It only took me six months since my last post to finally get to talking about the Habs forwards on the 2013 team. It bodes very well for the update frequency of this blog moving forward.
Let's take a look at the potential forwards on this year's team:
Centers: Desharnais, Plekanec, Eller, Nokelainen, Galchenyuk
Wingers: Pacioretty, Cole, Bourque, Gionta, Moen, Prust, Armstrong, White, Blunden, Gallagher
At first glance, it's very clear that this year's team has very little offensive flair compared to last season's team, which didn't have all that much flair to begin with. We essentially swapped Gomez, Kostitsyn, Cammalleri with Bourque, Prust and Armstrong. We have less offensive flair, but more grit now. We practically no longer have any puck possession players (Eller and Galchenyuk are the only guys who could play a puck possession game - which will make it difficult for Galchenyuk to truly shine with this year's edition).
Accordingly, I suppose that Michel Therrien's proposed offensive strategy and more direct north-south approach is consistent with the tools at his disposal. There is nothing innovative about Michel Therrien. He is primarily a motivator who will try to get the best out of his troops by preaching hard work. This season's Habs will work hard - of that, I have little doubt. However, I also expect the Habs scoring struggles to continue, and I also expect that the team will play some of the most boring hockey in the NHL. Send the puck deep, crash and bang in the corners, crash the net. It isn't always entertaining, but it can be effective. Unfortunately, a quick comparison with other teams will reflect how little talent we have at the forward position compared to real contenders. As I mentioned in a prior post, our wingers are much older (and less exciting) than the wingers you would find on a contending team. Cole and Gionta are declining assets. Cole will have a hard time to match last year's anomalous production. Gionta should no longer be a top-six player, and would be best served as a 3rd line winger. Bourque is no spring chicken, but he seems more motivated this year, and may still be a useful player if he gets top-six minutes and power play time. Armstrong, Prust, Moen, Blunden, Nokelainen and White are incapable of providing regular offense. Gallagher is redundant on a team with Gionta. Basically, the only potentially dynamic offensive forwards on the team are Desharnais, Plekanec, Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Eller. It is difficult to roll out 3 offensive lines when you only really have 5 dynamic offensive forwards. Heck, it's difficult to roll out 2 offensive lines. I look at a team like the St-Louis Blues with tremendous envy - they have several good, young dynamic forwards.
Alas, the Habs are organizationally devoid of such depth. One of the few potentially entertaining and promising young players on this year's team is Lars Eller. While it may be premature to jump to conclusions, it would appear as though Michel Therrien is not satisfied with his play, and is considering to bench him for next game. While this would be a very irritating development, it doesn't surprise me, as his style of play doesn't fit with Therrien's direct north-south play. In fact, Therrien has mentioned that he would like to see Eller embrace a more direct style of play, effectively neutering whatever natural flair he has. When will the Habs stop this poisonous policy of trying to mould all players into the same boring style of play as opposed to embracing diversity and nurturing young players' natural flair?
Eller's style of play is perfect for a puck possession player like Galchenyuk, but I doubt Therrien will have the foresight to play them together. Instead, I expect Galchenyuk to struggle to find chemistry with any of the players Therrien will put him with, and I would prefer to see him sent down instead of being forced to play a style of hockey which doesn't naturally suit him. Kostitsyn could have been another good player to play with Galchenyuk, but the Habs believe that players who don't naturally play a direct north-south game must be lazy, or dumb, or both. There is no room on the team for players who aren't like Cole and Gionta. There is no room for players who play a different style. There is no room for diversity. There is no room on the team for any flair.
I hope there is no truth to the rumours about Eller being benched next game. However, if it does prove to be true, things are shaping up for the upcoming season to provide us with some of the most boring hockey in the NHL today. But hey, at least our team will be hard working, right?
If I'm Alex Galchenyuk, I'm hoping to see Barkov or MacKinnon wearing a Habs sweater come draft time.
Let's take a look at the potential forwards on this year's team:
Centers: Desharnais, Plekanec, Eller, Nokelainen, Galchenyuk
Wingers: Pacioretty, Cole, Bourque, Gionta, Moen, Prust, Armstrong, White, Blunden, Gallagher
At first glance, it's very clear that this year's team has very little offensive flair compared to last season's team, which didn't have all that much flair to begin with. We essentially swapped Gomez, Kostitsyn, Cammalleri with Bourque, Prust and Armstrong. We have less offensive flair, but more grit now. We practically no longer have any puck possession players (Eller and Galchenyuk are the only guys who could play a puck possession game - which will make it difficult for Galchenyuk to truly shine with this year's edition).
Accordingly, I suppose that Michel Therrien's proposed offensive strategy and more direct north-south approach is consistent with the tools at his disposal. There is nothing innovative about Michel Therrien. He is primarily a motivator who will try to get the best out of his troops by preaching hard work. This season's Habs will work hard - of that, I have little doubt. However, I also expect the Habs scoring struggles to continue, and I also expect that the team will play some of the most boring hockey in the NHL. Send the puck deep, crash and bang in the corners, crash the net. It isn't always entertaining, but it can be effective. Unfortunately, a quick comparison with other teams will reflect how little talent we have at the forward position compared to real contenders. As I mentioned in a prior post, our wingers are much older (and less exciting) than the wingers you would find on a contending team. Cole and Gionta are declining assets. Cole will have a hard time to match last year's anomalous production. Gionta should no longer be a top-six player, and would be best served as a 3rd line winger. Bourque is no spring chicken, but he seems more motivated this year, and may still be a useful player if he gets top-six minutes and power play time. Armstrong, Prust, Moen, Blunden, Nokelainen and White are incapable of providing regular offense. Gallagher is redundant on a team with Gionta. Basically, the only potentially dynamic offensive forwards on the team are Desharnais, Plekanec, Pacioretty, Galchenyuk and Eller. It is difficult to roll out 3 offensive lines when you only really have 5 dynamic offensive forwards. Heck, it's difficult to roll out 2 offensive lines. I look at a team like the St-Louis Blues with tremendous envy - they have several good, young dynamic forwards.
Alas, the Habs are organizationally devoid of such depth. One of the few potentially entertaining and promising young players on this year's team is Lars Eller. While it may be premature to jump to conclusions, it would appear as though Michel Therrien is not satisfied with his play, and is considering to bench him for next game. While this would be a very irritating development, it doesn't surprise me, as his style of play doesn't fit with Therrien's direct north-south play. In fact, Therrien has mentioned that he would like to see Eller embrace a more direct style of play, effectively neutering whatever natural flair he has. When will the Habs stop this poisonous policy of trying to mould all players into the same boring style of play as opposed to embracing diversity and nurturing young players' natural flair?
Eller's style of play is perfect for a puck possession player like Galchenyuk, but I doubt Therrien will have the foresight to play them together. Instead, I expect Galchenyuk to struggle to find chemistry with any of the players Therrien will put him with, and I would prefer to see him sent down instead of being forced to play a style of hockey which doesn't naturally suit him. Kostitsyn could have been another good player to play with Galchenyuk, but the Habs believe that players who don't naturally play a direct north-south game must be lazy, or dumb, or both. There is no room on the team for players who aren't like Cole and Gionta. There is no room for players who play a different style. There is no room for diversity. There is no room on the team for any flair.
I hope there is no truth to the rumours about Eller being benched next game. However, if it does prove to be true, things are shaping up for the upcoming season to provide us with some of the most boring hockey in the NHL today. But hey, at least our team will be hard working, right?
If I'm Alex Galchenyuk, I'm hoping to see Barkov or MacKinnon wearing a Habs sweater come draft time.
