Montreal Canadiens are going to be contenders next season?

[ViD]

No doubt in my mind and barring another Carey Price outage, they have all the pieces for a successful season now.

Elite goalie in net.

Elite veteran leader defenseman.

Elite right winger added to top 6.

Guys like Shaw to add some grit.

Habs are back in the contention, mark my words.

Click to read more...

 

[THall4]

Not with that forward group...

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I doubt it. So that cancels out your non-doubt.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Plan the parade already, why waste time?

 

[waffledave]

Some of the worst center depth in the league.

Some of the softest/smallest overall forwards in the league.

Awful bottom 9.

Holes in the top 6.

No mobility in the backend at all. Nobody that can move the puck.

DAVID DESHARNAIS STILL ON THE TEAM.

It's going to crash and burn. I just hope there's finally some accountability.

 

[PanthersHockey1]

How has their team changed significantly since successful 2014-2015?

Not sure about contenders but healthy price puts them in the playoffs.

 

[SNES]

Big Ol' Nope

 

[EveryDay]

Some of the worst center depth in the league.

Some of the softest/smallest overall forwards in the league.

Awful bottom 9.

Holes in the top 6.

No mobility in the backend at all. Nobody that can move the puck.

DAVID DESHARNAIS STILL ON THE TEAM.

It's going to crash and burn. I just hope there's finally some accountability.

Its such a shame to have you as a Habs fan......

No mobility on the backend? Petry and Beaulieu are among the fastest defenceman in the NHL.

Plekanec and Galchenyuk at center is far from been worst center deph in the NHL...


MTL have the best goaltender in the NHL and a solid backup in Montoya. They also have one of the best defensive squad in the NHL with Weber-Petry-Markov-Beaulieu-Emelin.
The top line will also be very solid offensively and defensively with Pacioretty-Plekanec-Radulov. Our 2nd line will also put some solid number for a 2nd line with Shaw-Galchenyuk-Gallagher. The 3rd line remains the biggest question mark of this team since 2 rookies will probably be on it. The 4th line should be solid again this year with Byron-Mitchell-Danault.

MTL will be back in the playoff next year, bank on it.

 

[armani]

Radulov is a notable wildcard signing. Weber for PK is a wash atm (bad trade for Montreal but the full effects will be felt more towards the future). Price is right. Andrew Shaw. Healthy Gallagher.

They are definitely a better team than last year.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I wouldn't be shocked. I think they got better this off-season.

Weber's a lot better than he's been given credit for relative to Subban and brings a different dynamic, Radulov's a feisty, elite scorer, and Shaw's a pain in the ass.

 

[hototogisu]

Playoff contenders? Sure. They should be, with Price.

Cup contenders? Unless Price drags them there (anything's possible), I really don't think so.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

The Habs have a long way and a lot of work to do before being Cup contenders!!!

 

[The Night King]

There are many teams that are better. So no.

 

[EveryDay]

The Habs have a long way and a lot of work to do before being Cup contenders!!!

A new coach + 1 top 6 forward + 1 solid 3rd liner would put them into contention IMO.

 

[EveryDay]

There are many teams that are better. So no.

How many teams in the East are way better according to you?

 

[waffledave]

Its such a shame to have you as a Habs fan......

No mobility on the backend? Petry and Beaulieu are among the fastest defenceman in the NHL.

Plekanec and Galchenyuk at center is far from been worst center deph in the NHL...


MTL have the best goaltender in the NHL and a solid backup in Montoya. They also have one of the best defensive squad in the NHL with Weber-Petry-Markov-Beaulieu-Emelin.
The top line will also be very solid offensively and defensively with Pacioretty-Plekanec-Radulov. Our 2nd line will also put some solid number for a 2nd line with Shaw-Galchenyuk-Gallagher. The 3rd line remains the biggest question mark of this team since 2 rookies will probably be on it. The 4th line should be solid again this year with Byron-Mitchell-Danault.

MTL will be back in the playoff next year, bank on it.

Beaulieu and Petry are not the fastest d-men in the NHL and even if they were, that's not what mobility on the backend means. Neither of them can move the puck reliably. There are 0 strong puck movers anywhere on that backend. You basically need to hope that Beaulieu magically improved significantly over the summer.

Weber has always played with a strong puck mover. Who is he going to play with now?

Galchenyuk-Plekanec-Desharnais-Danault/Mitchell/??? certainly is some of the worst, softest, smallest center depth in the whole NHL.

It might be the smallest top 9 in the entire NHL. And so soft... Pacioretty, Plekanec, Desharnais all vanish the moment things get difficult.

 

[NotProkofievian]

A new coach + 1 top 6 forward + 1 solid 3rd liner would put them into contention IMO.

So they're not contenders, in your opinion?

 

[EveryDay]

Beaulieu and Petry are not the fastest d-men in the NHL and even if they were, that's not what mobility on the backend means. Neither of them can move the puck reliably. There are 0 strong puck movers anywhere on that backend. You basically need to hope that Beaulieu magically improved significantly over the summer.

Weber has always played with a strong puck mover. Who is he going to play with now?

Galchenyuk-Plekanec-Desharnais-Danault/Mitchell/??? certainly is some of the worst, softest, smallest center depth in the whole NHL.

It might be the smallest top 9 in the entire NHL. And so soft... Pacioretty, Plekanec, Desharnais all vanish the moment things get difficult.

Did we trade away one of the best puck mover in the NHL? Markov.

Petry is also a solid puck moving defenceman.....

Did you watch the playoffs? Pittsburgh have a very small top9 and were dominant.... Were not in the 90s anymore, Skills wins game not size. Chicago did'n win it with size either.

 

[FLYLine27*]

Nope...they won't.

 

[EveryDay]

So they're not contenders, in your opinion?

Not yet but it might change pretty quickly. Still MTL will be in the playoff next year and from there anything could happen.

 

[Treb]

Not with that forward group...

If one of Carr/Andrighetto/Lehkonen/Reway/Hudon/Scherbak/McCarron can be a decent 2nd line LW, our forward group is fine.

 

[MXD]

While there's something really wrong if that teams misses the playoffs this season (and without the catastrophic injuries of last season), I still wouldn't employ "contenders" to describe them.

That "something really wrong" could be the coach, mind you.

 

[Thierry]

Yeah sure ! At this time of the year, we could easily say 12 teams could be contenders, we'll have a better idea in the first months.

But that being said, in the first months last year, the Habs were amongst the best team in the league while the Penguins had trouble making the playoffs...

It's July 12th. Considering Price could be healty all year, Radulov could have an amazing season racking 60 pts, Weber could bring stability while he still can, Galchenyuk could continue what he was doing at the end of the year... with Gallagher producing with regularity and Paccio getting his yearly 60 pts, why not ?

But that's a lot of factors that could go ape ****.

On paper, right now, this team is good. This team could get to the ECF, they did it with a lesser team and last time I checked, being in the ECF makes you a contender.

Today, July 12th, stating the Habs are not contender right now is silly and stupid. But the truth is I could name a lot of team in the same situation.

My call though: They will miserably fail and I'll be the first to laugh and applaud.

 

[JetsHomer]

I think they'll be equal to or worse than last year

 

[McFlyingV]

Radulov is definitely skilled, but we're calling him elite already? If he puts up around PPG then yeah I could see them being in the conversation to make a run, but I'll wait and see on that.