Habs Activate Andrei Markov Off IR

News big enough to warrant posting on a Saturday evening here in Barcelona: this morning, the Montreal Canadiens have activated defenseman Andrei Markov from injured reserve.

Yes, you read that right. No longer is Markov on the team's injured list. This means he can return at any point, possibly as early as tonight! The announcement has excited Canadiens fans around the world who will, undoubtedly, also be holding their breath any time an opposing player skates near the Russian rearguard. He may or may not play this evening, but the news means he can be considered a game-time decision every game from now until he does play.

If he does play this evening, the team is likely to go with 7 defenseman to ease him back into action. And based on comments by Randy Cunneyworth after practice, and later a radio interview given by Pierre Gauthier during today's Hamilton Bulldogs broadcast, it sounds like he will indeed make his debut.

All of this is great news and one can't help but be very happy for a man who has worked so hard to get to this point. Here's a nice video on Markov's 10+ years with the Canadiens:

Andrei Markov Cleared for Contact

There was surprising good news out of Montreal Canadiens practice this morning. Confused journalists witnessed defenseman Andrei Markov lead the team out on to the ice, wearing a standard white jersey just like the other healthy defensemen. Gone was his burgundy sweater that signifed "no contact."

Some journalists were quick to quip, "They must have accidentally forgotten the burgundy jersey when doing laundry," or "Maybe he's been wearing it for so long that the colour has faded completely away."

But Markov proved them wrong, practicing alongside fellow Russian rearguard Alexei Emelin on a regular pairing. No, Markov didn't participate in every one of today's drills, but it's still a huge step forward for the man who has yet to play a game in 2011-12. Following practice, Markov confirmed the suspicions, indicating that he'd been given a green light to test contact in practice. We still don't have a specific timetable for his return, but he stated confidently that he will be back this season. It seems, for once, the rhetoric "he's progressing well," which has been fed to us ever since July is finally true.

This is an interesting issue as many Hab fans have expressed their concern over him returning to play "meaningless" games down the stretch, with the Canadiens sure to miss the playoffs. "Why not just hold him out till next year?" many have wondered. If - and only if - Markov is 100% healthy, then I would be strongly in favour of getting him into as much game action as possible over the final weeks of the season. If the knee is going to give out again, it won't make a difference whether it's this March or next September. What is more important is that The General of the team's powerplay gets into some game action now to begin to rebuild his confidence on the ice. Playing a few games will help to show him anything he may have lost in his time off so that he can work on it over the summer, while keeping him motivated in his rehab.

Plus, we can all admit, in what has been a horribly painful season, watching Markov back on the ice will be a small pleasant treat for Canadiens fans.

Hope on the Horizon - A New Frontier

Yesterday, I essentially covered my plan if I were the GM of the Canadiens moving forward with life after Mike Cammalleri. I talked about my biggest want: a true #1 scoring center with size. But let's say the Canadiens can't land a Ryan Getzlaf and don't finish low enough to draft a Mikhail Grigorenko. All hope still won't be lost. In fact, even if the Habs enter next season with a roster that looks very much like the current one, there is some reason for optimism. Let me explain.

It starts with Andrei Markov. If Markov gets and stays healthy, he is the caliber of player that can take a team to another level. For many years, a Markov injury would spell doom for the Canadiens as the team's back end was so reliant on his services. This season, his being out has meant great experience and responsibility for the likes of P.K. Subban and Raphael Diaz. Markov's return, perhaps on a pairing with Josh Gorges, will take difficult minutes and roles off of some other rearguards which should allow them to also be at their best. I'm hopeful and expectant that another veteran defenseman will also be added this summer on a short-term deal to round out the top 4 (and as an insurance policy for Markov, since many will say the IF he stays healthy is a big one), but in any case, the team's D will be better than this year's.

The other perhaps more important reason is depth. Injuries were an issue this season, and when you are playing without quality players, your depth is looked upon to carry the load. Unfortunately, it was not a good season for the Habs to be reliant on talent stowed away in the AHL, with the Bulldogs being quite thin. Aaron Palushaj and Andreas Engqvist got repeated looks despite their poor play at the NHL level (though they're both having dominant American League seasons), and Louis Leblanc - though impressive - was pressed into service far sooner than anyone had intended. Outside of those guys, however, with Mike Blunden likely up in Montreal for good, there are no legitimate prospect forwards on the farm to be called up. With Brendon Nash undergoing shoulder surgery during training camp, there were also no blueline prospects to be called up, though Frederic St. Denis served well during his stint with the Canadiens.

Next season, however, will be different. Brendan Gallagher and Michael Bournival have already been signed and will make their pro debuts either in Hamilton, or possibly Montreal for one of the two. Danny Kristo is likely to forego his final year of university to also turn pro, though there is no guarantee at this point. The three represent young two-way players who could slot in virtually anywhere in the Canadiens line-up when needed, and all have high ceilings. Additionally, guys like Leblanc, Alexander Avtsin, and Phil DeSimone will have another year of experience under their belts, hopefully being closer to NHL-ready. All of this means that the team will have forwards that can be counted on when the time comes.

If the forwards are getting a boost, the back end is getting an even greater injection of talent. The team's last two first round picks, Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu, should both start the year as Bulldogs, with a minute possibility that Beaulieu plays an overage year in the QMJHL since he'll only turn 20 next December 5th (meaning he'd be among the AHL's youngest skaters). Morgan Ellis, a two-way character guy who has been on fire offensively since being dealt in the Q, and Greg Pateryn, the long-forgotten other piece in the Mikhail Grabovski to the Leafs deal who is in his final year of College, will also earn contracts, meaning the bulk of the 'Dogs' D will be made up of new faces. Most importantly, new faces with NHL potential.

Thus, even if we look at a "worst case" based on what the team has under contract:

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Rene Bourque - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta

Scott Gomez - Lars Eller - UFA/Aaron Palushaj/Brendan Gallagher

Mike Blunden - Petteri Nokelainen/Andreas Engqvist - Ryan White

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Alexei Emelin - P.K. Subban

Tomas Kaberle - Raphael Diaz

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

Again, this being a "worst case scenario" with all UFAs walking (or being dealt) and none being signed, with health and a little luck, the return of Markov and the added AHL depth means fans can expect a better season than the present one.

Your Canadiens for December 5, 2011

Thinking today might be a relatively mundane day in the Habs' realm, I thought I might be able to wait till tomorrow for this update. But there is enough hot button news to put this out this evening.

- Most notably, minutes ago, it was revealed that the National Hockey League has agreed on a realignment of its divisions for the 2012-13 hockey season. Gone is the current divisional structure, replaced with simply 4 larger imbalanced conferences - two of 8 teams, and two of 7. They are composed as follows:

East (7): Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers

East / Atlantic (7): New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils

Central (8): Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild

West (8): Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche

For the Canadiens, the new schedule will see them play a home-and-home against all non-conference teams (meaning each team will visit the Bell Centre at least once a year), and then have 6 games against each club in their new conference (3 at home and 3 on the road).

For the playoffs, the first two rounds will be played strictly within conference. The top 4 teams from each conference make the post-season, with the first round being 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, and then the winners facing off in round 2.

Per commissioner Gary Bettman, no official decision has been taken on the seeding of the final 4 for the semi-finals and finals, but it is likely that the remaining 4 teams will be seeded based on regular season standings, meaning it is possible for two teams from eastern North America or two from western North America to face-off in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This is pretty drastic, and there is certain to be a lot of opinion and discussion to go around over the coming days, weeks, and months. My initial reaction is not to like the imbalance, which essentially provides easier post-season berths to the teams in the 2 Eastern conferences. But I don't necessarily hate it. I'm willing to give it a chance.

- Elsewhere, USA Hockey announced the preliminary roster for their World Junior Championship squad. Amongst the 9 defenseman on the list is the Habs' Jarred Tinordi. He would appear to be a near-lock for the squad at this point as part of a shutdown pair, and his name has been thrown around as a possible team captain, given that he fills that role presently for the London Knights, and previously wore the C for the U.S. Under-18 team.

- Tomas Plekanec missed practice today, but have no fear! It wasn't due to an injury. He and his wife Lucia Vondrackova welcomed a son, Matthias, to the world. Congratulations to the happy parents!

- Filling in temporarily for Plekanec at practice was Andreas Engqvist, rehabbed from his recent injury. Later in the day, the Canadiens officially assigned Engqvist to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

- Also in practice, wearing a normal contact jersey for the first time, was defenseman Chris Campoli. With Andrei Markov out another few weeks, Campoli's near return to the line-up is a welcome piece of news to Habs fans and the Canadiens' powerplay. Jaroslav Spacek also practiced with the team, but in a non-contact jersey, while Ryan White skated on his own and then spoke briefly with reporters in the dressing room. Other than Plekanec, the only Hab not to skate today was Scott Gomez.

- On the Andrei Markov front, he underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee in Florida today. Though Pierre Gauthier initially stated the expected recovery time would be 3 weeks, the team revised this estimation to something more realistic today, offering a prognosis of 4-6 weeks. Did Gauthier float the 3 week number just to minimize criticism when face-to-face with reporters?!

- Lastly, there is a bit of a public dispute going on between Max Pacioretty and Brendan Shanahan. Pacioretty spoke out disagreeing with Shanahan's decision to suspend him for 3 games, claiming that Shanahan had compared his hit to Matt Cooke's on Marc Savard. Shanahan disputed this claim on the Team 990, saying that not only had he not compared it to that hit, but he went out of this way to explain that he wasn't drawing that comparison. This line is a little tough to follow; if he wasn't comparing the hit, why bring it up at all?! By saying that he explicitly stated he wasn't drawing a comparison there, it means he must have at least mentioned it! And Pacioretty agrees, as he repeated today that he feels the comparison was made, and made unfairly. He and his agent preferred to compare the hit to Ryan Malone on Chris Campoli, a dirty hit which went undisciplined by Shanahan.

Your Canadiens for December 4, 2011

A solid effort and big win yesterday for the Montreal Canadiens over the Los Angeles Kings means things are likely to continue to hold steady for now. Jacques Martin lives to fight another day, and with both Bobby Ryan and Jarome Iginla seemingly off the trade market, there are no rumoured imminent transactions. But lots has gone on today and yesterday in the Habs' world, so here's a recap:

- Yesterday, Pierre Gauthier provided an update on the health of Andrei Markov. As much as he tried to frame it positively, with good news of Markov's repaired tendons holding strong, the reason the rearguard had disappeared from the team's entourage was made abundantly clear. Some time in the next few days, Markov will undergo a round of arthroscopic knee surgery to remove some debris from his knee area that had been causing significant swelling and pain. This is a relatively minor surgery, but it will still mean at least another three weeks on the shelf for the Russian who had hoped to start playing as recently as the California trip. I've written plenty on the Markov debacle, so I need not remind anyone how frustrated this makes Habs fans. Why on earth was a 3-year deal necessary this summer when his health was clearly still a big question mark?! Why was there no back-up plan in place given Markov's health? Sure, some of these young defenseman would have to get a chance at some point, but they've been thrown to the wolves with a lack of veterans to soak up tough minutes when they struggle.

- This morning, the Canadiens announced that Aaron Palushaj has been sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs. The 'Dogs have struggled mightily this season, with a win last night putting them at just 7-12-2 (last place in the Western Conference), so getting back a top AHL scorer like Palushaj should be a big boost. This is also great news for Louis Leblanc, who impressed sufficiently to pass Palushaj in the depth chart (at least for now). While it is no guarantee that Leblanc will stick around with Max Pacioretty returning from his 3-game suspension, it is still a good sign for the 20-year old pro rookie. To show the logjam at forward that may mean a return to top AHL minutes for Leblanc, here's a look at the depth chart:

Cammalleri - Plekanec - Gionta

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Cole

Moen - Eller - Kostitsyn

Darche - Nokelainen - Leblanc

While Louis could see some ice time (even taking shifts in place of, say, Travis Moen on occasion), he may be better off building strength in the American League and eventually returning for a permanent third line job when there is a spot for him. In the short-term, though, having Leblanc over Palushaj improves the club's bottom 6.

- Speaking of the Bulldogs, Nathan Lawson made 23 saves as Hamilton beat the Rochester Americans 3-2. Mike Blunden and Mark Mitera scored first period goals, with Gabriel Dumont, Phil DeSimone, and Brian Willsie picking up assists. Joonas Nattinen had the winner, snapping a 2-2 tie at 9:16 of the third period unassisted. For Nattinen, it was just his second goal of the season, but both have been game winners.

- A player I expected and hoped would join the Bulldogs once the Canadiens' back end was healthy, Raphael Diaz, seems to be making a strong case to stay in Montreal. I can't say I quite understand it - I'm not sure what he has done so well to deserve such a favoured status - but he played over 24 minutes yesterday (2nd to Josh Gorges) including over 4 minutes of penalty kill time. It's not that I dislike Diaz. I think he has definitely passed Yannick Weber in the depth chart, making Weber expendable and a likely trade chip. But while Diaz is a reasonable puck-mover with a half-decent point shot, he suffers from similar defensive zone issues to Weber, being on the small and soft side. To me, with the likes of Chris Campoli, Jaroslav Spacek, and eventually Andrei Markov returning, Diaz's skillls won't be needed in Montreal this season. I'm scared, however, that it will be Alexei Emelin - the unique physical presence on the Montreal back end - that sits once two injured veterans are ready for game action. The only explanation I have is that Emelin is a riskier player, while Diaz plays a safer "unnoticeable" game that Jacques Martin loves. It is the risk factor, however, that gives Emelin so much greater potential than the young Swiss.

- At the prospect level yesterday, Nathan Beaulieu (8th) and Michael Bournival (13th) each had goals as their teams faced off. Beaulieu's marker was the overtime game winner, while Bournival's was his 13th in just his 14th game. Jarred Tinordi added another assist to his record, now at 7 in 18 games. Tinordi finished the night a +2 and also fought, taking 11 minutes in penalties as he was called for an instigator. Danny Kristo, playing the second of back-to-back games in Alaska, picked up a goal and an assist and is now at 19 points in 16 games.

The Curious Case of Andrei Markov

After much speculation at yesterday's morning skate, official word got out this morning that defenseman Andrei Markov has received medical clearance for contact in practice. While this isn't a timetable for a return to game action (which Jacques Martin previously said wouldn't be before early December's California trip), it is an important step in his recovery.

Let's use this occasion to look back and see what exactly has gone on the past while in the strange saga of Mr. Markov, which has taken enough twists and turns to be a television soap opera.

June 1998 - Andrei Markov was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 6th round of the 1998 NHL entry draft. He had only recently made a shift from playing center to his now familiar spot on the blueline during the 1996-97 season with Voskresensk Khimik of the Russian league. With the pick directly before Markov, the Ottawa Senators selected Chris Neil, while earlier in the 6th round, with another of their picks, the Habs had taken Gordie Dwyer. Also notable is that, just 9 picks after Markov, the Detroit Red Wings stole Pavel Datsyuk. Some pretty good players for 6th round picks! (also taken that round were Trent Hunter, Niko Kapanen, Antero Niittymaki, and Ales Kotalik)

October 2000 - Markov crossed the ocean for the 2000-01 season and had an immediate impact with the Canadiens, spending only 14 games with the AHL's Quebec Citadelles while playing 63 for the Habs in scoring 23 points as a rookie.

2001 - 2007 - Markov played big minutes for the Canadiens (with the lockout season in the middle spent back in Russia) and, for those, who forget, was quite healthy and durable. In fact, he did not play fewer than 67 games in any of those years.

May 2007 - For the first time in his career, Markov had the chance to become an unrestricted free agent. Instead, he chose to re-sign with the Canadiens ahead of time, inking a 4-year, $23M deal ($5.75M cap hit). In the first year of his deal (07-08), Markov would set a new career high with 58 points, only to better that the following season (08-09) by netting 64. All seemed good with Markov and the Habs, as the blueliner was establishing himself as a top 10 d-man league-wide.

April 2009 - The Canadiens were looking like they just might be able to salvage a disastrous Centennial season as a late-season hot streak prevented the club from slipping out of a playoff spot. But the straw that broke the camel's back was a hit on Markov by Mikhail Grabovski late in a 6-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 4th that injured his left knee. The Canadiens folded in four straight games in the first round, before opting to completely overhaul their roster that summer. Markov, however, remained part of the team's core.

October 2009 - As the team looked to turn to a new chapter with a new leadership group in place, the unthinkable happened. Their top defenseman, in his return to action in the season opener on October 1, had his left ankle slashed on Carey Price's skate in a freak accident and required surgery which was initially predicted to keep him out till February. This game was again against the Leafs, which had many believing Markov was cursed versus them.

December 2009 - The General showed he could be a quick healer in suiting up with his teammates again on December 19, scoring 2 of the Canadiens' tallies in a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders.

April 2010 - The Canadiens were just starting out on what would turn out to be a fairytale run to the Eastern Conference finals when, in an April 30 second round game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a hit by Matt Cooke would cause damage requiring surgery on Markov's right knee.

October 2010 - Markov wasn't ready for the following season's opener, but got back in the line-up by October 30th. Many questioned if it was perhaps too soon, as he didn't have the same immediate impact as in his previous return from injury.

November 2010 - Just 7 games into his return, in a blowout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Markov collided awkwardly with 'Canes captain Eric Staal and slid into the boards, twisting his knee below him. You could instantly see it on his face. It was bad. Markov was fully aware of what had just happened and was incredibly frustrated by it. The right knee hadn't held up, and it would be back to the surgeon's table.

June 2011 - After playing only those 7 games during the 2010-11 season, Markov was again set to become a UFA. The Canadiens had a big decision to make on a guy who had been loyal throughout his career and was one of the best at his position when healthy. There were no d-men of Markov's calibre available to replace him on the free agent market, and so management put their faith in the Canadian-citizen-by-choice by awarding him a generous 3 year deal at his same previous cap hit ($5.75M / year).

"We look forward to having him back in our line-up for the start of the upcoming season," read the final sentence of general manager Pierre Gauthier's press release. (source: http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=566596)

Risky, no doubt. Three years at that kind of money is a lot to offer someone who had played only 52 regular season games over the prior two seasons combined. But they couldn't really be gambling here, I told myself. Who should know better about Markov's health than the Habs' brass and trainers?! If they feel confident enough to make this investment, they must be certain he will be fully recovered and ready to go in no time!

September 2011 - As training camp rolled around, the rumours and stories began to fly. Had he suffered a setback requiring his knee be drained late in August? Was it because he hadn't been rehabbing it hard enough? Or had he been training too hard? One story indicated that he had returned to Russia for a few weeks vacation and the club was shocked upon his return that he hadn't kept up with his rehab schedule while away. He then began doubling up the intensity of his workouts in Montreal to make up for the lost time, which resulted in the development of water in his knee. Of course, this is rumour at best, but it is a story that fits reasonably well with all the public evidence we have.

Markov was skating with the team when camp began, but then he seemed to fall slightly off the radar. Next think you know, Chris Campoli was signed. Gauthier was quick to tell reporters that Campoli had absolutely nothing to do with Markov's health.

"He's (Markov) progressing very well," Gauthier said on September 26th. "The knee is in very good health. He keeps moving along in his rehabilitation. We'll see if he'll be quite ready or not (for the season opener), but he shouldn't miss too many games." (source: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=376815)

Won't miss many games, huh? Well that's comforting, but then why had the team been insisting he was healthy? Or were they? Four days later, on September 30th, head coach Jacques Martin was quoted as saying, "Markov's rehab is going well. He's skating on his own and continues to work on building his strength. We knew from the start he wouldn't be ready for the start of the season, so it's on schedule." (source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2011/09/30/habs_camp/)

It's not hard to understand, then, why some perceive a rift between Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin. Their statements seem quite contradictory. The team seems to want to cover up that they perhaps err'ed in judgment or didn't do their due-diligence sufficiently with regards to Markov's health.

October 2011 - Still following? So Markov is doing well, and won't miss many games. But where did he go? Suddenly no one could find him around the rink. His progress appeared stalled. Had he stopped skating? Then we got this leak courtesy of blogger Big T on the Habs: a photo of Markov waiting at Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport, his right leg elevated as he sits in a chair, waiting to board a plane to Florida. (source: http://bigthabs.blogspot.com/2011/10/andrei-markov-update.html)

Indeed, on October 12th, Martin confirmed Markov had flown to Florida to meet with his surgeon, Dr. James Andrews. The nature of the meetings was unclear; would Markov require a follow-up procedure? Was it just for observation and to receive a green light? Concerns continued to mount when what was initially announced as a one-week stay was extended to nearly two full weeks in the Sunshine State. There was talk amongst some of possible discontent between Markov and the organization, or some other strange issues at work. Rumour-monger bloggers were quick to put out stories suggesting that Markov's next game in the NHL would only be following a trade to another club. Questions were raised about neighbours observing his house being frequently inhabited both now and throughout long stretches of summer. Were things less rosy than the team wanted all to believe?

November 2011 - But then, almost miraculously, things seemed to get back on track. Upon returning to Montreal, Markov was back on the ice, starting with just 15 minute sessions but working his way back up to contactless practices with the team. Though there is no specific timeframe for his return, even with his today (November 22) being cleared for contact, the club has suggested it won't be before early December's California road trip. By that time, he will have missed nearly 1/3 of the season, which - while it's not like anything is lost just yet - certainly doesn't constitute "not many games."

But of course, it couldn't be that simple. A chronicle as convoluted as this requires at least one more twist before he can get back on the ice. And that seems to have come, as there has been a confirmation that Markov's Candiac home is on the market for a price tag of $1.5M. (source: http://25stanley.com/a-vendre-1-5m-pour-la-maison-dandrei-markov-a-candiac.html) It seems he and his common law partner have split, and thus he no longer felt the need to retain the home he shared with her and their two kids. An understandable situation for anyone going through such a time in their personal life, but certainly it hasn't stopped the internet Hab fan gossipers and rumour mongers from suggesting the house is being sold because he wants out of Montreal.

As Habs fans, we can all hope that Mr. Markov will be back in the line-up as soon as possible. He is the type of player that can take a bubble squad and turn them into true contenders. But most importantly, it is crucial that when he does return, he is fully healed and will be able to play the vast majority of the team's games over this season and the next two. If not, for the team to be competitive, they will need their young blueliners to mature awfully quickly and/or seek a real replacement for a true number 1 d-man.

EPILOGUE UPDATES AS OF DECEMBER 1:

November 30 2011 - The day many expected Markov to return to the line-up, for a game against the Anaheim Ducks in sunny California. That week, Markov had spent practice on a regular top 6 pairing with Alexei Emelin, and even lined up on the team's top powerplay unit beside P.K. Subban. There was a little worry when he skipped out on some contact in the corner drills, but then, something completely unpredictable. There we were on game day, with the whole team taking to the ice in the morning, and no Markov. A "therapy day" was the excuse Jacques Martin gave. Of course, no sign of Markov for that evening's game.

December 1 2011 - The next morning, in getting ready for the second half of a back-to-back, this one against the San Jose Sharks, only the injured and suspended players took to the ice in the morning. But along with Max Pacioretty, Chris Campoli, Jaroslav Spacek, and Andreas Engqvist was no Andrei Markov. Is this a good sign? Is he a healthy player who thus got the morning off? Or was he unable to lace up his skates for a second straight day? Perhaps we'll know more come game time.

And then this: Montreal reporter JF Chaumont confirms the team has stated Andrei Markov is not with the club in San Jose. The Habs obviously wanting to torment their fanbase did not elaborate as to where Markov is, or why he isn't with the group.

It would later be revealed that Markov stayed in Anaheim and headed to L.A. to meet with doctors while the team traveled to San Jose. Given that the Habs' next game was back in Los Angeles, the move made some sense. However, reporters Brian Wilde and Martin McGuire revealed a story prior to game time that in fact, Markov was having trouble pivoting to one side, and thus again had to take a step back in his recovery. He was to be off the ice for at least the next 5 days.

Your Canadiens for November 21, 2011

While the attention of the rest of the league is on the much-anticipated return to action of Sidney Crosby this evening, Habs fans have a big game of their own to watch. After ending the New York Rangers' 7-game win streak on Saturday night, the team will have a chance to put a stop to Boston's 8-game run this evening.

- Your Montreal Canadiens for tonight:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Travis Moen - Scott Gomez - Lars Eller

Mathieu Darche - Petteri Nokelainen - Aaron Palushaj

Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban

Frederic St. Denis - Yannick Weber

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Carey Price

- Carey Price was today named the NHL's first star of the week for a second time this season. Despite Peter Budaj getting a start mid-week, Price put up a 2-0-1 record with a .972 save percentage and a 0.67 goals against average. His last two starts have represent the first time in his young career that he has recorded back-to-back shutouts, with his current streak at 127 minutes. Congratulations Carey!

- Tonight marks the 100th game of P.K. Subban's career. The young blueliner has stepped up his game in the wake of injuries after a slow start to the season.

- Hal Gill, released from hospital on Friday, rejoined his teammates for practice for the first time this morning, but will not play tonight. His return shouldn't be far away, however.

- Gill skated in practice with Andrei Markov, who was wearing the same white-coloured jersey as his teammates. This led to speculation that he may have received medical clearance for contact in practice, but it was later clarified that he has yet to get that green light. It is expected that it may come later this week, though. There is still no specific timeline for Markov's return, but Jacques Martin had mentioned it won't be before the California road trip which is in early December.

- Chris Campoli and Andrei Kostitsyn also skated this morning, but with a team trainer as opposed to their mates. While Campoli being a ways off is hardly news, it seems Kostitsyn isn't progressing as quickly as many had hoped for.

- Turning our attention to the prospect ranks...

After a great game with a goal and 3 assists on Friday night, Brendan Gallagher was held off the scoresheet Saturday and then collected an assist on Sundy, now giving him 36 points in 21 games, but falling off the 50-goals-in-50-games track for the first time, stuck at 19.

Fellow WHL'er Darren Dietz scored a goal yesterday, giving him 15 points in 24 games and a team best +18 rating.

Despite finishing the night a +2, defenseman Nathan Beaulieu had a 6-game point streak broken yesterday. Montreal's first round pick last June has 20 points and is a +17 in 23 games.

Michael Bournival has played three games since returning from injury. He was twice held off the scoresheet (and finishing a -2 on both of those occasions), but Saturday night he picked up 2 goals, to now give him 12 in 10 games played.

Danny Kristo was held off the scoresheet for a second consecutive weekend (with a bye weekend in between), cooling off after a rocket start. He is now back at the 1 point-per-game mark with 12 points in 12 games.

Also in the NCAA, Mac Bennett scored his 3rd goal of the season, passing the 2 he notched last year. In his rookie season, the defenseman put up 12 points in 32 games, while now as a sophomore he has 10 in just 14 contests.

Your Canadiens for November 16, 2011

Updates prior to tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

- Hal Gill is expected to again be out of action tonight with a bad virus.

- Jaroslav Spacek was hurt against the Buffalo Sabres and will not play tonight. To replace him, the Canadiens called up defenseman Frederic St. Denis from the Hamilton Bulldogs. St. Denis, 25, had a solid training camp and is considered amongst Hamilton's best two-way blueliners. Most recently, the 5'11" rearguard had a goal and an assist in Sunday's win over Binghamton. But it certainly goes to show how little NHL-ready depth is presently available to Montreal. Who would have imagined that the team would have to play a game with all of Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz, Alexei Emelin, and St. Denis amongst the top 6 d-men. Even when you add P.K. Subban and Josh Gorges to round the group out, the total NHL experience of the lot is just 579 games played.

While this is far from an ideal situation, I'm quite curious to see how St. Denis will look. Neither Emelin nor Diaz has been "ripping it up" lately. So if St. Denis can play solid, mistake-free hockey, there may even be an opportunity for him to pass one or the other of the two rookies in the depth chart. Unlikely, sure, but at this point I'l ready to look at anything that might help the team's often confused play in its own end.

Per my Habs historian projects, in making his NHL debut, St. Denis will tonight become the 799th player to play for the Canadiens in a regular season game in the team's history. Wonder who # 800 will be!

- Andrei Kostitsyn is not practicing with the team, and thus is expected to miss another game this evening. The Canadiens should, however, get Mike Cammalleri back after he missed Monday night's game.

- Also in Monday's game, Andreas Engqvist seemed to suffer a minor injury that will keep him out of action. Though, realistically, he would likely have been sat to make room for Cammalleri's return in any case.

- Andrei Markov joined the team for their light practice yesterday, wearing a non-contact jersey of course. He even stayed around to share a few words with journalists afterwards with his usual dry humour. Still no timetable for his return, though.

- Tonight's game will be a big one for Erik Cole, a forward who after a slowish first few games now makes up an important part of Montreal's most productive line of late with Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais. Despite a brief stint in Edmonton (and excluding the lockout), Cole had played for the Hurricanes in every one of his 9 NHL seasons prior to this one, and thus will be facing off against many good friends.

It's also a big one for Lars Eller, who will be participating in his 100th NHL game.

- Down in the AHL, the Hamilton Bulldogs lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Peoria Rivermen last night. With an injury to Garrett Stafford and the call-up of St. Denis, the 'Dogs recalled both Olivier Dame-Malka and T.J. Fast from the ECHL. Dame-Malka, in his second AHL game this season, recorded his first AHL point, assisting on a Philip DeSimone goal. Michael Blunden had the other tally for Hamilton, while Dany Masse was the only one of 5 shooters able to beat Ben Bishop during the shootout.

- Sticking with prospects, highly-touted Michael Bournival returned to the line-up from injury for the Shawninigan Cataractes - the team he captains - last night. Bournival was held off the scoresheet and finished a -2 in a 5-1 loss, playing only his 8th game of the season after missing about a month of action. In those 8 games, Bournival has tallied 10 goals and 13 points.

Your Canadiens for November 14, 2011

Here's your state of the organization update on the eve of a big divisional contest against the Buffalo Sabres.

- Expected / Probable Lines for tonight:

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Travis Moen - Tomas Plekanec - Brian Gionta

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Scott Gomez - Lars Eller - Aaron Palushaj

Andreas Engqvist - Petteri Nokelainen - Mathieu Darche

Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban

Jaroslav Spacek - Yannick Weber

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Carey Price

BUFFALO SABRES

Thomas Vanek - Luke Adam - Jason Pominville

Ville Leino - Derek Roy - Drew Stafford

Nathan Gerbe - Paul Gaustad - Brad Boyes

Cody McCormick - Matt Ellis - Patrick Kaleta

Marc-Andre Gragnani - Christian Ehrhoff

Mike - Andrej Sekera

Jordan Leopold - Robyn Regehr

Jhonas Enroth

- Hal Gill is sick, missed the morning skate, and will not play for Montreal tonight.

- I shudder looking at that inexperienced bottom pairing, but at least Gill's absence lets Alexei Emelin play on his natural left side.

- Mike Cammalleri did participate in the morning skate, but will not play tonight. It seems his knee or leg is still bothering him.

- To replace Cammalleri, the Canadiens announced that Andreas Engqvist has been called up from Hamilton this afternoon.

-Andrei Kostitsyn was not at the team's morning skate today, but another injured player was back. And that player? Andrei Markov! Of course, he was wearing a non-contact jersey, but it's still a big step to see him re-join his teammates for a skate. In theory he should re-join them for practice before long, and if that's the case, he could be back in the line-up before the end of the month.

- For the Sabres, Ryan Miller is out tonight after suffering a concussion on the much-talked about Milan Lucic hit Saturday night. The league announced today that Lucic would not be suspended for the hit, so expect an angry Sabres group this evening.

- Also sitting for Buffalo tonight is towering defenseman Tyler Myers. Coach Lindy Ruff has been unhappy with the play of his blueliner (signed to a huge deal this summer, as you'll recall) and is trying to send a message with this move (not unlike Jacques Martin did with P.K. Subban last season).

- Amongst prospects, the weekend was a big one for a few members of the Canadiens organization, so here's a breakdown:

Nathan Beaulieu, after a somewhat disappointing Subway Super Series (despite a beautiful shootout goal), has a goal and 3 assists in his last 2 games. That helps to get him back on track from a disappointing start statistically, giving him 17 points and a +14 rating in 20 games. Beaulieu's lack of production overall is not a huge area of concern, but this combined with his sometimes shaky play in his own end mean he is farther away from the NHL than some might think. Don't get me wrong; great prospect. But not ready yet.

Brendan Gallagher, after being held off the scoresheet for a rare time on Wednesday, had a good weekend with back-to-back goal and assist, 2 point games. Gallagher's stats are definitely eye-catching with 18 goals and 31 points in just 18 games. His 18 goals rank him 5th in the WHL, while everyone ahead of him has played either 3 or 4 more games than he has. He also ranks 7th overall in points and is 6 ahead of his closest teammate. Gallagher will be part of the Team WHL that takes on Russia as the Subway Super Series continues on Wednesday night.

Another WHL prospect who is hot is defenseman Darren Dietz. Though he was left off the Super Series roster, Dietz is tied for the Saskatoon lead in points amongst d-men with the undersized Connor Cox and first round pick Duncan Siemens with 14 through 22 games. Dietz, a big and tough blueliner, is also tied with Cox to lead the team as a +19 (tied for third-best league-wide). A 5th round draft pick this past June, Dietz looks like an early candidate as a late-round steal.

Lastly, the Hamilton Bulldogs snapped out of a funk yesterday in downing the Binghamton Senators 5 to 2. Alexander Avtsin led the way with his best game as a Bulldog, contributing 3 assists en route to being named the first star. Avtsin also scored a goal earlier this week, so Habs fans can cross the fingers that maybe... just maybe... the ultra talented Russian winger has turned a corner in his development. After a strong first game, Louis Leblanc had fallen off the map a bit in settling into AHL-level play, but he scored his 2nd and 3rd goals of the season yesterday, the last of which was a nice breakaway deke. Also scoring for Hamilton were Brian Willsie, Frederic St. Denis, and Andreas Engqvist. Robert Mayer got the win in goal.

Is All Well in Habs Land? A Statistical Look

Last Wednesday, just after the Perry Pearn firing was announced, shortly before that evening's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, I had this exchange with a friend over Facebook chat:

• October 26

  [friend]

  • maybe its a sign of things to come

  • let's lose HARD tonight

• October 26

  Dan Kramer

  • heh

  • either the team needs to start being MUCH better, or team needs to keep losing

• October 26

  [friend]

  • i agree

• October 26

  Dan Kramer

  • good news is gauthier also announced markov is doing well

  • so that could help turn things around

  • i mean IF somehow we win all three of the next games

  • that's a huge momentum shift for our season

• October 26

  [friend]

  • IF

At the time, it was just me being my eternal Habs optimist self. At best, I thought, if they really picked their play up, perhaps they could walk out of the three game set with 4 points.

As has been the norm with this team for years, they perform against all expectations. What Habs fan hasn't witnessed an "easy game" against the last place Florida Panthers resulting in a 2-0 loss, or a tough match-up with the red hot Washington Capitals ending as a 4-1 win? This week was little different. The Boston Bruins are mired in the basement of the East, but even if admittedly they aren't playing well as a team right now, they remain the defending Stanley Cup champions with a roster that's been only barely tweaked from the one that hoisted the Cup.

Does that mean the Canadiens will walk into Ottawa Friday night and pitch a stinker, getting blown out by a team that is weak on paper but quite surprisingly one of the league's hottest early season success stories? Maybe. It's too early to conclude that a 3-game win streak has righted all wrongs and that all is well in Habs land. But what we do know is where another tough week would have virtually meant folding up and calling it a day on the 2011-12 campaign (or the ushering in of some dramatic changes), we instead find a team right in the thick of things.

For those that have been watching the team's daily rises and falls in the standings, don't. We're still in the early game. In the 6 seasons since the NHL lockout, it has typically required between 92 and 94 points to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference (outlier: 88 in 2009-10), with the average of the six years being 92. With 10 points through 11 games, the Habs are currently on pace for just 74.5 points, but of course, we're still very early. The quickest way for the team to get on pace to meet the mark would require a replication of the current 3-game win streak which would give them 16 points in 14 games after wins versus Ottawa, the New York Rangers, and the Edmonton Oilers. The team's record would then project to a 93.7 point season, which would meet or beat the 8th place East record in all but one of the post-lockout years (94 in 2007-08).

I don't mean to say that if the team doesn't rattle off three more victories over the next 10 days then all hope is lost. But Habs fans should not be placated by just three solid efforts on the heels of a disastrous season opening. Simply put: we're not out of the woods just yet.

Carey Price had a great three game set, enough to even earn him the first star of the week league-wide and lock up the Molson Cup for the month. The fact is that Price has been "good" all season long while at times getting little support from the team's skaters, but he had still be out-goaltended on numerous occasions (e.g. games against Miikka Kiprusoff, Ryan Miller...). Not so vs. the Flyers and Bruins, which has allowed him to raise his numbers on the early season back to respectable levels.

Another change over the last 3 was a major improvement in the face-off circle. If Scott Gomez takes a center spot upon his return and shift David Desharnais's 44.3% success rate to the wing, the team will have:

Tomas Plekanec - 53.1%

Scott Gomez - 53%

Lars Eller - 44%

Petteri Nokelainen - 60%

Not bad at all! By limiting the face-offs taken by Eller and Desharnais, the team's averages could be quite high.

In terms of production, entering the current 5 day break for the team, Plekanec and Max Pacioretty are tied for the team lead with 9 points in 11 games - on pace for 67 point seasons. Pacioretty, Plekanec, and surprising Travis Moen each have 4 goals, which puts them on pace for 29 on the year. Mike Cammalleri's 3 goals in 8 games would average out to just over 30 in 82, despite his inconsistent play over the first month. Considering the team's leaders in points and goals in 2010-11 had 57 and 29 respectively, these numbers appear satisfactory. Further, between the goals against and the output, the Canadiens have a goal differential of -1 thus far, which is actually good for 8th best in the East, better than current 4th place Ottawa's -6 and current 8th place Tampa Bay's -2.

Another interesting statistic has been time on ice. As we've mentioned previously, the club's defense both on paper and on the ice has been a major area of concern. Gone are the veteran horses in Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski, out is Andrei Markov, and in their place are a bunch of green rookies. The team has done a great job in making the transition by splitting time more evenly amongst its blueliners, particularly over the last 3 games (the post-Perry Pearn period). Last year's average time on ice leaders:

James Wisniewski - 22:56

Andrei Markov - 22:54 (only 7 GP)

Roman Hamrlik - 22:16

P.K. Subban - 22:16

Josh Gorges - 21:10 (only 36 GP)

Tomas Plekanec - 20:14

Thus far this season, only 4 players have averaged more than 20 minutes a night:

P.K. Subban - 23:48

Tomas Plekanec - 21:10

Josh Gorges - 20:44

Yannick Weber - 20:12

Interesting that Weber has seen the fourth most ice despite playing the first game and a half as a bottom 6 forward. This is a huge testament to how he has picked his game up in rebounding from a terrible training camp.

So all may not be well just yet with the Habs; there is still plenty of work to be done. But statistically, the team seems to be turning around their slow start, as evidenced by Price's numbers, the face-off stats, offensive output, and a better use of player personnel. And things can only improve once Andrei Markov - who skated for a first time since returning to Montreal yesterday - gets back into the line-up. Look for him to start practicing within 1-2 weeks.

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.

Markov Back on Skates Next Week!

UPDATE: - It appears it'll have to be later on next week, as confirmed reports say Markov will stay in Florida till at least Monday when he has another appointment with his doctor.

Just as all signs were pointing to a bleak outlook for Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov, Habs fans got the best news update they could ask for on a Friday afternoon. The team's top rearguard will begin skating with his mates next week, as announced by Tony Marinaro and Renaud Lavoie on Twitter.

Markov spent most of the week meeting with his doctor, Dr. James Andrew, in Florida. This fueled rampant blog and Twitter speculation that perhaps his injury was more long-term than initially thought, or that there may even be a big rift between him and the club. Well Canadiens fans can rest a little easier going into the weekend with the knowledge that the General of the team's blueline may be back in action sooner than they had thought.

While there is still no formal timetable for his return to game action, one would imagine he will need a couple of weeks of skating and practicing. That would push his first game to early November in all likelihood. While this is great news, the next concern will be his performance when he does actually play, as the expectations set by his contract are for him to be the dominant force he was before all these injuries set in.

We were critical of the Markov signing when it became apparent that he wouldn't be ready for training camp and then the start of the season, but if he is back in the coming weeks and seems to be at 100%, we will eat our words. Markov is a player who can take the team's game to a whole other level if he's on. Hal Gill and P.K. Subban have looked far from the top pairing they were asked to be, so if they can slide into a 2nd duo role and have, say, Markov and Josh Gorges eat up significant ice time, the Habs' back end will look far better.

Your Canadiens for October 12, 2011

Finally! We're now only one day away from the return of meaningful hockey to the Bell Centre as the Canadiens prepare for their home opener tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. As always, we'll have updates from practice as they come in.

UPDATE: - The team's lines are the same as we saw yesterday, meaning:
Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta
Travis Moen - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole
Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn
Lars Eller - Andreas Engqvist - Aaron Palushaj

Why Travis Moen on the Tomas Plekanec line instead of any of the offensively inclined bottom 6 wingers? Who knows. Ask Jacques Martin.

- Hal Gill was absent from practice today, though the reason why wasn't immediately clear. The 6'7" locker room leader was later said by the team to have had family commitments that kept him away. Hopefully that's all it was, because the team can ill-afford to lose yet another veteran blueliner.

- Credit to Big T on the Habs for their story yesterday based on a recent photo of Andrei Markov at Pierre Elliot Trudeau airport.
Markov was boarding a plane to Miami, presumably to meet with Dr. James Andrews, the physician who performed his ACL surgeries. Dr. Andrews has offices in Alabama and Florida, either which may have been Markov's final destination. The real question is why he was headed there? Was it to get final medical clearance? Based on his raised right knee in the picture, this is doubtful (though PERHAPS it was just a comfy way to sit... we don't mean to speculate based purely on him elevating his leg). Was it a normal scheduled check-up? Hopefully... But was it to have the knee drained again due to fluid buildup? This would be the worst case scenario and would see Markov out the longest. We don't know, and it is unlikely the Habs will tell us. Their injury updates have consisted simply of "he's on schedule."

- For the Carey Price stalker types, his sister appears to have a Twitter account based on an exchange with P.K. Subban. If you just can't get enough of the Price family, be sure to follow Kayla at @KaylaPrice: http://twitter.com/#!/kaylaprice

- Habs prospect Michael Bournival was injured in practice and early reports indicate he could miss up to one month of action. This is unfortunate as Bournival was off to a torrid start in the QMJHL with 10 goals and 3 assists in just 7 games. If he does miss significant time, it may also hurt his chances of being on Team Canada's World Junior Championships squad, a role he was looking a lock for.

- As an aside, if you've seen the terrific Brad Pitt movie Moneyball (and if you haven't you SHOULD!), one can't help but laugh at the parallels between it and the current Montreal Canadiens situation. Not catching my drift? Stay tuned for our feature article Friday. [/spoiler alert] You have two days to watch the movie in order to appreciate our piece! Get on it! EDIT: This article was cancelled (or at least postponed) for the time being. While we do find it a little funny that it has required injuries and/or roster moves to get Martin to play his younger players or change his lines at times, the Moneyball analogy doesn't go far enough just yet.

Habs Injury Update... or, What Were They Thinking?!

UPDATE: The suspicions we speculated as to in the morning were confirmed by mid-afternoon as reports indicated that Markov had a setback during the summer, requiring water be drained from his knee after he had trained too hard and quickly to be ready for the upcoming season.

A full update as to his health should come following physicals on Friday. It is concerning, however, as this does not seem like a regular setback over the course of recuperating from his procedures and may hint at other serious problems.

-----------------------

Alarm bells went off in the minds of many Habs fans yesterday when it was revealed that Andrei Markov did not take the ice with the multitude of veterans who skated amidst the second day of Rookie Camp.

The questions turned to concern when Markov skated in the afternoon along with injured prospects Louis Leblanc and Olivier Fortier, a sign that perhaps he is still rehabbing his injuries.

And still later in the day, that concern turned to near panic when a statement from the Canadiens read that Markov "would not play in any of the team's preseason games if he were not yet 100%."

Now I'm not one to freak out over a blanket statement that doesn't necessarily mean much of anything. Perhaps Markov will be at full strength within a week or two and be ready to join his teammates in full practice.

But there is a bigger worry here. When Markov signed his 3 years, $17.25M deal with the Canadiens this summer, many were quick to jump down Pierre Gauthier's throat. No one wanted to see the general of the Habs' blueline take his services elsewhere, but that's a lot of money over a long term for a player who played a combined 52 games over the past two seasons. One would think, before making such a commitment, the club would have been certain that Markov would be at 100% health from day 1 of his new contract. Right? RIGHT?

That's definitely the line I took in defending the deal. "Who knows better about Markov's health than the Canadiens staff themselves," I reasoned. "If they feel he is worthy of this contract, they must strong believe he'll be back to his old self."

While this remains to be seen, and certainly taking precautions with his return to the ice doesn't mean he won't be able to play at a high level, today's statement won't rest well with Habs fans. One would think the organization would be aware of the concern of the fan base and the effect such an ominous announcement would have. This means either there is nothing to see here and it was just a typical answer to the media, or the fact is this is the beginning of tapering fans expectations for when it's announced that Markov is out of the line-up in Toronto on October 6th.

Look, I love Markov, and can't wait to see him back on Bell Centre ice. But $5.75M a year should get you a strong top pairing d-man who can anchor your back-end on a nightly basis. With the departures of Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski, the Canadiens do not have the depth needed at the NHL level to replace a Markov who would miss significant amounts of time. By signing him to this contract, they've put their faith in the fact that he will dress for a vast majority of their games.

I'm still not against retaining his services, but how he got a 3-year term without taking a paycut and before receiving a clean bill of health is totally beyond me. I hope Markov makes me eat my words and dresses for close to all 82 games this season, topping the 50 point mark, but until that point, I'll remain skeptical on this one. I'm not suggesting they should rush him back into action either. Just wondering who thought it would be a good idea to sign him to this contract before being confident in his recovery.

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.