In a season that began with the Montreal Canadiens’ top defenceman still recovering from off-season knee surgery, it was a sequence of trial and error for the coaching staff as they tried the healthy options in various situations.
Jordie Benn
Jeff Petry was the one to be given the top duties, playing all 82 games in a top-four role. It was more surprising that Jordie Benn dressed for 81 games on the season, given the work Montreal had done to add potential NHL blue-liners to the roster.
The two were put together as the top pairing soon after the season began, and while they did an adequate job in that role, it was apparent that they weren’t an ideal duo, and were split up upon Weber’s return.
January 3, 2019: [Highlight] Jordie Benn settles the puck and goes bar down
With all that ice time he received, Benn set new career highs in goals and points. His most productive run came as December turned to January, when he had two goals and four points in three games, helping the Canadiens transition into the new year and the second half of the season on a winning note.
March 3, 2019: Jordie Benn shouldn’t be facing top competition at even strength
The Canadiens decided to shake things up after a skid through the month of February threatened to drop them out of post-season contention. One of the moves was to put Benn back in the top four with Petry once again, but a 5-1 loss in a game that Benn was outmatched by the opposition reinforced the notion that he’s not the player for that role.
May 6: 2019: Jordie Benn settled into an important role for the Canadiens in 2018-19
While he was clearly out of his depth on the first or second pairing, Benn was a very useful player for Montreal as a third-pairing defender, and was a major part of the penalty kill.
May 8, 2019: Investigating the cost of bringing back Jordie Benn
Considering how he played during the season, and in his two-plus seasons with Montreal, it would make sense to bring Benn back for next season. However, the talent of the prospect pool that the Canadiens built up over the past few years is beginning to bubble up to the surface, so there could be a competition for the spot he occupied this year.
Grade Jordie Benn’s season with the Canadiens
| A+ | 4 |
| A | 12 |
| A- | 28 |
| B+ | 133 |
| B | 105 |
| B- | 55 |
| C+ | 47 |
| C | 21 |
| C- | 5 |
| D | 8 |
| F | 2 |
Christian Folin
February 9, 2019: Montreal Canadiens acquire Dale Weise, Christian Folin from Flyers for Byron Froese, David Schlemko
One of Marc Bergevin’s moves to change the look of his fourth line involved acquiring Dale Weise from the Philadelphia Flyers, and that move also brought in Christian Folin. It was one of those change-of-scenery trades involving players who hadn’t worked out with their teams.
February 9, 2019: What do the Canadiens have in Christian Folin?
Looking at what he provided immediately after he was acquired, the stats revealed a player who performed decently well in defensive aspects with the Flyers, but was fairly replaceable in most categories.
April 18, 2019: Montreal Canadiens sign Christian Folin to a one-year contract
That turned out to be enough of a package of talent to earn an extension. Bergevin got Folin under contract for one more season at a cap hit of $800,000 before he could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
May 10, 2019: Christian Folin was a steady presence on the Canadiens’ third pairing
His 19 games with Montreal were fairly similar to the stint he had with the Flyers this season. He keeps his head above water defensively at five-on-five, and that’s about it. He did slip into the spot left by Brett Kulak’s promotion to the second pairing, and played well enough there.
The contract gives the Canadiens an option for the lineup next season, but as with Benn, there are no assurances he wins the role in camp.
Grade Christian Folin’s stint with the Canadiens
| A+ | 3 |
| A | 3 |
| A- | 11 |
| B+ | 62 |
| B | 156 |
| B- | 67 |
| C+ | 46 |
| C | 29 |
| C- | 3 |
| D | 1 |
| F | 1 |
Related
Antti Niemi’s season timeline and grade poll
