One To Watch: Montreal Canadiens

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Excellent drafting has helped Montreal stay competitive in a tough division for most of the last few years. Sure they have had their lottery pick year but for the most part the Habs are picking in the second half of the first round. 

Now the organization is reaping the benefits of that drafting as their last 4 1st round picks are all contributing at the NHL level and deeper picks are finding their way too.  Jarred Tinordi, Alex Galchenyuk, Louis Leblanc and Nathan Beaulieu are the high picks panning out but Brendan Gallagher has had as big of an impact as any of them and he was a 5th round swing for the fence. 

2012 Pick: Mike Cichy - Montreal fans were all over me for singling out the mostly forgotten collegian but it was his decent into relative obscurity that intrigued me. It was his first season playing with Western Michigan after beginning his college career at North Dakota but leaving after his sophomore year. Unfortunately it was a pretty vanilla campaign with the Broncos, 4 goals and 18 points. I believe it's safe to say that unless he has a massive year at WMU this season, Cichy won't be offered a deal in the spring of 2014. 

My pick for One to Watch this year for Habs prospects comes after the jump. 

One To Watch: Montreal Canadiens

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The Habs prospect that I'm most intrigued by this coming season is a player most people have either probably already written off or don't even know. 

Obviously bigger name players like Alex Galchenyuk, Blake Geoffrion, Michael Bournival, Danny Kristo, Jared Tinordi, Nathan Beauieu and Dalton Thrower all deserve recognition, I can't help but look in another, less certain direction. 

Leblanc Leaves NCAA for QMJHL

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Montreal Canadiens 2009 1st round selection Louis Leblanc has signed an entry level contract and will reportedly join the Montreal Juniors of the QMJHL next season. The Quebec native leaves Harvard after just one campaign at the highly regarded academic institution.

Here is the official release from the Canadiens.

27th - Montréal Canadiens Draft Preview

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Last year Montréal was celebrating their 100th Anniversary in existence and this was one of the many retro logos that they sported over the course of the season. It's definitely different from the seemingly timeless logo they use today which is considered one of the most recognizable emblems in professional sports. Plain to some, I find pleasing because of its simplicity. I wonder if using the maple leaf is a bit too Toronto-like for some Habs supporters though?

Canadiens Prospect Snap Shot

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The Montréal Canadiens are one of the oldest professional franchises in North American sports, even predating the creation of the modern National Hockey League. With a record 24 Stanley Cup Championships to their credit and a plethora of iconic players to have worn their sweater, the Habs are unquestionably the sport's most historic franchise.

The thought of playing for the Canadiens is a dream for many young hockey players but can also be an intimidating one as well. No hockey market is more volatile (although some may be on the same level) than Montréal as the team is covered by an army of media and are stalked by fans at every turn.

Montréal's primary minor league affiliate is the Hamilton Bulldogs, AHL champs in 2007. Currently the Bulldogs are the top team in the AHL's Western Conference.

Here is a look at the top prospects for the Montréal Canadiens.

One on One: Max Pacioretty

Earlier this month the Montreal Canadiens made a stop in Edmonton and were soundly beaten 7-2. That morning I had the chance to speak with rookie forward Max Pacioretty for an extended interview for online magazine Future Considerations.

The former 1st rounder has rocketed to the NHL after a single year in the USHL (Rookie of the Year) and another single season in the NCAA (CCHA Rookie of the Year). I asked him if his rapid success has surprised him.

The NHL freshman has 3 goals and 10 points thus far through 25 games and has played alongside a myriad of linemates including captain Saku Koivu.

We also talked about the rivalry between Michigan and Michigan State that boiled over this year when his former teammate and friend Steven Kampfer was attacked by a pair of Spartans. Making the story more complicated is that a fellow Canadiens prospect was one of the MSU players who went after Kampfer. You'll hear what Pacioretty had to say about the entire matter.

And does a boy from Connecticut playing for the Sioux City Musketeers have any idea what it means to be chosen by the Montreal Canadiens when he first hears his name called on draft day?

All that and more from Montreal's 'Max Pac' can be found in the archives at the website for The Pipeline Show or you can take the shortcut and click HERE.

One on One: Matt D'Agostini

The Montreal Canadiens rolled through Alberta recently, a trip the Habs and their fans would like to forget as they were stomped by both Calgary and Edmonton. On the morning of the game against the Oilers I had a chance to speak with a couple Montreal rookies including Matt D'Agostini.

D'Agostini was a 6th round pick by Montreal back in 2005 (not 5th like I say in the interview) while he was a member of the OHL's Guleph Storm. In Guelph he played two seasons and put up solid points in both years. As a member of the Storm he played alongside Ryan Callahan (NYR), Ryan Parent (PHI) and a 15-year-old Drew Doughty (LA).

He's spent most of the last 3 seasons in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldgos but with 16 points in 38 NHL games this year since being recalled, the farm might now be in his past for good. He help the Bulldogs with the Calder Cup in 2007 when he recorded 13 points in 22 playoff games.

We spoke about his season thus far, about being drafted by the Canadiens, whether or not he consider himself to be a late bloomer and I also asked him how much flak he's taken from his buddies back home in the Soo since becoming a Hab.

You can hear the entire interview HERE.