Hockey

Elite Prospects editor ranks Habs last in Atlantic Canada
Michaël Petit
Elite Prospects editor ranks Habs last in Atlantic Canada
Credit: Getty Images

With the additions of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc, the full-time arrival of Ivan Demidov and the emergence of other young players (including Lane Hutson), we can expect the Canadiens to be better than ever.

Well, it's fair to say that not everyone thinks so.JFresh, a writer for Elite Prospects, recently published an up-to-date ranking (and point total) of each team within their division. And much to my surprise, the Habs find themselves in last place in the Atlantic with just 83 points.

But what's even more surprising, in my opinion, isn't the Habs' last-place finish, but rather that the Sabres have 10 more points than the Montreal club. The Sabres have struggled to be competitive for years and haven't made the playoffs in too long. Plus, the J.J. Peterka trade clearly isn't to their advantage right now. Michael Kesselring is certainly an important addition to the right side of their defense, but he and Josh Doan aren't as good as Peterka. Comparing the two teams on paper, we can say that the Habs have the advantage in front of the net with Samuel Montembeault (as opposed to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen). As for the defensive brigade, Buffalo has the advantage on the left side with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Bowen Byram. And as for the forward line, I think it's pretty simple to say that the Habs are better on that side.

(Credit: Daily Faceoff)

In the case of the Detroit Red Wings, who are tied with the Habs in the JFresh rankings, it's a little more comparable on paper with the Habs.

The addition of John Gibson will certainly help the Wings in front of the net, and we could give them the edge there, even if Monty is no slouch. The defensive brigade, on the other hand, is far inferior to that of the Habs. Moritz Seider is an excellent young defenseman, complete and physical ,but apart from the German, it's very difficult in Detroit.

(Credit: Daily Faceoff)

Offensively, it's very similar. There are some pretty similar players in terms of talent/impact, but in general, the Habs' attack is slightly superior, especially on the bottom-6. As for the Boston Bruins, it's pretty hard to say where they'll fit in, as David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy bring a lot to the club. But without Brad Marchand, a true #1 center and the uncertainty in front of the net with Jeremy Swayman, it's pretty hard to put them ahead of the Habs in the standings. In short, I believe (and hope) that JFresh is wrong with the Habs for all the reasons mentioned, but we all know that anything can happen in a season

'Overtime'

– It would be a great opportunity for him at the end of his career after another Stanley Cup.

– To be continued.

– Unbelievable. Three home runs in five innings.

– Worth a read.

– Jelly bears, that's a pretty… modest answer.

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