Montreal Canadiens: Addressing Recent Struggles
Montreal Canadiens: Fixing the NHL’s Current Worst Team
Montreal Canadiens continue to slide down the Eastern Conference standings, officially taking honors as NHL’s worst after two terrible months of hockey leading into the All-Star break. They put an exclamation mark on their status by dropping their last two games to Columbus, allowing the Blue Jackets to climb out of the basement of the NHL for the first time in a while – tying Toronto and Edmonton for a league-worst 43 points.
Going 3-11-0 in December, and 2-8-1 in January, the Montreal Canadiens are desperately hurting without their all-star goaltender Carey Price.
Rewind back to the beginning of 2015-16. Montreal was very defensive about the label they’d been given of being a decent team made better by the best goaltender in the world. Price was perhaps the most vocal in media showing support and confidence in his team. Through the first part of the year, the hockey world began to believe Montreal was more than a really good goaltender. How quickly things can change.
The Montreal Canadiens are who we thought they were. That doesn’t mean they can’t make some noise in the playoffs though. Obviously, a healthy well-rested Carey Price is the biggest and most important factor. Other tweaks are necessary to outplay the NHL’s best in April. This team isn’t talented enough (with Price) to get the 12 necessary wins it takes to make it to the Stanley Cup finals.
Give Montreal credit, they’ve got one of the more talented bottom six groups in the NHL. The same cannot be said for their top six, which likely ranks near the very bottom in overall talent. Brendan Gallagher is the closest player to a first liner, arguably a great second line player on a good team. His linemates, Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec are second line forwards playing top line minutes. The only one in their proper role is Alex Galchenyuk, as linemates David Desharnais and Dale Weise are better suited as bottom six third liners. This may help explain the goal-scoring struggles. If you can convince yourself Dale Weise is a second line player because he’s shown good chemistry, it’s easy to believe you’re better than you really are.
Fixing the Montreal Canadiens: Two Potential Options
In-House
Believe it or not, the Montreal Canadiens have a few supremely talented prospects marinating in the AHL. We saw a bit of Jacob de la Rose last season, and again more recently. We’ve seen other guys such as Sven Andrighetto and Bud Holloway in 2015-16, but we’re yet to see Montreal’s top talent.
Perhaps best of all is the furthest away from making his NHL impact, Nikita Scherbak. With five points in 15 AHL games, Scherbak is getting his feet wet in 2015-16 in his first year of pro hockey. He’s another season or two away from full-time NHL duties. Closer to making an impact is Charles Hudon and Michael McCarron. Hudon is second in IceCaps scoring with 29 points in 39 games. McCarron is third in AHL team scoring with 28 points in 41 games, this in his first year of pro hockey. Both are underrated prospects who could have an NHL impact down the stretch, if given the opportunity.
Prospects that could have a bottom six impact over the last portion of 2015-16 are trade acquisitions Lucas Lessio and Max Friberg.
While it’s possible the Montreal Canadiens have the necessary pieces in-house to fix their issues, it’s more likely GM Marc Bergevin will need to look elsewhere to find that impact top six forward to help make them stronger contenders.
Next: Trade Market Options
Trade Market
The February 29th trade deadline is now only a month away, and already we’ve seen movement on the market. In recent years, many GMs prefer to get their business done in the weeks leading up to the deadline, suggesting we should continue to see movement over the next 31 days.
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There’s an excellent crop of 2016 free agents that would make for great trade rentals down the stretch. With so much uncertainty regarding next year’s salary cap, rental players could be in high demand this year. Luckily for the Montreal Canadiens, they’ve got an ace up their sleeve. His name is Zachary Fucale – he’s a highly touted goaltending prospect that could be the centerpiece in acquiring that missing top six forward.
It won’t be a straight up deal for a rental, unless there’s confidence in signing the player to a new contract before July 1. It could be a multi-player deal that ensures Montreal is getting some value with term in return, along with a rental player. Otherwise, targets are top six forwards with term on their contract.
If you were GM Marc Bergevin, which players would you call and inquire about? Let’s take a look at 11 realistic options for potentially available players that could help Montreal down the stretch:
Mikkel Boedker, Arizona Coyotes
The 26-year-old is set to become a free agent in the summer. He took longer than expected to develop, but is a quality top six forward. The only knock is that he can struggle with consistency, making him a bit of a streaky producer. There’s a good chance Arizona signs him to a new contract. However, the amount of high-end prospect talent could make him expendable on the trade market. The Danish forward had a career single-season high of 51 points (19 goals, 32 assists) in 2013-14.
Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames
Latest rumors suggest Calgary is interested in signing Hudler to a new contract. The only reason that makes sense is if intentions are to make him a second-line forward. The Hudler experiment on the top-line alongside Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau works for short periods of time, but Hudler simply isn’t talented enough to log permanent top-line minutes.
So why would Montreal want another borderline top-line player? It’s not exactly ideal, but it’s an upgrade on two of three Canadiens top-line forwards. He’s a guy you can plug in anywhere in Montreal’s top six, and he’s proven NHL point-producer.
Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes
Rumors linked the two teams earlier in the season, but talks fell apart. Given Staal’s lucrative contract, this is a situation the pair may re-visit in the next few weeks. It’s a little easier to make the money work closer to the trade deadline.
Staal is a perfect fit for Montreal. A big-bodied top line forward, leader in the dressing room and on the ice. A former Stanley Cup winner and 100-point scorer in the same year. His point production has slowed since (in the 70-point range). Still fairly impressive given Carolina’s struggles over recent years.
Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche continue to struggle year-after-year showing no signs of improvement. It’s obvious to the hockey world that something isn’t working within the team’s core. This led to Matt Duchene trade rumors earlier in the season. It’s also been suggested Colorado may be willing to move the NHL’s youngest ever named captain, Gabriel Landeskog. Duchene likely yields the best return.
Aside from Eric Staal, Duchene is the next best option strictly from a talent perspective. Call this one less likely, as it seems GM Joe Sakic is willing to move forward with his team intact. It doesn’t mean Marc Bergevin can’t call and see what their asking price is.
Kyle Okposo, New York Islanders
Perhaps the most likely pending free agent on this list to re-sign with their current team. He’s not the answer for John Tavares long-term, but makes for a quality temporary option until Islanders prospects fully develop.
GM Garth Snow had made some interesting moves and decisions over his tenure, so it’s difficult to speculate on the Kyle Okposo situation. Again, it doesn’t hurt to call and see if Garth would be willing to part with the young forward. Much like Hudler, Okposo is a border-line top line forward. He’d be an excellent upgrade on Dale Weise.
Sam Gagner, Philadelphia Flyers
A miscast player for most of his career, 2015-16 is much of the same in Philadelphia. He’s at least proven a versatile forward that can play up-and-down the entire lineup. Set to become a free agent in the summer, Gagner might be the cheapest option on this list.
He’s got 341 points in 582 regular season games, but has never appeared in the playoffs. He’s coming off a 41-point season with the Arizona Coyotes in 2014-15.
Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks
When asked to submit a list of teams to San Jose early in 2015-16, Marleau approved the New York Rangers and two divisional California rivals. It made any potential trade nearly impossible. Perhaps the Saskatoon native would be willing to waive his no-movement to join the only Canadian team with playoff aspirations. At 36, there’s few years left for Marleau to win a Stanley Cup.
Jonathan Drouin, Tampa Bay Lightning
If there’s one thing Canadiens fans love, it’s homegrown talent. Born near Montreal, Drouin may be the most desirable player for Montreal. His NHL experience is limited, which draws unfair criticism. The hockey world makes him out to be the next Gilbert Brule, Patrik Stefan, or Alexandre Daigle. Make no mistake, this kid has top-line talent. He just needs the opportunity, something he’s not been given in Tampa Bay.
Whichever NHL teams steps up to pay Steve Yzerman‘s hefty asking price will be greatly rewarded. The reason the asking price is so astronomical is because the Tampa Bay GM knows how badly this can backfire without a quality haul in return.
Radim Vrbata, Vancouver Canucks
Another pending free agent likely to be moved before the trade deadline. Vrbata is a proven NHL scorer, showing glimpses of brilliance alongside the Sedin twins. Like Hudler, Vrbata works for periods of time on the top line before going cold. He’s a two-time 30-goal scorer, with a single-season high of 63 points in 2014-15.
There’s trade history between these two clubs, suggesting Vrbata is one of the more likely acquisitions from this list. The 34-year-old forward seems to be getting better with age, and would be a relatively cheap re-signing if he fits in.
Marcus Johansson, Washington Capitals
Rumors earlier in the year suggested Washington would be willing to trade Marcus Johansson if Andre Burakovsky emerged into a top six forward. Burakovsky has shown glimpses of that talent, but is unsuccessful thus far. But, perhaps the addition of Mike Richards opens the door to Johansson being available?
Call this scenario less likely as well. It wouldn’t make much sense for the NHL’s best team to start subtracting quality talent down the stretch. The only way this scenario works is if Washington is interested in adding NHL quality depth. If Montreal offers a defenseman, and a bottom six forward, the Capitals would need to consider it.
Next: Montreal Trades Dustin Tokarski to Anaheim
Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg Jets
Latest rumors suggest Andrew Ladd may end up on the trade block before the February 29th trade deadline. The Jets captain has a wealth of NHL experience, that includes two Stanley Cups (with Carolina and Chicago). A proven point producer that plays with that edge needed during playoffs. There’s no one else on this list more well equipped to handle the pressures of the Montreal hockey market.