“In the mix” has become the catchphrase for the Canadiens heading into the coming NHL season.
That season unofficially kicked off Monday with the team’s annual golf tournament at Laval-sur-le-Lac.
At last year’s golf tournament, executive vice-president of hockey operations Jeff Gorton wouldn’t say the “P-word” — playoffs — when asked about expectations for the team. Gorton is using that word now, but with the catchphrase as an asterisk.
“That’s where we want to be,” Gorton said Monday when asked about being in the mix for the playoffs this season. “I’m not going to put it past this team to do that. I know the players in that room feel really confident about their team and what we can do this year. There’s so much unknown, so much to learn. We haven’t even got on the ice yet, but I’m excited about what this team could be.”
Fans also seem excited after two sellout crowds at the Bell Centre on the weekend to watch Prospect Showdown games between rookies from the Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Going from 28th in the overall NHL standings to the playoffs in one season would be a huge jump for the Canadiens, but there are reasons to believe it might be possible.
The addition of Patrik Laine and a healthy Kirby Dach returning after playing only two games last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury should give the Canadiens two forward lines that can score after ranking 26th in the NHL in offence last season with an average of 2.83 goals per game. Defenceman Lane Hutson excited fans during the Prospect Showdown games and can also provide offence, including a boost to a power play that ranked 27th last season with a 17.5 per cent success rate.
While the offence should be better, if the Canadiens don’t improve defensively they won’t be in the mix after allowing the third-most shots on goal last season and ranking 26th in defence, allowing an average of 3.43 goals per game.
“We know we have to be better in our own zone and keep the puck out of our net,” Gorton said. “Cut down on our chances, for sure, defensively. I think the offence will take care of itself. I feel like we have a team that can be pretty good offensively. Defensively is something that we’re really going to have to concentrate on. If we want to be in that mix, we’re going to have to keep our goals down.
“We have a plan in place the way we’re going to build (the team),” Gorton added. “We’re not going to deviate from that just for a short-term pleasure. Listen, we’re excited about this season. We’re standing here, we’re excited about where this team is going. We hope this year it’s what we all think it could be. We’ll see. But there’s a lot of ways to measure the season and not just by points.”
Development remains the priority — both individually and as a team. This will be the third full season of the rebuild and team owner/president Geoff Molson noted that some NHL teams have been rebuilding for eight years without much progress and others have seen success in six or seven years. Of course, other teams don’t play in Montreal’s hockey-mad market and the question is how much longer will Canadiens fans remain patient.
“I would say the biggest thing that I’ve learned (during the rebuilding process) is that our fans wanted this and they’re entirely behind this rebuild because they can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Molson said. “It was hard to make that decision because I didn’t know how the fans were going to react and now I see the excitement. We had two prospect games over the weekend and both were sold out. I don’t think that’s ever happened. That’s a sign that our fans can’t wait to see these young guys on the ice.”
I think the Canadiens are at least a year away from being legitimate contenders for a playoff spot. I also believe being “in the mix” is a realistic goal to set for this season. If the Canadiens are in the mix at the NHL trade deadline, GM Kent Hughes hinted Monday he might be in position to keep a player on an expiring contract rather than make a trade for more young assets.
That would be a definite sign of progress.
“I know it’s hard for some of you when I don’t fully answer the question about when and how and playoffs or whatever it is,” Molson said when asked about setting a specific timeline for the rebuild. “But the most important thing that I need to have is patience with the management team because they are building something great and it’s going to be fun for many years for all of us.”
That has been the long-term plan since this rebuild started and management is smart to stick with it.