Markov's departure ups pressure on Weber, Price

Thursday's team announcement that unrestricted free-agent defenseman Andrei Markov would not be returning to the club for the 2017-18 season marked the final step of a complete overhaul to the Montreal Canadiens' defense corps since the end of the 2013-14 season.

Just four years later, the Canadiens have eight new players signed to one-way contracts at a combined cap hit of $23.96 million, according to Cap Friendly.

The one constant behind this defensive carousel remains goaltender Carey Price, freshly signed to an eight-year, $84-million contract extension set to kick in for the 2018-19 season.

Here's how the eight men in front of Price are expected to line up this year.

LHD	RHD
Karl Alzner	Shea Weber
David Schlemko	Jeff Petry
Jordie Benn	Mark Streit
Joe Morrow	Brandon Davidson

Petry is the only returning member from the defense corps of just two years ago. Along with Weber, they were the only two defensemen to average at least 20 minutes of ice time per game last season.

The pressure on Price will be higher than ever as a result of the defensive turnover and resultant eight-man group.

The true test of the trade

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Weber's role will need to increase after leading the team with an average of 25:04 in ice time last season. While he performed well in his first year with the Canadiens, it was the older Markov helping to ease his transition.

Shea Weber at 5v5 without Markov in 2016-17: 58.9 GF%, 50.3 CF%

Pretty good.

Weber with Markov: 66.7 GF%, 53.3 CF%

- Drpon Basu (@ArponBasu) July 27, 2017

The reverse affect was seen with Markov and his most common defense partner of 2015-16. Formally playing with P.K. Subban at 5-on-5, it was the latter who lifted the tandem, possessing a superior Corsi For rating when the two were separated, while Markov's dipped from 51.94 percent together to 46.95 with anyone else.

Weber spent most of his 5-on-5 time with Alexei Emelin last season - opposed to 304 minutes with Markov. When on the ice with Emelin, Markov had a Corsi For rating of 50.39 and a rating of 53.58 when apart. Emelin also noticed a slight improvement when the two were split up.

Weber's expected new defense partner, Alzner, had a severely negative affect on his two most common defense partner's in his final season with the Washington Capitals.

NAME	TOI	CF% with Alzner	CF% without Alzner
John Carlson	662:49	45.94	54.45
Matt Niskanen	433:55	50.84	55.94

With Weber being its best offensive defenseman, Montreal won't be able to afford having Alzner forcing him to spend more time in his own end.

One-way street

The greatest difference for Price will be in the defense corps' lack of puck-movers. Here are the shots and scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 rates for the eight-man group.

NAME	SF/60	SCF/60
Weber	30.04	25.52
Alzner	27.22	24.87
Petry	32.68	28.79
Schlemko	29.60	27.36
Benn	30.58	29.32
Davidson (w/MTL)	32.42	27.26
Morrow	28.52	26.29
Streit (w/PIT)	32.39	31.95

Only Petry matched Markov's shots-for rate of 32.68, while all four newcomers fell well short of his mark.

The Canadiens ranked third in the league with a Corsi For rating of 52.54 percent and fifth with 52.48 percent of the scoring chances last season. Both rates face regression due to Markov's departure.

Help isn't on the way

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

While the winner of the Mikhail Sergachev for Jonathan Drouin trade will be determined several years from now, it does leave Montreal's current farm system bereft of potential impact defenders.

Twenty-year-old Noah Juulsen is now considered the team's top defense prospect, but he played in just two AHL playoff games last season, after concluding his WHL career. Hockey's Future gives him a C grade for probability of NHL success.

They signed 26-year-old Jakub Jerabek to a one-year contract out of the KHL. He stood out at the World Championships this past spring, but he's nearly sure to start the year in the AHL, as he gets accustomed to the size of NHL ice and waits for an NHL roster spot to become available as a result of injury or trade.

With free agency all but wrapped up, general manager Marc Bergevin will need to find a creative way to use it in order to address the team's most glaring area of weakness.

Hopefully $8.5M in cap space will have instant chemistry with Weber next year.

- Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) July 27, 2017

(All advanced statistics courtesy: Natural Stat Trick)

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