habs: What is the Plan A on defense?

Tony Patoine
habs: What is the Plan A on defense?
Credit: YouTube

Arpon Basu had some excellent thoughts in his column last Wednesday. His question, inspired by the arrival and assured play of Adam Engstrom, could be summed up as follows: what kind of defense do the Habs envision for the future, especially in the playoffs a few years from now, when they'll be a more seasoned team?

Will it incorporate more 2021-style defensemen (Weber, Chiarot, Edmundson, Romanov), or will it continue to rely primarily on ultra-mobile defensemen (Hutson, Matheson, Dobson, Engstrom)?

Let's take a stab at an answer.

The model has already been chosen…

Firstly, I think that the NHL is getting faster and faster, and that Hughes and Gorton's Habs have already chosen their model.

First and foremost, they'll be banking on mobile guys, more capable of defending with their heads and feet than with their biceps. There seems to be no doubt about it. These are words that come back regularly from Martin St-Louis.

But if the defensive model of the most recent two-time Stanley Cup winners, the Florida Panthers, is anything to go by—and I think it is—it ideally requires at least two (big) guys who can play a lot (Ekblad and Mikola, for example).

You also have to ask yourself what kind of toughness do you need in the playoffs?

Fighters?

No, not really, although that can't hurt here and there.

Guys who give big checks?

That too can be useful on occasion, but it's not the main dimension. Lots of matches are played without big chess moves. It's spectacular, it captures the imagination, the big shoulder hits. But it's a rare phenomenon in the course of a match.

The most important thing is to have a few guys who are a little more intimidating, good defensively, capable of “subtly” tamping down players in front of the goal with Sherwood, and able to use their physical advantages to win battles along the ramps.

Real “hard to play against” guys, truly “unpleasant” and “grueling” to face.

Does the Canadiens already have this profile in their organization?

Betting on Arber Xhekaj is a risky bet. Wi-Fi has yet to prove that he can be good and reliable enough, with and without the puck, to regularly play more than 15 minutes. As we saw again on at least three occasions in the first period against the poor Blackhawks on Thursday night, he still has a tendency to send the puck anywhere as soon as he's under pressure…

Guhle? Unfortunately, that's not really certain either, considering his injury history. But in theory, he'd fit the bill, even if he's not the biggest.

Next, don't underestimate the sturdiness and physical presence of the more talented Reinbacher. Here's one who's been tailor-made since his draft to play alongside wizard Lane Hutson. But he too seems “fragile” and has yet to play a real NHL game… As with Guhle, in theory he's the real deal. In practice, he's still a big maybe.

Struble? On a third pairing, okay. Despite some tougher games lately in which he's been sending the puck all over the place, he also proved last winter and again this fall that he could help out on a second pairing. In short, not as bad as The Strubanator, but not an ideal option in a top-6 contender.

The organization's most naturally robust player is undoubtedly the “subtle” Owen Protz, who excels defensively in the OHL (+25 in 29 games, leading his team in this respect), skates quite well and hits like a locomotive.

I see him as a future EXCELLENT 6th defenseman, ” meat and potatoes,” VERY intimidating for opposing skaters in the middle zone and on zone entry, aggressive in front of his net, rough along the ramps. Could he play in the NHL in 27-28, or even surprise somewhere in 26-27? Not impossible.

Bryce Pickford, this season's (weakened) WHL superstar (25 goals, 44 points, +37 in 31 games!), isn't the biggest at 6'1 186 lbs, but he's very versatile and pretty tough. Would you mind telling me why he wasn't invited to the ÉCJ camp?

Injured at the Habs' last camp, he could be here sooner than we think, turning 20 next spring. Not to be underestimated.

Finally, at 6'4″, 200 lbs, Noah Dobson is a bit like the Seth Jones of the Habs. Not the toughest, nor the strongest along the boards, but he takes up space on the rink and can contain good opposing players.

A lot of maybes, but also a lot of options.

So, for an aspiring club, the Habs might have Reinho, might have Guhle, might have Protz and Pickford as pretty sturdy backs in their future starting brigade. And they could always count on Struble and Xhekaj as reserves… at least for now.

That's a lot of maybes.

But of the lot, there are at least two who will be tough AND good enough to play more than 15 minutes.

It does beg the question, though, whether the Habs shouldn't be targeting a more reliable value, an established “big bad,” a Zadorov-like monster, on the trade market or among the free agents over the next few years.

And it also raises the age-old question: how much longer can and will the Habs pray to Saint Anthony of Padua (the patron saint of the injured) in the case of Kaiden Guhle? Could the Albertan be the sacrificial lamb while he still has very good value? Perhaps for a more seasoned, robust defender? Perhaps for a stronger forward?

In this sense, are the arrival of Engstrom (who already seems to have passed Xhekaj and Struble in Montreal), the steady progression of Reinbacher in Laval, as well as the very solid play of Pickford and Protz in Canadian junior, starting to give Hughes and Gorton confidence and ideas?

As you can imagine, any of these individuals could also change address if the offer is right…

So, what's the plan?

I still think Plan A, perhaps as early as this winter or spring, would be as follows:

Matheson – Dobson
Hutson – Reinbacher
Guhle – Engstrom

If not the meanest, perhaps the most mobile defensive brigade in NHL history. And in an increasingly fast-moving league…

That said, one also wonders whether Engstrom isn't currently as much in the audition as he is in the showcase…

Moreover, at 17-18 minutes on an excellent third pair, Guhle would be less likely to get injured than at 23 minutes on a second…

If need be, it's also worth noting that the Habs seem to have possibilities for very good plans B and C, perhaps a little more truculent…

But we'll see.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!