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We already knew it, but the composition of the Montreal Canadiens‘ all-star team for the most recent quarter of the century, chosen by the NHL, plunged us back into a sad reality, like a light slap in the face: the CH fan has not been very spoiled with forwards for 25 years.
Only one of the three members of the first all-star team on offense, Alex Kovalev, has had a season of more than 80 points. He achieved the feat only once during his four years in Montreal. He arrived with the Canadiens in his thirties, let’s remember.
Saku Koivu has only had 70+ points twice in 13 seasons in Montreal, but never 75+. Tomas Plekanec has only managed to reach 70 points once.
Among the three greatest offensive stars of the Canadiens in this 21st century , only one has obtained more than 75 points, only once, and this same Kovalev is the only one to have reached 30 goals. Between the three of them, they only have three seasons of more than 70 points…
But when you think about it, Kovalev, as electrifying as he was, had a reputation for “showing up” every fourth game, Koivu never became the number one center he’d hoped for, and Plekanec, a valiant warrior, was considered a great defensive player first, but never came close to winning the Selke Trophy.
This is probably why we have had this feeling of failure in the collective imagination for 25 years. The Canadiens have nevertheless won 11 rounds of playoffs, reached three semi-finals, including a Stanley Cup final in 2021, and had several seasons of more than 100 points under Marc Bergevin.
Each of those periods of success, interspersed with difficult seasons, depended on the goalies. First, José Théodore, winner of the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2002 and a member of the second all-star team, and Jaroslav Halak and his exploits in the spring of 2010. Then Carey Price, also winner of the Hart and Vezina Trophies in 2015, the Canadiens’ all-time leader in wins. Who knows, if it hadn’t been for Chris Kreider’s charge in the 2015 playoffs, Price might have led Montreal to the final twice.
The three administrations that preceded the current one blundered in the draft. There was the period of the Western oxen under Serge Savard in the 1990s; Jason Ward was chosen over Marian Hossa and Éric Chouinard over Simon Gagné under Réjean Houle. Then David Fischer was drafted before Claude Giroux in 2006, Andrei Kostitsyn ahead of Jeff Carter and Ryan Getzlaf in 2003, and Cory Urquhart ahead of Patrice Bergeron the same year… But the hot Montreal nights have also ruined some promising careers.
The second all-star team at least has some scorers. Max Pacioretty, preferred over Plekanec by our Canadiens beat trio of Guillaume Lefrançois, Richard Labbé, and Simon-Olivier Lorange, and had four seasons of 30 goals or more in Montreal, including three of 35 goals or more, but he never collected 70 points.
Brendan Gallagher, a model of tenacity and courage, twice reached the 30-goal mark, but he never had a season of more than 54 points.
The other member of the trio, Nick Suzuki, should not take long to eclipse all the others. After his 77-point season, including 33 goals, last year, he is on pace for an 84-point season, including 25 goals, at just 25 years old.
Cole Caufield, on pace for 43 goals and close to 80 points, will soon be entering the conversation. At his pace, he should join Mark Napier in 28th place in club history for career goals with the Canadiens by the end of the season. And he will likely crack the top 30 next year at age 25, ahead of Yvon Lambert and Bobby Smith.
The situation is less bleak on defense. Andrei Markov has played 990 career games, all with the Canadiens, and has amassed 572 points, seven seasons of more than 40 points, three of 50 points or more.
There would be some debate between PK Subban and Shea Weber, traded one for the other. La Presse chose Subban on the first team and the NHL preferred Weber. The latter was a formidable leader, but he arrived in Montreal rather worn out, far from his great offensive seasons with the Nashville Predators. In 275 games in Montreal, Weber got 146 points, but he also blocked countless shots and solidified the defense in front of Price. That earned him a sixth place in the Norris Trophy race in 2017, but otherwise never a top 10 finish .
In 434 games with the Canadiens, Subban amassed 278 points, had three seasons of more than 50 points, won the Norris Trophy in 2013 and was the finalist in 2015. He especially amassed 38 points in 55 playoff games for Montreal.
Jeff Petry, despite his eight seasons in Montreal, his 248 points in 508 games, for 11th place in the history of the club, ahead of Jean-Guy Talbot, Tom Johnson, Petr Svoboda, Mathieu Schneider, Émile “Butch” Bouchard, Éric Desjardins and Sheldon Souray, was ignored as much by the NHL as by La Presse , in favor of Souray. Did the acrimonious divorce between the Canadiens and him leave its mark?
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