Free washer | The Canadiens’ quarter-century team: the sad reality

We already knew it, but the composition of the Montreal Canadiens’ all-star team for the most recent quarter of the century, chosen by the NHL, plunged us back into a sad reality, like a light slap in the face: the fan of the CH hasn’t been very blessed with attackers for 25 years.

Only one of the three members of the first all-star offensive team, Alex Kovalev, managed a season of more than 80 points. He achieved the feat only once during his four years in Montreal. He arrived at the Canadian in his thirties, let’s remember.

Saku Koivu has collected more than 70 points only twice in 13 seasons in Montreal, but never more than 75. Tomas Plekanec managed to reach 70 points only once.

Among the Canadian’s three biggest offensive stars in this XXI^e century, only one has obtained more than 75 points, only once, and this same Kovalev is the only one to have reached 30 goals. With three of them, they only have three seasons of more than 70 points…

But when you think about it, Kovalev, as electrifying as he was, had a reputation for “showing up.” one game in four, Koivu never became the hoped-for first center and Plekanec, a brave warrior, was initially considered a great defensive player, without coming close to winning the Selke Trophy.

This is undoubtedly why we have, in the collective imagination, this feeling of failure for 25 years. However, the Canadian has won 11 rounds of the playoffs, reached three final fours, including a Stanley Cup final in 2021, and had several seasons of more than 100 points under the Marc Bergevin era.

Each of these periods of success, interspersed with difficult seasons, depended on the goalkeepers. First José Théodore, winner of the Hart and Vézina trophies in 2002, and member of the second all-star team, and Jaroslav Halak and his exploits in spring 2010. Then Carey Price, also winner of the Hart and Vézina trophies in 2015, the all-time leader in victories for the Canadian. Who knows, without Chris Kreider’s playoff charge in 2015, Price might have led Montreal to the Finals twice.

The three administrations preceding the establishment of the current one blundered in the draft. There was the period of the Western Oxen under the regime of Serge Savard in the 1990s; Jason Ward preferred to Marian Hossa and Éric Chouinard to Simon Gagné under the reign of Réjean Houle. Then David Fischer was drafted before Claude Giroux in 2006, Andrei Kostitsyn ahead of Jeff Carter and Ryan Getzlaf in 2003, and Cory Urquhart ahead of Patrice Bergeron the same year… But the hot Montreal nights also ruined some promising careers.

The second all-star team has at least some scorers. Max Pacioretty, preferred to Plekanec by our trio beat of the Canadian made up of Guillaume Lefrançois, Richard Labbé and Simon-Olivier Lorange, managed four seasons of 30 goals or more in Montreal, including three of 35 goals or more, but he never collected 70 points.

Brendan Gallagher, a model of tenacity and courage, reached the 30-goal mark twice, but he never had a season with more than 54 points.

It shouldn’t take long for the other member of the trio, Nick Suzuki, to eclipse everyone else. After his 77-point season, including 33 goals, last year, he is on his way to an 84-point season, including 25 goals, at just 25 years old.

Cole Caufield, on track to score 43 goals and close to 80 points, will soon enter the conversation. At his pace, he should join Mark Napier at 28 by the end of the season.^e rank in club history for the number of career goals with CH. And it will probably break through top 30 next year at 25, ahead of Yvon Lambert and Bobby Smith.

The situation is less gloomy in defense. Andrei Markov played 990 career games, all with the Canadian, and amassed 572 points, seven seasons of more than 40 points, three of 50 points or more.

There would be room for debate between PK Subban and Shea Weber, traded for each other. The Press chose Subban with the first team and the NHL preferred Weber. The latter was a formidable leader, but he arrived in Montreal rather worn out, far from his great offensive seasons with the Nashville Predators. In 275 games in Montreal, Weber had 146 points, but he also blocked countless shots and solidified the defense in front of Price. It earned him a sixth place in the race for the Norris Trophy in 2017, but otherwise never a top 10.

In 434 games with the Canadiens, Subban amassed 278 points, had three seasons of more than 50 points, won the Norris Trophy in 2013 and was the finalist in 2015. Above all, he amassed 38 points in 55 playoff games for Montreal.

Jeff Petry despite his eight seasons in Montreal, his 248 points in 508 games, for 11^e rank in the history of the club, ahead of Jean-Guy Talbot, Tom Johnson, Petr Svoboda, Mathieu Schneider, Émile “Butch” Bouchard, Éric Desjardins and Sheldon Souray, was ignored as much by the NHL as by The Pressfor the benefit of Souray. Has the acrimonious divorce between the Canadian and him left its mark?

Quote of the day

I don’t want to open this door. I’m a member of the Canucks today, tomorrow. What has to happen will happen. I’m getting ready for the next match.

Vancouver Canucks center JT Miller

Miller was on the verge of moving to the New York Rangers this weekend and the Canucks even considered cutting him from the lineup on Saturday, but the deal fell through, reports the distinguished Elliotte Friedman. This 31-year-old Canucks forward had 103 points last year. He has 31 in 35 games this season, but he had to sit out for undisclosed reasons at the start of the season. He is said to be at odds with the club’s other attacking star, Elias Pettersson. Miller is playing the second season of a seven-year contract at an annual salary of 8 million.