I was somewhat shocked when he was sent back to Hamilton earlier this year as I thought his game had been improving, if only mildly, on a consistent basis. Perhaps it wasn’t at a fast enough rate for the staff and perhaps they felt he needed to go down an

If ever there was someone who suffered from confidence problems, it’s Andrei. Last year he made his breakout and was stellar on the blueline. He’s the most proactive defender Montreal has seen in years; cutting out plays at the opponents blue line routine

Strengths: Has a very strong shot and strong offensive instincts. When he gets on a roll, he can be a dominating sniper.

Mike Ribeiro was drafted 45th overall in the 1998 Entry Draft by the Montréal Canadiens. In 1999-2000, he played his first 19 games at the NHL level and scored two points. In 2000-01, he played two games with the Canadiens.

Hainsey is a good puck-handling defender who needs to learn how to defend. For a guy with his size, he’s incredibly weak on the boards and in front of the net. The fact he doesn’t use that size to at least angle a player out is the most worrisome, though.

After a difficult season last year, some might have expected him to come back with another rough campaign. Hardly so. What many don’t take into consideration is the way he finished last year: he was much stronger and much more consistent. Therefore, his p

He’s had an extremely trying time so far this year. From the drop of the opening puck, he’s struggled with his game and has put more pucks on opponents’ sticks than he has on his own teammates. I think it boils down to him trying to do too much in light o

One of the guys everyone loves to hate, he’s made the team because of what he does and not that he does it a few inches shorter than everyone else. While many might say he’s deficient defensively, the reality is that he’s an effective defenseman who’s pos

It’s all in the little things. Yes, he’s leading the league in scoring for defenders and has produced far above what anyone expected in their wildest dreams. Yes, he’s a physical defenseman who can clear the crease, win the board battles, and cause the ha

From the moment Gainey opened his mouth and berated the booing fans, there has been a turn-around in Breezer’s game. It’s been slow, and has been supplemented with much support and guidance from the coaching staff, but he’s gone from being an offensive de