10 Habs Players Who May Not Be Back Next Year

This off-season could mean big changes for your Montreal Canadiens.  As the month of April nears its end, the team still finds itself without a General Manager or Head Coach.  The club has a third overall selection at this year's entry draft which will significantly alter the prospect pool, even if the likelihood that whoever the team takes at that spot won't make the team straight out of training camp is high.  Whoever does take over in a Management role is most certain to want to put their own stamp on the team, meaning as of right now, no one is necessarily "untouchable."  Thus the team that ended the year in disappointing fashion may be drastically different than the one that opens training camp in the Fall, even if a shallow UFA pool would under normal circumstances leave few acquisition options for the team.

But before we start looking at who the Habs might bring in, today we look at who might be jettisoned elsewhere.  Since we went over next year's Hamilton Bulldogs on Friday, today we'll include only players who played at least one game for Montreal during the 2011-12 regular season.

10) Petteri Nokelainen

When it became clear that Andreas Engqvist wasn't ready for full-time NHL duty, the Canadiens scrambled to find a new fourth line center.  After a waiver claim gone bad in Blair Betts, the team dealt for Nokelainen, who was serviceable in the role, but far from spectacular.  He has decent size (6'1", 202 lbs), can play on the penalty kill, and is a right-handed shot, but didn't show much of the toughness the team also needs out of a player in that role, and has little in the way of hockey skills.  He'll be a restricted free agent this summer and is only 26, so he could be retained, but the team may very well opt to seek an upgrade on the UFA market since once identified as a need, that type of player isn't hard to acquire in July.

9) Rene Bourque

Bourque was one asset acquired in the Mike Cammalleri trade (I would argue the 2nd round pick was the primary asset) to help balance out the salaries.  Yes, Bourque did have consecutive 27-goal seasons prior to this past year's 18, but I would say he is more suited to be a third line player on a top team due to his inconsistencies, rather than a frustrating second liner.  He could replace - to an extent - an Andrei Kostitsyn in the line-up; he can't fill the void left by an on-his-game Cammalleri.  The problem is that Bourque was borderline terrible after being acquired, with the toughness and physicality in his game evaporating and showing weak hands around the goal.  Thus, a GM coming in and wanting to do a clean-up may try to ship Bourque out, but the 4 years remaining on his deal at $3.33M per season may throw a wrench in the plans.  I'm ok with giving Bourque another chance on Lars Eller's wing, and his cap hit isn't particularly prohibitive to finding a better winger for Tomas Plekanec, but it also wouldn't surprise me if Montreal tries to deal him elsewhere.

8) Tomas Kaberle

Speaking of players not pulling their weight, Tomas Kaberle has 2 years left on his deal at $4.25M per season.  Jaroslav Spacek's expiring $3.8M had already been earmarked for raises to the likes of Carey Price and/or P.K. Subban, so by taking on a contract with remaining term in its place, the Habs will have to make cuts elsewhere.  The problem isn't Kaberle's production - his 22 points in 43 games after joining the Canadiens would mean a 40-point season averaged out, which isn't terrible for the salary he's making.  The problem is more the fit.  The Canadiens have enough puck-moving offensive blueliners with Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber, and Raphael Diaz, and given this, spending $4.25M on a soft, one-dimensional scoring d-man doesn't seem like a good deal.  Even if, say, Weber isn't back next year (see lower down the list), the need for Kaberle isn't there on this team, and if he is on the club to safeguard against a Markov injury, the team has a much bigger need for a more two-way guy like a younger Roman Hamrlik instead.  Like with Bourque, finding a taker may be an issue, but he could be a good fit on a team with bigger defensive d-men to compensate for his weak play in his own zone.

7) Mathieu Darche

Darche has been a good story in Montreal as a local boy who took a long route to end up living his childhood dreams.  He has given the Habs all they could have hoped for on bargain basement contracts, and at 6'1", 210 lbs his size his welcome as a 12th or 13th forward.  However, his production and consistency took a step back this season, and he is far from irreplaceable.  There are only so many roster spots to go around, and at age 35, Darche's useful days are nearing their end.  The spot might be better going to a true enforcer, or a younger player trying to establish himself as a roster regular.  Darche will be a UFA this summer and there is likely to be work for him somewhere in the league if he's willing to leave the city, but his three year run with the Canadiens could very well be coming to a close.

6) Brad Staubitz

Staubitz seemed like a random waiver acquisition on trade deadline day, a move many thought would simply fill a hole following numerous other trades.  Those deals didn't materialize, so many assumed Staubitz had just been a security policy and wouldn't see much action.  But he did; playing 19 games and becoming the team's go-to enforcer.  He seemed to be a good teammate, with his fellow Canadiens noticeably excited when he scored the club's final goal of the year into an empty net.  Staubitz, 27, is a big and tough customer at 6'1", 210 lbs, but he is short on hockey skills outside of dropping the gloves.  The Habs haven't carried a true enforcer in quite some time, though many have proclaimed a need for such a player.  Staubitz could do the job, though if he is back, I'd rather see him scratched more frequently than he was down the stretch and only used in games where there was felt to be a need for his toughness.  More ideally he would be let go (he's a UFA this summer) and replaced with an enforcer more capable of taking a regular shift (such as fellow UFAs Brandon Prust, Jordin Tootoo, Tom Kostopoulos, or even George Parros).  The current Canadiens staff seem quite enamoured with Mike Blunden, so it is possible it comes down to keeping only one of the two (along with pending UFA Travis Moen), and I would rather see Blunden back over Staubitz, but we don't know what direction the new staff will take.

5) Aaron Palushaj

Palushaj, 22, was acquired from the St. Louis Blues for Matt D'Agostini a little over two years back.  He is a proven AHL superstar scorer, notching 35 points in 35 games for the Bulldogs this season.  But the NHL points weren't coming until quite late on this season, with him finally scoring his first goal and adding 4 assists on a total of 38 games.  Palushaj has very average size at 5'11", 187 lbs, and has little physicality or intensity to his game, while also not being any kind of defensive specialist, meaning he will contribute in an offensive role or simply not make the cut.  He hasn't shown any reason to be given a shot in the top 6, and already has his hands full battling Louis Leblanc for a third line job.  Add to this the imminent arrival of Brendan Gallagher, Michael Bournival, and likely Danny Kristo at the pro ranks, and Palushaj will be quickly dropping down the depth charts.  He is waiver eligible in the Fall, so while there is no real reason not to at least qualify him and bring him to training camp, if he doesn't make the starting roster in the Fall, another organization may very well take a chance on him as a still-developing player.

4) Andreas Engqvist

Engqvist, 24, falls under a similar category as Palushaj being an AHL star that struggles to produce at the NHL level.  Like Palushaj, he is an RFA this summer meaning the Canadiens need to make a call on him.  But then there are notable differences as well.  First, Engqvist brings size (a skinny 6'4" frame, even if he doesn't use it particularly effectively) and a right-handed shot to the equation, things the Habs are short on at the center position.  Engqvist also excels (at least at the AHL level thus far) in a defensive, shutdown, and penalty-killing role, making him a more versatile player well suited to a third or fourth line job.  But he hasn't shown that he deserves even that kind of ice time in the NHL level as of yet, and wasn't even amongst the late-season call-ups following the trade of Andrei Kostitsyn and numerous injuries at the forward position.  Was he left in Hamilton just to help the Bulldogs (he was named team co-MVP this year)?  Or was it a sign that he is out of the plans for the future?  The fact that he himself may choose to return to Europe this summer regardless of the Canadiens' intentions may indicate the second is more likely, though he is another guy who there seems little reason not to qualify and retain rights to... just in case.

3) Yannick Weber

Weber, 23, a third round pick of the Canadiens in 2007, was a star for the OHL's Kitchener Rangers and seen as an up-and-coming offensive blueliner.  The Swiss native showed all of that potential in the American League as a top player for the Bulldogs, but he has struggled to prove himself in the NHL, largely due to his small stature (5'11", 193 lbs) leaving him manhandled in his own end.  He has at times looked effective on the powerplay with decent passing and a big shot, but he is also prone to giveaways and mental lapses, meaning frustrating inconsistency.  Last summer, the Habs snagged a very similar player in Raphael Diaz, 26, as a European UFA, and he and Weber put up almost identical numbers this season.  It is likely the team should choose between one of the two in their top 6 for the coming year, and if this past season's usage provides any clues, then Diaz seems the favoured son.  However, it is far from a certainty as the team's new management group may have a different evaluation of the players.

2) Scott Gomez

If the jury is still out on whether or not a lot of the above players can help the Canadiens moving forward, this one should be clear.  Gomez was given a chance to make amends for a poor 2010-11 campaign this season, and did little to impress.  He said all the right things off the ice a year ago, and he can't be entirely blamed for a season that was in large part derailed by multiple injuries, but a 32-year old 5'11" center who was on pace for 24 points over an 82-game campaign has no spot on this team.  He is not a fourth liner, isn't big or tough, is far from a defensive specialist, and the team is better off with David Desharnais, Tomas Plekanec, and Lars Eller down the middle.  And notice all of these arguments against him before we even get to the big one: his $7.357M annual burden on the club's salary cap.  The cap hit makes him entirely untradeable, so there are only a couple of options if he is to be gotten rid of prior to the final two seasons on his deal.  The optimist Habs fans hope for a one-time amnesty buyout permitted by the new CBA, where he could be bought out with no cap hit, as a traditional buyout handicaps the club moving forward.  The alternative is to put him on waivers and send him to Hamilton, where Geoff Molson would still be on the hook for his full salary, but the Canadiens could spend that money on other players for their NHL roster as well if ownership was willing to stretch the budget.

1) Chris Campoli

Of the 10, Campoli seems the most certain to be gone in the coming months.  He will be an unrestricted free agent again this summer and is somewhat of a 'tweener on the blueline.  Not an offensive guy, not a defensive guy, and not a particularly dependable player, but a reasonable depth defenseman who picked up his game over the final weeks of this season after an injury-filled and rough start.  Despite joining his fourth team, Campoli is still only 27 and will find a contract somewhere on a team wanting an extra body on D, but depth is not what the team will lack at that position.  They need to use this spot for an upgrade on the back end with a guy who can step up and reliably play top 4 minutes in case of an injury.  A guy who is bigger than the average-sized Campoli and can throw a hit without ending up out of position.

Wildcard: Brian Gionta or Tomas Plekanec


If the new GM really wants to make an impression and change the core of this club, it is likely one of Brian Gionta or Tomas Plekanec who gets shopped (well before a guy like P.K. Subban).  Gionta, 33, may be the team's captain, but there is far from a leadership void with the likes of Erik Cole and Josh Gorges on the club, and at 5'7", 175 lbs, doesn't fit the team's need to get bigger.  Even discounting the injuries that made him miss 51 games, he had a very difficult season scoring just 8 goals and 15 points in 31 contests.  He has provided goal-scoring in his tenure with the Canadiens (his seasons of 29 and 28 were the second and third highest of his career), but his overall productivity has declined from his New Jersey days, and perhaps a bigger problem is that he doesn't seem to fit on a line with either David Desharnais (lack of size) or Tomas Plekanec (lack of chemistry).  Gionta is owed $5M for two more seasons, so the Habs may see if they can shake things up and try out a different player in that spot.

Plekanec, 29, is a different case, remaining a very valuable two-way member of the club even if his 17 goals and 52 points were south of what most had hoped for him this year.  Those numbers are more impressive when you consider he had weak and ever-changing linemates for much of the season.  The troubling number was his -15, something very uncharacteristic of a generally highly dependable defensive center.  In part it reflected the poor season of the team as a whole, but Plekanec's own intensity and tenacity were noticeably missing at times.  The reason to move Plekanec would be to add a bigger top 6 center, and the only way he could be moved is in a package for such a replacement player, but it wouldn't surprise me if that is the kind of bold deal the new GM tries to strike.

Your Canadiens for January 12, 2012

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

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

Brian Gionta Undergoes Bicep Surgery

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scott Gomez Nears a Return; Ryan White Not So Much

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

Carey Price Named to NHL All-Star Game

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

Hamilton Bulldogs on a Tear

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

Brendan Gallagher and Morgan Ellis Dominant in the CHL

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

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

Your Canadiens for January 3, 2012

As the Canadiens prepare to begin a month filled primarily with home games Wednesday night against the Winnipeg Jets, coach Randy Cunneyworth has shuffled his deck at practice, coming up with the following lines:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Erik Cole

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Andrei Kostitsyn

Travis Moen - Lars Eller - Mike Blunden

Mathieu Darche - Petteri Nokelainen - Louis Leblanc

Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Hal Gill - Tomas Kaberle

Strange to see that Mike Blunden remains in the top 9, likely to get big minutes for a second straight game. The top 6 has a new look, but the only change, truly, is flipping Andrei Kostitsyn and Erik Cole. Expect them to swap back if these units don't work out.

On defense, these duos are probably the best the Habs can ice until Andrei Markov returns. Josh Gorges and P.K. Subban have been used as the top pairing for most of the year, while Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz have developed nice chemistry and continue to develop as legitimate NHL defenders. Emelin also gets to play on his natural left side where he has been best. Finally, the bottom pairing includes a penalty killing specialist in Hal Gill and a powerplay guy in Tomas Kaberle. The pair is likely to get limited minutes 5-on-5, but when they do get ice time, Gill can cover for where Kaberle lacks defensively.

- Returning to practice today for the first time since his injury was captain Brian Gionta. He skated hard and was not wearing a "no contact" jersey, but was only alternating in for wingers on the fourth line, indicating he may not be ready to return just yet. If he handles this step well, however, Saturday would not be impossible.

- Brendan Gallagher, Nathan Beaulieu, Michael Bournival, and their Team Canada 'mates will take on Team Russia in the World Junior Championships semi-finals at 9PM Eastern this evening. Russia advanced to the Semis after topping the Czech Republic in overtime in a classic goaltender's dual yesterday. Beaulieu should be in the line-up despite taking a puck to the face on Saturday night against the United States, resulting in these less-than-flattering photos being Tweeted by his teammates Devante Smith-Pelly and Jonathan Huberdeau:

Stick a Fork in Habs for a Brighter Future

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(2) Size Up Front

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

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

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

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

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

(3) Toughness and/or Size on Defense

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

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

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Top End UFA - P.K. Subban

Alexei Emelin - Raphael Diaz

Frederic St. Denis or depth UFA

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

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

1. Find takers for Gomez + Kaberle

2. Find reasonable offer for either Gionta or Cammalleri

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

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

5. Obtain a top draft pick in 2012

6. ...

7. Profit.

Your Canadiens for December 13, 2011

Updates from a reasonably busy morning in the hockey world:

- Travis Moen was back at practice this morning after taking a therapy day yesterday. He will play tonight.

- As I mentioned yesterday, Scott Gomez suffered some form of setback in his training. He was not on the ice this morning, and nor was Brian Gionta, still considered out indefinitely, at least a week.

- Chris Campoli practiced alongside Raphael Diaz on the second powerplay unit this morning. He will return to the line-up on a pairing with Tomas Kaberle, meaning Alexei Emelin will be a healthy scratch. Thus, this marks Campoli's regular season Bell Centre debut, since he was injured in the season opener in Toronto. I look forward to seeing what he'll bring to the table, as I thought he looked quite solid in his 1 preseason game and first half in Toronto.

It should be noted that despite being dressed on Saturday, Weber received no powerplay time. The Canadiens really only used 3 d-men on the PP: Tomas Kaberle, P.K. Subban, and Diaz.

Now about Emelin being a scratch... I'm sure anyone that reads this site is well aware of my take on the issue. I think this roster move is beyond excusable on the part of Jacques Martin. Yes, Emelin is young, and he does take risks that lead to occasional errors. Admittedly, he is far worse on the right side (where he would play when paired with Kaberle) than he is on the left. But there is no doubt that he brings a crucial set of tools that the Canadiens do not have anywhere else in their roster. His size, toughness, and physicality are important on a team full of small puck-movers. Emelin won't develop and continue to improve by sitting in the stands. He can be an important part of Montreal's future, and MUST play. Let's hope this is just part of a rotation to give Campoli some action, and that we'll see Emelin dressed again on Thursday.

- Speaking of the powerplay, the top unit at practice was:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Tomas Kaberle - P.K. Subban

While Kostitsyn brings some size, it's interesting that neither of the team's powerforwards (Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole) are on the top unit. They flank David Desharnais on the 2nd unit, just as they do at even strength.

- Updates from Team Canada World Junior Championships Selection Camp: None of Nathan Beaulieu, Brendan Gallagher, or Michael Bournival collected points in yesterday's 2-0 Team Red win. Few players have done much to separate themselves from the pack so far, as both sides have failed to generate offense. Bournival was solid, but mostly unnoticeable, while Gallagher was noticed for bad reasons, taking two offensive zone penalties and being on the receiving end of two large hits. Beaulieu had a few good shifts on the powerplay, patrolling the blueline well, but failed to produce.

Still, as expected, all three survived the first wave of cuts, which included Mark McNeill, Zack Phillips, Matthew Dumba, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc, Michael Ferland, Max Reinhart, and Brenden Kichton. With 31 skaters remaining in camp for 13 forward and 7 defensemen spots, the pressure remains on both Beaulieu and Bournival to impress tonight. Gallagher's spot is seemingly the safest of the three, likely penciled into a third or fourth line role.

A good article on Gallagher published last night can be found here:

http://www.mindentimes.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3402122#.TudxNxRusPg.facebook

- Another good prospect article today is this feature from the AHL about community work done by the injured Brendon Nash and Hunter Bishop:

http://theahl.com/bishop-nash-scoring-points-off-the-ice-p174893

Remember, remember the third of December

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: