Dvorak and the Canadiens: A perfect match

MONTREAL -- Much like fans, NHL coaches gravitate to certain players for various reasons.

It's often due to their ability to score goals, their penchant for driving the play, their defensive prowess, or even their leadership skills.
But if there's one constant when it comes to players that quickly earn organizational trust, the player can usually fill a crucial role while making life easy on the entire coaching staff.
Christian Dvorak is that type of player.
He's the epitome of a plug-and-play forward. And it's not just a matter of versatility, either, though Dvorak can certainly play in various roles on any given night.
While it's certainly true the center in question can score goals, is excellent at taking faceoffs, and is signed to a long-term deal that will cover the majority of his statistical prime, it's also worth noting that Dvorak has earned the praise of his coaches throughout his tenure with the Arizona Coyotes.
"Coaches will tell you that he is a very low-maintenance player who works hard, adheres to systems, and just goes about his business without any drama or pushback," said Craig Morgan, lead writer at
azcoyotesinsider.com
.
With the hectic travel and practice schedule involved in an 82-game season, a player that will quietly go about his job and produce consistent results isn't just a boon for coaches, it's practically a godsend, especially on a team that has undergone significant turnover.
"He's just naturally humble," explains Morgan. "That said, multiple teammates have told me that he has an underrated, under-his-breath sense of humor. He was immensely popular in the Coyotes dressing room. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun called him his 'best buddy' and admitted that of all the roster departures, this one was the 'toughest one I've gone through for sure.'"

Some may scoff at the mention of locker room intangibles, but well-liked teammates don't just improve the overall morale, they allow both coaches and teammates alike to focus on the task at hand.
Of course, when it comes to Dvorak, there's a lot more than just intangibles.
He brings a litany of various assets to the table, including the most sought-after skill in the League; goal scoring.
Pro-rated to 82 games, he's averaged a little over 18 goals-per-year through the course of his career, hitting a career-high last season thanks to his 17 goals in just 54 games.

Almost half of his 17 goals last season came on the power play, powered by a 44 percent shooting percentage, which clearly isn't sustainable, but even when his shooting percentage inevitably drops, Dvorak will provide yet another scoring threat on the power play, which, along with newcomer Mike Hoffman, should diversify the Canadiens' scoring options and make a significant impact on the man advantage.
For example, Dvorak had 23 individual high-danger scoring chances on the power play last season, whereas the highest individual number on the Canadiens last season was just 13.
"He will give you good net-front presence on the power play with his size and quick hands in tight, and he has an excellent shot," said Morgan.
As for his even-strength impact, Dvorak will bring versatility, faceoff prowess, as well as a healthy dose of talent to the table.
Ideally, the Canadiens will count on Dvorak for offensive production, but he has no problem playing alongside grinders in an energy role.
He's used to facing a very high quality of competition with a relatively underwhelming quality of linemates, connoting he may be better off in a situation that provides him with a little more talent on the wing. Considering the Canadiens' winger roster currently features such players as Cole Caufield, Tyler Toffoli, Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Drouin, and Hoffman, Dvorak isn't just expected to be a good fit for the team, the team should be a good fit for him, something that's often overlooked when analyzing the potential impact of arriving players.

That's not to say Dvorak is guaranteed to eclipse all his previous career highs by a wide margin, and it's always rather difficult to analyze a player coming from different teams that employ various strategies during a game, but he's coming into a situation that's conducive to producing fantastic results.
If I had to criticize his overall game, which is always an interesting process given I'm usually scarfing down an unhealthy amount of chocolate-covered almonds during a game, it's that Dvorak needs to emulate my game-time snacking style; always more quantity. He doesn't shoot enough, though he certainly makes the best of his opportunities.
Despite his relatively low shot rate, Dvorak manages to generate a very high number of high-quality scoring chances, along the lines of what we see from Toffoli or Anderson.
In addition to providing a reliable presence in whichever role he's used, Dvorak brings yet another ace to the card game; he's excellent in the shootout. Last season he went 4-for-4, bringing his career total to 6-for-9 in the shootout, including three game-deciding goals.
Given the Canadiens dropped three of the four shootouts they participated in last year, Dvorak's mere presence in the lineup could be enough to earn the team crucial points that would go a long way in ensuring a playoff berth.

Being a shootout expert, faceoff wizard, power-play magician, and even-strength constant is usually a good sign when it comes to young centers, however, there will always be question marks as to how the player in question can fit in with a new team, new coach, new strategy, new rink, and a bevy of loud, boisterous fans.
But when it comes to Dvorak, the question isn't whether he can fit it, but rather, how quickly it'll happen.
If history is any indication, Dvorak won't only immediately fill a crucial role for the Canadiens, he'll do so with the type of professionalism and work ethic that keeps fans cheering and coaches sleeping soundly at night.
(All statistics courtesy of NaturalStattrick.com)