The Montreal Canadiens' 2015-2016 preseason begins tonight as the Habs host the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre. While it's known that these exhibition games hold no weight in determining the outcome of the upcoming 82-game regular season schedule, many fans are simply looking forward to watching any type of competitive hockey that features their beloved Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.
For many of us, this is an opportunity to take in a different brand of hockey than what we're accustomed to. Countless rookies and prospects will play over the course of the next few games, all with the hopes of forcing general manager Marc Bergevin and head coach Michel Therrien to offer them a regular role on the squad that will be captained by none other than Max Pacioretty. Players such as Daniel Carr, Sven Andrighetto, Charles Hudon, Jarred Tinordi, Greg Pateryn, Gabriel Dumont, veteran Tomas Fleischmann and 2013 first-round pick Michael McCarron will have the chance to showcase their talent with the goal of landing a full-time job with the Habs.
Often, I speak with fans who tell me that they don't care much for preseason games, specifically because the record counts for nothing. Some will go so far as to call them a waste of time and a chance for players to injure themselves before the real season begins, given that young players won't let up when it comes to bringing a physical edge to their game in order to impress their coaches.
To me, and to many passionate fans, these games offer perspective. They let us in on how the organization is faring in drafting and developing players, and they shine a light on just how much certain players have improved over the course of the past few years or even simply during the offseason. For those of us who do not have the privilege of taking in Junior or American Hockey League matches, it offers us a chance to see exactly what the immediate and distant future holds, and clues us in on how much heart and determination some players that we might not have ever heard of have.
It's hard to argue that preseason games are not entertaining. For years, I've likened them to NCAA sports, where young players looking to make a name for themselves often put in immeasurable efforts in order to take the next steps in joining elite franchises. For years, media and fans alike have often criticized players who cashed out on lucrative contracts and have seen their offensive production plummet. While there might not be any operational means of truly measuring causation in such cases, speculative correlations have been theorized, and everybody in Montreal has an opinion on such matters.
Surprisingly, I've attended preseason games that have kept me on the edge of my seat, at times more often than regular season games. It's truly amazing to watch young, hungry players leave everything out there on the ice. After all, isn't that what hockey is all about?
Of course, heading into the preseason schedule that will run through September 22nd till October 3rd, many question marks arise, especially in the cases of defensemen Jarred Tinordi and Greg Pateryn. While I believe that Pateryn is miles ahead of Tinordi in terms of development and overall confidence, it's hard to imagine that either players will fill in a top-six role in 2015-2016. Eventually, I could see them both replacing Alexei Emelin and Tom Gilbert, though I cannot say for certain that this year will be the determinant one.
Tinordi has recovered from his season-ending wrist surgery, and has stated that his skating has improved immensely, even if it was one of his core assets. A player of his size should fit in perfectly, if even as a 7th defenseman, but we've all witnessed the stability and confidence with which Greg Pateryn performed during the end of last season and his 4-game stint in the playoffs.
All eyes will surely be on those two, as well as on the numerous players listed above. With newly-appointed captain Max Pacioretty expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks, a slot opens up temporarily on the left wing, and many are speculating that Daniel Carr, Sven Andrighetto and Tomas Fleischmann will all be battling for that spot.
Tonight's Habs lineup:
Andrighetto-Plekanec-Gallagher
De La Rose-Mitchell-Kassian
Carr-McCarron-Smith-Pelly
Bozon-Dumont-Thomas
Emelin-Petry
Tinordi-Pateryn
Barberio-Dietz
Price - Fucale
Finally, I leave you all with a question: what does the preseason mean to you?
You can catch the game live tonight starting at 7:30pm ET on TSN4 and RDS.