Sunday Habs Headlines: We may need to abandon the concept of numbered lines

Montreal Canadiens news and notes

• With the forward quality the Canadiens’ now possess, numbering the lines may be a pointless exercise. [La Presse]
• Tomas Tatar may be a top candidate to get selected by the Seattle Kraken, but the impact of his loss shouldn’t be dismissed so easily. [Journal de Quebec]
• Bridge deals and prospect graduations will be the key to keeping the current group of players together for several years. [The Athletic]
• Four teams from around the globe that could serve as inspiration for Geoff Molson to improve the Canadiens organization. [La Presse]
• The relatively long-term contracts for the majority of the Canadiens roster gives Claude Julien the confidence to run a robust system. [La Presse]
• Jake Allen will spend much of his time in Montreal watching Carey Price, something that served as inspiration for him just after being drafted. [La Presse]

Around the league and elsewhere

• While the double bubble for the 2020 post-season was difficult to pull off, a less restricted plan for a full 2020-21 slate would be a much more difficult challenge. [The Athletic]
• The veterans in Chicago may be unhappy with the sudden claims that the team is in a rebuild, but their head coach, Jeremy Colliton, needs them to buy in to the new direction. [NHL.com]
• Josh Leivo has signed with the Calgary Flames. [Matchsticks & Gasoline]
• Cap space is still a major issue for many teams in the NHL. How 10 of them can escape the pressure. [Sportsnet]
• After the New York Rangers leapfrogged 13 teams from their final standings position to pick Alexis Lafrenière, changes to the draft lottery were a hot topic at the recent GM meetings. [TSN]