In separate interviews with
Bertrand Raymond of RDS and
Tony Marinaro of TSN690, last week, Marc Bergevin knew he'd have to answer that famous question about the lack of size on the Montreal Canadiens. He'd have to address decisions he made to bring George Parros and Douglas Murray to Montreal, and he'd certainly have to give his opinion on whether or not these moves did enough to keep the Canadiens healthy against bruising teams in their division.
In his short time at the helm of this prestigious franchise, Bergevin's philosophy has been quite clear. He reiterated to both Raymond and Marinaro that he puts the emphasis on balance; balance of skill, speed, character, size, physicality.
In his interview with Raymond, Bergevin had a really sound explanation for why he may see the character element as the most important one. Naturally, we know his history as a journeyman defenseman in the NHL, who clearly wouldn't have stayed in the league very long without displaying his character over that time, but he puts emphasis on that element specifically because he knows that this NHL is the most competitive one there ever was. He puts the onus on character, because that is what will get you through the hard times teams are sure to fall upon every season; because stop-gap trades and band-aid solutions have gone the way of the dinosaur in a world governed by salary cap. And when injuries hit your team, you need to be able to dig yourself out instead of looking for the first available line out.
Yes, character means a lot to Marc Bergevin, but balance means everything to the Canadiens. You can see that in the composition of their lineup, which now certainly boasts larger, more physical players. The team finished fourth in the league last season in goals for. They spread the offense around as well as any team did, and they emerged from the league's basement with great character.
Through the early parts of this training camp, the prospects of the team are showing they were chosen to represent the balance Bergevin and people like Trevor Timmins, who have long been in place, are hoping can bring Montreal to the next level.
Not that the Canadiens have strayed from their identity. Seemingly, the common thread amongst all their prospects is speed and skill, but as we're getting to know these young individuals, the depth of their character is becoming apparent.
Let's get to the speed and skill part. Late rounders Martin Reway, Erik Nystrom, Charles Hudon, Gabriel Dumont and Sven Andrighetto have all given us a glimpse of both of these all-important elements. And all these players look as though they'll one day skate in the NHL.
People will make a lot of Reway's ridiculously tiny frame over the coming years. It's not like by some form of miracle, he's going to be able to grow dramatically and put on all kinds of weight. But a player with his skill, speed, hockey sense and smoothness tends not to get blown up very often. I'm not saying he's Patrick Kane or Pavel Datsyuk, but I don't think those guys have gotten much bigger since they started playing at this level. Reway is that kind of player, whether he turns out to be an NHLer at all, let alone one of the best in the game. Were I a betting man, I'd be confident in laying some scratch down that this kid is going to be a stud.
Dumont took great strides last season, and you get the sense that his character will bring him back to the Canadiens at some point this season. He has speed. He has skill. But he mostly has will, and that's going to pay off for him.
Nystrom and Andrighetto are bringing the same elements to the table. They move exceptionally well, they both have solid hands and good shots, they both look like exciting players that are going to continue to develop.
And then there's Hudon. He's the complete package. He's fast, he's skilled, he's physical, he's tenacious, and he's going to gain such valuable experience this year.
Martin St-Pierre is a journeyman, signed to help the Hamilton Bulldogs. He might turn into a pretty big surprise this year. He's clearly got some game, and he obviously feels energized by the opportunity the Canadiens have given him at 30. He's not likely to play in Montreal at any point, but he has the character to make it a possibility. He's going to be a good veteran presence for a lot of really young players at the AHL level.
Michael Bournival, like Hudon, is a shining example of balance. Size, skill, speed, defensive awareness. All the work he did on his conditioning this summer is helping him show that he was clearly the upside in the trade that sent Ryan O'Byrne to Colorado. It's not just cause he scored a couple of nice goals in an exhibition game against the Buffalo Sabres, last night; Bournival has served notice he's going to play some games in the NHL this season.
And then there's size and skill. Mike McCarron, Greg Pateryn, Jarred Tinordi, Magnus Nygren and Darren Dietz have all had good showings here.
McCarron is obviously the greenest of the group, but he's showed yesterday that he's far from out of place, which is a tremendous sign ahead of his first season with the London Knights. And, of the notion that he doesn't have the skating ability, absolutely false. His skating is impressive at his size, and this is just the beginning of him fine-tuning that skill.
Dietz is a monster, and it's going to be as good for him to be in Hamilton as it will be for the Bulldogs to have him.
Nygren had turned some heads at rookie camp, and you can see that the skills are there to be polished. It's unlikely he'll be called upon to play in Montreal, having to sidestep Tinordi, Beaulieu or Pateryn to do so, but at some point this season, he may take a big leap towards proving he can play at this level. And by next year, you get the sense he'll be ready to make the jump.
Tinordi gained 22lbs in the off-season, and he seems intent on proving his place is with the Canadiens. He may very well prove worthy of a spot right out of camp, even if the Habs don't give it to him right away. Seems clear that the Douglas Murray signing was a measure to give Tinordi even more time to grow into those big league skates, but his confidence is in the right place, regardless of where he starts the season.
I'm not sure there's another player at this training camp that's improved as much as Greg Pateryn. He missed a lot of time last year, but the scouting report out of Hamilton was that when he was healthy, he was among their best players. This year, he looks strong, he plays smart, and he has confidence at both ends of the rink.
I'm aware, it seems like a glowing report. It's all flowers. But for a long time, Canadiens fans have been considering the future of the team, and it's become very apparent that the scouting department has done their job, and done it well. Bergevin's expanded the bureaucracy appropriately to help cultivate and develop the talent and the character of these young individuals. And if we're going to talk about anything related to the Canadiens in such a glowing manner, it's going to be about their prospects.
This is the seventh training camp I've been accredited to attend, and the competition level from the prospects is better than it's ever been--and by a fair margin. The common thread of speed and skill is making that a reality. But it's character and determination that will get these players to the next level, and it seems likely with what I've seen, that a lot of them are going to make it eventually.
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-It's going to take a long time for Zach Fucale to make it, but what an experience this has been for him so far. To be drafted by his hometown team, to be signed to a three-year deal on the same day that he played his first game at the Bell Centre (even if it was an intra-squad scrimmage), that had to be special.
Fucale has shown some nice patience in his net. He came into last night's pre-season game cold, and allowed the first shot he faced to get by him. It was a rocket by Zemgus Girgensons. Fucale settled down right after that, and he showed he can keep himself in the game.
The only goal that got by Fucale in the shootout was world class, care of Mikhail Grigerenko.
-On a less positive note, Matt Lashoff's tryout might be coming to an end pretty soon. He doesn't appear to be as well-conditioned as those he's competing with, and he had a great opportunity to show some character last night after Alex Galchenyuk laid a great hit and found himself being punched by Patrick Kaleta, and Lashoff just kinda stood there watching it happen. Not that Lashoff's a brawler, but that was an opportunity missed.
-It's consensus that Lars Eller is ready to build on his breakout season with the Canadiens last season. I don't expect it to be an issue, but Eller knows how good he can be, and at times that may get in the way of what he should be doing. It's only pre-season, but you could see him getting fancy out there yesterday, and it wasn't working out well for him when he did. Not that he shouldn't be creative with the skill he has, but I do wonder if he'll need to be reminded to simplify his game at times this year. It's easy to get carried away playing with skilled players like Galchenyuk and Gallagher.
-Galchenyuk said he spent his summer focusing on hanging onto the puck more this season. He now has the confidence to do that at this level. He showed quite a few examples of it last night, and it's a part of his game that opponents should be worried about. Sophomore slump? I don't believe it's a possibility with him.
-Tonight against the Bruins, we're going to see the first installation of Subban vs. Subban. Malcolm will play in nets, and P.K. is set for his first pre-season game.
-Lineup out of Habs practice in Brossard for tonight's game includes: Moen, Dumont, White, Pacioretty, Desharnais, Briere, Blunden, Tarnasky, Thomas, Leblanc, Hudon, Fournier, Murray, Dietz, Subban, Gorges, Bouillon and Tinordi. Price and Mayer will share the goaltending duties.
-On the Bruins side, Lucic, Krejci and Iginla will play as a line.
-Game starts at 7:00pm.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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