1) Between the uncertainty of the Quebec election and that of the collective bargaining process between the NHL and NHLPA... at least we've had great weather.
I can better appreciate the impatience of Canadiens fans pertaining to P.K. Subban's unsettled contract situation. Everyone in Quebec seems desperate for a bit of good news, especially after a weekend that featured a fatal car crash, and a bride being swept down a river to her death.
Though I doubt we'll have to wait much longer to discover Subban's fate, there's nothing out there to suggest a deal is imminent in the near future. Perhaps the Canadiens don't want to be the first movers in that category. It seems they're willing to wait to see what happens with John Carlson in Washington, or Michael Del Zotto in New York, or with Dmitry Kulikov in Florida.
If you were desperate for good news on the Subban front,
this article by Dan Rosen, of NHL.com, has been circulating since yesterday.
2) I can't help but wonder what the future holds for another one of the Canadiens' defensemen: Raphael Diaz.
Diaz showed some real promise in his first season as a Canadien. He had to deal with injury issues in the second half of the season, but his adjustment to the NHL's pace of play was a pretty natural one from the Swiss League. That's highly impressive, because it's an enormous jump from one to the other.
Is it fair to assume he's off the trade market, having penned a two-year extension with the Canadiens, earlier in the summer?
I don't think so.
Diaz holds value on the market, perhaps much more so than Yannick Weber does. And the Montreal blueline is crowded. How much more offense does the team need on the back end, with Markov, Subban and Kaberle already occupying positions?
One of Diaz or Weber will move, and you could probably make a case that the Canadiens would be well served to dish both of them; to make room for Nathan Beaulieu over the next couple of seasons.
3) Speaking of the blueline, I've always loved what Francis Bouillon brings to the ice. He's a nasty hitter, and a player that will stand up to anyone, for anyone.
Alexei Emelin will learn from him. And both of them will be unpleasant to play against on a nightly basis.
But the Canadiens are still missing what Jarred Tinordi would bring, if he were ready for the show this season.
That's not to suggest he won't be ready, but we all know the benefits of a young defenseman getting a year of seasoning in the minors, as opposed to jumping into the NHL from Junior.
4) I don't worry about Andrei Markov's physical rehabilitation. I worry about his mental capacity to convince himself it's worth playing at 100%.
With the Canadiens out of the picture upon his return to the lineup last season, we never got a real sense of what Markov will be like after this long and arduous process he's submitted to.
He never went into the corner with reckless abandon. He never challenged anyone physically. He pretty much played to not get hurt. That's all he had to do.
If he can't do more than that, this time around, the Canadiens chances at a playoff spot will be that much more minute than they currently are.
5) Can't help but wonder where the Habs may have finished in the standings, had they had the fifth best powerplay in the league instead of the 28th. A healthy Markov would've likely made the difference.
Ok. A useful Mike Cammalleri would've helped too.
But, say the Canadiens have what it takes to maintain their penalty killing success. And say Markov and Subban are able to work magic on the powerplay next season (don't worry, there will be a next season). You'd have to like their chances of climbing up the standings and making it interesting.
If they could've averaged one more goal/game last year, that would've put them in, or very close to the playoff picture.
Markov can't amount to one more goal per game on his own, but if were to be as healthy mentally as he will be physically, he can certainly come close.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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