Montreal Canadiens

[ACC90]

I think it's a given that he'll start the year in Montreal. They should give him top-6 minutes and not try to shelter him too much. I don't think he'll last over 9 games though. He'll go back to Finland or down to the AHL.

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Koktaniemi-Armia
Lekhonen-Domi-Hudon
Byron-Plekanec-Chaput

That would be my early lineup with Domi and Danault interchangeable. I don't think that will happen but who knows.

That's also the lineup I expect for the opening season... but it's really sad for Peca to don't be in the lineup.

Tatar-Danault-Gallagher
Drouin-Koktaniemi-Armia
Lekhonen-Peca-Domi
Byron-Plekanec-Hudon

[tweetdrivr]

Looks like Schlemko suffered an injury against Toronto. No other info yet.

Knee injury - out up to six weeks. I guess this helps the Oulette situation a bit...

https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1616287

[Tobias Funke]

Weber named captain

https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/s...ry/c-300522900

[ericdaoust]

Weber named captain

https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/s...ry/c-300522900

So essentially the team is status quo (no captain) until at least December.

[2014olympicgold]

Why name a captain if he's going to be out for all but 3months of the season? Old school thinking of "you need a captain".

I don't disagree with the player choice, it's Weber or no one, but I just don't really get the reason to name a captain at all.

[ericdaoust]

Why name a captain if he's going to be out for all but 3months of the season?

Why not? It doesn't actually harm anything lol

[2014olympicgold]

Why not? It doesn't actually harm anything lol

Sorry I edited my response. I don't disagree with the choice at all, just why make the choice?

But like you said, there's no harm making the choice. He can clearly be a captain.

[ericdaoust]

If the choice is made then it makes no difference whatsoever if it's announced now or in December. Actually, if they decided to wait the story would get leaked anyway. It's just the captaincy though. There's no sacred voodoo magic around the C.

In other news Simon Despres has been signed to an AHL contract.

[evans334]

What do we think the opening night lineup looks like?

Here's today's practice lines, but Drouin isn't there.

#Habs practice:
Drouin, De la Rose therapy days.

Tatar - Danault - Gallagher
Domi - Kotkaniemi - Armia
Byron - Peca - Lehkonen
Hudon - Plekanec - Shaw/Scherbak

Reilly - Petry
Alzner - Ouellet
Mete - Juulsen
Benn (rotating with Petry and Alzner)

Price
Niemi

[ericdaoust]

Opening night roster is pretty shit, especially the D. Up front they at least have enough bodies to go four lines deep but there's a severe lack of quality at the top.

[niconasr]

Weber as captain annoys more than it should. It feels more to me like a choice to cover management's behind (yeah, we traded Subban but we got our captain back for it!) than anything else.

I like Weber a lot as a player and as a leader but I think most fans would agree that he's on the definite downside of his career and that the Hans would actually be in better shape if they managed to trade him. Plus, he's definitely an old school pick for a franchise who SHOULD be trying a little more progressive thinking.

Gallagher was the right choice to me...but whatever. Eric is right, there's nothing magical in the C.

[agentzero]

Weber named captain

https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/s...ry/c-300522900

The predictability of this franchise is so comical. They could have named him captain the day they traded for him. Everyone knew. Not sure why we had to endure the farce. Next up: Canadiens rushed Kotkaniemi... like Galchenyuk.. (hopefully not though...)

[evans334]

Weber as captain annoys more than it should. It feels more to me like a choice to cover management's behind (yeah, we traded Subban but we got our captain back for it!) than anything else.

I like Weber a lot as a player and as a leader but I think most fans would agree that he's on the definite downside of his career and that the Hans would actually be in better shape if they managed to trade him. Plus, he's definitely an old school pick for a franchise who SHOULD be trying a little more progressive thinking.

Gallagher was the right choice to me...but whatever. Eric is right, there's nothing magical in the C.

Let Weber take the brunt of the media shenanigans for the next several years as we develop our youth.

Than Gallagher, or whoever, can transition into the role.

[ericdaoust]

Habs trade Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina to Flames for Brett Kulak. So we might be seeing Kulak on the main roster soon to cover for some injuries.

[niconasr]

Let Weber take the brunt of the media shenanigans for the next several years as we develop our youth.

Than Gallagher, or whoever, can transition into the role.

But why? It's not as if Gallagher is some youngster coming in to save the team. He's a young veteran who contributes to the team success and was actually drafted by the team.

Anyway, not important. It's just another typical move from the dinosaurs upstairs.