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Projecting the Canadiens Forward Lines: Line 1A

August 14, 2017, 10:30 AM ET [240 Comments]
Brandon Smillie
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Montreal Canadiens offseason has brought some huge highs and lows for its devoted fan base. Highs like acquiring the ultra talented Jonathan Drouin and steady, smart defender Karl Alzner and lows the likes of losing both Alex Radulov and career Canadien Andrei Markov. Bergevin has had fans dancing one minute and threatening to quit watching the team the next. Ok, what I just described isn't exclusive to this off-season and is more like the "Norm" for this fan base but still, there was big reasons for the mood swings.

This offseason was different in Montreal. The Canadiens welcomed in a player who immediately becomes the face of the franchise in Drouin. I still remember watching the 2013 Draft and praying the Canadiens could move up to draft Drouin after the first two picks went. I felt then that he was going to be an impact player and I never changed my opinion on that.

When he was suspended by Tampa Bay for refusing to suit up in the AHL I was on Drouin's side. I felt that Drouin knew that if he got to play full time in the NHL his second contract would be huge so Steve Yzerman sent him down as a possible play to negotiate down his next deal after the ELC expired. Tampa Bay simply had an embarrassment of riches up front and the looming cap crunch was clearly going to be an issue for the Lightning. Drouin doubled down on himself by taking a stand and waiting for a deal. After eventually relenting and resuming play he was promoted to The Show after another Stamkos injury and was arguably their best player down the stretch and into the playoffs, with all respect to the ultra talented Nikita Kucherov. Drouin can play and he can elevate his game as well.

I was honestly jumping around after I saw the notification on my phone that Montreal had acquired Drouin. I was stunned. I hadn't felt that way about any Habs news since... I can't even recall when. Yes, Sergachev has all the tools to be a star but Montreal has needed a "Drouin" for a very, very long time.

This brilliant move was followed by the solid Alzner signing and then shine started to dull on the offseason. Losing Radulov to the Dallas Stars hurts a lot. Instead of looking like the Habs were loading up on offense it instantly became a wash offensively meaning there is still a likely scoring issue. Then the Markov negotiation ended with him taking his talents overseas to play with AkBars Kazan of the KHL, but he did leave the door wide open for a return to the NHL. The remainder of the offseason moves were of the AHL depth variety and the addition of Ales Hemsky.

It was at this point fans started crying into their freshly ordered Drouin t-shirts and jerseys.

I know losing Markov affects the fan base on many different levels but 5-6 million dollars for a 39 year old D man just couldn't happen. Bergevin knows he needs a top 6 center and I still believe that's what all the available (approx. $8.5 million) cap space is saved for. The trade for a center is the only thing worth spending any money on at this point. It must happen even if Montreal has to overpay to make it happen. Signing Markov negates any possibility of making that kind of deal as no one is taking Plekanec and his terrible cap hit to facilitate a blockbuster deal.

So, as I await the deal for a top 6 center I will share my thoughts on how the four forward lines will look opening night.

First line: Gallagher-Danault-Pacioretty

This will be the teams "first" line but I think the reason they get that label is because they will be able to perform best at both ends of the ice. This line will provide offense and be responsible on the defensive side of the puck. They will also be the most trusted line when it comes to critical game situations at both ends of the ice.

This should be a bounce back year for the 25 year old Gallagher. Last year his left hand was broken twice and he never seemed to get any power being his shots when he returned from both breaks. A short post season and long offseason almost assure that we will see a fully healed Gallagher in October and hopefully he is as effective as he was prior to his injuries. Gallagher posted 10 goals and 19 assists in 64 games last season. The season before he scored at a pace that would have brought him close to being a 30 goal, 30 assist player so the skill and potential is there. Let's hope he's healed and ready to perform at a level that brings him a new career high in points.

Danault has a real opportunity here to grow his game this season. Claude Julien is a fantastic coach and could really help Danault reach his next level. The 24 year old center completed his first full NHL campaign last season and set career highs with 13 goals, 27 assists, and 40 points. It's not unreasonable to believe Danault could round out to be a solid second line center and produce in the 50-55 point range. Despite his limited experience he was also very capable defensively. He finished with a CF% of 55.6% which is excellent and he won 51.7% of his draws.

Some fans seem to think there is no one that can perform at center for the Canadiens but Danault clearly can so this upcoming season has a chance to be a real breakthrough for him and the Canadiens. Is he Patrice Bergeron? No, not yet anyways, but he is still a player that has potential to get better. I don't think we have seen the end of Danault's progression as a NHL center.

What is there left to say about Max Pacioretty? He's one of the NHL's best scorers, possesses fantastic speed, and can kill penalties. Pacioretty produced 35 goals and 32 assists in 81 games and had a fantastic CF% of 55.4%. PacMan does it all for the Canadiens but he felt a lot of heat this past season for his inability to elevate his game in the playoffs against the New York Rangers. The 28 year old winger produced only 1 assist in a six games last spring and simply put, that's unacceptable. The captain has to show the team how to respond and the way to respond last spring was to drive the net hard and often. Pacioretty chose to be responsible defensively because he wasn't able to generate much against the Rags, which is well and good, but goals were needed. You don't win without them. Max scores more of them than any other Canadiens player. That's his job and he couldn't do it.

I'm hoping for a big season from Max to show that he has more drive and leadership to push the Canadiens to not only a playoff position, but breakthrough to the second round.

My intention is not to run down Pacioretty with what I mentioned. In fact, I'm trying to show that I believe Max is an elite player who can change games himself. He just needs to find that playoff gear if the Canadiens are to have any hopes of a long playoff run. A full year with coach Julien and healthy line mates will hopefully set him up for a solid postseason.

This line has potential to grow this year. A healthy Gallagher should be able to produce 25 goals and 25 assists. Danault should improve offensively and a 20 goal, 30 assist season is a realistic expectation. Pacioretty should also be good for his standard 35 goals and with improvements by Gallagher and Danault he could come close to 40 assists. Losing Radulov hurt this line for sure, but a healthy Gallagher can come close to Radulov's point totals. Couple that with an improving Danault and the first line could actually produce a bit more than last year.

I'll be projecting Line 1B in the next article.
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