Every once in a while, one of my favorite readers Scott will shoot me a message on Twitter. Often, he’ll reach out in response to a piece that I’ve written or simply because he wants my opinion on some of the Montreal Canadiens’ happenings. As Scott has been a Habs fan for over 45 years and was constantly surrounded by the organization’s legacy for decades, I absolutely adore getting his take on quite a few topics. It’s always a pleasure to chat with him, as he’s witnessed Les Glorieux rise and fall countless times while remaining engulfed in the culture.
Recently, during one of our routine exchanges, we both came to realize that this organization has “beautiful problems”. Over the course of the next few blogs, I’ll look into the third- and fourth-line centers that could potentially secure a spot on the 2016-2017 roster.
Let’s begin with the whipping boy of the team, David Desharnais.
During the 2011-2012 season, Desharnais centered two power forwards in Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty. Using his playmaking abilities combined with decent speed and excellent vision of the ice, the Laurier-Station, QC native helped both of his line mates achieve some of the best numbers of their careers while doing the same for himself. Cole would finish the season with 35 goals and Pacioretty had 33 to his name, marking the first time he would achieve that feat. Desharnais’ 16 goals and 44 assists demonstrated just how selfless he was in looking to first find his teammates as opposed to choosing to shoot.
Courtesy of Christopher Hatzitolios; here’s a clip highlighting some of the sheer chemistry between the three players:
Bit by bit, he began solidifying himself as a pleasant surprise in the National Hockey League, seemingly making his teammates better thanks to an unfaltering self-confidence and sense of belonging. The 5’7” center played bigger than his frame would suggest and with an undying conviction, consistently managed to create scoring chances. He’d become one of head coach Michel Therrien’s favorites, as the rumours go, but that would fade in time…
As his stats indicate, something went wrong in Desharnais’ career. Playing alongside Pacioretty would never provide the kind of spark that once was, and the former would subsequently never hit the 20-goal mark. He’d go through dry spells in which his productivity would be practically nonexistent and occasionally took in the game from the press box as a healthy scratch. He would be bounced up and down the lineup in an attempt to be revitalized, even undeservingly eating away precious time on the power play to little avail. He found himself playing a few games on the wing but no long-term success was to be found therein either.
Last season, it all seemed to come together when he was placed on the third line with Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann. During a short stretch in which they regularly contributed to the score sheet, a camaraderie installed itself between the three players but that also happened to be short-lived. There was no hope in turning it around as both Weise and Fleischmann were sent to the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline.
In my opinion, Desharnais has lost all of his confidence. It comes as no surprise to me that many of my readers approach me regarding my thoughts on #51 and whether or not he should be bought out by the organization. With only one year left on his $3.5 million AAV contract, it’s going to be nearly impossible to trade the undrafted 29-year-old who turns 30 in mid-September.
I believe he could earn himself a contract elsewhere in the NHL should he capitalize on his final year with the Habs, though a salary cut would be required. We’ve all witnessed the kind of character that he’s shown in bouncing back from adversity- the mere fact that he earned a professional contract despite always having been told that he would never make it is proof alone. Nevertheless, he’ll need to accept a diminished role playing on a third line alongside (potentially) Daniel Carr and Sven Andrighetto if he hopes to rejuvenate his offensive output.
That is, of course, if there aren’t any plans to buy him out, trade him, or if he doesn’t get dislodged by some of the youth that could clog up the middle of the forward group. Philip Danault was signed to a two-year contract yesterday and could flourish out of training camp, potentially making Desharnais expendable…
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