Just like last season, the Montreal Canadiens enter the 2015-16 campaign with their eyes firmly set on a Stanley Cup.
Not much has changed for the Canadiens entering this season. They still have the best goalie on planet Earth in Carey Price, while P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov remain one of the top two-way defence pairings in all of hockey. The NHL’s most passionate fan base will continue to give Les Habitants a major home-ice advantage.
Unfortunately, the questions around the Canadiens’ offence remains the same. Outside of the top line, there isn’t much in the way of offensive fireworks among Montreal’s forwards.
Regardless of the offence, the Canadiens have the reigning Hart, Vezina, Lindsay and Jennings award winner. As long as they have Price, this team should be in excellent shape all season, fighting for top spot in the East.
Head coach: Michel Therrien
GM: Marc Bergevin
Team Payroll: $68.5 million cap hit on $71.4 million cap
Last season’s record: 50-22-10 (110 points)
Goals for: 214 (2.61 per game)
Goals against: 184 (2.24 per game)
Power Play percentage: 16.5, ranked 23rd
Penalty Kill percentage: 83.7, ranked ninth
Corsi for per 60: 54.1 (via stats.hockeyanalysis.com)
Key Acquisitions: Zack Kassian (RW), Alexander Semin (RW)
Key departures: Brandon Prust (LW), P.A. Parenteau (RW)
Rookies to Watch:
Charles Hudon (LW): The 21-year-old Hudon enjoyed a strong sophomore season in Hamilton, finishing second on the Bulldogs with 57 points. He probably needs more seasoning in the AHL, but with the Habs being so thin at left wing and the team needing more offensive punch in general, he could get a look an earn more time, like Jacob De La Rose did last season.
Sven Andrighetto (RW): While Montreal probably doesn’t need any more depth at right wing, the offensive talents of the 5-foot-9, 188-pound sparkplug Andrighetto could see him spend some extended time with the big club. He possesses great natural acceleration and a deceptively strong shot that helped him notch a pair of goals with the Habs in 12 games played last season. More opportunity could equal good things.
Greg Pateryn (D): A big stay-at-home defenceman, Pateryn may have overtaken Jarred Tinordi on Montreal’s organizational depth chart as a potential seventh defenceman, a spot that won’t allow Tinordi to get the playing time he needs in order to turn into the player Canadiens’ management think he is. Training camp and pre-season are very important for these two players.
Highlight of 2014-15: There were no shortage of Price highlights to choose from, but we like this one the best.
Pre-season letter grades
Forwards: Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec were the only Canadiens forwards to put up at least 50 points last season. However, it isn’t like this is a poor collection of forwards. It’s a solid group that’s all very defensively responsible with a good amount of speed. The problem, however, is an overall lack of explosiveness you expect from a Stanley Cup contender. This narrative would all change if Alex Galchenyuk can turn all that ability into actual consistent production, but thus far, he hasn’t been able to put it together. Another X-Factor in the offence is 23-year-old Brendan Gallagher, who had a career year in 2014-15. GRADE: B
Defence: Who needs forwards when your top defence pairing combines for 110 points? What Montreal lacks in the “wow” factor up front, it more than makes up for with the Subban-Markov combination. Of course, the team’s second and third pairings aren’t slouches either. Locking up the secure and sound Jeff Petry as he’s just about to enter his prime was a master stroke by Bergevin, while the rest of the defence corps features a good mix young and old, all of whom are strong decision-makers in all three zones. GRADE: A
Goaltending: While it would be easy to nitpick and point out the flaws of Dustin Tokarski, he’s still just a 25-year-old backup. When it comes down to it, Montreal has the best goaltending situation in the league because they have the best goalie in the league. And for those strange folk who still don’t think Price is No. 1 in the world, just remember what happened at the awards this year. GRADE: A+
The Canadiens will have a successful season if… Price plays even half as well as he did last season. It’s unrealistic to expect a performance for the ages again, but even Price playing at “normal” levels is still pretty superhuman. He is the backbone of everything Montreal does. The Canadiens don’t score a lot, mainly because they don’t have to. Not when you have a defence and goaltending situation like this.
The Canadiens will have a disappointing season if… the all-world production of Subban and Markov dries up a bit. While the Canadiens don’t have to score a lot, they still need to put the puck in the net to win games. And while it’s a luxury to have your two best defencemen as some of your top point producers, it’s now a luxury Montreal can’t afford to be without. For the past two seasons Subban and Markov have combined to average 103 points and Montreal will again need a 100-plus point effort from the two to bolster the offence.