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The Habs practiced in Brossard this morning for one last time before taking on the Maple Leafs tomorrow. As there isn’t much to report, I’ll give you my evaluation of the Canadiens’ forwards so far this season.
A word of warning though, I’m evaluating each player against what can be reasonably expected of them. You don’t expect the same performance from Philip Danault and Jake Evans, it only makes sense that they are not evaluated against the same standard.
Jonathan Drouin – B+: Even though he was drafted 3rd overall, Jonathan Drouin will never be a super star in the NHL. Drouin is a good support player but he’s not going to be the guy who’s going to eclipse everyone else with his superior production, he will be a 50-60 points guy. Once you make your peace with that, it’s easier to be please with his performance this season. Just like Anderson, he’s got 11 points in 15 games but while Anderson scores goals, Drouin sets them up and that’s fine by me. He’s more involved in the play and even dares to hit at times, by his own admission, seeing Anderson play with such an edge makes him want to do it more. If it wasn’t for his tendency to take some silly penalties, I would have given him an A-.
Nick Suzuki – B+: In 15 games, the newly minted 1st centre of the team has got 12 points, better yet, on most night, he sees more ice-time than anyone else. Even if it’s still early, it’s highly likely that he will live up to the potential the Golden Knights saw when they selected him 13th overall. While he has slowed down a bit since the start of the season, it’s hard to blame him, other teams are adjusting and paying more attention to him. His biggest issue though is in the face-off department, he currently stands at a 39.6% success rate and has been at 20% or less in a few games.
Josh Anderson – A+: So far, the big forward is worth every penny of the huge 7x$5.5 M Marc Bergevin signed him to. He brings space, grit, a scoring touch and he’s an inspiration to his linemates, his influence on Jonathan Drouin has been obvious. With 11 points in 15 games, Anderson is definitely delivering and the 9 goals he’s scored are enough to silence the doubters who were quick to say he only had 1 goal in 26 games last season. Beware though, his shooting percentage is currently standing at 22.5%, that is not sustainable.
Tyler Toffoli – A+: 15 points in 15 games, playing for the most part on the 3rd lines, that’s impressive by any standards, but by those of Toffoli, it’s even better. The most points he’s had in an 82 games season is 58, so we shouldn’t expect this point per game production to last all year, especially since the Canadiens aren’t going to be playing Vancouver every week, but for now, this offseason signing is paying off big time. Toffoli might not be the speediest player on the ice but he makes up for it with smart plays and decisions. He’s earned himself a promotion on the Danault line and so far, so good.
Philip Danault – B-: This one was tough…Danault is no doubt playing below expectation but he’s still doing a good job defensively (most of the time) and his face-off percentage is at 52.7% which still makes him the best option on the team even though he’s normally a couple of percent above that. The grade on the low side is mainly because he’s not been able to get the production out of his wingers as he normally does. I don’t know why, maybe the contract rumours are getting to him, he said they wouldn’t, but you can’t know how you’ll react to that before living it. Hopefully, as the season goes on, we’ll see more of the Danault we saw in the 3rd period of the last game against the Leafs.
Brendan Gallagher – B: We’re used to more from Brendan Gallagher, more production, more implication… Perhaps this slow start stems from the fact that his regular line hasn’t been clicking as it normally is, but I’m not worried, the Gallagher the Habs signed to a 6-year extension will be back. If he wants to stay on the power play, he will need to produce more, so far, he’s only got a single goal with the man advantage. Thankfully, the arrival of Toffoli on his line seems to have lit a fire under the diminutive winger, may it burn for a long time!
Tomas Tatar – B-: The Habs top scorer last season has not had the expected start to this campaign with 8 points in 14 contest, there’s no doubt that the Canadiens need to be able to rely on a higher production from him if they want to be successful constantly this season. Hopefully, his scratching and demotion to the third line will motivate him to come back stronger. The coach has said he needs more from Tatar, harder battles along the boards, more determination and that scoring touch back.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi – B-: So far Kotkaniemi is producing at the same pace he was in the bubble, even a bit better. He had 4 points in 10 games this Summer and he now has 7 in 15 games, but everyone expects more from him. Furthermore, he definitely needs to polish his face-off skills since his success rate is currently at 45.2% (that’s still better than Suzuki’s). He’s been held off the scoresheet for the last 5 games and as a centre, he needs to create opportunities for his wingers, hopefully, the 6 days off will have done him some good because he’s looked a bit lost out there the last few games.
Joel Armia – B: The big Finn has put up 5 points in 8 games, but 4 of those came in the same game, the one where he was rocked by a Tyler Myers hit that put him on IR for a while. Compared to his other seasons, he’s just not shooting enough, and he’ll need to adjust that, but overall, he’s performed fairly well, and has been useful on the penalty kill.
Arturri Lehkonen – A-: Lehkonen is finally where he belongs, he lacks the finish to be on a mainly offensive line, but he’s very good defensively. The new formed 4th line with Jake Evans suits him like a glove and as always, he works very hard and never dials down his intensity. He’s even bagged himself a pair of shorthanded goals which is quite impressive so early in the year.
Jake Evans – B+: He has pleasantly surprised me so far this season, he looked pretty good as the 4th line centre in the bubble, but he’s looked ever better this year. Unsurprisingly, like most young centres, he needs to work on his face-off skills but he’s a hard worker who’s always trying to improve, so fear not, he will. That being said, he’s second amongst the Habs’ centres with a success rate of 51.5%. He’s the most punished of the Habs’ forward so far though with 18 minutes and it’s not because he plays an overly physical game so that will have to be kept under control. Still, for a player who’s got 28 career games, he’s doing very well.
Paul Byron – C: Byron has had a tough time this season and has not delivered in the way that he accustomed us to. In fact, his ill timed changed in the OT of the first game against Toronto is a fair representation of his season so far, he’s behind the play and seems to struggle with his decision making. Even in a 4th line role, Byron should be able to produce more than 3 assists in 14 games and to make more of an impact on the matches he plays.
Corey Perry – B: Perry is a 35-year old depth singing. When Joel Armia went down to injury, the Habs turned to him and he did a pretty good job, good enough to push Paul Byron out of the line-up and on waivers. Of course, he struggles speed wise but his presence in front of the net comes in handy and he’s showed he still has some great hands.
That’s that! Let’s see what you think of my grades, let me know what you agree with and what you disagree with, it’s always fun to debate.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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