The Montreal Canadiens have had an eventful summer. 

After falling three wins short of the Stanley Cup to cap off a thrilling and improbable playoff run, they have been forced to withstand one departure after another, with players who were instrumental to getting them there departing. Captain Shea Weber seems unlikely to play again following an injury diagnosis that could be summarized by “everything hurts;” 

Phillip Danault and Tomas Tatar, two-thirds of the league’s best 5-on-5 line, departed as unrestricted free agents. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, pencilled in as the team’s sink-or-swim second-line centre was unexpectedly snatched up by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

In order to keep the team’s already questionable playoff hopes from sinking entirely, general manager Marc Bergevin scrambled to plug the holes with somewhat similar players. Exit Weber, enter David Savard, a low-event crease-protecting physical defender. Exit Tatar, enter Mike Hoffman, who exchanges the former’s 5-on-5 playmaking with long-distance powerplay sniping. 

And perhaps most consequentially, exit Danault, enter Christian Dvorak.