The Montreal Canadiens sit atop the Eastern Conference with only 18 games left to play.
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is playing like the Vezina Trophy - and perhaps even the Hart - are destined for his mantle, P.K. Subban has turned himself into a truly elite offensive defenseman and the forward group boasts an enviable amount of depth.
Yet, doubters of their ability to navigate the Eastern playoff minefield still exist.
TSN's Darren Dreger, appearing on Montreal's TSN 690 on Thursday, said that while he believes the team that Habs GM Marc Bergevin has assembled is a good one, it may not yet be elite or even great.
"I like what Bergevin has done. I think that he's added some interesting components," said Dreger, per NicholsOnHockey.com. "Obviously he's got top-end goaltending in Carey Price, but when I compare Montreal to some of the other teams in the Eastern Conference, I'm not so sure that they measure up entirely. They're close, but I don't think that they're at the top of the food chain, even though statistically by standings account, they absolutely are."
The Habs of course have struggled with keeping opponent shot totals down and they don't score with enough consistency - a deadly combination were it not for Price's continously heroic efforts.
"Yeah, I think the jury is still out," said Dreger. "I think that most NHL executives would consider the Montreal Canadiens obviously to be an elite level team. What you have to though, is when you get to this stage of the regular season and in this final push of the regular season, start analyzing Montreal versus the best teams in the East."
Dreger believes roster depth may be the Habs biggest weakness at this point, pointing to a couple of teams lower in the Eastern Conference standings with a, perhaps, better shot at a Cup run.
"Is Montreal deeper up front than say Tampa Bay? Or Detroit, who's having a wonderful and surprising season. Or the New York Rangers, the New York Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Those are the comparisons you have to make."
