Get Pumped For The Playoffs!

     In order to get us really pumped up for the playoffs, I decided I would spend some time going through highlights and game summaries, to recollect this season in it's entirety. Although we've had some big ups and downs, there were a lot of memorable games, and a lot of very entertaining games. From the 82 games the Montreal Canadiens have played this season, I bring you the top 10, according to me.

10. NOVEMBER 21, 2009 - DETROIT RED WINGS @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

     This may seem like an odd choice, with 39 wins the 10th best game of the season was a shootout loss? Well this one started and ended on a sour note, but it needs to be remembered that half the team, and our entire second line was injured in this game. After a brutal shift by Georges Laraque put the Canadiens on the PK for 9 straight minutes in the first period, the team was tired and at the mercy of one of the best teams in the NHL. After some brilliant goaltending by Carey Price, Jacques Martin united the Cammalleri-Plekanec-A.Kostitsyn line, and the Canadiens rallied from 2 goals down in the third period to force overtime and a shootout. Although we didn't win the skills competition, this game showed me what our team was made of, and that we could battle back from nearly anything.

9. MARCH 6, 2010 - MONTREAL CANADIENS @ LOS ANGELES KINGS

     Coming out of the Olympic break, the Canadiens were playing their best hockey of the season, however the previous game against San Jose had ended on a sour note with Maxim Lapierre getting suspended and the Habs blowing a 2-1 lead in the third period after a phenomenal performance by Carey Price. The next game against LA didn't look to be any easier, but Montreal played a perfect road game, helped by a very solid performance by Jaroslav Halak. With goals in the first minute of periods one and three, the game never really seemed in doubt. The Canadiens had struggled mightily against Western Conference teams to date, but Halak was leading the charge to change that.

8. FEBRUARY 5, 2010 - PITTSBURGH PENGUINS @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

     Beating the reigning Cup champions is always a good feeling, and up until this game they'd really made the Canadiens look bad over 3 games. This game is a prime example of having to be lucky to be good, and good to be lucky. The game was back and forth until 9:30 into the second period, when Halak made a huge save that rebounded to Hamrlik, who in turn set up Gionta for a breakaway. Gionta let loose a great backhand that got by Fleury. We were also given our first real glance at both David Desharnais and Brock Trotter in this game, and both were very impressive along with Ryan White.

7. MARCH 7, 2010 - MONTREAL CANADIENS @ ANAHEIM DUCKS

     The game started ugly. The team was absolutely flat after a big win the night before, and Price wasn't as sharp as he was against San Jose earlier in the week, after one period we were down 3-0. For the first and only time in the season however, Jacques Martin made a goalie change when the game was still in reach. Halak rewarded Martin's move by saving all the shots Anaheim would fire at him, and the team would mount a comeback that began with Plekanec, and was carried on by Gionta and Markov. The shootout was a stunner for the hometown fans, as Gionta kept the Habs alive by shooting into Hiller's pads, and Hiller knocked the puck into his own net. Plekanec then finished what he started by sniping one past Hiller to win the game.

6. NOVEMBER 17, 2009 - CAROLINA HURRICANES @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

     This game saw two players who'd been slumping offensively for the entire season finally get on the board, as Pacioretty opened the scoring and Andrei Kostitsyn tied it up later on. Montreal dominated the first 40 minutes in a way they rarely had to this point in the season, but they just couldn't finish on their chances. Some excellent goaltending by Michael Leighton (who left with an injury) and Manny Legace exacerbated the problem. Two defensive breakdowns by the Habs had us down 2-1 before Andrei Kostitsyn scored just his second of the year. But the real reason this game is memorable, is the overtime and shootout. Carey Price made seven brilliant saves in overtime while Montreal killed a penalty, and followed that by putting on one of the best shootout performances I've ever seen, and I'm sure many agree. With a little luck on Carolina's last attempt, he secured the win after Maxim Lapierre had scored a beauty on Manny Legace.

5. DECEMBER 19, 2009 - MONTREAL CANADIENS @ NEW YORK ISLANDERS

      Montreal Canadiens fans had waited a long time to see one of their goaltenders record a shutout this season, and finally Halak managed to break the lack of shutouts with an unspeakably brilliant 40 save shutout of the New York Islanders, robbing Matt Moulson blind 4 times, every  one of which was memorable. This was also the first game back for Andrei Markov, and there's likely no coincidence that this happened the same we got our first shutout. Markov stormed back into the NHL with the first two goals of the game, a smart pinch to bat in a loose puck, and a double-clutched slapshot from the slot. Montreal punished the Islanders with a powerplay that went 3/4 on the night.

4. JANUARY 23, 2010 - NEW YORK RANGERS @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

There's just something I absolutely love about lighting up the Rangers. I think it reminds me of "The Comeback" from that fated day, a day after my birthday in February of 2008. Maybe its the incredibly pissed off body language of Henrik Lundqvist when he gets frustrated and pucks go by him like its going out of style. This game was one that had so much to love. Halak got a well earned shutout, and he was in the heads of the Rangers players as they missed the net 15 times, many of which were good opportunities. The look on Lapierre's face after he broke a long scoring streak was also priceless. Cammalleri had his second 4 point game against the Rangers in 3 tries, and O'Byrne beat up Voros, what's not to like about this game? It was awesome!

3. APRIL 3, 2010 - BUFFALO SABRES @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

       A week before, the Canadiens had squandered a perfect road game against the Sabres. Blowing a lead in the last couple minutes, and losing in a shootout.  They wasted one of the best goaltending performances of the season, and they were determined not to do the same on this night. Halak had done it all himself the night before, holding a 1-0 lead for a whole game against Philadelphia, and he was just as good against the Sabres, but wasn't needed as much. The Canadiens played perhaps the best game they played all season, and a trio of unheralded players scored to take the 3-0 win. The expression of O'Byrne after his first goal in 100 games is worth watching this one alone.

2. OCTOBER 24, 2009 - NEW YORK RANGERS @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

     After jumping out to a great start, some shoddy defensive play and sub-par goaltending got the Canadiens into a hole after one period, but the Canadiens weren't going to lose this game, not if Mike Cammalleri had anything to say about it. In what Montreal Canadiens fans have come to expect from Halak on his off nights, he started off shaky, but made huge saves when it matters most. Several big stops in the second period had the team fire up, and cued by a rush by Lapierre and D'agostini, a comeback was on. Cammalleri had scored the first goal of the game, and after Gaborik erased the progress made by Lapierre and D'agostini, he set up a Bergeron one timer that ripped past Lundqvist. With time running out in the second, Plekanec feathered a pass to a rushing Cammalleri in the slot, which he wristed past Lundqvist with ease. A back and forth third period led to overtime, where Cammalleri scored what can only be described as the goal of the year by a Canadiens player. Dangling from the Habs' blueline, Cammalleri dekes his way through nearly the whole Rangers roster and into the slot, where he fires a bullet past Henrik Lundqvist to win it in OT.

1. DECEMBER 4, 2009 - BOSTON BRUINS @ MONTREAL CANADIENS

     I don't think I need to say too much about this one. I also think everyone knew this one would be number one. It's the centennial game, and it came after the most amazing ceremony, perhaps in hockey history.  Cammalleri got a hat trick, Metropolit scored against his former team, and Price put on one of the best performances in goal we would see all year. Most Habs fans I knew had goosebumps from the moment Patrick Roy took the ice in full equipment, to the last second of the game when the Canadiens celebrated a 5-1 victory over their hated rivals. You know what? I still get goosebumps, say what you want about the Canadiens management and marketing department, but this was brilliance:

Should We Be Worried?

It's six games in now, and Mike Cammalleri has yet to light the lamp. It's got a lot of people very worried, and in the post game interview tonight he stated that if he could have converted on a couple of his chances this season we might be 4-2 instead of 2-4. While this is true we can't expect a 30-40 goal scorer to score every game. Players not named Alexander Ovechkin do go through extended scoring slumps. Luckily for us we can look at Cammalleri's recent career history, and find out that he experienced some slumps last year in the west as well. Mike didn't score in 6 straight games from November 1st to 9th, another 6 straight from March 6th to 18th, and and in 8 straight games from March 25th to April 7th. When you look at that it doesn't look very good for Mike, but he still scored 39 goals, which means he scores in bunches. Upon further inspection, he scored his 39 goals in 29 games. If Cammalleri doesn't score for another six games, I'll be the first to be annoyed, but let's cut him a little bit of slack for the time being, as it's not for lack of effort. Unlike our last expected offensive leader (Alex Kovalev) Cammalleri doesn't float around the ice and play well for 2 minutes of ice time every 20. He works hard everywhere he goes and creates chances for his linemates. It's because of this that I don't feel that stressed out that he hasn't lit the lamp.

Another reason to not be that worried is the re-emergence of some secondary scoring. We haven't exactly taken over a game yet, but we have got a second line pair that seems to be getting better every game in Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. It took a few games for Tomas' solid play to rub off on Andrei, but tonight it finally seemed to click, and we're in for an improvement there. So far the lines haven't managed to click on the same night, but that will come with time. Other positives to come out of this game include Pacioretty looking a bit better, as well as getting his first point of the season, and Shawn Belle looking very much like he belongs in the NHL. He made a couple mistakes during the game, but that's to be expected in his first game up. He plays a safe, simple game and he has great speed which he showed a couple times when Colorado forwards got behind him, and he promptly caught them. Kyle Chipchura is also looking better every game, and I can't wait until Metropolit is back so Chips can shift to the wing and bump out Laraque. One thing that worries me so far this season is the play of D'agostini, who won't remain with the organization much longer if he can't find a way to contribute. He's been looking lost in every game he's played but the first against Toronto, and Jacques doesn't seem to have much faith in him. Hopefully my seething optimism isn't too annoying.

GO HABS GO!

A Road Trip in Bullet Points

• As I said before the season even started, Max Pacioretty is not ready to play big minutes in the NHL, and is definitely not a dependable top six scorer.
• Georges Laraque looks like a much better player this season.
• Off the ice Georges Laraque is still every bit as pretentious and annoying as last season.
• Hal Gill is getting an unfair shake by the fans, he's slow, but look at Robert Lefebvre's breakdown of the Canadien's on the ice during the penalty kill.
• The penalty kill is atrocious, but getting better.
• Brian Gionta is better than Alex Kovalev.
• Carey Price is going to have a bounce back year, although the next week will likely be touch and go after the team abandoned him in his home coming.
• Aside from Vancouver, Montreal has been in every game, and we probably should be 4-1 right now instead of 2-3, eventually we're going to get the bounces and calls to go our way if the effort is maintained.
• When Mike Cammalleri finally does light the lamp, it will be followed by an explosion of offense. He's just too good to struggle much longer.
• Scott Gomez isn't going to be a point per game player, but he's good enough defensively to make up for it, and sometimes he creates plays and doesn't end up with credit on the scoreboard. Is he worth his salary? No, but I'm satisfied with his current play.
• Jacques Martin doesn't like young players very much. You can tell by many of his questionable coaching decisions in Edmonton that he would rather have a veteran like Laraque on the ice than someone who can score but is more of a risk in D'agostini.
• Paul Mara is surprisingly solid, and could be one of the steals of the summer.
• Fans need to remember that Spacek was expected to work the powerplay with Markov, not by himself, so expecting a 50-60 point season out of him is ridiculous.
• This team has more character throughout than last year's team.
• A 2-3-0 record with the Habs being in it 4/5 games on a five game road trip with an entirely new team, coaching staff and system, with Markov gone, is 100 times better than anyone expected this team to do.
• The two people who left in the off season that both fans and the media complained most about Gainey letting go, Kovalev and Komisarek, are having terrible starts with their new teams. Kovalev is disinterested and floating with untalented linemates, and Komisarek is a focal point in everything that's wrong with the 0-5-1 Leafs
• Bob Gainey is a better General Manager than Brian Burke, and he was completely right when he said that the Leafs were building a team that wasn't in line with the way the NHL is evolving, and it makes me grin an annoyingly arrogant grin.
• Andrei Kostitsyn is improving as the season gets older, and he'll still have a breakout year.
• Tomas Plekanec will be largely responsible for Andrei's breakout. His hard work all over the ice and renewed offensive confidence are excellent to see. The backhander in the dying seconds of the middle period against Calgary is something we never saw from Plekanec last year, he was trying too hard instead of following his instincts, which are that of an excellent player.
• We've currently alienated the top 6 forward missing from our lineup, and he's lingering in Hamilton awaiting a trade that likely won't happen. On the bright side, Washington had to SUE Alexander Semin to get him to play there, and look how that turned out.
• This may be a bit harsh, but Gregory Stewart is not an NHL player, and he never will be.
• Kyle Chipchura isn't as bad as his stats make him look, and his skating is better than most fans believe.
• Travis Moen is a third or fourth line player at best, and Martin needs to remember that and stop looking like Carbo. Moen played his best two games of the season on the fourth line, he's not suited to a scoring line.
• Scott Gomez thus far sucks at faceoffs, but he's averaged over 52% since the lockout, so this has to be an aberration, or he gets better as the season goes on.
• Paul Mara's beard is a better defenseman than Mike Komisarek
• Matt D'agostini is a scorer, not a grinder, he needs to be on a scoring line in order to be effective. Eight minutes a game with Kyle Chipchura doesn't help him look good.
• Latendresse should probably get a look on one of the top two lines, he's been good on the powerplay thus far and his puck control along the boards is improved.
• Latendresse needs to stop that stupid wraparound move he does every time he goes behind the net. Every goalie expects a wraparound. You've only scored on it once Gui, and that was against Kari Ramo, not exactly an elite goalie.
• As much as I get frustrated when the Canadiens lose a winnable game, I find it humourous that the same people who are lauding Gainey as a genius after two overtime wins call him an utter failure after one bad game in Vancouver.
• As of right now, the Montreal Canadiens are playing better than the Boston Bruins, despite a tougher schedule and more obstacles to overcome. Suck it Boston.
• Mike Cammalleri has had seasons of 53, 54, 54, and 60% in the faceoff dot, and is at 61.5% this year so far. Why isn't he taking more faceoffs?
• Speaking of faceoffs, as much as fans and those in the media such as Mike Boone of the Montreal Gazette and Habsinsideout.com (the best site on the internet btw) have been trashing Kyle Chipchura for his defensive play thus far, he's 11 and 5 on the faceoff dot in three games. That's good for 68.8% and best on the Canadiens. It's also a whopping 30% better than Glen Metropolit in that category. With linemates not named Georges Laraque and Greg Stewart, it's very likely that Kyle Chipchura could be a very good 4th line center.
• The defense are going to take a longer time to adjust to the new system than the forwards, especially with Markov and O'Byrne gone.
• Tom Pyatt deserves a shot on the 4th line with the big club, and Greg Stewart should be sent down even before Pacioretty. Patches can at least play on the third and fourth line and not be a liability, Stewart.... not so much.
• Jaroslav Halak is better than he was against Calgary, and deserves another start soon, but not before Price plays a couple more games to get his groove back.
• Spacek is better defensively than I remember him being when I watching him during Edmonton's playoff run.
• We're the only team to have beaten a strong looking Buffalo team, that just shellacked the Detroit Red Wings.
• The NHL's scheduling this year SUCKS. Somedays we have 15 games, and others we have none. How can it be that unbalanced when it's supposed to be compressed? If the NHL complains about the olympic break, then makes scheduling blunders like this, who'd really to blame?
• Brian Gionta is still going to be the next captain of the Canadiens.
• The Montreal Canadiens will make the playoffs.

The New Team

On June 30th of 2009 I was instantly horrified as I checked TSN.ca for my regular hockey fix during the lead up to the free agency period. Bob Gainey had just solidified the rumours that Saku Koivu's time in Montreal had come to an end as he made a trade for Scott Gomez from the New York Rangers. Not only was Gomez overpaid for about the same size and point totals as Koivu, but we gave up a solid player in Chris Higgins, and a blue chip prospect in Ryan McDonagh. Within 36 more hours the team was completely remade both on forward and on defense.

While I was extremely angry about the Gomez trade, as I really believed Higgins would be a perfect fit with Jacques Martin, and I loved the potential of McDonagh, I could not argue the effect Gomez had in bringing in at least one top flight player (Cammalleri), and another great complimentary forward (Gionta) to play with. On the day it happened several people panned the signing of Mike Cammalleri as far too expensive. How ridiculous! This guy had more goals than any other free agent on the market this year, more than the highly coveted Marion Hossa. As for Gionta, yes he's overpaid, but worth the risk if he can regain his magic chemistry with Gomez.

On defense Matheiu Schneider was replaced by the younger, and much more effective all around player Jaroslav Spacek. Hal Gill and Paul Mara were brought in to replace the outgoing Mike Komisarek, Francois Bouillon, Matheiu Dandenault and Patrice Brisebois. Clearly the loss of Komisarek, despite his poor play last season is a big blow defensively, however if Ryan O'Byrne can take a step forward in his development, I believe we've become much better defensively overall, especially with the increased size.

In just a couple short days many fans no longer recognized the team they cheered for, but is this really bad news? Of those that have left there are several I'll truly miss; Koivu can never be replaced as a tenacious leader and inspiring public figure. Tanguay was supposed to be the long awaited French Canadian first line player, and he was let go. Dandenault was mistreated but always played admirably when called upon, and I'll miss his speed beating icings several times a game. Chris Higgins seemed to finally be finding his game as a checking forward who could score in the clutch. Robert Lang was a breath of fresh air in the dressing room, and had a smile that could cheer up anyone, not to mention his clutch scoring and chemistry with the Kostitsyns. But in every one that's left, there's hope anew that this team can pick itself up, skate an a fresh sheet of ice and be successful.

THE OFFENSIVE LINES

The line combination possibilities is one of the main reasons I've gone from hopeless to excited about this upcoming season. Although a lot of people believe we're going to have a 'free agent first line with an average height of 5'9"', I don't think Jacques Martin would be so foolish to put all his new eggs in one basket and create a line that would be very vulnerable to big checking lines at even strength. On the powerplay that line will definitely see time together, but here's how I see the lines shaking out this season, with an explanation of why I think it'll work.

Line 1: Andrei Kostitsyn - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Andrei lends size to this line that Cammalleri can't. Over the last two seasons we've seen flashes of brilliance from him in both offensive acumen and physical prowess. Putting him on this line forces him to be the big man on the ice and play physical. Gomez and Gionta don't shy away from the physical side of the game at all in their own right, and their grittiness will rub off on Andrei. Without Kovalev hogging the puck the entire time Andrei is on the ice, look for him to shoot much more, and convert on some slick passes from Gionta and Gomez.

Line 2: Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Sergei Kostitsyn/Matt D'agostini

This line gets a bit more complicated as I don't think Sergei or D'ags will be able to stay on this line all year. This isn't necessarily knocking either one, I just think that they both bring different things to the table. Sergei will most likely start the year on this line as the main playmaker for Mike and Tomas. This line will not only have some offensive punch with Cammalleri (probably our best forward now), the sure 20+ goals from Plekanec and the great passes from Sergei, it also has a solid defensive presence with Plekanec and Sergei both able to kill penalties. This is going to allow Cammalleri to take more risks offensively, and it'll pay dividends for the team as a whole. In games where we need to score more effectively however, I believe Martin will shift the playmaking responsibility to Plekanec and put D'agostini on the line with his quick wrist shot and slightly superior foot speed.

Line 3: Guillaume Latendresse - Maxim Lapierre - Matt D'agostini/Sergei Kostitsyn

I think it would be obvious to most people by now that Lapierre brings out the best in Latendresse, and I would count Jacques Martin in this group. Many people are disappointed in the development or lack thereof in Latendresse, and sad to see him languishing on the 3rd line. I like to think of it differently however. On most teams in the NHL the 3rd line is usually the checking line, counted on for defence and grit, and maybe to pot a few goals now and then, while the 4th line is basically pluggers to bang and crash and create energy. Here in Montreal we have the good fortune to have a 3rd line that can not only be defensively responsibly, but be more of a 2a line than a 3rd line. Lapierre has playmaking ability and skill to a much higher degree than most 3rd line centers, while Latendresse and D'agostini are much better scorers than most 3rd line players. Playing on this line will help D'ags develop his defensive play (and maybe learn French!) while accenting the offensive side of this line. Another positive of this set up is that with D'ags as the sniper on the line, Latendresse will be forced to play the way he should play, tough and big in front of the net. Expect some garbage goals from those soft hands Guillaume has. When D'ags is pushed up to the 2nd line, Sergei's playmaking ability will no doubt improve the goalscoring of Latendresse substantially, while creating a better defensive unit. Both variations have upsides that Martin will love to play with.

Line 4: Travis Moen - Kyle Chipchura - Glen Metropolit

Here's where I think some people will be surprised, because I think it's about time Kyle Chipchura made this roster. His size makes him a far better option at center than Metropolit, and he's ready for this move. Metropolit has played some wing during his life, and although it's not his natural position I'll assume that he and Kyle will switch back and forth during the season until Chipchura improves his face-off percentage. All three players are penalty killers and solid defensive players. Moen and Chipchura will crash and bang and create space for the smaller and slightly more skilled Metropolit. This line is no offensive juggernaut, however it is more solid than many other NHL teams can muster. This will be a line of clutch goals, toughness and great defensive plays.

Extras:

Georges Laraque - will be sitting on the sidelines for most of this season if he isn't bought out. He'll replace Metropolit or Chipchura in the lineup for games against rougher teams like Philadelphia or Boston most likely, but with Moen now a Canadien his usefulness is questionable. Moen can do most things Laraque can do, only he can skate and make plays much better.

Max Pacioretty - will be in Hamilton for as much time as possible barring injuries. With Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn at left wing there's no room for him on the top two lines, which is where he would have to play to develop the skills Montreal wants him to develop. In Hamilton he'll be the top offensive guy on the team on Ben Maxwell's wing, where he will hopefully dominate and gain the scoring touch many hockey pundits expect.

Greg Stewart - will most likely stay in Hamilton most of the year, with the possibility of a short term call up due to roster injuries early in the year, or a permanent call up half way through as his waiver eligibility runs out. Stewart is tough as nails and willing to stick up for his teammates, but his services won't be needed in the bigs unless Travis Moen gets injured at left wing.

THE DEFENSIVE LINES

1st Pairing: Andrei Markov - Paul Mara

A lot of people I've talked to have Jaroslav Spacek on the top pairing with Markov, but if I'm Martin I don't want my two best puck movers on the top pairing to leave my 2nd scoring line with less ability to move the puck up ice. Paul Mara provides some grit in the defensive zone that Markov is used to from playing with Komisarek so long, but he provides a much improved level of offensive awareness, an ability to move the puck up ice to give Markov a break once in awhile, and a fairly decent shot when in the offensive zone for Markov to set up. I wouldn't expect more than 8 goals from Mara this year, but that's still a vast upgrade offensively on Komisarek's typical shot from the point that gets blocked and bounces behind him creating a breakaway for the other team.

2nd Pairing: Roman Hamrlik - Jaroslav Spacek

I have two reasons for having these two together. The first being they are Montreal's 2nd and 3rd best puck moving defensemen respectively, but more importantly they are familiar, and have played dominantly with each other on the Czech Republic's national team. Spacek's consistency and on ice vision will provide Hamrlik with a more experienced partner than he's had since he came to Montreal, and hopefully this will allow Hamrlik to play in a similar manner as he did in 07-08 when he was a hitting and shot blocking machine. The offensive responsibility will largely be taken off his shoulders and his minutes can probably drop a little as well. If these two recapture their former chemistry, expect some excellent break outs by the second line, and solid defensive play from both players.

3rd Pairing: Josh Gorges - Hal Gill

Hal Gill may not be the best skater in the world, but he has the wing span of a spruce goose, and a pretty good stick to go with it. When he's on his game he can check ferociously and his size rivals Zdeno Chara. The added depth on the top two pairings allows Josh Gorges to take a slightly smaller role to which he's more suited. Instead of 20-22 minutes a game he'll be playing 15-18, which will allow him to be more focused and connect outlet passes far more frequently, and join more rushes. Expect a marked increase in point production again this year from Josh. As for chemistry with Gill, I think that remains to be seen. While Gill is a very strong giant Pylon, Gorges is a tough for his size and speedy player. It sounds good on paper, but this is the pairing I'm most unsure of.

Extras:

Ryan O'Byrne - will spend all year with Montreal. I expect him to make a big leap this year with the guidance of Jacques Martin. He'll be a healthy scratch for many games, but he'll draw in his fair share with customary injuries and slumps. Martin happens to have a great track record in developing oversized defensemen, ever heard of Zdeno Chara?

Yannick Weber - will start the year in Hamilton I'm guessing. He'll be the priority call up if any injuries occur, especially to offensive minded defensemen. His experience in last years playoffs suggest he already has the skill to break into the NHL, but the spots are filled for now. He'll dominate again at the AHL level as a sophomore and make the most of his chances when in the NHL.

P.K. Subban - will most likely spend the whole year in Hamilton. Weber has the priority call up because of experience as a pro, so it would have to be a decimated defensive corps before he gets called up I expect. He'll make a big impact in Hamilton, playing with Weber on the powerplay will be a force to be reckoned with.

GOALTENDING

Carey Price - mark my words will play better than ever this season. With a much improved defensive corps in front of him, a better system coach behind him, and a much needed change in goaltending coach, Carey will be a man on a mission and ready for anything. Look for him to be better conditioned this season and in all likelihood not miss near as much time with injury.

Jaroslav Halak - Jaro will continue to be himself, making steady improvement in his play while quietly challenging and pushing Price to be better. There's no reason to think these two won't get the job done in a big way this year.