Entering the Post-Cammalleri Era

Canadiens General Manager Pierre Gauthier made a big splash last week when he pulled Mike Cammalleri out of a game against the Boston Bruins to deal him to the Calgary Flames. While the timing of the trade and the manner in which it was executed was a little suspect to say the least, the shedding of a large salary and the moving of an unproductive winger was a necessary step in shaping the Habs moving forward.

Why was it necessary, and where does it leave the team now? Let's take a look at the current situation, and then how the Canadiens might position themselves to bounce back and contend as soon as next season.

Finishing Out 2011-12

The Canadiens did not and do not have issues with the salary cap for the current season. That seems to have been a misconception with Scott Gomez's return to the line-up, but even with his albatross contract, thanks to LTIR savings from numerous injuries, the roster is well within the upper limit. However, raises will be necessary for a number of core roster components in the near future, and thus flexibility moving forward should be at a premium.

Even after last night's impressive win over the powerful New York Rangers, Montreal sits 8 points out a playoff spot, with 3 teams sitting between them and the 8th place Pittsburgh Penguins, each of which has a game in hand. Not the most enviable of spots to be in. The Habs are 17-20-8, with 37 games left to make up the ground. If we assume a 93-point playoff cut-off, which may or may not be a safe assumption, they will have to earn 51 points over those 37 games, meaning a record of 25-11-1 or something equivalent. Not impossible (see: The Boston Bruins since November), but it would require an absolutely incredible run, something the Canadiens have given no indication of being capable of through their play thus far this season. Winning roughly 2 or more out of every 3 games for the rest of the calendar is not a bet I'd want to place, so from my perspective, playoffs are out of reach in 2012.

This is hurtful and hard to accept, but we need to be honest about it. I will always be a Habs fan and thus I want my team to win on a nightly basis. I get mad/upset when they lose games in most seasons. But folks, "tanking" isn't a dirty word. If you're a fan who wants to stand by and hope for the miracle of a huge win streak, then fine, I applaud your optimism. However, also understand that if this is the path you choose, you should not be complaining about the Canadiens continued lack of a true #1 center or of a star-caliber impact player. There are no #1 centers on the UFA market this summer, and offensive centers with size are not easy to come by on the trade market. The best way to add the kind of player the Habs need is through the draft and specifically through a top pick. If Montreal finishes in the cellar and nabs, say, the 2nd overall pick this year, a Mikhail Grigorenko (a 6'2" offensive dynamo who plays primarily center in the QMJHL) is a phenomenal fit to take the team to another level. That's the path I would prefer. I'm not a fan of tanking when there is still playoff hope, but at this point, when it stops looking realistic to me, I'm thinking longer term.

Unfortunately if not understandably, "tanking" doesn't appear to be in the Canadiens' vocabulary. The team is committed to winning hockey games, regardless of the situation they're in, which is frustrating (why couldn't they have replicated the Rangers effort a few more times this year?!). This is ok. I'm not saying they should be throwing games. What we have to hope, however, is that the team isn't so committed to winning that they will make moves during a near hopeless season that further handicap them for the future. The trading of prospects and draft picks, unless it is for similar young assets, should be completely off limits. Similarly, if Travis Moen or Andrei Kostitsyn don't agree to extensions before the deadline, as pending UFAs, good asset management is to ship them to the highest bidder by late February in order to avoid losing them for nothing. They shouldn't be retained just to help the team this season, just as Hal Gill and Chris Campoli, who should not factor into any plans beyond this year, must also find new homes by deadline day. So long as this is all part of the plan, I have no problem with the team continuing to try to win. Don't give up, but manage your squad with future interests in mind at all times.

2012-13 and the Salary Cap Situation

The Canadiens have the following NHL players under contract for next season:

Scott Gomez - $7,357,143

Tomas Plekanec - $5,000,000

Brian Gionta - $5,000,000

Erik Cole - $4,500,000

Rene Bourque - $3,333,333

Max Pacioretty - $1,625,000

David Desharnais - $850,000

Andrei Markov - $5,750,000

Tomas Kaberle - $4,250,000

Josh Gorges - $3,900,000

Yannick Weber - $850,000

Peter Budaj - $1,150,000

That's $43,565,476 committed, with a bare minimum need of 5 forward, 2 defensemen, and a starting goaltender to be signed (or spots filled with prospects / traded for players). The biggest wild cards at present are the new collective bargaining agreement and any changes it may bring to league rules, and how they salary cap may fluctuate at season's end. For the time being, we'll go with good ol' ceteris paribus, assuming the cap remains constant at $64,300,000.

The two big dockets for Pierre Gauthier or his successor are Carey Price and P.K. Subban, both restricted free agents this coming summer. There was rumour this week of a discussed $7M / season deal for Price, which even if untrue, couldn't be horribly far off. We'll be conservative and use that $7M number, even if a $6M or $6.5M final figure is possible. Subban hasn't done himself any favours with his play and lack of production this season, but he is still logging significant minutes and is an important cog on defense. The Habs will likely push for term with him while he could be had relatively cheap, though he may opt to sign a 1-year deal in the neighbourhood of $2.5M. Let's say the parties meet in the middle somewhere and his cap hit comes in at about $3.25M for a couple of seasons.

Add these two deals to the mix, and suddenly we're looking at just $10,484,524 to fill the remaining spots. Can the team afford the $4M - $4.5M Andrei Kostitsyn is likely to receive as a UFA? What kind of raises have young RFAs Lars Eller, Alexei Emelin, and Raphael Diaz earned? Those four alone will eat a good chunk of the remaining space, and that's before looking outside the organization to actually improve the roster. Not to mention that the summer of 2013 will require significant pay increases for Max Pacioretty and - if he's still in Montreal by then - David Desharnais, with few deals coming off the books between the two seasons. More dead weight salary needs to go, particularly the contract of Scott Gomez (possibly through a clause in a new CBA that would allow some form of cap hit-free buyout) and Tomas Kaberle (productive, fine, but can't be paying $4.25M for an 8-minute-a-game defenseman, especially if we assume Andrei Markov will be a healthy part of the team).

If we're to believe recent comments, then Pierre Gauthier is getting serious about something fans have been clamouring for: increasing the team's size and toughness. With that goal in mind, and with the idea of shedding the aforementioned salaries, I'd present the following as the current shell of a contending team in Montreal:

Max Pacioretty - 1 - Erik Cole

Andrei Kostitsyn - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta

Rene Bourque - Lars Eller - Brendan Gallagher

2 - 3 - Ryan White

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

4 - P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

The first thing you might notice is that this team isn't hugely different from the group of players currently under contract. As I've said before, I don't think a full-scale rebuild is necessary; just a re-tooling. The next thing you might notice is the lack of David Desharnais. I like the kid. He has performed well beyond anyone's expectations this season. But if this team wants to get bigger and tougher, it needs to start at the center position. One of Desharnais or Tomas Plekanec needs to be replaced with a bigger, tougher body who can match up better against the opposing team's power players. Desharnais seems to be the more logical choice, especially given that his value currently and into the off-season is likely at the highest it will ever be. Third is the insertion of Brendan Gallagher into the line-up. If he plays like he did in training camp this past Fall again next season, I don't think the Canadiens will be able to send him to Hamilton. He plays the kind of hard-nosed game the team needs and will provide secondary scoring on a third line with two bigger linemates. If he isn't ready, Aaron Palushaj may get one last chance to show something at the NHL level after dominating the AHL.

Then we get to the numbers: 4 spots that for next season, to me, would need to be filled from outside the organization. Let's look at each of the spots.

1 - Big, Legitimate First-Line Center: Clearly this is the tough one. Luckily, I'm not asking for miracles all over the place; this is really the only particularly tough spot to fill out of the four. The problem is that it's going to be really really tough to fill, at least for 2012-13. There are absolutely no candidates available on the UFA market, though Tuomo Ruutu comes close. Ruutu would make a good addition, but doesn't address the need for star power or "legit first liners," so he would be a nice complementary piece, if, say Andrei Kostitsyn were upgraded to Zach Parise on the market. Olli Jokinen has had a bit of a rebirth of late in Calgary, but at 33, he's a short term option at best. Another option is the trade market, but of course, you have to give to get, and even when you do, teams aren't lining up to give you a star center. There has been a lot of talk about Ryan Getzlaf being available in Anaheim, and Gauthier would at least have to place a phone call on that one, but any trade will be risky given that Getzlaf could become a UFA in 2013. A signed Getzlaf would be the type of addition that could earn the team contender status, but I have doubts that he could be woo'ed away without a P.K. Subban or Max Pacioretty heading the other way, thus creating gaps elsewhere in the line-up. Thus, the team may have to look elsewhere, perhaps to the San Jose Sharks who have cap issues of their own and could consider moving a Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau. At 32, Thornton's best days are behind him, but he would sure look good setting up Pacioretty and Erik Cole, and $7M of cap space would be much better spent on him than Gomez. Habs fans have all heard enough of Vincent Lecavalier rumours, but with the Lightning having a disappointing season, they may look at moving him to get out from under the cap. I'd say away, personally, only because of his contract which doesn't expire until 2020. All of this is basically why I said the draft is the only real way to address this primary need. So here's hoping for a little luck and then the slotting of Grigorenko into that spot next year!

2 - Fourth Line Winger: Part of the change in philosophy, I hope, involves making the team tougher to play against. Mathieu Darche may give it his all, but this spot needs to go to a more physical player. At this stage, it doesn't appear that either Andrew Conboy or Ian Schultz - both of whom have had their development stunted by injuries this season - will be ready (if they are even ever to make the bigs), so we'll need to look outside the org for solutions. Fortunately, the UFA market does have some answers here, and this brand of player is likely to come at a cheap price. Some names to consider: Tom Kostopoulos, Brandon Prust, Shawn Thornton, Arron Asham, Daniel Carcillo, Jim Slater, Greg Campbell, Tanner Glass, Adam Burish, or - if his salary demands are acceptable for a fourth line winger - retaining Travis Moen.

3 - Fourth Line Center: It's not that I don't like Petteri Nokelainen, nor do I lack faith in Andreas Engqvist, but like with spot 2, I'm looking for a tough, physical player with size. If that fails, I want a reliable defensive center who is good on draws. Amongst UFAs, Paul Gaustad would seem to be an ideal target, though I could also see the organization easing in Louis Leblanc by starting him in this role.

4 - Top 4 Defensive (or Two-Way) Defenseman: This one is the second toughest after the first line center role, but at least there are plenty of candidates out there. The pairing of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges should get the most minutes next season, but P.K. Subban needs a veteran to play beside while the stacked prospect stable (Jarred Tinordi, Nathan Beaulieu, and more) take their time developing. If I'm permitted to dream a little, UFA Ryan Suter would look phenomenal in this line-up hole and vastly improve the allure of the team's back end. Francois Beauchemin is average-sized but brings a physical element, while Brad Stuart may be unlikely to leave Detroit but should be a top target if he becomes available. Pavel Kubina is aging, but given his services would only be needed for a year or two while the youngins gain experience, he might look good on Gorges's right (meaning Subban would play with Markov). On the cheaper side, Bryan Allen or Jonny Boychuck would make suitable options that shouldn't add another big contract to the team's cap.

So what would this all look like? Playing a little with the CapGeek.com calculator shows something like the following. We'll assume, for the sake of the exercise, that Desharnais, Palushaj, Weber, and some top picks and prospects are used directly or indirectly (through multiple deals, e.g. trading those 3 players for picks and assets, and using those assets towards a big fish) to land Getzlaf. Is this team a contender? Is it realistic? Is it better than this year's squad? What's your take?

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS

Max Pacioretty ($1.625m) / Ryan Getzlaf ($5.325m) / Erik Cole ($4.500m)

Rene Bourque ($3.333m) / Tomas Plekanec ($5.000m) / Brian Gionta ($5.000m)

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau ($3.800m) / Lars Eller ($1.500m) / Brendan Gallagher ($0.715m)

Brandon Prust ($0.920m) / Louis Leblanc ($1.170m) / Ryan White ($0.625m)

Andreas Engqvist ($0.900m)

DEFENSEMEN

Andrei Markov ($5.750m) / Josh Gorges ($3.900m)

Francois Beauchemin ($3.800m) / P.K. Subban ($3.250m)

Alexei Emelin ($1.800m) / Raphael Diaz ($1.800m)

Frederic St. Denis ($0.605m)

GOALTENDERS

Carey Price ($7.000m) / Peter Budaj ($1.150m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)

SALARY CAP: $64,300,000;

CAP PAYROLL: $63,468,333;

BONUSES: $300,000

CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $831,667

Canadiens Send Cammalleri to Flames

The Montreal Canadiens perhaps began planning for next year as they sent forward Michael Cammalleri back to the Calgary Flames tonight. Cammalleri, along with the rights to young goaltender Karri Ramo (playing in Russia, and has stated he's happy to stay there) and a 5th round pick this year, were sent to Calgary in return for forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round selection in 2013.

I mentioned earlier tonight that, from what I could see, with Brian Gionta's injury, Cammalleri's days in Montreal were numbered. Pierre Gauthier didn't take long to prove me right on that count. In his two and a half years with the Canadiens, Cammalleri will best be remembered for his playoff heroics, but in truth, his regular season statistics were exceptionally underwhelming. He had career numbers with the Flames the season before signing with Montreal, so from his perspective, he is likely hoping a return to Calgary will re-ignite (sorry for the pun!) his career. Gauthier claims this deal has been in the works for over a month, and Cammalleri's recent media comments had absolutely nothing to do with it.

The central piece of the package coming back Montreal's way is winger Rene Bourque. Bourque is a 6'2", 205 lbs LW who, like Cammalleri, is struggling this season, posting just 16 points in 38 games (though he has managed 13 goals). Prior to this season, he had scored 27 in each of the last two years (and is on pace for a similar total), and he plays a far more physical brand of hockey than Cammalleri. Some might say he crosses the line, as he has been suspended on two occasions in the last month, sitting 2 games on December 19th, and with still 1 game left to serve on a recent 5-game sentence for an elbow to the head. Bourque turned 30 last month and is under contract for four more seasons after the current one but at a reasonable cap hit of $3.33M. His size, scoring touch, and oh I suppose his a French name (it works for Nathan Beaulieu)... have the potential of being a good fit with the Canadiens.

Patrick Holland was taken in the 7th round by Calgary in 2010, making him an unusual target for Pierre Gauthier (perhaps that's what he calls "thinking outside the box"). A 6'0", 175 lbs right winger, Holland just turned 20 and is in his final season with the WHL's Tri-City Americans, alma mater of goaltender Carey Price. This year, he has 17 goals and 57 points in 40 games ranking him 9th amongst the league's scoring leaders.

The final piece being a 2nd round selection in 2013, I am at first glance a little underwhelmed with the deal. I expected Cammalleri to be moved, but for greater future assets than what did actually come back. Why couldn't the 2nd rounder have been this year, for example? Though Cammy has underperformed, his playoff resume led me to believe that he could have fetched a higher return from a contender with cap space closer to the trade deadline. Looking at what other struggling players like Dustin Penner and Tomas Kaberle went for in previous years, it has hard to believe that there couldn't have been a better offer to come, though the term remaining on Cammy's deal may have tempered interest.

Still, there is some upside here, starting with the $2.667M in space the Canadiens will save for each of the next two years by shedding Cammalleri's $6M deal and of course getting bigger up front with the addition of Bourque. So long as Bourque remains productive, his contract is very cap-friendly, and it will be necessary given the upcoming raises necessary for the team's younger NHL'ers. Ditching a small player like Cammalleri also creates a spot for 5'8" prospect Brendan Gallagher possibly as soon as next year. There was no way the Canadiens could sustain a forward group including Gallagher (5'8"), Brian Gionta (5'7"), David Desharnais (5'7"), and Cammalleri (5'9") all in the top 9 forwards. Bourque will help to create space for some of these smaller bodies on a scoring line.

I'll reserve final judgment for the time being, but say that I don't hate the move. A little disappointed, and I'll miss you Mike, but at least Gauthier managed to shed a salary without taking any horrendous contracts back. I'll like the move more if it precedes the dealing of Scott Gomez and Tomas Kaberle as well, but only Mr. Gauthier knows what could be in the cards between now and the trade deadline, just over a month away.

Your Canadiens for January 12, 2012

Greetings all from beautiful Barcelona, Spain - the land I'll call home until early April. Tell anyone you like hockey here, and field hockey is assumed. ICE hockey is a required specification. Little kknown fact, though, that FC Barcelona has a roller hockey team. But don't start picturing Messi on skates any time soon; different athletes playing in a far less popular league.

Welcome back. Regular updates and articles shall now resume. Since it's been just over a week without any Habs news on this site, I'll recap major stories that, as a Habs fan, are your NEED TO KNOW of the moment:

Brian Gionta Undergoes Bicep Surgery

It wasn't long after the Montreal Canadiens dropped a 3-0 decision to the St. Louis Blues that the club announced its captain Brian Gionta had undergone successful bicep surgery and would be out indefinitely. Gionta has played in only 31 of Montreal's 42 games this season and the game against the Blues was just his second after missing a month of action with a lower body injury. But even ignoring the time he missed, his 15 points averaged over a full season had him on pace for his lowest season total since 2003-04. This injury is the latest bit of bad news for Habs fans in a season where nothing has seemed to go right and, combined with the loss, might be the final nail in the coffin that cements the club as sellers in the mind of management.

The injury is further bad news for Mike Cammalleri fans, as I strongly believe the club planned to shop one of the two snipers. As I've mentioned previously, depending on two similar, undersized, streaky goal scorers to lead the way offensively doesn't seem like the best conceived plan given the team's lack of a big power center. If Gionta misses the remainder of the season (which is a possibility at this point), he would be off the market and unlikely to be dealt during the off-season, which might seal Cammalleri's fate with the Canadiens.

It seems, as reported by awesome French-language Habs blog Dans Les Coulisses, that Gionta's bicep injury wasn't actually a new peril, but rather the aggravating of a previous "minor" injury that occurred against the Vancouver Canucks on December 8th (Gionta's final game played before missing a month due to what the team dubbed a lower body injury). Did the Canadiens lie about it being a lower body / groin, and did Gionta return too soon from this arm injury? We don't know for certain, but it seems reasonable to guess that to be the case.

Mike Cammalleri Calls the Habs "Losers"... or Does He?

Speaking of Mike Cammalleri, a big fuss was made of his comments after the Canadiens most recent loss. Depending on the media source you choose to follow, he mentioned that the team currently has a "losing mentality," or "prepared" and "played" like losers. Perhaps more enraging to some was an absolution of his own responsibility in the team's current troubles, claiming that he feels he is always getting better and continues to play good hockey. He even tossed some very public heat towards head coach Randy Cunneyworth in partly blaming his costly errors against St. Louis on the fact that he had only gotten limited ice time prior to those shifts, not allowing him to properly get into the game's flow and magnifying those instances. He also indicated that not playing as much during games means he needs to work harder in practices just to stay in shape; not something you want to hear from a guy who has been taking "optional" days off virtually all season.

Of course, as all athletes do, the next day Cammalleri claimed to have been misquoted, indicating his comments were meant as nothing but to indicate the team was frustrating with losing, and that it was the media who had blown them out of proportion. Whether that's true or it's just Cammalleri regretting his little rant is of course up to you to decide.

Scott Gomez Nears a Return; Ryan White Not So Much

Scott Gomez is back at practice with the Canadiens, and while he won't play tonight, there is a very good chance he could be in the line-up on Saturday. Ryan White, however, appears to still be a ways off. White was visibly frustrated when talking with the media, given that his recovery is taking far longer then anticipated. All he could say was that his skating is virtually 100%, but he had absolutely no timetable for a return to full action other than not being close.

Carey Price Named to NHL All-Star Game

Carey Price will unsurprisingly be the only member of the Montreal Canadiens at this year's All-Star game in Ottawa. Raphael Diaz and/or (though less likely) Alexei Emelin might have had a chance to make the game's rookie additions, but only two defensemen were chosen being Justin Faulk and Adam Larsson. Faulk is the only member of the Carolina Hurricanes at the Game at all, securing his spot.

Hamilton Bulldogs on a Tear

The Hamilton Bulldogs struggled out of the gate this season, losing key players like Aaron Palushaj, Andreas Engqvist, and Louis Leblanc to injury-replacement call-ups in Montreal, and dealing with injuries of their own. But with these 3 back in the AHL, the team is on quite a roll of late, winners of three straight and 10-2-3 in their last 15 games. Palushaj and Engqvist have been amongst the most dominant in the recent surge. Palushaj is riding a 5-game point streak, totaling 4 goals and 6 assists over that span, while Engqvist has 8 goals and 5 assists on a current 8-game point streak. The team has four more contests before the big one: The Steeltown Showdown, an outdoor game in Hamilton against the Toronto Marlies on January 21st.

Brendan Gallagher and Morgan Ellis Dominant in the CHL

Brendan Gallagher was one Canada's standout performers at the recent World Junior Championships and certainly earned every bit of that bronze medal the team won. No one would have thought badly of Gallagher if he had a modest slump immediately upon his return to the WHL's Vancouver Giants, but much the opposite has transpired. After a season-high 7 (!!) points (3 G, 4 A) in his first game back, he followed it up with a goal and an assist in his other game since to give him 28 goals and 55 points in just 30 games. He is on a much better pace than last season, when he scored 44 goals and 91 points in 66 matches.

But Gallagher isn't the only Hab prospect to be enjoying strong performances. Morgan Ellis, a 6'2", 200 lbs offensive defenseman, was recently dealt from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles - the team he captained - to fellow Canadiens prospect Michael Bournival's Shawinigan Cataractes. This in and of itself is good news as Shawinigan hosts this year's Memorial Cup, guaranteeing the participation (barring injury) of both players before they make their Hamilton Bulldog debuts next season. But Ellis, who had 25 points in 34 games with Shawinigan this season, has exploded offensively since the trade in scoring 3 goals and 4 assists over three games played (with at least 2 points in each game). Ellis is often overlooked when discussing Montreal's bright future on the back end, but he does have potential to be a future Raphael Diaz with size.

Your Canadiens for January 2, 2012

A busy off-day for the Habs in Brossard this morning. Here are your top stories:

- A day after signing his 6 year contract extension, Habs Josh Gorges had to play intermediary at practice this morning has tempers flared up. After Mike Cammalleri exchanged some unfriendly words with P.K. Subban, Subban and Tomas Plekanec swapped a few shoves, nearly coming to blows. Gorges got in the middle and broke things up, and as always when this sort of thing occurs, their teammates laughed it off after practice, explaining that everyone wants to win and this sort of thing occurs when a team is struggling. It's not the first time, however, that things have gotten heated between Subban and Cammalleri/Plekanec. It may simply be a case of Subban's #AlwaysOn personality/intensity and constant chirping being tolerable when the team is hot, but unbearable when things aren't going as well.

- Pierre Gauthier addressed the media today for his annual mid-season report. Some key highlights were the repetition that Andrei Markov won't be back before the All-Star break, that Gauthier hasn't given up on the season and will explore all options to improve performance on the ice, that he apologizes for offending some by naming a unilingual Anglophone as the interim Canadiens' head coach, and that Brian Gionta will return to the line-up before Scott Gomez. Some quotes from Mr. Gauthier:

On Josh Gorges: "We're happy he accepted our offer, and thanks to him. It was an extension of discussions we had this summer, but we wanted to wait to see how his knee would hold up. His case was different than Andrei Markov's, given that he was an RFA whereas Markov was a UFA, and Mr. Gorges needed multiple parts of his knee repaired vs. Markov's problem being a single ligament."

On other UFA/RFA: "Each case is different and evaluated over the course of the season. We have no rules about when we can speak to any of our own players. We have every intention of keeping Carey Price and P.K. Subban with the team for a long time."

On Andrei Markov's health: "He is doing well and his rehab is progressing. I wouldn't expect him to play before the All-Star break. His procedure in December was just an arthroscopic surgery to clean up debris from a previous surgery and remove some scar tissue."

On Randy Cunneyworth and the language issue: "I'm sorry for offending anyone by naming a unilingual interim head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. For the coach to be able to speak French is something that is important to us, but we felt we needed to make the best move and that we had the best candidate within the organization. As Geoff Molson said, language will be a strong consideration for us when we hire a permanent head coach at season's end (whether that means Mr. Cunneyworth taking French lessons or hiring a French-speaker). We handed Mr. Cunneyworth a very difficult schedule. We hoped for better results, but we are seeing changes in the way the team competes on-ice."

On the balance of the 2011-12 season: "Our objective is to start winning and to play better hockey. 11 of our next 15 games are at home, so we hope to use this stand to turn the direction of our season around. Our fans deserve better. Our team needs to find solutions to reward the great support and dedication of our fans. We always have to be trying to improve on every level, whether it's conditioning, prospect development, through trades, or anything else. Everyone has to look in the mirror: players, coaches, and administration. We're all motivated by daily competition and focus on what we can control."

On why the team is where it is: "You have to look at injuries in a certain way. Because of the players out of the line-up, we're playing well below the salary cap, in the bottom 10 teams in the league. But still, 6 of those 10 teams are in playoff positions, so we can't blame it only on injuries. There are other problems. Every game, we're missing key veterans, but we also have veterans playing who aren't performing well. There is a trickle down effect. Too much is being asked of young players. We can't put them in this situation where they're depended on to pick up the slack. It leads to individual breakdowns."

On solutions to the current situation: "3 main areas. One is that we need reinforcement now, which could be from injured players returning to the line-up. Two is that we need improvement in our play as a team. Everybody needs to be all-in. It's a team game and we have to find a certain cohesion to play effective hockey. And third is that, as coaches and managers, we need to do our share. We'll explore all avenues to improve."

On the big contracts and salary cap moving forward: "Cap constraints are things you manage in the off-season. Everything is planned. We'll have the resources available to keep good young players. Having good players signed for several years is a good thing."

That was the gist of it. Biggest concern to me? It focused mainly on what the team can do to fix things and win now, with no mentions of building for the future. We just need to hope that whatever band-aid deal the team looks at to improve the situation, it doesn't involve taking on lengthy contracts and won't require the trading of top prospects or draft picks.

- After taking a puck to the face against Team USA, Habs prospect Nathan Beaulieu was at practice with Team Canada today. The defenseman will wear a full face shield.

- A report indicates that the Montreal Canadiens lead the NHL in ticket revenues per game.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/nhl/article/1109400--for-nhl-the-cash-is-in-canada?bn=1

That, combined with the high percentages of salaries being paid by insurance this season, means the Molson family should be making a pretty penny, playoffs or not.

Stick a Fork in Habs for a Brighter Future

As I had suggested last week, the time seems upon us accept the 2011-12 NHL season as lost for the Montreal Canadiens. Let's call it "growing pains" en route to building a Stanley Cup competitive team in Montreal. I had been willing to give the team a couple of weeks post-Christmas to see if there was hope of turning things around, but back-to-back blown lead losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers should put the nail in the coffin.

Again, this isn't a full-scale all-out rebuild. It's a quick re-tool that involves reshaping portions of the team with solutions made up of more than just rental band-aids. Let me repeat that: no rental band-aids. Consider this a plea to Habs management/ownership: may there be no further trades this season that adds to the team's salary cap moving forward with a player of uncertain caliber. And perhaps more importantly, may there be no deal sending away a draft pick or prospect for a rental or immediate help only type player.

Don't worry, Geoff Molson. If you make it clear that this is your strategy, and bring in a new, established General Manager to see it through consistently, then we'll stick with you. We are Habs fans, through and through, and after all these years, can accept one unsuccessful season to bring a Stanley Cup to Montreal before the year 2020. (but if, on the side, you could make sure the Toronto Maple Leafs also miss the playoffs this season, we'd appreciate it)

I'm sure, Mr. Molson, that you don't like paying Scott Gomez so many millions of dollars for him to underperform any more than we like to watch him play at such a cap hit. But now is the time that something must be done to change the make-up of a group that is undersized, not tough enough, and struggles so mightily to score goals. This team, even with these problems, is looking at just $17M in cap space with about 9 roster spots to fill, including new contracts needed for Carey Price, P.K. Subban, Lars Eller, Raphael Diaz, Alexei Emelin, Ryan White, and possibly UFAs Andrei Kostitsyn and/or Travis Moen. That of course is without even glancing at the UFA list of other clubs for possible additions. It seems obvious that salaries like that of Gomez or defenseman Tomas Kaberle MUST be shipped out.

On the bright side, the Canadiens do have a number of pieces in place to work towards a contending team, and a number of prospects on the way who will bolster the group. Three key areas stand out to me as needing improvement to turn this team around, being: (1) Legitimate Star Goal-Scoring Forward(s); (2) Size Up Front; (3) Toughness and/or Size on Defense. Fixing these, in this case, isn't a matter of going out and trading for a rent-a-UFA or just signing a warm body next summer, but rather a restructuring of the personnel in place to accommodate this new philosophy.

(1) Legitimate Star Goal-Scoring Forward(s)

When the Canadiens last blew up their team in 2009, it was evident they needed to find some new players to put pucks in the net. They turned to veteran scorers Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri, 5'7" and 5'9" respectively, to complement traded-for playmaking center Scott Gomez (5'11"). Gionta was named captain of the team a year in, and while he could have put up some more points, his goal production is as high as anyone could have hoped for. His two seasons of 29 and 28 prior to this year are the second and third best of his career, trailing only his standout 48-goal 2005-06 performance. Gionta further added 12 goals and 20 points in 26 playoff games.

Cammalleri, on the other hand, has been a regular season disappointment. He came to Montreal having topped the 30-goal mark in two of his previous three seasons, fresh off a 39 goal campaign with the Calgary Flames. Though he had played at least 80 games in three of his four NHL seasons before joining the Canadiens, injuries limited him to 65 and 67 games played here, in which he scored just 26 and 19 goals. Cammalleri has missed 5 games already this year, and if we project his current pace assuming he played 77, he'll continue his decline in production to reach only 18 goals. At $6M per season, Cammalleri is paid to be a star offensive goal-scorer, and while his playoff heroics can't be overlooked (16 goals and 29 points in 26 games), he has not produced at an acceptable level.

A team can afford one streaky undersized scorer at its core, but depending on two as the Canadiens do is a recipe for disaster. To improve the team, at least one of Cammalleri or Gionta should be moved, likely for future assets, and the freed up cap space spent to take another chance on the star goal scorer lottery. Easier said than done with this summer's shallow UFA class, but if they are to make it to July 1 unsigned, the team could and should make runs at Zack Parise, Tuomo Ruutu, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, and/or Brad Boyes (likely to come at a discount, high potential reward). Parise is the only true "star calibre" player in the lot, but any in the bunch could conceivably replace the 50 or so points one of Gionta or Cammalleri would score.

The other option is of course the trade market. Despite their struggles this season, I am confident that a playoff team with sufficient cap room would have interest in either Gionta or Cammalleri and that there will be a market for their services. The asset(s) obtained for these players, plus perhaps a top draft pick earned by a poor finish this season could be packaged for a young star forward. Prospect fans may salivate at the thought of adding a top 10 bluechipper this June, but that pick could also be used as a chip to acquire an Eric Staal, Joe Pavelski, Magnus Paajarvi, Shea Weber (ok, not a forward, but still scores goals), or someone else.

Alternatively, of course, if the team becomes a seller early and tanks in the standings, they may be able to acquire a top end offensive player through this summer's draft who could step in within the next couple of seasons. This is a by-product of "sticking a fork in" the Habs' season, or as some might put it, "tanking."

Fortunately, there are a couple of scorers in the pipeline in forwards Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival. The two 19-year olds seem quite mature for their age and stage of development, and could be ready for action as soon as some point next year. Still, their prime remains a few years away (and of course there's no guarantee that their scoring will translate at the pro level), so they should be considered supporting cast up-and-comers with the bulk of the duties given to veterans in the meanwhile.

(2) Size Up Front

As mentioned above, the Canadiens pinned much of their hope on three forwards who measure 5'7", 5'9", and 5'11" respectively. Even as they aimed to get bigger this season with the addition of Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty to the top 6 (steps in the right direction), one of their "biggest" offensive catalysts has been yet another 5'7" forward in David Desharnais.

In today's NHL, there is nothing wrong with having a couple of small players. The game has changed to the point where the quickest or most skilled of these undersized skaters can succeed. But just as depending on multiple streaky players can hurt a club, so can depending on many small players, which can turn match-ups against certain lines and teams with bigger and thicker players into disasters. To be most effective, guys like Gionta, Desharnais, and Cammalleri all need to be surrounded by bigger bodies to create space for them rather than playing just with each other. As such, beyond moving a Gionta or Cammalleri, if the team could find a bigger center to replace Desharnais (despite his success this year and cheap contract), the option of selling high on him for the greater good of the team should be looked at.

This is also an area where the prospect pool is quite thin. Realistically, Brendan Gallagher and Danny Kristo may be the only two in the system with top 6 upside, and both are under 6'0". Likely third liners Louis Leblanc and Michael Bournival are roughly 6'0" on the nose, and most of the other forwards are long-shots or projects at best. There is definitely a need to restock the pool in this summer's entry draft, but also a need to free up some roster spots to acquire some bigger bodies through trades and signings.

The most important area to beef up is very likely down the middle, where three of the team's top centers in Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais, and Scott Gomez are all under 6'0". Only Lars Eller brings size to the equation, and while I'm a big fan of his, his lack of finish thus far leaves his offensive upside a question mark. Having a bigger guy at center opens up a spot to play him with a smaller winger, which could make Tuomo Ruutu a great fit as a summer signing. Ruutu never lived up to his pre-draft billing that made him the 9th overall selection in 2001, but he can still chip in 20 goals and 40+ points with a 6'2" frame that isn't afraid to hit. At 28, he should still have some productive seasons left in him.

On the wing, after a great rookie season in Anaheim, Dustin Penner's career took a big turn for the worse, with this year's production nearing disastrous levels in Los Angeles. If he'll take a paycut, though, he could be an attractive target with his 6'4", 240 lbs frame to provide secondary scoring from a third line. Beyond Penner, the need for size permeates to the fourth line as well where the Canadiens could use a couple of bruisers to make them a tougher team to play against. A legitimate fourth line composed of large NHL'ers who aren't goons (meaning they can play hockey) but can throw a hit would ware down opposing teams and thus help the other lines with their matchups. Some third or fourth line types who could help the team in this aspect include Tom Kostopoulos, Chris Kelly, Jay McClement, Adam Burish, Jim Slater, Dominic Moore, Arron Asham, Taylor Pyatt, and/or Tanner Glass, each of whom is 6'0" or larger.

(3) Toughness and/or Size on Defense

Looking past the forwards, Montreal's back end also needs quite a bit of work. Unlike up front, the team can fortunately look forward to a stacked prospect pipeline that will ensure strong organizational depth as soon as next year, but needs more immediate help to carry the torch until the next generation is ready. Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Morgan Ellis, and Greg Pateryn should all join the Hamilton Bulldogs next season (and Beaulieu or Tinordi should be ready for emergency call-up duty if necessary as soon as a year from now), with Darren Dietz, Mac Bennett, and perhaps Magnus Nygren likely a year after them. Tinordi is a known commodity to most, being the type of big, tough player the team is short on, but Pateryn fills the mold as well and, turning 22 in June, is more physically mature. Pateryn, if you forget, is the other asset the Canadiens acquired along with a 2nd round pick (later traded for Robert Lang) from the Toronto Maple Leafs in return for Mikhail Grabovski. He is completing his fourth season at the University of Michigan where he plays with Bennett.

But enough about the future. With Andrei Markov, Tomas Kaberle, Yannick Weber, and Raphael Diaz under contract, the Canadiens have far too many smallish, softish, puck-moving offensive-oriented blueliners. Plus there's P.K. Subban who would be most optimally paired with a big, responsible, defensive partner. Hal Gill's age is catching up to him and should be dealt for maximal return by the trade deadline, and likewise for Chris Campoli (though his return will be much less). Josh Gorges (6'1", 200 lbs) and Alexei Emelin (6'2", 223 lbs) are definitely parts of the solution defensively, but the addition of another minute-eating hitter would really round the group out well. Without the ability to bring a Tinordi from the future to the present day, the UFA market offers some interesting possibilities such as Ryan Suter, Brad Stuart, Francois Beauchemin, or Dennis Wideman at the top end, with Bryan Allen, Willie Mitchell, Pavel Kubina, Nicklas Grossman, Shane O'Brien, and Johnny Boychuk as depth-type options. The problem is that signing one of these players is dependent on the Habs finding a way to unload Tomas Kaberle's two remaining seasons at $4.25M a year - easier said than done. Still, I'd have to imagine the Canadiens couldn't be the only team to be curious about him, and so perhaps they can find someone to take him of their hands for no "real" return. I would propose a defense something like the following for next season:

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Top End UFA - P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Frederic St. Denis or depth UFA

With the up-and-comers in the organization, the key might be to find a top end UFA willing to sign for just 2-3 years instead of a long-term contract. Gorges is versatile, able to play either side with ease, and the Emelin - Diaz pairing has shown some nice chemistry this season.

So that's pretty much what it looks like to me. In summary, steps to the Habs' success:

1. Find takers for Gomez + Kaberle

2. Find reasonable offer for either Gionta or Cammalleri

3. Sell UFAs Gill and Campoli; consider re-signing Kostitsyn and Moen, but sell if not signed by deadline

4. Replace talent with new goal scorers, bigger forwards, and tougher defensemen

5. Obtain a top draft pick in 2012

6. ...

7. Profit.

Big Night for Habs and their Juniors

Montreal - Habs fans will be forgiven for thinking, in last night's third period, that they were watching a tape of many prior third periods this season. We've seen the horror story before: the Canadiens build a lead (in this case, 3-1), then sit back, and some sloppy defensive zone coverage lets the other team right back in. Last night, Jacques Martin was quick to point out P.K. Subban on the New York Islanders' first goal, and Raphael Diaz on their third as the culprits of bad giveaways that almost cost the Canadiens a point or two.

But at the end of the day, we will look back on this night and see two points in the bank. It wasn't always pretty - and who'd have thought that Mathieu Darche, Petteri Nokelainen, and Hal Gill could ever all score in the same game (#PlayersWithMoreGoalsThanScottGomez) - but with the amount of points the team has lost this year that they likely should have earned, I'll take it. Sad but true, the win puts the Habs at two games over .500 for the first time this season!

There were definitely things to build on. Erik Cole remained, as he has been since about game 7 of the season, the Canadiens' most dangerous forward. He is definitely staking claim for his signing to be Pierre Gauthier's best move as GM. His 11th goal of the season tied him with Max Pacioretty for the team lead and has him on pace for 29, just short of his career high of 30. But what was perhaps more impressive was a play in the third period where Cole, being his usual self, drove hard to the net with the puck, but had his legs taken out by defenseman Travis Hamonic, resulting in his crashing hard into the goal post. Cole stayed on the ice for a few seconds, as Habs fans around the world held their breath, but he got up, skated around, and stayed on the bench. Moments later, he was back on the ice, and repeated the play almost immediately. He took the puck and drove in hard, again against Hamonic, generating a chance. This time it was Hamonic knocking the net off its moorings, but it didn't stop Cole from chopping a buck past Al Montoya after the whistle had gone. Hamonic challenged Cole, and the likable American didn't back down, engaging in some jousting. If Brian Gionta is ever dealt away from Montreal, I'd say Cole is as strong a candidate as any to take over as captain.

Also good last night was Lars Eller, assisting on Nokelainen's game winner. He showed more glimpses of his incredibly soft hands that make him, in my mind, the best stickhandler on the team. However, he suffers from a chronic lack of finish. I'm not sure what it's going to take for him to unblock (better linemates?), but it is certain that his stat line doesn't come close to reflecting his incredibly high skill level.

Tomas Kaberle is a general on the blueline on the powerplay. He patrols the center of the ice efficiently, and is extremely proficient and holding the puck in along the line. The team's powerplay has improved tenfold with his addition, even if there are still a few kinks to work out. His even strength play, however, does leave something to be desired. After being on the ice for the tying goal, he was glued to the bench for the final 8 or so minutes of regulation.

Chris Campoli looked solid in his debut. He won't wow anyone with his defensive zone play, but he's more intense in his own zone than Kaberle, and supported the attack well on a couple of occasions. With Diaz having a bit of an off night, it will be interesting to see how Jacques Martin manages his d-men and if he re-inserts Alexei Emelin for tomorrow's game against the tough Philadelphia Flyers.

There was some concern as Travis Moen, he of a therapy day missing practice on Monday, took a shot off the foot and left the game. Moen has been playing some great hockey for the team, and though he is considered day-to-day for now, if he is to miss some time, his loss will be felt. Especially since even with Moen, the team only has 11 healthy forwards on the roster. A call-up from Hamilton would be necessary to replace him.

Still missing in action were Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri has always been a streaky scorer, so fans can continue to hope that it begins to click in the near future. Plekanec, however, is a bit of a concern, as it isn't his skill level or shot that earned him a fat contract. It has been his intensity, jump, two-way play, and creativity on the ice that have endeared him to Habs fans, and even if he does lead the team in points, all of these traits have been lacking this season. He has been unable to create offense or help the game of his linemates, and given that he was generally always a guy to bring his 110% on a nightly basis, it is quite inexplicable.

But, a win is a win. The Canadiens are in striking distance of climbing back into a playoff spot, and hopefully they can extend their longest winning streak in a month (2 games) against some tougher competition in the days ahead.

Alberta - Yesterday was the third on-ice day at Hockey Canada's World Junior Championships selection camp. Habs' prospect Brendan Gallagher was made a healthy scratch for the final exhibition game, indicated that he has made the final roster. Congratulation Brendan!

Playing for their spots last night, however, were Nathan Beaulieu and Michael Bournival, both in hot competition for spots as an offensive D and two-way center respectively. For the most part, Bournival had been relatively unnoticeable, while Beaulieu had looked good on the powerplay but had largely failed to produce.

Last night changed everything, with strong performances from both future Canadiens. Beaulieu assisted on Canada's first goal against the CIS Alberta All-Star team (on the powerplay) before adding a powerplay marker of his own to tie the game at two. He generated chances all night and was quite solid in his own end. He definitely did all he could to leave a good enough impression to make the squad. At this point, I'd be more surprised if he did not make it than if he did.

Bournival, meanwhile, skating on a line with Brett Connolly and Brett Bulmer, had perhaps some of his team's best shifts throughout the game, with a number of strong cycling shifts down low in the offensive zone, very fitting for a guy looking to lock down a possible fourth line role. But with Philip Danault, one of Bournival's possible competitors for the spot, potting two goals in the second period, the Shawinigan Cataractes captain needed to step it up further. And that he did, roofing a wrist shot top shelf for a goal of his own.

Beaulieu and Bournival performed as well as could have been hoped for, but must now play the waiting game due to the deep talent pool in camp. They'll find out their Christmas fate over the next couple of hours as Canada makes its final cuts.

Remember, remember the third of December

The question on the minds of Habs fans around the planet for weeks now has been just what/when will be the tipping point for Pierre Gauthier, Geoff Molson, or anyone else in the Habs' brass to signify that changes are needed... and fast.

The start of the season has been a difficult one for your Montreal Canadiens. Sure, injuries have been an issue, but most of the injuries the team has faced have been ones that should have been foreseeable this summer. The young defense put on the ice is improving, but still has major structural issues.

The bigger problem, though, has been the play of some of the forwards the team counts on to lead the way offensively. This starts right at the top with team captain Brian Gionta. The effort seems to be there, as it always has been with Gio. So then what's the problem? Is it an undisclosed injury? Off-ice issues? Just a prolonged slump? It isn't a matter of simply not scoring, but his overall game on the ice is simply not at the level we should expect of the 32-year old. When you're 5'7", unfortunately, no matter how established you are, you don't get the luxury of coasting through patches like this. Gionta has been a non-factor for quite some time, even though he's on pace for a similar point total to last season.

Speaking of producing but not being effective, we can next talk about #1 center Tomas Plekanec. It seem odd for me to lump the team's leading scorer into this "underperforming" category, but at $5M per season, Plekanec is looked at to be an offensive catalyst. He has been his usual positionally-sound self on the penalty kill, and has managed 21 points in 26 games, but he is unable to raise the game of his linemates, and has been far less noticeable than the likes of David Desharnais or Lars Eller lately, who have helped to create sustained pressure in the offensive zone and shift a game's momentum. Perhaps part of the blame could be placed on Jacques Martin for moving Pleks to the point on the powerplay, where he has looked tentative and probe to mistakes despite producing a couple of goals.

The final member of this group is Mike Cammalleri. He had a solid game last night after being shifted to the David Desharnais / Erik Cole line, but he has been very ineffective in most games. An injury may be at play here, but if it isn't, his total unwillingness to engage physically or to make necessary sacrifices to make plays has been unacceptable. In his final season in Calgary, Cammalleri scored 39 goals. His first year with the Habs saw him net 26 in 65 games, then last season 19 in 67 games. Prorating his goal total thus far this year would give him just under 19 in 66 games. Unacceptable for a player being paid $6M per year for his goal scoring talents.

You'll notice I left Scott Gomez off the list. I don't think it would have been right to expect much from him this summer based on last season's performance. It was more a case of hoping to be pleasantly surprised, which, even injuries aside, we haven't been.

If these are some of the problems, then what are the solutions that could come on what just might be D-Day tomorrow should the Habs lose to the Los Angeles Kings. I wrote yesterday about my desire to have Jacques Martin replaced, and quite possibly Pierre Gauthier along with him. Randy Carlyle becomes likely the most interesting name as a potential Martin replacement, with the major problem being his lack of French. I'd be a fan of bringing Carlyle in as head coach with a French associate coach to split duties (kind of like what the Edmonton Oilers did with Pat Quinn and Tom Renney), but not sure how realistic that is in the eyes of management, especially considering they are still paying Guy Carbonneau and would have to pay Martin off to end his deal.

But we don't know for certain how Geoff Molson feels. He may have full confidence in Gauthier's (and yes, even Martin's) ability to run this ship, and thus may give him plenty of rope to try to save the season and effectively his job.

That, then, could mean a trade. For those who don't read Twitter rumours, controversial Twitter figure Incarcerated Bob put out a Tweet last night along the same lines of rumours we've seen brewing for a few weeks. Bob had the Calgary Flames approaching captain Jarome Iginla about waiving his no trade clause on a framework deal that would send him to Montreal. Bob mentioned the names of Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber, and the Canadiens' first round pick (plus a necessary salary dump) as possible pieces going to Calgary, with Iginla and more coming back in return. He suggested Iginla would likely require a few days to mull the idea over, though he was still dressed for the Flames' game last night. If you don't know iBob, he isn't quite Eklund. He isn't batting 1.000 (had Scott Gomez to the New York Islanders as a pretty sure thing this summer), but he has managed to break a number of stories correctly before any other mainstream media. The timing of the rumour is also interesting. The Anaheim Ducks went public yesterday, stating that with their coaching change, Bobby Ryan was taken off the trade market. It would be logical, then, that the Habs were in on Ryan, and with him no longer available, moved on to their next target. It is also interesting that, at the end of regulation time last night, Iginla had played only 15:42, far less than his second lowest total this season.

But, it's just a flimsy rumour at best right now. And of course, Habs fans would lynch Gauthier if he even considered dealing a young powerforward like Max Pacioretty. Iginla is a great player, and you have to give to get, but the Canadiens don't seem to be just one Iginla away from a Stanley Cup with the way they're playing right now. I would go as far as to say I wouldn't give up Pacioretty straight up for Iginla. The talk could become more interesting if Calgary's first round pick was coming back to Montreal, as that represents a top 5 potential lottery selection that could give the Canadiens the kind of superstar they haven't had since the days of Patrick Roy.

Why is tomorrow likely D-Day for the current team? Well it's hard to make changes in the middle of a road trip, and the Canadiens come back home following their afternoon'er in Los Angeles. That gives plenty of time that very day to announce anything that has already been set into motion, and then two days off to work any changes into the line-up. Plus, few teams not in the playoffs as of December 1st in a given season are able to rally to make it there, even with so many games left to be played. This is the nature of the parity in the league. And that's why we should expect changes. Changes bigger than bringing in Petteri Nokelainen or firing Perry Pearn.

Thus all signs point to December 3rd as a big day for the team and its fans where those in charge of the mess that has been this early season are held accountable for their actions. Remember, remember the third of December, as it may be a day that shapes the club's fate for the foreseeable future.

Your Canadiens for November 17, 2011

Some updates prior to the Canadiens engaging in the second half of back-to-back games, this one taking place in New York against the Islanders.

- Peter Budaj gets the call in goal for Montreal. With Carey Price recording a shutout last night, and there being a third game in four nights on Saturday, this seems like a good call. Budaj was solid enough in his last start, and Price will be back in goal to face the Rangers.

- Both Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek will be out again for tonight. This means Frederic St. Denis will play his second NHL game after a decent debut last night.

UPDATE: According to Renaud Lavoie this evening, Gill's illness has him in the hospital. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and I wish him the speediest and fullest of recoveries! It means, though, that he'll likely be out for Saturday's game as well.

- Evgeni Nabokov will get the start for New York against the Habs. Nabokov has played 7 games for the Isles, with a 1-5 record, 2.89 GAA, and .910 save percentage. Kyle Okposo, who is having a tough start to the season and has fallen out of favour somewhat in Long Island, will be a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game.

- There will be 4 Swiss-born players in tonight's game: Nino Niederreiter and former Canadien Mark Streit for the Isles, and of course Yannick Weber and Raphael Diaz for Montreal.

- The Abbotsford Heat have lent 21-year old center Mitch Wahl to the Hamilton Bulldogs for the remainder of this season. Wahl, a 2nd round draft pick of the Calgary Flames in 2008, missed all but 17 games in his AHL rookie season last year due to injury, and put up 5 points. The 6'0", 200 lbs California native spent 5 games in the ECHL this year where he scored 5 goals and 7 points, but has no points in 5 games at the AHL level. Note that even though Wahl will play for the 'Dogs, he remains Flames property and could not be called up by the Canadiens. For more on Wahl, see here:

http://www.abbynews.com/sports/heat/news/134075238.html

- The Canadiens organization mourns the loss of former long-time trainer Eddy Palchak, who passed away last night. Rest in peace Eddy. See a nice tribute to him here:

http://www.hockeyinsideout.com/news/canadiens-hockey-mourn-passing-of-eddy-palchak

- On a happier note, Mike Cammalleri Tweeted YouTube links to the latest series of BioSteel web ads. Here are the two that star the Habs' sniper.

- The CHL yesterday posted its latest edition of the Top 10 clubs CHL-wide:

http://www.lhjmq.qc.ca/article/la-lch-d-voile-le-classement-du-top-10-bmo-mastercard-de-la-lch/109464

You'll notice the teams of many Canadiens' junior prospects included:

#1 - Jarred Tinordi's London Knights

#2 - Nathan Beaulieu's Saint John Sea Dogs

#6 - Darren Dietz's Saskatoon Blades

#9 - Michael Bournival's Shawinigan Cataractes

Each of the four is a significant contributor to their team's success.

And speaking of Beaulieu, you can contribute to his Movember campaign and check out pics of him with a "stache" here:

http://ca.movember.com/mospace/2363422/

- Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Stephane Quintal has been hired by the National Hockey League to assist Brendan Shanahan with league player discipline issues.

http://fr.canoe.ca/sports/nouvelles/hockey/lnh/archives/2011/11/20111117-121407.html

- On the subject of discipline, it was finally made official today that Zdeno Chara will face no charges from Montreal police for his hit on Max Pacioretty.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2011-11-17/no-charge-for-chara/51270586/1

Your Canadiens for October 11, 2011

As we anxiously await news on the health of Mike Cammalleri and Jaroslav Spacek which should come at this morning's practice, we can fill you in on some things you may have missed while enjoying your turkey yesterday.

UPDATE: - Jacques Martin briefed the media on the status of his injured players.

Mike Cammalleri is expected to miss 10-14 days of action with a deep cut near his left thigh. There is no muscle or ligament damage, fortunately.

Jaroslav Spacek continues to experience upper body pain following a hit on Sunday. He is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action.

Lars Eller "hopes" to be ready for Thursday's home opener. As he himself put it, because of Habs' injury woes, "there's no one else left to play!"

UPDATE: - Lines from practice:

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Travis Moen - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Lars Eller - Andreas Engqvist - Aaron Palushaj

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Josh Gorges - Raphael Diaz

Alexei Emelin - Yannick Weber

At first glance they look passable, but under closer inspection, the team needs help as the roster is riddled with young, unproven players and oddly formed combinations. As was expected, neither Mike Cammalleri nor Jaroslav Spacek were at practice, and we'll get an update on their status when it's done. The Tomas Plekanec line is a mess with a slow-starting Erik Cole and a third/fourth line two-way forward in Travis Moen on his wings (the way the line finished the game on Sunday, which, I'll admit, worked well enough for that afternoon). For those that don't watch him enough, Sunday's breakaway goal was far from the first time that Moen has shown off some flashy hands. In fact, he rather regularly tries skill moves in the offensive zone and is quite effective, but his skating, passing, and shot leave him as more of a defensive player. It shouldn't be a surprise, though, that Jacques Martin has gone back to putting him into the top 6, a favourite move of his when injuries pop up. I'd have rather seen Aaron Palushaj, Mathieu Darche, or Andrei Kostitsyn there easily.

The fourth line has a major identity crisis, though at least it offers good size. If Palushaj plays well, swapping him for Moen in the line-up would make a whole lot of sense in clarifying the roles of each trio.

Lars Eller will return to the line-up but he's being started at wing on the fourth line (for now). Andreas Engqvist is being kept at center as he has done well in the face-off circle thus far.

That defense is awfully young and inexperienced, with Josh Gorges being forced to his off-side to play with Raphael Diaz. NHL rookies Diaz and Alexei Yemelin join sophomores Yannick Weber and P.K. Subban in what must be the defense with the least amount of NHL games played league-wide.

I'm sure Pierre Gauthier is busy working the phones as we speak.

- The Canadiens called forward Aaron Palushaj up from the Hamilton Bulldogs yesterday. Palushaj had a disappointing first half of training camp but turned it up a notch in the last few preseason games, collecting 4 points. He had 2 assists in Hamilton's season opener (their only game thus far).

- Brendan Gallagher exploded offensively on Thanksgiving Monday with 3 goals and 2 assists in a 5-1 Vancouver Giants win. Gallagher now has 7 goals and 2 assists in just 4 games. He and Michael Bournival are definite bright spots in the organization in this young season and both look like near-locks for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships.

09/10/11: Montreal 5, Winnipeg 1; stay classy, Jets fans

So it was still far from a perfect game for your Montreal Canadiens, but it certainly was a relief to score some goals and get in the win column before hitting the Bell Centre ice this coming Thursday for the team's home opener. Sorry for spoiling your party, Winnipeg, but a huge round of applause to the fans that packed the noisy stadium for sticking around to the end of this one-sided affair (though just on the scoreboard) and then giving your boys an ovation to welcome them home at game's end.

Despite the score, the Habs owe this one to Carey Price who was simply sensational. With the exception of one banged in rebound, he kept buzzing Jets forwards at bay all night, including a number of ten bell saves.

Unlike the game against the Leafs, however, Price got run support this time. The Canadiens were opportunistic, cashing in on their chances with a number of pretty markers as Tomas Plekanec paced the offense with a goal and 2 helpers. Yannick Weber broke the team's powerplay goose egg on a 4-on-3 advantage and also added an assist, taking on a bigger role after Jaroslav Spacek was forced to leave due to an upper body injury early on in the game.

Mike Cammalleri scored the Canadiens first goal of the 2011-12 campaign early on, making him the answer to the trivia question of who scored the first marker in the first game back in Winnipeg. Habs fans will care more, however, about the fact that he was forced out of the game after having his left leg accidentally cut open by the blade of Weber's skate. The report is a leg laceration will keep him out about 2 weeks.

A lot of Habs had pretty good nights. Yannick Weber looked much better than his training camp self after moving back to the point. Raphael Diaz's maturation continues. Alexei Emelin was rather sound for his NHL debut despite a poor penalty.

Others not so much. Erik Cole looks out of synch right now, something obviously not lost on Jacques Martin seen in his greatly reduced ice time. Brian Gionta fanned on a number of in-close scoring chances. P.K. Subban still looks awkward leading the top powerplay and is often caught out of position defensively.

But it was a win. And it felt good. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens manage to replace Cammalleri and Spacek in the short term, likely by shifting Weber back to D and calling up Aaron Palushaj, while hoping Lars Eller is ready to face the Calgary Flames on Thursday. But perhaps Pierre Gauthier opts to test the trade market or sign a remaining free agent (Bryan McCabe, Paul Mara, and John Madden are some of the more intriguing - and I use that word loosely - names out there).

One thing I am sincerely hoping for is an end to the Plekanec on the powerplay point experiment. Last season, the PP struggles ended when Montreal put two shooters on the blueline (Subban and James Wisniewski), so it would be natural to try Weber with Subban to again give the team two shot options. Until Andrei Markov can re-join the group, this looks like the best choice for the top unit.

With the Canadiens having the day off for Thanksgiving today, don't expect any real updates on Spacek or Cammalleri until tomorrow's practice. The team says the injuries are minor, and Cammalleri said he's "fine," but then again, so was Blair Betts.

In any case, there remains lots of work to do and possible chances to come in the three days off until the next game. But when Thursday does come, I am excited to join in as we Hab fans raise the Bell Centre roof just as Jets fans got to do last night.

24/09/11: Ottawa 3, Montreal 2; Sens dish out revenge

Playing with a line-up that included minimal vets, the Canadiens were surprisingly effective for half of last night's game, taking a 2-0 lead. But just as they had overcome a 3-0 deficit to Ottawa the night prior, the Sens came roaring back, snapping a 2-2 tie on a Chris Neil goal on the powerplay with about 30 seconds to play to steal the win.

The positives? (other than the fact that it's still only preseason) Carey Price continues to show slow and steady progress, looking better every time he takes to the goal. Though his back-up Peter Budaj will go the distance tonight, there should be little doubt Price will be ready for a date with the Leafs in October.

Mike Cammalleri looks to have gained a bit in footspeed this off-season, looking quick throughout preseason and netting a pair in this one to pace the team. Also contributing offensively was Aaron Palushaj. Yes, you read that right. Aaron Palushaj. Hello Mr Palushaj and welcome to training camp. You've shown up 2 weeks late, but better late than never.

Gabriel Dumont turned in another solid performance, playing with more offensive wingers. Certainly the Canadiens would rather have Andreas Engqvist in the line-up for size reasons, but based on play and merit, Dumont should have a lead on him in the fourth line center battle right now. The decision is likely to come down to the wire over the last few preseason games, and as we get a better idea on the health of David Desharnais, Lars Eller, and Ryan White.

Olivier Archambault showed some nice offensive creativity at times in his preseason debut, though for now, he can be regarded as a long-term project at best.

Nathan Beaulieu led all Montreal blueliners with close to 23 minutes of ice time. While he was perhaps less noticeable than in his first game, he again showed to be a great skater and have tremendous sense and confidence with the puck. Certainly a future fixture on the Habs back end. Mark Mitera, getting his first preseason action, played the fewest minutes at 16:14 but didn't look out of place, with a couple of strong plays defensively and even picking up assists on both goals.

Canadiens Training Camp Opens with Annual Golf Tournament

(Quotes taken from various Twitter accounts, most notably CanadiensMTL, JFChamont, renhockey, and ArponBasu)

Today marks the start of the official Montreal Canadiens 2011 Training Camp as players reported in for the annual Golf Tournament. Next step for them will be physicals on Friday. Some quotes from the guys this morning are below.

If you want to hear them speak for yourself, check out The Team 990's audio page HERE. Big thanks to them for much of the content!

Also, check some notes and audio from Hockey Inside/Out HERE. Some video clips from their site are embedded at the bottom of this post as well.

A few more quotes (mostly the same ones as below) in the Canadiens.com article HERE. But they've got a nice little photo gallery to go with it HERE. And even more photos from Cyberpresse HERE.

Erik Cole: "The media isn't as intimidating as they make it out to be. You may or may not believe this, but I was actually recognized on the street a few times in Raleigh too!"

"I've been in and out of town for the majority of the summer, and permanently moved in the middle of August, trying to get the family settled, kids back in school. We're not on the island, decided to go out in the south shore, close to the practice facility."

"Great group of guys, tremendous staff, everything. World class organization and facilities."

"It's the atmosphere, it's everything [about the Bell Centre that brings out the best in me]. It's a special place to play; it has to do with the history and the passion."

"It's important for the NHL to work together with the PA to listen to the guys who are going through the hits and symptoms. It's a combined effort, but there's more and more that can be done to protect players."

Pierre Gauthier: Confirming our fears this morning, Pierre Gauthier on Andrei Markov: "If the season started tomorrow, he would not be available to us. We hope he'll be ready for opening night against the Leafs, but no guarantees. I have guarded optimism for the team's chances this season."

"There's only 5 guys left from the team 3 years ago. Now we've identified leadership and the team is more stable."

"Everybody is doing well. Some are out of rehab, some are in it still. There are no long-term issues of any kind. Obviously when you have players who have had knee reconstruction, some adaptation will be needed even when they're playing. I don't know that either Mr. Markov or Mr. Gorges will be playing 28 minutes the first game. Their medicals are Friday, but the prognosis is good."

"In the case of Mr. Cole, we made the call at 12:01 and made sure his agent knew he was #1 on our list."

"I have good feelings about all our players right now, including Mr. Gomez, and they've all had good summers. It's obvious when you're around [the players] that there's real commitment to the team. There are few egos; they all want to win. The mood is very optimistic. They know they have a good team that had a few injuries. We've been chomping at the bit for a while here."

"I know [Andrei Kostitsyn and Jacques Martin] get along and Andrei is a very respectful person. It doesn't carry much weight; Mr. Martin and myself said this is out of character and there is nothing there."

"I know Mr. Yemelin is very excited; it's been 2 or 3 years that he has wanted to come. He's a national team level player, who will have an adaptation like any European player, but we hope he can contribute."

On the subject of Andrei Markov, by day's end, reports indicated that he had a setback during the summer due to training too hard and too quickly to get ready for the season, resulting in him having to have water drained from his knee. This is the reason his status remains uncertain, though we should get a good update on Friday as to his health.

Mike Cammalleri: [on limited offensive production in the league despite rule changes] "I think goaltending equipment is still too big. You get very few goalies that play like Martin Brodeur, Marty Turco, or even Carey is a guy who plays the game more athletically."

"You just wrote down we have a minute and a half left, but I could talk about headshots for six hours. Stuff can be done to 'safe-en' our game while it remains fun and exciting."

[about Boston winning the Cup] "Did they win it? I don't even know."

Brian Gionta, who drove Cole to the golf course this morning: "Our goal entering the season is to win the Stanley Cup."

"Andrei [Kostitsyn] is a big part of this team. He brings grit and secondary scoring and he understands his role on this team."

"Nobody was happy [with Gomez] last year, himself included. He brings a dimension we need to the team and he's anxious to get going and put last year behind. He took it hard; nobody puts more pressure on themselves than he does. He's not content with just packing it in. He's going to be a huge part of this team as a top 2 center."

"Jacques Martin does not need to be your friend. He manages the players and it doesn't have to be a great relationship at all times."

Carey Price: "I don't feel pressure to repeat last season's performance. You never train thinking or expecting to have a bad season. A hockey season is a marathon, not a sprint."

"Josh Gorges will hopefully be twice as good this year [now that he has 2 knees]."

"It was fun to get a way for a little, but I was sitting at home all summer itching to get back. I missed playing hockey."

"We've gotta be looking at ourselves as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference."

"I talked to Peter; he's a really nice guy. We get along really well and have a lot of the same beliefs. Everyone you talk to around the league that's played with him will tell you what a great guy he is."

"Both Markov and Gorges are doing really well and they're really big parts of our D row. I'm very confident they'll be ready to go."

"It's always tough to watch another team win because you're jealous. But out of all the guys that could have won the cup, I think Tim [Thomas] really deserved it with the way he played all season."

Jacques Martin: "I haven't spoken to Andrei Kostitsyn, but I don't foresee any problems with communication. The recipe to get Scott Gomez going this year comes from Gomez himself."

"I am eager to watch some of the young kids like Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Michael Bounrival, and Brendan Gallagher live in preseason games." You and us both, Mr. Martin. You and us both. Which is good news cause it sounds like these guys will all see action!

Andrei Kostitsyn (whose English is quite improved): "I'm good with Jacques; I never say anything bad about him. I'm here for a good season."

"I will see Jacques tomorrow and we'll talk about what the newspaper said and we should be good for the season. Jacques is a good coach."

"I come to play hockey and think this season will be better than the last couple."

"We'll see what happens in preseason games but I think it's good help for us to have this Erik Cole to help us score more goals."

"I like everything Montreal Canadiens. [The city,] the style, and everything."

"I'm 100% ready for the start of the season."

"I'd like to stay in Montreal. I'd have liked to sign not 1 year, but more years."

"I do everything I can every game. I try to score more goals and play better than last season."

Ryan White arrived at the tournament wearing a Hamilton Bulldogs polo shirt, but was quickly given a Canadiens blue shirt to change into.

Max Pacioretty: "I'm actually excited to receive that first hit this year. Maybe a teammate can help me out! I hope to come back to play at the same level I was at, if not better."

"I put on 10 pounds this year - all muscle; my body fat went down too."

"We're that same team from last year, except now we have Gorges, Markov, Cole, and myself. We have three good lines of offense and you can mix and match line combos."

"[Gomez] and I have pretty good chemistry because he's always looking to pass and I'm always looking to shoot. With him, you know he's going to take the puck from end to end, and hopefully I can create some space for him with my body. I hope to play with [Gomez and Gionta] again to start the season."

"[25 goals and 25 assists] sound like perfect goals for me this year, and I think I can hit them."

"[I spoke to Chara] just one time, and that's all I really want to speak. It was tough enough to make that phone call. He apologized, but I want to put all of that in the past and I'm glad it's out of the way."

"I told my 'Ma the night I got injured when they told me in a hospital bed that my neck was fractured, 'That's probably it, huh? I'll never play again?' But she encouraged me the whole way, telling me that I'm a quick healer."

"I couldn't even remember my own name in the hospital, but somehow I remembered [wife Katia Afinogenova's] phone number, so I called her up and asked her to come over here, forgetting she was in Florida."

Pacioretty also announced the formation of the Max Pacioretty Foundation for research and development for brain trauma at the Montreal General Hospital, expected to launch sometime soon.

Josh Gorges: "I'm 100%. In fact, the doctors were ready to give me the green light had we advanced to the third round of the playoffs. I'll be ready to go from day 1."

P.K. Subban: "I'm only 22 years old. I still have a lot of room to improve. I'm feeling good but as a precautionary thing, because of a minor upper body thing that happened a while ago, I won't golf today, but I'll be ready for day 1 of camp."

"AC Milan sucks! I'm a fan of Manchester United."

"Off-season training for me is not a joke. That's where I get better and improve as a player. That's where I get faster and get stronger. You have to take it seriously."

"I'm at a very critical and sensitive time in my career where everything I do is magnified, so my focus has to be sharp and precise. I need to focus on the things that will make me succeed. At the end of the day, I don't think [the exchange between him and Mike Richards] it's anything personal. Not about me, or about Mike. That's just hockey. Everybody has their own way of trying to get guys off their game."

"I can't say I was upset when [Boston] won the Cup. As a player, you don't want to be envious; you have to congratulate them and give credit when they deserve it. Their leaders did a good job of keeping the team together. If I didn't like them winning the championship, I would never let them know it. On the ice, you gotta bring it."

"I don't really know what a sophomore jinx is. Any league I played in, I got better every year. It's news to me, people bringing it up to me, 'the sophomore jinx.'"

"I don't know [who I'll play with on D]. Those decisions are up to Jacques Martin. I have a job to do, Hal has a job to do, Marky has a job to do, Georgie has a job to do. It's about the team moving forward; you don't know where you're going to fit in. You have to earn your ice time and not come in expecting anything."

"Everybody's a coach. For me, I'm just playing the game the way I can do it to make the team successful. I play the game the way the game dictates me to play. You have to learn when to [jump into the rush]."

Mathieu Darche: "I've been training all-out for 8 or 9 weeks already. I feel young!"

Scott Gomez: "I'm ready to deliver."

Lars Eller: "I hope to be in the line-up on October 6th, and I'd say it's a strong possibility, but I'm still waiting for the green light from doctors to practice with contact."

The following players did not golf today: Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec by preference, while Josh Gorges, Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, and Lars Eller skipped out as they are rehabbing minor injuries.

Young potential "rookies-to-be" like Rafael Diaz, Alexei Yemelin, and Andreas Engqvist were not present at the tournament, despite also being excluded from Rookie Camp. Seems like they fall under a "misfit" category meaning we won't see them till weight-ins on Friday.

Some video courtesy of Hockey Inside/Out: