Who does not remember the good old days when the management of the Canadian valued talent above all else, even if this talent could sometimes go to fight at a party with his father, or even gather in a tree after a drunken evening? Well, that’s all in the past, ladies and gentlemen, and that basically explains David Reinbacher’s selection in the last draft. Now is not the time to decide whether this young defenseman will ever be a top player – we’ll talk about that in 10 years – but by betting on him first, the Canadian didn’t bet on a another player, much more spectacular, who would perhaps not be the ideal candidate to fit in a calm and uneventful locker room. We will see if these decisions will lead to something, and, above all, to something good, but in the meantime, obviously, the new Montreal bosses want good players who are also good teammates.
An encore in the direction of another lap, understand. Because the risk associated with this new single-season deal, at $ 1.9 million, is almost nil. So why not ? Suffice it to say here that when he fell in action in December, Sean Monahan had collected a nice harvest of 17 points in just 25 games, and the club looked very good with him in training. Then, when he had to abdicate with a broken right foot and a groin injury, the club went on the losing end. Coincidence? No doubt, and we’re not going to pretend here that the Canadiens could have aspired to the Stanley Cup with a healthy Monahan in their roster, but at the very least, his presence had a ripple effect on the rest of the group. Enough to justify this recall, and this contract for another season.
Why spend unnecessary amounts of money when you’re not aiming for the top anyway? A quick reminder here that owner Geoff Molson uttered the word “rebuild” back in May, for the first time, we think. From memory, too, he is undoubtedly the first leader of the Canadiens who has always dared to use the R word. In the meantime, the watchword has been respected, and the Canadian has been content with a very modest summer in terms of expenses by going for the Brady Keeper, Philippe Maillet, Lias Andersson and other Alex Newhook. How many of these players will be important members of the club in the more or less near future? We let you think about that. In the meantime, and then obviously, the coming season should look like the previous one, or thereabouts.
Everyone was surprised by the recent acquisition of Casey DeSmith. Do the Canadiens really need another goalie, a 32-year-old veteran at that, who isn’t superior to those already in place? The answer is no, and it should come as no surprise if DeSmith’s stint at the Bell Center was ever rather brief. In the immediate future, Samuel Montembeault is clearly the number one, while Jake Allen and his contract of 3.8 million dollars are difficult to exchange. Remains Cayden Primeau, a prospect chosen by the previous administration, who will have to go through waivers if he does not stay at the Bell Center this time around.
Not in Montreal yet. Will he even come here before camp starts? It depends on how interested others are in it. If the Canadian can trade him, for almost anything, we won’t see him again, and that’s probably the plan in his case. However, if Kent Hughes’ phone does not ring about him, the situation could quickly become uncomfortable, especially since the main interested party was very eager to get out of here last time.
