Philippe Boucher played 17 seasons in the NHL, scoring 94 goals and 300 points in 748 games. The native defender of Saint-Apollinaire has notably had two seasons of 40 points and more. He made the All-Star Game in 2007, and lifted the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in his final NHL season in 2009. A first-round pick (13th overall) of the Buffalo Sabers in 1991, he successively played for the Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars and Penguins. At the end of his playing career, he held management positions with the Rimouski Oceanic, the Quebec Remparts and the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Philippe has agreed to work with the NHL.com team to cover various current hockey topics.
When you are told that you will have to be patient with the Montreal Canadiens, just look at the evolution of two of their geographic rivals, the Buffalo Sabers and the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabers are in the postseason portrait for the first time in ages after several lean seasons. They’ll face quite a challenge when they return from the traditional All-Star Game break against seasoned rivals like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals.
READ ALSO : Death of the legendary Bobby Hull
The Ottawa Senators, who many observers saw jumping in the standings, are trailing. That doesn’t mean they’re standing still. Rather, it highlights the very high level of competitiveness in the NHL. We don’t become a playoff team by snapping our fingers or because we are full of talented young players. It’s nice in theory, but it doesn’t happen that way in practice. It takes time, sometimes a lot and sometimes too much.
The Sabers have been dragging their feet for 11 years and they’re only just starting to get their heads out of the hole. In their process, they are a few years ahead of the Senators, who are a few years ahead of the Canadians, like the pecking order in the standings.
The common denominator for the three organizations is patience. Obviously, we don’t wish the Habs fans such a long crossing of the desert as for the other two.
The Sabers have been patient with their youngsters, especially the defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. They took a step back, early in the rebuilding process, swapping the striker Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in order to get their hands on Tage Thompson. We’ve been patient with Thompson and we’re finally getting big dividends. The future is now bright, with Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, Victor Olofsson, Alex cloth et Peyton Krebs – the last two were obtained in the exchange of Jack Eichellast year.
The Senators are on the right track. They will have quite a strike force on the attack soon, with the Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Alex DeBrincat, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig. Having seen him at work several times this season in the Senators’ farm club, where my son Matthew plays, this Greig is quite a hockey player and he is only 20 years old.
Video: PIT@OTT: Stützle scores his first net, in AN
The Senators also have some great relief in defense and in net. They learn the hard way, but I see them hatching soon. They are equipped to face the music.
The same cannot be said for Canadians. Not immediately. The Canadians don’t have the potential of the Senators on offense. It is in defense that they are better off.
The new leaders of the Habs have begun to replenish the bank of hopes with identity parameters of their own. The acquisition of the young Kirby Roof, last year, gives an idea of the type of player sought. This is how we create an organizational culture and move forward.
On the field, the Canadians are more visible in the entourage of the QMJHL. All we have to do is tour the arenas. When it’s not Francis Bouillon or skills coach Adam Nicholas, you come across recruiters everywhere.
It’s very important, the repechage, but it’s not the only guarantee of success because we will never hit for 1000.
Senators drafted well after divesting veterans Erik Karlsson et Mark Stoneand we begin to see the fruits.
Another great leaves us
I had the chance to meet Bobby Hull a few times in 2007 and 2008, when his son Brett was the Dallas Stars associate general manager and I was playing with the team.
He was a nice gentleman, a bon vivant, like Brett.
I take advantage of this forum to salute the great player that he was and to offer my condolences to Brett and the Hull family.
*Comments by Robert Laflamme, NHL.com Senior Reporter