Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.
Over the last several years, the Canadiens have struggled to find someone to consistently play alongside Max Pacioretty on their top line. At first, David Desharnais filled the role adequately, but as his talents waned, Alex Galchenyuk was unable (or wasn’t granted the opportunity) to step up in his stead. Two years ago, Phillip Danault found himself next to Pacioretty when Galchenyuk went down with a knee injury, but despite a more-than-solid season that defied all expectations from a player who entered the campaign as a fourth-line winger, Danault found himself supplanted by Jonathan Drouin.