What to do with Lars Eller

Ever since he became a Montreal Canadien, there has been tremendous pressure on Danish center Lars Eller. Jaroslav Halak had been idolized as a hero in the city of Montreal following his incredible run during the 2010 playoffs to lead the team to the Conference Semi-Finals. And yet, just a month later, he was sent to the St. Louis Blues in return for a 6'2" center who had just celebrated his 21st birthday.

Those were big shoes to fill for a young man having just completed his first season on a new continent, quickly establishing himself as an AHL star and scoring his first 2 NHL goals in 7 games with the Blues. Fans were quick to dream that the player who went 13th overall in the 2007 Entry Draft might be the true first line offensive center this team has lacked for over a decade.

But here we are, almost two years later. If you read the sidebar of this site, you'll see I list Eller amongst my favourite current Canadiens to watch. He is a good skater and his soft hands make him perhaps the best stickhandler on the club. He is capable of pulling off electrifying dekes in a role left vacant by the departure of Alex Kovalev. He can use his size to dish out the occasional well-timed hit. So he should clearly be a fixture for years to come, right? Well, there's a bit of a problem.

Just shy of 23 years of age, it is unfair to say that Eller has reached the pinnacle of all he'll ever be as a hockey player. It might take him another 1-2 years just to enter his prime productivity period. But his output thus far in Montreal - 7 goals and 17 points in 77 games last year, and 13 goals and 23 points in 63 games this season - is not that of a top 6 forward. He has shown flashes on many a night - none brighter than his four goal performance against the Winnipeg Jets - but also fades to obscurity on others. I wouldn't doubt his commitment or level of effort; rather, it seems the elements he brings aren't effective on a regular basis. To take that next step, his game will need to evolve by somehow working on his scoring touch around the net, or improving his strength and physicality.

I would still be hesitant to call any of this a problem, as I'm by no means ready to give up on Eller's game. As a young player developing on a third line, I strongly believe he can be quite effective. Placing him there also allows the Canadiens to roll three lines capable of being dangerous in the offensive end. The problem? That he isn't alone in that role.

None of the team's current top 3 pivots, Eller, Tomas Plekanec, or David Desharnais, fits the role of a fourth line center. The problem is that to improve the club, there remains a need for a more offensively dominant first line center. If the Habs succeed in acquiring such a player - whether through a trade or with their first round selection this summer - one of Eller, Plekanec, or Desharnais will be bumped, meaning the time for slow development and easing into a role is over.

Let's say the Canadiens draft Mikhail Grigorenko or Alex Galchenyuk, and come training camp in the Fall, the selected forward impresses so much that the Habs opt to keep him with the club. As the only real veteran of the bunch, Tomas Plekanec is quite certain to remain as the other top 6 center to ease the top pick's transition to the bigs (though I had previously suggested he is moveable if a big center is brought in through trade or eventually in future years as a UFA). Thus you're left with Eller and Desharnais fighting for a single job.

At 5'7", opting for Desharnais over Eller goes against the team's mission to get bigger. At the same time, however, choosing Eller's proven 23-point capability over Desharnais's 51-point (and counting) breakout season seems illogical on a team that frequently struggles to score. So what are our options?

1) Trade Desharnais

It is conceivable that Desharnais's physical limitations will catch up to him and that this season will be the most productive one of his career. If that is the case, it would make sense to trade him now while his value is maximized (especially given his basement bargain contract for next season which would be very attractive to many clubs). It is also possible that this is just one step in Desharnais's development and that - still only 25 - he will continue to be a productive player for many seasons. Can the Canadiens afford "giving up" on another local son to see him succeed elsewhere?

2) Trade Eller

Will Eller ever be a 50-point producer in the NHL? Certainly there would be teams willing to take a chance on the fact that he remains capable of such numbers. His value is quite certainly higher than Desharnais's even despite his lesser output to date, and he could be a solid chip towards acquiring another young player to fill a hole on the wing. The problem is the opposite of Desharnais's in that dealing him now would be moving him at far less than his peak value if he is to become such a player. But at the same time, by holding on to him, you risk ending up with a depreciating asset if Eller is to have another sub-30 point season next year. The lure of his being a first round choice from five years ago will quickly wear off.

3) Move Desharnais to the Wing

Of course, the Canadiens can keep both Eller and Desharnais by shifting one to another position. By playing DD on the wing, the Canadiens would minimize his defensive responsibilities - a weaker area in his overall game. However, he'd also be responsible for winning more battles along the boards, which may be a struggle given his diminutive frame (but not for a lack of heart). The bigger issue, though, would be who to play him with. As much as Desharnais deserves plenty of credit in his own right, a significant portion of his production this season has been aided by being flanked by the team's twin offensive towers in Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty. It is unlikely that the Habs would put him on the wing of a rookie, and playing Tomas Plekanec would make for an awfully small unit. That leaves Eller's wing which, if used as a third trio completed by a bigger body like Rene Bourque (though that would mean 3 left shots) or a defensively-responsible guy like Travis Moen (again three lefties) or Louis Leblanc (could be a fit!), might actually be effective. Write that down, Habs brass, who undoubtedly reads this very site carefully on a daily basis. One issue is the loss of Desharnais's 50% in the face-off dot on a club that struggles in that area, in favour of Eller's meager 45.7%. So let's keep looking...

4) Move Eller to the Wing

Eller was tested as a top 6 winger right from his early days in Montreal without major success. Could it be time to give him another shot? He is weak on the draw, but strong enough to handle his own along the boards and tends to position himself more off to the side than directly in front of the net. Playing the wing might give him fewer opportunities to work his stickhandling magic through the neutral zone, but it may give him more of a chance to get off his quick release and/or improve his finish-ability around the net. To this end, perhaps playing him on Desharnais's side would allow the freeing of Pacioretty and/or Cole to play with other forwards in the top 6. If Eller proves his worthiness, he could be tried on a top unit alongside a Tomas Plekanec to give the team more flexibility down its depth chart as well. This seems like inevitably the "safest" best solution for the team if they manage to land a true #1 center.

So there you have it. Which option sounds best to you if a spot is named for Mikhail Grigorenko next October? Or perhaps you have another idea in mind? Discuss away!

What if Habs Keep Brendan Gallagher?

While there have been a number of intriguing plotlines during training camp, none has captured the attention of Habs fans more than the outstanding play of 19-year old Brendan Gallagher.

The 5'8" Vancouver Giants star, picked by the Canadiens in the 5th round in 2010, is coming off of WHL seasons of 41 and 44 goals, but has shown he is far more than a diminutive one-dimensional goal scorer. In fact, the best comparable for Gallagher would be somewhere between two current NHL'ers he can look "up" (not literally) to in Brian Gionta and Brad Marchand.

Gallagher displays offensive awareness and slick hands much like Montreal captain Gionta. He comes in hard on the forecheck, and has vastly improved his skating, once considered the biggest weakness in his game (aside from his size). While Gionta isn't afraid to go to the net, battle in the corners, or throw the occasional hit, Gallagher is even more comfortable with the rough stuff, hence the Marchand comparison, able to play like a little wrecking ball coming in on opposing defensemen. The most exciting thing for Jacques Martin is likely that Gallagher is rather responsible defensively as well, making him a real complete player.

The knock against him is that he has been unable to finish plays thus far in preseason, leading the Canadiens in hit goal posts. Perhaps he isn't quite ready for starring offensive duties, but, what IF he does make this team? It's not like there is a job for him in the top 6 anyway. Gallagher would likely slot in as a third or fourth line winger, filling in for an injured Travis Moen, Ryan White, or Lars Eller to provide secondary scoring support while highlight the responsible and physical sides of his game. He may not have super talented linemates to produce with offensively initially, but he has shown a skillset strong enough to generate his own chances, and at least on a bottom line, he'd be shielded from opposing top forwards and shutdown d-pairings.

Who would he play with? Considering the Habs have only 12 players on NHL deals and up to 3 may miss opening night, there is definitely a spot to be won. But the who depends on how you rate his camp in comparison to fellow youngster Aaron Palushaj. Palushaj started camp really slowly, underwhelming and even disappointing many, but picked it up recently with 4 points in his last 2 games to tie him for the Habs' preseason scoring lead. Palushaj isn't a fit on a gritty fourth line, so given the full top 6, he would need to play on an offensively oriented third line to work, perhaps with Andrei Kostitsyn and David Desharnais. The question would then be, with Palushaj's better production but Gallagher's more impressive play, which of the two should be in that slot? It would seem that IF both are to make the team due to injuries initially, Palushaj's weaknesses work in his favour in slotting in on that unit while Gallagher might play with Andreas Engqvist and Mathieu Darche.

And what about his contract? Gallagher remains unsigned at the moment and would have to pen a deal with the Canadiens by Saturday in order to stay with the team beyond this weekend. Signing a deal doesn't mean it would kick in right away, given that Gallagher is a junior aged player. The Habs could keep him with the team for up to 9 regular season games on a "tryout" basis without year one of his deal commencing, at which point they'd have to decide whether to return him to the Giants or keep him in Montreal. If he stays, that starts the clock ticking on his UFA age one year earlier than his anticipated pro-turning date next Fall, and of course would officially begin year 1 of his entry level contract.

But unfortunately, these are the only options for Brendan. It's Montreal or Vancouver, as a CHL player under 20 cannot play in the American Hockey League (meaning no Hamilton). This means that unlike a player like Gabriel Dumont, Gallagher couldn't be called back up mid-season. It would mean goodbye till the Fall if he were sent down. Because of this, and because I feel he deserves to make this team ahead of Palushaj or Engqvist or Mike Blunden, I believe the right call is to keep him in Montreal at least until everyone is healthy (< 10 games), and then make a decision on if he can really continue to help the team all year. As such, while Francis Gagnon's estimation this morning that he has an 80% chance of making the club might be a little high, I do think there is a good chance he sees at least a few games.

As such, I would propose an opening night roster like the following (assuming there remain 3 injuries to forwards):

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole

Max Pacioretty - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Aaron Palushaj - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Mathieu Darche - Andreas Engqvist - Brendan Gallagher

That leaves an (at least) temporary spot for Mike Blunden as the 13th forward, which basically means the cuts up front are done (aside from Michael Bournival, who, because injuries limited his camp time, has no real aspirations of sticking with the team this year).

If Palushaj can't keep his level of play up, then either Mathieu Darche or Gallagher could swap on to the third line in his place. And keep in mind that just because I slot Gallagher on to a fourth line for now, doesn't mean I see his career potential as a fourth liner. It's simply the opening that best suits him given the players currently under contract, and no matter where he plays, it'll be good for him to get some actual NHL experience. The question will be what moves the Habs decide to make once Eller, Moen, and White area ready for action.

Speaking of keeping players in Montreal, because it has been a common question and is a little complicated, here's the situation with players injured during training camp. The following applies (currently) to Hunter Bishop, Olivier Fortier, Louis Leblanc, Brendon Nash, Joonas Nattinen, and Ian Schultz. An injured player cannot officially be cut from a training camp, meaning these guys can't be sent down to the Bulldogs until they have received a clean bill of health. This also has implications for the salary cap. Of course, it wouldn't make sense for the Canadiens to be charged the full NHL cap hit to keep a guy like Bishop around just because he's hurt (and yes, injured players DO count against the NHL salary cap; a team is simply allowed to replace that player while he's out and exceed the cap by the injured player's salary in replacing him). The CBA has a weird quirk rule to handle this, which is that the player is charged a prorated amount of their current NHL and AHL salaries based on how much time they spent in either league last season. So, take Nash for example, who spent a few days in Montreal last year, playing 2 games. Let's assume he spent 4 days on an NHL roster last year and that works out to about 3% of the season. A formula that looks at how much of his AHL salary and how much of his NHL salary he was paid last year based on this is calculated, and the ratio applied to his salaries this year to figure out his cap hit while injured.

What does this mean? From the Canadiens perspective, it means the injured players will be charged against the cap at their daily AHL salary rate for the most part, which will have an immaterial impact on the club's cap position, given that most annual salaries there are > $100,000.

Whatever does end up happening, with just two preseason games to go, all Canadiens fans are super excited to see what the real team will play like, myself included! Let's forget this 1-5-0 record and get on to the real thing!