Honesty time; it's hard for me to draw any definitive conclusions on anything that's happened in Canadiens training camp up until now.
That's why I haven't had a whole lot to say (O.K., that's not entirely true, I was pretty sick last week and had some other projects to work on).
The reason everything remains about as cloudy as Day 1 is because Dany Massé is still in camp. As are Morgan Ellis, Alex Henry, Olivier Archambault, Mark Mitera and a whole slew of other players who will be spending the upcoming season elsewhere. And every time the Canadiens suit up for an exhibition game, the majority of the lineup is made up of these guys with a sprinkling of actual roster players and legitimate hopefuls mixed in.
That will soon change, but while awaiting that here are some of the random thoughts that have crossed my mind through the first portion of camp.
- The organization must be thrilled to see young talents like Nathan Beaulieu and Brendan Gallagher show such poise and obvious talent at this level. Fans should be excited as well. But that's no reason to go all goofy and suggest the Canadiens start the free agent clock on either of these youngsters this year. Now, there is a chance that Gallagher will get a few real NHL games before heading back to the Vancouver Giants as a stopgap measure while Lars Eller comes back from his shoulder injury, but there's no way I can see him being kept past the nine game limit. The only problem with that scenario is what happens if Gallagher pots five goals in those nine games? Sending him down then would be really tough.
- Speaking of Eller, I had a rather funny exchange with him during the Canadiens opening exhibition game against Dallas. I was coming up in the elevator with him and a few others when I mentioned that I had read him saying that he wouldn't be ready for the start of the season. In fact I was mistaken, because it was Jacques Martin who had said that. Eller's face was one of total shock. "What? I never said that. You read that I said that?" He wasn't impressed. When I told him that I obviously made a mistake and that it must have been his coach who said it, he stuck to his guns and said he hoped to be ready for opening night. But the fact the information was out there was clearly disappointing to him. Playing on opening night was the carrot he used in his rehab the entire offseason, and hearing that his coach said it wouldn't happen was obviously not what he wanted to hear.
- The main battle on defence entering camp, at least to me, was between Alexei Yemelin and Yannick Weber to see who would be in the top six. With Andrei Markov practically a lock now to miss opening night, it would appear both will get a chance to suit up until he returns. It would be nice to see one of these two do something, anything, to show they actually want that final spot. Thus far, Yemelin's best day was the first intra-squad scrimmage of camp, and it's hard to say what Weber's best day was because he hasn't done much to get noticed. So I guess that puts Yemelin in the lead, which shows just how uninspiring this "battle" has been.
- The same could kind of be said of the battle at forward. Andreas Engqvist entered camp with a good shot at the 13th forward spot, if not at fourth line centre, but thus far he's been playing as though his job is assured. I don't see much of the eye-opening hustle normally shown by rookies trying to crack an NHL roster. One player I do see that from is Gabriel Dumont, who I could see playing a fourth line centre role for this team. He doesn't win faceoffs like Engqvist does and he doesn't have Engqvist's size, but Dumont can kill penalties, he hits people, he can skate and – most importantly to me – he looks like he gives a damn.
- A player that I find to be an intriguing possibility is Michael Blunden. Acquired from Columbus in a trade for Ryan Russell, Blunden fills a serious void on the Canadiens as a big man who hits people. Blunden is not much of a fighter, for those who feel this team needs one, but he has some weight to him and doesn't mind throwing it around. Dressing a fourth line of Travis Moen, Ryan White and Blunden against certain teams could make for some rocking shifts. Meanwhile, I don't see players like Aaron Palushaj and Brock Trotter making this team as a 13th forward because they are skill players who belong on scoring lines, and there won't be much need for a player like that once Eller returns.
- I wouldn't worry about the goaltending.
- Remember when Ben Winnett scored two goals in that first intra-squad scrimmage? It was typical of what happens in training camp when an unknown name does something remarkable. While that is an exaggerated example, it's pretty rare to have someone come out of nowhere and make the club unless the organization is undergoing a rebuild. Teams are built in the offseason, they are strengthened in training camp. Having said that, the Canadiens have two preseason games left after Monday night's re-match with the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre, and it's about time for the strengthening process to begin.
