2015-16 record: 38-38-6 (82 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Max Pacioretty
The Montreal Canadiens' season began like a house of fire, but injuries to key players such as Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher caused that house of fire to eventually burn to the ground. That colossal failure to make the playoffs forced a number of changes, including swapping franchise defensemen, as PK Subban was sent to Nashville for Shea Weber. The Canadiens' roster is better suited to coach Michel Therrien's style, but as last season proved, they're only going to go as far as Price can carry them.
Contrary to popular belief, the Canadiens don't have as much trouble scoring as you think. Yes, the power play stunk, but the real problem was the lack of scoring depth, as beyond Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty, no one else scored more than 20 goals (Gallagher missed by one despite missing almost half the season). Out is Lars Eller and in comes Andrew Shaw and Alex Radulov. Shaw provides a bulldog presence that was absent when Gallagher went down, and now, with both in the lineup, the Canadiens should be twice as hard to play against, while Radulov is a one-year gamble in that his previous NHL stints didn't pan out so well. The Canadiens are hoping that his most recent time in the KHL, where he was a three time scoring champion and found happiness off the ice, will help result in a better run this time around. Defensively, injuries were a major problem, as the Canadiens employed enough players to supply two NHL teams a defensive unit. Weber will fit in better with what Therrien wants, but he may very well be the focal point of fan vitriol if he doesn't produce to normal standards, as Subban was a popular player there. In goal, it's all about Carey Price. While Mike Condon held down the fort admirably, there were instances where he was in over his head. To that end, Al Montoya was signed to provide insurance against another Price injury. While the power play was terrible, the penalty kill was just outside the top ten. They figure to be good again, and the power play will benefit from having Weber's shot at the point.
Prediction: 3rd in the Atlantic Division
The Canadiens saw what life without Price was like, and it wasn't very pretty. Of course, a locker room that wasn't on the same page half the time wasn't helpful, either. A new season, and a vote of confidence in Therrien later, the Canadiens are banking on a more harmonious locker room atmosphere, but until proven otherwise, it is about Price and how many games he can play.
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