Habs Offer Dynamite Opportunities In 2008-2009
Club: Montreal Canadiens
Fantasy Impact Rating: Hot
Superstars: None
Big Producers: Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov
Mid-Level Flyers: None
Rookies/Prospects: Mathieu Carle
Sleepers: Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei Kostitsyn, Christopher Higgins
Avoid the Hype: Roman Hamrlik
Analysis:
The Montreal Canadiens have been the talk of the National Hockey League this off-season with rumors of the 2008-2009 year being “the year” for them to make a serious Cup run. In the fantasy world, the Canadiens are equally as buzz-worthy with the stellar lineup they bring to the table. Montreal has 2 solid scoring lines this year, a top notch offensive defenseman, and a remarkable up and coming goaltender to offer fantasy managers this year.
Alex Tanguay will join Tomas Plekanec and Alex Kovalev for top line honors to start the season. Tanguay, who came over from Calgary in the off-season, brings superior talent to the Canadiens and has the potential to hit 70 points this season. Tanguay has shown inconsistencies in his career when it comes to goal scoring and assists, but he appears to be in good company and should render an early round draft pick. Tomas Plekanec had a breakout season last year with 29 goals and 40 assists in his 4th season with the Canadiens. After looking at early center rankings from a variety of sources, it appears that Plekanec is getting overlooked, which is great news for you. If you’re able to hold off until the early middle rounds and nab Plekanec as your 3rd option at center, consider it a major steal and expect similar numbers from his again this season with significant power play time.
Alex Kovalev should round out the top line and offers remarkable veteran leadership to the Canadiens again this season. This will be Kovalev’s 16th season in the NHL, so those considering using him as their keeper for the next several season may want to rethink, however, for those of you in year-to-year leagues, Kovalev may be a great 2nd option at right wing for your squad. You may be thinking that with the 84 point performance that he recorded last year, he should be worthy of your first option at right wing. However, there are certain inconsistencies in his point scoring that might make you wonder if last year’s performance was just a fluke. Yes, he is on a great team this year and will be surrounded by supreme talent on all sides, but just as a precautionary, it would be best to try and use him as a 2nd option at right wing.
Saku Koivu has had a remarkable NHL career and is one of the most respected players on the ice. Expect to see him on Montreal’s second line with Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn. Despite having serious fluctuations in point totals over the past several seasons, he should be able to benefit from the younger talent playing around him and could easily hit the 60 point plateau this season. Expect Koivu to go in the later half of the early rounds and on into the middle rounds. He’ll be a good 2nd option at center if you place more emphasis on wingers, and an even better 3rd option at center if you’re looking for some secondary scoring for your team. Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn will be to the left and right of Koivu on the 2nd line and are dynamite up and coming talents for Montreal. Andrei put up remarkable numbers after a slow start to last season finishing with 26 goals and 27 assists. He saw power play time in the latter half of the season and should factor in heavily again this season on the 2nd unit. Sergei totaled 27 points in 52 games but accelerated his efforts in the playoffs for the Canadiens tallying 8 points in 12 games. Both are dynamite talents, but Andrei is slightly more proven at this point in time. That means, however, that Sergei could fall a little further down in the draft than Andrei, and making Sergei your 4th option at right wing may pay huge dividends for your fantasy squad.
Because of the depth of the Montreal Canadiens this season, players like Christopher Higgins are going to get overlooked for the bigger names, but make no mistake, Higgins is a dynamite talent that when healthy, could hit the 60 point plateau. Higgins is one of the most well rounded players on the team. He cashed in numerous opportunities given to him on the power play last year and is a threat shorthanded as well. You could have the opportunity to grab Higgins in the late middle rounds, so if you see him out there, nab him, and slide him in as your 3rd left wing option.
The Montreal blue line took a hit this off-season after losing Mark Streit to the Islanders, but still have Andrei Markov to run their power play from the point. Markov finished 4th on the team in scoring last year and was a huge contributor on the league’s best power play. It would be appropriate to use Markov as a number one defender on your fantasy team and with Streit no longer in town, look for Markov to improve on his efforts this season. The Canadiens brought in Roman Hamrlik this off-season to try and beef up the offensive production from the point, but the 16 year veteran will be a stopgap defender for any squad this year at best. 12 years ago he might be worth a look, but he’s a bit past his prime heading into 2008-2009. On a side note, with Markov being Montreal’s only true offensive defenseman, you may want to keep a watchful eye on Mathieu Carle as he fights for a roster spot this season. Carle has put up stellar numbers in the QMJHL over the past several years and the Canadiens may need his services to take the pressure off of Markov a bit. Flag him now and check his status a day or so before you draft. If you see that he has cracked the roster, he may not be a bad bench stash until we see what he’s capable of.
Goaltending:
Situation: Solid
Grade: B
1. Carey Price
2. Jaroslav Halak
The Canadiens goaltending situation mimics that of Minnesota’s in the sense that they both have a backup goaltender that could be a number one. Carey Price is a phenomenal talent, and probably is the future of the Montreal Canadiens. He is still learning to play at the top level, and may need a couple years before you can consider him a reliable number one tender. If Price enters a rut during the upcoming season, we may begin to see Jaroslav Halak get the nod in net. We saw it in the playoffs, so it’s totally plausible. Nevertheless, Montreal wants Price as their number one, and with the depth he has in front of him this season, he may be able to falter, and still pick up the win once and a while. Still, though, a great number two option until he settles into his own.
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