Andrei Markov a top pairing Dman played 13 games last year, adding a healthy #1 Dman makes a difference.
Captain Gionta a regular 25-30 goal scorer played only 31 games (8-7-15 points) due to injury.
Max Pac (33 goals) + Eric Cole (35 goals) >> Phil Kessel (37 goals) 2 X 30 goal scorers verses 1 and if Lupul does it its a break even at best.
Price verses Reimer is not a fair match.
- Montreal -14 goal differential verses Toronto -33.
- Montreal 226 goals against 5th best in the NHL verses Toronto 264 ga 29th worst overall.
- Montreal PK% #2 overall in NHL verses Toronto #28th overall
Alexander Galchenyuk verses Morgan Rielly
Montreal playoffs 5 of past 6 seasons verses Toronto 0 of last 6.
Montreal new GM and Coach = Toronto new GM & Coach.
These two teams are not close in comparison.
I don't believe TSN has taken into account the leadership of Phaneuf on defense and Kessel on offense.
I'm saying the entire season rests on Kessel staying healthy.
Healthy Kessel = playoffs.
The Habs are trending downwards, whereas the Leafs have bottomed out and haven't done anything to get worse. They added McClement to improve the PK, and Reimer missed quite a few games due to injury, and wasn't the same coming back.
Add van Riemsdyk to the top 6 and the Leafs have built themselves a stronger forward group. The Habs added Prust and Moen to the bottom 6, so they got tougher too, but nothing fixes their troubles scoring goals.
Not saying you don't have valid points in some cases, but there are considerations in the opposite direction too.
IMO the Habs will take longer to get out of the basement than the Leafs.
I don't believe TSN has taken into account the leadership of Phaneuf on defense and Kessel on offense.
I'm saying the entire season rests on Kessel staying healthy.
Healthy Kessel = playoffs.
Wink, wink, nudge nudge say no more.
Last season with a healthy Kessel finishing 6th overall in NHL scoring and the Leafs finished 5th last overall.
Kessel will need to duplicate last years point pace for Leafs to simply break-even in the standings, & if he declines or is injured is game over as far as playoff aspirations. Ditto for Phaneuf as he finished 12th in Dman scoring on the same bottom 5 team.
New coach playing better defense will put a strain on offensive numbers in a more conservative attack style for individual players but perhaps make the biggest difference in the standings where "defense wins championships" is the recipe for success.
Not sure if I agree there. Anaheim still had great production from their big guns under Carlyle.
On the other hand, we all saw what happened to Washington under Hunter. So who knows? This is gonna be fun one.
Doesn't that depend on Galchenyuk?
Price is young
Subban is young
Galchenyuk is a kid
How are we behind the habs?
Nice blueprint for building from the goalie out through strong defense and strength down the middle through center ice potential right there for Montreal and its future young core building blocks.
Goalie yes, who they got years ago. Subban was a 2nd round pick.
Anyway they are horridly weak down the centre, Gomez, Gionta and Desharnes are tiny centres.
Galchenyuk also may end up playing on the wing, and he definitely didnt look amazing in the bigger games at the WJC, yes he got 8 points, but most were in the early weaker games. Alot of harder games you wouldn't even be able to tell it was him on the ice.
He's got potential, but to think he's gonna be the difference maker and somehow make them awesome this year I just dont see it.
Gionta is a RW
GM Bergevin has said, that he likes that Galchenyuk can play the wing, but that the Habs believe he is a center not a wing in the NHL.
Looking down the road the Habs have only Desharnais that is "tiny", Galchenyuk is 6'1, Eller 6'2.
Carey Price + healthy Markov + off season last year..
Montreal has been in the playoffs 5 of the past 6 seasons, only missing last year, so that could simple be considered an anomaly (off season, for whatever reason).
Toronto has been in the playoffs 0 of the past 6 seasons.
So if we win the cup,you'd be the most angry Leafs fan huh?Shortened Season does not expose Toronto's horrible lack of Conditioning.
I think we make the Playoffs - Unfortunately. Without Phil Kessel who will be injured majority of season.