Habs Head West For Big Game Against Canucks + Who Gets Traded? (Pacioretty)

Pacioretty

Habs Head West For Big Game Against Canucks + Who Gets Traded?

By Brandon Smillie

Dec 19, 2017 • 3:16 pm

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Tonight the banged up Habs will be on the west coast looking for answers when the suit up for their 10 pm EST match against a Vancouver Canucks team that has been hit hard by the injury bug.

The Canadiens will be without the services of blue line corner stone Shea Weber tonight, and for the foreseeable future. Weber has been sent back to Montreal for further evaluation, treatment, and rest with regards to a foot injury. The same foot injury that cost him 7 games this season already. It's been determined that without proper rest and treatment the ailment isn't improving so the team felt it was best to pull the Man Mountain out of the line up and get him the R&R he needs to get healthy.

With the way this season has gone I am not even upset at this news. Disappointed for sure, but not upset. Weber, like Price, is a key component of this team. A component that is counted on every game, and delivers. But this season has been one hot mess after another. Every time the team manages to change the bed sheets from one disaster, there is something else that soils them...

Next we should see Pacioretty go on a scoring tear, only to have him go down with a shoulder injury shortly thereafter.

#Optimism

The Canadiens aren't the only team battling to stay healthy. The Canucks are without 3 of their star forwards with B Horvat (broken ankle), S Baerschi (broken jaw), and star rookie B Boeser (micro fracture in foot). The are also going to be without D man C Tanev (groin). I have said in other game previews that Montreal may be able to capitalize on "Team X's" injuries, but at this point it's clear that this year is swirling the drain and there is no such thing as an advantage for Montreal.

The Canucks are almost identical to the Canadiens, standings wise, and they have actually overachieved their preseason expectations. Most had them at the bottom from start to finish but the Canucks battled and the addition of Boeser, along with the progression of Horvat, allowed them to use the Sedin's in more of a secondary role, which also helped the Sedin's.

The Canucks big story has been injuries which has derailed their momentum and will likely help them finish where most thought they would, but they definitely will give their fanbase hope for next year. The emergence of J Markstrom has been huge for the team. They know they have capable goaltending and that is a big part of every team. Next season their D group should be adding elite prospect O Juolevi, who is currently playing excellent, point producing defense overseas for TPS Turku in SM-Liiga (5G, 9A, 20 GP). The evolution of their young players will help star prospect E Pettersson with his likely jump to the show next year. The silver lining to the Canucks recent futility is shining, it will be interesting to watch their progression this year and next.

Look for tonights goaltending matchup to be J Markstrom (9-11-3, .907 SP%, 2.71 GAA) against local boy C Price (9-10-2, .905 SP%, 2.99 GAA).

I am not sure who Montreal may use to replace Weber but it will likely be Petry with Morrow or Jerabek taking Petry's spot. It has been reported that Montreal will be shifting Drouin to the top line C with Pacioretty while Danault moves down to the second line. I think both players are very good but I'm sure we are all hoping to see some chemistry between two of the Habs top players in Drouin and Pacioretty.

The team has underperformed all season and keeps getting hit with big injuries to top level players. The sooner Habs management realizes that sometimes things just don't go your way and assist their fall to the bottom to secure on of the top 5 prospects available this summer, the better.

I was asked in a PM here who I thought the Habs should move. I believe I have written it here before, but maybe it was in the comments. Either way, guys who will need to be moved by the deadline are: Plekanec, Benn, maybe Shaw, and maybe Pacioretty.

Plekanec has to be moved, unless Montreal wins 15 games in a row to put themselves in a realistic position to make playoffs. That won't happen, but Plekanec being dealt will happen. He should be sold to the highest bidding playoff team and close to, or at, the deadline to maximize value.

The above mentioned reason is also why the need to move Benn. They currently have Benn, Alzner, and Schlemko for the left side D. They have Juulsen waiting in the wings for his start on the bottom pair. There is just no reason to have 3 similarly styled players and Benn is 30 (same with Schlemko). If they can deal him to a GM who is all in, then they can achieve a value for Benn he will never fetch again.

To move Shaw wouldn't be a move I particularly want, but it may happen regardless. A team may come knocking with a solid deal for the 26 year old winger because of his style of play and Stanley Cup experience, that and he is having himself a fairly good year on a bad team. A return for him may temp Bergevin to deal him, but I would rather keep him around for a bounce back season next year.

Pacioretty.... Well, it seems to me that Max is a great supporting player and not so much the elite player that makes others around him better. Max has yet to produce anything with Drouin, which is shocking, but they will get another chance at chemistry tonight with Danualt and Drouin switching lines against the Canucks.

Max is a great player, but he is due for a healthy raise after the 18-19 season and is already 29 years old. The opportunity to cash out on this asset should be the first order of business on Bergevin's agenda. There are many teams that would pay huge for this player at the deadline, and probably at the summer draft. I can't say when would be the best to make this deal, as it depends on the return, but if I didn't get a kings ransom at the deadline then Pacioretty has to be dealt on the draft floor in Dallas.

Montreal needs to help their decent to the bottom of the Atlantic and get a prized prospect. They also have some youth at C in the pipeline that is looking really good in Ryan Poehling, Jake Evans, and Joni Ikonen. One or two of those players could be here in MTL next season. If the Canadiens land Dahlen, Svechnikov, Zadina, or Wahlstrom they may be able to make the jump next season (all will be 18 years old).

Add in Poehling and Evans and you have a major shift in the Canadiens next year. A rebuild on the fly that already is working with potential. Juulsen likely joins the group too so fans would likely be able to get their wish for a youth movement and a rebuild that shouldn't take the traditional 4 years. It would already be in motion this season and the kids get their chances next year and it could be boom or bust, but should they bust then its one more top draft pick to the core of young players.

I also think moving out Pacioretty and Plekanec opens up the team to name Weber or Gallagher Captain or Alternate, and give the young group a chance to move past the old regime style and into one where players are led by of two of the hardest workers in the game. I think that could have a solid impact in the room, long term, for all the young players that should be coming this season and next.

No, I wouldn't trade Galchenyuk. His value isn't high, but the likelihood of him flourishing somewhere else is high. Move out that old leadership group and give everyone a fresh start. Bring in the young guys I mentioned and give Galchenyuk a new role: Mentor.

I'll give you a moment to either: clean off your screen from the drink you just spit out, and/or catch your breath from choking on whatever you may have consumed when you read that...

OK. Look at Scherbak in Laval. Coaches told him he was now a leader. Someone tasked with orienting some new young guys with the team and the business. No longer a "shut up and listen" role, but a leadership role. Scherbak has flourished. It seems to have helped change his entire approach and work ethic.

The one thing I have always noticed about Galchenyuk is that he always seemed meek and timid. This may be why he enjoyed some of the more "rebellious" activities like the partying, tattoos, etc. that some have said have affected his status within the team. So, force him to grow up. Give him a human task like mentor/teacher. I'm sure it may surprise him, but it's also a very effective tool to show someone who may be a bit wild and rebellious that they finally received some respect and responsibility and it is up to the man to pay back that trust to the team and his "puppy". Could work.

If that doesn't pan out next season then we can talk about dealing him.

So with that I'll say I am one busy guy around the Holidays so I apologize for short articles or the gaps in writing over the next little bit. I'll definitely relay any big news here for you all to gather in the comments and write about and I will still do game preview or review, but the next back to back games this Friday and Saturday will likely be confined to one article unless something crazy happens.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Go Habs Go!

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