Predicting the Montreal Canadiens' Best Player at Each Position in 5 Years
The Montreal Canadiens are focused on the present. After all, they are just one point back of the Eastern Conference lead with three games in hand. This team is expected to compete now.
The Habs are giving their fans a lot to be excited about in 2014-15. And here's the best part: The excitement isn't going to end anytime soon.
Looking five years down the road, the Canadiens are well set up. The core of the team is so young that most of them will still be the best players at their respective positions in 2019-20. Read on to find out what that might look like.
Center: Alex Galchenyuk
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Alex Galchenyuk has spent most of his three NHL seasons on the left wing. But his natural position is center, and the Canadiens will eventually move him back to the middle permanently.
It looked as if that move was going to happen for good earlier this season. Montreal shifted Galchenyuk to center when Lars Eller was injured in December. He stayed in the middle for a few games upon Eller's return, but line juggling led to Galchenyuk returning to the wing.
What we saw from the 20-year-old at center was exciting. Being in the middle allowed him more space to maneuver, and that's crucial for someone with his playmaking abilities.
Galchenyuk is already one of the top offensive players for the Habs with 15 goals and 20 assists. And he's doing it at a time when most players his age are still in the AHL. It's exciting to think about how dominant he could be in five years' time.
Runner-Up: Jacob de la Rose
Left Wing: Max Pacioretty
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Max Pacioretty has evolved into one of the all-around best left wingers in the game today. He's currently third in NHL left-winger scoring with 24 goals and first with a plus-29 rating. There are few left wingers out there that a coach would rather have on his team.
But where will he be in five years? Well, he turned 26 in November, meaning he'll be 31 years old. At that age, he'll be nearing the end of his prime, but assuming he stays healthy, there's no reason to think he can't be just as dominant.
Let's look at Rick Nash as a perfect example. He'll be 31 in June, and all he's doing is leading the league in goals with 33. Or take Joe Pavelski, another soon-to-be 31-year-old who sits in the top 20 in league scoring.
Pacioretty will have to take good care of himself physically if he hopes to be a top player in the league in five years. But we know he works hard—just look at the way he has bounced back from injuries so far in his career. He'll still be the Canadiens' top left winger in 2019-20.
Runner-Up: Jiri Sekac
Right Wing: Brendan Gallagher
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Right wing is the hardest position to try to predict what the future will look like.
Currently, it's Montreal's weakest position, with Brendan Gallagher leading a group that includes Dale Weise and P.A. Parenteau. Gallagher is clearly the top player of that group, and neither Weise nor Parenteau will be challenging him for the top spot in five years.
Hopefully, though, Gallagher will have plenty of competition for the honor of top right winger from a couple of prospects who are already in the system.
The first challenger is Nikita Scherbak, Montreal's first-round pick from last year. The 19-year-old Russian is lighting up the WHL this year with the Everett Silvertips. He has 23 goals, including this beauty from Feb. 12, and 45 assists for 68 points in just 49 games so far this season.
Another possibility is 2013 first-round pick Mike McCarron. After a rough OHL debut last season, the 6'6" monster has found his game again to the tune of 55 points, including 28 goals, in 42 games.
But Scherbak and McCarron are still young, and often it takes a while for youngsters to contribute at the NHL level. The Canadiens will hope that both are contributing to the team in 2019-20, but it might be a stretch to think that either will be the best right winger on the team.
For that reason, it'll still be Gallagher atop the right-wing depth chart in five years. It's sometimes easy to forget, but he is just 22, which means that he'll be in the middle of his prime in 2019-20 and will be even better than he is today.
Runners-Up: Nikita Scherbak and Mike McCarron
Defenseman: P.K. Subban
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This one is a no brainer: P.K. Subban will be Montreal's top defenseman in five years' time.
Subban, now 25, recently signed an eight-year contract, so there's no reason to think he's going anywhere. And from a talent point of view, there's no contest.
He is already Montreal's best d-man and just keeps getting better. The offense has always been there, and he's currently tied for second in team scoring with 36 points. But the defensive improvement is what's putting Subban over the top. His game inside his own blue line has matured to the point where he's a legitimate shutdown defender.
Nathan Beaulieu deserves an honorable mention here because he is going to be great come 2019-20. He has proved that he's a top-four talent already at age 22. Perhaps he'll be Andrei Markov's successor as Subban's partner in five years' time.
Runner-Up: Nathan Beaulieu
Goalie: Carey Price
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Carey Price is leading the league in goals-against average and save percentage. You could argue that he is the best goaltender in the world right now. He's 27 years old and in his prime.
So where will he be in five years? Well, he'll be 32 and should still be the Montreal Canadiens' starting goaltender.
Some might argue that 32 is too old to be a top-flight goaltender, but a quick look at the ages of some top goaltenders today counters that. Pekka Rinne is 32. Henrik Lundqvist is 32. Marc-Andre Fleury will be 31 later this year.
It's clear goaltenders can still be dominant in their early 30s.
There are also many questions surrounding top goalie prospect Zachary Fucale. Sure, he's won everything you can in junior hockey, but he's really struggling in the QMJHL this season with a .888 save percentage. It's looking clear that he'll need a couple of years of AHL seasoning before he's ready.
In 2019-20, Price might be nearing the end of the dominant stage of his career, but he will still be an elite goaltender and Montreal's best.
Runner-Up: Zachary Fucale
All stats from NHL.com.
Follow me on Twitter: Follow @brandondubreuil
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