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.

A Great Day to be a Habs Fan

In an early season that has had plenty of ups and downs for diehard Montreal Canadiens fans, last night was certainly one where we could all sit back and smile.

Not only did the Habs put up a dominating 4-0 win, giving Carey Price his first shutout (and assist!) of the season and P.K. Subban his first goal (a culmination of greatly improved play over the past few games), but for the first time in the 2011-12 regular season, the team is now above the .500 winning percentage mark. They've battled their way to that point with an impressive 7-2-1 record over the past 10 games. And if even that isn't enough to please you... at long last, Mathieu Darche did NOT receive any powerplay time yesterday!

I recently saw it suggested that Erik Cole might be one of the more disappointing off-season signings league-wide. If you had only watched the first 7 Montreal Canadiens games this year, I could see how you would think that. Cole took his time finding his zone in Montreal. But over the last 11 contests, night in, night out, Cole has been one of the team's most dangerous forwards, playing physically and driving the net hard. Over the last 11 games, Cole has picked up 4 goals and 4 assists, a rate which would project to 60 points on an 82-game season. Sixty is just one less than Cole's career high of 61 set in 2006-07, so it would be unrealistic for Habs fans to expect anything more from him. I, for one, am loving Cole, and feel every bit as happy about the signing as when it was first announced (or when I was clamouring for it prior to July 1).

Shifting over to other good news which made it a great day to be a Habs fan...

- Yesterday evening, the Montreal Canadiens announced the signing of Brendan Gallagher to a 3-year entry level contract. Gallagher is in his final season with the Vancouver Giants, where he currently has 18 goals and 31 points in 18 games. He is well on pace to better his last season's totals of 44 goals and 91 points in 66 games and seems a near-lock to represent Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championship. Last night, he captained the WHL Team that defeated Russia 5-2 in the penultimate Subway Super Series match, though he was held off the scoresheet.

Gallagher is the second highly touted prospect to be signed to join the Hamilton Bulldogs (if he doesn't make the Habs outright) for 2012-13 after Jarred Tinordi. They will form part of a strong incoming pro class that should also include Michael Bournival, Morgan Ellis, Nathan Beaulieu, Greg Pateryn, and Danny Kristo.

- Speaking of Ellis and Beaulieu, both were in action for their QMJHL clubs last night, and each recorded 2 assists in respective 4-3 victories. After a bit of an up-and-down start offensively, Beaulieu is now on a 5-game point streak, over which he has 2 goals and 6 assists. It will be interesting to see if he is invited to Canada's December camp for the World Juniors and if he can lock down a spot amidst tough competition.

Now We're Cooking: Sweet Wins for Habs, Bulldogs

Where it began,

Was with the firing of Perry,

And now we hope it's growing strong...

Was in the Fall,

The whole team was strugglin'

Who'da believed they'd come on strong?!

Hold up Habs fans, don't go planning any parades just yet (I mean, after all, we're not Leafs fans), but maybe - just maybe - we have something here. That 'something' is a big fat M word called momentum, with a side dish of confidence.

At 3-5-2, they're still in a bit of a hole, but the climb back up the ladder of respectability needs to begin somewhere. And back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins is as good a place as any.

Let's step back a moment, however. I posted earlier this week my discontent with the management team of Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin. I'm not a fairweather fan who is suddenly placated just because the club posted consecutive victories. I still feel the pair should be replaced in the near future for the very same reasons. The defense Pierre Gauthier assembled is largely soft, small, and inexperienced. There is a need for a tough, veteran, shutdown guy, and the only player who could eventually fill this role currently on the roster - Alexei Emelin - is being sat by Martin.

On the Emelin issue, after Tweeting my displeasure with his being scratched in favour of Raphael Diaz for a game against the Big Bad Bruins, I will admit that despite an overall shaky game on his part, Diaz made an incredible defensive slide to takeaway a goal after Carey Price was caught out of position with the game tied at 1. It wasn't a play anyone could make, and Martin's choice of Diaz over Emelin may thus have contributed to the team's win.

The downside to this is a legitimate concern that Emelin will never get a chance to develop in Montreal. His contract will allow him to bolt back over to Russia if the Habs try to send him down to Hamilton, but if he's kept in Montreal and sat for most of the season, he's likely headed home at year's end anyway. With a log-jam of players the organization feels to be ahead of him, it will be tough for him to find ice time, and thus Gauthier may be forced to use him as a transaction deal sweetener to at least get something for the asset he finally convinced to cross the ocean. This would be unfortunate as - like I mentioned - Emelin's skillset is not a common one within the organization.

But let's stick with the positives for now. Also deserving of some credit is Randy Ladouceur's management of his defense corps in the 2 games since taking over from Perry Pearn. With the team playing a third game in four nights (and second in 2 cities in 2 nights), Ladouceur and Martin managed to cycle d-men such that only one (Josh Gorges, who had a great night) topped the 20 minute mark. This is a rarity in the NHL, but allowed the team to stay fresh throughout the night which is critical considering the aforementioned personnel concerns on the back end. Diaz, while showing some positives, is clearly not ready for big minutes but has been seen as a "Martin favoured child" by many, joining the ranks of Mathieu Darche and David Desharnais. With Pearn in charge of the D, he played the 4th most minutes amongst Montreal blueliners Monday night. Under Ladouceur, he has gotten the least playing time of the group of 6 in consecutive outings. The team has also gone two games without a Too Many Men on the Ice penalty!

But this isn't just about Pearn, Ladouceur, Martin, and the defense. I talked about Erik Cole's improved play as a reason for hope, and for a third straight game he was amongst the team's top forwards. Cole totaled 2 goals and 1 assist while firing 18 shots on net over the week's 3 games, despite playing an average of only just over 14 minutes a night. Between the offense and some physicality, he is looking more and more like the player the Habs were excited to sign this summer.

Carey Price is playing like Carey Price needs to and can. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta are showing signs of life. The fourth line, led by strong face-off work on the part of Petteri Nokelainen, behaves like a proper fourth line, able to cycle pucks and throw hits. And though I haven't been the biggest fan of David Desharnais's play, he is getting his touches in and picking up points (now at 6 in 10 games). I mentioned that the forward group should perform far better than they had been, hence not being concerned by early season goal-scoring troubles, and it looks like they may now be starting to click.

This is good news for Habs fans, of course, but it is less good news for Scott Gomez. Once he returns from his injury (and he has resumed skating already), Martin's next big test will be where to slot him into the line-up. Plekanec and Lars Eller are playing far better than he was, and Desharnais has been far more productive. Nokelainen plays the fourth line face-off specialist role well, so it sounds like someone is going to have to move to wing. At this point, Gomez should be the odds-on favourite to be forced to make that transition, and if he does, it may actually work out for the best. It will take some defensive responsibilities off his shoulders, and he does have some experience there, having spent considerable time on left wing during his early days in New Jersey.

So Habs fans, smile and relax a little. Stay on your #FireGauthier and #FireMartin campaigns if you will, and you have my support. But in the meanwhile, the game is being played on the ice, and the strong leadership core at the heart of this team has decided that it's time to step up to the plate and play some sound hockey. No one knows how far they'll be able to take it, but reinforcements are around the corner; "The General" Andrei Markov gets back to Montreal from his rehab stint in Florida today.

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If the action in Montreal doesn't satisfy you, then be happy there is more good news on its way from Hamilton. The Canadiens' first round pick in 2009, Louis Leblanc, returned from injury to make his professional hockey debut with the Hamilton Bulldogs last night, and boy was he impressive. Many questioned his offensive upside, seeing him more as a responsible, determined, and energetic two-way third-line type. The 'Dogs eased him in for his debut, allowing him to play that very role by lining up on Andreas Engqvist's wing, opposite Andrew Conboy.

It certainly didn't take long for Leblanc to make an impact, picking up an assist on an Engqvist powerplay goal just 4:18 into the duel with the Rochester Americans. He would add another assist on a second period Conboy goal, before saving his coup de grace for overtime, scoring the game winner to finish his first game with three points and earning first star honours for his efforts. Leblanc also led all of his teammates with 5 shots in the 3-2 win and was a +2.

Let's not begin clamouring for a call-up just yet (keep in mind Engqvist also had 3 points on this night and we know how he has looked in Montreal), but it is a highly encouraging start for a highly anticipated prospect.

Check out highlights from the game here:

http://www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/video/index?id=539&autostart=true

Could It Be? Is That Hope I see?

Yes, it was just one win. Yes, the Montreal Canadiens are still only 2-5-2. But for the first time since the Jets' home opener in Winnipeg, there were a few reasons to smile in Montreal last night.

Let's start with an obvious one: Max Pacioretty. There were legitimate fears over how he would play once returning from last season's spinal cord injury. The truth is, Max hasn't been the same player he was prior to that injury; he still hesitates a little about charging into danger areas or going recklessly to the net. But he is maturing into the player he has always had the potential to be, whose mix of size, speed, and skill make him a top notch top 6 guy. And if he ever re-gains that head down, charge the goal, style... (and it isn't unreasonable to think he'll only get more and more comfortable on the ice over time) look out NHL cause we'll have a legitimate star powerforward on our hands. Four goals, five assists through 9 games is a great start for Max, and this while bouncing around on numerous combinations of lines. Plus the game seems like nothing can keep him down, a studly quick healer worthy of the nickname Wolverine.

Next, there's Carey Price. The Habs' star netminder got a couple of demons out of his closet by finally picking up career win #100 and shirking the pink pads he was using since for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Not to suggest it was causing a distraction, but getting past the milestone always helps to have one less thing at the back of your mind, and about those bads... well I'm not saying they were bad luck, or that they were of some inferior quality or comfort or fit... but for whatever reason, Carey wasn't getting it done in them. If the team is going to turn this terrible start around, they need Price at his best, so hopefully he gets to that level quickly.

Third would be Erik Cole. After a tough start to the season that saw Jacques Martin misuse him in every way imaginable other than sticking him on defense, Cole has been amongst the team's top wingers in each of the last two games. The Cole that Habs fans were happy to sign seems to have shown up, and hopefully he stays hot as when on his game, he is exactly the type of player this team needs.

Next let's talk Perry Pearn. No, I'm not going to say that he was the root of all of the team's problems and his firing allowed the team to stomp the Flyers last night. I've never been a big fan of Pearn, as he has a demeanor not all that unlike Jacques Martin's and his work on the powerplay and with the defense has at times been questionable. But the firing of an assistant coach with no external replacement isn't ultimately going to be a difference-maker. So why was Pierre Gauthier's announcement and subsequent press conference an encouraging sign? Maybe it's just the eternal optimist within me grasping at straws, but I was happy to hear the line Gauthier toed with the media. He spoke of a new commitment to "outside the box" thinking. He repeated a few times that the organization had to "change its global outlook." While he did state flat out that Jacques Martin was still his guy (for as much as we can believe it when a GM says this), what this says to me is they want to evolve, modify, or completely scrap the defensive shell system that Martin preaches. This says to me they see the issues at hand and they're ready to step outside of their country club mentality and open themselves up to new tactics. I'm a fan of getting creative and using all the tools at your disposal in sports management, so if Gauthier says they're ready to try new thing, then I take that as a great sign of better days ahead. The first step may have been firing Pearn, but I'm certain other changes - whether we're privy to them or not - area round the corner.

Finally, there's the long lost saviour of the Montreal blueline, Andrei Markov. There is renewed hope on this dossier as well, with members of the media taking advantage of having access to Gauthier to get an update and PG stating that things look good. Markov has responded well to testing in Florida and will get back to Montreal this Friday. There's no explicit timetable for his return to practice or game action, but it sounds like we may finally be getting closer. If the offense has awoken, a healthy Markov is the type of boost that could quickly lift this team out of the depths of the Eastern Conference basement.

So Habs fans, happy days may not be here again just yet, but there is some light at the end of our collective tunnel. And this while Brian Gionta has yet to show up, Hal Gill is still in his usual clumsy early season mode, P.K. Subban is struggling to find his game, and Scott Gomez and Chris Campoli remain on IR. Maybe... just maybe... the Fail for Nail must be put on hiatus.

13/10/11: Calgary 4, Montreal 1; defense? we talkin' bout defense?

Ouch. That's about the best word I have to describe the Montreal Canadiens getting burnt by the Calgary Flames in the home opener at the Bell Centre last night. In a game that resembled the inverse of the Winnipeg Jets' home opener last Sunday, the Habs had chances but severely lacked killer instinct when it came to finishing around the net. The bigger problem, however, was the team's play in its own end which ranged from passable to atrocious. They looked to take play in their own end about as seriously as Allen Iverson takes practice.

Start with P.K. Subban, whose -1 rating was actually flattering to the way he played on the night (just because 2 of Calgary's goals came on the powerplay). He was hesitant with the puck, was regularly caught out of position, and couldn't get anything going in the offensive zone. After weak performances in the first two road games, Subban needed to step it up at home, but instead delved deeper into his slump. He may not believe in the sophomore slump, but unless he gets back to the basics of his game, he's going to be hearing that term very frequently. Perhaps he should have been in bed early the night before rather than hitting the Montreal club scene.

Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin looked like the rookies that they are, though Emelin did have a couple of good sequences to go with the bad. Hal Gill looks slow as he usually does at this time of year. The problem is, he's being counted on to play on a top pairing with Subban. Anyone that thinks the Canadiens can be a contending - or even playoff - team with a Gill-Subban top duo is dreaming in technicolour right now. If Andrei Markov is indeed going to be out long-term, the blueline needs help and fast.

As for the forwards, Lars Eller was likely the team's best on this night - sad when you consider it was his first game back from injury. He showed good speed, nice hands, and a willingness to throw some good hits. I'm a big Eller fan, and he looks poised for a good season, but needs to improve his finish around the net. I've said it many times but will reaffirm it now: Eller plays the game like Peter Forsberg. Of course, I'm not saying he'll be anywhere near as good as the amazing talent Forsberg was, but he plays in the same style with many of the same moves. That's a huge compliment to the young Dane.

Tomas Plekanec was ok, except for at the point on the powerplay, where he looks completely out of place. When can this experiment end already? He has NEVER looked good there this year, going back to preseason and through the first 3 games. A Subban - Yannick Weber duo on the first unit clearly makes the most sense, with 2 shooters resembling the game the team played with Subban and James Wisniewski last year. Admittedly, this leaves the second unit thin, but you can focus more on the forwards in that case if the top unit fails to score. Play Diaz with Emelin or Gorges... at least ice one completely good unit instead of two dysfunctional ones. Plus, Plekanec was one of the team's best face-off men in the first 2 games, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have him taking the draw!

Erik Cole has been a huge disappointment in the first 3 games, and while I advocated for him to get more minutes on the top line, he certainly hasn't deserved them. Whereas in preseason he was effective at stealing the puck away from opposing players in their own end, through 3 games he himself has been a turnover machine in the Montreal end. He also seems to be knocked off the puck far too easily in the offensive end. He is at least throwing some hits, but the Canadiens aren't paying him to be a fourth line grinder; he's here to produce offensively, and he looks far from being capable of that at the moment. Hopefully it will just require an adjustment period to Jacques Martin's system and his new teammates.

Brian Gionta has looked off his game through the first three as well. The penalty calls against him last night were quite questionable, so I won't fault him there, but he needs to begin generating some offense. He has had little in the way of quality scoring chances, and when he does get them, he has frequently fanned on his shots or missed the net.

And lastly, the one we all know but are afraid to admit: Max Pacioretty isn't the same player as he was before the Zdeno Chara hit. Now I'm not saying he's playing particularly poorly; I love Max and he has shown his great combination of size, speed, and hands. But the player we saw last year charged the net fearlessly, kind of like Brendan Gallagher did in preseason. He would challenge any defender in his way in trying to go around or right through them. This season's Max - again, still a great skill player - stays to the outside far more frequently, opting to just take his shots from weaker angles rather than head into the danger/traffic zones. If he's going to realize his full potential, he will need to get over this shyness (which may happen in time anyway) and get back to playing like he did when he was perhaps the team's most dangerous forward.

So that's it for now. Carey Price will have to wait at least one more night to earn his 100th career win. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting it's time to panic. We're only 3 games into a very long and tough NHL season. However, with the degree of parity and number of quality clubs in the league's Eastern Conference, all the points lost now could and will come back to haunt Montreal in March and April. It is important for the team to start the year off strong, even if the hope is that they find their game midseason and carry that momentum into the playoffs. Pierre Gauthier has frequently shown he isn't afraid to make a move, so if the team doesn't wake up and play up to their potential in the near future, we should expect some changes to come.

UPDATE: - As an aside, anyone who considers themselves a Montreal Canadiens fan should read this article:

http://fr.canoe.ca/sports/nouvelles/hockey/lnh/archives/2011/10/20111014-034538.html

It's an interview in French with Patrice Brisebois. For those that don't speak la langue de Moliere, Brisebois talks about how big of an impact all of the booing and nasty comments had on him. He says he would often cry in his car after games and it made him isolate himself from others. It severely hurt his confidence and depressed him. Come on Habs fans, we're better than that. May no other player have to go through what Breeze did. We need to encourage our players to be at their best, and while the occasional boo from a paying customer is not a problem, the regular harassment of one of our own can do only harm.

Trying to Understand Jacques Martin's Lines

Since his hiring, I've not been shy about criticizing the coaching of Jacques Martin. I don't think he's a bad coach. In fact, I think he is a great coach for the right team. For the most part, however, I haven't found his style to mesh well with the group of players the Montreal Canadiens have.

Martin is a defensive-minded tactician. He likes players who are responsible in their own end and make few mistakes. Think Tom Pyatts and Andreas Engqvists. He likes balancing out his lines, putting defensive-minded players alongside goal scorers to increase the team's depth up front. He feels that the best way to eliminate errors is to punish them, frequently cutting ice time in response to a mistake. He tends to overlook potentially better choices if the ones he made previously are winning; that is to say he is a believer in "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." He is not a strong communicator, often criticized by departing players for not having informed them of his intentions or rationale.

That said, he does coach a strong defensive system that is quite effective, particularly in tight-scoring playoff games. For a group of responsible veterans close to a Stanley Cup, he might be the perfect bench boss. That team isn't the Canadiens though. At least not right now.

But I can live with his unorthodox style. What is driving me crazy on the eve of the regular season is his line-up. Granted, the Habs' lines will change many times over the course of the season, and many different iterations will be tested. But at the moment, his initial personnel decisions are incomprehensible to me.

Martin is no Guy Carbonneau, notorious for his far too frequent shuffling of trios. Carbonneau seemed just one step shy of auditioning Ryan O'Byrne for the glaring hole need of a power forward. Sure Martin loves inserting a grinder like Travis Moen on to a scoring line, but he hasn't been THAT crazy. At least not yet.

Flash forward to this year's training camp. When Jacques Martin dropped Brian Gionta to David Desharnais's wing in favour of Brendan Gallagher in the penultimate preseason game, one thing was clear: he was seeking three relatively balanced scoring lines.

With Gallagher back in the WHL, Gionta returned to Scott Gomez's wing, and it was Erik Cole's turn to take a spin with Desharnais. This created the following top 9, which has held right through to yesterday's practice, and thus should be expected to start game 1 in Toronto:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brain Gionta

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Habs fans were in uproar over Cole's name on a "third line." "Patience," I urged. Cole would surely still get big minutes, taking some shifts in place of Kostitsyn and getting plenty of powerplay time. Besides, it leaves two tried, tested, and true trios in tact as a top 6 while giving the team their best third scoring line in years. Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri don't NEED Cole to produce offense, while Andrei Kostitsyn and Desharnais both had weak preseasons and thus should be surrounded by better players. Cole himself spoke out saying he understood the change given that the players in the top 6 had experience and chemistry playing together, and that the club had to decide where he would best fit in over time. These lines, for now, could be rationalized. The fourth line, due to injuries, looked like:

Travis Moen - Andreas Engqvist - Yannick Weber

We won't get into the Andreas Engqvist debate here, as he appears poised to make the squad despite a poor training camp that showed he didn't have the best off-season training summer. Despite his good size, he has looked extremely weak on his feet, knocked off the puck far easier than a man of his height should be. Instead, let's talk Yannick Weber. The d-man as a forward was a favourite move of Carbonneau, but in Martin's defense, Weber actually looked reasonable filling in at forward during the playoffs last year. A disappointing camp meant Weber was passed by many in the blueline depth chart, but a main advantage of having him in the line-up at forward is the ability to have him at the point on a powerplay unit.

Up till now, I've defended Martin's choices here. But you'll notice the common thread in my explanations was the powerplay units. So surely, by providing them below, we'll be all good and can wrap this article up, right?

Mike Cammalleri - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Tomas Plekanec - P.K. Subban

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Chris Campoli - Raphael Diaz

Thank you for reading, and tune in... wait.... what? What? WHAT?! You read that right. Based on practices in Collingwood, these will be our PP lines to start the year.

Before you jump on me with the "It's only training camp practice! The real lines are being hidden/rested" excuse, keep in mind the team's powerplay looked pretty awful during preseason. If the real units were different than these, they would undoubtedly be the ones getting in the extra practice time. So there you have it. No Erik Cole. No Yannick Weber.

Did Cole kick Jacques Martin's dog or something? All he has done since being signed (admittedly we have only preseason to go off of) is come exactly as advertised. He throws his body around, creates turnovers, goes to the net looking for rebounds and deflections, and even led the team in points over the 8 preseason games, held off the scoresheet in only 1 of the games for which he was dressed. And now he's slotted on to a third line with no powerplay time. I don't know the reason this newly acquired established veteran may have dug himself into the doghouse even before game 1, but hopefully this is just a temporary experiment. With the contract Pierre Gauthier gave Cole this summer, he is being counted on to be a big part of the offense for the new few seasons. I'm not sure how the inconsistent Kostitsyn gets a spot on the top unit ahead of him.

I won't be biased here. For the record, career-wise, Cole has 43 PPG in 620 games, while Kostitsyn has 29 in 326. Kostitsyn had 5 last year (out of his 20 goals) to Cole's 3 (out of 26). Thus, the averages are on Andrei's side. But who on the top PP unit is going to post himself in front of the opposing goalie? That's not Cammalleri's spot. Desharnais can do it, but many goalies can look right over him. Kostitsyn will do it on occasion, but will also disappear. That's why Cole seems to be the perfect fit there over him.

As for Weber, he did not impress during the preseason, so I would not mind him being off the powerplay. That is, if he were not in the line-up. His shot is the main reason the team is dressing him, and yet they are taking away his best opportunity to use it. If the plan is to play him at forward with defensive-minded linemates and that's it, that's all, why not dress Mike Blunden instead? If you want another offensive talent at forward, why not play Aaron Palushaj? If Weber is not being used on the powerplay, there is no reason or excuse for him being played up front. Is the Canadiens' defense that fragile that Martin wants a spare dressed just in case one of them blows a tire? Maybe we'll get lucky and Montreal will put in a successful waiver claim today for Blair Betts or Victor Oreskovich, two big forwards who could really help out.

Kudos to you, Jacques Martin, you have me stumped. For the good of the team, I hope your wacky choices pay dividends. But at least, I can be confident that if these lines struggle, you won't hesitate to change them up.

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:

Top 10 Things to Look Forward to this Season

As if you needed reasons to find the beautiful Montreal summer long and to be counting down the days till we drop the puck once again, today we bring you 10 unfolding storylines to excite you for 2010-11 as a Habs fan.

10) The pro debut of Louis Leblanc

Of the 17 players drafted before Louis Leblanc in 2009, only 6 have yet to make their NHL debut. Five players taken after him in the first round have also played NHL games, while Habs fans have waited patiently for the man dubbed the team's next French Canadian star on draft day. This Fall will mark the fourth consecutive season in which Leblanc starts play in a new league (USHL, ECAC (NCAA), QMJHL, and now AHL) and he is further coming off summer shoulder surgery. Hab fans, then, should continue to show patience even if he has a slow start in the American League and shouldn't expect him to see any National League ice until 2012-13. Still, all will be eagerly monitoring his progress with the Hamilton Bulldogs as one of the organization's top hopes up front for the future. Other stories to follow with the 'Dogs will include the progress of Alexander Avtsin, and the first impressions of Rafael Diaz.

9) Peter Budaj's (few) performances as Carey Price's new back-up

Alex Auld performed reasonably well last season in Price's few nights off. Still, he invoked little confidence in his ability to play multiple games in a row, and so the Habs looked to upgrade their insurance policy in Peter Budaj. Accepting that the performance of the team's back-up won't ultimately decide the Canadiens' season, thus mitigating the risk of the signing to an extent, Budaj has a lot of upside as he was once seen as a quality future starter. He never really lived up to the hype in Colorado, but encouraging for Habs should be that his best NHL numbers came during the season where he was a full-time back-up to Craig Anderson, with a .917 save percentage in 15 games in 2009-10. This compares to Auld's numbers of .914 in 16 games last season in Montreal. It will be interesting to see how he does after working with a new goalie coach.

8) Competition between Lars Eller and David Desharnais

At least thus far, the Canadiens haven't moved to bring in a veteran depth centerman, much in contrast to the past few years. That means a large role for both Lars Eller and David Desharnais within the forward group, with fans hoping they don't fall into an NHL sophomore slump. Unless one is moved to the wing, the two will push each other for the third line ice time, and hopefully this competition will keep both on top of their game. Because of the glimpses of skill he shows, many expect a breakout year from 22-year old Eller, but we mustn't forget that Desharnais was also playing perhaps his best hockey at the NHL level during the playoffs, and he will still have just turned only 25 when the season starts. It gives the organization nice depth and reliability to have two young players at center behind two veterans in Tomas Plekanec and Scott Gomez.

7) A better season from Scott Gomez

Speaking of Gomez... I mean... he couldn't possibly have a WORSE season, right?? Likely to start the year with Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty, the trio should be able to produce consistently, and an improvement from last year will be the team's depth, not forced to bump a plugger like Travis Moen into the top 6 just because of an injury or two. As such, whether it's with Andrei Kostitsyn, Erik Cole, or David Desharnais, he'll have a chance to catch fire with a number of different combinations of linemates. It isn't unthinkable for Scottie to bounce back with 50-60 points, but after last year's debacle, it will take more than just production to appease uneasy fans. The Canadiens need to get 100% effort from Mr. Gomez at both ends of the rink on a nightly basis.

6) What will Pierre Gauthier do with > $5M in cap space?

The past couple of seasons, Montreal's cap situation has been somewhat precarious come trade deadline, making a deal to rent the top available talent somewhat difficult as it would require sending salaries elsewhere. As of now anyway, this season looks to be different with the Canadiens having a full roster under contract and over $5M in cap space. By trade deadline, this room will allow them to trade for any player in the league (that is, any playable available of course). It seems as of now that the biggest hole is on defense (as we covered previously), and there is no short supply of potential rentals out there depending on how their clubs are faring in the standings. So what happens with this cash? Does it go unspent? Is it a patch on the blueline? Or... just maybe... Gauthier finds a way to land a big fish and upgrades one of Montreal's top performers to a bonafide superstar. He has certainly shown he isn't afraid to make a concerted effort to be aggressive/proactive.

5) The progression of Carey Price and P.K. Subban

Funny to think that a year ago, the term "Triple Low-Five" meant nothing to Canadiens fans, and now most can't wait to see the next one. Two of the more promising young players at their positions, both Price and Subban took major strides last season towards reaching their potential. For the Habs to have a good year, they need neither of these players to regress, but rather to continue in their development. The two may have a little extra incentive to perform, as both will be restricted free agents next summer looking for big, long-term contracts. And if Carey Price manages to perform like the top 5 goaltender he can be, and P.K. Subban continues to show he will be a top pairing blueliner for many, many years, the Canadiens will have no problem shelling out the dough to keep both around. The lengthy playoff run they can help bring the city next Spring will hopefully assist in covering the team's future tab.

4) Finally seeing Alexei Yemelin in North America

Year after year, Habs fans were teased by rumours that the promising Yemelin would finally sign a deal and come over to North America for training camp. Well this summer, that fantasy finally came true as Yemelin inked a 1-year contract. Now 25 years old, Yemelin is coming off a breakout season offensively in the KHL, rounding out his game by besting his previous high of 7 points with an amazing 26 in 52 games. Given that he brings toughness and physicality lacking on the Montreal blueline, and that he apparently has a contractual clause allowing him return to Russia rather than report to the Bulldogs, he should be given every opportunity to make an impression with the Canadiens. One thing he must do is control his temper, as he has been known to sometimes take bad penalties, something the Habs already did in abundance last year. He should battle Jaroslav Spacek and Yannick Weber for ice time on D.

3) The return of Andrei Markov

An undoubtedly risky signing, the Canadiens brass basically gave Andrei Markov a mulligan on his injury-filled past few years by extending his contract at the same salary for 3 more seasons. If a little nervous, all Habs fans will be super excited to see Markov The General back patrolling the Montreal blueline this season and so long as he can stay healthy, he could return to being a top 5 or 10 two-way defenseman in the league. Yes, Markov suffered a series of repeated ACL/MCL injuries, but the truth is that for the most part, they were relatively freak situations. Now that he has been fully repaired, they should not be seen as predictors of his future health, so Canadiens fans can only be nervous about his age by contract's end slowing him down. Jacques Martin might choose to start Markov off slowly given how little he has played the last two years, but once he hits his stride, he should be soaking up big minutes to make up for the losses of Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski. And his saucer passes over to P.K. Subban on the top powerplay unit will hopefully be a thing of beauty for all to behold.

2) The debut of Erik Cole

For a player that Habs fan hated to see touch the Bell Centre ice for many years, Erik Cole's perception to Montrealers has done a full 180-degree spin and now his debut as a Canadien is one of the most hotly anticipated stories of the upcoming season. The Canadiens hope his time here will be more fruitful than the last time he left the Carolina Hurricanes (for the Edmonton Oilers) so that the club doesn't regret handing him a rich 4-year deal. Cole brings the club the type of player it has lacked for oh so very long. The type of player that Andrei Kostitsyn can be when he's on his game (with a little more grit and a little less skill). A big body who can throw his weight around, go to the net, and has soft hands to bury the puck. Those who have been with our blog from the beginning know we were advocating for his signing since early June, so adding another 20+ goal scoring Stanley Cup champion to the line-up is something we all should be excited about. Playing the same style of game as Max Pacioretty, and also having recovered from a serious neck/spinal cord injury, he could serve as a great role model for Max, which brings us to...

1) The return of Max Pacioretty

When he is introduced on opening night, Pacioretty will get a long and loud round of applause from the Bell Centre faithful. After an up-and-down start to his pro career, it seemed Max had managed to put everything together last season. After ripping up the AHL with 32 points (including 17 goals) in just 27 games, Max got the call-up and didn't disappoint, registing 14 goals and 24 points in 37 games with the Canadiens. His breakout season was cut short by the infamous check into a stanchion by Zdeno Chara, and his recovery has been a long and difficult one. But before that injury, Pacioretty had been arguably the team's best attacker, looking like an emerging top power forward, and so his return to the line-up this Fall will be greatly anticipated. With Pacioretty and Cole both in the top 6, the concerns over the club's small stature will be diminished. Habs fans need to hope, however, that the hit won't have any adverse effects on Pacioretty's mental game. He is saying all the right things during his recovery (aside, perhaps, from a joking insult to Brad Marchand's nose), but only he can know (and maybe not even he right now) how he'll react when he hops back on the Bell Centre ice. A Pacioretty who is hesistant to go into the corners or to charge the net is far less effective than the one of last season, so hopefully he can put all effects of his serious injury behind him and get back on track.

New Interview with Erik Cole

Lindsay Kramer - no known relation to yours truly - published a piece for The Post-Standard about new Habs scorer Erik Cole, which can be found here:

http://bit.ly/piUYH8

Key Quotes / Highlights:

- "I know a bit of French," Cole said. "I know how to get around. I’m definitely not fluent. Being right there in the environment, it should come back to me quickly."

- In response to the issue of playing in a pressure situation: "I look at it as an opportunity. I’m excited for it. To play in front of that atmosphere every game, that’s impressive," he said of Montreal. "There’s always a buzz in the city when it comes hockey time. It’s not going to be easy the entire time. Being in that setting will just build character."

- "I think I’m coming off a year where I had a lot to prove to myself and other people," he said. "It was a good year for me. It could’ve been better. It’s a good step to continue on a road I was on prior to when I was injured. People start doubting you. You lose credibility. But I feel confident in what I’m capable of."

- "We’re definitely anticipating having more (friends and family) coming to games," he said. "A lot of guys I played college hockey with all live in the eastern Ontario area. I always would give them a tough time, they never came down to Raleigh to see games. I don’t think there will be too many home games where I won’t be hosting a family member."

Erik Cole to Wear Number 72

The Canadiens announced today that new Hab Erik Cole will wear number 72 in Montreal given that his old number 26 is occupied by Josh Gorges. Not that it really means much, but this can't be a good sign for Mathieu Carle's future in the organization (presently an RFA) as his number at the NHL level had previously been 72.

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569318&navid=DL|MTL|home

Why 72? Cole thought better than to ask Gorges to give up the number 26, and instead went with the number he once wore in Ontario Junior B hockey.

Some clips via Canadiens.com from his press conference in Brossard today:

Desharnais Takes #51

Per an article on Canadiens.com this morning, David Desharnais will change his number for the upcoming season - his first as a full-time NHL'er - from 58 to 51.

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569090&navid=DL|MTL|home

One might infer based on the article that either Erik Cole or Peter Budaj - the 2 new Habs - will take the number 15 vacated by Jeff Halpern (more likely Cole).

Habs Sign Erik Cole

The Montreal Canadiens have signed winger Erik Cole to a 4 year deal for a total of $18M ($4.5M cap hit).

Cole, 32, would add size and toughness to the Montreal top 6, weighing in at 6'2" and 205 lbs.

He looked at a young age to be developing into a power forward star in the NHL, but injuries and personal issues derailed his development. He had a bounce back year in 2010-11 with the Hurricanes, playing all 82 games and registering 26 goals and 52 points.

If you've been following our blog, you've seen that we've twice put Cole near the top of our UFA want list, so this is a huge coup for Pierre Gauthier.

While the term and dollar amount is slightly on the high side, it seems very fair given other contracts around the league today. In an interview on TSN, Cole says he called Brian Gionta as soon as caught wind of the Canadiens' interest in him, and Gionta raved about the organization and city. This sold Cole on the offer.

Top 10 UFAs Your Montreal Canadiens Should Look At

With unrestricted free agency set to begin on July 1st, this summer's market of available players is not overly impressive. Brad Richards is perhaps the only true "big fish" out there listening to numerous suitors, and there is no room for him in Montreal barring a Scott Gomez transaction. (SIDEBAR: but if it were to ever happen, the French media would have a field day with a new French-speaking star in town)

This doesn't mean, however, that Pierre Gauthier will be entirely quiet. There are still some names out there who could help your Canadiens over another hurdle on the route to winning a 25th Stanley Cup. First, let's examine where we stand with the list of players who finished the year with the Habs that fall into this category of impending UFAs (intentionally excluded from the later Top 10):

Jeff Halpern - There was outcry from some when the Canadiens decided to let sharpshooting veteran Glen Metropolit leave as a free agent last summer and take his services back to Europe. Halpern was a very suitable replacement, though, providing the team with valuable play in all three zones... at least when he was healthy. Nearing the end of his career, Halpern's stay in Montreal was very very likely a "one-and-done", to be replaced with a younger body.

Andrei Markov - The top 10 list below assumes that Montreal will re-sign Andrei Markov. Yes, it is risky committing big dollars to a player who has missed so much time to injury over last few years, but Markov has been our best player the past decade, and he still has plenty of productive years left in him. I imagine he will make something close to what he did on his previous contract ($5.75M) on a short term, 1-2 year deal.

Roman Hamrlik - From his first season with the Habs, I've been a big Roman Hamrlik fan. The way he can step up is one of the biggest reasons the team has had some success even with Markov missing so much time. I would be so thrilled if he could just swap contracts with fellow Czech Jaroslav Spacek and be back for one last season, but so long as Spacek remains a Hab, there is no room in the budget for Roman. If he were to be retained, I'd look at 1 year, $3.75M roughly.

James Wisniewski - When injury woes struck the Canadiens blueline this past season, they turned to the New York Islanders for help, and acquiring Wisniewski paid immediate dividends. His productivity has many wanting him back, but like with Hamrlik, Spacek's 35+ contract may prohibit a signing. If there were a way to make it work, a couple of years at anything under $4.75M is decent value.

Brent Sopel - Loved what Sopel brought to the team in filling Josh Gorges's role come post-season, but with a healthier bunch, there isn't a spot or need for him right now.

Paul Mara - Similarly, was pleasantly surprised with Mara's contribution after being a healthy scratch in Anaheim for parts of the year, but there is no spot available. If the Canadiens make a move that involves sending Yannick Weber elsewhere, I would be happy to sign Mara as a 7th d-man on a cheap contract to bring some extra toughness to the group.

Alex Auld - Performed well enough in the back-up role to earn a second stint in Montreal. Family seems to be happy here. Only question will be if he's satisfied playing just 15 or so games a season.

Because of all of the above, we're going to make the assumption that the defense corps is full (which it is, barring a trade), and the back-up position filled (whether Auld or similar UFA), and thus turn our attention to addressing some needs within the forward group. So here it is, my hopeful targets:

HM: MIKE RUPP
A grizzled veteran at age 31, Rupp would fit in nicely on a fourth line in Montreal. Able to play the wing or center, what Rupp lacks in offensive production, he makes up for in size (6'5", 230 lbs), physicality, and defensive play. Despite playing in only 4 post-season games during the Devils run to the Stanley Cup in 2002-03, he became the only NHL player to have his first career playoff goal be a Cup-winner, and would be a good fit alongside fellow Stanley Cup-winning-goal-scorer Travis Moen on a tough fourth unit.

10) SEAN BERGENHEIM
When Bergenheim was first drafted, he was compared in many regards to my favourite hockey player, Saku Koivu (yes, don't let the name fool you, Bergenheim is Finnish). Not the first highly touted prospect to have his career derailed in the New York Islanders system, the two-way forward set a career high in points with 29 in 2010-11, before really exploding in the playoffs where he had 9 goals in 16 games in Tampa's run to the Eastern Conference Finals. At 27, I believe Bergenheim will have some bigger offensive years ahead, and though he isn't particularly big, he is an effective checker and penalty killer, making him an ideal third liner with homerun potential.

9) ANTTI MIETTINEN

Former Hamilton Bulldog Antti Miettinen had a quiet season in Minnesota, unable to replicate the 20 goals he scored the year prior. A similar player to Scottie Upshall (see below), Miettinen's real value lies in his versatility as a player who would normally slot in on the third line (and can kill penalties), but could move up in case of slumps or injuries. Either way, the top 9 in Montreal could use another offensively-capable player, and Miettinen should at least be an option.

8) SCOTTIE UPSHALL
Upshall never lived up to his billing as the 6th overall pick in the 2002 Entry Draft, but he is a solid third line roleplayer who, at still just 27 years of age, could chip in offensively while killing penalties and shutting down opposing forwards. While not overly big at 6'0", he is capable of taking the body and would be a reasonable consolation prize should the names below sign elsewhere. Contract would have to be around $2M for it to be a fit.

7) RAFFI TORRES
Torres fell off the map a little bit after moving from Edmonton to Columbus in 2008-09, but he has been back in the spotlight for both good reasons and bad in this year's playoffs with the Vancouver Canucks. A former 5th overall pick in 2000, Torres is playing like the player the Canadiens hoped they were getting in Travis Moen, as an offensive contributor good for 10-15 goals, but also a guy not afraid of anyone and willing to hit everything in site. A fourth line of Moen - White - Torres would go a long way towards erasing the "soft" label that opposition has been placing on the Habs.

6) TOMAS KOPECKY
A product of the world-class Detroit Red Wings player development system, Kopecky was an important roleplayer for the Chicago Blackhawks during their march to the Stanley Cup. Though he is coming off a career year offensively with the Hawks (42 points), the 6'3" winger would likely fit best on a two-way third line centered by David Desharnais or Lars Eller as either supplemental offense, or to go head-to-head against opposing offensive threats in more of a shutdown role. If there's a spot for him in Montreal, it would have to come at $3M or less.

5) VILLE LEINO
Another product of the Detroit system and once described as the best player Ken Holland was ever forced to trade, Leino just completed his first true full season, registering 19 goals and 53 points in Philadelphia. A quick winger of average size, the 27 year old's best years are still ahead of him, and thus he is an attractive target if his salary demands are reasonable. At $3.5M or above, however, he does represent a risk if he's looking for a long-term contract, and this is why other top 6 forward options should be exhausted before settling on him.

4) TOMAS FLEISCHMANN
A scary-sounding condition of blood clots in both lungs ended what could have been a career-season for Fleischmann, and to date, it's still unclear if he'll be medically cleared to play to start 2011-2012. If he's able to get past the medical concerns and be ready to go, however, as a 6'1", 20+ goal-scoring winger, he could be just the type of player the Canadiens need to round out the Top 9. Expect teams to play "wait and see" with him as he progresses over the summer. Any possible signing would come long after July 1st, so don't be too disappointed if we don't get any of our men right away! Likely to be a short term contract for now to see how his health holds up, and probably in the area of $3.5M.

3) BROOKS LAICH
Coming off a season of just 48 points in 82 games with the traditionally explosive offensively Washington Capitals, it is no guarantee that Laich will be the 20-goal scorer he once was were he to join the defensive-oriented Canadiens. That said, his size (6'2", 210 lbs), versatility, and youth (he'll turn 28 next week) make him an attractive target to round out a top 9 as a complimentary player. A good shot-blocker, he could relieve Tomas Plekanec of some difficult penalty-kill minutes, and can play any forward position. With the market so empty this summer, however, he will come at a premium price, and would likely cost the Canadiens upwards of $4.5M per season.

2) ERIK COLE
If the Habs 2 biggest needs up front are size and scoring, then Cole is a potential answer to both areas. While injuries and personal issues derailed his development into the superstar he was set to become, Cole knows how to use his 6'2" frame to play with jam. A resurgent 82-game, 26-goal season in 2010-11 may convince Carolina to lock him up, but should he hit the market, he would fit in nicely to create space and crash the net on a first or second line in support of the small Montreal forward core. At age 32, Cole is likely to get a 2-3 year deal at around $4M per season.

1) JAROMIR JAGR
Jagr's name is missing from most of this summer's free agent lists because he's been out of the NHL since the end of the 2007-08 season, preferring to sign with the KHL's Avangard Omsk. There is no doubt that even at age 39, the 6'2", 230 lbs generational talent still has game, averaging close to a point-per-game over 3 seasons in Russia. Having recently rekindled his terrific chemistry with Tomas Plekanec on the Czech National Team during the World Championships, Jagr mentioned that he would look at the NHL as an option for 2011-12, and specifically indicated Montreal, New York, and Pittsburgh as choice destinations. Observers also mention that Jagr has taken advantage of his time overseas to improve his conditioning, dropping 15 pounds and lowering his body fat % since his last NHL season. Adding a player of Jagr's caliber would be the biggest coup the Habs could pull this summer, and would provide them a true gamebreaker that has been lacking since Alex Kovalev's 07-08 performance.

Other Names to Consider:
- Zenon Konopka (similar role to Rupp)
- Ben Eager (similar role to Rupp)
- Alexei Ponikarovsky (reclamation project)
- Andrew Brunette (aging but still capable "last resort")
- Jussi Jokinen (not what Habs need, but additional scoring)
- Chris Higgins (is his career revived?)
- Joel Ward (shutdown forward who can kick a few in)