The next few weeks will be extremely busy in Montreal. At the forefront, there is the reported sale of the team that needs to be sorted out which could have a domino effect on the rest of the operations.
As for the hockey department, several important matters need to be addressed. Which pending free agents will be retained? Does the nucleus of the team need to be changed? Who should the Canadiens target on the open market? Should the Canadiens pursue Vincent Lecavalier at all costs? Who will assist head coach Jacques Martin? Who will coach the farm team?
Perhaps the most important position of all is the goalie coach. Carey Price is the franchise player and the centrepiece of the team's success.
Several names have circulated as a potential replacement for Roland Melanson. Goalie guru Francois Allaire had tremendous success with Patrick Roy and J.S. Giguere. His resume is second to none. David Marcoux helped Miikka Kiprusoff become a bona fide No. 1 backstop in the NHL and a Stanley Cup finalist.
Pierre Groulx may not be a household name, but he just might be the perfect fit to work with Price and the Canadiens up-and-coming netminders. Although he has much less experience than Allaire and Marcoux, the work he did with the Florida Panthers is impressive.
The Panthers were top two in save percentage the past couple of years despite the fact they allowed the most shots. This past season Tomas Vokoun was second in the NHL with a .926 save percentage while Craig Anderson was third at .924. Only Tim Thomas was better with a .933 efficiency rating. Clearly Groulx has been doing something right.
Although conventional thinking would suggest going with an experienced goalie coach, Bob Gainey doesn't do things the conventional way. Hiring Groulx may seem like a stretch but remember this, it was Jacques Martin who gave him his shot in the NHL.
