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Top 5 Players - Season 2019-2020 |
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While the last season was underwhelming to say the least, some players did find way to perform and deliver even more than what was expected of them. For me, these 5 players made the season bearable:
5. Ben Chiarot
It didn’t necessarily start all that well for him in Montreal but he eventually settled in the team’s system and was called upon to play a bigger role. The fact that Mete was injured contributed to him getting more ice-time and eventually, it became obvious that he was more suited to top pairing minutes than the young Mete was. In 69 games, Chiarot managed 21 points (9 goals and 12 assists) his best total in a single season. He got 20 points in Winnipeg last season but he did so in 78 games. It’s also worth notting that he played an average of over 23 minutes per game this year. Over the course of his 6 previous season, he had averaged just over 16 minutes, safe to say that he was called upon much more in Montreal than he ever was with the Jets. The 28 year old left handed d-man is under contract with the Habs for another 2 years at 3 million per year, while I was skeptical last July, I have to admit that he did turn out to be a good signing.
4. Phillip Danault
In an ideal world, Phillip Danault is not your first line centre but, in case you haven’t been paying attention, this is not an ideal world, especially not these days. Whether you like him of not, Danault just keeps on improving and playing an increasingly important role with the Habs. This season, he racked up 47 points (13 goals and 34 assists) in 71 game with a +18 rating and an average of just short of 19 minutes on the ice per game. Furthermore, he’s showed some real toughness this season, he took a puck to the face and lost some teeth but was back in action the very next game. Julien increasingly calls on him in every possible situation and he shines in pretty much all of them. Can anyone still believe that we got him from the Hawks for Weise and Fleischmann? Insanely one-sided trade. With just one more year left on his contract, the GM should seriously consider signing him to an extension this summer. The problem is though, he will want first line player money unless of course he’s willing to be reasonable and take a Pageau like deal...time will tell.
3. Tomas Tatar
He missed the last 3 games of the season because of an upper body injury but before he went down with it, he had 61 points (22 goals and 39 assists) in 68 games which beat his career year from last season which was of 58 points but in a full season. Considering that Cole Caufield is staying put in Wisconsin, Tatar’s firepower could come in handy next season as he remains signed for one more year at 4.8 M. In his second season with the Habs, Tatar has officially become a fan favourite and it’s easy to see why. He produces and never takes a night off, his effort his constant and he fits in perfectly on the Canadiens’ top line.
2. Nick Suzuki
The 20 year old has had an excellent rookie season putting 41 points in 71 games (13 goals and 28 assists) and when the NHL called time on the season, he was 6th in rookie scoring, 12 points behind Quinn Hughes. He was much nearer to the top at one stage but struggled a little bit points wise since the end of February, perhaps hitting the proverbial “wall” most youngsters fall victim to in their first year. Hopefully, next season, he’ll avoid the sophomore jinx and continue his progression to entertain us just like he did this year.
1. Brendan Gallagher
He’s not the leading scorer but he is the heart and soul of this team and when he’s one the ice, he’s all in. He missed a significant portion of time because of a concussion and his injury was the final nail in the Habs’ coffin. You can deal with losing a lot of players to injury but not this guy, he’s the hardest worker out there and the biggest warrior. After two complete 82 games season, the injury ninja found him again this year and he only played 59 games in which he recorded 43 points (22 goals and 21 assists), chances are he would have gotten yet another 30 goal season had the whole season been played. Gally’s only signed for one more season at 3.75 M and quite frankly, signing him to an extension should be Bergevin’s top priority this summer. Considering that the diminutive right winger will have been a bargain for 6 years at the end of his contract, he will want to break the bank and deservedly so.
Next up, my 5 most disappointing players of the season...there are a lot of candidates...
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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