Montreal Canadiens: Still Some Interesting Last Minute PTO Options
The Montreal Canadiens hit the ice for the first time today in their 2021-22 training camp.
They have 70 players in attendance, well 69 with the absence of Shea Weber who did his physicals last week and is not actually taking part in the on-ice portion.
However, they could still add one more and there are some interesting options out there that could take a last minute PTO or professional tryout.
The Canadiens went through quite a bit of roster turnover over the offseason. Phillip Danault and Jesperi Kotkaniemi played nearly every game at centre last season and both are gone. Tomas Tatar signed with the New Jersey Devils in free agency and Shea Weber will miss the entire season with injury. They also lost some depth pieces when Corey Perry, Erik Gustafsson and Jon Merrill were not brought back.
The Canadiens plugged most of the holes with the acquisitions of Christian Dvorak, Mike Hoffman, Mathieu Perreault and David Savard. However, they could always use a little more depth, especially on defence where Marc Bergevin likes to pile up as many NHL caliber players as possible. Down the middle, the Habs could use another centre if Ryan Poehling isn’t ready to step into the NHL.
So, taking a look at unsigned centres and defencemen and the list isn’t that long in late September. There are a few interesting players sitting out there still who could be interested in joining the Habs on a PTO.
Eric Staal
Eric Staal didn’t have the greatest regular season with the Canadiens. After being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres he scored the game winning goal in overtime , but struggled to find any offence after that game. He was battling injuries at the time and the wildly compacted schedule the Habs had down the stretch was not kind to the now 36 year old.
However, he did step his game up in the postseason and played a pivotal role in the Habs coming back from down 3-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one. He was between big wingers Corey Perry and Joel Armia on the fourth line and the trio grinned every shift and wore down the Leafs defenders. Staal had seven points in his first nine playoff games after a nice break between the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs allowed him to recharge his batteries.
In a normal season, without the team playing four games every week, Staal could provide some value as a depth centre if Poehling doesn’t have a great camp and needs to head back to the Laval Rocket this season.
Sami Vatanen
Sami Vatanen has had an odd career. He came up with the Anaheim Ducks and looked like a budding top four puck moving defenceman. He had 37 points in 67 games in 2014-15 and added 11 points in 16 postseason contests, though he was just 23 at the time.
As recently as 2019-20, he was putting up decent numbers with the New Jersey Devils. He had 23 points in 47 games that season before being dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes. He was injured in his first morning skate with the team and returned to score three points in seven playoff games.
But then he had a hard time getting a contract for the 2020-21 season. He would end up with just nine points in 36 games between the Devils and Dallas Stars. He is now just 30 years old so it’s a little early to suggest he is done. But how much does he have left? Well, signing him to a tryout would be the best way to find out.
The right shot defender could fit in well on a third pairing with Alexander Romanov.
Jason Demers
The Quebec native brings nothing flashy but played 17:14 per game last season in a steady defensive role for the Arizona Coyotes. He had just four points in 41 games, but at the age of 33 would bring a reliable, defensive game to a team that clearly values that type of player on the blue line.
If he played well in camp, he could beat out Chris Wideman for the 7th defenceman spot and be a defensive presence on the third pairing with Romanov.