Burning Questions as Montreal Canadiens 2014 Training Camp Approaches

As 2014 training camp approaches, the Montreal Canadiens, like most NHL teams, face a lot of questions. 

There are new faces in town, namely P.A. Parenteau, Tom Gilbert, Manny Malhotra and Jiri Sekac. These three will all be looking to carve out roles with the Canadiens. The departures of Thomas Vanek, Brian Gionta, Daniel Briere and Josh Gorges have left a lot of ice time up for grabs. 

The Habs are also still without a captain, while the health of their star goaltender could make or break the season. 

Here are some burning questions for the Canadiens prior to the start of training camp.

All stats from NHL.com. All salary and depth-chart information from CapGeek.com. 

Who's the Captain?

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P.K. Subban

The Montreal Canadiens are still without a captain as training camp approaches. The team will surely decide on one before puck drop on Oct. 8, but who will it be? 

The Canadiens seem to have two choices: Either give the "C" to a younger player, or let a veteran wear it for a few years until one of the younger guys matures. 

It does seem inevitable that P.K. Subban will someday be captain of the Montreal Canadiens. He is, after all, the face of the franchise after signing a team-record eight-year contract this offseason. He's also a vocal leader and someone who loves the public spotlight. 

But is management ready to hand over the captaincy to a 25-year-old? 

If it's not, either Tomas Plekanec or Andrei Markov seem like logical choices. 

Plekanec, 31, has been a regular with the Habs since the 2005-06 season. He's a leader on the ice, a guy who never takes a shift off. He also has just two years remaining on his contract, which is a perfect amount of time to serve as a "bridge" captain before Subban takes the reins.

Markov's age and contract put him in a similar situation. The 35-year-old just re-signed with the Canadiens for three more years, meaning Subban would be 28 years old when Markov's contract expires. Again, a perfect amount of time before handing the "C" to P.K.

The next captain of the Canadiens is a topic that has been discussed among Habs fans ever since Brian Gionta signed with Buffalo on July 1. Subban will surely be captain at some point in the future, but will it be this season? We will find out in a few weeks. 

Can Carey Price Stay Healthy?

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Carey Price

Carey Price proved last season that he is indeed one of the best goaltenders in the world. His incredible season included 34 wins, a 2.32 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, two playoff-series wins and an Olympic gold medal.

But there was a negative side to his season—injuries.

The first one came just after the Olympics, as he was forced to miss nine games with a lower-body injury. The Habs, understandably, struggled in his absence.

But Price returned and led the Habs to consecutive playoff-series wins in Rounds 1 and 2. Then, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final, Chris Kreider came crashing into Price's net and disaster struck. Price injured his knee and was knocked out of the playoffs. 

Yes, Dustin Tokarski filled in admirably in Price's absence, but that's beside the point. The Canadiens do not want to see Price injured again this season. They need him. 

The Canadiens are a good hockey team with a great goaltender. That's a combination that can lead to success, as seen last season. But that success hinges on great goaltender play, and that's where Price steps in.

If Price can stay healthy in 2014-15, Montreal will be a successful hockey team. But, right now, that's a big "if."

Will Jiri Sekac Make the Team?

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Jiri Sekac (right)

Another burning question on the minds of Canadiens fans is whether rookie Jiri Sekac will make the team out of training camp.

Sekac, a 22-year-old native of the Czech Republic, signed a two-year contract with the Canadiens this summer. It's his first NHL contract after playing the previous three seasons in the KHL. He spent the 2013-14 season playing for Prague Lev, where he scored 11 goals and added 17 assists in 47 games. 

At 6'2", 195 pounds, Sekac certainly has the size to play in the NHL and would instantly make the Habs bigger up front. There is also an opening on the right wing, as the Habs currently roster just Brendan Gallagher, P.A. Parenteau and Dale Weise on that side. 

The Canadiens have a history of sending their prospects to the AHL for a season or two, although two years ago they did allow Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk to make the jump directly from junior. 

There's also the fact that Sekac isn't an 18-year-old coming directly from the CHL. He's already played three seasons in the second-best hockey league in the world and has a lot of experience at the senior international level, having played 22 games for Team Czech Republic. 

There's no doubt that Sekac is a part of the near future for the Canadiens, and with a strong training camp that could be as early as Oct. 8. If not, he'll be sent to Hamilton for further development but will surely see some games with the big club in 2014-15. 

Which P.A. Parenteau Will Arrive in Montreal?

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P.A. Parenteau

P.A. Parenteau became a regular in the NHL back in 2010-11 with the New York Islanders. He enjoyed a successful two-year stint there, amassing 120 points in 161 games. 

He then moved on to Colorado and had his best season statistically, averaging just under 0.9 points per game (43 points in 48 games) during the lockout-shortened 2013 season. 

But then 2014-15 happened. Parenteau suffered from two different knee injuries and never really seemed to fit in to coach Patrick Roy's system in Colorado. Parenteau had just 33 points in 55 games, the worst offensive output of his career. 

And so he was traded along with a fifth-round pick to Montreal for Daniel Briere, another player who wasn't a match with his 2013-14 team. 

Will the 31-year-old Parenteau rebound in Montreal? He'll certainly be given the opportunity to. 

Parenteau should see a lot of ice time early on, as Montreal looks thin down the right wing as camp approaches. The current depth chart shows that he'll probably slide into a second-line role—unless Sekac has a dominant camp and earns top minutes. 

Montreal needs Parenteau to achieve the 0.78 points-per-game clip he scored at during his first three seasons as an NHL regular. That kind of offense would help Montreal in its quest to repeat last year's success. 

Can the Canadiens Do It Again?

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Montreal celebrates the series win over Boston

Let's face it: Improving on last year's season is going to be really hard to do for the Montreal Canadiens. That would mean making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Never an easy task. 

Even duplicating last season's success will be tough, as that means they would have to make it to the Eastern Conference Final. No Eastern Conference team has made it to the conference finals in back-to-back years since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008 and 2009. 

Realistically, the Canadiens should be looking to improve on their 2013-14 regular-season point total of 100. If they do that, they'll enter the playoffs as a top-half team in the East with home-ice advantage in the first round. 

At that point, you hope to play some good hockey, stay healthy, get a few breaks and the rest will take care of itself. 

So, can the Canadiens reach the 100-point plateau again in 2014-15? It's definitely achievable, but it hinges on a few factors.

First and foremost is the health of Carey Price. As mentioned earlier, he needs to stay in the crease all season. 

Second, Max Pacioretty needs to have another great season and score 35 or more goals.

Third, P.K. Subban needs to up his game from one of the top offensive defensemen in the NHL to one of the best all-around defensemen in the NHL.

Finally, the young guys, namely Alex Galchenyuk and Lars Eller, need to take huge strides forward in their development. Brendan Gallagher needs to continue his early-career success as well. 

Obviously, there are many more factors that will determine the outcome of the Montreal Canadiens' 2014-15 season. But if the above are to occur, and the team stays healthy, the Canadiens should be able to get to 100 points once again. 

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