habsguy26

Hi there folks. The dog days of summer are finally winding down, and I hope you all enjoyed your summer as much as I did. But, with the NHL season looming, the leaves on the trees will soon fade to brown and the lights in the arenas will turn on and our favourite superstars will hit the ice once again. The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed an offseason that could be be described as "transitional". We all knew Brian Gionta likely wouldn't be brought back and we'd have a new captain for this season, but the real surprise came when Gionta's apparent successor, Josh Gorges was traded to Buffalo a day after Gionta signed with the Sabres. Personally I am a Gorges fan as he gave his heart and soul to the Habs, but unfortunately the way Gorges plays, it tends to wear you down faster and it showed in the Eastern Final against the New York Rangers. Saying that, he will bring great leadership to the Sabres along with sturdy defensive capability and Sabres fans are going to love him. Who do I think will be named captain? P.K Subban is an easy choice but I think choosing him right now would put too much pressure on the young superstar. It would make sense though, and I feel like if that's the way it plays out then it would work out fine, but there is always that possibility that Subban could crumble under the microscope. Brendan Gallagher is also a name that I've been seeing pop up in articles about the vacant captaincy and I'd be fine with that choice. He is a tenacious forward who is his coach's favourite player and the opposing coach's most hated, He drives the net like a bat out of hell and doesn't back down from anything, all while being a smart and efficient player. Super friendly with an infectious smile off the ice, he'd be a perfect choice if it weren't for his mere 2 years of NHL experience. Then again. the Colorado Avalanche named Gabriel Landeskog captain just before his second year and they experience tremendous success last season. But to me the obvious choice is Andrei Markov. The long time Canadiens defenceman just signed a new deal this summer that will likely take him into retirement so it would make perfect sense. The offensive minded Markov will be playing full time with P.K Subban this season so it seems, so his offensive numbers should rise, especially if he his named captain considering he is often labeled as more of an "on-ice leader" as opposed to a "locker room guy". His shy demeanor may have had something to do with him turning down the offer to become captain in 2010, but general feeling is he would accept the offer this time around. There are other candidates like Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec out there, but Markov or Subban would be my first two choices. 2014 Draft Picks: 26th overall: Nikita Scherbak, RW 2015 Team: Saskatoon Blades (WHL) 6-2 174lbs Projection: Top 6 forward Scherbak was expected to be picked in the top half of the draft but fell to the Habs at 26th. He was an outstanding offensive player in his first year with the Saskatoon Blades, leading the rookie scoring race by 19 points and at the same time leading a sub par Blades teams in points. 73rd overall: Brett Lernout, D 2015 Team: Swift Current Broncos (WHL) 6-4, 205lbs Projection: 6-7 defenceman This is a player that the Canadiens have been needing to draft for a long time. A hulking defenceman who clears the crease, has a big shot, can hit and is just a nasty competitor who is difficult to play against. Trevor Timmins (Canadiens director of Amateur Scouting) felt so highly about this prospect that the Canadiens flipped two picks (3rd & 4th round) to the Arizona Coyotes for the pick (3rd round) used to select Lernout. 125th overall: Nicholas Koberstein, D 2015 team: Olds Grizzlys (AJHL) 6-2 190lbs Projection: solid NHL defenceman Kobserstein won't be rushed to turn pro, that's for sure. The 18 year old defender will play this season with the Grizzlys before heading off to the NCAA's Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks in 2016. 147th overall: Daniel Audette, C 2015 team: Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL) 5-8, 168lbs Projection: depth/AHL forward At first glance, Audette is a very small centre with flashy offensive talent. Timmins felt that the organization could not overlook his talent despite his small stature or the team could miss out on another possible Brendan Gallagher-type prospect. 177th overall: Hayden Hawkey, G 2015 team: Omaha Lancers (USHL) 6-1, 180 lbs Projection: solid NHL backup Hawkey was the USHL goaltender of the year and the first goalie in 12 years to have a sub 2.00 goals against average in the USHL. This was another selection with a five-year development plan. Timmins likes the fact that the young netminder was returning to the Omaha Lancers for another year at the junior level before heading to Providence College in 2015-16 207th overall: Jake Evans, C 2015 team: Notre Dame FIghting Irish 6-3, 200lbs Projection: 4th line centre The last pick for the Canadiens at the draft, Evans hopes to hone his skills over the next four years at Notre Dame. Timmins believes this prospect will evolve into the type of player that teams need in order to win championships: character, determination, grit and difficult to play against. 2014-2015 Roster: Additions: P.A Parenteau, Manny Malholtra, Tom Gilbert, Jiri Sekac Subtractions: Daniel Briere(COL), Brian Gionta(BUF), Josh Gorges(BUF), George Parros, Douglas Murray, Thomas Vanek(MIN), Devan Dubnyk, Ryan White(PHI), Francis Boullion LW C RW Max Pacioretty David Desharnais P.A Parenteau Alex Galchenyuk Tomas Plekanec Brendan Gallagher Brandon Prust Lars Eller Rene Bourque Michael Bournival Manny Malholtra Dale Weise Extras: Travis Moen LD RD P.K Subban Andrei Markov Alexei Emelin Tom Gilbert Nathan Beaulieu Mike Weaver Extras: Davis Drewiske, Jarrod Tinordi Starting Goalie: Carey Price Back Up Goalie: Peter Budaj 3rd String: Dustin Tokarski Remember how I described the Habs' offseason as transitional? Well one look at the depth chart and you'll see why. Montreal will heavily rely on their young guns this season as studs Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher should see jumps in their point categories this season as they look to accept more offensive burden. Rene Bourque was great in the playoffs, but if he doesn't contribute at the same pace then I'd expect a trade in order to fill the spot on the right side, or Bourque could be moved for a pick or a prospect to allow Jiri Sekac some NHL minutes. The former KHL winger was a highly sought after free agent this summer before he decided to sign with the Canadiens. Sekac is said to have NHL level talent with decent defensive ability and he will get a great chance to make the team through training camp, but I suspect he will be sent to Hamilton so he can adjust to North American style ice. Look for Sekac to be called up should there be an injury or trade. I like the addition of P.A Parenteau too, as he will be looking to bounce back from an injury plagued season. Manny Malholtra was brought in to bring some character and grit to the 4th line, but Malholtra's value really shines through at the faceoff cirlce as he is one of the NHL's best in that category. The departure of Josh Gorges opens up some room on the left side, meaning Alexei Emelin can return to his natural position. Canadiens will need to rely on young Nathan Beaulieu to play consistently during the season, something he did in the playoffs. Beaulieu's growth between the playoffs and this season may really relieve the burn of the Gorges trade. Also look for him to play some power play time with Tom Gilbert on the 2nd defence pairing. Gilbert had a rebound season in Florida last year after jumping from Edmonton to Minnesota. With Gilbert, the Habs get someone who can play the right side of the ice naturally and play on the 2nd powerplay pairing (last season it was Emelin-Boullion- ouch). Right now, I am uncertain about Gilbert because he's been shaky in the past and we don't really have anyone else who can come up right now and play those minutes besides Beaulieu, who is a rookie. It's never really a problem when you have 3 good goalies. If it is, then it's a really good problem to have. Carey Price is the undisputed starter of this team and is a superstar in his own right. Peter Budaj was extremely helpful when called upon, and Dustin Tokarski was lights out in the playoffs after Price went down. I think we will see Tokarski start with the Hamilton Bulldogs this year but I don't think the Canadiens would be hesitant to trade/waive Budaj if he was outplayed in training camp. Awards & Highlights: Carey Price: Olympic Gold Medalist, named best Goaltender of Tournament by IIHF P.K Subban, Olympic Gold Medalist, signed 8 year $72m contract in August 2014 Tomas Plekanec: Named captain of Czech Men's Olympic Ice Hockey team Max Pacioretty: Named to USA Men's Olympic Ice Hockey team Peter Budaj: Named to Slovenia Men's Olympic Ice Hockey team Acquired Mike Weaver from Florida Panthers Acquired Dale Weise from Vancouver Canucks Acquired Thomas Vanek from New York Islanders Projection: I'm horrible at predicting the standings, but I'll give it a shot anyway. I think the Canadiens will finish 2nd in the Atlantic division this year under the Bruins and ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs Until next time, Habsguy26

I missed the Plekanec call. He's never really been that type of player from what I remember. But I still haven't seen it. Vanek is playing with his head up his... you know what. Looks lost out there. Not sure what's going on there but I think any chances of him getting a contract with Montreal died off completely because of his performance and body language during this series versus the Rangers. Never count us out! Never say die! Moore will surely get at least 2.

Hello folks. I wanted to post this today before tonight's Eastern Conference Game 5 showdown between the Habs and the Rangers, because regardless of tonight's final score, whether the Habs are eliminated, or whether they live to fight another day, there is one, shining, bright light that we've seen emerge over the past year or so, and that is our goaltending is looking stellar, and the future is now. Carey Price is only 27 years old, is obviously a top 5 goalie in the league, signed to a long term deal, has won 2 gold medals (and a Calder Cup, for what it's worth) and he may be back for the Stanley Cup final if the Canadiens make it there. But we already know everything about Carey Price and we can't change that he's injured. But, like I said earlier, the future looks bright for the young goalies within the Canadiens organization (the addition of goaltending coach Stephan Waite last off season was huge for us too). Dustin Tokarski is in the spot light right now, looking phenomenal in his brief NHL post season career. My earliest memories of Dustin Tokarski are his incredible, super-human like saves in the 2009 IIHF World Juniors, leading Team Canada to it's fifth consecutive gold medal. Although Tokarski wasn't statistically great in the tournament, it's the wins that really matter when it comes down to it. A year prior to his gold medal win, Tokarski led the WHL's Spokane Chiefs to the Memorial Cup championship, including a 53 save game win against the Kitchener Rangers, earning him the tournament's best goaltender award. You may remember the 2008 Memorial cup celebration, because the Spokane Chiefs infamously broke the championship trophy during the after party on the ice. But Tokarski isn't the only young goaltender in Montreal with elite potential. Zachary Fucale was drafted by the Habs in last year's draft in the 2nd round. Fucale also played for Team Canada in this past year's World Junior's, but unfortunately the team wasn't as successful as the 2009 version. Although his international play hasn't blossomed fully, Fucale is a championship goaltender. Along with highly regarded team mates Nathan Mackinnion and Johnathan Drouin, Fucale back stopped the Halifax Mooseheads to the 2013 Memorial cup title, downing Seth Jones' Portland Winterhawks. I am fairly certain that Tokarski, who will likely be named the starter for tonight's game 5, will be able to help his team win. He has been great so far and I am confident in his ability, but I wish he'd stay in his crease a little more. I love the fact he plays aggressively in his crease, but his puck handling skills could improve. I'm not gonna talk about the Prust hit. It was dirty hit. Brandon Prust is not a dirty player. I'm leaving it at that. The Habs look like they are really exhausted. The Rangers are really just blowing our defencemen and there's nothing we can really do to stop them besides playing a better neutral zone trap. I'm not suggesting the infamous 1-3-1 strategy by any means, but coach Michel Therrien better have a plan to contain these speedy forwards or the Habs are toast. Tokarski will be great but you can't stop them all unless you have a little bit of help. The Habs' defence just haven't been getting it done. P.K Subban in particular, has looked slow on the ice and frustrated by the Ranger's penalty kill. He'll need to play with more speed (easier said than done, I know) and a little bit more passive and the Habs will win games. The Habs forwards on the other hand really need to hit the Ranger's defenceman and wear them down. That's all they can do. The Ranger's have been running the goalies, so all I can suggest is that they run into Henrik Lundqvist's crease and try to bang some pucks past the line. Also. Lundqvist likes to play deep in his net so if they can shoot on his short side they might be able to beat him. Here's what I would expect the Hab's lineup to look like tonight: Forwards Pacioretty-Desharnais-Gallagher Gionta-Plekanec-Galchenyuk Bourque-Eller-Briere Weise-White-Vanek Defence Subban-Gorges Markov-Emelin Boullion-Weaver Goalies Tokarski Budaj Moen/Bournival//Murray/Parros//Beaulieu Price (INJ) Prust (SUS) Thomas Vanek has played great for the Canadiens in the past since he was picked up at the Trade Deadline, but not as of late. He has looked unmotivated out there and reminds me of Alex Kovalev. A player with tremendous talent but lacks the effort. So I've been calling him "Alexei" lately and it's looking like it's going to stick until he signs with Minnesota. He looked great on the first line with DD and Patches but he's just not putting any effort in. He could also be injured, who knows with the secrecy of the NHL during the playoffs so I wouldn't be surprised if it was announced after the Habs are eventually eliminated (or after they win the cup ). So for some reason, during all of this, Therrien still plays Vanek on the power play, in over time of game 4. Did I mention the Rangers have killed off almost 30 straight power plays during these play offs, which is incredible. Vanek needs to be taken off the power play, and here's what I think it should look like: 1 Pacioretty-Desharnais-Galchenyuk 2 Weise-Briere-Gallagher Subban-Markov/Boullion The first unit has the most skilled players on the team, to score goals. Desharnais is an electric skater and uses his skating to open up passing lanes. He needs to be out there. Pacioretty has a great shot, has chemistry with Desharnais, and is the biggest forward in the top 6. Galchenyuk is a beast plain and simple. Second unit, I put Dale Weise out there because he's been one of the unsung heroes of the play offs (along with Mike Weaver) and deserves a shot. You could park him right in front of King Henrik, which is usually Gallagher's job, but Weise is much bigger. Briere is of course clutch in the play offs so I want him out there and he's good on face offs. Gallagher's out there because he drives the crease and has a decent shot and great speed. Subban stays out there most of the time. He has to stay at the point though, not much moving around and just strictly at the blue line, right in the centre of the ice. Have Markov rotate with Boullion because Gorges, Emelin and Weaver have to stay fresh at all times no matter what because they are out best defensively. Anyways guys now I'm just blabbing, I'm done playing arm-chair coach for now. I'll hopefully be back soon for another blog. Go Habs Go Allan

First of all, congratulations to the 2014 Men's Canadian Olympic Hockey Team. Go Canada Go! I'll be cheering from home! Also, in case you missed it, here are the 25 members of the team, arranged by where I think they'll be playing. Forwards Kunitz-Crosby-Stamkos Perry-Getzlaf-Tavares Sharp-Toews-Duchene Benn-Bergeron-Nash Carter/Marleau Defence Weber-Keith Doughty-Pietrangelo Bouweester-Subban Hamhuis/Vlasic Goalies Luongo (will start 1st game) Price Smith As for my evaluation of this team, I expect nothing less of gold in Sochi. I trust that Steve Yzerman and Mike Babcock, and all of Hockey Canada made the right choices and all I can do as a die hard fan of Canadian hockey is cheer them on. Not sit here and criticize every move made. Management and the coaching staff know what they're doing (re 2010), so don't doubt Team Canada. Now, moving on. Today, Hockey Canada announced their 25 man roster for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. With very close attention being paid to the members of this squad, I've decided to look a bit further. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Canada's quest for gold at the 2018 games is set to begin in a few weeks, Sunday, February 23rd. Immediately after this year's gold medal game. Yup. While, my squad for the 2018 games is a complete shot in the dark and is just for fun, the guys I picked are based off of who I think will be the best players come February 2018. Enjoy! Forwards (in no particular order) Jonathan Drouin Sidney Crosby Steven Stamkos Jamie Benn Jonathon Toews Connor McDavid Nathan MacKinnon Sean Couturier Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Johnathan Tavares Taylor Hall Jordan Eberle Tyler Seguin James Neal Defencemen (in no particular order) Kris Letang Drew Doughty Alex Pietrangelo P.K Subban Shea Weber Aaron Ekblad Duncan Keith Dougie Hamilton Goalies (not in particular order) Carey Price Jonathan Bernier Jake Allen Honorable Mentions (a lot of them) Malcom Subban, Braden Holtby, Claude Giroux, Corey Perry, Matt Duchene, Ryan Getzlaf, Tyler Benson, Sean Day, Mark Visentien, Logan Couture, Patrice Bergeron, Brendan Gallagher, Zachary Fucale, Steve Mason, Marc-Eduard Vlasic, Cam Ward, Marc-Andre Fluery, Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly, Brent Seabrook, Milan Lucic, Brent Burns, Chris Chelios, Mike Green, Dion Phaneuf, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Rick Nash, Eric Staal, Jordan Staal, Mark Staal, Cody Hodgson, Luke Schenn, Braydon Schenn, Jared Cowen, Tyler Myers, Evander Kane, Ryan Murray, Mathew Dumba, Travis Hamonic, Mark Schiefele, Mike Smith, and Patrick Sharp Did I miss anyone? Do you think you can come up with a better team! Let me know and leave a comment! Thanks for reading and stay classy. Habsguy26

Wow. I never really realized this before and you're totally right. I remember the days of Gaborik, Callahan, Stephan, Giradri, and Lundqvist bringing the cup back to the big Apple. All of the mentioned players are currently having a bad year as are the Rangers. Gaborik isn't even there anymore.

Christmas has me feeling nostalgic. What was your favourite series of all time? Secondly, what was your favourite series of all time, not-including the Philadelphia Flyers?

Barnaby is still the biggest jack ass.

I don't like the fact they left off a bunch of the OHL's leading scorers. Besides that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Although only 6 players from The Montreal Canadiens prospect pool were selected to attend their respective countries' training camps for the upcoming World Juniors set to take place in Malmo, Sweden, they are sure fire bets to not only make their squads, but all 6 are almost sure to play huge roles. Team Canada: F Charles Hudon Drafted 122nd overall by MTL in 2012 Hudon appears to be one of the steals of the 2012 NHL draft. He made Team Canada last year, but missed the whole tournament due to a back injury. Hudon has always been criticized for his skating as he lacks the speed you would like to see in an undersized winger. But, he actually made improvements in his skating over the past season but he still lacks the separation speed and it was noticeable. However, Hudon compensates his slow feet by using his elite hockey sense, slippery hands and an NHL ready wrist shot. For a smaller player, Hudon was exceptional at gaining body position against larger opponents allowing him to protect the puck and create magic with his puck skills. As a bonus, Montreal’s Hudon is a valuable player on the defensive side of the puck as well and that should assure him a good opportunity in the NHL some day, and a top 9 role on Team Canada. G Zachary Fucale Drafted 36th overall by MTL in 2013 Fucale may be the best World Junior goalie to lace up for Team Canada since Montreal's very own Carey Price. While a lot of attention has been paid attention to the team in front of him last year, Fucale put together a solid season that showed he was an integral part of the Halifax Mooseheads success. In 55 games, he posted a 45-5-2 record. He also finished with a 0.909 save percentage, 2.35 goals against average and two shutouts. In the playoffs he compiled 16 wins and one loss as he backstopped the Mooseheads to the President Cup. The Mooseheads (also guided by top picks Nathan Mackinnon and Jonathan Drouin) went on to defeat Seth Jone's Portland Winterhawks in the Memorial Cup, where Fucale was exceptional. I have no doubt in my mind that Fucale will be able to lead Team Canada to a gold medal this year and maybe next year, too. He could be the best goalie in the tournament. Team Sweden: F Sebastian Collberg Drafted 33rd overall by MTL in 2012 Sebastian Collberg is an electric skater and a mesmerizing stick-handler. The 19-year-old boasts a quick and deadly accurate wrist shot, though he has yet to consistently display his offensive skills playing in Sweden’s top league. A little undersized, Collberg will spend at least another season or two either in Sweden or in North American minor leagues, bulking up to prepare for the rigors of playing in the NHL. Collberg was a big part of Sweden's silver medal team last year, as he scored 4 goals and 6 points in 6 games. Also, the super swede could turn out to be a shootout specialist, which could be crucial to Sweden's success on home ice this year. F Jacob De la Rose Drafted 34th overall by MTL in 2013 With Jacob De la Rose you know what you are getting – a two-way forward with great versatility. De la Rose is a great skater with who employs good physicality but his offensive ceiling is relatively low. Look for De la Rose to develop into a player a coach relies on for tough defensive minutes and become a real quality third line centre. De la Rose posted a modest six goals and 12 points in 38 games for Leksand last year. Although his offensive capabilities are considered limited, De la Rose is among those up for the captaincy of Team Sweden. Team Slovakia: F Martin Reway (pronounced Re-vaie) Drafted 116th overall by MTL in 2013 Reway is a diminutive yet dazzling offensive force with the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques who's play has been soaring in his 2nd season in North America. Don't believe me? Take a look for yourself. Here is what The Scouting Report has to say about Reway: "Nobody is quite sure what to make of Martin Reway as the undersized Slovak winger certainly is not lacking talent... Can be a dynamic talent with the ability to keep the D honest as a result of his ability to burn them... Questions about his desire and passion are significant concerns heading into the draft and could see him fall into the later rounds." Team Finland: F Artturi Lehkonen Drafted 55th overall by MTL in 2013 And finally we have Artturi Lehkonen. Lehkonen is a diminutive but speedy winger with great hockey vision. Lehkonen has superb acceleration speed and very good wrist shot. Despite lacking the size he uses his body well and is not afraid of going into tight situations.He had an impressive year heading into the draft with 30 points in 45 games playing against men in Finland. Size will always be an issue but the talent is certainly there. In last year's WJC, Lehkonen played along side top pick Alexsander Barkov for Finland and saw success, of which he will try to repeat this season. There you have it folks. I will end this blog with one note on Team USA though; why the heck was the monster we drafted with our first pick, 6'5" Michael Mccarron not even invited to camp?? McCarron is off to a slow start to his OHL career with just 12 points in 30 games. While his size and physical play are not in question, his offensive game remains a work in progress. His physicality could have been an edge for Team USA. Happy hockey, Habsguy26

Agree 110% @hf101

Worst part about that video is that moron Jack Edwards. Playing down Thornton's intent.

Laugh at me all you want, but the Thornton incident indeed deserve a 9-1-1 call. That's not hockey, that's street bullying. The play is over, he get in the back of Orpik, make him fall by surprise than punch him to the head, without any reason of notice. That's not a hockey accident, that's against the law, period. Laugh, but if nothing is done, Boston players are just gonna keep destroying theirs opponents again and again with only a tiny ridiculous suspension by the NHL as their only consequence. Go wild. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuVq-TZ7AJM

I think someone's still a little upset over the Norris Trophy

LOL

You guys just really don't understand how good he is. Not even trying to sound like a homer here. The Flyers and Habs are NOT GOOD trade partners (at least in a Subban scenario). When I see posts from you guys about the subject I say the same thing, no worries

You heard it here. Trade Wars II starting in January.

Here's what it would take for me to give up P.K to the Flyers. To Flyers: P.K Subban, Gabriel Dumont To Habs: Scott Laughton, Samuel Morin, Tye McGinn, Matt Read, a 2nd round pick and a conditonal 1st in the 2015 draft (if P.K resigns with Flyers) This is what it would take. He's playing incredibly well this season and coming off a Norris Trophy? Think I'm crazy? Nope. He's that good. Don't like it? Guess you're not getting him.

No way Jose... I smell a good edition of trade wars coming soon

I think once Raymond plays a few games in Toronto, you guys will see why Vancouver and 28 other teams passed.. haven't seen a lazier player since Alex Kovalev

Nice Blog Although I agree with the latter, I think Kunitz makes the squad.

Habs sign veteran Doug Murray to 1 year/$1.5m deal I like this signing by Bergevin. Doug Murray brings a physical edge to Montreal's blue line, and with Alexei Emelin sidelined until mid-November, Murray will be counted on to play minutes against the opposing teams grinder lines that forecheck hard, something Murray has grown accustomed to while playing with the San Jose Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins. Although Murray proved last season that he no longer has the foot speed to play with the game's elite, he should be a solid third line pairing defender to play along side Montreal's young rookie blueliners this season. This is a scouting report from an NHL scout, taken directly out of Eric Engel's latest blog: Here is how I expect to see the Hab's d-corps on opening night. *Emelin injured until mid-November* Subban-Gorges Markov-Diaz Murray-Boullion/Tinordi/Beaulieu Why Carey Price can rebound I'll be the first to admit, the Canadiens' young goaltender had a horrid season last year, by his standards anyway. The now 26 year old tender finished last season with a 2.59 GAA and a mere .905 sv%. But, all signs point to him being the player everyone knows he can be in 2014. Firstly, the addition of new goalie coach Stephene Waite is huge. Waite previously worked in the Blackhawks organization (I think I'm starting to see a trend...), and he took two previously unheard of goalies, Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford, and turned them into superstars. Infact, not just superstars, but turned them into Stanley Cup winners. I think everyone can agree that if he can do that to Niemi and Crawford, he shouldn't have a problem coaching Price into his full potential. Secondly, the opportunity to start for Team (freaking) Canada is knocking at Carey's front door. Price has proved himself at the international level once before, winning a gold medal at the 2006 World Junior Championships with Team Canada. He has also shown he is a very poised goalie who seems naturally calm during big game moments, which is one of the reasons why I believe Price will enter the Sochi Olympics as the starter. The third and final reason why Carey Price will rebound this year is because he is starting to realize he can be replaced. Carey loves the city of Montreal, and more importantly loves playing there, as his recent 6 year deal proves evident. I'm sure Price was questioning the scouting team's choice to select Halifax goalie Zach Fucale, who many believe has elite goalie potential, early in the 2013 NHL draft this year. I wonder if Price might think that the organization is perhaps seeking a replacement for down the line? Who knows, but, it should be just another motive to have an awesome 2014, and hopefully a kickstart to a Hall of Fame career. Why Montreal should offer sheet Nazim Kadri I actually came across this topic online, and it made some gears in my head start to crank. I mean, why wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we offer sheet an up-and-coming centre, someone that can slot behind Alex Galchenyuk for years to come, for a price that Toronto couldn't afford? Kadri has expressed in recent days that he is seeking a long term, $5m deal from Toronto. Toronto however, would like to make a ''bridge deal'' ala P.K Subban. A deal that would pay Kadri 2-3 million bucks for 2 years. Firstly, before Leaf fans get on my case, let me express that I don't think Bergevin would dream of offer-sheeting Kadri, or anyone for that matter, considering reigning Norris trophy winner P.K Subban is a restricted free agent next summer. So, I'm sure a team would give Bergevin a taste of his own medicine, and sent an offer-seet into Subban. Hockey politics. But really, when an opportunity comes knocking to one, not only boost your squad, and two, screw with a division rival, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs, why the heck not? Of course, if this were to happen (which it won't, I can't express that enough) there would have to be a trade or two, in order to clear some roster space and free up a littler bit of cap room. It would be ideal for Montreal in this situation to trade either David Desharnais, who would fetch a significant return, most likely a first round draft choice and a prospect, or someone along the lines of Travis Moen or Ryan White, guys who have been taking way too many penalites lately. Well that's all I have for today. Hopefully I can start blogging some more soon.Thanks for reading. Cheers, Allan

Welcome to the board!! Nice to FINALLY have another Habs fan on here!!!!! I personally love the trade for Parros. We didn't give up much to get him, and will contribute to our successes next season.

Thank you Rod. Also HF, I agree 100%. One forward to keep an eye on from Hamilton would be Gabriel Dumont, who played a couple of games last season. Also, look for Parros/Bourque to be put in and out of the lineup. Notice Rene Bourque isn't in my line up, I feel he is more of an asset in the press box, where an injury is not very likely to occur. As long as he remains un-injured, he could be one of Montreal's biggest trading assests (apart from Desharnais, who I feel if he doesn't have a great bounce back season would fetch a high return).

Prepare yourself, this is going to be a very long blog. I thought about splitting it into two parts, but I'm not sure when I will be logging on again. Anyways, hope you enjoy. 2013 NHL Entry Draft: 25th overall pick: Michael McCarron 2014 Team: London Knights(OHL) Height:6'5" 228lbs 59-16-21(182 PIM's) I cannot say I was very impressed by this pick when it was announced. With Valentin Zykov, Morgan Klimchuk and Ryan Hartman on the board, I envisioned a selection of a player that had a much higher offensive ceiling. While McCarron obviously brings a physical aspect to the game that most can't match, will he be bringing the puck skills to make himself a Top-6 player? McCarron's scoring in lower levels of hockey doesn't inspire much confidence; one can hope he is a late developer in this area, but precedent for such players is not overly strong. This isn't to say it's impossible, and analysis suggests his upside is better than I originally expected, but his scoring numbers are underwhelming so far. There is the probability he will be able to mix his physical brand of hockey into the game to help him create offensive opportunities most can't, but the ability to finish on a chance will need to be there. We should not discount Timmins is ahead of the curve though. He's spotted talent that most people completely ignored or underrated, to the great benefit of the Canadiens. Some of his best work has gone unappreciated before it was lost (see Ryan McDonagh, Mark Streit, Mikhail Grabovski) so for now, we will see what McCarron does. He has made the choice to play for the Hunter Brothers in London rather than playing for Western Michigan University this upcoming season, which won't hurt his game a bit. My preference would be to the Knights due to the solid reputation of the Hunters in developing NHL-quality prospects. Personal Projection: He will start auditioning for a NHL spot in 2016 at the earliest. 34th overall pick: Jacob De La Rose 2014 Team: Leksands IF (Allsvenskan) Height: 6'2" 190lbs 38-6-6 (31PIM) I'll be quite honest I felt a lot better about the selection of De La Rose than I did of McCarron. I still had Valentin Zykov on the board ahead of him, but De La Rose does bring his own skill set to the table. De La Rose has already displayed an ability to match against professionals thanks to his season in the secondary Swedish professional league, the Allsvenskan, this past year. Given that he both managed to produce in a men's league as a 17-year-old while playing a responsible two-way game and delivering a physical impact, it speaks very well to his pro prospects. The concern of course is De La Rose's scoring impact. There isn't a ton of praise for him as being either creative or having a particularly accurate shot; there is a compliment for power in it, but no scouting group will come out and say he's a decent finisher. Granted he has just turned 18 and was playing against men this past season, his career numbers in Swedish hockey do not show much of a scoring touch, especially compared to say Sebastian Collberg. If he puts in a ton of work, he could make his offensive tools useful enough to be a complementary winger, but I imagine he would need to benefit from a creative centre to really generate any solid offensive numbers. De La Rose I think projects well for a Top-9 role, but he would really have to max out his tools to warrant as a full-time Top-6 skater. Personal Projection: Starts auditioning for a roster spot in 2016. 36th overall pick: Zachary Fucale 2014 Team: Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) Height: 6' 181lbs 55-45-8 GAA 2.35, Save % .909 Fucale was exactly the name I was hoping to get called at this stage in the Draft. Fucale has a pretty good championship pedigree from this past season with a QMJHL and Memorial Cup Championship on his resume, but he also played on what was likely the best team in the whole CHL. He had to be good enough to help the Halifax Mooseheads win of course, but junior championship success has not folded well into NHL success. From 1998 to 2008, the only active NHL goalies who can be credited with a championship in the QMJHL, OHL or WHL are Roberto Luongo (2 titles), Michal Neuvirth (1) and Jonathan Bernier (QMJHL title, Memorial Cup Championship). Montreal's No. 1 goaltender in Hamilton, Dustin Tokarski, also has a WHL championship and a Memorial Cup win, but he has yet to prove he is NHL material. It should be noted Michal Neuvirth's championship pedigree is further enhanced by twin AHL Championships and an AHL Playoff MVP award. Of the five goaltenders who backstopped Canada's incredible run of five gold medals from 2005 to 2009, only Carey Price is considered a true quality starter among them. Overall, there is not a lot of evidence of championship experience from the junior level transitioning to the NHL. This is not to say Fucale can't be an exception to recent history given he won the QMJHL title in his draft year, which is not very common among goaltenders in the junior level. Typically junior teams stack an experienced goaltender to bring them the title, but Fucale got the job done, going 16-1 in the post-season and raising his regular season save percentage from .909 to .918 during the playoff run. He lived up to what his team needed him to do and arguably more. Fucale does have the compliments from the scouts of a sound mental game and solid maturity, which are pretty much demanded for any goalie who might think of playing under the bright lights of the Bell Centre. He has two more years left at the junior level to further hone his game and will likely have an opportunity to represent Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2014 or 2015. He also has the advantage of being able to develop further in the AHL without the pressure of having to be the saviour at 20, as was foisted upon Carey Price. However the thought remains, will he transition? Many of the favoured goalies in the NHL these days were unheralded picks, not top-ranked goaltenders in their draft year, and they have not had an overly strong record of success in the last decade. I think given the uncertainties surrounding goalies, a later pick could have been used for a goaltender such as Eric Comrie or Spencer Martin. Will they be better goaltenders? Impossible to say. This could be a very good pick but I would think this is a long-term project, and it will be a long time before we have a good idea of what Fucale is truly capable of. That is probably what bothers me most about the pick, even goalies taken very highly can take a long time to develop and the results can still be disappointing. We should see a solid test of Fucale next season though as the Halifax Mooseheads will see a heavy talent depletion as MacKinnon and Drouin move on to the NHL, and will put pressure on Fucale to possibly be the difference for Halifax. It will be an interesting challenge after a year of arguably relaxed play for Fucale. Personal Projection: Begins pushing for a roster spot in 2017. 55th overall pick: Artturi Lehkonen 2014 Team: KalPa (SM-Liiga) Height: 6' 162lbs 45-14-16 (12 PIM's) I cannot say I was particularly pleased with MTL waiting until 55th overall to select a prospect with a good potential for a Top-6 offensive ceiling, but Lekhonen may end up being their best move out of this draft. At 17, Artturi Lekhonen was one of the most productive young players in the Finnish SM-Liiga, the top professional league in the country. With 30 points in 45 games, Lekhonen bowed only to fellow draft-eligible Aleksander Barkov, the 2nd overall pick, Joel Armia from the 2011 Draft and 2012 selection Teuvo Teravainen for players under 20 in the men's league. Given that Lekhonen is only turning 18 on July 4th, his potential is very promising given his youth, and he may not even be finished growing yet either. He displays the instincts of a goal scorer, good vision, puckhandling and speed and that is never a bad thing to add to a team's system. The Canadiens still find themselves short of pure scoring in their farm system between Christian Thomas, Sebastian Collberg and Tim Bozon as the only players who seem to have projectable ceilings as goal scorers. Given that not all of these players will work out either, it is convenient to add another name to the list. Lekhonen also brings some International experience with him: he scored three goals and an assist in six games at the 2013 World Junior Championships, and would later score three goals and six assists to help Team Finland earn a Bronze at the World Under-18 Championships. Concerns, of course, rest on that frame and his health. At 163 pounds, it will obviously take some time for Lekhonen to add the muscle to his frame that will allow him to handle the potential grind of the NHL season. It is possible Lekhonen may not develop physically enough to handle the NHL game, and his frame will not be up to the rigors of it. There is also the consideration of the two concussions Lekhonen suffered playing this past season. While he does not appear to be suffering ongoing ill effects, brain injuries can always become an issue. He could theoretically never suffer another one, but it can raise questions about whether future concussions could quickly complicate or damage what could be a very promising career. Lekhonen was easily one of the most talented players available at this stage of the draft and as I so often argue, a team's drafting philosophy should always focus on Best Player Available, in my view this is the first time they did so in this draft. Personal Projection: Begins pushing for a roster spot in 2017. 77th overall pick: Conner Crisp 2014 Team: Erie Otters Height:6'4" 225lbs 62-23-24 (139 PIM's) This is the pick that still leaves me shaking my head. Connor Crisp was passed over in the 2012 Draft and scored less than 40 points, even on a weak junior team that is not what we call encouraging for being a scorer at the NHL level. Crisp can be argued to be a 'man amongst boys' in physical stature in the OHL but didn't seem to be able to employ that advantage to help his numbers. While Crisp did essentially miss the 2011-12 season due to injuries and that no doubt affected his development, one has to wonder what his ultimate upside is when Future Considerations, McKeen's and even the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau didn't seem to consider him worthy of being ranked. At this stage I feel this is a wasted pick, and Crisp will have to make a pretty dramatic jump in his production to gain any relevance as a prospect. Without a consensus of scouting data from other sources either, it is hard to gauge just how accurate HockeyProspect's scouting data on Crisp is as well. He reads as a fringe candidate for any serious work in pro hockey given the knocks on his skating and low numbers in his 18-year-old year in the OHL. Personal projection: Begins challenging for a roster spot in 2018. 86th overall pick: Sven Andrighetto 2014 Team: Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) Height: 5'9" 181lbs 53-31-67 (45 PIM's) While the size isn't ideal for most, this is a much more reasonable selection in the risk/reward column in my view. Hockey Prospect seems to think the world of his offensive skills and he certainly has a production level that backs it up, especially doing better than two points per game in the QMJHL playoffs. He was 6th in the QMJHL in regular season scoring and 4th in playoff scoring. While obviously this does have a lot to do with his age and development compared to 17/18 year old prospects, if he had been drafted in 2011 this would read as excellent production from a player finishing his junior hockey career. There are concerns, of course. Why is it that despite his great production, Andrighetto went unranked? We have seen players posting exceptional overage years get ranked for draft consideration but Andrighetto seemed to go unnoticed by Future Considerations and McKeen's as well as the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. His size is not ideal either, but his skills package seems built to bypass the issues typically surrounding smaller players. Can't see him jumping on to the Canadiens roster right away, and since he has just turned 20, he is likely destined to be playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs as he adapts to pro-level hockey and works on adding more muscle. Not a player I was coveting, but his scoring and skills package does offer the promise of being a potential contributor at the pro level. Personal Projection: Begins challenging for a roster spot in 2016. 116th overall pick: Martin Renway 2014 Team: Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL) Height:5'10" 174lbs 47-22-28 (56 PIM's) The Canadiens go back to selecting 1st-time eligibles here, and Reway does have some appealing attributes. He displays high-end vision and top playmaking skills, and this was his transition year to the North American rink so he could show a notable improvement in 2013-14. His skating fits in well with his small frame, although like any smaller player he will likely have to get even faster to help his pro prospects along. What disturbs me is the notes that he seems to be unwilling and is perhaps even afraid of contact. Even small players need to be able to willing to take some kind of physical toll to play in the NHL, and if Reway will not show a willingness to get into the physical side of hockey, then I would severely doubt his pro prospects and deem him a long-term project as this is unlikely a stage of his game that will change overnight, if it can change at all. I suspect his unwillingness to deal in contact may have been why he was left unranked by other services. Personal Projection: Begins challenging for a roster spot in 2018. 176th overall pick: Jérémy Grégoire 2014 Team: Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL) Height:6' 190lbs 62-19-13 (100 PIM's) Grégoire was taken right at the back of the draft and while his rankings would argue he fell, falling at this point any draft year can be a little irrelevant given the probability of such a player reaching the NHL. While there are good compliments to his defensive and physical game, it was hard to get many remarks about his puck skills and the talk on his skating abilities was divided, but mostly in the negative which never bodes well for an NHL player's prospects. It is hard to really argue against a 6th-round selection except to say he is not likely to make the NHL, and it is the longshot area of the draft. His display of defensive acumen is a good sign that he has a skill set he could develop that would make him a useful player at higher levels, but there will be a lot of work between now and that time before it can happen, with some breaks along the way as well. He will need to improve his skating and likely his puck skills to fold into further defensive improvements to make the professional levels of hockey. Personal Projection: Can start challenging for a roster spot in 2018. Free Agent Frenzy Additions: Daniel Briere(2 years, 8M) George Parros(Trade w/Florida) Subtractions: Michael Ryder(NJD), Colby Armstrong(FA), Jeff Halpern(FA), Petteri Nokelainen(FA), Tomas Kaberle(FA), Yannick Weber(VAN) Wow, looking at that list, we lost 3 players that played a big role in last seasons run. Ryder was the leading goal scorer while Armstrong and Halpern played key roles on the 4th line. They will be replaced by Daniel Briere and George Parros respectively. Also look out for some rookies to emerge from Hamilton, like Michael Bournival and Christian Thomas. Starting with Briere, I'm not sure if he can replace the goal scoring that Ryder gave us. He will definitely be a positive presence in the locker room, and should add 40 or so points, which isn't great, but he will be a leader in the room and that's what sold him to Bergevein. Parros is a player I've called out specifically () that I would want Montreal to acquire. He is among the NHL's toughest heavyweights, no matter what Georges Laraque says (guy was as useless as a white crayon) and will be able to handle rivals like Milan Lucic, David Clarkson and Jordan Tootoo, guys who may have been out of Brandon Prust's weight class. Projected Line-Up(As of July 25th 2013) LW C RW Max Pacioretty Tomas Plekanec Daniel Briere Brian Gionta David Desharnais Alex Galchenyuk Brandon Prust Lars Eller Brendan Gallagher Travis Moen Ryan White George Parros LD RD P.K Subban Josh Gorges Raphael Diaz Andrei Markov Alexei Emelin(INJ) Francis Boullion/Jarred Tinordi/Nathan Beaulieu Starting Goalie Carey Price Back Up Goalie Peter Budaj Honours and Awards P.K Subban: 2013 NHL 1st team all star, 2013 Norris Trophy winner, Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp invitee Brendan Gallagher: 2013 NHL All Rookie all star, 2013 Calder Trophy finalist Carey Price: Team Canada Olympic Orientation Camp invitee That's all folks. Hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the long blog, wanted to split it up into two parts but I wasn't sure when I'd be able to log on again. Happy Hockey, Allan.