This article, from The Hockey News Archive, discussed the 1996 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, an offensive powerhouse.
Entering the 1996-97 season, Montreal Canadiens general manager Rejean Houle and head coach Mario Tremblay were hoping to put together a roster with the offensive firepower that rivaled the winning teams of their playing days. Just before the start of the season, Houle traded rugged defenseman Lyle Odelien to the New Jersey Devils for former 50-goal scorer Stephane Richer.
With a lineup that included Richer, Pierre Turgeon, Vincent Damphousse, Saku Koivu, Mark Rechhi, Brian Savage, Valeri Bure and Martin Rucinsky, the Canadiens had no issues filling the net. However, after eight games, it was clear that the roster lacked size, sandpaper, and a replacement for Odelien on defense. Also, the jury was out on whether Jocelyn Thibault was a top quality netminder.
This story, from the THN Archive was written before an end-of-October trade but was November 8, 1996. On October 29, 1996, the Canadiens traded Turgeon, Rory Fitzpatrick and Craig Conroy to the St. Louis Blues for defenseman Murray Baron, gritty forward Shayne Corson and a fifth round pick in 1997.
You can read the full story in the THN Archive.
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