We're about a month away from puck drop, and I don't remember being more excited for October to arrive. It's a bit a of wierd statement coming from a Habs fan, considering the state of the team, so I figured I'd share my excitement with you guys.
First part : it could be quick...Wait, what could be quick? I'm talking about how the 2018-19 season is going to go for the Montreal Canadiens. It could be very quick for us to know where this team is gonna is gonna end up in the standings. Michel Therrien made strong Octobers his trademark as Montreal's head coach with historically good starts. And Claude Julien, last year, had a shockingly bad start, not throwing him under the bus here, the point simply is that playoff chances for the Habs have been largely determined by their October record in the last few years. So, whether you're hoping for playoffs or for Jack Hughes, you might know what to expect/look forward to early on in the season.
Second part : Youth movement, yay! How much fun is it to watch a rookie just come in and tear it up? We were spoiled last year with the Barzals, Boesers, Kellers, McAvoys and... our own Victor Mete. Mete didn't tear anything up, but he played really good last year. I can't forget about Noah Juulsen and Nikita Scherbak, obviously, who should and hopefully will lock themselves a spot on the roster for opening night. We should expecting new-comers again this year, in a prospect pool full of guys who will work hard to prove their worth, at least one of them should perform well enough to make their NHL debut. I'm looking at Jake Evans, Cale Fleury and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Whether or not they make the big club, a bunch of prospects will be playing for the Rocket under Joël Bouchard, which should be great news.
Last part : Don't call it a rebuild, because... It took me longer than I care to admit, but if I'd be in Marc Bergevin's shoes, I wouldn't be talking about a rebuild either. I don't care who you are, no one has balls big enough to walk up to Brendan Gallagher and Olympians Carey Price, Shea Weber, Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec, and tell these guys : let's lose this year. You're probably right if you think this team is going to be bad this year, but don't be surprised if Carey Price is stealing games out there, don't be surprised if Tomas Plekanec plays over twenty minutes a game to shut down the opposition in a tight match. Don't be surprised if Shea Weber comes back weeks earlier than expected because he wants to make a difference and play in May. They might be a bad team and look horrible on paper, but there's game changers on this roster. I don't expect much from the Canadiens as a whole this season, but when it comes to individual performances though, it could be an entertaining year. That's it for me! Thanks for reading what was my first blog ever and wishing all hockey fans a great season!
They're garbage, it's over for them indefinitely.