Fantasy Focus: Max Pacioretty
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Max Pacioretty has led Montreal in points for each of the last six years. Will he continue to lead the way or will this be the year that someone else takes the top spot?
Max Pacioretty has led Montreal in points for each of the last six years. Will he continue to lead the way or will this be the year that someone else takes the top spot?
Montreal’s decision to invite defenceman Eric Gelinas to training camp on Tuesday comes as somewhat of a surprise. The back end is already crowded and this will likely muddy the waters further.
Lost in the never-ending debate about last summer’s blockbuster trade was that Shea Weber had a solid first year with Montreal. With Andrei Markov now out of the picture, they’ll be counting on Weber for more this coming season.
Alex Galchenyuk continues to be someone that shows flashes of dominance while at other times he’s much less noticeable. Will that continue in 2017-18 or will this be the year he puts it all together most consistently?
Phillip Danault’s emergence was one of the bright spots for Montreal in 2016-17. With there being one year left on his contract now, Marc Bergevin has to decide whether or not to approach him about an extension.
There are only so many questions that can be asked and answered while waiting for Andrei Markov’s decision. With that in mind, let’s turn the focus to the prospects in our July mailbag.
Andrei Markov’s free agency continues to drag on with neither he nor Marc Bergevin seemingly blinking at this point. Bergevin stated his best offer has already been made but our writers discuss how much that offer should be for.
On the back end, there continues to be a significant question of who will play with Shea Weber on the top pairing. Do the Habs have someone who can fit the role if Andrei Markov doesn’t come back?
In terms of unrestricted free agents, the strength of the market lies on the wings. While that also happens to be Montreal’s strength up front, that shouldn’t stop them from adding more if the right option presents itself.
While the signings of Peter Holland and Byron Froese have provided some hopes for a stronger offence for Montreal’s new affiliate in Laval, the enthusiasm may actually be a bit premature.