With the NHL off-season winding down, it doesn’t look as if Marc Bergevin will add anymore pieces to the roster. With the additions of super-star defenceman Shea Weber, highly-skilled offensive threat Alex Radulov and gritty power forward Andrew Shaw, it begs the question, where will they play? Well, if I could jump into the mind of Michel Therrien, here is what I would suggest:

Offense Line 1:

Max Pacioretty – Alex Galchenyuk – Alex Radulov

With Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk each scoring 30 goals last season and coming together on the same line, they have found great chemistry and should not be a problem moving forward. I put Alex Radulov with the duo because he is the best option at RW. Radulov had 65 points in only 53 games played last year with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. He was brought in by Bergevin to help our need for offence and he excels when he is with the best players. This line has the potential to be among the best in all of hockey.

Offense Line 2:

Sven Andrighetto- Tomas Plekanec – Brendan Gallagher

The Canadiens are weak on LW, however Andrighetto is their best option if they want offense. Andrighetto had 17 points in 44 games played last season as a rookie. He looked good by Plekanec’s side as they already have chemistry. Gallagher has played with center Plekanec for some time now and he complements Plekanec as more of a finisher than a play-maker.

Offense Line 3:

Arturri Lehkonen- David Desharnais – Andrew Shaw

Young Lehkonen is a skilled forward with tons of upside. He recorded 19 points in 16 playoff games for Frolunda HC of the SweHL. This upcoming season will be his first time playing in North America, so it still remains to be seen where he will play. However,  I like him at the 3LW spot, next to Desharnais and Shaw. Desharnais is more of an offensive bottom 6 player, but he can play at both ends of the rink. Newly acquired Andrew Shaw is a perfect 3rd liner for the Canadiens. Like Gallagher, he has a nose for the net. He potted 14 goals last year while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Offense Line 4:

Paul Byron – Phillip Danault- Torrey Mitchell

Byron and Mitchell have shown they deserve to be in the lineup night after night, they are consistent, hard-working players. Danault, acquired via trade from the Blackhawks, is only 23 years old, and has the potential to become a well-rounded NHL player.

Offense conclusion: 

Some might be surprised Daniel Carr is not in my lineup. It is important to note that Carr is waiver exempt, and with all the one-way contracts on the team it would be smart to start him in the AHL. Players like Hudon, McCarron, JDLR will just have to wait until a spot opens up. As for my current top-6 lineup, I decided to switch things up by putting Russian all-star Alex Radulov on the first line, resulting in a breakup of the very successful line containing the likes of Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. I think Radulov has more pure offensive skill than Gallagher and will give the Canadiens a better chance at adding offense. With that being said, it is only right to make Radulov play with the best players possible. Moving Gallagher to the 2^nd line with Plekanec and Andrighetto was an easy move, as I said earlier they already have chemistry from playing together throughout their careers, so both lines should benefit from this move.

Defence Pair 1:

Nathan Beaulieu – Shea Weber

With Shea Weber being more of a defense first type of player, we need a younger, more mobile, pass first player, to play with him, and that is what Nathan Beaulieu will bring to the top pairing. Shea Weber is slowing down as he gets older, so its important to have a speedster like Beaulieu playing alongside him.

Defence Pair 2:

Andrei Markov – Jeff Petry

Markov and Petry  will be fun to watch play together. Both have offensive skill, but they can also defend well and are reliable at both ends of the ice.

Defence Pair 3:

Alexei Emelin – Mark Barberio

Both Emelin and Barberio had good seasons last year and were used much more due to injuries.. They showed that they can play at an NHL level night after night and should round out the Habs’ defensive pairings nicely.

Goalies:

Starting: Carey Price

Backup: Al Montoya

I don’t think I need to explain why I put Carey as a starter. As for free-agent addition Al Montoya, I firmly believe that as a veteran goalie he will excel in the backup role and represent much better option than Mike Condon.

Let me know what your 2016-2017 Montreal Canadiens lineup looks like! Make sure to follow me on Twitter @QF25Matt