Here we are. A little over five months after putting away their equipment for the last time, the Canadiens players are officially back at work.
There are 59 players who will present to Martin St-Louis and his assistants starting Wednesday morning. Of these, forty-three hold an NHL contract, while 12 are participating in the camp with an American League contract. There are also three players invited through a professional tryout and one player without a contract.
All these great people will have three weeks to prove to the organization that they deserve one of the 23 positions in the big club.
Obviously, we already know the fate that awaits the vast majority of these players. Nevertheless, this camp, which will include six preparatory games and a stay in Mont-Tremblant, will be the scene of some stakes. We present nine of them to you.
Hot fight expected among defenders
Photo credit: MARTIN ALARIE / JOURNAL DE MONTREAL
This is the issue that will attract attention in the coming weeks. Several young guns are knocking on the door. It will be interesting to see how Lane Hutson will manage in traffic that is more like that of the NHL. Logan Mailloux, David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom will also have to be kept an eye on. Besides, how many defensemen will start the season in Montreal? Seven or eight? Depending on the answer, Justin Barron and Jayden Struble, despite their experience with the Habs, will have to fight for their survival.
Determine who Patrik Laine will play with
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Training camp is the time to try combinations. Given the success of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky, it seemed clear that this trio was untouchable. The arrival of Patrik Laine could change that. Some have suggested that the Finn be paired with Kirby Dach and Slafkovsky. A trio where Slafkovsky, at 6’3”, would be the smallest. Admit that it would move some air. Otherwise, could Laine take the Slovak’s place on the first unit? Martin St-Louis will have six preseason games to think about it.
Best placed to steal chairs in attack
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At first glance, there are no spots available in attack. However, Martin St-Louis was careful to point out that it was up to the players to force management’s hand. Owen Beck, Emil Heineman, Alex Barré-Boulet are those who could steal chairs in attack. Michael Pezzetta’s status has never been so endangered in three years. Although the organization will possibly prefer to offer the 13 positione attacking a player like him, whose development is less important. We will want the youngsters to play every night.
A place to consolidate
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Joshua Roy made a good impression in the 23 games he played with the Canadiens last year. He would have played a dozen more if he hadn’t been injured in March. The 21-year-old forward did so well that he was exempt from rookie camp last week. The camp that’s starting will be an opportunity for him to solidify his place on a regular line for the team. And maybe even show that he belongs on one of the power forward units.
Kirby Dach’s Preparation
Photo credit: Photo Martin Chevalier
There is a lot of hope for Kirby Dach’s return. The forward has been skating with his teammates for some time now. He seems to be in excellent physical shape. That said, he hasn’t played a game in over 11 months. The six preseason games will be crucial for him to get back into the swing of things, test his operated knee and find his bearings with his linemates. In fact, he is still looking for his first injury-free season in the Bettman circuit. In five seasons, he has missed almost half of the games (48.3%).
Establish a more effective defensive system
Photo credit: Photo Martin Chevalier
Jeff Gorton has hammered home that the defense should do better this season. It’s understandable. Last year, his team left several ranking points on the table. Twenty-seven times, the Habs lost by a one-goal margin. No one in the league has done worse. In fact, Montreal finished 28the ranks with an average of 3.63 goals allowed per game. Martin St-Louis has been trying to implement a hybrid defensive system for two years now that seems difficult to assimilate. Maybe it’s time to simplify things.
Laying the foundations for the massive attack
Photo credit: Photo Martin Chevalier
Another way to reduce the number of losses by a goal margin is to take advantage of the massive attacks that the opponent offers us. Since the arrival of Martin St-Louis, the Canadiens have reached 31e rank with a meager 16.2% conversion percentage. With the departure of Alex Burrows, St. Louis has decided to hold the reins of this unit alone. Camp will be the time to do some experimenting and try different combinations. Patrik Laine and Cole Caufield on the same wave or on two separate units?
A situation not to be repeated
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Joel Armia certainly won’t want to repeat last year’s scenario. Despite eight seasons under his belt, he was invited to start the season in the AHL. In October and November, he made two trips there for a total of eight games. This was partly because Kent Hughes was looking for solutions to comply with the salary cap. Nevertheless, the Finn was far from living up to expectations. He saved his season, in part, by scoring six goals in the last 12 games.
Samuel Montembeault on mission
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Samuel Montembeault wants to start about 50 games this season. He also wants to attract enough attention to earn a spot on the Canadian team that will take part in the Four Nations Showdown in February. Training camp and the pre-season schedule will be crucial to getting the season off to a good start. With Quentin Miller injured, there will be fewer players in the Canadiens’ net during pre-season games. Which is a good thing. Montembeault should share the work with Cayden Primeau and Jakub Dobes.
