Player Review: Michael Cammalleri

Our Montreal Canadiens Correspondent Christopher Nardi profiles and reviews Michael Cammalleri.

NUMBER: 13
HEIGHT: 5′ 9″
WEIGHT: 182
SHOOTS: LEFT
BIRTHDATE: JUN 8, 1982 (AGE 28)
Last season’s record: 65 Gp, 26-24-50, +/- 7 and 16 PIM
Last post-season’s record: 19 Gp, 13-6-19, +/- minus 6, 6 PIM

At 5’9”, Michael Cammalleri is one of the top three shorted players in the league, alongside teammate Brian Gionta and Tampa Bay Lightening star Martin St-Louis. Yet for a player in his prime, he shows absolutely no sign of slowing when it comes to playing hard. Cammalleri is an extremely fast skater and can streak down the wing and unload a quick snapshot like few can. He plays on the top line of the Habs, alongside Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez.

The key for the Canadiens when it comes to Cammalleri is to keep him absolutely injury-free. Cammalleri led the playoffs in goals last year, all the while playing against many of the league’s top lines and biggest hitters. During the season, although he was limited to “only” 65 games, Cammalleri made sure he was noticed by Canadiens fans, scoring a much needed 26 goals and helping his team squeak into the playoffs.

It was during the playoffs though that Cammalleri seduced Habs fans, scoring a humongous 13 goals, most of them coming against some of the best teams in the league. Cammalleri’s fearless play has him crashing the net harder than some double his size do, and seemingly his summertime baseball playing is easily transferred to wintertime baseball-style goals!

Weighing in for 6 million a year until 2014-2015, Cammalleri is a player who is only going to get better until then. The key for him is to stay healthy (like any other player anywhere, really) and to keep Gionta and Gomez with him to set him up. On a team with players that can suddenly disappear during 5 games or more, the top line for the Habs must be a threat at all times if the Montreal squad hopes to repeat, and go beyond, the feat that they pulled off during the 2009-2010 playoffs.

Christopher Nardi
NHLHS Montreal Canadiens Correspondent
cnardi@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @dragonlancehuma