Speculation has Bob Hartley taking over as the next head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. Though I can't doubt the possibility, nor the probability of this news coming to fruition over the coming days, I do find it odd that none of Hartley's various friends in the Montreal media have uttered a word about it.
I can say that Tampa Bay's Martin Raymond and former Habs coach Guy Carbonneau were still in the running as of the weekend--as I reported on twitter. I've also been told that Patrick Roy is no longer among the candidates.
With the Cup Finals set to begin on Wednesday, we could have an answer to our question between now and then. If no announcement comes, it's expected that the Canadiens will allow the focus to be on the finals, rather than on who their next coach will be.
If the decision is made, as some are speculating, how long will Marc Bergevin be able to keep it all a secret? If you believe the "reports", that cat's already out of the bag.
If a decision were made over the coming days, there's no way Bergevin will be able to keep it a secret between now and the end of the finals.
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You couldn't watch five straight minutes of the Memorial Cup Tournament without a mention of the Canadiens' top prospects. Of course, that's a very positive sign for the team's future.
Looking at those four players, the consensus seems to be that Jarred Tinordi is closest to making the jump to NHL hockey over the coming year. It would seem his game has progressed dramatically, and Pat Hickey caught up with Trevor Timmins and the Hunters who had
rather positive things to say about his year in London.
How about Michael Bournival and Morgan Ellis-- the two less prolific Habs prospects who are now celebrating a Memorial Cup victory?
Neither player is particularly offensive, but the word is that both play a very versatile game. Bournival, a two-way forward with a heart as big as his brain (it's been noted that he's a pretty heady hockey player), and Ellis, a solid defensive defenseman with some decent offensive upside.
Can Beaulieu-- at this stage-- offer more than just a boost to the Canadiens powerplay? Timmins lauds his work ethic in the Hickey article, claiming he's spent a lot of time rounding out his defensive play. You get the sense that with Beaulieu's talent, he'll be able to adapt rather quickly to hockey at the professional level. A strong first half in Hamilton could have him up in Montreal as soon as Tinordi will be there.
One certainty: to have four solid prospects playing hockey this late into the season is a developmental blessing, and it should go a long way towards accelerating the maturation of each of their careers.
Add these four names to those of Brendan Gallagher, Patrick Holland, and to Greg Pateryn who had a breakout year in Michigan, and it would seem the Canadiens minor-league glass is half full.
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What should the fans expect from David Desharnais?
After an outrageous campaign with the Canadiens last season, notching 16 goals and 44 assists, and finishing +10, it'll be pretty hard to do much better.
But here's the thing with Desharnais, he's seemingly gotten better at every level of hockey before reaching the NHL.
In his first official stint with the Canadiens he had 22 points in 41 games. We thought that was strong, until he improved quite a bit last season.
In his only year in the ECHL, he was the player of the year, with 106 points in 68 games.
In his first year in Hamilton, he finished with 58 points in 77 games, +12.
The following season, in 2009, Desharnais had 78 points in 60 games, +30. He put up another 23 points in 19 playoff games for the Bulldogs.
In 2010, before jumping to the NHL, Desharnais had 45 points in 35 games.
Another year next to Pacioretty and Cole, and the sky is the limit for all three players. Habs fans are counting on this as one of the only constants that will enable the Canadiens to put last season behind them.
Is it unreasonable to expect more from Desharnais for this upcoming season?
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