Note: My apologies for being away from Hockeybuzz & blogging for the last few days but it was for good reason. Myself, family and friends put on the 5th annual EMC Night Golf Tournament this week. We raised over $60,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada!!! Now, back to Habs and hockey…
Time for another mailbag! Thank you to all those who sent in questions. As per a few requests the questions are all anonymous…
Question:
The Canadiens are crowded at goaltending now with the signing of Al Montoya. What do you think the plan will be heading into training camp, any moves?
Answer:
I believe that Montreal Canadiens General Manager Marc Bergevin knew that he could not go through a worst case scenario again with Carey Price without having a veteran backup on hand. Signing Al Montoya as a free agent on July 1st was absolutely necessary. The team needed a veteran presence between the pipes to keep the confidence high. This does not mean that the Canadiens have lost confidence in Mike Condon. However with Charles Lindgren and to a lesser extent Zach Fucale in the wings, the pressure is on Condon to have a repeat performance of last year’s training camp come September. I do not envision the Canadiens keeping three goalies on the 23 man roster once the regular season begins. Condon will be an unrestricted free agent after this season while Lindgren will be restricted. Chances are that Condon will be the odd man out and traded before the season starts.
Question:
You sound optimistic about the Subban/Weber trade based on a couple of your blogs. How can you be positive when Bergevin’s traded the most electrifying on the ice?
Answer: I was shocked at the trade. I really didn’t think that Bergevin would actually do it. Perhaps part of me didn’t want to believe that Bergevin was capable of letting Subban go. However, I got over the Patrick Roy trade and I’ll get over the Subban trade. At least the Canadiens got a better return in Shea Weber which makes it not the worst Habs trade of all time. It might just be the most disappointing trade though because of what Subban represents in Montreal off the ice. Weber deserves to be given a fair chance though. He might be able to help the Canadiens win a Stanley Cup but I firmly believe that Subban would have given the team just as good of a chance. The Radulov signing has the biggest potential to be the difference maker this season.
Question:
Does Jacob De La Rose still fit into the Canadiens plans?
Answer:
De La Rose certainly seems to be the forgotten man in all of the depth charts and line combinations that I have seen so far. His sophomore season was much tougher and he struggled through injuries. I am hoping that he does not become the next Michael Bournival who likewise impressed in his rookie season but could not make his way back into the Canadiens regular lineup when healthy. De La Rose is a big player with versatility at wing and center. I would not mind seeing a line of him, Michael McCarron and Daniel Carr together. They would be very tough to play against and would have some nice potential to contribute offensively.
Question:
How is David Desharnais still on the Habs???
Answer:
I recently heard someone describe Desharnais as an underachiever. If anything, Desharnais is a classic overachiever. He never stopped working and made it from an overage QMJHL player to the ECHL, then he AHL and finally the NHL. For a multitude of reasons, he became the Canadiens de facto #1 center because there were no better options at the time. Desharnais can play in the NHL, he has proved that. However, Therrien’s over reliance on him has been confounding to say the least. Mistakes in his own end are never acknowledged or punished. There is a double standard that frustrates fans. I have no problem with Desharnais playing on the Canadiens third line, but only if he outplays the other candidates in training camp. He has to earn his spot, just like everyone else.
Question:
Aside from Sergachev, which other Habs prospects are you most excited about?
Answer:
I really liked what I saw from Will Bitten at the Canadiens development camp. He has speed, tenacity and skill. I hope he gets traded from Flint to another OHL team so that he will further progress in a less toxic environment. I also can’t wait to see Arturri Lehkonen arrive at the Rookie Camp in September after the year and playoffs he had in Sweden!
Question:
Looking for a new show to get into, any suggestions?
Answer:
I got into VEEP this season and it was absolutely hysterical. I don’t why I didn’t start watching earlier. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and the whole cast was outstanding.
That’s a wrap for this edition! If you have more questions, leave a comment in the thread and I’ll try to get to it!
Cheers & follow along! Follow @TwitterDev