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Habs Off-Season Appears to Set Up Era’s End

By Wesley W

The
Montreal Canadiens summer did not include much change, just re-signings that
appear to confirm what everyone knew already… a core group is going to finish
their careers in the red and white. Both Nicklas Bergsfors and Roman Voloshenko
returned on slightly cheaper deals, both very on board together with playing
out 2 year deals along side long-time teammate Kyle Wellwood – and all retiring
as Habs. The trio share multiple championships together in Montreal, with Roman
first attracted back last year on a cheap deal to re-join his former teammates
with the promise of playing time. He got it, and has re-upped to keep on going.


Bergsfors, who never had a thought of leaving Montreal in the first place, took
a $500K pay cut on his final contract also because the GM made it a point of
acquiring a fellow Swedish star player to join the team… this was defenseman
Nick Grossman acquired via trade last season. Oskar Olausson of Stockholm, a
Montreal draft pick a year ago, was also given a chance to win a spot on the
team… and he appears to be doing so as this year’s Aleksi Saarela… a cheap
youngster playing big minutes as a cap necessity.


The Habs had a difficult, sub .500 preseason, but have been hard at work
blending up lines trying to find that perfect chemistry once again. Despite a
2-0 start to the regular season changes appear to continue with Bergsfors and
Olausson swapping positions on the top line.


One consistency has been great early play from goaltender Calvin Pickard, who
was a top statistical goaltender in the exhibition, despite it not resulting in
many wins for the team. A shutout yesterday over Arizona punctuated the point
that Montreal is still backstopped by one of the league’s best tenders. 

10/16/2022 - 277 words


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