The Habs will need strong goaltending to move closer to a playoff spot. Are you confident that Sam Montembeault will be able to handle the job?
Paul Martin
I believe Montembeault can handle the responsibilities of being a No. 1 goalie in today’s NHL.
Times have changed since Carey Price played in a career-high 72 games for the Canadiens in 2010-11, including 70 starts. Price also made 66 starts in 2014-15 when he won the Hart Trophy as league MVP and the Vézina Trophy as the top goalie after posting a 44-16-6 record with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage. Last season there were only 14 goalies in the NHL who made more than 50 starts and only three who made 60 or more — Nashville’s Juuse Saros (64), Colorado’s Alexandar Georgiev (63) and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (60).
Montembeault made only 40 starts last season because of the three-goalie rotation with Cayden Primeau and Jake Allen, who was eventually dealt to the New Jersey Devils. I can see Montembeault making 50 starts next season and I believe he can handle that workload with Primeau as his backup. With a young defence, the playoffs will be a long shot at best, but Montembeault should be able to give the Canadiens a chance to win on most nights.
Which of the following players do you think plays the most NHL games next season: Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux or David Reinbacher? Also, points-wise, what would Habs brass consider to be a realistic, successful season? I think fans would be happy with a Red Wings/Flyers “step forward” — playing some meaningful games down the stretch while not quite making the playoffs.
Paul Starke
I’d be very surprised if Hutson doesn’t start the season with the Canadiens and I expect him to play more games than Mailloux or Reinbacher. I think management would like Reinbacher to play a full season in the AHL — like Mailloux did last season — as he adjusts to the smaller North American rink. I think Mailloux will have a chance to play more NHL games next season than Reinbacher.
As for the second question, unless GM Kent Hughes makes a trade to acquire another top-six forward, I don’t see the Canadiens playing meaningful games down the stretch next season. This management team is willing to be patient and would probably accept another high draft pick next year. But I believe fans’ patience will start to wear out if the Canadiens finish near the bottom of the overall NHL standings for a fourth straight year.
Can you see Florian Xhekaj being called up this year if the Canadiens need a spark?
Don Marcellus
That wouldn’t surprise me. Xhekaj had a strong development camp and showed last season that he can score goals, along with having a physical presence, as he posted 34-31-65 totals in 63 games last season with the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. I expect Xhekaj to start the season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket but can also see him near the top of the list when it comes to call-ups if (when?) there are injuries with the Canadiens.
How likely is it that Ivan Demidov starts the season in Montreal/Laval?
Morgan Hynes
It’s hard to predict anything that might happen with Russian players and the KHL. As of now I expect Demidov will play out the final year of his contract with St. Petersburg, but that could change.
“This season coming up, he’s under contract at St. Petersburg,” Hughes said after taking Demidov with the No. 5 overall pick at this year’s NHL Draft. “If he’s playing in the KHL, that’s a great environment for him for a year. If he’s not in the KHL, we will have to see what our options are.”
If St. Petersburg doesn’t keep Demidov with the KHL team, expect the Canadiens to enter negotiations to establish a transfer fee for him like the Philadelphia Flyers did this summer with Matvei Michkov, the No. 7 pick at last year’s draft. Michkov will now play for the Flyers next season. If the Canadiens were to succeed in negotiating a transfer fee with St. Petersburg, I’d expect Michkov to play in the NHL next season.
Do you think that a line with Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak and Brendan Gallagher could produce next year or will Hughes want younger players on the third line?
Guillaume Bédard Lamarche
Anderson, Dvorak and Gallagher will have a combined salary-cap hit of US$16.45 million next season, so Hughes will definitely be looking to get some bang for the buck from the three veterans, who will probably make up the third line to start the season unless the GM is able to make a trade involving one of them. That seems unlikely. Anderson (US$5.5 million) and Gallagher (US$6.5 million) both have three seasons left on their contracts, while Dvorak (US$4.45 million) has one.
I can see 20-year-old Joshua Roy moving ahead of that trio to take a spot on the second line.
Stu Cowan is going on vacation and the Habs Mailbag will return in late August. In the meantime, you can continue to email questions to [email protected]