Keys To Success: Montreal Victoire

The Montreal Victoire are the reigning Walter Cup champions, and they have a significant pool of talent coming to camp. While captain Marie-Philip Poulin will miss the season, netminder Ann-Renee Desbiens, forwards Laura Stacey and Abby Roque, and defender Kati Tabin are all back to secure their core. Montreal then added veterans including Jessie Eldridge, Emma Maltais, and Michelle Karvinen in free agency, and they have a wealth of bottom six veteran punch. 

But Montreal won't be resting on the fact they're the reigning champions, nor that they are veteran laden. GM Daniele Sauvageau will want to go out on a winning note as the Hockey Hall of Fame builder is leaving the team following this season. Montreal will need to focus on several keys to their success this season, but if they can achieve them, another title is within reach.

The absence of Marie-Philip Poulin is hard to explain. A model of consistency and excellence, her absence will be felt deeply within the Victoire. On the ice, not only will Montreal be without Captain Clutch, their physical and emotional leader, but they'll also be without a key piece to their structure, missing their number one center. Montreal doesn't have a simple solution to who will take over top line minutes down the middle. First year player Petra Nieminen, or third year forward Lina Ljungblom could audition for the role, and Nieminen does have some similar tendencies in her play to Poulin. The other option for Montreal would be to shift Abby Roque or Emma Maltais into the middle. Maltais took plenty of reps down the middle last season in Toronto, and Roque played the role in New York, but Roque was also far more effective on the wing in Montreal. There's no easy answer, and it will likely take some experimentation for Montreal.

Montreal blueline, on paper, looks unimpressive. They lost Nicole Gosling, Erin Ambrose, and Amanda Boulier and just couldn't find a replacement that is top four ready. It means Nadia Mattivi and Jessica DiGirolamo are set to take on significantly larger roles. Perhaps the most intriguing answer here is the hope Russian free agent, and the nation's best defender, Maria Batalova, can make the jump and quickly show her impact. Regardless, Montreal will need strong team defense with their high powered offense playing responsibly on both sides of the puck as this group works out their kinks and settles into new roles. Kati Tabin and Maggie Flaherty sit as their one-two on defense, which is not up to par with bluelines across the league. With one of the top three goalies in the world, and arguably the best forward depth in the league, the Montreal blueline won't need to be spectacular, but they'll still need to be good, and they'll need full team support to get there.

There's no Marie-Philip Poulin, but there is Emma Maltais, Jessie Eldridge, Laura Stacey, Abbey Roque, Petra Nieminen and others. They have four lines of PWHL-ready players up front, and it's a group that needs to produce regularly. There's no excuse in Montreal for not being one of the higher scoring teams in the PWHL. Where Montreal could really thrive is in the mismatches they'll enjoy when third and fourth lines get on the ice. They may not have the same support in transitioning pucks up ice, or distribution from the blueline without Gosling and Ambrose, which is concerning. Montreal will be finding new ways to score, but they have all the ingredients necessary for success. No player on the Victoire's roster needs to carry the load, everyone simply needs to contribute. Seeing how Roque and Stacey, in particular, produce without Poulin, will be the biggest question.

To be clear, this is not the same situation as what Troy Ryan and Gina Kingsbury had with the Toronto Sceptres, but it continues to get closer. The saving grace here is that Daniele Sauvageau has already announced she's leaving the Victoire after this season to focus solely on Team Canada, and Kori Cheverie will finish her coaching duties with Canada before camp even opens, with no other stops during the season. It's positive, but the risk, at least for this season, remains for bias to sneak in. There were reports from Canada's camp that some Montreal players were getting added reps on special teams and looks that some believed they did not deserve. It could be a simple difference of opinions, but that's where the risk of bias, real or perceived, creeps in. Regardless, Team Canada will sit back of mind for Montreal's staff, and keeping that balance healthier than it was in Toronto is a must. Otherwise both will suffer.