Like every team, the Habs have had their fair share of early draft picks that didn’t turn out as planned. However, none of them quite had the journey that 1975 first-round selection Robin Sadler had.
The Habs elected to have David Reinbacher play in Switzerland this season before bringing him over to Laval earlier this week. But was that the most prudent course of action for the fifth-overall pick?
While he’s currently out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, Laval Rocket goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo has made an important impact off the ice as well.
At some point, the Habs are going to have to start moving away some of their young prospects on the back end. Recent history suggests that they’re going to need to proceed carefully when they decide to pull the trigger on a move.
A few years ago, Daniel Audette was playing in Montreal’s farm system. Since then, he has bounced around overseas and is currently playing in Switzerland.
Patrick Roy’s departure symbolized a shift away from the excellence that once defined the Canadiens – a standard of greatness not aligned with branding but with unyielding expectations. 28 years later, they haven’t gotten close to getting back to that standard.
Corey Perry’s abrupt end to his time with Chicago surprised many across the hockey world, especially when it’s compared to his single season with Montreal, one where he made strong contributions both on and off the ice.
On Friday, Samuel Montembeault received a three-year contract extension worth $9.45 million in total. As one of the better goalies from his 2015 draft class, it’s a well-earned deal for the netminder.
In the late 1960s, former GM Sam Pollock lamented a lack of physicality in his team. Today, Martin St. Louis hasn’t made such a statement but it’s an element in Montreal’s game that needs to be addressed.
Alex Galchenyuk had his best years under Michel Therrien and an older-school approach to prospects. With Galchenyuk now in the KHL with a failed career, the Habs need to not let history repeat itself when it comes to Juraj Slafkovsky. Would their approach today have helped Galchenyuk then?