Since Montreal missed the postseason for the first time since the 2011-2012 season, there have been several big changes. Despite the changes, Montreal is no better than they were a few months ago when they were limping to the end of the regular season. Here are 10 reasons why Montreal is no better than they were last season.

1. PK Subban Trade

When Marc Bergevin made this trade to get rid of a franchise defenseman for a player who is several years older and has a contract that will end when he is 41, my first reaction was “wow.” First of all, Shea Weber is a great player. However, Subban is more dynamic as a defenseman and is just entering his prime. Weber is already in his thirties and showing signs of slowing down. Apparently there were issues in the locker room and coach Michel Therrien didn’t care for Subban’s high-risk, high-reward style of play. In the short term, Weber will be a solid addition to the Montreal Canadiens, but in the end Montreal will lose because of the length of contract and in the scoring department.

2. Michel Therrien is still the head coach

The only reason Michel Therrien isn’t currently unemployed is because Carey Price was injured and management is gambling that his return to the ice will make the Habs Stanley Cup contenders. Ultimately, the reason Montreal missed the playoffs goes beyond Price. First, there were questionable lineup choices. Second, Therrien favors a dump and chase style of play that does not play to his team’s strengths. It’s Therrien’s job to make adjustments in the face of adversity and to motivate his team. Unfortunately, he did neither.

3. Marc Bergevin is still GM

The past several seasons, Bergevin has made several questionable moves, the biggest being trading franchise player PK Subban for Shea Weber. Last season, both his major moves (trade for Zack Kassian and Alex Semin signing) were gone by December. Kassian was the biggest controversy. Despite his off-ice history of partying and his inconsistency on the ice, Bergevin still traded Brandon Prust for Kassian. Just days before the season opened, Kassian was involved in a car accident and subsequently placed in the NHL’s substance abuse program. Bergevin traded him mid-season to Edmonton. Alex Semin was released in December after playing just 15 games. He finished with a goal and three assists. Bergevin has had a tendency to overpay players who are generally bottom 6 players. Another reason why Bergevin must go is because of his unwavering support of Therrien. When a team starts 9-0 and misses the playoffs and the GM places all the blame on himself, he should be fired.

4. Carey Price’s Health

There is a lot of uncertainty of whether Price will be able to come back next season. Montreal is banking on him not only returning to play after missing the bulk of last season with a knee injury but being as good as he was in 2013-14. Will Price be the same upon his return or will he be hesitant to move in certain directions out of fear of injuring the knee again? Montreal is hoping that Price can play 55+ games but that is asking a lot considering he missed all but 12 games last season. Further, there is no guarantee that Price will be the same Price that, uninjured, dominated the league in 2014-15

5. Goaltending Depth

Last season, 5 goalies played at least one game for the Habs. Montreal allowed 233 goals against, which was 10th worst in the league. Mike Condon, a raw rookie who had never played in the NHL prior to last season, was forced to assume the role of starter when Price went down. While he had a respectable GAA (2.71) and saved 90% of the shots he faced, Condon needed to be closer to Price’s level of play to keep his team in games. Dustin Tokarski, the back-up for Price in 2014-15, was dealt to Anaheim mid-season. To address the goaltending depth, Montreal signed Al Montoya, a career back-up goalie. Look for Montoya and Condon to compete for the back-up job in training camp.

6. Scoring

Last season, Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk tied for the team goal scoring lead with 30 goals (Pacioretty had the leading points total due to collecting a few more assists). The next highest goal scoring total was 19, by Brendan Gallagher. Montreal traded away their 4th leading points getter from last season (Subban). If you look at the last three seasons, Subban had higher points totals than Weber (they both had 51 points in 2014-15 with Weber scoring more goals). The Habs major free agent signing, Alexander Radulov, has questions around whether or not he can finally cut it in the NHL. If Montreal is even going to make the playoffs next season, they may need career years from players like Gallagher, Pacioretty, and Galchenyuk.

7. Leadership questions

PK Subban didn’t jive with the leadership group in Montreal due to supposed personality clashes with Captain Pacioretty. How will he handle Radulov, who has a history of clashing with coaches and teammates? Also, Pacioretty was unable to rally the team to getting even close to the playoffs last season. Time will tell if he is the right guy to captain this team long-term.

8. Alex Radulov signing

There are a couple of reasons why this signing is risky. First, Alexander Radulov has a history of personality issues with coaches and teammates. Montreal just traded Subban for supposedly having issues with Pacioretty and Therrien. However, Radulov has actually physically struck a coach while on the bench during a game. The last thing Montreal needs is to have locker room issues at a time when the team needs to come together. Also, Radulov has been playing in the KHL the past 4 seasons. He will need to readjust to a smaller ice surface. While Radulov has had success in the NHL, it remains to be seen if he can regain that form.

9. The teams around Montreal got better

Let’s start with Toronto. They drafted Auston Matthews first overall, traded for a legitimate number goalie in Frederik Andersen and have a core of solid young players such as Nazem Kadri and Morgan Reilly. This is a team poised to make an impact in the next 2-3 years. Boston landed a solid winger in David Backes. While they are an older team, they also boast much experience and should still be good enough to challenge for a playoff spot. Montreal should be thankful they don’t play in the Western Conference. Teams such as Edmonton, who landed free agent Milan Lucic, are bigger and stronger than last season

10. Size matters

Shea Weber is the biggest Hab at 6’4”and 236lbs. However, many of his teammates hover around the 6’ mark +/- a few inches. Montreal struggled against bigger opponents last season. Yes, the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup on skill and speed. However, it is likely over the course of a long season that replicating the Penguins formula for winning with smaller players will take its toll and result in a high number of man games lost. Montreal’s depth will surely face a test when the smaller players get banged up.