The Verdict:

Looking at next season with a sole focus on the Tampa Bay Lightning isn’t such a smart idea. NHL wins and losses add up not only because of a team’s composition, but also because of its competition. It’s easier to do well in a lightweight division than it is to do in a heavyweight division, for example. For that reason, Bolts fans should take note of what the other teams around the Atlantic Division have done this summer.Like any great feat of engineering, this blog series started from the bottom up. I’ve already covered the Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings, so today’s blog will take a look at the Montreal Canadiens:Earlier in the summer, the Montreal Canadiens dealt forward Brandon Prust to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for forward Zack Kassian and a 5th round draft pick. In doing so, GM Marc Bergevin took advantage of a Vancouver braintrust that really doesn’t seem to know what it’s doing. The Canadiens turned a 31-year-old pending UFA into a 24-year-old power forward and a 5th round draft pick. That’s a fine bit of management right there.Yes, it’s true that Kassian has struggled to put things together at the NHL level. He’s shown flashes, but consistency and ‘acting like a pro’ have been issues for a while. Still, it’s hard to say that the Canadiens were anything but massive winners in this deal. Kassian’s offensive totals are better than Prust’s. Kassian is younger than Prust. Kassian is cheaper than Prust. Vancouver hopped on the ‘character’ train by acquiring Prust, while the Canadiens snagged two pieces that will make them better in both the short term and long term.This was a classic value signing. The Canadiens snagged former Bolt Mark Barberio for a very low price. Barberio, who was a stud in the American Hockey League under Jon Cooper, was never really given a fair chance at the NHL level. He has a chance to start fresh in Montreal with the Canadiens.During his tenure in Tampa, Barberio developed a reputation as a bit of a giveaway machine. Fans often groaned whenever he stepped out onto the ice, simply because they felt like a defensive mistake was coming. I think that criticism is largely unfair. The underlying numbers suggest that Barberio pushes the puck up ice with regularity. He helps with the possession game, something Montreal has really struggled with over the last few years. Yes, his giveaway numbers are high, but that’s really not uncommon for guys who drive possession. It makes sense. If a player has the puck on his stick more, he’ll give the puck away more often. Guys who never have the puck can’t give it away.In short, the Canadiens have a low-risk, potentially high-reward asset in Barberio. If he works out for them, it’s fantastic. If he doesn’t, he’s on a one-year, two-way contract. There aren’t any issues here.P.A. Parenteau had one year left on his contract when the Canadiens decided to buy him out. After only one season in a Montreal jersey, Parenteau was sent packing. He was a low-cost, possession-driving option in Montreal, and now he will be in Toronto. Buying him out was, in simple terms, a mistake.A lot of people were quick to criticize the fact that Parenteau didn’t generate much offense during his first season in Montreal. He only scored eight goals and 22 points in 56 games, and it would seem that certain people expected more. What is often ignored is the fact that his shooting percentage this year (8.2% per NHL.com) was more than three percent lower than his career average. We know that shooting percentage is a largely variable statistic, so it reasons to suggest that Parenteau might rebound next year.This move makes Montreal worse in the short term, I think.It’s tough to say that Montreal will be any better or any worse based on their offseason moves. The reality of the situation is that Carey Price makes or breaks their team. If he plays as well as he did last year, Montreal has a great shot to win the Atlantic again. If he takes even a tiny step back, it will be a tougher road to the top for the Canadiens. Michel Therrien’s system just isn’t that good, as evidenced by their possession numbers. Montreal fans just have to hope that the Price is right.--As always, thanks for reading.