Eric Engels thinks the Habs can be a powerhouse in the East. If you look around the East, it does seem like the Habs are one of the only teams that have everything put together perfectly. The Bruins have cap issues, the Penguins have a lot of turnover, the Rangers lost their team, and the Flyers, well, they just have issues. [Hockey Buzz]
The annual Red vs. White Scrimmage in Montreal is not something to take lightly. For some players throughout the years it has marked the beginning of their professional careers and for others it could be the only time they ever get to experience the roar of the Bell Centre crowd. Either way it is a memorable night for all who play and attend. [Canadiens]
Habs fans who came out to Brossard or watched the livestream of the scrimmages were more likely than not pretty excited about the new Canadiens coming to town. From Gilbert and Parenteau to Scherbak and De la Rose, we were all happy with what we saw. [Gazette]
Lars Eller was on the injured list for Monday night’s scrimmage, hopefully all is okay with him. [La Presse] (French)
Don’t forget to check out the pre-game interviews prior to the Red vs. White scrimmage game. Andrew Berkshire was kind enough to put them all together for us. [EOTP]
Outside of Montreal
The New York Islanders have gone through a bit of an overhaul in their lineup this offseason, adding Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, and Jaroslav Halak to their mix. John Tavares is still their biggest component for success however, and after a rehab-filled off-season, he is determined to get the Islanders back into the playoffs. [NHL]
Sometimes NHL coaching changes help, and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the biggest differences come via Michel Therrien, or after him. [Hockey Graphs]
Bob McKenzie tells us to keep our eyes on prospect Noah Hanifin. With everybody talking about Connor McDavid and Jake Eichel, it’s Hanifin that has gone under the radar in the hockey world, and he shouldn’t be. [TSN]
It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the Hartford Whalers moved to Carolina, but is there room for a return to the insurance capital of the United States? The rumours of expansion back to Quebec City and with the return to Winnipeg three years ago, the question seems to hold some weight. [SB Nation]
If you’re still gearing up for Fantasy Hockey Season (my draft is on Saturday!) don’t forget to check out Matt Cubeta’s fantasy hockey predictions on NHL.com. On Monday, Cubeta released his potential breakout stars list. [NHL]
Sean Gentille of The Sporting News (the other TSN) wrote about what it’s like to cover a game that doesn’t matter at all. [The Sporting News]
