Carey Price is going to be an interesting player to watch this season. After thrusting himself into hockey-mad Montreal at such a young age, it’s time for Price to sink or swim.
As the Canadiens moved through the playoffs, Price started to show signs of tiring, and started to show his age more and more.
His glove hand started to get exposed in the playoffs, and so far some teams have keyed on it in the preseason.
Despite all of this though, Price was still able to win 24 games in the regular season, and post three shutouts.
If Price can improve and continue to climb the ranks of great young goalies this season, then the Habs will be fine.
If Price suffers a let-down year, then Les Habitants will be in some trouble.
Jaroslav Halak is an interesting alternative in that event though. He's looked solid the past few years he's spent in the AHL, and his NHL numbers have been fairly respectable when he's seen time. The fact he's never played more than 30 games in any season (except once in the QMJHL) brings Halak's longevity into question if he falls into a fairly consistent role with the Canadiens.
Colorado fans should be counting their lucky stars that Marc Denis was traded to Columbus instead of holding on to him in hopes he could replace Patrick Roy. Denis has gone to prove those of us who thought he was merely stuck in a bad system in Columbus wrong (namely me), bringing to light some issues with consistency at the highest level of hockey.
Perhaps his two-way contract will offer Denis a chance to build up some confidence in the event he sees time in Montreal, but aside from that, he'll mostly be a non-factor.
Feeling Plekanec in the morning is just fine for the brothers Kostitsyn...
Saku Koivu returns for another season of leading the blue, blanc, et rouge, and could really see an improvement (if ever so slight) from playing alongside Alex Tanguay as well as Alex Kovalev. Koivu has gone back and forth with regards to efficiency and consistency over the seasons, and although his health has really been one of the main reasons for that, Koivu could really level out as a 65-point guy this season, re-reaching the 20-goal plateau.
As we said, both Kovalev and the (finally) newly acquired Tanguay are going to be integral to the Canadiens' success this season. Kovalev is widely renowned by the NHL (and the YouTube audience) as one of the greatest puckhandlers in the NHL today. Since his injury-riddled and questionable 2006/07 season (just 18 goals), Kovalev stepped his production and presence up.
He scored 30 goals for the first time since 2002/03 and 80 points for the first time since 2000/01 with Pittsburgh. Kovalev seems to have rediscovered his motivation, and if he can hold onto that, then he could easily attain 30 goals once again.
Alex Tanguay has to be one of the longest-rumored Canadiens' in history. Hasn't he been on their radar since about 2005? In finally picking up Tanguay from the Calgary Flames, the Canadiens nabbed a quick winger who can get the puck to the finishers on the team. Tanguay and Kovalev could team up to form a terrific combination for the Habs, and if they stay on the same page, Tanguay could nab 60 assists in a season for the first time in his career.
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