season. The second pairing is Drysdale who could be the 50 point d-man Montreal needs for the PP and either Juolevi or Mahura paired up with him. Juolevi has been waiting in Laval for his chance and will be given every opportunity to show that he is ready. Carrick will play with Mahura who was part of the Whitecloud trade with Carolina. There are a lot of question marks on how successful this group can be but it was time to move on from a defense that just could not move the puck out of its own end
Goaltending:
Elvis was left alone most nights. A porous defense and a revolving door of backups made it difficult for this rookie to have any success. Montreal has solved the issue by insulating him with veterans, a plan that was used last season until Howard and then Crawford retired. Montreal used five goalies last season which included Hogberg who could not buy a win and Condon whose time was better suited in the minors. Combined the four other goalies won 3 of Montreal's 11 wins. Enter Holtby and Hutchinson. Holtby's seven year run as Florida's starter came to an end signing a 3yr deal worth close to 13 million. Expect a 1a and 1b system with Holtby and Merzlikins. Hutchinson will be the insurance policy should one of these goalies go down.
Draft:
Where to start. After two seasons of missing out on top prospects Lafreniere and Power, the Canadiens finished 4th which would have gotten them McTavish but traded that pick in the Sanheim deal. From there they parted with Krebs getting two 1st rounders. When it was all said and done the Canadiens used those picks to get Samoskevich and Svechkov. Svechkov will replenish a center position that has seen Rasmussen, Sturm, and Dach be promoted. Samoskevich should develop into a solid RW who will one day play behind Kyrou. Let's also not forget 2nd rounder Oskar Olausson who may be the teams sniper on the right side. Then there is the question of whether Colton Dach who was drafted in the 3rd round will be at the level of his brother when he arrives.
Final Thoughts:
The goaltending has been fixed, a few more goals were purchased in the offseason, and the defense is younger yet more mobile. Will this get Montreal out of the basement? Preseason as a rule is not used as a measureing stick but Montreal went 3-1-1 so maybe this plan might work. Montreal will be in most games this season and won't be embarrased by their play. Still not a playoff team team, depth at all positions other than in net is still an issue. Another injury to one of their key players will set them back but at least they are in a little better position than last season. Until then, all Montreal can do is hope for the best and plan for the worst this season.
Really nice article Greg. Good luck for the season.
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