Hickey in hockey: challenges for Canadians go beyond the lack of a goalkeeper

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There are questions about the current edition of the Canadiens, but there is one question that should not be asked: When will Carey Price return?

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Price entered the NHL / NHLPA player assistance program this week and deserves privacy while he solves his problems. He also shouldn’t be subject to any pressure to get back into the lineup before he’s 100 percent ready, mentally and physically.

Sadly, there will be pressure because Price has been chosen as the team’s savior, the key to any Stanley Cup race. It’s an idea that was reinforced this year, when he led the Canadiens to the Cup final and when the team faced a losing streak earlier in the season. Price’s absence will be cited as the key factor, particularly if Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault don’t play better than they did in the preseason.

The reality is that the challenges Canadians face in the upcoming season go beyond the lack of a goalkeeper.

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Defense has been the Canadiens’ strength in recent years, but the offseason left the team significantly weaker in their zone. Shea Weber, the anchor of the defense corps, is taking the season off to deal with numerous injuries and may have played his last NHL game.

Phillip Danault, who is arguably the best defensive forward in the league, went to Los Angeles as a free agent. There was a deal to be made here, but Danault’s pride came into play because the Canadiens tended to underestimate his contributions to the team. When you can’t hold on to a French-Canadian who was comfortable playing in the pressure cooker that is Montreal, something is wrong.

The Canadiens have a potential replacement for Danault in Jake Evans, but the Notre Dame graduate is a work in progress.

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As for replacing Weber, everyone from general manager Marc Bergevin onward admitted that the veteran cannot be replaced. But Bergevin tried it by hiring free agent David Savard. He’s the size and he’s a French Canadian, but there has been no indication from the preseason that he’s ready for a productive role in the top four.

In a sense, Weber’s absence was timely because the NHL is trying to eliminate cross-checking and that was a key part of Weber’s toolbox. But, without Weber hitting opponents in front of the net, there will be more pressure on goalkeepers and he could give opposing forwards carte blanche to execute Price & Friends, which has been a major concern in the past.

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Montreal will start the season without Joel Edmundson, who had the fifth-best over / under differential in the NHL last season. His absence will allow Alexander Romanov to audition for a bigger role. If the young Russian is to reach his potential, he must receive significant time on the ice and learn from his mistakes.

Trading Jesperi Kotkaniemi for Christian Dvorak is an advantage, at least in the short term. There’s so much depth that Brendan Gallagher and the injured Mike Hoffman appear to be heading into the final six roles, though you can expect to see them both in the power play. That offensive against cross-checking will be good news for Gallagher, who has taken a beating in front of the net.

The Canadiens should score more goals this season, but the question is whether they can make up for defensive deficiencies.

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NHL deals with conflicting chemical company: The NHL announced this week an extension of its partnership with Chemours, a US-based chemical giant that spun off from DuPont in 2015. According to the NHL, the agreement “continues to provide education, technical support, innovation and sustainable solutions with Opteon ™ refrigerants to support the NHL’s commitment to ensuring all levels of hockey thrive for future generations. Additionally, the partnership will expand beyond the ice rinks and into the classroom through support of the Chemours Middle School Partnership Program to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals, while fostering the core values ​​of both organizations. such as integrity, respect, courage, teamwork, perseverance and acceptance. “

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The company’s incomplete environmental record was not mentioned, according to Courthouse News Services: “In 2019, the states of New Jersey, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York sued companies like DuPont, 3M and Chemours for environmental contamination with PFAS. The lawsuits claim that the companies knew of the health risks associated with PFAS but failed to warn the public. Additionally, both Chemours and 3M face securities lawsuits related to environmental responsibility, filed in October 2019 and August 2019, respectively. According to these allegations, when DuPont spun off Chemours, its environmental responsibilities were ‘radically’ underestimated ”.

In 2017, DuPont and Chemours paid $ 671 million to settle claims arising from PFAs (perfluoro and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are used to produce Teflon and other consumer products, which are discharged into the Parkersburg, W.Va water supply. .

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