The Montreal Canadiens dealt with several off-season changes heading into this year, with the departures of Alexander Radulov and Andrei Markov, and the high-profile addition of Jonathan Drouin. Meanwhile, the Canadiens were planning to launch their new AHL digs in Laval with a bang by stocking the team with veterans. There were questions heading in, but nobody could have predicted the calamitous seasons that the Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket had this year.
Some of the results can be attributed to the rapid erosion of the player depth due to the early departures and injuries to numerous players, an impact which was felt all the way down to the ECHL’s Brampton Beast, who also faced a challenge-filled season after being abandoned by the parent affiliate.