Pre-Season Thoughts -- Detroit Red Wings & Montreal Canadiens

The 2008-2009 NHL season begins in only a few days. These are tense times in the training camps. Rookies are hoping to fulfill that lifelong dream and start the season in the NHL, while some veterans are clinging to their dream of maintaining a position in the big league.

There will be trades, demotions to the minor professional leagues, and of course there will be many youngsters who will be sent back to their junior club for further seasoning.

Last night’s game between the Canadiens and the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings was a good illustration of the situation many hockey teams, not to mention, hockey players are facing this time year.

Forget the score (Montreal won in a shoot-out) of the games that are played this week. Instead, watch the rookies and veterans and try to figure out who is going to make it and who his headed to the minors or back to junior.

Last night, Montreal’s rookies and younger players put on a display of hard work, great plays and, if there were mistakes most of them were the result of someone trying too hard to win a job.

Montreal has loads of young hockey talent. So much talent that some hockey “experts” were suggesting that last night’s game was a match between the Stanley Cup finalists next spring. A little early for such bold predictions don’t you think?

Two of the Canadiens’ youngsters who really shone were goalie Carey Price and Max Pacioretty a young forward who has lots of size, good skating speed and finesse and enough grit that he is not afraid of the corners.

Pacioretty spent most of the game on a line with Alex Kovalev and Robert Lang and did not look out of place with the veterans. Kovalev fed him some nice passes and Lang, although he is not as speedy as most of the Canadiens, he provides them with some much-needed size at the center position.

Detroit, on the other hand, is loaded with veteran talent and with only two roster spots available and at least five youngsters ready to make the jump the NHL, there may be some startling moves on the third and fourth lines before the end of training camp.

With one of the two positions going to free agent acquisition Marion Hossa, Coach Mike Babcock has to find space for some of the young talent.

How can Darren Helm, perhaps the fastest skater in camp and a stellar performer in last year’s Stanley Cup victory not make the team? Newcomer Ville Leino, a 24 year-old star from Finland scored a nice goal on a Montreal turnover last night and every time he was on the ice he made something happen.
There will be tough decisions in the next few days for the Red Wings’ brain trust as there are at least three young defensemen (Derek Meech, Kyle Quincey, and Jonathon Ericsson) ready for the NHL as well.

Oh well, wouldn’t most of the general managers and coaches in the NHL love to have the problems that face Ken Holland and Mike Babcock?