It was one of the worst seasons in franchise history for the Montreal Canadiens. They lost 40 games for the first time since 2001, endured injury after injury, and not once were in the playoff hunt. It was also a year where Montreal experienced sharp declines in several statistical categories, including goals per game, save percentage, and penalty killing.
There could be changes in store for the Canadiens this summer, but general manager Marc Bergevin has made it abundantly clear at every opportunity he has had to speak on the topic: the 2017-18 product was not good enough.
Overall Team Grade- C-
In over half of their games, the Canadiens scored two goals or fewer. Defensively, they experienced season-long growing pains adjusting to head coach Claude Julien’s zone defense, constantly giving up high-quality scoring chances; 26 times this season, the Canadiens gave up two goals within a two-minute span of each other.
Coach Grade- B-
Not all of this season’s struggles were Julien’s doing. He spent a majority of his first full year behind the bench without one of the team’s three best players (Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber, or Carey Price). The decision to put Paul Byron on the top line with Jonathan Drouin and Brendan Gallagher paid off, and so did pairing Victor Mete – an 18-year-old rookie -- with Shea Weber at the start of the season. Scratching Daniel Carr in favor of veteran Byron Froese several times was puzzling, as was playing Mike Reilly 20-plus minutes most nights after acquiring him prior to the trade deadline.
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GM Grade- D
Cap Space, Marc Bergevin’s biggest acquisition, scored no goals, recorded no saves, and failed to live up to the hype in any sense of the word. Signing Mark Streit and Ales Hemsky to replace the departed Andrei Markov and Alexander Radulov failed spectacularly, with the two newcomers combining for nine games and zero points. Bergevin does deserve credit for claiming Antti Niemi off waivers, and trading for winger Nicolas Deslauriers.
Goaltenders
Carey Price- C
With the exception of a two-week stretch in the middle of the season, Price was one of the league’s worst starting goalies. He was 34th in even-strength save percentage (.909, minimum 1,5000 minutes played) and 30th in short-handed save percentage (.849, minimum 100 minutes) during a season in which the franchise cornerstone player never seemed to find his groove.
Antti Niemi- A-
One of the few bright spots on the team, Niemi’s performance in Montreal may have prolonged his NHL career into next season. Arriving without much fanfare (and for good reason: he posted an .872 save percentage and 5.08 goals against average in Florida prior to getting claimed off waivers), he posted far better numbers in Montreal. Under the guidance of Stephane Waite, Niemi looked far more calm and efficient in net. Among goalies with at least 10 starts since Jan. 1, Niemi ranked third in even-strength save percentage (.944) and 12th in goals-against average (2.39).
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Charlie Lindgren- B+
A stop gap while the Canadiens dealt with multiple goaltending injuries, Lindgren showed flashes of brilliance in his 14-game NHL cup of coffee, including a 38-save shutout in his debut against the Blackhawks, another victory against the Golden Knights two days later, and stopping 156 of 163 shots over his first five appearances (3-1-1). At 24 years old, it will be interesting to see how Lindgren plays into the Canadiens future plans.
Defensemen
Victor Mete- A-
Mete’s season ended prematurely with a broken finger, but the 19-year old had a strong rookie season. Initially paired with Shea Weber, Mete looked poised with the puck and capable defensively, a revelation for a player selected in the fourth round of the 2016 Draft. Mete also was loaned to Canada for the 2018 World Junior Championship, where he was part of their gold-medal winning squad, before boomeranging back to Bell Centre, his season eventually cut short by a fractured finger.
Noah Juulsen- A-
Montreal’s 2015 first round draft pick was called up for the final quarter of the season. Throughout his stint he looked comfortable in the defensive zone, sometimes fearlessly blocking shots. He notched his first goal in a game versus the New York Islanders and his confidence with the puck grew as the season progressed.
Shea Weber- B+
Despite missing nearly 70 per cent of the season, Weber still was second among team defensemen in goals, with six. While on the ice, he was his usual physical self matched against top lines.
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Jeff Petry- B-
Petry, like a number of his teammates, was asked to play in an elevated role he wasn’t accustomed to. Thrust onto the top pairing in the absence of Weber, on most nights Petry led the team in icetime. He had a career high in goals (12) and points (42).
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Mike Reilly- C+
The trade deadline acquisition was given every opportunity to succeed under Julien, playing 20-plus minutes a night with more defensive responsibility. He skates well but often tried to force plays in the offensive zone, while looking lost defensively.
David Schlemko- C+
Schlemko’s year was, in a word, bizarre. Billed as a puck-mover and potential replacement to Andrei Markov, he broke his hand on the first day of training camp in September. He didn’t reutrn until 26 games into the season to make his Canadiens debut, only then to suffer various injuries the rest of the season. He ended it with one goal and five points in 37 games, while at times being a healthy scratch.
Jordie Benn- C
Another miscast defenseman, Benn was forced to play top-four minutes because of injuries and a lack of depth. Defensively he constantly lost puck battles and couldn’t effectively transition to offense.
Brett Lernout- C
In an 18-game audition for the 2018-19 team, Lernout recorded one assist while looking incapable of moving the puck. The 22-year-old will likely be ticketed for AHL Laval next season.
Karl Alzner- D+
Alzner’s lack of speed and strength were exposed in Julien’s defensive scheme. Initially paired with Petry, Alzner spent the final quarter of the season with newcomer Juulsen. Alzner was also a big contributor to the league’s second-worst penalty-killing unit. He was on the ice for 33 power play goals against, fourth-most in the NHL.
Forwards
Brendan Gallagher- A
On a team desperate for offense, Gallagher scored 31 times while continuing to drive the net. At times he wasn’t completely healthy either. In a season of negativity surrounding this club, his performance was one of the few bright spots.
Nicolas Deslauriers- A-
Any double-digit goal season for a fourth liner is a success. Deslauriers’ 10 goals was tied for seventh on the team, great for the player, but not so much overall the big picture.
Charles Hudon- B+
Hudon’s 30 points were the most by a Canadiens rookie forward since Chris Higgins’ 38 during the 2005-06 season. Hudon had some chemistry with Max Pacioretty and played 1:31 per game on the man-advantage.
Paul Byron- B+
A member of the walking wounded, Byron wasn’t completely healthy toward the end of the year, and underwent offseason shoulder surgery that has him scheduled to return right near the start of 2018-19. He scored his first power play goal in three years, and played lots on both special teams units.
Alex Galchenyuk- B
The never ending drama of ‘center or winger’ appears over (for now), with Galchenyuk posting a career high in assists (32) and finishing with a respectable 51 points this season. His shooting percentage dipped slightly, and he had two goalless streaks of 10-plus games.
Phillip Danault- B
Danault had a difficult season marred by a concussion after taking a slapshot to the head from Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. Ideally a third line center, he finished the year with 25 points in 52 games.
Jacob De La Rose- B
De La Rose seems destined to be a bottom-six forward in the NHL. He was often matched against top lines, and seems like a viable (and cheaper) replacement for Tomas Plekanec next season.
Daniel Carr- B
A restricted free agent, Carr spent most of the season on the fourth line, notching six goals - not bad production for someone playing 12 minutes a night.
Andrew Shaw- B-
Shaw suffered a serious head injury that ended his season in mid-March. Shaw’s faceoff abilities and toughness were appreciated, but does he bring enough offense for someone making nearly $4 million a season?
Jonathan Drouin- C+
The much-heralded acquisition actually regressed offensively in his first season with the Canadiens, dipping from 53 to 46 points. Part of the struggle was moving from the wing to center. At times he looked disinterested and moody on the ice.
Byron Froese- C+
The veteran fourth liner was in and out of the lineup this season, scoring a career-high three goals but contributing nothing else.
Logan Shaw- C
Claimed off waivers from Anaheim, Shaw spent most of his time in Montreal playing in the bottom six. He scored four goals this season and is an unrestricted free agent.
Artturi Lehkonen- C
Perhaps the expectations were too high for the 22-year old. Coming off an 18-goal rookie season, there was hope he’d surpass that total while being a mainstay on the penalty kill. Instead he scored just 12 times this season and missed 16 games because of injury.
Max Pacioretty- C
A rather disappointing grade for the team captain. Finishing with 17 goals, Pacioretty failed to create any chemistry with Jonathan Drouin while seeing his shooting percentage plummet to 8-percent, the lowest it’s been since 2010. He also constantly faced questions about his leadership and future, which remains very much up in the air. Pacioretty has said it’s his preference to remain a Canadien and be a part of the solution.
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Nikita Scherbak & Michael McCarron- C-
Neither of these two first round draft picks did much to solidify themselves a spot in the organization’s future. Scherbak displayed his skill at times, but scored just four goals, while McCarron wasn’t nearly as physical as someone 6-6, 230 lbs should be.