Canadiens and Flames offseason preview.

 Offseason plans, next we have the eliminated Canadiens and Flames who were the 7th and 8th teams eliminated and the first two Canadian teams eliminated, they are 4th in my offseason preview series, as I will breakdown why both Montreal and Calgary missed the playoffs and what I personally think they could do in the offseason to improve their team to try and make the playoffs next year. 

In today's offseason preview blog post, the focus is on analyzing the performance and future strategies of the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames, the 7th and 8th teams eliminated from the NHL playoffs contention. We take a look at the primary reasons for their elimination as Montreal had a extremely young and inexperienced blueline and they are still coming out of their rebuild, while the Flames had a lot of distractions with their Pending UFA’s at the beginning of the year and having a weak and broken down blueline also hurt them, we also take a look at some players on expiring contracts and the teams draft capital as well, and I give some ways these teams can improve in the offseason which for the Montreal Canadiens entails making a big splash and adding a star, adding some more veteran help to the blueline and consider moving guys like Anderson and Gallagher, while for Calgary that includes improving their blueline (especially the top 4) a lot, consider moving Markstrom, Mangiapane and Kuzmenko and continue to add youth to this team. 

Montreal Canadiens 

Significant Pending UFA's

LW T.Pearson 5-8-13 52GP

C,RW C.White 0-0-0 28GP

C M.Stephens 2-1-3 23GP

RD C.Wideman 0-0-0 0GP

David Kirouac USA Today Sports

Significant Pending RFA's

RW,LW J.Ylonen 4-4-8 57GP

C,LW L.Andersson 0-0-0 0GP

LD/RD A.Xhekaj 3-7-10 44GP

LD M.Norlinder 0-0-0 0GP

RD J.Barron 6-6-12 44GP

Current draft capital for the Canadiens in 2024: 12

1RD: MON, WIN

2RD: COL

3RD: MON, MIN

4RD: MON

5RD; MON, SJ

6RD: MON

7RD: MON, WAS, EDM

3 Reasons why the Canadiens missed the playoffs

Still in a rebuild

Now first up I think them still being in a rebuild caused them to miss the playoffs, now this was actually a pretty good year for the Canadians, they finished ahead in points compared to last year so they're having a much better season than last year, now they're still in a rebuild so you got to remember that they are coming out of it, but you can definitely see the signs of them being a really good team and maybe as early as next year or potentially the year after them being a playoff team, but they have the makings of an extremely talented young team, but like I said this was still a rebuilding year for the Habs so still a little bit needs to be worked around the edges before they can start competing for the playoffs,  but definitely I think this is a really good season for them and this was a really good rebuilding year, they've done a lot better than the last year so I think the young roster probably has some things to do with why they missed the playoffs and still didn’t do overly great this year and they have had some downs at this point in time and the goal scoring has been overly great this year, but they have a lot of young pieces and they look like they're going to be a team that’s going to be a problem to deal with in the future, but I think just given the fact that they're starting to come out of a rebuild and they still have a majority of a younger roster is probably the main reason as to why this team wound up missing the playoffs again for the 3rd straight season.

3 Goalie System

Next up was that the three goalie system early on in the season that hurt the teams goaltending, now before they moved Jake Allen at the deadline the Habs had three goalies who were all on the roster with Montreal with Montembeault, Primeau and Allen and that really I think sort of knocked off some of the chemistry that was going, I think if they had two goalies they would have had a little bit of a better goaltending situation, but given the fact that there's always someone who had to be the third Stringer as a healthy scratch and someone who wasn't fresh I think that really did hurt the Canadians a little bit, so I think the three-headed goalie system to start the season until the deadline was another thing that really hurt this Canadians team and helped them miss the playoffs. 

Young Defence

And lastly I think having a really young defensive group also hurt them, now besides Matheson and Savard when he got back from his injury, there was not really an overabundance of Veteran leadership on that defensive group, so the amount of young Talent on that team is really good and there's going to be a lot of good young players on that Canadians blue line for years to come, but just again the fact that this Canadian team had such a young blue line was a major problem as to why they missed the playoffs this year because as a younger blueline they were bound to make mistakes and I do think that cost them at times, so in my eyes the extremely young blueline, while it will be dominant in a few years, was another reason they missed the playoffs this year. 

So in my opinion the young roster and they're coming out of a rebuild and they look really good but the young roster that's there right now, the three-goalie system in Montreal and the fact that they have a pretty young defense were the three biggest reasons in my opinion as to why the Canadiens wound up missing the playoffs

5 ways the Canadiens can improve in the offseason to get better for next year:

Sergei Belski USA today Sports

1) Make a big splash: Now first I think they might go ahead and make a big splash at some point in the offseason, the Habs are at the point in the rebuild where they have a ton of young talent, definitely more than they're going to be able to keep on their NHL roster, so I would not be overly surprised if they move some of the young tallent they have like they did over the past couple years, I mean two years ago they got a couple of draft picks and traded those for Kirby Dach and that was a huge Splash that offseason, that's worked out pretty good for them, last year they moved a couple of pieces and wound up acquiring Alex Newhook from Colorado and that's actually worked out quite well for them so I won't be surprised if they did something similar this year, not exactly sure which sort of a players they would target, some people said maybe Trevor Zegras could be a sort of a guy who I could see them make a Big Splash and get or maybe they look for a guy like Kaapo Kakko, I'm not exactly sure who they would Target at this point in time but I definitely do think they'll try and make a big splash to improve this team and continue to add more good solid pieces because I think there’s  a very likely chance they move some Picks and Prospects if it was to get them a young player who can help the team now so I definitely think they are going to make a big splash this off season and might even be the top priority. 

2) Add some more youth: Next up I think they need to continue to add some more youth, they have a ton of players who are about to come to the NHL in the next couple of years, I mean on the defensive end you have Lane Hutson, Logan Malioux and David Reinbacher who all look like they could easily be top 4 NHL defenseman in the future and you also have a couple of forwards like Riley Kidney and Joshua Roy amongst others on the forward group who could definitely be NHL forwards in the not too distant future so there's a lot of really good young pieces in Montreal so I expect them to continue to add some more youth to this team as of next year as I think Hutson and Roy for sure but perhaps other younger players in the Habs system will get a taste of NHL action next year, so we will have to wait and see.

3) Move Jordan Harris: Next up what I think they should do is try to move Jordan Harris, now like we said they have a abundance of blue liners and a lot more than they're going to be able to find internal room for on their roster, so with that in mind I think there's a very likely chance Jordan Harris is gone and will be traded at some point, he's a really good defenseman and he can be a solid fourth or fifth defenseman on a NHL team, but just given the fact that the Canadians have such an abundance on their blue line I don't expect him to have a long term future in Montreal and he could also be a good trade chip for the Habs to add elsewhere in the lineup, so I definitely expect Jordan Harris to get moved at some point this offseason.

4) Add Veteran defender: I also think they could definitely go after a few veteran defenseman this offseason, like I said Matheson is really the only veteran D besides David Savard who we will get to in a second who are on that blue line, so I could definitely see the Habs look to try and maybe add like a solid top four veteran type defenseman who could definitely work with some of their younger players, not sure if they would go after a big name like Tanev or Gostisbehere or maybe a cheaper guy like a Martinez or Dumba, but I could definitely see them try and go after some more veteran D who could help them in the top four and help mentor their younger blueline. 

5) Consider moving Gallagher, Anderson or Savard: And lastly here I think they should consider moving guys like Gallagher, Josh Anderson and David Savard, Savard’s going to be in the final year of his deal and if they don't think they see a future with him I think there's a very likely chance that either in the offseason or potentially at the trade deadline he gets moved, but I definitely think they have to consider moving David Savard given the fact he's entering the final year of his deal, on top of that you got Gallagher and Anderson who are both on longer term contracts and I think both have a cap hit of $5.5 million, now it's going to be really hard to move either of those two, but they have sort of been falling out favor in Montreal the past little while as Anderson has spent plenty of time on the 3rd this past year and Gallagher has basically been a bottom six forward, and I think if they can move on from at least 2 or 3 of them they would be more than happy to do so, so it will be interesting but I think moving some high priced vets may be something the Habs do this offseason. 

So it will be interesting to watch out for but those are the reasons I think that the Montreal Canadians can improve in the offseason, so those are the three reasons why I think they missed the playoffs this year and those are the five ways I think the Canadians could improve this off-season and I think they are close to making the playoffs and even though I am not sure it will be next year, if they make the right moves I think they can at least be playing meaningful games down the stretch in March and April, so not sure about playoffs next year but they should be much more competitive and that’s my opinion on the Habs. 

Calgary Flames 

Significant Pending UFA's

RW,LW A.J Greer 6-6-12 58GP

LD D.Gilbert 1-6-7 34GP

LD/RD O.Kylington 2-3-5 28GP

LD/RD J.Oesterle 0-2-2 22GP

Sergei Belski USA today Sports

Significant Pending RFA's

FOR D.Dube 3-4-7 43GP

LW J.Pelletier 1-2-3 13GP

RW,C C.Schwindt 0-0-0 4GP

RW,C A.Klapka 0-0-0 4GP

LD N.Okhotiuk 1-8-9 50GP

LD I.Solovyov 0-2-2 7GP

LD Y.Kuznetsov 0-0-0 1GP

G D.Wolf 14GP 3.19 GAA .896 SV%

Current draft capital for the Flames in 2024: 9

1RD: CAL, VAN

2RD: CAL, DAL

3RD: CAL, VGK*

4RD: CAL, NJ*

5RD: NONE

6RD: CAL

7RD: NONE

3 Reasons why the Flames missed the playoffs

Pending UFA's

Now first up I think has to be their pending UFA’s at the start this season and not knowing their futures, now the futures of guys like Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov as well as Chris Tanev were up in the air as to them remaining in Calgary and I think that really did hurt this team as there was a lot of speculation right from the get go that the Flames would be considering moving players and I think that really hurt the psyche of the team and as much as I think they really did save face after what was a bad start, I think the fact that they had so many Pending UFA’s with uncertain Futures was a major reason as to why this Flames team wound up falling so hard and wound up being so far below .500 by the end of the year and why they missed the playoffs. 

Slow Start

Next up was the slow start they had to the season, like we said, sort of the same thing as the UFA thing but they started off completely awful as they only had two wins in their first 10 games and they were well below .500 at the twenty game mark and they really could never overcome that, I mean they were able to climb themselves out of it eventually but they were never able to really take  themselves out of it enough to really contend for a playoff spot so that slow start really hurt that Flames team and I think that was another reason as to why they missed the playoffs this year again. 

Low Level Blueline 

And lastly here was the low level blue line they had, I mean after they moved Zadorov in November after he requested a trade and that blueline took a hit and then once you got to the trade deadline when they lose Hanifin (to VGK) and Tanev (to DAL),  that defense besides guys like Weegar and Anderson who are still really good top four potentially even top pair defenseman right now, there's not a lot on that blue line right now and I think the weak Blueline definitely did hurt that team especially after Zadorov left early in the year and sort of left a hole in the blue line and after moving Hanifin and Tanev that blue line looked extremely weak and exposed with lower ranked guys like Hanley and Miromanov playing top 4 minutes, so the blueline that took a beating this year due to trades also hurt the Flames in my opinion.

So I think the Pending UFA’s and the uncertainty of if the UFA’s would stay or be dealt at the beginning of the year, the slow start for the Flames only winning two of the first 10 games being under .500 at the 20 game mark and the lowlevel blue line were major reasons as to why this Flames team did wind up missing the Playoffs this year, so interesting stuff there but those were probably the three main reasons in my opinion why this team missed the playoffs and could t get into the playoffs this year. 

5 ways the Flames can improve in the offseason to get better for next year:

1) Add 1-2 more top 4 D: So first up I think they need to add more top 4 D to their roster, I think this team like we said has a little bit of a weaker blueline right now with guys like Anderson and Weegar really the only top end defenseman on this team left after moving on from Hanifin, Zadorov and Tanev, so I think they're going to go out this offseason whether that be via trade or via free agency and try and add some more blue liners, I could definitely see the Flames target a guy like Brandon Montour or Shayne Gostisbehere or maybe even Carrier on the free agent side and a guy like Colton Parayko makes sense in the trade market so I'm not exactly sure exactly which way they will go, but I definitely expect them to try and improve their defense to make it a little more competitive for next year and make it a little more complete then it was at the end of the year.

Sergei Belski USA today Sports

2) Consider moving Shrangovich, Mangiapane and Kuzmenko: Next up I also think they'll consider moving Sharangovich, Mangiapane and Kuzmenko or potentially extending them, now all three of those guys are going to be entering the final year of their deals and while I could definitely see the Flames wait until the deadline to deal them, I definitely think there's a very likely chance that the Flames will consider moving them in the offseason at least Mangiapane or Kuzmenko, I think Shrangovich has actually fit in extraordinarily well since being acquired in the offseason and I wouldn’t be surprised if Calgary tried to extend him, Kuzmenko has actually been a pretty good addition too and I think they could keep him, while Mangiapane has definitely had a down year and in my eyes is the more likely to be moved, so not exactly sure who exactly they will move but I think they have to try and make a decision on all those guys potentially before the season starts so they don't go through the same thing as the did last year and have a whole bunch more questions with Pending UFA’s for the beginning of next year. 

3) Move Markstrom: Next I think they also have to move Markstrom this offseason, now like I said before I think Wolf is the future of this team and I think Wolf should definitely have a consistent NHL role next year and there's already been so much talk about Markstrom moving, I think they should definitely consider moving Markstrom and give Wolf the starting role so we'll have to wait and see on that but I think they have to move markstrom and I’d they can get either a young player or a solid draft pick I think they will definitely move on from him.

4) Add more youth: Next I think they need to get younger too, this is more of an older team and they have more of a veteran core with guys like Kadri, Backlund and Huberdeau amongst others, so I think they can continue to add more youth as they did start out already this year by giving Coronato and Pelletier some NHL action this year and I think those guys could both be consistent NHL forwards next year, I think guys like Solovyov or Poirier might get chances on the blue line so I think that'll be good and I could see a guy like Samuel Honzek get a chance at the NHL level next year so it'll be interesting to see exactly what happens there for the Calgary Flames, but I definitely think they need to continue to get younger if they're going to try and make the playoffs in the not too distant future.

5) Draft well this year: And lastly I think they also need to draft well, I mean this team doesn't have an over abudance of really high level players and they have another top 10 pick this year so I think there's a very likely chance that this team could (if they can draft well) get a couple of really good pieces for the future in this draft  and they do have a decent amount of picks, so I think they could get a few good players that could be a really good piece of the team in the not too distant future.

So those are the three reasons why I think they missed the playoffs and those are five ways I can see this team improving in the offseason and I think for the Flames I definitely think they can improve in the offseason, they're not a huge amount away from being a playoff team again so if they make the Right Moves this offseason and they get off on the right foot next year I have no doubt that they could be a playoff team again as early as next year. 

So that is my thoughts on the Flames and the Habs as those are why I think they missed the playoffs, some RFA’s, UFA’s and draft capital for this offseason and I give some ways both teams can improve to get better for next year, and I would love to hear your thoughts, so do you agree or disagree with me and if not I would love to hear your thoughts on all that was discussed and how you think they can improve down in the comments section below.