Habs Training Camp Notes
September 29, 2023
By Grant McCagg
- Pearson may be a good fit for Suzuki and Caufield based on what we saw in the first exhibition game. Good along the wall. His skating was a bit sluggish but he dug out some pucks and set up Caufield for a marker. Considering that he hadn’t played a game since last November, we can expect him to take a few weeks to get up to speed. If he doesn’t get a spot in the top six it will be because of his lack of quickness. He had had a few more days of practice under his belt. We will see how he handles the pace tonight against the Leafs.
- Mind you, Monahan looked fine beside Caufield and Suzuki on Wednesday night. A lot will depend on how Kirby Dach is doing in the faceoff dot by the end of camp. He won 62 percent of his draws on Wednesday, and if he can keep the mark anywhere close to 50 percent then perhaps Marty St. Louis is comfortable with keeping Monahan off of his line in an effort to stack the top two lines with offence instead of balancing the top three lines. Monahan with Suzki and Caufield,; Dach centering Slafkovsky and Anderson; Newhook between Pearson/RHP and Gallagher. Harvey/Pinard and Anderson could always be flipped in an effort to better balance the lines but I like the idea of putting together a power trio of Slaf/Anderson/Dach on a second scoring line. That trio could cause nightmares for opposing defencemen if it clicks.
- Sure….a few days ago I predicted that Gallagher and Pearson may be on the top two lines to start the season and that still may be the case but Hughes and company want Dach to develop into a top-two center, and if he can hold his own on faceoffs then there may be no time better than the present. Dach looks poised to break through offensively. He is a deceptively fast skater to go along with his silky smooth hands and stride. What has also become apparent in his time in Montreal is that Dach has some jam to his game. Right now there is little doubt that Dach is ahead of Newhook in his development. There are more offensive elements to his game, and he’s better away from the puck as well. A line featuring Dach, Slafkovsky and Anderson, if it meshes, could beat teams in a number of ways. I have a feeling there is an edge to Slaf’s game that we haven’t yet seen due to his immaturity but as he grows more and more comfortable with his physical strength and ability to handle NHL size, look for him to become meaner. He already throws hard hits but I suspect that he’s not going to be afraid to mix it up either away from the play or after the whistle as he hits his 20s.
- Davidson looks wayyyy better this camp. Last year he struggled in the rookie tournament. Monday night he scored a nice goal, almost set up another, and had several strong offensive sequences apart from that. He’s a year wiser, stronger and faster, and that will bode well for his chances of cracking Laval’s regular lineup.
- Mesar looked better versus pros than he did at the rookie tournament. He was also solid in exhibition games last season. Mysak looks much more comfortable this season. More confident. Look for him to be an AHL regular.
- I do not envy the task that lies ahead for Laval’s coaching staff with so many promising youngsters turning pro this season. There will be some rather difficult decisions to make over the next month. Mesar, Mysak and Kidney have all demonstrated that they have taken another step in their developments, and are good candidates to secure center spots on the AHL club. Mesar looks more comfortable at center than on the wing. He has looked better playing center in Montreal’s last two camps than he did playing wing for Kitchener last season. Jared Davidson is also a natural center, and could push for a spot in the middle in the future if his skating continues to improve.
- Here’s where it gets complicated. Laval also has Lias Andersson, Phil Maillet, Brendan Gignac and Mitchell Stephens who are natural centers. Lucas Condotta has played center for the most part in camp, and played in the middle in Laval a fair bit last season. Some of them obviously will move to the wing but then positions get even tighter for the remaining forward spots. A club that already has Joshua Roy, Xavier Simoneau, Sean Farrell, Emil Heineman, Nathan Legare and Gabriel Bourque slated to play on the wing will likely have three of the above names joining them on the flank. That adds up to five centers and ten wingers before we even consider Alex Voyer, John Parker-Jones, Ty Smilanic, Nolan Yaremko, Jakov Novak and Riley McKay. Suffice it to say that several forwards who saw time in Laval last season will be starting the season in Trois Rivieres, and that is a good sign that the Lions will be more competitive.
- It was encouraging to see Ylonen getting some pugilistic tips from Michael Pezetta in practice.
I am pushing for the soon-to-be 24-year-old to earn a spot in camp. I do not envision him clearing waivers if Montreal tries sending him to Laval. Jesse added 10 pounds in the offseason yet doesn’t appear to have lost a step. If he can learn to use his added muscle to win more puck battles in his own zone, the offensive skills are there to carve out an NHL career as a bottom-six winger who can contribute on the power play. Hopefully, he gets a full shot in the exhibition season and produces some offence. His father Juha was a sound player defensively in his day, and Jesse needs to show in this camp that he can handle himself adequately without the puck. His skating and shot are above average at any level. He needs to add compete and battle to that mix, and getting pointers from Pezzetta is a sign that he’s aware that his defensive play has to be better.
- In studying video from last year with the Ontario Reign and seeing him thus far in training camp, Lias Andersson does not appear capable of landing an NHL spot out of training camp:
- He will bring leadership, goals and solid defense to Laval but the physical skills just aren’t there to win a spot in the NHL lineup. Andersson’s skating was what concerned scouts in his draft year and it remains his Achilles heel. He works hard, has a great shot and battles for the puck but he doesn’t play a physical enough style.to appeal to the Canadiens as a fourth-line energy guy. RHP and Pezzetta are more suited to that role. He’s just not fast enough to handle the pace at the NHL level at center I don’t think. Jake Evans’s job should be safe for now but it would not be shocked if this is his last season with the Canadiens. Beck and Oliver Kapanen are close to being ready.
- I really hope we don’t hear Josh Anderson trade rumors through this season as we did last year. Talk about your definitive role model for Slaf. If he plays a similar style to #27, good things will come. Use the body, skate hard, keep working on his speed and power every offseason, and Slaf will one day be a pre-eminent power forward. He has better puck skills, agility and vision, so if/when Slaf finds that balance between his skill and brute power, the sky is the limit. Hasving Anderson along for his blossoming will only help.
- Tobie Bisson night be in tough winning a spot on Laval’s blueline. If Miguel Tourigny is as impressive in Laval’s camp as he’s been since the rookie tournament, Bisson may find himself scratched on many nights. Justin Barron and Logan Mailloux are decent bets to start the season in the AHL, and unlike with coaching staffs under Marc Bergevin, this one’s main objective is prospect development. If it comes down to John Parker Jones or Bisson winning a roster spot, the no may go to the 6-7 winger/defenceman who has more versatility. Will Bisson be okay with sitting in the stands many nights? If he is sent to the ECHL, he will be a dominant player for Trois Riveres. The other possibility is that he gets loaned to another AHL team. It’s been a long time since the Canadians have had that luxury… too much depth on defense.