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Habs Happenings: Radulov Arrives, 'No Excuses' Slogan is Gone & More |
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With his visa issues all cleared up, Alexander Radulov finally arrived in Montreal and had a busy Monday as he skated with some of his new teammates, said hello at the Canadiens girls hockey camp and was introduced to the media:
Radulov continued to say all the right things concerning his return to the NHL. That he has matured. That he is here to win. That he hates to lose. That he wants to win a Stanley Cup with the Canadiens. Really his early arrival is all about getting to know his new teammates, especially as some of them will depart for the World Cup of Hockey before training camp officially opens. It will be a good opportunity for him to get to know his potential linemates and get more familiar with the organization.
Where Radulov will fit in best is still very much up for debate. He and Brendan Gallagher are obviously the top two right wingers on the Canadiens but they each bring very different skills to the ice. Gallagher has the nose for the net and never quits on the play. Radulov is incredibly offensively talented. Head coach Michel Therrien has had a small sample size of Max Pacioretty/Alex Galchenyuk/Gallagher as a top line trio to know they have enjoyed success and that they compliment each other. It is assumed that they will start the season together but it certainly is possible that Therrien might try to load up the top line and pair Radulov with his presumed #1 center Galchenyuk. I would expect Therrien to keep Gallagher on the top line but that Radulov will take his spot on the 1st powerplay unit.
In all likelihood, Radulov will start the season playing on the right side of centreman Tomas Plekanec. The left wing spot on the second line is up for grabs and could be filled by newcomer Andrew Shaw or insert your favorite young player here ____(Daniel Carr, Artturi Lehkonen, Charles Hudon…). Plekanec is a strong two way player but he certainly has enough skill to play with Radulov, at least for one season.
In other news, the “No Excuses” slogan is no longer in the Canadiens locker room:
The slogan became a bit of a farce last season as the loss of Carey Price to injuries ultimately led to the Canadiens downfall. “No excuses” became “our goalie is injured’. General Manager Marc Bergevin went so far as to say at the end of season post-mortem that he believes that the Canadiens would have made the playoffs had Price remained healthy. That statement is likely true but it came across as an excuse. What do you think the new slogan will be?
As well, former Canadiens Brandon Prust has signed a professional tryout contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If he can prove himself in training camp and earn a contract, it will be to the benefit of the Leafs youth. In his first season with the Canadiens, he acted as a mentor and big brother to then rookies Galchenyuk and Gallagher. He once again took on that role in Vancouver during his brief time there and Lou Lamoriello is hoping that he can do the same in Toronto. Best wishes to Prust as attempts to come back from injury and prove that he still has some good hockey left in him.
Finally, Canadiens prospect Jeremiah Addison has been traded from his OHL junior team the Ottawa 67’s to the Windsor Spitfires.
Addison was drafted in the 7th round of the 2015. He will turn 20 years old this October and so if he plays in the OHL this season it will be as an overager. Otherwise, he will be destined for St. John’s or even Brampton in the ECHL but he has to get signed first. In Windsor, he would have the opportunity to play for the Memorial Cup with the Canadiens 2016 1st round pick Mikhail Sergachev. Addison has impressed as a 7th rounder and is on track to eventually develop as a 3rd or 4th line player. Playing as an overeager in Windsor is likely the best spot for him to play this season as it will allow him to play regular and meaningful minutes.
Cheers & follow along!
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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