Club: Montreal Canadiens
Fantasy Impact Rating: Cool
Superstars: N/A
Big Producers: Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov
Mid-Level Flyers: Jaroslav Spacek, Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec
Rookies/Prospects: Yannick Weber, Ben Maxwell
Sleepers: Max Pacioretty
Avoid The Hype: Sergei Kostitsyn, Guillaume Latendresse
Out with the old and in with the new for the Montreal Canadiens. It’s almost as if Bob Gainey and crew have put together their own fantasy team for the 2009-2010 NHL season. However you want to look at it, make sure you choose wisely as it’s slim pickings in the player and prospect pool in Montreal. It gets awfully thin after the first line, so if you’re a fantasy believer in the Habs, consider striking early.
Exit Alex Kovalev, Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay, Christopher Higgins and (tentatively) Robert Lang. Enter Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Jaroslav Spacek. There is certainly an interesting scenario playing out in Montreal this season, and it starts at center and right wing with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta. Now, if you can remember all the way back to the 2005-2006 season, you may recall the successes that the New Jersey Devils had that year. A big part of the successes they had that season stemmed from the stellar play of Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez. They turned out to be quite the tandem as they put up 173 points between the two of them. The two were then split up a couple seasons later as Gomez was signed by the New York Rangers as an unrestricted free agent. Now, in 2009, the two will be re-united in Montreal and offer hope to Montreal fans and fantasy owners alike.
So, are we to assume that the chemistry is still there between the two players? It’s possible. Scott Gomez is coming off a season to forget in New York as he was only able to post 58 points for the men in blue in 2008-2009. With the relative depth growing at the center position in fantasy hockey, and Gomez’s rank sliding with last year’s performance, it may allow for savvy managers to wait on a center, address wing, defense or goaltending needs, and then grab Gomez in the 3rd/4th round. Now, his success this season will depend on the play of his old running mate Brian Gionta. Gionta has struggled somewhat since that 89 point performance in 2005-2006, and with only 60 points to show for last season’s effort, it would be best to play it safe with Brian and use him as a 2nd option at right wing this season; perhaps a first option for managers who address defense and goaltending before other positions.
One boost that the new look Habs have is in goal scoring ability of Mike Cammalleri. With Gionta and Gomez more prone to setting up the play, they may rely on the services of Cammalleri a little more this season. Cams is a legit number one left winger, but take into consideration that he is an extremely streaky player, so managers using him as their number one option at left wing should consider drafting a decent second option at left in case Mike goes cold at any point this season.
Listen folks. It’s difficult to predict the success or failure of Montreal’s top line since the makeup of the team has changed so much from last season. Therefore we really have nothing to base any projections off of. While we don’t suggest avoiding the situation all together, we do suggest that you play it smart. Mike Cammalleri is a solid option at left wing, but make sure you draft a decent second option in case he starts showing his streaky side. Gomez could certainly be used a number one option for managers who wait on centers; if not, he’ll be a solid number 2 at center. Like Gomez, Gionta will be serviceable number one option at right wing for managers who wait on right wingers. Otherwise, he’ll do just fine as a number 2 option.
One thing Montreal should offer some consistency in this season is the production coming from the blue line. Andrei Markov continues to be a great source of points from the back end and should find himself between 55 and 65 points again this season. He’ll command the Habs’ power play and should be considered a number one option in all formats. If the offense ends up clicking this season, Jaroslav Spacek may not be a bad addition as a 2nd/3rd option in standard to slightly deeper fantasy hockey leagues. While he doesn’t have much keeper appeal, as a year to year guy, he’s still got enough left in the tank to be a 35-45 point contributor.
Heading into last season, the hype surrounding Andrei Kostitsyn was pretty high. We’re sure those managers who followed the advice of the rankings we’re awfully bitter with their investment by the end of the season. Kostitsyn certainly didn’t live up to expectations last season, so this season it would be best to play it smart with him. Consider him a low end 2nd option, or an even better 3rd option. There are a healthy amount of left wingers ahead of him that are a safer investment, so don’t bite too hard. Along the same lines as Kostitsyn, managers who used Tomas Plekanec’s performance in 2007-2008 as a guide to drafting him certainly felt robbed after his 39 point performance in 2008-2009. And rightfully so. Plekanec was also ranked relatively high heading into last season but fell way short of expectations; perhaps 30 points short, depending on your perspective. Heading into 2009-2010, consider Plekanec a decent 3rd option at center for managers that wait on centers.
Keep an eye on how the Canadiens use Ben Maxwell this season. While he may not be the most keeper worthy center on the market right now, he certainly has the potential to be a 2nd line center in Montreal this season if he’s given the opportunity. It’s unclear as to who they will use at center this season, but if there’s room for Maxwell, flag him, monitor his minutes, and add him as a flyer in deeper fantasy leagues. If you’re a manager in a keeper league and you’re looking to shore up your defense, consider putting Yannick Weber on your immediate radar. Weber has a tremendous offensive upside as his numbers in the OHL and AHL have proven that. The interesting thing about the Canadiens’ defense is that they have a couple old timers signed through at least the 2011-2012 season. A youth movement on the blue line has to begin at some point here, and when it does, Weber will be of top consideration. Draft him in the next couple of seasons in keeper/dynasty leagues and consider him a top pairing defender when he is NHL ready.
Keep an eye on Max Pacioretty this season, especially if Andrei Kostitsyn continues to show inconsistencies. He could work his way up the depth charts and factor into 2nd line scoring if all falls into place. He’ll go undrafted in standard 12 manager leagues, but those of you in deep leagues could certainly find a spot at some point in the season for this young power forward.
Lastly, managers may want to stay away from Sergei Kostitsyn and Guillaume Latendresse this season. Neither player has proven themselves as being consistent enough to merit a spot on even the deepest of fantasy rosters.
Grade: B
Starter: Carey Price
Backup: Jaroslav Halak
It is worth noting that both Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak are both due for contracts at the end of this season, so expect both goaltenders to be on their best behavior this year. Price has played fine for the Habs for past 2 seasons, but something is telling us that they’re looking for a little bit more from the former first rounder this year. He’ll enter this season as the starter, however, Halak has proven that he’s more than capable of carrying the load if need be, so if Price does start to struggle, don’t expect Jacques Martin to hesitate to give Halak a shot. Consider Price a solid 2nd option this season. Managers who do take him should consider picking up Halak in later rounds as an insurance policy in case Price doesn’t live up to expectations.
Bottom line: someone is going to have to step up in net this season. Cedrick Desjardins and Jason Missiaen are nowhere near NHL ready, so Montreal needs one of their goaltenders to prove they can help make a the Habs a Cup contender. If you’re in a keeper league, keep a close on eye on this situation. Both Price and Halak could very well be starters, so if one tender outshines the other significantly this season, you may want to make a play for the more successful tender in hopes that they’ll lock him up long term.
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