Subj : Canadiens Need Productive Youth to Succeed in Playoffs
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers
Date : Thu Jul 23 2020 04:40 am
The Montreal Canadiens will soon be travelling to Toronto to enter the bubble
and begin Phase 4 where they will play one exhibition game versus (vs) division
rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to their play-in series vs Sidney Crosby
and his Pittsburgh Penguins.
Related: Remembering the Canadiens'; 2014 Playoff Run
Currently, the NHL is in Phase 3, which means a shortened training camp in each
NHL city. As the clear cut underdogs, the Habs are preparing as best as they
can to try and surprise the hockey world and beat the Penguins. The odds are
stacked against the Canadiens as the 24th-place, and final, team to enter this
year's play-in style playoffs. After being sellers at this year's deadline, the
Habs will need to rely heavily on their youth if they are to have any chance
of winning. Each one of the young players has something to work on and to prove
to themselves and the hockey world.
Win-Win
A benefit for the Canadiens is they're playing with house money. If they win,
they add the experience of beating a Stanley Cup contender. If they lose, they
have the experience of playing in the playoffs and are entered into the Phase 2
NHL draft giving them a 12.5% chance of winning the first-overall pick in the
2020 NHL draft.
Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
No matter what happens, giving the youth that general manager Marc Bergevin has
been accumulating responsibilities in a playoff format will be a key in
testing where they currently are in their development while helping them see
firsthand what they'll need to do to compete at the highest level. There are
many competing for a roster spot in camp for all positions.
Forward
With a young group including veterans such as Max Domi, Jonathan Drouin and
Arturri Lehkonen who are all 25 years old or younger, the Canadiens' have a
solid NHL ready core of young forwards, especially at center.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a horrible sophomore season but not all of it was his
fault. Some even began to label him a "bust," something that he definitely is
not. Since the pause, Kotkaniemi has been working on one of his biggest flaws -
his skating. He worked with a skating coach and arrived in camp with some
added bulk and an extra jump in his skating speed. He also came in with a new
focus and attitude.
New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss makes a save on Montreal Canadiens
center Jesperi Kotkaniemi (THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Mary Altaffer)
"I just pretty much tried to forget everything of what happened during the
season and just tried to reset my mind and my body for these playoffs. I'm
feeling pretty good right now so hopefully I'm going to be in the lineup when
the games start"Kotkaniemi's newfound perspective is a vital moment for the
Canadiens, Arpon Basu, The Athletic, 17 July 2020
During training camp, Kotkaniemi has been running drills on a third line with
Lehkonen and Paul Byron, which indicates he will have a chance to return to his
former role and provide depth offence. His line, if it remains intact, would
be one that has softer defensive responsibilities as they aren't matched up
against Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. Kotkaniemi has a golden opportunity to gain
experience and has a second chance to prove he is developing into the two-way
top-six center he was drafted to become.
Nick Suzuki
Nick Suzuki started the season as a fourth-line right winger. By the time the
season was paused, he was head coach Claude Julien's second-line center,
trusted in defensive situations and on the penalty kill (PK). During the Phase
3 training camp, he is set to be the team's second-line center again.
Montreal Canadiens'; Nick Suzuki celebrates with teammates Nick Cousins, Ryan
Poehling and Paul Byron (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
Suzuki is strong defensively, especially for an NHL rookie, yet he will have a
steep learning curve to play head-to-head against Malkin. He will have an
opportunity to watch Danault and learn how to match up against a top center in
the NHL. How he fares in that role and how much offence his line can generate
will become a key storyline in the play-in vs Pittsburgh.
Jake Evans
Jake Evans, a seventh-round pick, spent four full years in the NCAA then two
more seasons in the AHL. Thanks to taking the time to develop properly, he is
poised to make his transition to a full-time NHL player as a bottom-six center.
In his 13 games with Montreal this season, he proved he can be relied upon
defensively. He was also strong in the faceoff circle with a 51.8% success
rate, placing him second on the team behind Danault.
Jake Evans, Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty
Images)
He has been lined up in training camp on a fourth line, so his role seems to be
tied to that line as an energy line that can play 10 to 14 minutes per game.
If he can prove himself in this series, it would make Bergevin's job easier in
the offseason as he wouldn't need to acquire another bottom-six forward.
Ryan Poehling
In this camp, Ryan Poehling has been lineup up as a spare, his role for this
series seems to be that of a "black ace" - a player that will play only when
injuries call for it. He is still part of the Canadiens'; future but with the
center depth the team now has, he may need to shift to the wing. The Canadiens
lack a power forward with size that can play in the top nine, so this play-in
and training camp could help him show he is capable of playing his style on the
wing.
Defense
The Canadiens'; top four on defence are already set, with the final roster
spots available falling to the third pairing. Brett Kulak looks to be pencilled
into the left side, the right side seems to have an open competition for a
young player to step up and take for this play-in series.
Alexander Romanov
Alexander Romanov was signed May 8, 2020, to an entry-level contract (ELC) with
a start date to be determined, then on July 13, the Habs decided to burn off
the first year of his ELC to allow Romanov to enter the bubble and practice
with the team.
Alex Romanov is headed straight to Toronto to quarantine- Eric Engels
(@EricEngels) July 21, 2020
However, he will not be available to play in these playoffs. What Romanov will
gain is the experience of a training camp and the intensity of a playoff, even
if just in practice. This experience will acclimatize him to the team and its
leadership core, making his eventual transition in the next training camp much
easier.
Noah Juulsen
My The Hockey Writers colleague Ryan Sporzer covered Noah Juulsen's journey and
role well here. It's no secret, Juulsen has had serious injury issues this
season. Upon his return from injury, he was only able to play one game in the
AHL before the season was paused. Juulsen has something to prove.
Montreal Canadiens'; Noah Juulsen (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
I';m only 23, so I have a lot of years left. Being here right now is a great
opportunity for me, so I just have to put the work in every day and hope for
the best.Noah Juulsen
He will need to continue to play his simple, physical style defence to earn his
roster spot. By proving to Julien that he can be responsible in his own zone,
make the safe play to transition to offence and take little to no risks, he can
earn a spot on that third pairing. His mobility and ability to play on the PK
are two skills that can be of great help to the Canadiens moving forward.
Goaltenders
Whoever earns the backup role to Carey Price will likely be glued to the bench
for the entire playoffs. However, any goaltender that is brought into the
bubble could benefit from the added practice time and facing NHL shooters. It
can also help showcase that young goaltender to the coaching staff who can help
identify points to develop before heading back home for a shortened offseason.
Cayden Primeau
Cayden Primeau is one of the top prospects for the Habs. He has the potential
to become an NHL starting goaltender, something no other goaltender in the
Canadiens' system has. This was his rookie professional season and he showed
great promise, helping to drag Laval into a playoff race while making his NHL
debut with two games (a win and a loss with a .931 save percentage).
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes)
Primeau can treat this as an extended development camp before moving back to
his offseason training to prepare for his sophomore season where is slated to
become the full-time starter in AHL Laval.
Michael McNiven
Michael McNiven is in the last year of his ELC and as a restricted free agent,
he';s battling to prove he deserves a new contract. According to Trege Wilson
of The Hockey Writers, McNiven may have the inside track on dressing as Price's
backup.
Related: Serge Savard - Memories of a Hall of Fame Career
He definitely proved he was a team player as he spent the season living out of
his suitcase after being sent down from AHL Laval to the ECHL. As the Habs have
no ECHL affiliate, he was moving from one team to the next to earn his playing
time. He did this without any complaints and entered this training camp
focused and ready, even taking Shea Weber slap shots to the head and quickly
returning to face him again the next day
Here's video of #Habs Weber hitting Lindgren in the left side of his face with
a half-slapper at the end of practice. Lindgren was bleeding and had to helped
from the ice.
Credit: Wayne St. Germain, TSN cameraman. pic.twitter.com/SqbIAYBoN6- John Lu
(@JohnLuTSNMtl) July 20, 2020
The Canadiens began their youth movement in earnest after the deplorable
2017-18 season and fans are starting to see the crop of young talent that
Bergevin drafted and traded for finally making its way onto the roster. The
odds are against the Canadiens in the play-in series vs Pittsburgh, and the
team will do it's best to try and upset the Penguins. Win or lose, in the long
run, this series will be a key development tool for the team's youth.
The post Canadiens Need Productive Youth to Succeed in Playoffs appeared first
on The Hockey Writers.
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