ALZNER MUST DO BETTER

Habs need more from D-man

After missing the playoffs by a country mile, it’s obvious the Canadiens must be better in 2018-19. And the burden of improvement will fall heavily on some players more than others. This is the first in a series of five stories on players who could hold the key to a turnaround.

Sometimes you wonder about the lines of communication within the Canadiens’ organization.

For several years, the Habs have talked about the changing nature of the NHL and the new premium on speed and mobility.

Then, the team makes a 180-degree shift and gives Karl Alzner a five-year contract with an annual cap hit of $4.625 million.

Let’s give Alzner his due. He’s been around for 10 seasons and has played 673 games. He’s been a warrior who holds the Washington Capitals’ record for most consecutive games played at 540. He hasn’t missed a game in eight seasons and his current iron man streak stands at 622 games.

Over the years, he’s been a premier shutdown defenceman and he gives the Canadiens a physical element that’s not always present. As a bonus, he’s a personable player; one of those guys who is good in the room.

But he’s not fast and, as he approaches his 30th birthday next month, he’s not going to get any faster. His game began to erode after he had surgery to repair a sports hernia following the 201516 season. Alzner didn’t lose any playing time due to the surgery, but he wasn’t as consistent as he’s been in the past, registering a careerhigh 52 giveaways. That number ballooned to 90 last season.

Given the state of today’s game, the Canadiens probably made a mistake when they signed Alzner, compounding that mistake by giving him too much money over too many seasons.

Why? They needed a defenceman. Alzner was among the best players available on the left side, where the Canadiens had some holes even before they allowed Andrei Markov to slip away. They lost Alexei Emelin in the expansion draft and traded Nathan Beaulieu because he wasn’t very good.

As for the salary, it reflected the reality of the free-agent market — teams always overpay.

The problem presented by Alzner’s limited foot speed was compounded by Claude Julien’s system. The Canadiens’ head coach employs a zone defence, while Alzner is used to playing man-toman. Alzner often appeared lost early in the season. His instincts told him to stick with his man, but that would create an opening in the zone. The challenge going forward will be to continue adjusting to Julien’s way of doing things.

There is one ironic twist to Alzner’s signing with the Canadiens. He was frustrated over the Capitals’ repeated failures in the playoffs, but Washington put it all together last season to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

The Canadiens missed the playoffs, and their 71 points was their lowest total since 2001.