Now that the dust has settled on the Habs’ 2016-17 season, it’s about time we look at how each player performed. In my reports, I’ll look at our expectations of each Canadiens player before the season started, how each player performed in their given or apparent role, and what their general fit on the team is going forward.

First up, Nathan Beaulieu.

Statistical Assessment: B

Goals Assists Points Power Play Points SOG 4 24 28 12 118

Forgotten in the chaos of the coaching change and the early playoff exit was Beaulieu’s best statistical season to date. The 24 year-old defenseman had his best offensive season, with a 28 point campaign that surpassed his last career high of 19 points. In 74 games, Beaulieu only scored four goals on his own, but was able to create offense from smart passing, illustrated in his 24 assists. Looking at league scoring by defenseman, he’s actually in pretty good company.

Possibly his most forgotten triumph came in the form of power play production, as nearly half of Beaulieu’s points came with the man advantage (12). Taking his last two seasons into consideration, Beaulieu is trending in the right direction offensively, and is on the verge of a breakout season.

Expectational Assessment: C

Unfortunately for Beaulieu, this season was supposed to be his coming out party, and I’m not convinced it finished that way.

If we think back to late September, the biggest storyline was the Shea Weber acquisition. Once fans and media figured out what the Habs had in Weber, the next problem to solve was finding a partner for the newly acquired “Man Mountain.” The immediate concern for the Canadiens was Andrei Markov’s supposed inability to play on the top defensive pairing, and the responsibility was first given to Beaulieu.

After an excellent pre-season, Beaulieu seemed to be ready for the spotlight. By the end of the season, however, Beaulieu had found himself on the second pairing… And then the third pairing… And then the press box. And while the pitchforks were out for former Habs coach Michel Therrien, Claude Julien scratched Beaulieu down the stretch, and sat him for a playoff game in favor of Brandon Davidson.The expectation coming into this season was that Beaulieu could consistently fill a top four role, if not a top pairing role, for the duration of the season. That unfortunately didn’t happen, and the lack of consistency from Beaulieu may have forced him out of favor with his new coach.

Role Assessment: C+

While his role at five on five play is up for discussion, Beaulieu was an important part of the Canadiens’ power play this season. Playing most of the season on the second power play unit with Jeff Petry, Beaulieu fulfilled an important role. The second unit of the Habs power play needed to be successful, as the Canadiens needed a secondary unit capable of applying pressure with the man advantage after Andrei Markov and Shea Weber left the ice. Beaulieu fulfilled this task, as he finished tied with Markov for fifth in power play points with 12.

As I’ve said earlier though, Beaulieu’s inconsistencies at five on five make me wonder what his role is at full strength. The inability to determine his role dropped his grade.

General Fit on the Team Moving Forward: F

I’ll preface this by saying that this rating is not entirely the defender’s fault. For starters, after being removed from the first pairing, Beaulieu played with just about every other defenseman on the team except Markov. As fate would have it, Beaulieu would find himself on a pairing with Nikita Nesterov; arguably the worst pairing the Canadiens’ iced all season. On the other hand, when paired with another strong puck carrying defenseman in Jeff Petry, he enjoyed decent success. The Petry – Beaulieu pairing was Beaulieu’s best pairing possession wise, as the duo controlled possession to the tune of a 52.57% corsi.

After Marc Bergevin said Nathan Beaulieu is at a “crossroads” in his career, it seemed like there was a chance he would be back in Montreal next season to try and figure out what went wrong. It seems, however, that with the Canadiens signing 25 year-old defenseman Jakub Jerabek, Beaulieu’s time in Montreal may be up.

Overall Grade: C

Unfortunately, I think we’ve seen the last of Nathan Beaulieu in Montreal. Marc Bergevin has created a bit of backlog on defense, and Beaulieu seems to be the odd-man out. I would be surprised if Beaulieu was protected at expansion, and if he still belongs to the Canadiens after the expansion draft, I think Bergevin would be inclined to deal him before signing him to a new contract.

For what it’s worth, Beaulieu had the best offensive season of his career, and was a key piece of the Canadiens power play. On the other hand, his inconsistencies at five on five, due to his own play or the play of his partner, lead one to believe that he’s played his last game for the Canadiens.

However, if the Canadiens do hold on to the 24 year-old, they may be rewarded with another career year.

Follow Ian on Twitter @BoisvertIan, and follow @Rabidhabs for more updates.