Habs: Early Season Prognosis
I have watched parts of three of the Habs' first four games.
And guess what? THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE.
Here's the gawd's honest truth.
This team lacks the depth (especially with the Laine injury) and isn't defensively strong enough to compete for a Playoff spot. Not yet, so this will be another year of baby steps. Woo freaking hoo.
Anyway. So ya, carrying on...
What I am excited about:
Lane Hutson! This kid is for real. So fun to watch when the puck is on his stick. He is tiny but doesn't seem to get knocked around, or intimidated like I had expected. My knock on him, for now, is that he sometimes gets lost in his own zone. If he can get more reliable on the defensive side of the puck, he'll be a superstar for many years to come.
Kaiden Guhle! Dude is a stud. So reliable in his own end and showing a steadily improving offensive game. He is the Habs' number-one defenseman. The best we've seen on that side of the ice since Markov. Love him.
The first line! They seem to have picked up where they left off. They show up every game. Cole scores goals, Suzuki is one of the best two-way players in the game, and Slaf continues to improve. They aren't going to break any scoring records, but they will keep other teams honest. That's important.
Jake Evans! Nothing fancy about this guy. He just plays the right way. He kills penalties, wins faceoffs and, rarely makes a bad play. Solid. I have always been a fan.
Gally! Give the banged-up warrior his flowers. He still comes to play, every night.
Some of the kids. Hutson was already mentioned, but it is also nice to see the progress being made by Kapanen, Heineman, and Dobes (who is in the AHL, for now). The future is bright in Montreal. Patience...
Sam Montembeault... maybe. The presumptive Habs' number-one goalie had a couple stellar starts and one mediocre start. I am still not convinced he is the guy, long term, but I am cheering for him. How is that for tempered excitement?
And now the bad news...
What worries me:
Mike Matheson. I hope I am wrong, but I think last year's stellar stats were a fluke. He skates well, and can still get the puck down the ice, but he too often looks soft and lost in his own end. My fear is that he is another Jeff Petry. Not a horrible guy to have on your team, but not a true number-one option.
Kirby Dach. Do I think he can be an impact player on this roster? Of course. I just live in constant fear that he is one play away from a catastrophic injury. Fingers crossed that he can play 70+ games this year.
Josh Anderson. All the size and speed in the world, never any results. He is never going to put it all together, is he? Waivers anyone?
Joshua Roy. This was supposed to be his breakthrough year. I was expecting 20+ goals and lots of second-line minutes. He is in Laval, the rumours are that he has attitude problems and that he floated through camp thinking a roster position was his. Ouch.
Cayden Primeau... maybe. He had a rough first start this year. The sample size is too small, yet, for me to pass final judgment. It looks like however, that he is on thin ice, what with the emergence of Dobes, and Fowler a year or so away.
Dare I mention Xhekaj? A fan favourite. The kid can chuck knuckles, but is that as far as it goes with this guy? He hasn't been horrible so far this year. Not too many mistakes in his own zone, but very little presence elsewhere. I am not convinced that he is an everyday NHL player. With Jordan Struble returning from injury, he and Justin Barron might have to split time in the press box.
There you have it. The good the bad and the ugly.
The Habs play the Kings tonight, a team that has been beaten by the Sens and the Buds (giving up a ton of goals in each game) in their last two games. Here is hoping that the Habs make their visit to Upper Canada even worse.
Go Habs go!
Photo credit: Charles William Pelletier (La Presse)
