Mariusz Czerkawski, RW (FA-NYI) ; Matthieu Descoteaux, D (FA-Europe) ; Eric Landry, C (FA-Europe) ; Bill Lindsay, LW (FA-Atl) ; Randy McKay, RW (FA) ; Gino Odjick, LW (Retired)
No Montreal player will face more scrutiny this season than Jose Theodore.
Not only does the former Hart Trophy winner have to try to shake off a disappointing 2002-03 campaign, he'll have to play well even though his family members are being investigated for loan sharking. That's a lot of pressure for even a professional athlete to handle.
When he is playing at the peak of his ability, Theodore is a brick wall. He single-handedly guided the Habs into the playoffs two years ago, and the team will need him to conjure up the same magic to have a shot at making a return appearance.
The first 20 games of the season will be a good indication on how Theodore will play this year.
Did the Canadiens score a lot of goals last year? No. Will they score a lot of goals this year? Probably not.
The Habs offence managed a mere 2.5 goals per game last season. Even in today's defence-first NHL, that's not enough to win many games. The Habs didn't bring in any major players this season – they did let go of Mariusz Czerkawski and Randy McKay – so that means the forwards will need to step up their production.
Captain Saku Koivu leads a scoring-thin group that includes Jan Bulis, Yanic Perreault and Richard Zednik. The drop after those four is pretty steep. The Habs will doubt look to Marcel Hossa, the younger brother of Marian, for a little production.
The defence is going to have to be the backbone of the team. It's not a spectacular group, but it will get the job done. Besides Patrice Brisebois, who has a habit of making a bad pass in the zone, the defence corps is made up of a group of players who don't make a lot of mistakes.
Andrei Markov has developed into a wonderful quarterback on the power play, using his speed to his advantage. The Habs also have a couple of promising rearguards in Ron Hainsey and Mike Komisarek waiting in the wings.
The obvious choice would normally be Saku Koivu, but if there's any season Zednik is going to break out in a big way, it would be this one.
After struggling in Washington, Zednik found his groove in Montreal, and he's the closest thing the Habs have to a consistent scoring threat. He has the shot and speed to score a lot of goals in the NHL and could become the first Hab to top 40 goals since Vincent Damphousse in 1993-94.
