by Dan Kramer - @DanKramerHabs
The past few seasons have shown Michel Therrien likes to start training camp with a clear idea of what he wants his initial roster to be. Rather than an open tryout format with quick shuffles until lightning can be captured in a bottle, the head coach will quickly separate his potential NHLers from the not-quite-ready, and leave until together until they can build chemistry.
This year, dotted lines were drawn right from the very first day of on-ice sessions in training camp, with drills and scrimmages revealing the following formation:
Tomas Fleischmann - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Lars Eller - Alex Galchenyuk - Alex Semin
Jacob De La Rose - David Desharnais - Dale Weise
Brian Flynn - Torrey Mitchell - Zack Kassian
Andrei Markov - P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin - Jeff Petry
Nathan Beaulieu - Tom Gilbert
Even the pairings of 'spares' were indicative of the organization's choices, whereby Devante Smith-Pelly skated with Charles Hudon and Sven Andrighetto up front, leaving Christian Thomas a step behind, and Greg Pateryn paired up with Jarred Tinordi, forcing Mark Barberio to partner with AHL fodder.
It's not to say the staff is so rigid that experiments won't be tried - that's what preseason games are for afterall - or that changes can't be made, but history shows that these combinations are likely to be tried until they burn to the ground.
That said, there remain questions to be answered, and so we'll deep dive into them below.
WILL LARS ELLER LEARN RUSSIAN?
Typically, interviews at the Montreal Canadiens annual golf tournament are predictably mundane. "I worked hard this summer," "We're excited to get going," and "We like the group of guys we have in the room." This year was a little different, as comments from Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien set social media aflame. Not only was a captain going to be named, but the long awaited Alex Galchenyuk transition to centre was upon us.
The Galchenyuk move has provided us with undoubtedly the hottest line of training camp to date, as he and free agent signing Alex Semin have shown instant cohesion.
The past few seasons have shown Michel Therrien likes to start training camp with a clear idea of what he wants his initial roster to be. Rather than an open tryout format with quick shuffles until lightning can be captured in a bottle, the head coach will quickly separate his potential NHLers from the not-quite-ready, and leave until together until they can build chemistry.
This year, dotted lines were drawn right from the very first day of on-ice sessions in training camp, with drills and scrimmages revealing the following formation:
Tomas Fleischmann - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Lars Eller - Alex Galchenyuk - Alex Semin
Jacob De La Rose - David Desharnais - Dale Weise
Brian Flynn - Torrey Mitchell - Zack Kassian
Andrei Markov - P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin - Jeff Petry
Nathan Beaulieu - Tom Gilbert
Even the pairings of 'spares' were indicative of the organization's choices, whereby Devante Smith-Pelly skated with Charles Hudon and Sven Andrighetto up front, leaving Christian Thomas a step behind, and Greg Pateryn paired up with Jarred Tinordi, forcing Mark Barberio to partner with AHL fodder.
It's not to say the staff is so rigid that experiments won't be tried - that's what preseason games are for afterall - or that changes can't be made, but history shows that these combinations are likely to be tried until they burn to the ground.
That said, there remain questions to be answered, and so we'll deep dive into them below.
WILL LARS ELLER LEARN RUSSIAN?
Typically, interviews at the Montreal Canadiens annual golf tournament are predictably mundane. "I worked hard this summer," "We're excited to get going," and "We like the group of guys we have in the room." This year was a little different, as comments from Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien set social media aflame. Not only was a captain going to be named, but the long awaited Alex Galchenyuk transition to centre was upon us.
The Galchenyuk move has provided us with undoubtedly the hottest line of training camp to date, as he and free agent signing Alex Semin have shown instant cohesion.
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Semin's hands have been one of the standouts, making it quickly apparent that if he isn't the player he used to be, nobody had bothered to let them know. A shifty player with a great shot, he should help his young centreman reach the kind of point totals fans expected of him when he was drafted if they are kept together.
Most fans assumed Galchenyuk in the middle meant it'd be David Desharnais on the wing, but Therrien surprised the masses when Lars Eller was shifted out of his natural position instead - an experiment which hadn't produced great results in the past. Eller and Galchenyuk had some familiarity as a pair, and certainly Eller's strong two-way game would help balance out the offensive prowess of his new linemates, but could he keep up with their creative playmaking? While the unit is producing, Eller has shown signs of being his same old self. A solid and skilled player in all aspects of his own individual game, he has a tendency to skate with blinders on, unable to play set-up man, or to read and anticipate his linemates for quick plays. |
Not to say this spells doom for the line-of-the-hour, as certainly it will be beneficial to have a second centreman on ice to help with Galchenyuk's defensive zone draws, but if the three can manage to get on the same page, it could make for a career year for both young Montreal veterans.
Semin missed practice yesterday with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot on Sunday, but provided he returns quickly, this should be a consistent trio for now, regardless of what happens to the lines around it.
AND THE OTHER NEWCOMER?
It was a surprise to many when Tomas Fleischmann was given a tryout shortly before camp opened. Reporter James Mirtle indicated the Canadiens had some long-standing interest in Fleischmann, and no doubt the off-season injury to Max Pacioretty created a whole in the team's left wing depth chart. But would Fleischmann be able to earn a contract over giving an opportunity to a rookie?
Thus far, the answer is likely "yes." While he hasn't been the talk of the town as much as Semin, Fleischmann has quietly fit in on Tomas Plekanec's wing, and found the scoresheet with a pair of penalty shot goals. Perhaps he has a future as P.A. Parenteau's replacement in shootouts!
While a rookie might be a more exciting choice and bring more long-term upside, depth is always important over the course of a season, and Fleischmann is a proven quality NHLer. He has looked good enough to sign, and can hold down a top six job until Pacioretty or a rookie is ready to take it over, at which point he can just as easily skate on a third unit. This kind of flexibility also lets you give more defined roles and objectives to the rookies, instead of them being the ones bouncing around the line-up based on the status of the more core players.
SPEAKING OF ROOKIES
To nobody's surprise, Charles Hudon and Sven Andrighetto are standing out from the crowd. Hudon was the top player in rookie camp (which Andrighetto skipped due to his two years of professional experience) and one of the best in Sunday's Red-White scrimmage at the Bell Centre. Andrighetto has shown the scoring touch that earned him a brief stint in an offensive role with the Canadiens last season.
As much as the game has evolved to a point where small players are no longer being blacklisted by scouting staffs, the fact that neither Hudon nor Andrighetto has an imposing physique is a bit of a limiting factor for a Canadiens team still struggling to erase a "smurf-like" identity. Certainly it means breaking both in to the NHL at the same time will be quite difficult, and so at least on of the two should be starting the year in St. John's - but not truly based on need/merit.
Barring a transaction from Bergevin, Andrighetto seems in line to get the longer look as of now. Not only does he have an extra year of experience over Hudon, but his playing wing allowed the team to experiment with him in Fleischmann's spot next to Plekanec at practice yesterday, and is thus something we may see in an exhibition contest. Hudon continues to be deployed at centre, where there is unlikely to be a job available presently, unless David Desharnais's current minor injury keeps him out for some time. In either case, encouraging signs from both the youngsters.
Christian Thomas had seemingly performed well enough to remain in the conversation for a roster spot - he who would require waivers to join the Ice Caps this year. But when a clear NHL/AHL split fell over the groups on Monday, Thomas was left on the wrong side of a bigger paycheque, and just may have too many players ahead of him to overcome. As for Michael Bournival, while his agent has asked the masses not to overreact, the fact that he continues to struggle with post-concussion syndrome is troubling both for his career and his personal life. If he does return, it would be hard for him to avoid the waiver wire down to the AHL, but most importantly is that he enjoys a complete recovery to full health.
While they were long shots coming in, neither Nikita Scherbak nor Mike McCarron are showing enough to create a significant surprise. This shouldn't be considered a letdown for either first round selection; they will simply need to follow a traditional development track through the American League rather than fast-tracking to the big show. We've gotten hints of Scherbak's offensive flare and McCarron's size and strength throughout the various stages of camp, but far too infrequently to consider them "more ready" than other budding talents.
Lastly, Daniel Carr has had a very Dan Carr-like camp. What you see is what you get with him, day in and day out, with a strong work ethic and all-around game. He has been able to chip in a few goals, keeping him with the main group, but it would require something to go seriously wrong for others in order for him to be the one surviving the final cuts in October.
THE REST OF THE LINE-UP
I can't say I can fully wrap my mind around a trio of Jacob De La Rose, David Desharnais, and Dale Weise. Is Weise a good enough offensive player to make that line a threat in concert with Desharnais? Would De La Rose play a role like Eller on the Galchenyuk - Semin line? Even though he hasn't shown anywhere near Eller's offensive abilities thus far? I just don't see how this can be an effective unit under any circumstances.
Certainly, there is a placeholder factor here cause by Captain Pacioretty's absence, but what his eventual return does to the line-up will be another situation to monitor. Is he destined to help "load up" the Plekanec line as a true #1 trio, dropping Fleischmann (if signed) or a young player to Desharnais's wing? Can the Canadiens afford to "shelter" in terms of minutes and zone starts both the Desharnais and Galchenyuk lines? OR is Therrien's master plan to operate with duos, as he has done before, holding Plekanec-Gallagher and Pacioretty-Desharnais together, creating three balanced forward lines and rotating remaining wingers until he finds a fit?
Personally I like the idea of a Pacioretty - Plekanec - Gallagher line getting buried with most of the 'toughs,' allowing Desharnais to skate with Fleischmann and a rookie like Hudon or Andrighetto. This would leave Weise on a fourth line, yes, but one that could skate with any fourth in the league and chip in offensively. Having a player like Weise on the fourth unit would help maximize Zack Kassian's game as well, as he has shown a willingness to go to the net in camp and has been a scorer in past.
Torrey Mitchell won't be dazzling anyone on the ice, but at their respective ages, is a nice upgrade on Manny Malhotra of last season. But if he is to be the 12th forward, there are some notable names missing from such a proposed line-up.
De La Rose may have won many over last season, and while I see the strengths in his size, sense, and two-way play, I'm not sure his game is at the point where he brings the most to the team out of all possible options. While I do understand the need for physical strength, as well as for penalty killers, it's hard for me to say the team is better playing him and Brian Flynn than Hudon and Andrighetto. De La Rose is still very young, and returning him to the AHL (which can be done without waivers) where he might be able to further develop his scoring touch would be my preferred course of action.
Assuming the team keeps 13 forwards and 8 blueliners, and that everyone is healthy, Flynn would be battling Devante Smith-Pelly for the seat in the press box to start the year. Nothing against DSP, who came to camp lean and determined, and has shown nice things in scrimmage action, but his skill level isn't up to par with a Hudon or Andrighetto. The team is unlikely to be as healthy as they were last year, so he'll get his shot at one point or another, but he may have to be patient. Flynn should be seen as the more disposable of the two, and thus though the staff had him penciled in on a fourth line, the optimal choice may be to expose him to waivers until he might be needed down the line, not unlike Drayson Bowman or Eric Tangradi last year.
ON THE BLUELINE
Provided all are healthy, Montreal's top six seemed pretty locked coming into camp. Greg Pateryn has had an impressive showing up till now, which may encourage management to explore trade scenarios for an Alexei Emelin (though he has a no trade clause) or Tom Gilbert, but otherwise the back end looks set.
With Pateryn as at least a #7, the battle for the last job is as expected between Jarred Tinordi and Mark Barberio, and as much as Barberio hasn't particularly stood out, Tinordi has done so for the wrong reasons. When I say Tinordi is slow, it's not about his footspeed, which is good for any player let alone a 6'6" giant. It's more his reaction time and ability to follow the play that are of concern, leaving him out of position or late on coverage far too often. As attractive as Tinordi's physical package is on paper, he just hasn't been able to put it all together, and 6'2" Pateryn has found ways to be far more effective in the combativeness and hitting departments. Though a d-man can't necessarily be written off at age 23, time may be up for Tinordi as he will be waiver eligible for the first time in his career. Despite his shortcomings, no doubt a less deep team would happily make him a reclamation project given the chance. Thus, a trade for a similarly under-performing prospect (but who wouldn't require waivers) that just may need a change of scenery might be the most likely scenario.
As the Canadiens kick off their preseason calendar tonight against the Leafs, meaning players have many more auditions and opportunity for many more permutations to come, this is where I stand on a best-possible roster for opening night:
Max Pacioretty - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Lars Eller - Alex Galchenyuk - Alex Semin
Tomas Fleischmann - David Desharnais - Sven Andrighetto/Charles Hudon (too close to call)
Zack Kassian - Torrey Mitchell - Dale Weise
Andrei Markov - P.K. Subban
Nathan Beaulieu - Jeff Petry
Tom Gilbert - Greg Pateryn
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski
Press box: Alexei Emelin (unlikely as this may be), Devante Smith-Pelly, Mark Barberio
Semin missed practice yesterday with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot on Sunday, but provided he returns quickly, this should be a consistent trio for now, regardless of what happens to the lines around it.
AND THE OTHER NEWCOMER?
It was a surprise to many when Tomas Fleischmann was given a tryout shortly before camp opened. Reporter James Mirtle indicated the Canadiens had some long-standing interest in Fleischmann, and no doubt the off-season injury to Max Pacioretty created a whole in the team's left wing depth chart. But would Fleischmann be able to earn a contract over giving an opportunity to a rookie?
Thus far, the answer is likely "yes." While he hasn't been the talk of the town as much as Semin, Fleischmann has quietly fit in on Tomas Plekanec's wing, and found the scoresheet with a pair of penalty shot goals. Perhaps he has a future as P.A. Parenteau's replacement in shootouts!
While a rookie might be a more exciting choice and bring more long-term upside, depth is always important over the course of a season, and Fleischmann is a proven quality NHLer. He has looked good enough to sign, and can hold down a top six job until Pacioretty or a rookie is ready to take it over, at which point he can just as easily skate on a third unit. This kind of flexibility also lets you give more defined roles and objectives to the rookies, instead of them being the ones bouncing around the line-up based on the status of the more core players.
SPEAKING OF ROOKIES
To nobody's surprise, Charles Hudon and Sven Andrighetto are standing out from the crowd. Hudon was the top player in rookie camp (which Andrighetto skipped due to his two years of professional experience) and one of the best in Sunday's Red-White scrimmage at the Bell Centre. Andrighetto has shown the scoring touch that earned him a brief stint in an offensive role with the Canadiens last season.
As much as the game has evolved to a point where small players are no longer being blacklisted by scouting staffs, the fact that neither Hudon nor Andrighetto has an imposing physique is a bit of a limiting factor for a Canadiens team still struggling to erase a "smurf-like" identity. Certainly it means breaking both in to the NHL at the same time will be quite difficult, and so at least on of the two should be starting the year in St. John's - but not truly based on need/merit.
Barring a transaction from Bergevin, Andrighetto seems in line to get the longer look as of now. Not only does he have an extra year of experience over Hudon, but his playing wing allowed the team to experiment with him in Fleischmann's spot next to Plekanec at practice yesterday, and is thus something we may see in an exhibition contest. Hudon continues to be deployed at centre, where there is unlikely to be a job available presently, unless David Desharnais's current minor injury keeps him out for some time. In either case, encouraging signs from both the youngsters.
Christian Thomas had seemingly performed well enough to remain in the conversation for a roster spot - he who would require waivers to join the Ice Caps this year. But when a clear NHL/AHL split fell over the groups on Monday, Thomas was left on the wrong side of a bigger paycheque, and just may have too many players ahead of him to overcome. As for Michael Bournival, while his agent has asked the masses not to overreact, the fact that he continues to struggle with post-concussion syndrome is troubling both for his career and his personal life. If he does return, it would be hard for him to avoid the waiver wire down to the AHL, but most importantly is that he enjoys a complete recovery to full health.
While they were long shots coming in, neither Nikita Scherbak nor Mike McCarron are showing enough to create a significant surprise. This shouldn't be considered a letdown for either first round selection; they will simply need to follow a traditional development track through the American League rather than fast-tracking to the big show. We've gotten hints of Scherbak's offensive flare and McCarron's size and strength throughout the various stages of camp, but far too infrequently to consider them "more ready" than other budding talents.
Lastly, Daniel Carr has had a very Dan Carr-like camp. What you see is what you get with him, day in and day out, with a strong work ethic and all-around game. He has been able to chip in a few goals, keeping him with the main group, but it would require something to go seriously wrong for others in order for him to be the one surviving the final cuts in October.
THE REST OF THE LINE-UP
I can't say I can fully wrap my mind around a trio of Jacob De La Rose, David Desharnais, and Dale Weise. Is Weise a good enough offensive player to make that line a threat in concert with Desharnais? Would De La Rose play a role like Eller on the Galchenyuk - Semin line? Even though he hasn't shown anywhere near Eller's offensive abilities thus far? I just don't see how this can be an effective unit under any circumstances.
Certainly, there is a placeholder factor here cause by Captain Pacioretty's absence, but what his eventual return does to the line-up will be another situation to monitor. Is he destined to help "load up" the Plekanec line as a true #1 trio, dropping Fleischmann (if signed) or a young player to Desharnais's wing? Can the Canadiens afford to "shelter" in terms of minutes and zone starts both the Desharnais and Galchenyuk lines? OR is Therrien's master plan to operate with duos, as he has done before, holding Plekanec-Gallagher and Pacioretty-Desharnais together, creating three balanced forward lines and rotating remaining wingers until he finds a fit?
Personally I like the idea of a Pacioretty - Plekanec - Gallagher line getting buried with most of the 'toughs,' allowing Desharnais to skate with Fleischmann and a rookie like Hudon or Andrighetto. This would leave Weise on a fourth line, yes, but one that could skate with any fourth in the league and chip in offensively. Having a player like Weise on the fourth unit would help maximize Zack Kassian's game as well, as he has shown a willingness to go to the net in camp and has been a scorer in past.
Torrey Mitchell won't be dazzling anyone on the ice, but at their respective ages, is a nice upgrade on Manny Malhotra of last season. But if he is to be the 12th forward, there are some notable names missing from such a proposed line-up.
De La Rose may have won many over last season, and while I see the strengths in his size, sense, and two-way play, I'm not sure his game is at the point where he brings the most to the team out of all possible options. While I do understand the need for physical strength, as well as for penalty killers, it's hard for me to say the team is better playing him and Brian Flynn than Hudon and Andrighetto. De La Rose is still very young, and returning him to the AHL (which can be done without waivers) where he might be able to further develop his scoring touch would be my preferred course of action.
Assuming the team keeps 13 forwards and 8 blueliners, and that everyone is healthy, Flynn would be battling Devante Smith-Pelly for the seat in the press box to start the year. Nothing against DSP, who came to camp lean and determined, and has shown nice things in scrimmage action, but his skill level isn't up to par with a Hudon or Andrighetto. The team is unlikely to be as healthy as they were last year, so he'll get his shot at one point or another, but he may have to be patient. Flynn should be seen as the more disposable of the two, and thus though the staff had him penciled in on a fourth line, the optimal choice may be to expose him to waivers until he might be needed down the line, not unlike Drayson Bowman or Eric Tangradi last year.
ON THE BLUELINE
Provided all are healthy, Montreal's top six seemed pretty locked coming into camp. Greg Pateryn has had an impressive showing up till now, which may encourage management to explore trade scenarios for an Alexei Emelin (though he has a no trade clause) or Tom Gilbert, but otherwise the back end looks set.
With Pateryn as at least a #7, the battle for the last job is as expected between Jarred Tinordi and Mark Barberio, and as much as Barberio hasn't particularly stood out, Tinordi has done so for the wrong reasons. When I say Tinordi is slow, it's not about his footspeed, which is good for any player let alone a 6'6" giant. It's more his reaction time and ability to follow the play that are of concern, leaving him out of position or late on coverage far too often. As attractive as Tinordi's physical package is on paper, he just hasn't been able to put it all together, and 6'2" Pateryn has found ways to be far more effective in the combativeness and hitting departments. Though a d-man can't necessarily be written off at age 23, time may be up for Tinordi as he will be waiver eligible for the first time in his career. Despite his shortcomings, no doubt a less deep team would happily make him a reclamation project given the chance. Thus, a trade for a similarly under-performing prospect (but who wouldn't require waivers) that just may need a change of scenery might be the most likely scenario.
As the Canadiens kick off their preseason calendar tonight against the Leafs, meaning players have many more auditions and opportunity for many more permutations to come, this is where I stand on a best-possible roster for opening night:
Max Pacioretty - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Lars Eller - Alex Galchenyuk - Alex Semin
Tomas Fleischmann - David Desharnais - Sven Andrighetto/Charles Hudon (too close to call)
Zack Kassian - Torrey Mitchell - Dale Weise
Andrei Markov - P.K. Subban
Nathan Beaulieu - Jeff Petry
Tom Gilbert - Greg Pateryn
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski
Press box: Alexei Emelin (unlikely as this may be), Devante Smith-Pelly, Mark Barberio